Look Whose Crawling Now

8 months

I'm 8 months now. I'm up on my hands and knees rocking away and will begin crawling any day now. But, even without crawling, I get where I want to go, even if it meets dragging myself across the room or rolling repeatedly until I reach my desired destination. I am already stealing my big brother's toys, and call me a tom boy, but I love playing with cars. I adore my big brother, and my face lights up every time my daddy walks in the room. I've just started a little bit of solid food in the last couple of weeks, and I'm determined to feed myself, which makes the whole feeding process fun for mom and dad. But, that's okay because I have plenty of extra meat on me just from mommy's milk. I'm quite the little chunky monkey, especially in the thighs. I am a really easy baby and bring so much joy to my family and everyone around me. Even when I'm fussing, I will still look up at whoever is holding me and grin. So far, I am a determined, strong willed little thing just like my big brother. I guess I have to be that way if I'm going to survive in this family!

Four!

As is becoming the norm these days, here is another post that is well over a month old.

Our baby turned FOUR back in March. I think this birthday hit me harder than any of the ones before. In fact, I felt like I was going to burst into tears the whole week of his birthday. I just didn't know how it was possible that we could have a four year old. He just transformed from a little toddler to a big kid right before our eyes.

He was very specific about what he wanted for his party this year. I guess the days of us having ideas for his parties are over :) About six weeks earlier, he had gone to a birthday for one of his friends at church and from them on, he was very clear that he pretty much wanted the exact same party his buddy, Canaan, had. So, at his request we had a Cars themed birthday party at a park near us. It could not have been a more gorgeous day (Pics Below).

I think the most important thing about Grayson turning four is that it means that we survived three! :) Although there were many moments during his "terrible threes" that I wondered if we both needed counseling, his little season of rebellion and defiance went away just as quickly as it began. Of course, we have now entered an arguing phase, but that is nothing in comparison. I will take arguing any day over the daily outbursts of anger and wondering fearfully every time we went out in public if I was going to have to pick him up over my shoulder kicking and screaming and carry him out of whatever restaurant or store where the meltdown happened to occur.

Now, I find myself looking at him daily and just thinking what a beautiful, good big kid he is. We did resurrection eggs with him this Easter, which was so neat. It was so special to see him understand for the first time the very thing on which our faith is founded. About a week after Easter, he even told me, "Mommy, that toy is red, just like the blood on Jesus' head from the crown of thorns."

He is also in a phase right now that he loves to use big words even if he doesn't know what they mean. Recently, he'll just go around yelling: "Japanese" or "Guacamole." He also started really emphasizing his vowels in certain words that comes out as a twang, making it really clear which state we live in, although, with the accent you would think he's from Podunk, TX instead of Houston :) It's incredibly sweet to watch him with his little sister too as I frequently hear him say, "It's okay, honey" or "Camdyn, you are so precious!" OR "Stop all that fussing, I can't concentrate." :)

While we hate that he is getting big so fast, we are so proud of our big four year old and it is such a gift to watch him grow up!

2011 Family Photo Album

Click here to view this photo book larger

Start your own Shutterfly Photo Book today.

Every year I put together a digital photo album of our family photos. I love doing it because I love telling the story of our year with pictures and seeing how our kids have grown in just a few short months. I usually give myself a self-imposed deadline of the end of January to have it completed. Needless to say, I didn't quite make that deadline this year, so yay for it being completed before the end of April :) Anyway, if you spent enough time with us in 2011, you're probably in it. Also, even on full screen, some of the photos and captions look really small, because the actual photo book is bigger than a computer screen....so sorry about that. Enjoy Family & Friends!!!

Good-bye my Faithful Friend

I remember the day I got my Xterra. It was one day in May 2002 shortly before graduation. After putting in my request for an Xterra (because my Dad did not want me driving to college in my 10-year old Toyota Celica), and after my Dad had done some research for the best deal, I was driving it home from the dealership and it was pouring rain outside. I remember feeling so thankful and beyond blessed to be driving it. I remember thanking God for this beautiful vehicle (that was a lot prettier ten years ago) and for my parents working so hard to give it to me. I prayed then that he would help me drive it safely and I would take care of what he had entrusted me with. Even more, I was thankful that my parents (with a little help from me) had it paid off before I finished college so Brad and I didn't start our marriage with that debt. I vowed I would drive it until we either had too many people in our family to fit in it (add one more and we wouldn't) or until it would drive no more. And after today, it will drive no more...

