Nate- 4 months

I feel really bad that it's taken me this long to post!  Nate turned four months on the 26th of December and is closer to five months at this point!  Oh well...better late than never.

At 4 months...
Nate is in full teething mode...and WAS sleeping through the night, but not anymore. :(
Wearing size 3 diapers, size 3 shoes, and size 3-6 months clothes
Loving his oatmeal and baby food.  Not crazy about peas, but really who is???
Rolling over, scooting, and starting to sit up by himself though he prefers just rolling over onto his tummy.
Getting better about tummy time, but enjoys being in the exercauser  more
LOVES watching his brother do everything.  He just watches and grins.
Such a happy baby...always smiling.
Cutting teeth pretty bad so he's always got his fingers in his mouth...even more than normal.

Sam at 29 months...
LOVES talking and playing with his brother...his favorite things to say are: "Hey, Nate!" and "Here ya go!"
Know his name, momma's name, daddy's name, brother's name, what city he lives in, and the cities of all his grandparents, his birthday, what momma does (teacher), where momma works, what daddy does (preacher), and where daddy works.
Imagination is unbelievable right now...tonight we were playing outside and he was mixing up sticks and water in the fire pit and said he was making squirrel stew.  Then he chased all the squirrels yelling out them to eat his soup.
Loves reading his Bible stories every night.  He's a creature of habit just like his momma.  But he remembers everything from the stories we read so far, that kid NEVER forgets anything.
Favorite sayings: "Aw man!", "Um, I'm thinking...", and "Where?"  Most kids always ask why, nope not my kid.  He always asks "where?"
Loves going to church seeing his friends.

Lessons learned along the way

Let me just say this first...I love being a mommy.  I do.  It's the most rewarding experience ever, and I'm incredibly thankful that God has given us TWO amazing blessings.

BUT....since having children my insecurity level has skyrocketed!  Before I used to be insecure about my body or my hair or something like that, but nothing makes you more insecure than other mommies who have kids the same age as your own kids.  Why is that?  You hear it all the time that every kid is different and that they learn at their own pace, but why is it when your kid seems to be the one behind you freak out inside.  Am I doing enough?  I'm not spending enough time with them.  I should provide some crafty activity to help my child learn his stinking colors, right?  Why can't he get them...we've been doing colors for FOREVER!!!! And he's 28 months and still not using the potty.  Other kids are already totally potty trained. It must be because I work full time and have a crazy life.  We're never home, maybe that's it.  Okay, that's it!  I'm quitting my job and losing all socialization so that my child will finally learn his colors and pee in that stupid potty!!!!  (Obviously an exaggeration though I will admit to thinking these things)  And don't get me started on the second one.  I'm determined that he will have just as many pictures as Sam and he will be read to and talked to just as much as Sam did...even though I'm running ragged doing potty training business.  And the thoughts go on and on and on.


I know that people blog and post about their children because they're proud of their achievements.  I've even done that a time or two.  But sometimes I feel like it's just a mommy competition.  Almost like a prize that you're a great mom and that you can get your kid to read by age 2 because you're awesome and I'm not.  I'm human.  I'm exhausted.  I teach other people's children all day and when I come home, I want to love on my boys not be teacher to them, too.  Is that wrong?  Maybe.  I don't know.  I love teaching Sam...I just don't want to feel like I'm constantly quizzing and teaching him to make sure he's ABOVE where he needs to be because so and so's kid can do this. 

I'm being brutally honest, because that's how I feel.  There are days when I feel like a great mom.  Sam will say something or do something that is so sweet.  His prayers are about the sweetest things ever. And Nate is already doing things before Sam did, which makes me super proud that he's getting challenged even with a crazy brother running around keeping us busy. But then, I read someone's blog.  Their baby is potty trained and reading paragraphs.  Their 4 month old is already sitting up by themselves.  Maybe I should just blog and refuse to read others blogs, facebook, etc.

Is it just me or is this a "normal" mom struggle???  I'm praying DAILY that God would make me secure in HIM.  Not in my uncool hairstyle or my son who refuses to potty in the awesome potty chair we have for him or my 4 month old whose not sitting up yet or my awesome husband who is doing all our holiday baking while I recuperate from a bum toe.  I've always struggled with being insecure...since childhood.  I thought this would get better but apparently the struggles of a child (if not dealt with) only turn into the struggles of an adult.  And adult sized struggles can really get to you.


So here's to this momma becoming a less media involved, others focused momma and becoming a more God focused, family focused momma.  :)

You'll wake up one day and....

