Six Months...

Dear Leland,



Today, you are six months old! I cannot believe you are a half-year old! Daddy said the other day, "In that amount of time, he will be a year old!" That was a crazy thought.

You are so much fun these days. You are so happy {most of the time} and you just have such a wonderful personality. You are sweet and cuddly, silly and exciting, and so many other wonderful things.

I love to watch you discover new things. You’re starting to play with your toys more. Well, I don’t know if ‘play’ is the right word. You pretty much pick everything up and put it in your mouth. You are chewing on everything! I am pretty sure you have some teeth coming in soon. You’ve been working on them for a while, but based on all your drooling and chewing, I think they’re on their way. At least I hope so, because the grumpiness/discomfort that comes with teething is no fun for either of us!

Your other favorite thing besides chewing on everything, is pulling hair. You pull hard and, man, you're quick! I really hope this new development of yours passes quickly. Ouch!


We are on summer vacation, which is just amazing. I absolutely adore having all this extra time with you. We take walks every day, either in our neighborhood or we go to a few local parks. We take naps together, and I’m really enjoying just being able to play with you so much.

Since summer vacation started, you’ve become a great little napper at home. You will sleep in your bassinet at nap time now, and you're starting to sleep in it at night. I loved having you in bed with us, but you sleep better on your own now. You’re getting on a pretty good routine, except that this teething thing is messing with you like crazy.

You have a new cousin {again}. Silas was born two weeks ago. I am excited that Aunt Colleen had a boy, because now you have a boy cousin your age. It will be so fun to see you two a year from now, running around and playing together.

You are now wearing size three diapers and, while some of your 6 month clothes fit you, you are mostly in 9 month clothes. Yesterday, at your six month check-up, you weighed 16 pounds 13 ounces and measured 26 inches long. Dr. Olson said you are developing like any regular six month old, without a sign of prematurity. He did say, though, that we need to start working on you sleeping longer at night. Mommy must agree that you waking every four hours is getting tiring. So, doc gave us some tips, and hopefully soon you will start sleeping longer.

You have rolled over a few times, but not in front of me yet. You have only rolled tummy to back, and seem to have no interest in going the other way yet. You don’t sit up all by yourself yet, but you’re getting closer and closer every day.



We started you on foods again about two weeks ago. So far, you’ve had sweet potatoes, avocado, pears, prunes, squash, and bananas. And so far, the only one you haven’t liked too much was squash. Everything else you love. I hope you’re always this open to new foods.

Leland James, you are my dream come true. I love you more with each passing second, and I am so thankful for you. I hope you always know just how much we treasure and cherish you, sweet boy.

Love,

Mom

Our Circumcision Decision...

Before I talk about this incredibly controversial issue, let me just say that I, in no way, judge anyone for their choices regarding circumcision. The decision I made was based on my research, my personal beliefs, and what I wanted for my son. I truly believe that most people, if presented with the facts, would make the same decision I did, but most people don't really think about it and therefore do not see the facts. Now that I have the facts, I like to share them because perhaps I will make people think. Perhaps they will make the same decision, or perhaps not, but at least they will be informed. As Maya Angelou said, "When we know better, we do better." I sure hope that is true. That said, here are my thoughts on routine infant circumcision.

A few years ago, when my sister was pregnant with her first son, Rafe, she told me she was not going to have him circumcised. I didn't ask her why. I didn't care why. I thought she was a crazy, hippie, freak.

After that, I heard of a few friends of mine who chose not to circumcise, and I no longer thought of "those" people as hippie freaks, but I was still planning to circumcise my future sons. I mean, come on, who doesn't circumcise their kid?!

It wasn't until I found out I was having a boy that I started to actually research circumcision. The pros and cons, the medical recommendations, etc. My research findings surprised me, I must say.

My main reason for wanting to circumcise our son before I did any research was fear of infection in his later years. I know one child who had to be circumcised at three years old due to an infection, and it was a very painful process. But through my research, I learned that that is quite a rare occurence. And, after thinking about it, I came to this conclusion: I wouldn't have my son's tonsils removed at birth for fear of tonsilitis later. I also wouldn't remove a portion of his body for fear of cancer. So why was his penis any different?

