HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

We made it through another week!!!

What do you have planned for this weekend? Dallas and I will be taking some walks, and I'm going to try to put his sassy new sunglasses on him and get a pic. They are so cute--they have a doggy on one lens, and uv protection. And btw--if you have any mom advice for me...on anything from sleep to teething to clothing to balancing work and mommyhood...please email me at lara@thefish959.com.

Have you heard the new MercyMe song yet, "All of Creation?" It's awesome!!!! I don't think it's possible for them to write a song that's NOT amazing. Their new CD is called The Generous Mr. Lovewell, and it will be out in May.

FREE ice skating starting this weekend at the OC Great Park! Check out our Station Events section at www.fish959.com for the scoop. :-) And remember, you can watch TONS of Christian music videos from our homepage, too. That's a nice way to pass some time at work!

STUFF FROM TODAY'S SHOW

Dallas rolled over for the first time!!! I put him on his tummy on his little activity mat, turned around to get my phone, and when I turned around again he was on his back!!! Of course, when I was like, show mommy how you rolled over, he was having none of it and just wanted to lie on his back and bat at his giraffe. : -)

Where did Casting Crowns get the idea for "Until the Whole World Hears?" Well, one of lead singer Mark Hall's mentors used to sign his letters to him with that phrase!

Are you following us on Twitter? Are you a Facebook friend? Our Facebook friends were the first to find out the date of Fishfest (June 12), btw. You'll find links to both at http://www.fish959.com/ in our Connect With The Fish section. And no, we can't reveal the Fishfest lineup quite yet, but it is AWESOME and will be well worth the wait. :-)

THANK YOU...

...for all of your advice and encouragement! I just got this email from Robin:

I don't usually read blogs but I read yours today about your darling son having a melt down in the car while you were driving. I remember those days with my kids (who are 12 and 9) and they will be fine, it is us who have the harder time. You will know his crys and know if he is in disstress or just hungry.

I also loved the sleep deprived blog. I was not a napper and am still not a napper. Sleep will come before you know it and you will be saying to yourself and husband, he is sleeping through the night, does he still need me? I better check on him. I miss those days. Enjoy the 2:00am wake up call, it all ends so fast.

Robin, God bless you and thank you!!!

When we went in for our month checkup, our doc mentioned the dreaded word: COLIC!!!! I have heard that it actually goes away around 3 months, so we are almost there. And we are getting more smiles and laughs all the time. :-) I think the hardest part of being a new mom has been to love someone so much and have absolutely no idea what to do to comfort them. I can't wait for him to start talking so he can tell me!!!

Dallas has also discovered his hands, and seems to be fascinated by his fist! He will hold it out in front of him and just stare with an expression of awe and wonder. He has no interest in toys, but loves this. :-)

I'm so excited to play some AMAZING new music for you today! How 'bout David Crowder Band, MercyMe, Sanctus Real, and Matthew West?! Happy Wednesday!

I also heard a great story about "Free To Be Me" by Francesca Battistelli. She backed into an attorney's car, and she wrote this song to cheer herself up, hence the "I've got a couple dents in my fender" line. I hope this song encourages YOU today!

DALLAS...

...had his first big meltdown in the car yesterday. I couldn't pull over, so we just cried together as I blasted The Fish. Thankfully, he calmed down after we got home and I could give him his bottle. My friend Jodi said that she has gotten the sense from my blog that I have that "I have no idea what I"m doing" feeling, and she is right! Does every new mom feel like this? I am doing my best to keep him fed and happy, and I love him like crazy, and I hope that is enough.

Time to lace up your skates for some FREE ICE SKATING at the OC Great Park in Irvine, starting this weekend! Check out the Station Events section at www.fish959.com for more.

A song we get tons of requests for is "Lay 'Em Down" by Need To Breathe. What is it YOU need to lay down at the feet of Christ today? Something physical or mental or spiritual? Let us know what song always encourages you! You can email me at lara@thefish959.com and we will try to play it for you and say hi to you on the air.

Enjoy this last bit of sunshine before the rain comes back!

