I Blinked

And my babies, my tiny little babies....

 

Lula Mae at 4 days old

   

Jayce at 5 days old

                                                           

....turned into kids.

Jayce at 2 years 5 months & Lula Mae at 4 years and 5 months

These precious years are slipping away. I have pictures, videos, calendars with special notes written on them.... but I will never get to live these years again. I am trying to slow down and cherish these moments that are so swiftly leaving. And yet, time just seems to move faster. The busyness of "life" too often robs me of the precious moments I want to enjoy. I have to remind myself every single day that my babies are not babies and I need to slow down, hold them, tell them how special they are, stare at their little faces, hold their little hands, memorize the sounds of their voices, etch their silly laughs into my brain.... enjoy them while they are still little.

When did it happen though? I missed the transition somewhere. How is it that I have kids?

My babies are kids.

Normal Life

Last week was CRAZY BUSY, so this week, the kids may look like this....

 

 because I just don't have the energy to even care what they dress themselves in. Sigh. I am just thrilled that one of my kids has the ability to dress themselves, even if her style is... ehhhh.... eclectic? 

We are on summer break from school, but Lula Mae has been asking to do some work so I am not sure how long our break will actually be. Jayce is interested in "school" as well so it looks like my class just doubled for next year ;-) I am going to be buckling down and getting my school closet in order and ready to go! That is number one on my list right now. 

 Jayce is having a rough summer. His skin is bad. Really, really bad. We have an allergist appointment tomorrow to try and figure out if he perhaps has developed another allergy. He is also really asserting himself these days.... not in a good way. We have lots of fits, lots of time outs, lots of apologies, lots of spankings.... just lots of the nitty gritty part of parenting that people don't like to talk about. He is not quite as strong willed as Lula Mae, but he is still a pretty far cry from a compliant child. I know this is bad, but I have to remind myself that God made him perfect and just the way He wanted him. 

We have signed the contract for the surrogacy and it has been given back to all respective parties. Pretty soon I will begin my end of the deal. I'm basically PUMPED! 

Charlie and I took the kids to the beach for a day. It was interesting.  Jayce did not seem to like the sand, but he loved the water. Lula Mae even seemed to enjoy the water. I was pretty shocked! It was a fun day and I loved seeing them have so much fun. 

Normal life has just kept me so busy these days. I love normal life though. That is where amazing memories are made, that is where life lessons are taught, that is where God teaches us the most. However when normal life keeps me busy, my poor blog, like yours I am sure, get pushed to the back burner. I have been sneaking around in the shadows visiting your blogs and trying to keep up! I hope you are all having a great summer! 

Be back soon with more random updates from our crazy busy life!

Doing My Best

At this moment, I am doing my best.

I'm doing my best to hold the bed down. Sure would hate for it to get up and go somewhere.

I am also doing a bit of preventative maintenance, if you will, on the TV and Wii.

FYI our Netflix streaming is working perfectly.

I am also testing out all of our pillows for proper comfort.

I can't really tell yet if they are okay or not, but I am sure after an hour or so of testing I will reach a decision. Can't rush perfection.


Yesterday I read a post that my bloggy buddy Tiffany wrote. So today I am taking some time for me. Yes there is laundry that needs to be done. Yes there are toys that need to be picked up. Yes there is a huge list of things that I could be doing... but today, I am doing nothing. Well, nothing during nap time. I am catching up on blogs, watching some TV, having some quiet time, reading my Bible and I just may take a nap! Who knows! The possibilities are, well I was going to say endless but that just seems like a lie, so lets just say there are a few possibilities. A few very relaxing and enjoyable possibilities.


I hope you will take some time for you today. I have neglected this very important thing for the past few weeks so I am going to get back into the swing of some me time.

I Am A Christian

I got this in an email quite some time back. I do not know who the author is, but if by some chance it is you…. give yourself credit in a comment :-) Thanks!

When I say that 'I am a Christian'

I am not shouting that I am clean living.
I'm whispering 'I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say 'I am a Christian'

I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say 'I am a Christian'

I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say 'I am a Christian'

I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess

When I say 'I am a Christian'

I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.


When I say 'I am a Christian'

I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say 'I am a Christian'

I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner who received God's grace, somehow!

