A Year Ago

Halloween last year...


Halloween this year...


My gosh he has gotten big.

Happy Trick or Treating everyone!! :)

LOOKY!

My friend Tammi came over today and took some pictures of Zachariah in his Halloween costume. She just posted some of the pics on her biz blog... so go here and look at my cute little monkey!!

Seriously... This is Amazing

Saw this video on my friends blog and couldn't help but share it with everyone over here.

I honestly don't even know what to say about this video. So feel free to untie my tongue. :)

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Another Video

Over the past few days I have been going through my video footage of Zachariah. I have videos from 5-12 months that I haven't done anything with yet. I am trying to tackle at least one a day. Sometimes if I get real ambitious I can knock out two or three. So I apologize if all I post within the next week or so are videos. :)

Here is way to much background information for you:
One of Zachariah's favorite Baby Einstein DVD's is called Baby da Vinci. Its a 6-9 month DVD, but he still loves it. His favorite part is when two hippos are on the screen and they start to yawn. All of a sudden they make the elephant noise instead of a yawn. (Zachariah thinks this is hilarious.) At the end of the "scene" you see the hippos walk off all confused and the elephant pops out from behind some brush. Z tried to mimic the elephant sound constantly. He is much better at it now, but this was taken a couple months ago. It is just so cute I couldn't help but share it with you all. :-)

Cuddle Bug

Over the past few weeks, Zachariah has been very loving and cuddly. At any given moment he will crawl up into my lap to hug me, or just lay on me. Just this morning he reclined himself in my lap for 20 minuets watching T.V. (He hasn’t been that still since he learned to crawl). Sometimes the cuddles only last for a few minutes, and sometimes it only lasts for a few seconds. But no matter how long it lasts, I am loving every little bit of it. I cant get enough of his cuddles!!

For your viewing pleasure...

Zachariah got a riding/walking bus from his Mimi and Poppie for his birthday. He LOVES this bus. He will push this thing around the house all day long. And he thinks it is the funniest thing. It is absolutely adorable. So I wanted you to share the cuteness with everyone.
(And for the grandparents, I have already added this video to my Vimeo page. So you can watch it there as well.)
Enjoy!



By the way... I need more comments on my potty training blog down there! Even if you don't have a little boy, tell me what you think about potty seats. Common people!

Potty Training

My mom recently asked me to get a Christmas list started for all of my family members (You have to stay on top of me about those things, or I will wait until Christmas Eve to make a list.). So I have been putting together a list for Zachariah. Daniel had the fabulous idea of putting a potty training seat (or whatever they are called these days) on the list, that way when we get ready to take the plunge (hee hee), we wont need to buy one.

Then my research started. I have found several that I like, and they have gotten a good combination of positive and negative reviews. And seeing as how I haven't potty trained a little boy before, I was wondering what all of you recommend. I am all about getting the "three in one" deals. Most of the potty's I am looking at has a seat that can be put onto the big toilet AND it converts into a step stool. My favorite thus far is this potty, because it plays music when pee or poop hits the toilet bowl. But people are saying that the splash guard comes off easy. Then again, people have raved about this one, because it is simple and sturdy and doesn't have any bells and whistles.

So let me know what you used when potty training your kiddo. Did you love it, hate it? Wish you had purchased another one?

Sequence of Events

Yesterday morning Zachariah and I were playing in the living room, when all of a sudden he crawled to the window and started yelling at the squirrels in our yard. (Which I swear, if I had a gun, I would shoot every single one of those things. But that's a totally different post.) I said, "Do you see the squirrels outside?" To which he responds by squealing and crawling as fast as he can to the front door. Which prompted the following sequence of events:

(As usual, click any picture to enlarge)

Crawling to the door.

Trying to act cute enough to get me to open the door.

Realizing the cuteness is not working, he
moves to Plan B... trying to do it himself.

Pouting, because Plan B failed... miserably.

Accepting defeat.

Ah... the life of a one year old. :)

I Heart MasterCard Commercials

I don't know what it is, but this commercial makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Shout Out

My friend Marie just posted an interesting post about political media bias.

