Elliot has grown so big! He is now a little over 21 inches long and weighs a bit over 11 lbs. The doctor is pleased with his growth and tells me he is a beautiful, healthy baby boy, for which I am eternally grateful. We're getting into cold and flu season and I don't know what I'd do if Elliot got sick. He makes all kinds of new noises now, most of them thankfully made out of joy or curiosity. He loves to sit up and look around and absolutely hates being on his back. He enjoys tummy time - sometimes for as long as fifteen minutes - and will exercise his neck and limbs in an effort to maneuver over the floor. At two months he can even roll over from his tummy to his back! He is also eating about 6 oz. a meal, although we are mixing his formula with a little prune juice to help with gas and poo. I breastfeed normally, but we supplement in order to provide him with more nutrients.
My husband and I are using Sundays to play Dungeons & Dragons while his parents have Grandparent Day with Elliot. It gives us a chance to have some adult time with our friends or alone together. This past Sunday I was able to do some pencil-and-ink sketches (I love to draw!) while playing D&D with the hubby and his friends. We have an awesome campaign going! I play a halfling Paladin healer:
And I totally just nailed 3rd level!
The news has been depressing of late. There is so much anger and hatred in the world. With the Advent season and Christmas right around the corner I especially feel this year that I have been blessed with so many things while others are sorely in need. It is so easy for Christians to pray for the poor, but those that have no religion at all put us to shame with their works of charity and compassion. This year I am going to look into doing something for those in need, even here in my new home town. We are by no means wealthy, but we have an apartment, food, friends and family who love us, a baby we adore, and more. If I had to lose it all overnight, I would wish for understanding and compassion most of all...which is what the world needs more than anything.
Moving on to some happier scribbling, I want to wish my readers a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving. If you are a poor soul who has to endure a job on the holiday and then Black Friday - I SWEAR I WILL NOT JOIN THE THRONG OR HELP PROMOTE THE UNHEALTHY CRAZE OF CONSUMERISM!! I only went out on Black Friday once, two years ago, to a Barnes & Noble with my soon-to-be fiance, because the lure of new books was too tempting. Neither my husband nor I find the Black Friday craze to be a beneficial part of the holidays.
I will start playing Christmas music after Thanksgiving, though. I'm way too excited for the carols!
This year, I am combining the promotion of my tea business and the giving of gifts by making tea-infused jelly, using Steeped Tea's Christmas Chai blend.
This black tea will infuse the spices of ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, black and white pepper, cloves, and nutmeg into the jelly for a truly delicious spread for scones. At least, that is what I am hoping! I found a simple recipe on Pinterest and hope to use it soon.
The link to my totally awesome Steeped Tea website is here:
I also have a Facebook page! Here is where I post about the things I sell, plus information about the culture of tea, including its history, health benefits, recipes, and more:
Someday my dream is to operate a real tea house here in this small midwestern town. It is my great hope to share tea with other people and get them hooked on this truly delicious beverage with which you can do so much more than just drink! I'm finding recipes for beauty products and food, too!
Anyway, the point of this post was to exercise my writing and to reach out to more people with my business. I'll try to post more down the road, especially during Advent!