We all have those moments when we get to a destination and think, "Oh my Gosh, I have no idea how I even got here," because our minds are just somewhere else and we go through the motions without mentally focusing on what we're doing. And that was me today! I was taking Grayson to pre-school and we were talking (no, I was not on a cell phone, Grandpa!). Even as I was going into the intersection, saw I was about to hit this guy, and slamming on my breaks, I was wondering if he was turning left and supposed to be yielding to me. I even had a split second to realize that I was the idiot going through the red light before I slammed into him.

My air bags deployed and my car quickly started filling up with smoke/power from the air bags. I guess I've watched too many fast and furious movies because I was having visions of my car about to blow up. So, I quickly started grabbing my kids out of the car who were surprisingly calm except for a complaint from Gray about the powder being in his eyes. I relocated them both to a median on the side street where the nice college kid who I hit watched them (yep, I let a stranger watch my kids while I dug for my cell phone which went flying when we hit -- he didn't have one).

Thankfully the cop was nice, the guy I hit was nice, the EMTs were nice, the tow-truck guy was nice. Of course, no one had a reason to be mad when I immediately admitted that I was an idiot and it was completely my fault! A random lady who saw it happen and obviously felt sorry for me even went and got donuts and brought them back to us, which was an amazing blessing and wonderful thing to keep my 3 year old still and occupied as he sat on the median. I just kept saying over and over again, "Thank you God for air bags, and car seats, and car insurance, and that my vehicle was 10 years old, and that no one was in the guy's passenger seat (because God forbid, that person would not be in good shape), and that Carrie was late getting to the gym and could come get us, that we had already been saving for a new vehicle, ect, ect, ect.

Thank you Jesus for watching out for us today! And for watching out for us every day when we don't even realize all the ways you protect us!

After we left the accident, we got in Carrie's car and Grayson said,
"Mommy, that was SO bad!"
"You broke your carhicle!" (yup, that is a combination of car and vehicle if you didn't catch that -- he doesn't know the term SUV yet)
"Don't worry Mommy, we'll get you another carhicle just like that one."

So today, I say good-bye to my Xterra which transported me out of high school, through college, into marriage and into parenthood, in the four different cities in which we've lived. And I thank God for keeping me safe in it for the last 10 years. And especially today for watching over my precious angels in the back seat, that I love and cherish and will try my hardest to never take for granted. Because they are precious cargo!

2012 Catch Up

I think my blogging is getting farther and farther apart, but I try and keep track of our funny moments in my head until I finally get around to recording them.

So, here is what I can remember...

GRAYSON (PJ Day at Pre-School)

G: "Mommy, I have two Bibles, a red one and a green one."
Me: "Yes, baby, you have your toddler Bible and now you have a big kid Bible."
G: "But, which one is the Holy Bible?" :)

(As we are driving down the road)
G: "Look Mommy, it's the United Texas Flag!"

(One day he was building with leggos and turns to me to say)
G: "Mommy, look at my tall tower. I am one smart little boy!"
Me: "Yes, you are!" (No self confidence issues there)

(The same day he is sitting on the potty and I'm reading him a book when he says)
G: "Mommy, look at my tee-tee. It is SOOOOO BIG!" (What do you even say to that?)
(I told Brad that night, "What is it about men that they are born and from day one they just think, 'Man, I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread.")

(Brad is saying prayers with him one night before bed, and Brad is rubbing his back when Gray says)
G: "We do NOT touch our neighbors during prayer time!" (Something he undoubtedly has been told at church many times)

G: "Mommy, how come you have two rings?"
Me: "Well, this one is my Aggie ring and this one is my wedding ring. This one means I'm married to your Daddy."
G: "How do I get me one of those?"
Me: "Well, to get this one, you have to graduate from Texas A&M and be an Aggie. And to get this one, you have to get married someday."

Later he was talking to Brad and said:
G: "You and Mommy both have two rings, and I'm going to get those someday."
B: "To get a wedding ring, you have to someday have a wife. How about we say a prayer for your wife?" (What a sweet father/son moment!)
After they finished praying Grayson said:
G: "Daddy, I want Mommy to be my wife!" (Melt my heart!)
B: "No buddy, Mommy is my wife, so you'll have to pick a different one!"
G: "No, I want Mommy to be my wife. We can share."

(Okay, even as I'm about to write this last one, I can't even believe I'm going to share it because I'm going to completely humiliate myself in the process, but it's just too funny not to share.)
I was cleaning Grayson's room one day when he walks in and says:
G: "Mommy, what's that smell?"
Me: "I don't know buddy."
G: "Mommy, I think it's a skunk."
Me: "No, buddy, it's not a skunk. Mommy just tooted."
G: "Mommy, that really stinky."
Me: "I know buddy, I'm sorry."
G: "Mommy, I think you have a skunk in your tummy!"