I read this quickly one day and it has been on my mind ever since. I really think that unbelievers have a jaded since of what believers think about themselves. I hope that if you are one of those unbelievers out there that this will help you see things more clearly. Granted believers around you are acting in ways that are bringing glory to God, of course. Still, I know what I thought about ‘Christians’ back before I was saved… and I think this would have really made me think differently.

And This Is Where A Title Goes... If You Can Think Of One!

Ready for some randomness???? GO!!!!

Yesterday was a special day. My husband and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. 4 years! We are off to a good start :-) He surprised me with flowers and a very short but sweet card (very much his style... which I love!). The kids and I went and got him a new weed-eater and sprayer for the yard. Nothing says I love you like a couple of gifts that are going to put you to work. I am not the best gift buyer.... not at all! Tonight we are getting away for a delicious and romantic meal at our favorite restaurant, The Melting Pot. We go there for every special occasion. He proposed to me there :-) Fondu here we come! I am excited to get to spend time with him alone. We are not good about making time for us and we need to get better.

There are a few things coming up that make my stomach a little queasy. I have already taken away all of Jayce's pacifiers... but I have not taken away his paci-bear. It is his best friend. Paci-bear is this pacifier that has a stuffed bear on the end of it. It was a lifesaver when he was a tiny little guy, but now it is time for it to go. He is one so that means no pacifiers.


He really loves this little guy though so I know it is going to be a tough week or so. Starting next Saturday he is history. I can't decide if I should cut the paci off and give him the bear, or just take the whole thing away. Not sure which one would be less traumatic for him. I have a few days to ponder that though. I am a firm believer in weaning the paci at one year though so paci-bear really must go. Sorry Jayce.... I still love you :-)

No only that, I have started to wean the bottle too. He only takes 2 bottles now instead of 4. His lunch milk is in a cup and his snack is now a juice/water cup instead of milk. I am crossing my fingers that the morning and night bottle will be gone in the next few weeks. Lula Mae was quite difficult to wean so I am hopeful that Jayce will be a little different. Only time will tell I guess.

PLUS.... I am a huge slacker and haven't moved Lula Mae out of her crib yet. I know, I know... tomorrow she is 3 and she still sleeps in a crib. She really loves it though. She has never tried to climb out or anything and hasn't really expressed and desire to sleep in a big bed yet. Well, I guess it is time to move her to a toddler bed. sigh. I think we will do it the same night that we take away paci-bear. Lets just all be miserable at one time, right?

Well, that is what is going on right now, in case you cared.... even if you didn't care I was still going to tell you!

I hope your weekend is wonderful Bloggy buddies!

More Than Spring Cleaning

My best friend Heather just returned home from a mission trip to Honduras. Without having to tell you the whole background on Heather and why this mission trip was such a huge deal I am going to tell you one way that her trip affected me.

I know what you are thinking... "Wow how.... self absorbed of you."... just hear me out.

Heather just endured more emotionally and spiritually than I will ever understand. I say that because I am not sure I will ever get the chance to serve the way she does. Hearing about her trip made me question a lot of things in my life. First thing I questioned: do I appreciate what I have.

If you are feeling totally lost on this go here and read her story, then go here and read what the first day of her mission trip was like.

Looking around my house I realized we have so much more than probably 85% of the world. So much stuff that isn't even being used. So much stuff that others could be using. So much stuff! My house makes me feel so selfish all of a sudden. As I begin to think about my spring cleaning, Honduras comes to mind.

I love spring cleaning and this year it is going to be cranked up a notch! I want to really get rid of things. I want try to live minimally. I want to take time to appreciate what has been provided for us. I want to be grateful for all things. To do this, changes must be made. Closest must be gone through. Drawers must be emptied. Toys must be sorted. Donations must be made.

I may never be able to experience firsthand what Heather did, but I hope that I can continue to be affected. Heather's trip has affected me (which I can only imagine how deeply is really is affecting her).... this is only the beginning.

Energy.... Where Are You???

Confessions #1: I haven't logged into Blogger since Thursday night

Why? I'm not sure. I feel like I have been busy, but I don't think I really have. Weird.

Confession #2: Since I have neglected to log into Blogger I have gotten WAY behind on my reading.

