Is he crawling yet?

This is where we are on the "learning to crawl timeline". Starting to attempt to push up on hands and knees, but really, who am I kidding? He's not even close. This was the height of his attempt, and he fell right back down to the ground. No soldier crawl either. This, and reaching with one side for something out of reach is about the closest we get to crawling. I can't say I was expecting it to happen, though. Bella didn't crawl until 9 months...but amazingly enough, I think Balian will wait even longer than that. Apparently, he's a true Jones boy :)
Honestly, I like it this way. I don't have to worry about him getting into anything. And maybe we have time to get some new flooring in before he starts to crawl. I don't think concrete will feel very good ;)

Welcome to Grandma-ville!

ok, so a lot of people (especially Miranda) have asked for house pictures since we moved. I haven't granted this request...until now. These aren't new pictures, just FYI (obviously). Things have changed a bit since we moved in, but I don't want to post new pictures until we get at least a section of the house finished.

So, here's our house. Built in 1985, but looks like it was built in the 70's by the carpet, etc. you'll see what I mean.... we like to call it "grandma-ville" because it looks and feels like you just stepped into grandma's house. some of that is why we bought it, some of that is why we're renovating.

we bought a fixer-upper, because we knew we could do at least most of the work ourselves and gain a lot of value that way. Because this house was so outdated, we were able to get it SUPER cheap (especially for the neighborhood). woohoo! now the hard part (and fun part) is getting the work done! :)

Here's the kitchen. the wooden doors over the sink are no longer there, and that looks out into the livingroom. Notice the broomcloset on the left, and next to it, if you're wondering what that is instead of a drawer - it's a breadboard!! used and cared for beautifully - I love it! Notice also the 1980's appliances (except the dishwasher) and the "wavy" border. yeah, the border has to go. oh, and don't forget the lanolium! ha. Great kitchen though. lots of storage space and working room.

The pantry is much bigger than the GA house. oh, and we have installed a new overhead light in here now. much better!

ok, so I lied, these aren't all from the beginning. This is the dining room, as we're pulling up carpet. we've painted in here, but that's it. we now have concrete flooring, the wainscoating and trim are white, and the walls are neutral. you can also see the entry-way at the very bottom of this picture. nice '70's tile. that's gone now too. just concrete. and the door is painted white instead of brown.

ok, and the epitome of grandma-ville. the livingroom. this is from the entry-way. The mantle had to go because it was rotted. We've painted the far wall, all of the trim, and the cut-out in the ceiling so far. The door on the right is the hallway (yes, it closes off and I love it!) with the kids' rooms and bathroom. To the right of the fireplace is another doorway that leads to the utility room and garage.

A different view of the livingroom. the window cut-out is the kitchen. You also see the entry-way to the left, and the door to the right leads to our bedroom, which also has access to the kitchen. Essentially, there is a circle of walkway around and through the entire kitchen. doorways everywhere. when Bella starts getting a bit stir crazy, I tell her to run laps. :)

The amount of doorways does present a problem when it comes to decorating and arranging furniture. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)

Our plan is to put hardwood flooring in the dining room and living room definitely. we're pretty sure we're adding our bedroom to that, and we're trying to decide about the kids' rooms. we want to do slate for the entry-way, and we'll have to decide on something for the kitchen and bathrooms. probably ceramic, but we aren't totally set on it yet. of course, paint everywhere, plus changing out some of the light fixtures, etc. There's more than just cosmetic stuff that we want to do, but not sure if it will actually happen. there's more to life than remodeling a temporary dwelling...so we'll see what happens. :)

Getting to Know the Joneses: All About Balian

Full Name: Balian Nathaniel Jones

Birthday: September 15, 2009

Age: 7 1/2 months

Height: 28.5 inches??

Weight: 20 lbs.

Hair: Brown and straight. It's getting lighter and the bald spot on the back of my head is filling in. It's getting course too. Still a chance it could be curly? We'll see.

Eyes: Blue. Mommy's the odd man out now. Daddy, Bella, and I all have blue eyes.

Do What?

I can roll over back to tummy.

I'm re-learning how to roll over tummy to back. I like to do push-ups so much that my arms just keep getting in my way!

I do baby push-ups and I'm trying to get on my knees a bit, but when I try, I end up just pushing myself backward...so I'm doing this backward scoot thing...just like mommy says that Bella did.

I sit up on my own fabulously. Just put me down and I'm good to go. No falling at all...even for like an hour!

I eat oatmeal, pears, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes. Mommy has had to start me out slowly because my tummy gets upset easily. So I get a new food every 7-10 days. Tomorrow I get to try bananas!

I'm very vocal. I babble ALL the time. I can click my tongue. I like to sing. and I like to squeal in delight - a lot.

I just started doing the baby booty dance. Sitting down, standing up, whatever. I rock it out!

A Few of My Favorite Things:

I especially like my feet right now. I like to eat them any chance I get. If there's socks in the way, I like to pull them off and eat them first...then get to the dessert - the toes!

I like anything on mommy - mommy's necklace, any earrings she's wearing, and especially her hair. I like to grab it all and eat it whenever I can. Yes, even hair - but that one's a rare treat - mommy hardly ever wears her hair down enough for me to really get a hold of it :(

My favorite book is "What Shall We Do With the Boo-hoo Baby?" When given a choice between two books, I always choose this one. always.