The more I read, the more the right decision for our family became clear to me. I was NOT going to circumcise our son. There were so many reasons not to, and I couldn't find even one valid reason to do it. So here are my reasons, in no particular order.

1. God put it there; who am I to say it's wrong?
Some people argue that God ordered circumcision, but that was in the Old Testament. Jesus took care of that for us, so let's not even go there. If God didn't want it there, he wouldn't put it there. My son was born perfect and whole, and I don't think it's right to cut him up.

2. The foreskin serves a purpose.
As an infant, the foreskin actually helps prevent infection, because it is fused to the glans (head) of the penis. It keeps the poop and pee out of his penis. As an adult, the foreskin serves a sexual purpose, for the man and the woman. During intercourse, the foreskin provides a more comfortable and pleasurable experience for the woman. And the man, well, he has more nerve endings, so of course it's more pleasurable for him!

3. IT'S PAINFUL!
Some may say, "My baby didn't even cry" or "He won't remember it." First of all, babies don't cry because their bodies go into shock. Removing the foreskin is a traumatic thing for a baby. It is surgery, and it is cutting the most sensitive part of his body. While my son would not have remembered it, I would have, and I don't think I would feel very good about it. One morning, while I was in the NICU with Leland, there was a baby who had been circumcised that day. He was crying and crying for hours. His parents weren't there to comfort him {I don't know where they were, but it seemed that most parents weren't there with their babies very much, which was so sad to me}, and I just wanted to hug him and hold him. The nurses gave him Tylenol. Really? At one day old, a baby needs Tylenol? I was so sad for him. Also, some women have said that their sons had trouble nursing after. being circumcised. Bottom line, I would do everything in my power to keep my son from harm, so why would I want to start his life with pain?


4. Female circumcision is illegal, but not male?
Why is it okay for us to cut up our little boys, but when people do it to girls, we think it is morally reprehensible?


5. He can choose to do it later, but he can't choose to have it undone.
It is his body, not mine. I don't have the right to make that kind of permanent decision for him, when he can just have it done later if he so chooses.


6. The U.S. is one of the only {if not the only} first-world country that performs routine infant circumcisions.
Routine infant circumcision is not performed in Europe. Or Canada. Or basically any country with common sense. Actually, some states don't allow it to be performed in the hospital - it has to be done at a separate facility, scheduled by the parents. Countries that do perform routine infant circumcision are generally third-world countries.

7. The "locker room" excuse is bogus.
The number of boys who are not circumcised is almost even with the number who are circumcised. So, I don't think my son will be made fun of when he gets older. And if he does, I plan to explain to him that he was born perfect and whole and we didn't want to cut him. There is nothing wrong with an intact penis.

8. Babies die from circumcision!
More babies die from circumcision per year than in car accidents. Sometimes it's right there on the table, because babies can't afford to lose a lot of blood; they don't have that much to begin with and they need to keep it! Sometimes, it happens as a result of complications within a month of the procedure. This is a scary thought.

9. There is no medical reason for circumcision.
In fact, not a single group of the medical community endorses circumcision. There is no need for it when a child is born. Rarely, a child may need to have it done when they get older, but not as an infant.

I probably could come up with more reasons, but these are just the ones that popped into my head right now. I never found a single reason that I felt my son should be circumcised, so for me it was a no-brainer. It took a while to convince Dave, though. But, the important thing is that I did eventually convince him, and my baby is intact.

So, yeah. I'm one of "those" people. And damn proud of it!

Newest Nephew...

Two weeks ago, on June 10th {missed my birthday by one day}, my sister gave birth to a baby boy!

They didn't find out the gender, and we all thought it was going to be a girl, just because she was carrying so differently than she did with Rafe. But, we were wrong; my sister now has two handsome boys.

Silas Killian Brantley was born at 11:30am, after only four hours of labor and - get this - only six minutes of pushing. My sister is Super Woman, I tell ya, when it comes to child birth {Rafe was born after four hours of labor and 25 minutes of pushing}.

She had a home birth, which I think makes her even more of a Super Woman. Everything went well, and big brother, Rafe, even got to help cut the cord.

