11 Months!

Feeding
This has been just about the same as last month. Finn loves food! He's new favorite thing is almond butter. He likes it on Ritz crackers or bread.

Weight
Finn got sick this month (double ear infection)-so we went to the doc. I found out his exact weight. Drum roll, please....22 lbs 9 oz! Such a big boy! No wonder my back hurts :)

Sleep
We still have a great sleeper. He's starting to sleep a little later in the mornings. Today he slept til 7:30. And that was a treat!

Wake Time
Finn loves to play in his playroom upstairs. He spends time playing with all the toys, looking out the window, and trying to figure out how to get out of the gate at the top of the stairs.

Clothes
Finn is wearing anything from 12 months to 18 months in size. It totally depends on the brand. But he is definitely looking like a sweet big boy in his clothes. Makes me kinda sad. His days of wearing onesies are almost over. So I've been dressing him in them often since we are weeks away from being a toddler.

Fun fact
It seems that all kinds of things are clicking with Finn now. Below is a list of everything he can do these days...

• feed himself
• clap his hands
• crawl, stand, and cruise
• sign "all done"
• says "mom", "dada", and "hey"
• has his own lingo
• climbs the stairs
• pets Savannah 
• Waves bye bye and hello

So, those are the highlights. He adds something new everyday! Love watching my boy grow :) Now the countdown is on to 1 year old. 4 weeks til I have a toddler. Time is moving WAY too fast!

Who am I?

Who am I?

That's a question I have wrestled with almost all my life. I'm a daughter, I'm a wife, I'm a mother, I'm a child, I'm a friend. And it wasn't until this past year that I truly understood who I really am. I love the fact that God used this role of a mother to truly teach me who I am.

I am His.

This past year has been a year of growth for me. Having a son has completely changed my life for the better. I have felt a love different from any love. I've truly understood how my mom feels about me. I've truly understood how God feels about me. And wow, that truth is overwhelming.

Understanding what unconditional love is. And I'm reminded of these words in the Corinthians.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

I like to read those verses and replace the word love with God.

It's just this simple.

God is LOVE.

Why?

Several people has asked why I'm leaving Facebook, but keeping Twitter and this blog. Well, I answered those questions in my blog entry "Social Networking".  So I'm not gonna answer again :) But I do have something else to say...

Why do I blog?

I blog to remember. I blog because I have something to say. I blog because this is my journal. I love looking back over the months and seeing where I was., where I've been, and where I'm headed. Also, I feel that others can learn from my experiences. I hope to get more readers by blogging more often. I hope to get more comments on here so I know I am reaching people.

The blog is changing. It was just a personal blog with entries about Finn's growth, milestones, etc. Now the title has changed to "Confessions from a Mom on a Tight Rope". This blog will be about that.

I am a full time wife, mom, employee, housekeeper, cook, etc. And this blog will be about balancing on the tight rope of life. It will be about things I've learned and things I want to learn. I will still update on where Finn is (monthly) because I also blog to journal. So, if you are interested...come on! I'm excited for this journey.

Please comment and let me know if there are things you would particularly like to read about.  

Your good side

What image are you portraying? What do others think of you? Are you living in the mission that God has called you to?

These are the types of questions I have been wrestling with lately. I've been thinking of the bigger purpose of my life, Gregory's life, Finn's life, and my heritage for that matter. Over the years (especially since having a child), I'm WAY more conscious of how I act and what I portray to others.

It's almost like you have to go backwards. You have to search your heart and pray that God will reveal what He wants for you. Once you find that out, you must live your life in a way that draws out that image. It's hard because flesh always wants to take you back. And this isn't a natural way to live.

All I know is that I want to go to Heaven and hear God say "Well done Rachael, my good and faithful servant."

Now, I must go and improve my image which I like to call my good side...


How about you? How's your good side? And what type of image are you portraying for others? Is it the real you? The you that God wants you to be?

Social networking...

Twitter, Facebook, blogs, LinkedIn, Myspace, YouTube...

The list could go on and on. Social networking, it's the thing these days.

