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Thursday, July 25, 2013

15 and 2

That's months, not yards and downs.  Although college football is right around the corner.  My babies are 15 months (on Sunday) and 2 months (on Monday).  It's hard to believe that I've survived eight weeks with two bambinos.  There were definitely points that I thought I might not make it, or maybe my one year old wouldn't make it hehe, but here we are.  Alive. Healthy. And joyful.  I can't post milestones for baby girl without mentioning a few outstanding things (and some not so outstanding) that my lil man has completed either.

Baby Girl, aka Katherine
Girlfriend has captured my heart.  She started smiling about two weeks ago which has made many a sleepless nights worth it.  She now likes to coo as you talk to her, as if we were really having a conversation.  She did not like the bath at first, but now might even slightly enjoy it.  Many baths ended in tears.  Just like the tears I encounter as I dress her each morning - Katherine does not like to have stuff pulled over her head.  I reassure her that I will not suffocate her so she should just calm down.  She ignores those admonitions though and continues to scream.  She has curly hair like her brother did as an infant but it seems like her curls will be bigger.  She has crazy hair on a daily basis (like her momma) that I typically only put bows in long enough to take a picture.  She eats every 2 1/2 hours and sleeps a nice long six hour stretch most nights.  I am sooo grateful for the improved sleep habits - removing dairy from my diet and starting a reflux medication have alleviated most of her tummy troubles.  She measured 23 inches long and weigh 11 pounds 2 ounces at her 2 month check up.


Her 2-month chair photo will be posted at a later date...when she is not madder than a wet hen and screaming at me.

HB is very sweet with Miss Katherine- he has quickly picked up on ways to take care of her.  He puts her pacifier in her mouth, even if she doesn't want it.  Thankfully she apparently thinks this is funny; most often she just smiles when he jams it in her toothless mouth.  He also thinks she needs his sippy cup - he doesn't have as good of aim with this though and it is often jammed into her neck.  Finally, he wipes her face down often with her burp rag.  If wiping her mouth is good, why isn't wiping her entire face even better?



Lil Man, aka HB
Our first born is testing the limits of my patience each day as he has recently learned to scale the dining room chairs and crawl across the table.  Each time I sit down to pump or feed Baby Girl a bottle, something must instantaneously go off in his brain that urges him to climb on the table.  So far he has drawn on papers that didn't need to be drawn on, torn up napkins, dumped the entire salt shaker out and only fallen off once.  He is becoming well acquainted with the confines of his room behind our new baby gate.

He continues to be a great eater although he has picked up a few poor habits that drive me C.R.A.Z.Y. He now throws his food or sippy cup as soon as he is ready to be taken out of his high chair.  I love having a clean floor so this is driving me batty.  He does have some redeeming mealtime qualities though - he started lifting his plate to his mouth to lick any remaining food off of it.  Kelly and I do NOT do this.  I repeat do NOT. So I'm not sure who modeled this behavior for him.  Maybe his Aunt Banana when he had his first sleepover with his cousin?  Hehe. He also loves to blow on his food - he blows on everything like it is piping hot.  He measured 32 and 1/2 inches long and 25 pounds 5 ounces at his 15 month checkup.  He also has almost 13 teeth - he just cut three molars on top, hence the almost.

HB enjoying our hillbilly pool aka livestock trough.  My Queensland was also enjoying our pool this day.  He thought it was the greatest thing to have my dog jumping in and out and trying to get him to throw her stick.
 
He runs around the house, stands on his tip toes and attempts the Irish jig. I joke about the last part.  I pretend to run and chase him so he now pretends to run too.  It is seriously the cutest thing he does.  He tries running in place but it's like his little baby legs are in slow motion.  I could just eat him up when he does this. He likes to close the bedroom doors but cannot open them yet so he is learning to be content for a few minutes after he closes himself in a room.  He has started trying to sort shapes with some of his toys and is working feverishly to rearrange all of the belongings of my lower cupboards.

Mothering two children has proven to be a blessing times two but has also revealed even more about my need for Christ.  I tire of dealing with the sin of selfishness over, and over and over as I struggle to be selfless with my children and husband.  I am reminded though that it is a blessing to know I need Christ.  I often feel like there are many big failures and only small victories to my days.  Motherhood has blown my mind.  I didn't know it would be so hard.  Or so good.  Through it all though I am beyond grateful for the grace of God which carries me through it all.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

The American's Creed

by William Tyler Page

I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.

–Written 1917, accepted by the United States House of Representatives on April 3, 1918.


Happy Fourth of July friends!