I didn't get to see him for about a week, because my sister and Donnie wanted to have some time with their family {which I totally get}, and then my computer died so I couldn't upload pictures. But now it's fixed, so I can share a couple of pictures of my newest adorable nephew.

Sorry they're so dark; I didn't use a flash and the room was pretty dim.

So excited that ours boys are so close in age {the rest of Leland's cousins that are his age are all girls}. I can't wait to see them play together when they are older.

Chiropractic for Babies?

A few days ago, I posted about how our chiropractor has helped me, but now I would like to share what it has done for my baby.

Whenever I tell someone that I take Leland to the chiropractor, they give me a funny look. I will admit that when I first heard that a friend of mine took her baby to the chiropractor, I didn't get it. He's a baby; what in the world could be wrong with his spine that he needs to have it cracked?

Well, the answer to that question is simple. Spending several months cramped in a small space and then the entire birthing process can really do a number on a baby. Dr. Lea said that she adjusted all of her children within hours of their birth, because it can really be a tough on the body. When you think about it like that, it makes total sense.

But, most babies don't go to a chiropractor and they're okay, right? I guess that depends on your definition of okay. I don't think a collicky baby is "okay." I believe that if a baby is crying, it is for a reason; something is uncomfortable to them and I don't think it should be ignored. I have several friends who took their babies to Dr. Lea and she completely cured their colic. Crazy, I know.

I also have a friend whose baby was having a hard time nursing for four months, so she decided to try Piches, and discovered that her daughter was suffering from neck pain from birth. Dr. Lea helped them and nursing got a lot better.

I also have a friend whose baby had major reflux and chiropractic care helped her baby. And I have read that chiropractic care prevents ear infections in children. I don't know how it works, but apparently it does.


I could go on and on about the babies I know Dr. Lea has helped. But this post is not about my friends' babies; it's about my baby. So let's talk about him.

When Leland was about four weeks old, he started having really bad gas pains. He would cry and cry and I could tell he was uncomfortable. I talked to Dr. Lea at one of my appointments and she said that chiropractic could help with that. I decided to go home and talk to Dave about it. I was convinced that she could help him, but I didn't want to make that decision without my husband.

Now, Dave is a skeptic about chiropractors. He thinks that, yes, they help people feel better, but that it's a scam and people always have to go back. {True, you do have to go back for adjustments, but I look at it as maintenance, not something being wrong. Like an oil change for your car or a visit to the dentist; it needs to be done once in a while.} He was not okay with Leland being adjusted. In fact, he was dead set against it. I wasn't discouraged though. Remember that, at one point, Dave was also dead set on circumcising our son, but I got my way there, right?

A short time later, I noticed that Leland tended to look in one direction more than the other. This got me worried. Dave thought I was making it up, but he said I could talk to Dr. Lea and see what an adjustment of an infant would entail. She explained it to me, and I explained it to Dave, and, after many discussions, he gave in and said I could make an appointment for Leland.

So I did. When Leland was just about eight weeks old, Dr. Lea assessed him, developed a care plan, and adjusted him. I noticed a difference immediately. He slept longer at night, and he didn't cry from gas pains for the first time in a month! He just seemed like a happier baby, and started turning his head to look both directions. I took him twice a week for four weeks, and then once a week for two weeks, and then just as needed. He still seemed to need an adjustment about every other week for one thing or another. When he was sick, I had him adjusted because all of his coughing was hard on his little body. Whenever he seemed to not be quite himself, I took him in. I also took him when he got constipated after starting foods. An adjustment always seemed to make him feel better. Niki, our daycare provider at the time, even noticed a difference after his appointments.

I think it's important for you readers to know that an adjustment on a baby looks different than an adjustment on an adult. When Leland gets adjusted, I hold him and Dr. Lea runs her fingers along his spine to see where he might be out of whack {technical term}. Then, to adjust him, she applies a little pressure to that area, and Leland kind of wiggles a bit and basically adjusts himself. It looks more like a massage than an adjustment.

Dr. Lea also met us after hours on a Friday and once on a Saturday to check him out {because she's awesome like that}.