I am not happy about this because I hate to miss anything you wonderful people write. Plus, when I visit your blogs during nap or before bed I am always uplifted or encouraged in some way (because you are all amazing!) So why then have I let myself stay away???

Confession #3: My "new every two" rolled with Verizon so I get to pick a new phone

I am blaming this on a lot of my blog-time-stealing. When I get to pick a new phone out I obsess over it, unfortunately. For days I stare at the website, scanning through all the choices, reading reviews, constantly changing my mind. It is frustrating beyond belief. Luckily, right before I logged into Blogger just now, I picked a phone and it is on the way. Thank goodness!

Confession #4: I have been incredibly moody lately.

So bad that Charlie actually mentioned it (in a nice way, not in a "you sure are nuts" way). Probably has a lot to do with feeling like I have no time to get "my stuff" done (stupid selfish flesh!). It could also have a little to do with not logging onto Blogger and enjoying all of your posts. Regardless, I have noticed my patience level nosediving. Not good!

Confession #5: I'm not perfect

Like I had to clear that up for you, right? ;-) I'm not saying it because I, for even a split second, thought perhaps I was perfect.... I'm just saying that a lot of things are happening right now that are showing me just how not perfect I am. Don't you just love being slapped in the face by life? People say "God whispers" well not around here! It's more like "God uses a megaphone"!

You lucky people have a lot to look forward to. I have before and after pictures of the new FINISHED playroom, pictures of the kids enjoying a beautiful day at the park, a video of Lula Mae singing her favorite song! Not only that, I will be catching up on all your wonderful posts and sending out tons of bloggy love! Happy Wednesday all!

Sick And Tired!

These ugly little guys have been a pain! I have been dealing with the stomach flu/bug for a while now. First Lula Mae got it. Then she shared it with Jayce. Then Jayce shared it with the Hubster. Last but not least the Hubster shared it with me. I guess I can't complain. I would rather have it last so that I am able to take care of everyone else first. Charlie and I are not sure if the two of us had the same thing the kids had though. He had a friend come over to help him with a project that came down sick the next day. We are praying that the kids don't have another virus to look forward to thanks to us. Hopefully we all had the same thing and we are done with these ugly little germs! I will be doing yet another round of sanitizing tomorrow. Fun fun! I am so sick and tired of this sickness! Luckily we each fought it quickly and didn't suffer long. Jayce had it the worst :-( poor baby.

I on the other hand had terrible timing with my sickness. Mine hit while I was keeping the kids out of the house so the carpet could be installed. (YAY for new CLEAN carpet!). I switched locations with my hubby (since he was sitting at the house all day while the carpet was getting put in.) He went to be with the kids at Eric and Heather house and I came home. (so basically now Eric and Heather are going to be the next victims of this horrible bug/virus) It was oh so fun being violently ill while there were 6 strangers in my house. Totally fun! Then Charlie had to bring the kids home and get the house back to normal while I laid in the bed with fever and chills. Luckily we have wonderful family who came and helped keep the kids occupied while Charlie and my Uncle got everything back to normal. It was a very hectic evening! Then, to top it off, Charlie went this morning (the next day) to have his wisdom tooth cut out. Yep, it has seemed quite chaotic today! He's in pain and I'm still exhausted from being sick yesterday. Tomorrow is a new day! A new and better day! I am so grateful that we are all feeling better and seem to be done with this mess! I hope all of you have been much healthier than our household! Have a great rest of the week!

30 Minutes..... GO!!!!

So I only have 30 minutes to let my brain explode all over the page. Why? Because I spent all of nap time working on a project so now all I have is 30 precious minutes to myself..... so buckle up, hold on and get ready for a whirlwind of a post....bullet style!

• I haven't been blogging much lately for a few reasons. First, I felt like it was taking up too much of my quiet time with God. When that starts happening I have to re-focus my time and get back into blogging slowly. Second, I have a new baby.... its name is "house". House is very needy and requires a lot of attention right now. Hopefully soon it will be a little more independent and need me a lot less (meaning I hope to soon be done with some of this painting!!!!!!). Lastly, I have two kids who aren't going to be little for very long. I am trying to soak up all their sweet babyhood while it lasts. I am really enjoying giving them all of my energy and attention while they are up. My heart is FULL and that is just how I like it. So don't worry I will get back to being your bloggy buddy soon, I promise :-)
  

• Jayce is pulling up on e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g he can! The boy keeps me super busy! If he is out ( meaning not in his play pen) I have to be right there with him. Boys are so much more adventurous than girls! He is growing up so fast! I think he will be walking soon.... oh dear!
  