Go take a look at it and let one of us know what you think. :)

Quick Update

I don't have a lot of time before Z wakes up, but I wanted to give everyone a quick update on my little monkey.

He took his "first steps" a couple weeks ago. But since he has figured out that we liked him walking, he has stopped. Go figure. He will take a few steps and then look at us and defiantly sit down and crawl. Its actually pretty funny. So for now we are at a stand still (pardon the pun) with the walking. But I will keep you updated when he gets his lazy butt up off the floor. :)

Zachariah has 3 teeth so far (Yes we are slow on that end too, thanks to his Uncle). Two on the bottom and one on top. He has started up the drooling thing again. So I think another one is on its way. The teeth have been a problem for me when I need to fish something out of his mouth that he has shoved in there. I keep forgetting there are teeth in there... until he bites the crap out of my finger.

We have added some new words to our vocabulary. Most of his jabbering sounds like Japanese and I am going to try and get it on video for you all, cause it is hilarious. But his official words have been: momma, dadda, this, ish (fish), that, bye, pease (please), cup, juice, uh-oh and dog. And I swear he said broccoli at dinner a week or so ago. We just cant count it cause he didn't say it twice. :) He is also getting really good at repeating animal sounds and letter sounds to us! (I need to get a video of that too)

Ok, that's it for now. I need to go feed my child breakfast.
Hope everyone has a happy Monday!

Taking Donations

I want a Nintendo Wii.

I mean, I have always thought it would be cool to play on one (something I have yet to do), but now I just plain want one. I think it would be something fun for me to do and at the same time something that will get me off my butt. And it would give me and Daniel something to do besides watch TV. Don't get me wrong, I love me some TV. But the only night we really want to watch it is Thursdays. The other nights we end up watching these stupid shows just cause we are bored. So yeah, I think the Wii would solve that problem.

The only hang up is that it cost anywhere from $290 to $500. And that probably doesnt include games or an extra controller. Considering our mortgage just went up a hundred bucks a month and Daniel's hours just got cut back, I don't think I will be buying groceries, much less a Wii. lol

So if you would like to give to the "Amy Lynn wants a Wii" fund, you may call or email me for more information. I take cash, checks and all major credit cards.

:)

Irritable

I went to bed frustrated.
I woke up cranky.
I have been bored all morning.
Zachariah took a REALLY short nap.
Because of those things, I am irritable.
And I see no end in sight.

The End.

The Perfect Egg... Take 2

A couple months ago I blogged about how to boil the "perfect egg". Apparently Daniel is very picky about his eggs, so he did not think it was the perfect egg. In fact, he thought it was quite disgusting. So I did some experimenting and found an even more perfect egg than the one before. And this time Daniel approves.

For those of you who didn't like Rachel Ray's egg boiling method, here is the new and improved "Perfect Egg".

Bring eggs to a boil for 3-4 minutes
Turn off heat.
Let eggs sit in hot water for 10-12 minutes.
Peal eggs while warm for best results.

Let me know if you have an egg boiling method that you prefer! I am interested in seeing how everyone boils their eggs. Weird, I know.

Too Cute

I saw this video and thought it was the cutest thing! This babies laugh is just plain adorable!

I love this kid

I love how he crosses his cute little feet
I love how peaceful he looks when he is sleeping
And I love how absolutely adorable he is 100% of the time

Delish

Casey, over at Namaste, posted a vegetarian recipe a while back. Since I am not a vegetarian, and have no desire to become one I just kind of ignored it. BUT I recently visited it again out of curiosity. And because I am wanting to find a few healthy "lunch" ideas. It seemed easy enough to make, so I gave it a try. And much to my surprise, it was quite yummy!! So I want to share it with all of you in bloggerland... just in case you didn't catch it on Casey's blog.

MEATLESS (Chicken/Tuna-esque) SALAD

Ingredients:
-1 can- garbanzo beans (chick peas)
-Ranch Dressing-or mayonnaise ( I used Ranch... had a more "salad feel" to it)
-Onion-chopped finely (I don't like onions... so I just sprinkled in some Onion Powder)
-Relish-(I used sweet, but you may also use dill)
-Seasoning-salt, pepper, garlic salt, lemon pepper, season all, paprika, etc.