Even though I have been playing along, time is causing me to think more deeply about this. Social networking takes time. Valuable time. Precious time. And it's stealing away my time. Social networking is stealing time from me my family my friends MY LIFE . And I don't like that!

So what am I gonna do about it?

I decided that I'm gonna make a change. Over the next few weeks, I will be cleaning up my Facebook page and phasing it out. Facebook is the one time stealer that I see no purpose for. So for those are you that have followed my blog from Facebook, please save the link to this blog and follow me here. http://www.walkupfam.blogspot.com

I will be updating more often so keep a look out. Some fun posts to come...

Can you believe we are 4 weeks away from this little guy being a year old? Wow, time moves too fast!

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" Psalms 90:12

Fun videos of Finn

I love having an iPhone because it makes it so easy to capture milestones and other cute videos of Finn. Here are two videos that I thought I'd share...enjoy!

This video is capturing Finn's first word...Dada!



And this is Finn singing right on cue (please excuse the mess on his mouth and table, he was singing during lunch time!)

10 years later

I just attended my 10 year reunion last weekend. While I was there, it seemed like not much had changed. But a week later I realize so much has changed in the last 10 years. I still remember the summer after I graduated high school thinking "I wonder where I'll be in 10 years?" I had no idea all that God had in store for me. Below is a brief overview of my last 10 years!

June of 2000
I graduated from Sprayberry High School in Marietta, GA

2001-2004
I put myself through a small private college in Waleska, GA called Reinhardt College. I met Gregory in August of 2003 (thanks Natasha!)

May 2004
I graduated from college with honors and a Bachelors in Business Entrepreneurship

January 2006
I was asked at the stroke of midnight on New Years Eve to spend the rest of my life Gregory Alan Walkup. And of course I said YES!

May 2006
I married my best friend on the beach I grew up going to every summer

April 2007
I started working at North Point Community Church (still there and can't imagine working anywhere else)

June 2008
I left a piece of heart in Cambodia when I went on a mission trip there.

January 2009
Found out I was pregnant!

September 2009
I gave birth to a beautiful son named Finn Wallace

2000...
And after all these years, i'm still best friends with Kristen! She was the maid of honor for my wedding and I was the matron of honor in hers. So thankful for her true friendship!

Thank you Lord for blessing me with a beautiful family and amazing friends. I've been through so much but you have never left my side. And for that I will always be thankful.

Heathly eating...

I just recently did the Daniel fast and learned so much. I wanted to share what I learned because I think it's pretty important!

1-You do not need dairy with every meal. I didn't realize it but I literally had a lot of dairy with every meal (yogurt for breakfast, cream in my coffee, sour cream on my lunch, cheese makes everything better, milk to drink, etc)
2-Why are all meals centered and planned around what the meat is going to be? There are some great meals out there that are based on the veggies! A few of my favorite recipes are below...
3-Healthy food really does taste good!

Here are a few recipes I really enjoyed. Even my husband who didn't do the fast agreed these were delicious!

Taco Soup
1 can of black beans
1 can of sweet white corn
1 can of pinto beans
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of garbanzo beans
4 tbsp of cumin or taco seasoning
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 medium onion peeled and diced
1 whole avocado peeled and diced

Sautee onion with the olive oil, once the onions are cooked a little add all the ingredients together (except the avocado). Cook until boils, then cook on low for 20-30 minutes. When ready to eat, put sliced avocado on top.

Breakfast Cookies
3 ripe bananas
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped(I use raisins)
1/3 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mash the bananas. Stir in oats, dates, applesauce, vanilla, and I like to add cinnamon and fresh nutmeg. Mix well, and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.Bake for 20 minutes;at 375.

Potato Leek Soup
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups sliced leeks, white and green parts
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 cups vegetable stock
1 ½ pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
Salt and white pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons Italian herbs

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over low heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until
tender, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add the vegetable stock and potatoes. Cover and simmer gently until the vegetables are
tender, about 30 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat. With a hand-held immersion blender, or in batches in a food
processor, puree the soup until smooth.
5. Season, to taste with salt, ground white pepper and Italian herbs.
6. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.
Yield: six to eight servings