People used to tell me all the time when I was pregnant, "You'll wake up one day and you'll think you've grown over night." (FYI...totally true)  Or after I had Sam they said, "You'll wake up one day and all of a sudden they're grown."  Today that moment happened for me with Sam.  I've always known that time has and will fly by, but it seems like more and more each day the days are going by faster.  Yesterday I was making Sam a pb&j (his favorite) and I asked him to sit on his bottom at the table.  We don't have a booster seat anymore for him and he LOVES being able to climb onto the chair himself.  So I told him to sit down and he just looked at me and said why?  He's NEVER even muttered the word before.  All of a sudden, I realized we were entering a new territory.  So I explained to him that if he didn't sit on his bottom he might fall and hurt himself.  To which he then told me he would cry!  Later that day I was sitting with Nate in my lap and Sam wanted to climb up.  So here I was sitting with BOTH boys in my lap and all of a sudden Nate's little hand touched Sam's arm.  I thought it was so sweet and before I could soak in the moment Sam looked at Nate, removed his hand, and said "No Nate.  Stop."  Where did that come from?  All of a sudden, my little toddler is growing into a little boy and my baby is quickly rolling and scooting into a bigger baby. :(  People told me that with each child you have the time flies by faster.  I'm really starting to believe them!  I'm missing my boys so much right now!  I had planned on hanging out with them over the break but I had to have a minor procedure done to my toe and haven't been able to walk around much.  My mom kept the boys over the weekend and I thought that would be long enough for me to heal, but it wasn't.  So now my sister in law kept them today and my mother in law will keep them tomorrow.  Hopefully that will be long enough for me to get somewhat back to normal.  I miss them so bad!  I'm so thankful that they are both sweet, happy boys.  And I'm so thankful that we haven't had to do a spanking or time out on Sam in I can't remember how long!  Yay!  I'm thanking Jesus for that everyday!  Speaking of thanking Jesus, that's another thing Sam has started doing.  He thanks Jesus at meals and He prays at night now.  Kinda makes me sad, but proud at the same time.  It's always interesting to see who he thanks God for each night.  Nate has started rolling over now (way before Sam did) and it's funny to see him immediately roll over as soon as he lays on his back.  He even rolls over in bed when we put him on his wedge!  He has also started scooting.  I can leave the room and when I come back he's rolled over and scooted somewhere else! The first time he rolled over I was so excited and I ran to Sam and said, "Look!  Nate rolled over!"  Sam just walked over to him and rolled him back onto his back!  I laughed so hard!  Nate is such a happy baby!  He loves to talk and squeal with delight.  Most mornings that's how he wakes us up and talking or rather yelling.  He is such a blessing to this family and I already can't imagine what our little family would be like without him.  I'm extremely blessed by my God and need to stop and thank Him more for what He does for me.  I'm praying that sometime during this busy season you would stop and thank God for what He's done for you.  He's blessed each and every one of us so much.

Nate- 3 months

I seriously can't believe how fast time flies...and the fact that my only post was last month!  Things get a little crazy when Momma is working and being a mommy.  Blogs just don't get time anymore, but I wanted to make sure I made the effort to blog on Nate's 3 month birthday!  So here goes...

At 3 months:
*Nate is "usually" sleeping through the night.  Both boys have been sick with colds and having to do breathing treatments, but before then and today (starting to feel better), Nate sleeps until 7.
*Wearing 3 month clothes and some 3-6 month clothes.  Size 2 diapers & size 2-3 shoes (big foot like his daddy!)
*Still mellow, but you prefer sitting up to see everyone
*Such a smiley, happy baby
*LOVES his brother so much and smiles at him constantly
*Still doesn't care for tummy time but enjoys sitting up in the Bumbo seat
*Trying to roll over but not even close yet!
*"Talking" & squeeling so much!

At 27 months Sam is:
* Talking in complete sentences (sometimes referring to himself as I or in third person: "I would like apple juice" or "Sambo fall down"...either way so cute)
* Appetite is almost non existent these days
* Loves to do anything with his hands...play with trucks, airplanes, blocks, puzzles, and the newest fascination is with tools.
*Wearing 2T (now they're all too big again)
* Potty training is slow, but we're planning on hitting that hard over Christmas break (hopefully)
* Knows all his shapes, learning his letters, counts up to 20 (though he gets them mixed up after 13), and still working on colors. :)
*Is in a fun, imagination stage...loves to pretend he's a dinosaur stomping around the house!

I could not imagine such a fun life with these two boys if I tried.  I'm so extremely blessed, and even on the toughest of days, I know that I have more than a lot of people.  Who knew that two little boys could steal this Momma's heart so quickly????

Nate- 2 months

Holy cow...I can't believe Nate is already 2 months old!  I've started back at work this week so life has been super crazy!  No pictures yet bc I'm still trying to get that sweet smile on camera!  He's so quick with his smiles...Here's the lowdown on what's going on with that boy this month:

~  Eating every 4 hours
~ Wearing size 2 diapers
~ Wearing 0-3 months clothes, some 3 months, and size 2 shoes!
~  ALMOST sleeping through the night...he usually wakes up once at an odd time (like 2) then up in the morning, but right back to sleep...(thank you Lord)
~ Pretty mellow except when his tummy aches
~  Happiest in the morning (that's when we usually catch his little coos and giggles)
~ LOVES the changing pad.  He can be going totally crazy with a meltdown and calm down completely when we lay him on there.  Crazy I know.
~ Starting to reach and grab at hanging things.
~ Still falling asleep during tummy time. :)  Must be comfy.