Drain & mash garbanzo beans. Then add ranch dressing and stir to coat. Toss in onion and relish. Then season to taste.

* I served mine on a tortilla shell with a tiny bit of shredded cheese and a hand full of lettuce. It made a tasty little wrap!


Many thanks to Casey for the yummy recipe. And if any of you have some yummy, easy, and healthy recipes, I would LOVE for you to share them... either in the comment section, or on your own blog! :)

I'm Not Bitter...

Before I get into the reason that I am not bitter, here is some much needed background information for you:

I stay at home with Zachariah. I am at home with him all day. Every day. There has not been a day of his life where I have not been home with him. The most I have left him with a sitter (aka: grandparents) has been two and a half hours. I am with him when Daniel is at work and I am also with him when Daniel comes home. I change his gosh awful diapers, I play with him, I console him, I tickle him, I laugh at him, and I love on him. Every. Single. Day.

Often when Daniel gets home from work he will entertain Zachariah while I get dinner ready. It helps me get dinner ready without a one year old hanging on my legs yelling at me, and it gives Daniel some one on one time with his son. So its a win-win situation for both of us.

Now that you have had that bit of information, you may continue with the reason for this post...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zachariah took his first two steps today! Or at least thats what I hear.

That's right. I wasn't actually there. My darling son took his first steps in the 30 minute window where Daniel was entertaining him and I was in another room cooking dinner.

Am I the only one that thinks this is just plain wrong?????

Help a Girl Out

I am bored out of my mind. I blame it on the dreariness of the day.

You people need to update your blogs so that I can procrastinate doing the dishes.

The End.

This is as political as I get

I support McCain/Palin. That being said...I think its fair to say that no matter who you support, these Saturday Night Live sketches are pretty darn funny.

Additives

In my book that I am reading, I came across a section about additives. It was scary to say the least. After reading this chapter, I immediately ran to the pantry to check the Nutrition Facts on all of our food. Sure enough 90% of what we eat has at least one of these additives. I promptly picked up the phone and called Daniel to let him know that we are going to die.

Since then I have calmed down a bit... but it doesn't change the fact that we eat some pretty nasty stuff. So I have included a list of additives that Sharon Broer has listed. She claims that she will not buy ANYTHING that has a single one of these additives in it. That's a bit overboard for a food junkie like me... but I am starting to read Nutrition Facts more closely.

Additives

MSG (Monosodium glutamate): Used to intensify meat and spice flavorings

• reported complaints: headache, chest pains, numbness, irritability and depression
• Brain damage and memory loss
• Baby food companies removed this from baby food. (But why was it there to begin with??)
• Listed under other names: hydrolyzed vegetable Potemkin (HVP)
• "Natural Flavorings"
  

Aspartame: Used in NutraSweet and Equal, contains the following ingredients:

• Methanol- a neurological poison that cannot be made nonpoisonous. It can cause headaches, blindness and permanent brain damage.
  
• Aspartic acid- similar to MSG, it has been known to overstimulate neural cells, causing cell death. This is why it is called an "excitotoxin". It literally kills brain cells.
  
• Phenylalaninie- causes permanent brain damage if concentrations are high enough

Nitrites: Used to give that "pretty pink color" to cured meats, bacon, bologna, hot dogs, ham, Vienna sausages, and luncheon meats.

• Nitrites combined with natural stomach acids create nitrosamines, powerful cancer-causing agents.
  
• Baby food manufactures voluntarily removed nitrites from baby food in the early 1970's.
  
• In 1977, Germany banned nitrites and nitrates, except in certain species of fish.
  

Olestra or Olean
These are the "fake fats" introduced in 1996. Preliminary studies found that Olestra caused tumors in laboratory animals. Possible side effects include cramping and loose stools.

Monoglycerides and Diglycerides: Synthetic substances made for emulsifying and defoaming agents.

• Used in bakery products to maintain "softness"
• Used in beverages, ice cream, shortening, margarine. chocolate, whipped toppings and cosmetic creams.
  
