Merry Christmas

Wintertime Lessons

(Disclaimer: This is going to be an incredibly long post. To entice you to keep reading, I'll be sprinkling pictures of Benjamin throughout ... they are the ones we didn't order from our family portrait session a couple weeks ago. Though cute, they didn't make the cut. They have nothing to do with what I'll be writing about. Enjoy :)

Today, I had to go to the Post Office. I didn't want to go for three reasons: 1) the current temperature is 11 degrees 2) our car looked like a giant snowball and 3) the street in front of our building looked like some kind of Olympic ski slope ... its not on a hill, but you get my drift (no pun intended).

But I knew that unless I want to be a hermit for the next 4-5 months, I need to get used to scraping ice off vehicles, driving in the snow, and braving the frigid temperatures. So, when Benjamin drifted off to sleep at 11:00, I got busy.

I put on 3 shirts, my coat, wool socks, my new snow boots (yahoo!), gloves, scarf, and ear muffler. I would have put long-john's under my jeans but I was finally able to fit in my favorite pre-pregnancy jeans today, and there wasn't room for anything underneath them, but I was too excited that I had been able to button them to take them off :)

I then went outside to scrape off the car. At which point, I learned...

Lesson 1. Pull your windshield wipers up during the night so that they don't become joined to your windshield in one giant ice cube.

After finally freeing the wipers and generally scraping all the ice and snow I could reach, I called it a job well done, started the car so it could be warming up, and came in to bundle up Benjamin. At which point, I learned...

Lesson 2. Don't get Benjamin up from his nap wearing your coat, gloves, scarf and the ear mufflers that make your bangs stick straight up. You will look scary and he will get freaked out.

After calming him down, bundling him up and strapping him in his car seat, I learned...

Lesson 3. I need to get one of those detachable keychains so that I can lock the door to our apartment while leaving the car running at the same time.

Then, at 11:45, I finally left home to drive to the post office.

At this point, I should lower everyone's expectations and tell you that I was not going to the post office to mail Christmas cards. Will and I have not sent Christmas cards in all six Christmases we've been married. Each year we think about it when all those cute pictures of babies and update letters from friends start coming in the mail. Each year, we say, "We'll wait till we have kids, then we'll send out Christmas cards." This year, it occurred to me about December 5 ... shoot! this year, we've got a kid!!

And well, you could say I was trying to be green, you could say I was trying to save money, but really, I just didn't get around to it before it was too late ... unless the saying "better late than never" applies to this situation and people wouldn't mind getting Christmas cards from us around Valentine's Day?

oh well ... maybe we'll starting sending Christmas cards when we have kids in the plural. But in the meantime we've decided to send out a Christmas e-greeting here on our family blog. So, look for it's debut next week right here at Trautman Adventures! :)

Now, back to my story about the wintertime lessons I learned today.

As I navigated the snowy shopping center parking lot, someone started backing out right in front of the door to the post office. Great, I thought, I won't have to park in one of those snowy spots farther down! But just before I could pull in, an elderly man driving a boat of a car cut into the spot before I could. The moment I felt the anger rising, I saw his license plate ... former prisoner of war. Wow, that'll make ya feel bad! As I pulled past, I saw him getting out of his car with his cane and going in the post office, and I thought, I should thank him for his sacrifice to our country when I get inside.

Anyway, I found a parking spot, got me and the big bundle of fleece otherwise known as Benjamin, and went inside. It was then that I learned...

Lesson 4. Don't go to the post office the week before Christmas unless you want to be there for at least 30 minutes.

The line was humongous! However, we made it through and Benjamin was a little angel - he hardly fussed at all and only had two really loud poots! :) It was waiting in line that I learned...

Lesson 5. Be careful of over-dressing or you'll end up sweaty before you have to go back out in the cold.

The ear mufflers might have been slight overkill ... everyone else in the post office was dressed like a normal person, instead of like an eskimo. I think I was advertising to the whole place "I'm not from here!"

After the whole fiasco, Benjamin and I made it back home at 12:30. Yes, if you've been counting, that would be an hour and a half to run one errand two miles from our house. Winter is going to be an adventure. woo-hoo.

But then I re-learned a lesson I've unfortunately had to learn before...

Lesson 6. When the Holy Spirit prompts you to say something to someone, SAY IT! You'll feel so full of regret later if you don't.

You see, I stood in line behind the precious elderly man the whole time at the post office and thought of every excuse in the book not to tap him on the shoulder and say "thank you." But now, as I look at Benjamin's precious little face, I'm so grateful for the freedoms we enjoy and the hope that Benjamin has for his future, and the sacrifice of so many brave ones who made it possible, and I promise, the next time I see a veteran, I will say, "THANK YOU!"

