Gatlinburg!

So, I have realized I am falling into my old non-blogging habits! Ahh! I was hoping to keep up with this thing. Oh well, we do the best we can, right?

Anyways, last weekend the hubs and I had a chance to take a much needed getaway. We went to Gatlinburg, TN and it was so much fun! I liked the area, although it tended to be a little too touristy for me. There was sooo much to do, though, and of course we couldn't do everything. I missed Charlotte, of course, but I knew she was in great hands and being taken care of.

We stayed in an awesome cabin. It was a little more expensive than I thought it would be so I probably wouldn't go that route again, BUT.... It was such a nice experience. Here are some pics...

Our little getaway cabin!

Someone needs to get out in the sun more! Eek!!

So nice to lounge around in...

Of course, this was our favorite part -- the hot tub!

Gatlinburg is in the Smoky Mountains so of course we couldn't go without snapping some pictures of a part of God's glorious creation.

Of course when you're in Gatlinburg you have to go up on the Skylift. It takes you to the top of a close mountain where you are able to just see the mountains and take it all in. And people say there is no God? God's creation is just so amazing to me and just so beautiful.

On the Skylift... It was pretty scary as Im NOT a fan of heights...

The happy couple!

Moi

I'm not going to bore anyone with all the details but it was a fun getaway sans baby. We went to a place called Wonder Works which was basically a mind amusement park. It was full of sciency stuff and had a few rides and... laser tag! Which, of course, we had to play!! It was fun, although I didn't win LOL. 

We also shopped a bit in downtown Gatlinburg, ate at one of the 1,284 pancake restaurants in the area, and bought some fudge. Yum! We also went to Dixie Stampede, a dinner show owned by Dolly Parton. You aren't allowed to use any silverware, you have to use your hands. It was so fun and had a lot of animal stuff including horses (and little ponies!) and potbelly pigs. Ha. 

Waiting on the show to start!

We didn't get home until 9pm on Sunday night so Charlotte was already asleep. I loved reaching into her pack n play, picking her up, and taking her home. I realize I hate being away from her. We plan on going back to Gatlinburg maybe in April and taking us with her! We will probably do more "nature" type stuff next time, maybe some horseback riding!

Anyone wanna come with? :)

Car Seat Safety

Before I had a child, I had no idea how important car seat safety was. I guess I just figured a car seat is a car seat and as long as your child is in one, it doesn't matter if he/she is facing forward or back, because they'll just be safe.

Wrong.

People who know me know that I am a research FIEND. Before I do anything (especially when it comes to safety in cars -- I mean, seriously, I just don't trust other drives that much) I research it to death and implement the best and safest plan into my life. Having a child has only amplified this urge and that is how I came across extending rear-facing (ERFing).

Now, we all know that infant carriers are to be exclusively rear-facing (RFing). And we may all have heard the previous AAP recommendation that it is ok to turn your child around to forward-facing (FFing) when your child turns 1 year old and is AT LEAST 20 lbs. Did you know the AAP recommendation has changed? It is now recommended that children stay RFing until the age of 2 years old (in a 5-point harness convertible seat -- NOT a booster! Those aren't appropriate until school age), and preferrably until the maximum weight and height restrictions of the car seat. Charlotte is almost 14 months old and still rides RFing in a Britax Marathon. This particular seat RF up to 35 lbs and about 49 in tall (well, as long as there is about an inch or so of seat left above the child's head) and FF up to 65 lbs! She'll be in 2nd grade by then, ha.

Following Char's current growth, she'll probably outgrow RFing due to her height before her weight (she is a skinny minny!) But my plan is to leave her RFing for as long as possible. It is shown to be over 400% safer than FFing. Actually, we would ALL be safer RFing, but that just isn't compatible with driving. :)

I'll get off my high horse and just say this: Leave your child RFing for as long as possible, preferrably until your child outgrows the height/weight limits of the convertible seat. Even a minor forward end car accident can cause serious trauma to young necks/spinal cords (internal decapitation -- doesn't that just sound scary?) if the child is FFing prematurely. Yes, it is easier to strap a toddler in FFing, they see better out the window, etc but it is definitely not safer and just not worth it, if you ask me.

Check out these Youtube! videos and google "extended rear facing" for more info.

GLORIFIED

Glorified - a poem by John Piper

And then the Lord
Wiped every tear away and turned
To see his bride. Her heart had yearned
Four thousand years for this: His face
Shone like the sun, and every trace
Of wrath was gone. And in her bliss
She heard the Master say, “Watch this:
Come forth all goodness from the ground,
Come forth and let the earth redound
With joy.” And as he spoke, the throne
Of God came down to earth and shone
Like golden crystal full of light,
And banished once for all the night.
And from the throne a stream began
To flow and laugh, and as it ran,
It made a river and a lake,
And everywhere it flowed a wake
Of grass broke on the banks and spread
Like resurrection from the dead.

And in the twinkling of an eye
The saints descended from the sky.

And as I knelt beside the brook
To drink eternal life, I took
A glance across the golden grass,
And saw my dog, old Blackie, fast
As she could come. She leaped the stream—
Almost—and what a happy gleam
Was in her eye.

I knelt to drink,
And knew that I was on the brink
Of endless joy. And everywhere
I turned I saw a wonder there.
A big man running on the lawn:
That’s old John Younge with both legs on.
The blind can see a bird on wing,
The dumb can lift his voice and sing.
The diabetic eats at will,
The coronary runs uphill.
The lame can walk, the deaf can hear,
The cancer-ridden bone is clear.
Arthritic joints are lithe and free,
And every pain has ceased to be.

And every sorrow deep within,
And every trace of lingering sin
Is gone. And all that’s left is joy,
And endless ages to employ
The mind and heart to understand
And love the sovereign Lord who planned
That it should take eternity
To lavish all his grace on me.

O God of wonder, God of might,
Grant us some elevated sight,
Of endless days. And let us see
The joy of what is yet to be.
And may your future make us free.

---------

What a hope we have in Jesus Christ.

To listen to the whole poem, click here.

Quirky Momma Giveaway! :)

First of all, if you have young children, you've GOT to check out Quirky Momma. They have lots of great ideas for activities for young kiddos. I'm definitely going to do some of the things on there once Char gets a little older and appreciates "crafts" more, haha.

Right now they are having a giveaway!! Yay!!

So head on over here and enter to win some Evgie toy products (pictured to the left). These toys are SO adorable! Good luck! :)

Achoooo!

Ugh!! For the past week, Lil Bit has been sick. I, of course, unable to stop kissing her sweet cheeks, caught the lovely cold virus she had. Or whatever it is. She got sick last Friday so she's about done being sick, although she is still a little stuffy and fussy at times. I also think she is teething (yet again!) so that doesn't help the matter. Poor thing.

I had to call in to work this whole week and THAT really stinks. I have very little sick time since we just went out of town for Christmas, and all of that vacation time was used up then, so... Yeah. We're poor this month because of a stupid cold. Of course, we're always poor, but that's for another post!

I tried going to Target today to pick up a gift for a baby shower and that was a no go. She was fussy, I was fussy because I had just taken a Sudafed (bad idea, I gots the jitters)... We got what we needed, and then left. Then I realized I forgot to get a gift bag. Ugh.

However, in two weeks, Thomas and I are going on a much needed getaway to Gatlinburg! I can't wait! I have never been but everyone I know who has been says its just great. Hopefully I'll be better by then! :)