{ this + that }

When I saw Lainie's pediatrician last week, we came to the conclusion that Lainie's dairy intolerance symptoms are so incredibly mild that the only reason for me to continue abstaining from dairy is if I want to "prove" to myself that I can make her symptoms go away by not eating dairy for 4-6 weeks. I have no such desire to prove myself. Many babies start having difficulty digesting the proteins in dairy around this age, and over 90% of them outgrow it by 9 months of age, and it's not related to dairy allergies developing later in life {that's an inability to digest the sugars in dairy...different problem}.

In other news, there is nothing, NOTHING, like good old from-the-cow half 'n' half in my coffee. It is delicious.

I'm reading Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus and it is kicking my butt. I've said this before, but once again I feel like I'm understanding the gospel for the first time. I'm learning it in a completely new way, in my head and my heart, and it is so powerful, freeing, refreshing, sobering, lavish. Soooooo thankful that I'm learning about gospel-based parenting at the beginning of my motherhood journey.

I've been listening to these audio recordings of some of Elyse Fitzpatrick's presentations on repeat. Like literally, I'm on my third time through the first set of lectures. Love her way of presenting the gospel...Jesus is really speaking to me through her work.

I've spent the last couple weeks tweaking our furniture arrangement, and unfortunately I know want to buy an area rug, ottomans, and another lamp.{I already bought one lamp to replace the torchiere that died in October.} I shall not give in to these desires because a} we are probably moving this year, so I don't want to spend more $$ than I already have on decorating this home, and b} Mike just finished our budget for 2013 and I can't afford all that stuff. Which makes me sad and happy at the same time. Ahhhhh....budgets!

The hot glue has given way on two of my cork coasters, but I'm still having no luck getting crazy glue to work. How on earth do all these people do wine cork crafts?! I'm mystified!

Mike is going all Paleo/Whole30 this month, and as the family chef, I'm along for the ride. It's not too much more "extreme" than the Paleo-ish way of cooking I've been doing for the past few months. I've found some really tasty recipes, the only drawback being that we appear to eat larger quantities of food when it's all veggies, meat, and fruit.

It seems that all my posts lately end with me saying that Lainie's waking up from her nap and I've gotta run...maybe that should be my new tagline!