PS: Hope you've enjoyed the random "blooper pics" of Benjamin! :)

A Good Sleep

This is going to sound weird, but I really love to sleep. I hesitate to say that sleeping is one of my favorite things to do - it sounds like I need medication of some sort - but I really do love it! I love that feeling of nestling down into the warm covers and a soft pillow. I love that weightless feeling you get right before you drop off for a good, deep rest. I love the feeling of waking up on your own ... that first good stretch ... there's no refreshment like it!

Honestly, that was one of the things I most worried about regarding being a new mom - the lack of sleep. And though there have certainly been some sleepless days and weeks, it seems that Benjamin is coming to love sleep as much as his mommy does! Can I get an Amen and Hallelujah?

At this point in the post, I could write something eloquent about how sleep is beautiful picture of trust, peace, and resting in the provision and protection of God, but let's get to the cute stuff about Benjamin - after all, that's why you're reading this blog, right?

He is super super cute when he's trying to wake up - little squeeks, grunts, even a snort or two - stretching his little arms and rubbing his eyes - so cute, my heart could just explode. He used to stretch his little fist over his head and rock it back and forth just like the sign for yes - but i think he may have outgrown that! so sad! If he ever does it again, I've gotta try my best to capture that little gem! Anyway, today I was able to catch a little of video of him waking up - super stinking cute!!

but, who am i kidding? He's super stinking cute all the time!

Just a normal day...

Benjamin and I were going to run some errands today, but since it's 23 degrees outside with a windchill of 5 - yes, you read that correctly - FIVE DEGREES - we decided to stay home. So, we're just going about our normal day ... eat, change diaper, wipe some spit-up, wash some dishes, sing 14 verses of "The Wheels on the Bus," take a nap, eat some more, change another diaper, change the little one's clothes since he spit up all over the last ones, and etc.

Oh, and I forgot the other thing that has been taking up more and more of my time and brain space ... watch for Benjamin's developmental markers like a hawk. What did people do 100 years ago when there was no week-by-week guide of what your infant should be accomplishing? And even though the introduction to said book clearly states that there are "ranges of normal," what over-achieving perfectionist doesn't think her infant should be right on target every single week, nay even a week ahead now and then?

does any other mother out there struggle with this?

I'm thinking of putting the book away actually.

Anyway, Benjamin is supposed to be "whapping at toys" which i had not yet seen him do - so I was understandably (or should I say neurotically?) stressed out. And then today, when he was "hanging out with his frogs" (our term for laying under his activity gym - it makes frog noises), I ran down to the basement to switch some laundry, and when I came back up the stairs, low and behold ...

In case you didn't catch that, here's a closer view...

Mark that one off the list! yahoo!

but i really am thinking about putting the book away ...

but then how will I know if we're accomplishing goals?

i think my son is going to need some therapy in about 20 years :)

We love our Cubbies!

It's no secret that the Trautman's are big fans of the Cubs and Will was especially excited to find a Cubs mobile for the nursery. And now, I'm happy to say that Benjamin has fallen in love with the Cubs as well...



You'll notice at the end of the video, he spied me - sneaky mommy :)

Places to go and people to see

Well, we have had a very busy few days and Benjamin has been such a trooper! I think part of the reason we've been so busy is that he's been sleeping 8-10 hours at night, so Mommy and Daddy actually feel like getting out and doing something!

Over the weekend, we got together with friends several times for movies, football games, etc., and even went for our first family portrait - previews coming soon! We enjoyed church Sunday morning and a potluck lunch after the service - though a blow-out diaper prevented Mommy from hearing much of the sermon. Thus, a bath was in order for Sunday afternoon...

I think Benjamin thought it was kinda funny :)

Then, the inevitable happened ... on Monday evening, we got our first real snow ... here's Will digging out to go to work on Tuesday morning...

Thankfully, the roads were clear by the time we had to leave to go to Benjamin's two-month check-up ... yes, he's really two months old already!! He now weighs 11 lbs, 11 ozs and is 22.5 inches long - right at the 50th percentile. He was even a trooper at the dr's office when an emergency with another patient required us to wait for quite a while, leaving Benjamin very ready for a nap!

Then last night, we braved the winter weather again to go to our prayer group, which is always so refreshing for Will and me! However, I did discover that people weren't kidding when they talked about the need to wear snowboots ... my running shoes were no match for the slush we had to walk through on the sidewalks. I've officially learned my lesson :)

Anyway, Benjamin slept through most of prayer group - despite another blow-out diaper :) But thankfully, Mommy dealt with it lots faster than the last one (learned my lesson there too) and didn't miss much of the group. On the way home, Benjamin fell into a deep sleep since it was almost 10:00 and way past his usual bedtime. He was so cute sleeping in his carrier with his big winter hat over his eyes, I just had to share some video - listen carefully and you can hear his sleepy breathing; watch carefully and you can see him still sucking on his binky every now and then...



