More Car Seat info than You cared to Know!

this is a little bit jumbled...but maybe you'll follow my thought process.

We haven't exactly done things the "mainstream" way of doing stuff when it comes to parenting. Cloth diapers and delayed vaccinations probably put us up there with the "weirdos" when it comes to our parenting style. But we've also done something else that is a little out of the norm. Eden is officially 18 months old. And as of yesterday, she's officially a forward-facing little toddler in her car seat. (this is gonna be one of those parenting blogs that you non-parents have my permission to completely skip over)  :)

I'm not sure who decided that 1 year old is the official age kids should be turned in their car-seats but apparently there is a little bit of misinformation out there concerning this topic.

*disclaimer...I'm not trying to bash anyone's parenting choices here. We all do what we think is best for our kiddo.

After doing some research on car seats (when we had to buy one for Eden at 8 months old) I learned that most babies can be turned forward facing at 1 year old. That's to say that they are legal to be turned around at that age. However, if you'll read your handy dandy manual on your car seat you'll see that it recommends remaining rear-facing for as long as possible.  Kids out grow rear-facing requirements by height or weight eventually, but RARELY before their first birthday. So when choosing Eden's first car seat, we went with a convertible one that could be rear-facing for a long time.

I knew I wanted to make it at least until she was 18 months old before turning her around. Well just recently she passed that mark. And getting ready for another baby to share the back seat with, we went ahead and turned her around and moved her next to the window. Part of me still freaks out about it a little...she still has lots of room to grow in her car seat and still be rear-facing! But the girl has become quite the chatter box in the car now. She's never really been THAT quiet in the car anyways, but now that she can see stuff out the window, she loves it!! So there's not going back now!

We've been tempted many times to turn her around much sooner simply because she has HATED her car seat. We usually bribe her with a DVD, or snacks, or just hope that she falls asleep. But I'm so glad we stuck with it until now.

Anyways, I could go and post a whole bunch of links on statistics that prove it's much safer to leave them rear-facing, but I'll let you do that work. And if you do actually look into it, make sure you check the unbelievably frightening youtube crash test videos on that topic. :)  There are children that are still rear-facing that are 3 years old! Kudos to their parents! It can be done...just look into it and make sure you are doing what is best and safest for your kiddo! :)

Like Mother Like Daughter

My parents dug up this picture of me...um...several years ago. :) I had fun comparing it with the one we took of Eden. I need to try to get a better one of Eden now! (don't make fun of my shoes :)  I had weird feet as a kiddo and had to wear those cool "backwards" shoes with the bar in between them.) 

and here's the one of Eden again. :)

Spring has Sprung

It may hide again for a few more days or weeks...but we had a couple days that were absolutely gorgeous this weekend and we took advantage of it with a walk around the SEBTS campus.

Sorry for a picture/caption post, but pictures can be fun times too. :)

stopping to smell the flowers...

stopping to smash some ants...

riding on dada's shoulders...

Eden is real big into saying "cheese" now for pictures but I'm not quite sure who she was saying "cheese" to in this picture...   :)

A Weekend of Showers

My parents got to visit last weekend and we really enjoyed their visit but were a little disappointed that it rained just about every minute they were here! None the less, we had a great time and Eden really enjoyed them! 

She loved Granddad's boots...

and crackin up during story time with Gramma...

Some of our sweet friends organized a baby shower to spoil Salem and were kind enough to have it on the weekend my parents were visiting so that my mom could attend! We had a great time and were definitely spoiled with lots of cute blue-ness and boyish stuff! It has made us even more excited about this upcoming baby boy!! 

me and the sweet hostesses...and precious Ella and Lily too:

One of Salem's shower gifts is being enjoyed by Eden already. She likes crawling up in his car seat and reading books and she likes putting her baby dolls in there and acting like she's rocking them. She's gonna be such a good big sister!

She's also sporting a new do lately with stylish pig-tails. There's still just barely enough there to pull up, but I think she likes it because she always says, "Pretty!" when I'm finished fixing them for her! :)

Happy Anniversary!

4 years ago today...

Wai

I know, two posts in one day. I'm so awesome. :)  (Be sure and check below for even more pics of Eden!)

I don't often use our blog for rants, raves, or pity parties... but today I just couldn't help myself.

A sweet friend forwarded us some pictures that were taken a couple of years ago and I cried as I looked through them! (sheeesh! thanks Ames!) Maybe it's because I miss all of our amazing FPO friends who are no longer on the same continent. Maybe it's these crazy pregnancy hormones. Maybe it's because I miss that time in our life where we were surrounded by such like-minded people. 

It's probably a mixture of all three.

Brandon and I have been talking a lot lately about what we're "missing out on" by no longer living in the Big Chicken. We've been back in the states for 9 months now and you'd think that the newness of being all-american again would wear off and that we'd have acclimated back to living in the states by now. Fact is, I'm not sure we ever will. Honestly, I'm not sure we want to. There are a thousand reasons that we enjoy living in the states for now (see post below...parents are 1,200 miles away instead of 12,000!) And we love being at SEBTS. Brandon has been reminded recently that this time in his life is a training period for what is to come. And we plan on fully taking advantage of that.

But we can't help but think back to the past and what we feel like we're missing.

February was the month that all of our sweet friends got to play together on the beach in Thailand, and we, being the pathetic and jealous losers that we are, frantically searched their facebooks and blogs for pictures and stories of the exciting time that we knew they were enjoying. We missed it! And we missed seeing them! 

So while we feel like we can't help but wallow in self-pity now, we're also doing our very best at soaking up the short time that we have in America to become equipped for the future in East Asia. While very much American, our hearts are still very much Asian...or at least long for that time again. 

And sweet FPO friends, know that we love you, miss you, and are so excited about what God is doing among you! (and of course, know that we're painfully jealous of where you are :)

That pic is two years ago (pre-Eden...actually maybe I was 10 weeks preggo) in South Thailand practicing the Thai "Wai" 

From BonBon & Pops

Brandon's parents got to visit us this past weekend and all three of us enjoyed their gift of spoiling very much! I got some early birthday presents, Brandon loved getting treated at some of his favorite restaurants (eh hmmm 5 Guys!), and Eden got some new cool toys!

She actually got this tricycle for Christmas but we didn't really have room to bring it back with us then! So they brought it with them. Here she is on her new cool ride.

After seeing her daring driving skills on her new hog, and how she's just teetering on the edge of her seat :) , came another very valuable gift: a helmet...which of course is just a cool "hat" in her world.

Turns out, she enjoys playing in it all the time, not just when riding her trike!