• Lula Mae is potty trained!!!!!! You have no idea how much it excites me to say that. I have tried to train her a few times, on and off, since she was about one and a half. Each time I was just frustrated and she was frustrated and it never happened. Well this time I took her diapers away, pulled out the potty and WHAM! She got it. She had two pee pee accidents on the first day, but after that... nothing. She totally has it down. She even poops in her potty no problem. Plus, she will even tell you she has to go when we are out and about! Lula Mae is, and always has been an all-or-nothing type of kid. I really and excited to not have to buy diapers for her!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!
  

• Jayce has been acting a little out of sorts these past few days and I am worried about the little guy. I have summed it up to him possibly having allergy issues, but I am no doctor and have no way to really know. We will soon be replacing all of this disgusting carpet and we are hopeful that it will help him. If not, I think we will be seeing his doctor and trying to figure out what all this mucus in his throat is. He isn't having a cough, runny nose, fever or anything else. Just thick mucus sounding stuff in his throat that is causing him to coke terribly when he eats. Any of you other Mommy's have any advice on this????? We would love to hear!!!!
  

• I have been feeling super anxious lately and I am not sure why. Probably because I haven't been writing.... probably because I have been getting less sleep since we are up late every night working on the house.... probably because I am slightly crazy.... probably because God tests be daily to help keep me focused. Regardless the reason, I am trying hard to be less anxious, which is really hard for me and my OCD personality. I am growing and changing in Christ, and those growing pains hurt sometimes... but they are so worth it!

Sorry I just verbally vomited on you. Sometimes that kinda thing happens. I have a video of Lula Mae that I want to share with you, so be looking for that. Hopefully it will make up for this mess of a post! Oh, and more pictures! Who doesn't love seeing pictures? I hope the rest of your week is great!

Easily Forgotten

When things in my life start getting tough (house work is piled high, schedules are too full, kids are misbehaving) I tend to blog more. Partially because writing is therapeutic for me. Extremely therapeutic. Also because when I have something on my mind, or my heart, I enjoy the thoughts you all have to offer. All of you are great! You bring me so much encouragement and get me through so much. God has used this blog in my life in ways I never imagined.

While pondering that fact that I blog more, and better, in distress I realized I was missing a lot. I am missing out on chances to tell you about Lula Mae's great behavior, Jayce's development, the funny things Lula Mae says, the crazy projects my husband and I work on together and completely mess up..... just all the happy moments in my life. You shouldn't just have to hear all the bad things.

So here are some great things that have been going on around here....

• Lula Mae has memorized 6 bible verse now! I love to hear her recite them. She is done with the second grade sight word list and is on to learning the third grade list. Her reading skills are mind blowing! Her word list is nearing the 650 mark and I am so proud of her. She can count to, and recognize the numbers up to 40. She just loves to learn! I am so amazed at how well Lula Mae has behavior has been since we moved. Really, I was expecting this move to throw her into a tailspin.... but it is just the opposite. She is growing up so fast and is starting to learn self control and obedience.
• Jayce is past "scooting" and is crawling now. Not always on his hands and knees though, but sometimes. His toothy grin is quite charming! He has always been a great sleeper, but these days it is just amazing. He love to sleep! He is finally eating some baby food. I am hoping to wean him off of his reflux medication soon because it has been really good lately. We will see what the doctor says at his 9 month check up.
  
• We are totally unpacked! There are still a few decorative things in boxes, as well as photo albums, but they are patiently waiting for good homes. We are working on getting this place nice and clean! We are also slowly turning this house into our home :-)
• We are slowly working on our debt free plan. We just paid off our van!!!!!!!!!!!! Woohoo!!!!
  
• Back in December I was baptized (Tiffany I know I was suppose to email you all about it but things have been so busy! I am sorry.... don't hate me! It's just such a long story that it may take me a while to write it!) for the first time. I didn't grow up in a church so it was never really something I thought about doing, or even understood. God is working hard on me. He is changing me in some big ways. I have a great Pastor, a loving husband, supportive friends and an amazing God who are all helping me change. I have needed this for so long.
  