Sam is totally loving his baby brother.  Every night we go through thanking God for our family during our night time prayers.  We thank God for daddy and momma and he always says "Nate!" and I always say "And Sambo!"  He's also totally loving preschool.  He's learning so much and talking so much too!  We're working on potty training (which I hate) and working through temper tantrums and what you CAN NOT do when you're mad (I also hate), but I use the same talk with Sam as I do with some of my fourth graders!  LOL 


I'll post more pictures when I can...right now life is a crazy mess.  Laundry is piled up.  I haven't worked out. And I've got lesson plans to write.  Ah!  Hopefully I won't let my exhaustion get the best of me.

My mall revelation...

Today, Nate and I went for my 6 week checkup...can you believe it's already been 6 weeks??? I know..crazy, right? After my appointment, we ran to the mall to take back a shirt that Jared had bought for Sam (Texans of course). Below is the thought process that I encountered while I pushed a stroller/ate in complete silence in the food court:

1. Wet Seal? Is that store still open? I don't think that store will ever be in my "body type" anymore. Is that a mom pushing her stroller in there? Dang it...I'm jealous she can still shop there. Will I ever be able to wear non stretchy clothes again? Do I want to? No...not really.

2. What are all of these kids doing out of school? Is this normally what the mall looks like on a weekday? Good grief....someone should talk to their mommas.

3. I wonder if The Children's Place is having a sale? Sam really needs some winter clothes... and a winter coat for when it eventually gets cold...and some nicer shirts to wear to church. Is this what it's like being a parent? Never shopping for yourself? Well if it is...that's okay. I'm in sweat pants most of the time anyways.

4. Victoria's Secret....you girls make me sick! Even though you have your little flat tummies, I have stretch marks and two beautiful boys to show for it...so stick it! Was that unchristian of me? Probably so...but there has to be a positive outlook on my body that has not returned to normal yet. It happened so fast with Sam. Why is it taking forever to return to normal this time??? Ug..so annoying.

5. Am I officially a grown up? This feels pretty grown up. I'm not enjoying the stores, the amounts of people, oh but did I mention how I enjoyed eating by myself? Well not technically by myself. I ate with Nate. But he was a silent partner. And it was bliss.

Yeah...I'm thinking I've entered into some new strange territory. It's called parenthood. It's weird. I'm not sure where I fit in...certainly in the clothing department. Hmm...just some random thoughts that revealed a lot more to me than probably you.

Things I love about the "terrible twos"

In light of the "terrible twos" making the debut in our house...I've decided to focus on some things that I'm definitely loving about the stage that Sam is in right now. So...in no particular order, here are some things I just LOVE about our boy right now:

1. I love the way he sings songs like, "YES! Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me soap." or "That's Elmo's WOOOORRRRLLLLDDDDD!"

2. I love how Sam repeats EVERYTHING we say like, "Oh snap!" or "Big fat fail!" (guess who said that?!?) or "Where is it?"

3. I love how Sam is becoming a creature of habit...wait is that a good thing???? Yes it is. He knows every night that we read a bed time story and then a Bible story. However, he absolutely loves to read about "the giant". In fact, after we read a new Bible story he quickly flips through his Bible looking for the giant. :)

4. I love how Sam is so independent. At first, I was upset that I've already given him some negative traits like being independent or hard headed or obsessive. But I've since realized that his independence is teaching him a lot...and he's not afraid to ask for help after trying it on his own first (which makes me super proud).

5. I love to listen to Sam talk to himself about things that we've talked about. For example, the first time we did a puzzle together I would say "Is that where the cow goes? No! That's a pig!" Now, every time he does a puzzle by himself I hear him talking to himself the same way.

6. I love Sam's imagination. He really enjoys playing with trucks and blocks. Jared teaches him how to build things with his blocks and now he's always trying to build different things out of his blocks. He also likes to imagine his stuffed animals doing things, too...like Elmo and Cookie Monster sleeping.

7. I love how Sam is already a great big brother. He absolutely adores Nate. The first thing he does in the morning and the last thing he does at night (and all the time in between) is kiss and hug Nate. He loves to put the lid on the bottle and throw it in the sink for me. And he loves to let me know what Nate's up to. "Nate hungry" or "Nate talking" or "Nate sleeping". But my favorite is, "I kiss Nate" or "I hug Nate". SO STINKIN' SWEET.


So even though the terrible twos are here in full swing, there are lots of fun times in our house. It's so neat to see Sam learning and growing every day. I'm so incredibly thankful for both our boys and pray every day that they would learn to obey the Lord and love Him with all their hearts. What an amazing journey we are on...this parenting business. Crazy good, right?