PLANNING A DATE NIGHT?

You can have a fun night out with your honey and save money! Check out our Half-Price Deal of the Week at www.fish959.com.

How has The Fish impacted you? Has the music brought you closer to God? Helped you through a tough time? Did the right song come on at the exact moment you needed to hear that specific message? Maybe you introduced someone to the station and it helped them. We would love to hear about it! Email me at lara@thefish959.com.

Robbie Seay band nominated a Houston family that lost their home in Hurrican Ike for a home renovation on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and guess what? They were chosen!!! The ep airs in late March. :-) Am I the only one that bawls like a baby within the first three minutes of this show? I was burping Dallas while watching last Sunday, and I'm sure he was like, what's up with mommy?

SLEEP DEPRIVATION

Okay, the sleep deprivation that comes with a new baby is no joke! I love Dallas with all my heart and want to spend every moment with him, but I would actually be okay with seeing a little less of him at 2 a.m. :-) If you have kids, how did you make it through the early months with your sanity intact? Email me at lara@thefish959.com. I've never been a napper, but I've been trying lately! My dad-in-law is in town this weekend, so I might be able to grab a nap or two.

Newsboys are previewing their new CD on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/newsboys.official It's called Born Again, and it's going to be out in June.

Did you know that MercyMe's "Word of God Speak" was the #1 Christian song of the past decade? Awesome! Here's to the next 10 years. :-)

Have a fabulous weekend!!! Get ready for the return of the sun!!!

MY LITTLE BABY...

...had his two-month checkup yesterday. He was so brave! He was laughing and cooing and flirting with all the nurses, totally unaware that he was about to get his first round of shots. Although I think mama cried more than he did! If you have kids, how do you handle it when your child suffers something painful? I think about when he gets older...what if someone makes fun of him? I just want to always protect him from everything. But then how will he develop character? My husband and I joke (kind of) about just keeping him in the house for the next 30 years. Email me at lara@thefish959.com.

Love Francesca Battistelli? Franny B's debut album, My Paper Heart, is being re-released as a deluxe edition, complete with an accoustic version of "It's Your Life."

We've got some groovy features on our site, like "Last Played." You can get a list of artist and title of the last 15 songs we've played. If you work in a loud office and you're always missing the names of songs, check it out.

And hang in there--it's almost Friday!!! We have almost made it through this wet and wild week. Hooray!

TUMMY TIME!!!

Here's Dallas, who just turned two months old, working on his chest and arm and neck strength. :-)

I think about my baby in a situation like what's happening right now in Haiti, and I pray that someone would take care of him if I weren't able to. There are mothers there right now wondering how they will make it through the next hour, let alone the next day, with no water, no food for their babies, and no place to sleep. Please give what you can and help! We are working with Cross International (we have been working with them for years--they are an amazing and trustworthy Christian organization) to get supply kits to Haitian families immediately. Just call 888-979-2009, or go to www.fish959.com. And please pray!

My problems seem so trivial when I think about the earthquake (and they had another aftershock this morning...6.1!!!), but I still have my moments where I break down and cry and just feel overwhelmed. "What Faith Can Do" by Kutless always seems to come on at that moment when I need to be reminded to hold on to my faith and trust that God can work miracles. I hope this song comforts you and reminds you to hang on!

And don't forget to rsvp for our FREE FREE FREE screening of To Save A Life! It's tomorrow night at The Block at Orange. Go to www.fish959.com.

Be careful today! This is supposed to be the craziest day so far with the weather, but it looks like we'll see the sun again on Saturday. :-)

STUFF FROM TODAY'S SHOW

Have you heard about our Half-Price Deal of the Week? $50 restaurant gift certificates for only $25!! Check out www.fish959.com for more info...you can grab 'em Thursday and Friday at 8 a.m.

TobyMac's new CD Tonight is going to be out on Feb. 9th! John from Skillet is on one of the tracks, along with Toby's ten-year-old son Truett, who goes by TruDog. How cute is that?!