Oh, and I promise I am working on a tour of the house for you guys! I have a few really funny pictures to brighten your day :-) Have a great week everyone!

Today Is The Day!

We are closing on our new house today!
So, as you may imagine, my brain is in a puddle....
somewhere among the boxes....
I am numb with disbelief.
I am overwhelmed.
I am exhausted.
I am excited.
I am grateful.
I am nervous.
I am joyful.

I am......
hoping my brain turns up soon because I miss it.

The Race Is On!

Jayce

is

mobile!

People, my life just got interesting! Yes, Jayce is scooting....all over the place! He is 7 months old and on the move! You must know that Lula Mae was 9 months old when she finally started scooting. He has her beat with physical development (not that I am comparing them.... simply noticing is all) I feel like I just brought him home, how in the world is he already mobile? *sigh*




Just for fun, lets just add up a few factors in my life at this moment, shall we....


We are closing on our new house in 7 days (Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!)

Christmas is in 11 days (WOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!)

We are moving into our new house in 13 days (DOUBLE Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!)

2011 is kicking off in 18 days (SLOW DOWN PLEASE!!!!!!!!!)

January is the biggest month for our family when it comes to birthdays (including mine!!!)

I have 5 months to get all the details of our Disney trip squared away (Triple Ahhhhhhh!)


Not to mention that in the midst of all that life is still happening. Laundry needs to be done, meals have to be fixed, things have to be cleaned, kids need to be cared for, bills have to be paid, somewhere in there I need to sleep and did I mention I have only packed like 6 boxes so far...... So pretty soon I will be on a bit of a hiatus. I won't be gone, just on a bit of a vacation. Well, a vacation minus the relaxation, yummy food, sunny weather.... okay so nothing like a vacation! I am counting on all of you to keep me company through your fantastic posts. I promise that after all this moving business I will get back into leaving you all some warm and fuzzy comment love! Just bare with me through the next couple of weeks! It's gonna be a wild ride!

Sneaky Like A Ninja

I have ninja skills. What? You didn't know? It's probably because I like to keep it hush-hush. You never know what a sneaky ninja may do. One may be able to steal a kiss with lightning speed (because Lula Mae moves at lightning speed) or one may be able to read a story without even looking at the book (because we are reading it for the millionth time today) or one may be able to simultaneously fix lunch for a hungry toddler and eat lunch (because many days lunch is the crusts cut off of a sandwich and the extra goldfish that flopped off the plate).

Being a Mommy is a lot like being a ninja. So much of what you do is unseen and unspoken. Oh sure, they notice that they have clean clothes, but they don't realize the time you spent on stain removal, sorting and folding all of them. They realize that we cook dinner, but they don't realize the menu planning and shopping behind it. I know they notice, but I also know they don't.

I do all of my wifely and motherly duties to bring glory to God, not to get a pat on the back. Honestly though, sometimes it is hard. I love my job, but sometimes it is monotonous. Many days are exhausting. Many days are stressful. Even so, many days are priceless. I have the perfect job. I get to see my babies grow each and every day. I get to take care of my family, my home, with all my energy. I am grateful for all the exhausting, stressful and monotonous days.

Although, this ninja Mommy does enjoy being noticed. Luckily I get noticed. God notices every single time. Many times, the Hubster notices. As Lula Mae grows, she notices. Jayce... well I'll cut him some slack. I hope all you other ninja Mommy's out there are as happy as I am.

The Emotions Are Mixed

Today. What can I tell you about today? Well, for starters, I can tell you that I have about 365 things to be thankful for today. Today should be the last day I get to see my husband for a year. His unit, which I obviously can't tell you much about for their safety, is deploying today. Today is the day.

Last night should have been the last time we sat together to eat dinner. It should have been the last night I got to lay in bed and feel his warmth beside me. I should be sleeping alone tonight. I should be feeding the kids, giving them their baths and tucking them in alone tonight. But I'm not.