I don't really have a favorite food. I just like food. All food. YUM!

My favorite toys are the big house that I share with Bella, my monkey blanket with my name and 4 teethers on it, and any ball I can find.

Hearing mommy sing. I smile really big, laugh, and I try to sing along.

Doing anything with Daddy.

Playing Peek-a-boo with Bella.

Oh No! Not Another Parenting Book!!

First, I must point out that I didn't anticipate the amount of comments from the post about Love and Logic. If any of you thought I had lost all logic, let me say this:

I'm not one to put all of my eggs into one basket. I seek out wisdom through scripture, as well as through other people's expertise and experience. There are so many that are wiser than I, and have been down the road I'm on for many more years than I. I must say that I didnt' agree with everything that Love and Logic had to say. I loved that it was an easy read, and was chalk-full of examples that were easy to apply.

I agree with giving children power over things that I don't need to have control over. I do this by giving choices throughout the day such as what they want to wear, what they want to eat, etc. But then having them stick with their decisions. (deciding to have a PB&J, then changing her mind, doesn't work. she has to eat what she said she wanted.) It teaches them to make choices and stick with them. It also teaches them to be responsible by allowing them the freedom to make good...and bad...decisions within the safety of the home environment when the cost is small, rather than waiting until they are older when the decisions have much greater value. We also give them the freedom to make their own choices because we want them (but cannot make them) make the best decision of their lives - to follow Christ.

I also agree with the cocept of logical consequences because these logical (or reality) consequences are what they will experience in real life. They won't ALWAYS get punished by an authority in real life, but they may "punish" themselves when they make bad choices and deal with the consequences. I feel like my job as a parent isn't to teach a kid not to get caught - or to fear the punishment from authorities. I don't want my kids having a warped understanding of God where they only fear the punishment of hell, wanting only their ticket out of hell. Rather, my job is to teach them to weigh the consequences - both good and bad - and live with those consequences. Just like if I choose to follow God's word, there are the good consequences of a full and abundant life - rather than the bad consequences of separation from our father (not just in the afterlife, but now as well) because of a lack of relationship. This can be quite simple. For a kid who refuses to eat - let him make that choice, and live with the consequences. You can choose to eat or not to eat dinner...but you won't get anything else to eat until breakfast. simple. they learn it right away - mom and dad are still the authority and in power - and most likely the kid will start eating when its time to eat.

However, Love and Logic didn't feel complete to me. Yes, there were verses from the book of proverbs and other examples from scripture (at least, in my 1990's version I got used), but what should our ultimate goal be as parents (other than simply leading our children to know the Lord)?

I bought the book Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours" over a year ago - just because I heard the author, Dr. Kevin Leman, speak on a radio show - not because we were having problems with Bella. The author himself laughs at the title of the book, because it really is impossible to MAKE a child mind. They decide if they want to or not. if not - they suffer the consequences. and that's that.

The entire book, however, is based upon Ephesians 6:1-4 which states:

Children, obey your parents; this is the right thing to do because God has
placed them in authority over you. Honor your father and mother. This is the
first of God's Ten Commandments with a promise. And this is the promise: that if
you honor your father and mother, yours will be a long life, full of
blessing.

And now a word to you parents. Don't keep on scolding and nagging your
children, making them angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with the loving
discipline the Lord himself approves, with suggestions and godly advice.

He points out however that authority is not synonymous with control or domination. Just like discipline is not synonymous with punishment. He points out that one of the most mis-quoted scriptures regarding discipline is the "spare the rod, spoil the child" verse, which actually reads:

"He who spares the rod, hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him" Proverbs 13:24

He talks about what the word "rod" is actually supposed to connotate. It's supposed to be more correction and guidance than punishment (like a shepherd's rod). Like in Psalm 23 where it says "thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me". Guidance seems to comfort and teach. Punishment seems to make kids resentful (I know it did me - and I know that Bella seemed to start feeling that way as well.)

That isn't to say that spanking is out of the question (I definitely believe that spanking is necessary at times) - but that it shouldn't be our first line of defense, so to speak. If there is another option - with logical consequences, choices, etc., then use these first. If it is flat-out rebellion (doing the complete opposite of what we have asked), or teaching about boundaries concerning safety, or just simply laying a foundation of what the word "no" means, of course spanking can and should be used.

The main gist though is that kids need to understand that we as parents are the authority, but we aren't the boss. God is the boss, and He has blessed us by placing our children into our care - to be guided, instructed, and lovingly disciplined as needed. But we aren't the boss of our kids. we can't control them. we can try, alright, but they will still make their own decisions. But we can lovingly help them to learn the difference between good and bad choices - right and wrong morals - that nobody is perfect - that we can fogive others when they hurt us - that WE are not perfect and we NEED our savior to be good mommies and daddies - but that we are sinners, saved by Grace by an amazing Holy AND loving God.

That is the kind of parent I strive to be.

Strawberry Picking

There is a local organic farm about 5 miles from our house. They have lots of stuff - veggies, peaches, blackberries, etc. Now is the time for strawberries. They provide the boxes/baskets for you to pick with, and then you go and pick the berries that you want, and pay for them by the pound. We decided to try it out on Friday.

YUM!

Baby Laughs

Apparently, Balian thought his daddy was REALLY funny. This is the first time we've heard full-out belly laughs come out of this kid. so great! :)