For a while, he needed weekly adjustments, and then they started to stretch out to every other week. And now he rarely needs an adjustment. At the beginning of this month, the Piches offered free adjustments to their patients, so I signed us up. He didn't even need to be adjusted that day; Dr. Lea said he was fine and didn't need anything {I did, though! Whew, I was a mess that last week of school trying to get report cards done and packing up my room}. His last adjustment was mid-May, and he still seems to be doing great.

I am so glad I started taking Leland to Dr. Lea. I am convinced that he is a happier baby and, for all I know, he might still be struggling with those gas pains if he never went to her. If we are blessed with more children, I will definitely take them to her, and probably sooner than we did with Leland.

Crack-a-lackin'...

As a child, I always went to the chiropractor. My mom went regularly and they would adjust my siblings and me at her appointments. At that age, I just thought it was fun to lay on the table and have the doctor crack my back. Yeah, I was a weird kid.

As a young teenager, I started developing lower back pain. I ignored it all the way through high school. But it just kept getting worse. It got to the point where I would have shooting pains in my lower back when I walked and it made walking/running/everything difficult. I started going to the chiropractor again, but felt little relief. I would feel good for a day and then would feel terrible again.

I stopped going when I lost my health insurance at age 19, and when I got it back, I didn't return. It just never seemed to help, so what was the point?

In the last few years, my back pain has gotten significantly worse, and I tried visiting a new chiropractor. I went in, he asked me where it hurt, and he cracked me. I went twice a week for probably two months and it seemed to get worse. So I quit going.

Then I started working at GTA, and everyone {literally, everyone} talked about the Piche family. Dr. Joe Piche and Dr. Lea Piche, husband and wife, have a family chiropractic practice in town, and apparently everyone at GTA knows them, and most of them go there and take their kids there.

Then I found out my grandma goes there, and I took her to one of her appointments. I was so pleased with Dr. Lea and how gentle she was with my 80 year old grandmother.

I made a mental note to try them and just see if they were really better than everyone said, but I never did.

Until I got pregnant and my back pain worsened. This was going on about 15 years of lower back pain. I always blamed my pain on my large chest and larger than normal arch in my lower back. But even so, I was tired of it, and I was ready to see if someone could finally fix it. So I made an appointment with Dr. Lea (pronounced Lee) when I was about 20 weeks pregnant.

From the very first appointment, I knew things would be different here. First of all, she didn't just crack me without talking to me (in-depth) about what was going on with my body. She did some scans, but no X-Rays, since I was pregnant, and we had a long talk about my health history and pain. She concluded that, yes, there was definitely something going on with my lower back, and she developed a care plan for me, which is something no other chiropractor ever did. Within a week of my care plan, I felt relief. I would feel pain now and then, but nothing like I used to. After several weeks, I realized that I didn't feel any pain at all anymore. It was crazy.

Then I had a baby, and the pain slowly started coming back, but nothing like it was. Once Leland was about a month old, and I felt okay to venture out into the world with him, I went back to see Dr. Lea.

After a few more adjustments, I felt better again. And now I feel great. I saw Dr. Lea at the beginning of June and I still feel great. I no longer need to go on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. I just go when I feel like I need an adjustment, which is maybe once every six weeks-ish.

I can't describe the change in how I feel from last September to now. Had I not experienced this myself, I wouldn't believe it. Oh, and bonus? I haven't had a migraine since...hmmm...LAST SEPTEMBER! Coincidence? I think not! I used to get them at least once or twice a month.

So...now that you've heard about my relief from chiropractic, stay tuned to learn about what it has done for Leland.

Stroller...

Back when I was pregnant, I had my heart set on a BOB stroller. I wanted a jogger and those are, in my opinion, the best out there.

However, I quickly learned that my wallet cannot afford "the best out there," so I started my search again. 

The main thing I wanted was a three-wheel stroller. In my experience as a nanny/babysitter, the three-wheel strollers are easier to maneuver around. I also wanted a stroller that I could jog with. I wasn't planning on running every day, but I wanted the option if the mood struck, and I do plan to get back into running soon.