Tonight I will get to hear his car pull into the drive way, hear his keys jingle in the lock and hear him come through the door with his normal "Heeeeeellllllllloooooo!!!". I will get to see his face, hear his voice and feel safe in his presence. Instead of hearing Lula Mae say "Mommy, where's Daddy? He at work Mommy? When he gonna be home Mommy?" I get to hear her say "DAAAAAADDDDDYYYYYYYY!!! HELLO!!!!!!!" just like any other day. I get to see her come around the corner running as fast as she can and jumping into his arms to hug him and lay her head on his shoulder so sweetly, laughing out of excitement that her Daddy is home. I could just as easily be seeing her stand at the door, calling for Daddy with tears streaming down her face because she doesn't understand why Daddy is not home. I could just as easily be holding her, wiping away her tears and trying to comfort her the way her Daddy does. I can't be her Daddy. I don't look like him, act like him, sound like him or smell like him. My arms are not big enough, my voice is not soothing enough, my words are not silly enough, and my presence is not comforting enough. She loves me and needs me, but she needs and loves her Daddy just a little bit more.

By the Grace of God I don't have to be her Daddy. He gets to stay behind. He gets to come home each night and be with his family. We need that. I need that. I need my husband, my best friend, my partner in crime and my right hand man. I don't have to wonder if Jayce will be afraid of his Daddy when he returns because he is a stranger. I don't have to wonder if Lula Mae feels like it is her fault that her Daddy abandoned us. For the next 365 days I will be thankful to have my husband by my side instead of half way around the world.

We know we are lucky. No, not lucky, blessed. We are very aware of how blessed we are to be able to say that he is a stay behind this time. It is proof that God answers prayers, even big ones. Since we heard about the deployment I have prayed and prayed and prayed that he would not have to go. While praying for him to stay home, I felt guilty. I should be praying for God's will, not for what I want. So I did. I prayed for both. I told God that if he had to go, he had to go. I told Him that I knew He would get us through it if that was the case. Then I prayed that He would just let him stay. Never in my wildest dream did I think God would bless me this big. This is HUGE. Bigger than any blessing I think I have ever received (aside from my children). I owe Him big time for this one. Big time.

God is my strength, my joy and my life. God is showing me every single day that I need to be grateful for everything. The good things, the bad things and all those things in between. He is showing me that I really can give Him all of my fears and problems and He will take care of them. His grace is amazing! I have an awesome God who loves me and takes care of me. He is molding me into a better person with each passing moment. My heart is forever changed and focused on Him. I hope my children look back at this and realize that God was looking out for them. Their lives would have been changed forever if their Daddy would have had to go overseas for a year. What if he didn't come home? How devastating would that have been to all of us, but especially to Lula Mae and Jayce?

We could have gotten through the deployment, we have done it before, but I am grateful that we don't have to. There aren't really words to explain just how grateful I am. I am happy and sad today, all at the same time. Happy for us, but sad for the other soldiers that have to leave today. Please pray for the others in the unit who were not as lucky as us. The soldiers are leaving behind wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, friends and family. Each one of them will forever be changed by the year ahead of them. Pray for their safety, strength and courage. Pray for their loved ones back home.

I will continue to pray for God's will in our lives. I will also pray that God will help me not to take this amazing blessing for granted.

Today I'm Stressed

Today I have been up to my elbows on poop...

Today my hands are dry and cracking from washing bottles and sippy cups...

Today my right foot is sore from stepping on several toys strung about the house...

Today my washing machine is getting a workout as I catch up on laundry from the weekend....

Today my head hurts from concentrating on the bills for an hour...

Today I am in need of a shower because I weeded the flower beds and got quite sweaty...

For all of these things I am grateful! I am thankful for all that poop because it means my little ones are healthy. I am thankful for my dry cracked hands because it means I have water and soap for washing dishes. I am thankful for my sore foot because it means my little ones have toys to play with. I am thankful for all the laundry because it means our family has clothes to wear. I am thankful for the headache concentrating caused because I know we have money to pay our bills. I am thankful for being sweaty because it means I have a home with a yard to tend to.

Even things that seem to be negatives are truly positives! On days like today, when I think I am stressed, I just remind myself....

and there is nothing negative about desserts ;-) Hope you are all having a great Monday! This week, focus on how blessed you are instead of how stressed you are!