Sorry the video's sideways - i can't figure out how to fix it :)

Just a Little Retail Therapy...

Benjamin smiling at his crazy momma!

Over the last few weeks, as Benjamin's routine has gotten more settled, I've begun venturing out on errands a few times a week during his morning naptime. He sleeps really well in his carseat/carrier when we're driving, he's being carried, or pushed in a shopping cart. Nevermind that he screams like crazy while we're strapping him in, once we get moving, he's a happy camper. These errands have become something I look forward to (thus my tears at this week's snowfall) as they help to remind me that I am real, functioning member of society rather than just a nappy-haired, spit-up covered Mommy (not that that's a bad thing :) Anyway, it's just refreshing to be amongst the public.

The problem is, not everyone understands that my retail therapy is Benjamin's naptime - and this week, the stores have been much busier as the Christmas season hits. On Monday, in preparation for the aforementioned snowfall, we went to Target to pick up some necessities before blizzards hit - namely, I bought a crazy amount of diapers to be sure we don't run out anytime soon. Once we were there, Benjamin was napping so well, and there were so many great deals on cute things ($9.99 fleece pajama pants anyone?) that I found myself just enjoying some liesurely shopping. The employees however were intent in their efforts to restock after the weekend, so there were radios crackling, boxes ripping, and all manner of loud noises on almost every aisle. At one particularly loud noise, the momma bear in me almost whipped around to scold, "Don't you realize people are trying to NAP in here??" Just before my feet went to spin, however, the more sane, self-controlled part of me realized that most people don't go to a retail store to nap - as a matter of fact, who in the world does that?

All I can say is, as a rookie momma, you do what you have to do.

Today, I ventured to Babies-R-Us for the first time since Benjamin was born. And, may I just say, OH SWEET MERCY! I have never in my life seen all manner of precious little outfits, snuggly blankets, adorable stuffed animals, and who-would-have-ever-thought-i-needed-this nifty baby gagdets. I consider it a great testimony to the power of the Holy Spirit's conviction that I walked out of there leaving any money in our bank account at all. I came home physically exhausted, not from the actual shopping, but from having to consciously and physically restrain myself in the store. Moral of the story - i don't need to go there very often! Are there support groups for this?

The Book Nook

A few weeks ago I ran across a blog (no idea whose) whose author posted her current reading list on the sidebar of her blog. I thought it was a great idea and have been wanting to add something like that to my blog, so here ya go! Not that anyone necessarily cares what I'm currently reading, but what's the point of a blog except to post details of your life that you would normally share with a friend over a cup of coffee? and since most of the people I would share a cup of coffee with are a 6-24 hour drive away, I have my blog.

Over the past several years, I haven't had the time or energy to read much, and so, I thoroughly enjoyed the summer when I had time to read all kinds of things - The Birth Book, Guide to Childbirth, Shepherding a Child's Heart, David Copperfield, The Baby Whisperer, and even the Duggars' 20 and Counting. It seems I've rediscovered a childhood habit of reading several books simultaneously - I remember reading three Ramona Quimby books at the same time when I was seven-years-old, and deciding that I shouldn't read more than one kind of book at the same time, since I kept losing track of what Ramona was doing in which book :) Also, for the record, I believe my mom does this same thing :)

Now that Benjamin as joined us, I have less time to read, but still, my current reading list is now posted on the side of my blog, and I'll try to keep it updated.

On a related note, I just finished reading The Horse and His Boy, my favorite of C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. (Caution: if you've not read this yet, go get it now and don't finish reading this post - i'm gonna spoil the ending for you!) I love the beauty of Lewis' writing, how he weaves the character of Christ into the figure of Aslan the Lion, and how the peasant boy Shasta finds out he is really the long-lost prince Cor destined to save the kingdom. The story reminds me of the incredible truths in this passage...

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8-10

I think my favorite line in the book, though, comes at the very end... "Aravis also had many quarrels (and, I'm afraid even fights) with Cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up they were so used to quarreling and making it up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently."

Gotta love good ole' Clive Staples! :)

Finally, a most encouraging thought from When Two Become Three, "Besides the basics of food, clothing, and shelter, [babies] need affection, love, and human interaction. Also, make sure they don't stick a fork in an electrical outlet. The rest is just gravy."

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We woke up this morning to snow on the ground for the first time this winter! I guess it was fitting since it's December 1st, but I just cried! It took so long for the snow to come when I had been geared up to be snowed-in since October that I think I had lost my preparedness. It wasn't a lot of snow and it all melted before noon, but it signaled the end of "carefree errands" and such for me... ah well - May will come soon enough (hopefully)!

When Mom and Dad were here for Thanksgiving, they helped us decorate for Christmas! So, on these dreary winter days, I will turn on all my twinkle lights and watch little Benjamin be mesmerized by them :)