• This is on the FDA list of food additives to be studied for possible reproduction effects.

BHA (butylated hudroxyanisole): A preservative used in many products, including beverages, ice cream, baked goods, potato chips, and breakfast cereals.

BHT (butylated hudroxytoluene): a preservative used in the same type of products as BHA.

Aluminum

• Frequently used in food additives, cosmetics, and antacids
• Can aggravated kidney and lung disorders
• Aluminum deposits have been found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients

Aluminum Sulfate

• Used in producing sweet and dill pickles
• Used as an antiseptic, astringent and in detergents and deodorants
  
• Moderately toxic by ingestion and injection
• May affect reproduction

Artificial Flavoring

Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil: Used in margarine or Crisco-type products. Very "cheap" oils used in chips, crackers, cereal, peanut butter, snack cakes, bread and many more products.

Other oils to avoid

• Cottonseed oil
• Palm kernel oil
• Corn oil

Recommended oils

• Regular use- virgin. cold pressed olive oil
• Occasional use- good, old fashioned organic butter
  

And now for a poll:

Just One

Its been a little over two weeks since I have posted a picture of Zachariah... which is very unlike me. So here is one I took the other day when he was trying to tear down the blinds in his room. He is into everything! And he isn't even walking yet!!! Ah! I cant even imagine how much crazier my life is going to get once he starts walking. Then again, that could be another couple years. He is quite a lazy baby. :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I Love This Commercial

Last One

I really don’t feel like writing another post for this show, but I feel this is the closure that all five of my blog readers need. So here goes.

America’s Got Talent had their final show Wednesday night. The results are in, and apparently America Voted on who they thought deserved to win the competition. But first things first… Here is the number that the Top 10 finalist preformed together. I thought the song selection could have been a bit better. But oh well. That blasted song has been stuck in my head all day though. Darn you Kelly Clarkson.

From the very beginning of the show, Daniel and I thought that Nuttin But Stringz should win. And I think the judges did too. But leave it up to America to ruin things. Good grief.

Ends up Nuttin But Stringz came in third place, Eli Mattson came in second place, and Neil E. Boyd won the thing. He is talented… don’t get me wrong. But really? An opera singer beat out two amazing violin players who wrote and preformed all of their own music each and every time they played?? I think we could use more raw talent like those guys. I could deal without another opera singer, no matter how good he might be.

The show left me feeling very frustrated. So to make myself feel better, I will leave you with a link to all of the performances by Nuttin But Strinz. I could watch them over and over and over again and never get tired of them.

First Audition
Top 40
Top 20
Top 10
Top 5

I'm It

I have been tagged by Tammi to post 7 random facts about me. I usually hate these "tag, your it" games... but what better way to procrastinate doing laundry than this?? I am going to try hard to think of things most people don't know about me, but I am a pretty open book. So it wouldn't surprise me if most of you already know this stuff. :)