CAMDYN - 5 1/2 months

And for my sweet little girl...

I just don't know how I got so lucky to have two really good babies, but I did. I have no illusions that she won't make up for her present sweetness once she hits toddler hood (like her brother did), but for now, she is about as easy as they come. Despite dealing with some pretty severe acid reflux issues which make for some pretty fussy days sometimes as the poor thing screams in pain and projectile spits up all over us (clothes don't stay clean in this house for very long), she is such a happy baby! Even when I wake her from a nap because we have to go somewhere, she just looks up at me and grins.

She rolled over (back to tummy) for the first time on Christmas Day (right at 4 months) which was a sweet little Christmas gift for us.

She adores her big brother and just wakes up grinning at him even when he pokes all over her little chubby cheeks. And we have been pleasantly surprised that he adores her as well. A few weeks after she was born, he even asked us when he was going to have "another little sister." I'm sure we'll have issues once she's old enough to take his toys, but for now we treasure the sweet harmony between them.

The poor little darling is losing all her hair, just like Grayson did about this time. So, I guess we can anticipate her being bald for about a year :( before she gets in some thick, blonde hair! So then even more people can stare at us and wonder if they really are our biological children :) Luckily, she is finally getting big enough to pull off some giant head bands and enormous flowers! And she's hanging onto those beautiful blue eyes so far!

Is Santa Coming to Town?

To do Santa or not to do Santa? That is the question.

Brad and I have struggled with how we would handle Santa with our children pretty much since we first got married and first started talking about it. We know families who we love and respect on both sides of the Santa argument. The reasons we've heard for not doing it have ranged from not wanting to lie to their kids, not wanting kids to confuse the myth of Santa with the truth of Jesus, ect. ect. ect.

We both grew up doing Santa and loved it, so we definitely don't see anything wrong with it. But the question is, what is right for our family and what do we want our own Christmas traditions to look like? In asking ourselves that question, we both admit that in general, there is a strong focus on presents, decorating, shopping, ect, when it comes to Christmas. And maybe even for us (people who know and celebrate Christmas because of the birth of Christ), that the real meaning of Christmas gets a little overshadowed by these other things. So, the one thing we're sure of is that we really want Christmas to be about CHRIST for us and our children. So, the question is, how do we do that?

So, we've tried really hard to make sure everything we do points back to Jesus. For example, this year, as we decorated our house with Christmas lights, we talked with Grayson about how Jesus is the light the world. And every time he receives a present, we talk with him about how Christmas is Jesus' birthday and that's why we give and receive gifts. And how Jesus is God's gift to us!!!

Grayson is all about Christmas this year, which has made it a very special Christmas so far to watch it all through is eyes. He just lights up at the tree and the lights and it is so fun to watch his amazement of it all. And he is very aware of Santa (which is why this year, we've had to actually make a decision). I mean, Santa is everywhere! TV, store windows, in front of our neighbor's house, and every waiter and store clerk asks Grayson what Santa is bringing him. We certainly are not trying to eliminate Santa from Christmas, and we couldn't even if we tried. But, we're trying not to focus on him. Every time Santa comes up, just like everything else, we try and point him back to Jesus. Who does Santa love? "Jesus!" And why did Santa give presents to boys and girls who didn't have anything? "Because he loves Jesus!" With every question Grayson has about Santa, we try and answer with the truth of who Saint Nicholas really was (a generous man who loved the Lord and should be recognized). Now, lucky for us, a three-year-old doesn't know the difference between past and present tense nor really the difference between pretend and reality, so we're not too worried about him going to church or pre-school and blabbing to his friends about how Santa isn't real. And we're not sitting down and having a heart to heart with him about how he's just a myth. But like everything else, we're trying to emphasize Jesus and point everything back to him!

I for one questioned if by not "doing the whole Santa thing" if we were in some way taking away some of the magic of Christmas from our children. But, as I've sat and read book after book this year about the birth of Jesus to Grayson, I've been reminded of the magic of the REAL Christmas story. To see his eyes light up every time he sees the stable with all the animals who watched as Mary and Joseph brought a baby into this world, who came to this world to save it. In telling him THAT story, and seeing the magic of that story through his eyes, I wonder if for the first time, if a story I've heard my whole life is penetrating my heart in a new way. And I realize how silly it might have been for me to wonder if the real meaning of Christmas in and of itself wasn't enough. Because Jesus is always enough! And I find myself praying that my children cling to that truth all the days of their life!