So I set out searching for a three-wheel jogging stroller. The problem I encountered was, first of all, price. There was no way I could afford a $300+ stroller. The second problem was that the cheaper jogging strollers all got poor reviews and people said they either had wobbly front wheels, or the wheel was locked so it wouldn't pivot {making turns a pain in the rear}.

I happened to stumble upon the Graco Trekko Stroller in a Babies R Us ad and then I found it on Target's website.

Photo from Google images

After reading the reviews and doing a little more research, I decided this was the stroller for me.

I've used it many, many times now, and I love it.

Here are the things I love about it:

• Three wheels, with locking option on front wheel {it can lock or pivot}
• Fits our car seat {any Graco car seat, but it actually "goes with" our Graco Snug Ride}
• Thick rubber wheels, so it will go through pretty much anything, and I never have to worry about a flat tire.
• Although it is not technically a jogger, I can use it for jogging. It's not meant for everyday running {because it has rubber wheels that will wear down, not inflatable tires}, but it works for the amount of running I plan to do.
• The seat can sit upright, recline halfway, or recline all the way down. I love this!
• The canopy can be moved to block the sun from any direction. Some other strollers I have used don't do this and the sun is always in the baby's eyes.
• It's a smooth ride for Leland. I think because of the shocks and bigger wheels, it's not so rattly like other strollers I've used.
• It folds down very easily, with one hand.
• It fits easily into the trunk of my car {I have a Ford Fusion, which isn't very big}. I was worried about that.
• It was really affordable! Regular price at Target is only $160, but I got it even cheaper when it was on sale for $140!

There are some things I don't love about it though:

• As with most jogging strollers, it doesn't have a cup holder or any place besides the basket on the bottom for me to keep my water bottle or keys.
• No snack tray for the child.
• The basket is big, but doesn't hold a lot of weight. It is made so that the basket can move down if the seat is fully reclined, but when I put something heavy in it, like my diaper bag, it falls down {and then the basket bumps the brakes}. It's rather touchy, but I've made it work so far.
• The shoulder straps are kind of annoying, but Leland is to the point now, where he only needs the lap strap.

Overall, I love our stroller. I will still look for a more affordable jogger {second-hand, garage sales, consignment shops} so that I can jog more regularly, but for now, this is exactly what I need. And you just can't beat the price.

Summa Time...

Leland and I are enjoying our summer together so far.

We have been getting in some extra snuggles.

Naptime cuddling.

Taking some walks.

It was a little chilly that morning, so we brought a blankie.

Playing around.

Loving the Bumbo! Or, as Dave calls it, the "Bimbo."

Leland has discovered hot attractive he is and he loves to stare at himself in the mirror on his play mat.

And just hanging out.

As expected, this is shaping up to be the best summer of my life.

Leland's Scrapbook...

I had planned to do Leland's scrapbook over Christmas break. I was hoping to have it all done and ready before he arrived, and then I could just fill in the information and add pictures.

Leland had other plans, and my water broke the day after Christmas. I have worked on it here and there since then, but haven't had the time to really do much with it.

Now that it's summer vacation, I have all kinds of time. The last few days, my car has been in the body shop to finally repair my bumper, and so I have had lots of time to work on his book during Leland's naps.

I have pretty much finished it; the pages are all set up and the pictures are mostly up to date. I just have to get a few more printed and then I can just add pictures as needed, like for holidays, first tooth, first haircut, etc.

I have made four other scrapbooks like this for others, and always used a zoo animal theme {because that's the theme the people I made them for chose}. I was excited to try a different theme this time, and I love how my frog/turtle/snail theme turned out.

There are over 50 pages in his scrapbook, so I won't share them all, but here are a few.

I made separate pages for each month up to 12 months...

I have all of the common pages of a baby book, like fingerprints/fooprints...

First holidays {and of course, first Cherry Festival}...

And at the bottom of each page, I have little accents. For holidays and birthdays, I have the appropriate shapes {pumpkins for Halloween, birthday cake for birthdays, etc.}, but on the other pages, I have turtles...

Frogs...

And snails...

{Mostly} Wordless Wednesday...

Hey, I recognize this thing!

Haven't been using it much lately.

It goes in my mouth, right?

Hmmm...this isn't how I remember it.

Oh well, good enough for me.

Monster Cookies...

