Homemade Baby Food

  Jacob started rice cereal 3 weeks ago. He was born ready to eat that.  He acted like he had been eating it for days. I couldn't put it in his mouth fast enough. Good thing. :)
  He started on veggies this week. Monday-Wednesday he had carrots for lunch with his cereal. Thursday and Friday he had butternut squash. So far so good.
  I spent most of the afternoon and evening making baby food. It is ridiculous how much organic baby food cost, so I'm making my own. I bought organic carrots, butternut squash and acorn squash to make baby food. After I steamed them separately in a steamer basket, I blended them in my food processor with a little water. I then poured most of it in ice trays to freeze. Each cube is approximately 2 Tbs. It is so much cheaper that way! Next I will be green beans and some peas. Then in a few weeks we will have some fruit.
  The last couple of days he has been on a 3 1/2 hr schedule. That is going much better than 3. He has a better appetite. But I think that it's time to move to 4hrs. He just isn't that interested in eating. I know he can go that long because he did it twice last Sunday.

       

Healthy Choices

  I've decided to eat healthier. This is week 2 and so far so good. :) Sunday was an exception because we went out with friends who picked a place that I think even fries their sweet tea! j/k
  I really don't mind eating healthy, in fact I enjoy a lot of vegetables and fruit. It is just always more convenient to grab some greasy potato chips when I need a snack. And since I do not buy healthy choices, of course I will default to MSG laden chips with a Pepsi (I love that carbonation and corn syrup).
  But, to the despair of my husband, I am no longer buying those things. Instead, we now have yummy alternatives. Such as fresh veggies to make a wonderful salad! I also really enjoy making a fresh smoothie of fruit and yogurt to go with my scrambled eggs for breakfast(need the protein). String cheese and crackers make a great snack! And homemade salsa is incredible with ANY meal(I make mine very spicy)! I am also trying to cook more fresh veggies as opposed to buying the cans. It most definitely takes more time to prepare for dinner, but it not only is better for you, it tastes better!  
 I really need to lose this left over pregnancy fat. I have 25lbs to go.  I've hit a plateau. I am unable to exercise with little J now that it is getting cold out. And I am unable to after Steve is back home because it's dark. I'm contemplating going for a jog when Steve's home for his lunch break, but I really enjoy the adult interaction. J's down for a nap at that time so he wouldn't have to watch him, but that's a good time for us to be together without our mocking bird(he's now making bird noises very loudly). Not sure yet.
  I'm also going to bed earlier. I have had sleep problems off and on all my life. But after the pregnancy it is worse than ever. I'm trying to get myself on a schedule to see if this helps. It's nice to have J sleeping through the night, but doesn't help me much when I can't sleep.

New family

  I am so excited that the Lord led us to be a part of Harvest church. I am filled with such mixed emotions. We did not want to leave our HHBC family, but headed out under the direction of Holy Spirit. After 5 months of searching, we finally found the people that God wants us to connect and begin a new life with. Our hearts yearn for our HH family more than words can describe. But with our new Harvest family we are eagerly expecting the power of Holy Spirit to transform us to be more like Christ! That means doing, not just memorizing, what Christ exemplified while He was on earth. I know that He is going to stretch us more than ever before. And our desire is to run straight into it. Not pulling away when its uncomfortable, but pressing on knowing that Father is transforming us to be more like His Son! All praise to Him for His marvelous grace. We are so unworthy for Him to invite us to know Him more, and yet His arms are open wide.

To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever. Rev 5:13 

  Thank you, Father, for Your mercies are new EVERYDAY!!!

Sleeping Problems

  Another bad night. He woke up every 1 1/2 -2 hours. But, part of the problem is that he is moving around so much that he flips over and then can't go back to sleep. So I go in there every time and flip him back over and he immediately goes back to sleep. To night we will be doing CIO. This is not going to be fun.....but neither is getting up every hour of the night. He needs to learn to go back to sleep on his own....or flip himself back over. But it will be a while before we reach this point.
  What is puzzling me is why all of a sudden he is not going into a deep sleep at night?? 4 weeks of this is taking it's toll.

Teething

 My little man is teething. So the 11 hour nights are gone!! He started waking up every hour or hour and a half through out the night for 3 wks now!  I am about to pull my hair out (which I can literally do. It's been falling out for 2 months now). But I have adjusted his schedule and trying to work around it. The last 3 nights he has slept about 8 hrs before waking.
  He has also started rice cereal. He loves it!! I can't give it to him fast enough. He's eating that 3 times a day now. I think that has helped him sleep better.  

  I wish we could get the naps down. He is a 45 minute baby. No more no less, 45. It's amazing. I don't know how these moms get their kids to take longer naps. He will randomly take a hour and a half nap. Yesterday morning it was 2 hours.  Those are gifts. :)

2012

A New Year!

  On New Years eve of 2010, Heavenly Father spoke a word to me about the coming year of 2011. He told me that it would be a year of New Beginnings for us. I had no idea what that was going to entail. I had some desires as to what I hoped that would mean.
  I don't know how many tears I had shed over the previous 3 years or how many desperate prayers I prayed, pleading with God to change our circumstances. Nights of despair and going to bed angry at the Lord because He had forgotten us, or just didn't care. Days that were so dark we could hardly see. Oppression brought on by unseen spirits that felt as if I were literally in chains. It was such a dark time.
  Why is it, the truth you know and believe in the light, you forget or choose not to believe in the dark? Truth does not change with circumstances. And that was the only thing that got us through. Choosing to believe in His Word even when circumstances screamed that it was false. I can even remember the sick feeling I had in my stomach during that time. I remember like it was yesterday what that darkness felt like. Sometimes we could even physically see darkness in the daylight.
  But we completed the time the Lord set for us to be there. Praise to HIM who sits on the throne, He lead us out of that place! We had tried to leave on our own but it failed. But when it was time, the Lord went before us and made the way straight!
  Even though this is a new year and so many people are making their new year resolutions, I do not want to forget what the Lord has done in the previous year:

1) Countless conformations that it was time to move (unlike the years before)
2) Stephen applied for seminary
3) Sold our house in less than 3 months, on June 27th, 2011
4) On the morning of the signing, Stephen received his acceptance letter
5) The Lord provided us a place to live until we moved to the seminary, for free!!
6) We received more money from the sale of our house than we ever thought we could..lived off the money  for 6 months when Stephen quit his job. Paid off our mortgage, as well as our car note!
7) July 30th, 2011, Jacob Paul Jansen was born. 8.1 lbs 21" long. Beautiful healthy little boy!
8) August 18th, 2011 we moved to seminary housing.
9) December 14th, 2011, Stephen completed his first semester at Southwestern, his 30th birthday!!!
10) God continues to provide for us financially while we are here, growing our faith everyday!

  And now for 2012, we have finally found a new church family. On January 1st, we joined Harvest church. I get so excited thinking and anticipating what the Lord has in store for this new year. I know that it's not all going to be fun, but I know HE has so much more for us to learn about HIM! I am excited about getting to know my Savior even more this year than ever before! And I do not ever want to forget where HE has brought me from! HE has saved me by HIS wonderful grace! But not only saved me, but has invited me to love HIM and know HIM!!

Happy New Year!