I Love…

I love
– the high-pitched squeal of delight you give when you jump in the jumpy chair for the first time all morning.
– the way you love being tickled more than any other baby
– how excited you are to see your daddy, even when we have had the worst afternoon
– your chunky legs
– the way you do the breaststroke with your feet because you’re so excited to be in the bathtub
– when you laugh and scream just because you know people are watching you
– the way you look in your pajamas
– how bottles, SamMule, dogs, and the Baby Bjorn are so funny to you
– that Jack is your best friend already
– your contented sleepy sounds as you fall asleep
– that you give hugs
– how you chug your bottle and scarf down your food…you are your mother’s son
– the way you light up when you see the “spring” page in the seasons book, the part about the dark in “Green Eggs and Ham” and the color blue in every colors book
– the way you try your best to like carrots but dry heave them up
– how you “sing” in church
– that you know your name
– how you love doggies, walks, and food as much as I do
– the way you squeal when you first see me in the morning
– being your mommy.

I’ve got the soy soy soy soy down in my heart

For those of you who have been sitting on pins and needles wondering how the story “Sam and the Search for a Formula” would end, relaxxxxxxx. Here it is! I’m not super excited about soy formula – never was – but Sam is chugging it like a champ and doing great! (I’ve added it to spiders, mice and Boss the bulldog in things we pray God will protect Sam from.)
We have been so thankful for the progress Sam has made since the big scare in July. A few weeks ago we realized truly how much that behavior WAS milk allergy. We tried Sam on Alimentum, which is milk broken down into very basic parts. It’s supposed to work for milk- allergic babies, but after a few days, our happy little guy wasn’t so cheerful…tired, not wanting to interact, a scary deja vu.) A switch back to soy, and he is happy!!!
I think this is interesting to note. When I think of allergic reactions, I think of epi pens, puffy eyes, spitting up…I don’t think of lethargy, inactivity, and autistic symptoms. But for Sam, this was his reaction. I have heard that gluten allergies produce similar things. One group claims to “cure” autism with diet changes, in fact. I am so thankful we discovered it so quickly with Sam! No milkshakes anytime soon! It is possible he will grow out of it. (I did.) One final tidbit…Food allergies are highly genetic. If you have/had an allergy, your child has a 25% chance of having it. If both parents have it, 75%! Not that we needed it, but there’s another good reason to avoid getting a cat as a pet in the Smartt household! (Cats are so lame anyways…:)

My One True Love

I have a crush. A big one. (It’s okay, my husband knows.) I am passionately in love. . . with Harris Teeter, our grocery store. More than once I have been moved to tears while browsing the shelves at that store. “But, Jessica,” you say, “you were pregnant when that happened. Pregnant people cry at anything.” Yes, that’s true, but months after that I’ve almost cried. And this is no school-girl young love type of crush. No. This is a mature, reasoned, intellectual, marry-your-best-friend type of passion. (Those are my favorite 😉 . Through the years, I’ve come to respect my Harris Teeter, and this weekend my crush proved yet again how wonderful he (?) is.
I did feel a little odd in Walmart with a spreadsheet, calculator, and clipboard. But that’s what it took. I am a nerd. I admit. In my quest to cut every unnecessary cent spent, I made a list of 103 items I buy regularly. Then, you guessed it, compared prices of the two stores. It was kind of like, as a teacher, watching the cute shy kid compete against the big school bully in board races. You can’t help but pull for your favorite. But I determined to be completely honest. And . . . horray for Harris Teeter!!!!! 63 items were cheaper there than Walmart!! Armed with my information, I’ve determined to do the following:
1. Keep track of the cheapest times and places to buy each item.
2. Make that dreaded trip to the W every 3 months to get the items there.
3. When something at HT is the lowest price, BUY THREE OF THEM.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE that even as a poor stay at home mom, I still get to rub elbows with the snotty yacht club women at the best grocery store in town!!
ps. If you are a nerd like me and interested in the list, I’ll share my cheat sheet 🙂