All Things Supercinski

I saw this on a blog today, and I think it is great. Family members can take this as a warning that you will most likely be receiving homemade gifts this year.

Sweet little Annalise is growing so fast. I was just talking with some other moms with second babies about how quickly everything is happening this time. It is hard to believe she is already five months old, but yet it feels like she has always been part of our little family, if that makes sense.

Annalise is a really easy going baby. She is content to play on her activity mat or exersaucer for a while, especially if Josiah is around to entertain her. She shrieks and squeals like a girl, and her giggle is girly sounding, too. She doesn’t laugh as easily and as often as Josiah did, but she smiles all the time. She does laugh easily at Josiah making silly sounds, but not so much at me or Thomas.

She has almost outgrown her 3-6 month clothes, especially in a cloth diaper. She is doing a little better this month with nursing when there is some noise or activity around. She hasn’t started solids yet, nor does she sleep through the night. I am not in a hurry for her to reach these milestones (well, the sleeping would be nice), but as far as solids and weaning to fewer nursings, I don’t mind those waiting longer. They really aren’t babies for long. Instead of waiting for the next thing–solids, crawling, walking, weaning, etc. like I did with Josiah, I’ll just stay right her and enjoy this while it lasts.

At five months, Annalise usually takes three naps a day, and she stays awake for two hours before wanting to go back to sleep. She loves being swaddled for sleep, being worn in the Beco, and watching Josiah do anything, most of which she finds hilarious. She dislikes other people holding her if she is slightly tired or hungry (pouty lip and everything!), being put down for long periods of time, and not eating/sleeping often enough. That’s about it. Sorry if she cries when you hold her, she does it to almost everyone these days, except us.

These are some links for October 27th.

• Touchstone Archives: Baby Pew Sitters -
  “Worship is not simply a rational, intellectual exercise appealing to the hearing and understanding of adults. Nor is it a postmodern, emotional, narrative experience that, well, also appeals to adults.It is an encounter with the Triune God, which does not depend upon our own mental faculties (or lack thereof) or upon our emotional backgrounds, baggage, or preferences. The Word of God works, despite our sin, despite our cognitive ability, despite our age and experience.”
• One-Issue Politics, One-Issue Marriage, and the Humane Society :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library -
  “No endorsement of any single issue qualifies a person to hold public office. Being pro-life does not make a person a good governor, mayor, or president. But there are numerous single issues that disqualify a person from public office. For example, any candidate who endorsed bribery as a form of government efficiency would be disqualified, no matter what his party or platform was. Or a person who endorsed corporate fraud (say under $50 million) would be disqualified no matter what else he endorsed. Or a person who said that no black people could hold office—on that single issue alone he would be unfit for office. Or a person who said that rape is only a misdemeanor—that single issue would end his political career. These examples could go on and on. Everybody knows a single issue that for them would disqualify a candidate for office.”
• Touchstone Archives: Tired of Life? -
  “There has been a steady campaign by some Christians who regard themselves as orthodox and conservative to persuade the rank and file of their Christian brothers and sisters to rethink their predictable support for political candidates who are pro-life. They bring other issues to the fore—war, torture, taxes, education, health care, and poverty—in an attempt to undermine the claim that conscientious Christians must always support pro-life candidates. They imply that such “single-issue” pro-life voting is unsophisticated, often in lockstep with the mostly uneducated “religious right,” and perhaps not even very moral in the long view.”
• The Corner on National Review Online -
  “The question is whether enough Americans understand what’s at stake in this election and, if they do, whether they care. Is the allure of a charismatic demagogue so strong that the usually sober American people are willing to risk an Obama presidency? After all, it ensnared Adelman, Kmiec, Powell, Fried, and numerous others. And while America will certainly survive, it will do so, in many respects, as a different place.”

There is a program in town called Hot Shots Soccer. One aspect of it is soccer for kids, starting as early as 18 months. After hearing some good feedback about the program, we decided to give it a try this fall for Josiah. He’s in a class with two of his friends, but nine months to a year-and-a-half younger than the other kids in his class. It has been interesting.

He likes the part at the beginning where they stretch and at the end where they put their hands together and yell, “Hot Shots!” (Josiah thinks they are yelling “Hopscotch!” ) And playing at the park with his friends after soccer. That’s about it. Oh, and sitting on the blanket with me and playing with the babies and eating a snack. He’s a little young for it, but it’s been fun to get out and enjoy the weather, and he always takes a great nap on soccer days. I got him to participate a little more this week, thanks to my Beco Butterfly (review coming soon), and remembered my camera.

Stretching:

Doing his own thing:

“Hopscotch!”

There is a pumpkin “patch” near our house to raise money for charity. We walked there two weeks ago and bought some pumpkins for around the house. Josiah was excited to pick out his very own pumpkin, and ended up picking out a gigantic green squash-type “pumpkin”. We went back earlier this week, just as the cold front was blowing in, for some windy pictures. The setting sun and rainbow made for some great pictures. Enjoy!

I just got word from the Academy that I am officially a Bradley Method® affiliated childbirth instructor.

I started the process last August, read a bunch of books, wrote some book reports, did a lot of surveying for local information, went to a four-day training conference while 10 weeks pregnant (including two pit stops on the side of the highway for puking), taught my first 12-week provisional series, gave birth myself, taught another 12 week long provisional series, and took a humongous final exam.

I am so excited to be done with the certification process and start teaching. My next series starts in February, so if you live in BCS and know anyone that is interested, they can find my information through the Bradley® site.

Now I get to sign stuff with initials!

~Rachel Supercinski, AAHCC
(American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth)

I borrowed this CD from our church library a few weeks ago at the suggestion of a friend. I’m so glad that I did. The lyrics to each song are simply Scripture with catchy tunes. Josiah has learned so much by listening to them, and so have I. They aren’t overly cheesy or terribly annoying like some children’s music. I highly recommend them. I have yet to watch the DVD (I just realized it came with one when I looked it up on amazon.) Although the songs keep going around and around in my head, I don’t mind since it is good stuff, not “dinosaurs marching, marching“. No offense, Laurie.