Simple Joys

 

 

Seriously doesn’t that face bring you joy!  Thank you Jesus for making her!

 

The truth that is painted on her wall encourages me each time I feed her!

6 months

That’s right our little Liza girl is 6 months old.  She is getting to be a pro at eating bananas through her fresh food feeder and saying ba ba.  She is still a pretty content and calm baby as long as she gets her naps.  Right now her greatest concern in life is not being able to reach a toy so she is working crawling so that she might be able to get there.  Daddy is trying to encourage her in pulling up but she hasn’t quite gotten that on her own.  Here are some pics of her!

Solid Foods

Liza has started eating solid foods this week and it has been a lot of fun!   Daddy wanted to start her a lot earlier on some not so great choices, so I guess she technically started earlier.  ; )    Our doctor encouraged us to wait till she was 6 months because she didn’t need the extra calories and why go through all of the hassle, if it isn’t needed.   This is also what I had read in baby books and online.   I wanted to wait till she seemed ready and this kid definitely seems ready.   She sits ups, grabs anything she can at the table, and even tries to eat the table.

The one thing I knew that I wanted not to do was buy baby food.  The first reason was cost (this tends to be a common theme on my blog).  I know of some moms that make their baby food and they even gave me a great website to use Wholesome Baby Food.  This was my original goal but then the other night I got excited about feeding Liza and mushed up a small part of a banana.  Forget the rice cereal, a banana sounded good to me!  This week she has been eating bananas and enjoying them! Also, I didn’t want to buy baby food because it has preservatives in it and might lack in some nutritional value (you can buy organic baby food but it is probably more expensive).  This is not to say that buying baby food is bad because that is what my parents did and all three of their kiddos turned out just fine – same for most of the people I know.   I think there is something inside me that desires to not necessarily go with the flow and to see if there are other options out there, especially cheaper options.

About two days into the solid food adventure, I read two posts from my most favorite blog Passionate Homemaking about solid foods and tools for starting solids.  In these posts she talks about the idea of feeding baby fresh foods versus pureed baby foods (still fresh but more work). Really great info and thoughts!   She did the homemade baby food stuff with her first and did fresh foods with the second.   One point she brings up is that trying the fresh method is a lot less work, which is what I am all about .   But on the flip side it is a lot messier, which is also what I am all about (as my family would testify to and my hubby and probably former roommates).  This means I am actually using all of the cute bibs I got – I didn’t really need them since breast milk spit up doesn’t stain.

I am still nursing Liza and I hope to continue to for at least a year (never know how it will go when the teeth come in).  The American Associate of Pediatrics recommends breast feeding for a year; it’s great for Liza and great for our pocket book!

I was inspired to write this post because Elaine wrote a post on solids.  It seems we may be headed in the same direction.  She has some great links on her posts, as well!   I will try to include some pics of Liza and her solids!

Halloween

My mom bough Liza a cat costume for Halloween and some of the college kids/ post college kids had a Halloween party.  Now normally I would just go as myself (last year I was a pregnant lady) but since Liza had a costume, I thought it would be fun to dress up too.  I was Mommy cat and Liza was Liza cat.  I think we look pretty darn cute.   Mark didn’t want to go to the party or dress up so he stayed home and watched the World Series.   Here are some pictures (I tried to turn the picture of Liza and I but it just didn’t want to turn) :

Caught Ya

Liza is having some issues with nap time.  Prior to the 5 month mark, I could put up her laundry, get the dirty diapers, or clean up her room while she was napping but now those tasks have to wait till she is awake.   Last week I was attempting to put up her laundry very quietly and I looked back at her crib to find this:

Something New

I have a very introspective personality which lends to having a large fear of trying something new.  I become very anxious at the thought of doing something new and about 5,000 fears run through my mind, especially fears of failing.  I would rather stick to one thing no matter how good or bad I am at it, then learn something new.   Since Mark and I have been married, I taught kids in a variety of different situations – public school, private school and even home school.  I love kids and love teaching and find that I am way more comfortable around kids then adults.  When we found out we were pregnant, I knew I wanted to stay at home with Liza but I also knew that it meant money would be tight.   Mark and I began to brainstorms ways I could work from home – knitting, sewing, and lots of things I don’t know how to do.   The only idea that excited us was photography.   Photography has always interested me but there was one problem, I didn’t own a camera.

While I am all talk, my husband is all walk.   I like to think about the idea and see if things come along; he just jumps right into it.  You can see how we both need each other, balance each other out and how this might cause some conflict.   When the photography idea came about, Mark decided that right away I should get a camera and start learning.  Of course I am all for having a camera so I loved the idea, until about 5 or 6 months into it.   Mark was ready to see some fruit from my learning – not necessarily money but just that I was improving and learning.   Every time we had conversations about photography, fear and anxiety would rise up in me.  Would I really be able to do? Maybe I just wasn’t good enough?  What if I fail?