When I was growing up, my mom would make these cookies and they were my absolute favorite cookies in all the land.

I make them every now and then, and whenever I share them with people, they ask for the recipe.

So, hey, why not share it on here?

Warning: This recipe makes a lot of cookies, and they are big cookies. I always give at least half of the cookies away because there are so many, so be prepared to either 1) share; or 2) eat a whole buncha cookies!

What you need:

• 1/4 Cup margarine
• 3 eggs
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. karo syrup
• 1 1/2 Cups crunchy peanut butter (you can use smooth peanut butter, but crunchy is better)
• 4 1/2 Cups quick oats
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 Cup chocolate chips
• 1 bag m&m's

What to do:

Mix margarine, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and karo syrup well. Add peanut butter, oatmeal and baking soda. Add chocolate chips. Scoop onto greased cookie sheet, pat gently (to flatten the top). Place m&m's on top. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Seriously, y'all {yes, I'm from Northern Michigan and I just said y'all}, these are so good!

New Duds...

Leland is starting to outgrow his current wardrobe, and we really don't have much in bigger sizes. We haven't had to buy much for him, because we got a lot for our baby showers or "just because," but now that he's getting into bigger sizes, we're going to have to start buying some things.

The other day, I headed to Kohl's, armed with my 30% off coupon and a gift card. I found some pretty cute things, like a pair of plaid shorts and a few shirts that can go with them.

I tend to steer clear of shirts with writing on them, but I love the colors of the backhoe one. And the saying is pretty cute. And I love dinosaurs in general, so this stegasaurus one is adorable to me.

I also got him some of these one-piece outfits.

I liked the crab on this one. And I was glad that the writing didn't say anything about being "crabby." Those shirts bug me.

I can't resist a collared shirt.

Then a friend found this adorable onesie at a garage sale. My Northern Michigan friends will recognize that it's the "Leland" boat symbol {Leland is a small town about 30-45 minutes from where we live}. I love it.

Front

Back

Oh, how I love shopping for baby clothes! I try not to overdo it, because they won't fit him for long. And I try to use coupons whenever possible.

Packing Up Shop...

Friday was the last day of school for students. It was a half day {Fridays are always half days for students}. My plan was to spend the afternoon preparing my room for summer cleaning, which involves taking things off the walls and boxing up some things so they're not in the way.

Instead, I received the news Friday morning that I am moving rooms next year. I moved rooms last year, which I wasn't thrilled about, but I ended up loving my new room. Friday, I wasn't thrilled about moving, but I wasn't upset about it. It's a lot of work, but I was actually looking forward to going through my stuff and pitching things that I don't need. It's a good way to stay organized.

Today, the last day for teachers, I was given my new room assignment, and I'm pretty excited. I think I'll like my new room best of all.

I spent Friday afternoon and the better part of today packing up my room. The custodians actually do the moving; I just have to put all my boxes in the middle of the room and they move it for me. I did move some things, like my books, just because I didn't feel like boxing them up.

This is what my room looked like at the beginning of the year.

And this is what it looks like now.

An empty classroom looks kind of sad. But, it means summer vacation has arrived, so I won't get too down about it. I am so excited to spend the next 80-some days at home with my babe.

Best Birthday Yet...

Yesterday was my 28th birthday. Twenty-eight...holy crap. I'm officially closer to 30 than 25.

Since my 25th, birthdays have been kind of blah for me. On my 25th birthday, I was somewhat depressed; I had it in my head that, by 25, I would have my teaching job and a baby {or at least a baby on the way}. At that point, I had neither. I was teaching preschool, with no prospects of an elementary job in sight, which meant absolutely no baby.

By my 26th birthday, I had my teaching job, but was waiting for Dave to be ready for the baby part. I hated waiting, and just felt like my life was incomplete.

On my 27th birthday, I was newly pregnant with Leland {5 weeks}, which was so exciting, but I was still mourning the loss of our first pregnancy and very nervous about a repeat miscarriage.

This year, my birthday was finally perfect. I spent the day snuggling my baby. He was a bit cranky yesterday, but I am so thankful for him, even in the non-stop crying moments. Dave and I went out for our first date night. My mother-in-law watched Leland while we went out to one of my favorite restaurants, Red Mesa, and then to get ice cream at Moomers.