I'm Not

I'm not sitting on Facebook while BOTH my children are napping instead of taking a nap too...
I'm not feeling slightly guilty about how much I am enjoying the silence of my house...
I'm not wishing my husband were home so that we could enjoy this time together...
I'm not about to go and get something chocolate and delicious out of the kitchen and indulge...
I'm not going to whittle away at my very far behind Bible study and enjoy every word...
I'm not obsessively looking at baby pictures of Lula Mae and comparing them to Jayce...
I'm not secretly scared to death that Lula Mae is angry at me for bringing Jayce home...
I'm not worried that I won't do as good of a job raising Jayce as I did on Lula Mae...
I'm not looking up Disney vacation information in between checking Facebook and blogging...
I'm not upset that Uncle Larry can't seem to catch a break...
I'm not wondering why I didn't decide to shower while BOTH my children are napping...
I'm not pondering what it would be like to have another child in 12 months or so...

I'm not.

Okay.....maybe just a little....

Are We Done Adjusting Yet?

Are we? Please tell me we will be soon! I know Jayce is only a little over 2 weeks old, but I really need the adjustment period to be over. I love my little girl so very much... why does she wait until I am feeding her brother to disobey me? When he is not eating she is great. She plays well, uses her manners and listens beautifully.... then the bottle gets to warming.... and there is a terrible shift in the atmosphere of our condo. Oh yes, it is that bad. She runs, she screams, she throws, she back talks and I am certain that she sticks cotton balls in her ears so she can't hear me.... who is this child and what has she done with Lula Mae? .... I am assuming that she is just testing the waters. Hopeful I guess would be a better word, I am HOPEFUL that she is just testing the waters. It just blows my mind that she can turn it on and off in an instant. She has always been such a sweet, good little girl and I hate to see her act this way. I am praying with her and for her constantly. I know it is all going to smooth out at some point.... can you just tell me that we are close to that point, please????????????????????? Can't say that I am not just a tad bit overwhelmed during feeding times though.....

Jayce Update

Well, I went to the doctor today for MORE bladder pain (yuck!). Thought I would give an update on how things are looking. We are 35 weeks and 5 days (10 days away from being full term). I am 1 cm dilated (not a big deal) and 60% thinned out. So, my question to Dr. Erickson was "how long do you think Jayce will hold out?"... his answer... "Oh, it could be any day now.". So that is where we are now. Sitting... waiting... waiting... and waiting some more. I'm excited and nervous. Anxious does not describe it! I am praying non stop! Please pray for Jayce, myself, Charlie and Lula Mae. If Jayce comes soon he will be "premature", but so was Lula Mae and she was perfectly fine. I will keep you updated!

Lost

Lately I have felt very lost. Lost in the sea of lists that surround me day in and day out. List after list after list! Normally I LOVE lists, they are how I focus... but lately they have been overwhelming. I have been letting my lists wait as I soak up the last precious moments with my little girl as an only child. It is very hard for me to do this... even though I love Lula Mae with every but of my heart I still struggle with letting my house work fall behind. I feel like I will disappoint Charlie if I don't get everything done before 5:30 when he gets home. I know he wouldn't really be disappointed, but try telling my brain that! God is working hard on me and I am so glad! He is teaching me to put family first and work second. Slowly I am able to let things go. Not "go" completely... just let them go until nap time or bed time. I have plenty of time while Lula Mae is asleep to get my work done! So I am still making list after list after list. Only now I am setting them aside until my beautiful little girl is not up and about. Thank you God for helping me with this long process. Change is hard, but not with God to guide you!

Just one of the many moments I would have missed if I were wrapped up in my lists...

Life is too short to miss out on the little things. One day you may wake up and realize that all those little things were really the big things. I don't want to look back and have that feeling in my heart! Thank you God for helping me change and grow every single day!

This Is Why I Love Warm Weather

Bright clothes and bare feet...

Big bows and playing in the sunshine...

Great lighting for pictures!

I can not wait for the warm weather to settle in! I just love flip flop weather! I am excited this year because Lula Mae will be able to play outside (last year she wasn't walking yet so there wasn't much she could do but sit, swing or ride in a stroller). She loves being outside so I know she is ready for nice warm weather too! I can't wait to draw with chalk, blow bubbles, splash in a kiddie pool and have picnics in the yard! Plus, my OCD personality is ready for some good spring cleaning :-) I hope everyone else is as ready for spring as I am! Happy Monday!