At Liza’s birth, I had a photographer there who was just getting started with her photography business.  She did our maternity, birth and newborn pictures for free so that she could get practice (huge blessing for a seminary family).  This sparked the idea for the kind of photography I would want to do.  Birth photography.   I get so excited about babies and birth and pregnancy.  I love seeing births and hearing about them. I don’t know if this idea will take off – there are so many details to think about but for now I have one goal with photography – practice, practice, practice.

Here are pictures from my first “photo shoot.”  I put quotes around it because really I have no idea what I am doing.  So thanks Cary and baby Eli for letting me practice!

Lots of Traveling

About two weeks ago, Mark and I went to Dallas to go to two conferences for his job.  We had a great time with my family and learned some pretty interesting things at the conferences.  We became particulary interested in hearing about work being done among refugees in Greece.  For some reason both of us were really excited to hear what God as doing and how He was working in the lives of these refugees who come from some very dangerous countries.   I also got to hear a woman speak about encouraging women’s ministries to be more involved in missions.  This lady had children and grand children on the field and she was very passionate about missions.   It was refreshing for me to get to hear a woman speak about missions and encouraging.

While we were there, we also got some family pictures taken.  My mom was given a gift certificate to get family photos done from her co-workers as a grandmother gift.   What a great idea! So here are a few.

(I had hoped to post this earlier but kept having computer issues

Desert Song

This song by Hillsong really ministered to my heart this morning.   I can’t explain it all the reasons why but it is so true.   He is still God, in every season, and He is the reason we can still worship.   He is so good to us.  His love endures forever and He is my strength when I am weak.  He is my hope when all seems hopeless.  He is amazing and I am so grateful for the Cross that I might know the God of this universe.  I hope this song encourages you as it has me.

Verse 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
And all that’s within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger in me
My God is a God who provides

Verse 2:
And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

Chorus:
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 3:
And this is my prayer in the battle
And triumph is still on it’s way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I’ll stand

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Verse 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I’m filled to be emptied again
The seed I’ve received I will sow

P.S. to His Provision

My frugal friend Elaine is starting a new blog on Stewardship.   This girl knows what she is talking about so I figured I would post it here for all to read!

His Provision

I just read three posts from Girl Talk Blog about trusting the Lord during hard financial times.   I am so thankful for this reminder to trust Him to provide and thankful for the woman who gave her testimony of their family’s financial struggle.   Often, we think it is negative to not have a lot of money, definitely the world looks down on it but in the church we look down on it, too.   I don’t believe that this is how it should be in the church but I think it is the result of materialism creeping in the hearts of believers.  We think people are respectable if they have it all together – like a nice house, decent cars, dress fashionably.  This isn’t just the world that sees it this way, it is Christians too.  But in God’s kingdom, in His perspective this just isn’t true.  He values the heart, the character of a person much more than the stuff they have or how they dress.

Truly, we are not better off if we dress nicer, have new cars or actually own our own house.   There is wisdom in finances but there is also faith.   The simple concept of living by faith is often ruled out because we must live “wisely”.  I wonder if this wisdom is from the Word or from the world.   There is prudence in saving and budgeting (things we do in the Straz household) but what if the Lord wants us to take a lower paying job or to have a mom stay at home or a variety of other things that might make money tight.

These are things I fight in my own heart often.  Sometimes, I want to work so that Mark and I would have it easier financially.  If we add a second income maybe we could save for a house or just feel more comfortable but if I did I would miss out on so many blessings.  One – the peace and joy of taking care of my home.  Our house is relatively peaceful (as compared to when I did work) and I am definitely a lot less stressed which is good for our marriage. I also get to more apart of Mark’s job and ministry.  I can help him with things, disciple girls and serve people.  Also I get to spend time with Liza, take care of her and watch her grow.  Lastly, we get to see God faithfully provide for us.   We always have all we need and even things we want.  He is so faithful.  The Lord truly takes care of his children.  I love what the woman says at the end of her testimony during tough times “but we can wholeheartedly say that the boundary lines have fallen for us in pleasant places. We are very blessed! Our worldly loss has been great gain.”

As I am encouraged by the posts at the Girl Talk blog, I am also challenged to look at my heart and see where I am valuing the world over the Lord.    Also to wonder if I view people through the Lord’s eyes or through the world’s?  Do I really want to be like Him or to be comfortable?