We would love to know what your fave song is! Why do you love it? Is there a story? Who does it remind you of? Email me at lara@thefish959.com. And, as always, let me know who you are and where you listen every day so we can say hi to you. :-)

Please be careful driving around today...lights on, go slow, turn up The Fish. A few more days of rain and we are going to have the most clear and sunny and gorgeous day ever.

Dr. Martin Luther King

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

What a beautiful reminder this quote is as we honor Dr. King today. When we trust that God's plan is the best plan, we can take that first step to reach out to a hurting friend, to donate to the relief effort in Haiti, whatever it might be, knowing that God knows the bigger picture.

I feel truly blessed to be back with you after my maternity leave! Dallas is snoozing in the arms of his babysitter right now while I"m in the studio...he was all swaddled up and snoring when I came up here earlier. It's hard to leave him, even to go upstairs! We are adjusting some levels and getting everything sounding good today, so thanks for bearing with us. :-)

You might have today off, or it might be a normal workday...I would love to know if someone has done something for you to help make today wonderful. Or maybe YOU have blessed someone! Let me know about it at lara@thefish959.com. I'd also love to hear about how YOU make your busy day work! Since I"m a new mom, I"m looking for all the tips on balance that I can get.

Today on my show I talked about our free screening of "To Save A Life," and our Fish Stick Design Contest. A free movie, and the chance to see your artwork plastered all over tons of cars around SoCal? Check out our Station Events page at www.fish959.com for the scoop. I hope you win!

DALLAS IS EIGHT WEEKS OLD!!!

I am so smitten with my little guy. :-) I am sitting here typing with drool all over me, and I couldn't be happier.

Dallas is so cute when he lifts his little head! He always looks like he is so surprised, and he tries so hard--doing it again and again.

He also seems like he is trying to crawl and roll over!

It's hard to think back to what life was like before him a mere eight weeks ago, but I do miss sleep, lol. Thankfully, my mom-in-law is coming this weekend, and she is going to take care of him on Friday and Saturday night so I can get more than three hours in a row. As much as I need sleep, it's hard to let anyone else take him--I want to always snuggle with him (baby smell rules!) and hold him.

One thing I've noticed is that when you are on a walk with a kid, people seem much friendlier. I've met lots of people in the neighborhood--before, when it was just me, I would say hi to folks and usually get a blank stare in return or someone that suddenly started fiddling with their ipod.

I was up early with Dallas this morning and watching the pictures of Haiti on the news...my heart breaks for the people there. Even when there aren't disasters happening, people are starving...mothers are burying children because there is simply nothing to eat. And now, with this...it's hard to see how things will turn around. Please pray for Haiti, and please give what you can as we partner with Food for the Poor on Thursday to get immediate relief where it is needed. FFP is already there working, and they have boats that can get supplies to the areas where the roads have been damaged (or where there weren't roads to begin with). Let's show the people in Haiti that God is real, and that help is on the way, and that they are not alone. And please...hug your little ones extra tight tonight and be thankful that they are safe.

COLLEGE IN THE YEAR 2027!!!

I think Dallas was listening to Big Wave Dave when this pic was taken. :-)

My sis-in-law is a financial whiz, and sent us a a packet so we can start saving for college. Did you know that a private 4-year school will cost close to $400,000 (!!!) in 2027, when Dallas will be a college freshman?!

I have always been a pretty selfish person (praise God that He is working with me on that!), but now all I care about is that my little boy is safe and happy and cared for. If you have kids, I"m sure that these first few months are probably a blur for you, but I bet you remember all those little smiles, middle-of-the-night feedings, diaper changes, etc. Someone told me that one day I will really be missing all of the things that are making life so challenging right now, so I am really trying to enjoy every minute, knowing that I will sleep more than three hours in a row again someday, lol. Dallas is really showing his personality--cracking himself (and us) up, waving his arms around, cooing, and having more and more alert time.

I pray that this has been a wonderful first week of 2010 for you! Where did the last DECADE go? Remember Y2K? Enjoy the positive music on The Fish...we'll keep your spirits up as you ease back into school and work. God bless you!