2

Where would the world be without 2 year olds???? I don't know how I've lived my 22 years of life without a 2 year old. Oh man how I love that girl, she keeps everything so fun and has always got me laughin. The things she says just kill me! I am really enjoying Madelynn at this age, and I might regret saying this, but I CANNOT wait until Payton is that age and they're both like real human beings that talk and carry on a conversation with you... or each other. Sure, she has her 2 year old moments... like she did last week at the Dr. office. but I think its safe to say that the good times out weigh the bad at this time in life.

I really wanna start writing down all her little quirky little sayings and doings. For instance, what 2 year old asks to take a nap?? Mine does! She comes up to me ever so often and asks me to take her to her bed and tuck her in.

She has a little cough and was woke up a little to early this morning from her coughing and she walks in our room, eyes squinted and stumbling all over the place cuz she's still half asleep and says "I choke mama, I choke" so I got her some water and she crawled in bed with us.. then around 9:30, after she got in trouble for pushing her sister, she asked me to take her to her bed... and thats where she's been since.

She'll ask to hold Stetson (and sometimes even Payton) and when she's done she says "he stink momma" with a look of disgust on her face.

She loves to wear her "mits" , hat and "big pink jacket" inside

Right now for sleeping we are up to:

Jesse doll

bear

zebra

buzz

baby

special blanket

na na blanket.

and don't even try to walk outta the room without making sure she has every single one of those things in the proper place for sleeping.

No need for words on this one...

and of course we continue to have the every day battle with the "tucky"... and she sometimes wins.

She is starting to say a few words the correct way and it breaks my heart!!!!! I don't want her to stop saying "her" words

ne nuggets... she now says chicken nuggets

crebs... she now says the incredibles.

When she was first learning to talk, and still does a little bit to this day, she added an "f" to the beginning of everything. So Liz was and always will be aunt "fiz"... even tho she now says it correctly.

She is obsessed with having her back scratched! So she'll come lay on you, pull up her shirt and say "Frug a back" If she is crying cuz she got hurt, she'll come up to me, pull her shirt up and stop crying and ask me to "frug a back." Never fails. You cannnot hold that girl without her thinking she needs her back rubbed.

She also says, since she first started talking, "I hold you mama" When she wants to be held.

When Nat wasn't around, we had no routine for bedtime cuz at the end of the day I was shot and done and had absolutely no energy to do any kinda book reading, or song singin, We'd just say our prayers and go to bed. Now that daddy is here to help with bedtime, the girls have really, really gotten even more into books and we enjoy reading to them, and letting them read too. The other night Madelynn started reading to us.

Needless to say, bedtime has become the best part of the day, not just cuz I'm gonna get a small break in life, but its just a sweet time to be together as a family.

Pleasantly put!

I found this article awhile back and wanted to share it. I don't feel as if I have people in my life like this, but at the end of the day I often wonder why I am so exhausted when I feel that I have done nothing that day and this pretty much sums it up. Hope some of you SAHM's can relate to this!

By Carolyn Hax

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Carolyn:

Best friend has child.

Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc.

Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today?

Her: Park, play group

Okay. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them EVERY DAY. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events) and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy -- not a bad thing at all -- but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a peeing contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.

Tacoma, Wash.

Relax and enjoy. You're funny.

Or you're lying about having friends with kids.

Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.

Internet searches?

I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.

So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.

It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.

It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.

It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.

It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything -- language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.

It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends, or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand or keep your snit to yourself.

Why I do what I do. :)

15 months

I just realized I never posted about Pete's (as Madelynn calls her???) 15 month check a couple weeks ago. Oh how I love that girl. She is at that stage in life where she's not yet a 2 year old, but she's a sweet, precious little angel before the "terrible 2's" hit. Know what I'm talkin about?? We were a tad concerned about her weight loss. She was 20 lbs and the Doctor said not to be concerned about it because she was active.. so that was a relief. She is still so little compared to what she's been her whole life!

We were also concerned about the fact that she just plain 'ol doesn't talk! She barely started saying mama like a month ago and never said dada or anything! Little by little since that appointment, she has been talking like crazy!! Isn't that just about right?? Your concerned about something going on with your kid and 2 seconds after you take them to the doctor you just laugh at the fact that you thought there was something wrong.

So she now says:

mama

dada

bubba

maaaa (madelynn)

eshhh (bless you)

Hi

bye bye

dog

wuff wuff

duck

cack cak

horsh

(knows where and says) eyes

nose

mouth

ears

hair

please

thank you

nigh nigh (as she lays her head down and closes her eyes.)

sheeeesh (cheese)

She still gets pretty frustrated when she wants something but can't say it so that causes all sorts of whining battles trying to figure out what she wants. The biggest being when she is hungry, or thirsty.. but were working through them and teaching her.

She loves Madelynn to death and can't stand to be apart from her. They love to wrestle and be rough with each other and they just laugh and laugh together.

I think I've said it before, but she LOVES to dance. That girl can hear a beat 10 miles away and she'll start dancin. I've been trying to get a video if it but can't ever mange to. I got this little bit the other night, not that she is getting into it as much as usual, but the foot tappin business was crackin me up.....and just to clear a few things up, there is indeed a butt shot in the video, and YES I let my children crawl on the furniture. You try to stop a monkey from climbing. :)

4 months

So it seems another month has passed us by and my little S man is 4 months old!!! He is getting so big and we are loving it!!! I have to admit the newborn months are fun, and boring all at the same time so when they start growing up and doing stuff, and getting a little personality and laughing and smiling at you its pretty dang awesome! and that just so happens to be right around 4 months. :)

At 4 months Stetson is:

Pretty dang cute!

oh my sakes alive!! This picture does something to my insides. Just can't explain it.