1. I have never had the chicken pox. I'm not joking. I have never, ever had anything that even resembles a pox from a chicken. I do feel sorry for Daniel if/when I ever do get the chicken pox though. I do not suffer silently.
2. I go to the grocery store at least 4 times a week. No joke. Our grocery shopping day is Monday. And it never fails that I return to either Wal Mart or Publix 4 or 5 times before the next shopping trip. For this reason my husband is taking away my credit card (which I am still putting up a fight about).
3. I hated pregnancy. (Shocker, right?) I hated every single day of being pregnant. I don't know how people can say being pregnant is the most wonderful thing they have ever been through. Let me enlighten you to just a few reason as to why I have this hatred inside of me:
- I was the 1 in 4 statistic. "One in four women do ____ during pregnancy". That was me. I experienced just about everything that a pregnant woman can experience. With the exception of hemorrhoids. Thank God I skipped out on those. (I know, TMI. Sorry)
- From the day I found out I was pregnant, to the day before I delivered I was puking my guts up. It started out to where I was puking every couple hours... but then the Dr. prescribed me some medication that limited it to three times a day. (That way I could at least go to work.)
- I had an increase in saliva. Which apparently most women have... some just have a greater increase than others. Mine increased so much that I had to carry around a blue cup and spit in it. (no, I couldn't swallow it.) I had to keep a bucket next to my bed so that I could lean over and spit in it for an hour at night before finally dozing off. I had to carry that blasted cup around from the 6th week of my pregnancy until two weeks after I delivered. Yes, I said AFTER. And to this very day, when my "monthly time" comes, I have an increase in saliva during that week and I have to make a few trips to the sink to spit it out.
Shoot me.
4. I have never broken or sprained anything. This is a testament to how adventurous I am. I have never been a "risk taker". The most that I have had done to me has been getting my wisdom teeth removed. I do actually have a scar, though. It is on my right pinky finger from when I had a wart type thing removed in middle school. See, it wasn't even a full on wart. Sheesh. I cant win.
5. I miss teaching. I never thought I would say it, but I really do miss it. There is nothing more fulfilling than to know I had an impact in preschoolers lives. I miss the random hugs I would receive throughout the day. I miss watching them learn and explore new things. I would love to do it again when my kids are in school.
6. I want to adopt. I have always wanted to adopt. But when my Aunt adopted her youngest daughter from Azerbaijan 5 years ago, that made me all the more passionate about adoption. I don't know when or where. I don't know how we will EVER afford it. All I know is that I would love nothing more than to take in a baby that so desperately needs a home.
7. I am a wanna be photographer. I didn't care about taking pictures until Zachariah came along. Once I saw how adorable he was, I couldn't stop taking pictures. I still cant. There are over a thousand of pictures of him from his first year on this earth. I think I am getting a bit better at the picture taking thing... but I have such a long way to go. I want to learn so much more. This has become my new interest and I REALLY want to get better at it.

Ok, that's about it. I tag Hayley, Marie, Jamie, Wesley, Trish Pfaender, Daniel and Brian (Hayley, you may need to update his blog for him). Now lets see if anyone is as bored as I am! :)

New Book!

For the past few days I have been reading a book called Train Up Your Children in the Way They Should Eat, by Sharon Broer. Its not a bran new book that just hit the shelves... in fact it was published back in 1999. BUT it is a very interesting read. It has opened my eyes to all the junk that we are all putting into our bodies. So as I read, I will be posting to enlighten everyone on a few of my discoveries. :)

This book addressed many issues... the first of which is trying to keep our kids healthy. It states that the leading cause of death in children, next to accidents, is cancer. Many kids are diagnosed with asthma, obesity, allergies, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and other types of learning disabilities. Sharon Broer suggests that what we are feeding our children is playing a vital role in the demise of their health. And after reading half of this book, I am almost positive that she is right.

In Chapter 2 she gives a list of foods kids should avoid... and the first four on the list she says they should NEVER consume in their lifetime. So here it is, straight from the book.

"Top Ten List"
1. Pork and all high-fat luncheon meats. They are loaded with nitrates, artificial dyes and chemicals; they can also cause parasite infestation.
2. Shellfish: lobster, crab, oysters and clams. They can contain abnormally high levels of arsenic, led and mercury.
3. All hydrogenated oils, including margarine and shortening products. These increase the risk of heart disease and cancer. Use organic butter or olive oil instead.
4. Aspartame (Nutra Sweet). Never use these artificial sweetener products.
5. "Junk foods," all high-fat, high-sugar, chemically processed snacks.
6. High-fat dairy products. Goats milk is fine.
7. Olestra, the "fake fat." This product inhibits the absorption of fat soluble vitamins.
8. Caffeine. Limit your intake of caffeinated products.
9. Chlorine and fluoride. These chemicals are found in treated water supplies. Use reverse osmosis or steam distilled water.
10. Alcohol products. Alcohol destroys brain cells and increases the risk of pancreatic cancer, alcoholism, liver cancer, breast cancer, osteoporosis and cirrhosis of the liver.


***NOTE***
I realize that some of you are going to think all this is ridiculous... but remember, this is only one woman's opinion. I encourage you to do your own research to better form your opinion on the facts that she gives. :)