It was nice to get out with my husband for the first time since December, but we both really missed our little guy. Two and a half hours was enough for both of us.

So, at 28, my life feels complete, and I had the very best birthday. All thanks to one handsome little guy, and one handsome big guy. And I can look forward to many other wonderful birthdays with my boys in the years to come.

Note: "Complete" doesn't mean we are done having babies. I would love to have more someday if that is God's plan. But, for now, life is perfect. And if, for some reason, we can't have more babies, I will be happy with my one, amazing, little Leland.

Love Notes...

The other day, I came back from pumping at lunch and found this on my desk.

One of my dear, sweet, first grade girls wrote this and had the whole class sign it.

Then today, I received many, many notes from my cuties. Tomorrow is the last day of school, so they're getting all sentimental. Which I love.

"Dear Mrs. Nowak, I am so sad that is almost the last day of school. School is my favorite place to go! Have a great summer! Love, Sami"

"Dear Mrs. Nowak, Have an awesome summer filled with excitement and love also stories. Love you. Happy summer! Love, Alexa"

"Dear Mrs. Nowak, I had an awesome time with you. I hope you are in my 3rd grade reading. Have an awesome summer. See you in September! Love, Emily"

I even got a few from some of the boys. My sweet little P, a first grader, said that I'm nice and kind. And my third grader, D, told me I am the best teacher ever and he had a great year. This was his first year at GTA, so I'm glad he loved it.

Aahhhh, the end of the year. It's always a little bittersweet. Exciting to have a few weeks off {especially now that Leland is here}, but I will sure miss my kiddos. Especially my third graders that are moving on {Since I teach 1-3 multi-age, I have my students for three years. They move on to another teacher after 3rd grade}.

Three Days...

...left of school! Well, technically four, because Monday is a teacher work day. But Friday is the last day with students.

Part of me {most of me} is so excited for the end of the school year, because it means more time with my baby. But another part of me is heartbroken about Leland having to leave Julie's daycare.

Sometimes being an adult and making responsible choices is really hard and emotionally painful. Being a grown-up is sucky sometimes.

But...still yay that summer is just a few days away!

Lasagna...

Growing up, my mom always made this amazing lasagna. Only, I didn't realize how amazing it was, because it was the only lasagna I'd ever had. Now that I'm an adult and have tried others, I know how awesome it is.

Dave was introduced to it a few years ago, and it is by far his favorite meal. It's not something I make often because it's not a cheap meal to make and I don't often have time to make it, but we sure love it when I do make it. I made it this week, so I thought I would share the recipe with my dearest blog readers.

It's actually my Grandma Sally's recipe, but it has been adapted a little, because hers required 7 different cheeses, which makes it even more expensive.

What you'll need:

• 1 package lasagna noodles; cooked
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce (any sauce that your family likes. I use Meijer brand or whatever is on sale)
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 lb. ground italian sausage
• 1 24 oz. container cottage cheese (Grandma Sally used Ricotta cheese, but that costs more and I don't really taste a difference)
• Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded colby jack cheese
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• oregano and parsley to taste

What to do:

Brown beef and sausage; drain grease.

Spread small amount of spaghetti sauce on bottom of lasagna pan to keep pasta from sticking.

Mix together spaghetti sauce, meat, and tomato paste in large bowl.

Mix cottage cheese and about 1/4 Cup (more or less, depending on preference) parmesan cheese.

Lay noodles in pan. Top with a thick layer of spaghetti sauce mixture.

Add a layer of cottage cheese mixture. Then sprinkle with shredded cheeses (more mozzarella than colby jack).

Continue layering until reach the top of the pan (or run out of ingredients).

On the top layer, I use only a small amount of spaghetti sauce mixture and lots of cheese.

Cover with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes-1 hour. Once lasagna is fully cooked, you may want to remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes to melt all the cheese.

Add a little garlic bread and a salad on the side, and you've got yourself a delicious meal.

What I love about this is that it freezes well, so sometimes I make two and save on in the freezer. And leftovers always taste good too.