-Getting more of a routine in life rather than sleep, eat, sleep, eat.

- Takes about 2 four hour naps, and one shorter nap in the evening.

-6 oz.'s every 3 or so hours

-15 lbs of pure perfectness.

-size 3 diapers

-size 6-12 months clothes... but momma is still holding onto those high water 3-6 month clothes that he's only worn twice in his life.

-He is Mr. SMILEY!!

-Still loves to sit and watch his sisters play and loves to laugh at them.

-Had his first wheezing episode. Breathing treatments every 4 hours for 10 days.... *which by the way he is doing much better one week later!! Still needs the treatments, but he can go the whole 4 hours without unlike it was in the beginning.

-Had his first little taste of banana, and mashed potato

- Momma is excited to try baby food soon!!

-Almost always is trying to get his whole fist on his mouth, or is sucking his thumb, or got a few fingers in the mouth.

-really enjoys (trying) to sit up on the floor. I think he'll be sittin up in no time!!

He is like Payton in a lot of ways. They both love(d) to try and sit up and I remember Payton used to be bent in half all the time trying to sit up. They were both so smily and happy all the time.

and I think they look a little alike.. like their daddy.

-P girl

-little man

This weekend, we met my mom so she could take the girls for the day, and we (and the little man) headed to Lubbock to do some Christmas shopping. We had a LOT of fun.. and spent a LOT of money. Ugh.. I just couldnt help it! I kept seeing stuff and felt the need to get it. All I can say, bottom line, is that my kids are SPOILED!!!!!!!!! I'll admit it. I always said I never would spoil my kids but I just can't help it. I just love them so.

he did so good shopping. He actually LOVES to shop. He told me.

and Nathaniel, oh my poor sweet husband... all I can say is thank God we got a boy this time around.

Once we got over to the boy toys section of toys r us, there were several times I would lose him!!!! Like literally would think he was right behind me and every time I would backtrack to find him he was "playing" for toys for his "daughters" . I had to remind him that girls don't play with tractors and cars.. they play with dolls, and sweet little girly things... and also that his son was only 4 months old so he's to young to buy that stuff for right now. It was really funny.. I'm glad I got a guy that can keep me laughing.

One year ago...

this month, in just a few days actually, you may or may not remember but Payton was put in the hospital where she was diagnosed with Kidney reflux. I just wanted to let everyone know, and ask everyone to join with our family in praying for our little Payton girl. We go in on the 16th of December where she'll have a test done to see how her reflux is... better, worse, or the same. After the test we will meet with the urologist where we'll discuss the test results, and if need be, schedule surgery. Praise God, she has had absolutely NO uti's since she was hospitalized so that is an AWESOME sign!! We appreciate all the prayers we can get AGAINST surgery, and that her little body is healed!!

New Mexico

**Thank you to the 4 people who left me a comment on my last post.. and thanks for followin my blog. As for all you other 30 people, I still would LOVE to know who you are!!!

Here are a few things I've learned about New Mexico:

-It retardedly gets dark at 5:00!!!!!!!! I just though I didn't like the time change in TX when it would get dark at 6:00.... 5:00 is just pure torture. Every night since we've been here, I look at the clock just so sure its 9:00 and sooo ready to put the girls to bed and go to bed myself (yes mom, I'm ready to go to bed at 9:00) and its ALWAYS 7:05. Its definitely gonna take some getting used to thats for sure. Makes me more tired.

-The speed limits everywhere are about 10 miles less than they are in TX. Thats pretty annoying. But the kinda ok thing about it is (so I've come to learn) going 5-10 miles over the speed limit is alright to the law enforcement here. Not that I have ever sped a day in my life.... (Lord, forgive me) I just have come to realize everyone is always "speeding" here so I kinda sorta decided to go with the flow and sure enough, I've passed by many a sherrifs and nothin. (tune in next time for me to tell you that I got a ticket just for saying all this)

-People here are just as nice and friendly, if not MORE nice and friendly than Texans! I never thought it could be true, but it is. There's nothin like southern hospitality and I'm so glad that its the same here!!

-Its COLD here. Always just about 15 degrees lower than Angelo... and thats COLD if you ask me!

Madelynn loves when we go out at night and she gets to wear her "mits".

-More road rage... whew man have I ticked some people off... by driving NORMAL, and SAFE. One thing that I hate is reckless, careless drivers and people that run stop sings and red lights. Since I have kids and drive them around with me, I cannot stand when people drive dangerously. It gets my heart to pumpin and I wanna do things that would be considered sinful when stupid people put my kids life in danger.

-and last but not least, and probably the most fantastic thing of all (besides the fact that there is indeed a Hobby Lobby in Hobbs) is that YOU CAN DRINK THE WATER OUTTA THE FAUCET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and its absolutely wonderfully pure and crisp. I am a big water drinker so to mme this is like heaven on earth. Not to mention all the (baby) bottles I fill up throughout the day. We went to the grocery store the other day and I, out of pure habit, bought bottled water... and guess where it is, still sitting on the floor in the pantry.

Anyways. So next time you come to the grand state of New Mexico, you now know things that are good to know... and your welcome!

Who are YOU???

Ok everyone, so there are stats that I can look at as to who visits my blog and I am extremely curious as to who YOU are because there are a lot of YOU!!!!!!!

So leave me a comment telling me who you are so I can know who's reading my blog. PLEASE???????