Four Months Old

I cannot believe my little man is four months old. We had his well check-up today and he just hammed it up for the doctor and nurses. He is still right around the 50th percentile in his height and weight. He weighs 14 pnds 9 oz and is 25 1/2 inches tall. His doctor says he is every bit as strong as a six month old and she will not be surprised if he is crawling soon. WHAT!! It seems like I blinked and he is four months old. He can sit in his exersaucer, put himself to sleep, eat rice cereal and applesauce, roll over from tummy to back. It seems like just yesterday he was my helpless little baby who basically slept, ate, and pooped and now he is my little Joshua. My sweet, precious, but doesn't mind to throw a temper tantrum Joshua! I hope I can cherish every moment and praise our awesome God for blessing me with such a precious son!

Out of the Mouth of Babes

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I am amazed sometimes at what Alliebug says. We taught her all of the "characters" in the manger scene and their significance. However, what she says about Jesus holding her she came up with all by herself. I could not help but choke up when she said this, because I can just imagine all of the near major accidents that Allie has had around here and I picture Jesus literally holding her so that bad things will not happen to her. She says it with such confidence as if she has layed those precious little eyes on Him and felt the comfort of His embrace!

I commend you!

Ok, I commend all of you frequent bloggers who have two children or more. Honestly, I do not see how you do it. My New Years Resolution needs to be, "ORGANIZE MY TIME!" Anywho, a few things are different since I blogged last. I finally started letting my little Joshua put himself to sleep and so far SO good. He is sleeping much better at night and through the day, which makes him a much happier and content baby! He is babbling and blowing bubbles and laughing. He is getting so big and so darn cute with every passing day.
Allie is still my little sassy thing. My favorite recent quote of hers is, "O, I hurt my back, now I can't mind." And I think, "Don't see my bugers" ties. She tells me that so I won't tell her to stop picking her nose. Her new words are:
Marshpillows= Marshmallows
Grandaddy Longnecks= Grandaddy long legs
And I know there are more but I can't think of them because she is talking my ear off and trying to climb in my lap so I will have to think of them and update later!

Allie and I were playing catch. This is what she did when I told her to keep her eye on the ball!

Joshua

My little man is now three months old. He is absolutely precious. I love him more than he could possibly understand, and I think he loves his mommy just a little bit too! He steals my heart with every smile, and I must say that I enjoy how he breaks his neck to find me when he hears me coming and someone else is holding him. He is now sleeping at least five hours at a time, usually six or seven, at night which has made a world of difference in my life! I cannot believe that in just a couple of months he will be eating baby food and hanging out in the exersaucer! Where does the time go!!!

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Quotes of the Day

Allie's quotes of the day:
#1. I was eating strawberry's & low fat cottage cheese this morning and I asked Allie if she wanted a bite. Her response was,"I better hide before Mommy gives me a bite!" Which was being said while trying to hide behind my legs!
#2. Joshua woke up and Allie said, "it's OK, I will burp him back to sleep." I guess she thinks that's why I pat his back to sleep; to burp him:)
#3. "I don't like poop." Said while I was changing Joshua's diaper. That's OK Allie, Don't know many people that do!
She has had me laughing all morning so I thought that I would share.
And another happening, Joshua is cutting his first tooth! I had to look at his gums about fifty times before I could believe it. He has been chewing on everything so I thought it could be the beginning of teething, but come on! He is only three months old!!! There is a little white speck protruding out of his gum though so what else could it be!!

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Misconceptions of a Stay at Home Mama

You know there are so many misconceptions out there about us stay at home moms. My least favorite one being, "she's so lucky, she doesn't have to work!" Well, the lucky part is true. I wouldn't trade anything in the world for being here with my precious gifts everyday. However, if what I do is not work then why is it that:

a.) at the end of everyday, it feels like a herd of elephants did a tap dancing number on my back

b.) I would have to tape my eyelids open to stay up any later than 10:00 because I am deliriously tired

c.) I am on call 24/7 and lunch breaks are not even a given

Another one is probably that we stay at home moms get to watch TV whenever we want, take a shower whenever we want, take naps and be bums all day.

Well, again, the being bums all day is true but not by choice. I mean, do you really think I LIKE to walk around without my teeth brushed in my pajamas for half the morning? And TV, well, that's just hilarious. Who has time for TV, unless that is that you are watching the latest episode of Dora the Explorer. And if I took a shower when I wanted to, it would be first thing in the morning when I wake up. However, usually at that time I am nursing little Joshua while promising my sobbing two year old that I will be getting her chocolate milk just as soon as Joshua finishes eating. And the nap thing, well you try to come to my house on any given day and take a nap I will pay you $100.00! And then there's the one "oh, her house must be so clean!" HA!! I am just going to let you believe that one:)

However, there is one common misconception that I wish most people truly understood. The one that goes, "but she is missing out on so much!" Let me tell you, I am not missing out on anything. Being home with my two babies is one of the truest blessings in my life, and I literally wouldn't trade it for a million dollars!!!

Daily Happenings

Well, my children are getting cuter and cuter by the minute. Today I started to organize Allie's mountain of toys and stuffed animals in her room. I decided to "shelve" a lot of her stuffed animals since they are never played with. Well, as each one went on the shelve she pleaded with me, "oh, but my teddy bear; oh, but my bunny wabbit; oh, but my ewaphant" and that happened the entire time I was "organizing". I finally distracted her with her other toys that I hadn't gotten to yet and finished with the animals. I then snuck all of those stinkin McDonald's happy meal toys and such to the trash can because I am sure she would have ranted and raved about those too. What she doesn't know won't hurt her though right!!

Joshua is growing so fast and becoming more and more playful. Last night Michael got home late (8:00!!) and Joshua was nursing to sleep. As soon as he heard Michael, his eyes popped opened and he was trying his best to find him. Michael took him and he talked to Michael for a good five minutes and even laughed at him. Michael was EATING that up!!

Cutest fake smile I have ever seen!

Must remember to hide the desitin. Yes, Allie "doctored" the baby! And if it gets any cuter than this, I don't want to see it because I would burst!

It's Official

I cannot tell you the exitement that I feel in writing about this subject! My little bro Forrest popped the question, and Brittany said yes!! She called me Sunday night and asked me if I would be her sister, and tears filled my eyes and all I could do was scream. I am so happy that Forrest has asked such a wonderful girl to spend the rest of her life with him. Forrest, being my youngest brother, has always tugged at my heartstrings and I have been praying the last couple of years that he would find someone that will love him faithfully, serve the Lord in her family life and treat Forrest as sweet as he would treat her. Wow, did the Lord answer that prayer! We love you guys so much and I can see it all over your faces that you have the type of love that only God can grant, the love that lasts a lifetime!

We Haven't Fallen

Off of the face of the earth that is. I haven't posted for a while I know. We were blessed with a wonderful trip to Florida last week and this week has been spent recooperating!! We had such a good time. Joshua didn't really like all of the goings on and wouldn't really let anyone hold him without a fuss, but was a big hit none the less. Allie had a ball playing with her cousins and her Ninny and Pa. She told me one morning when She woke up, "Pa's my fwend." Now Pa if that doesn't melt your heart I don't know what could!

Today was Joshua's 2 month appointment. His numbers are:

Weight: 12.6

Height: 23.5

He is in the 50th percentile all the way around. What a perfectly proportioned little dude! He looks so big because he is so much bigger than Allie was but it turns out he is right in the middle of his fellow boy comrades. He is absolutely precious! I swear he has my heart in the palm of his hand. He had to get his shots today and he went from smiling at the nurse to having the most pitiful look you have ever seen in about two seconds. I am so thankful that they forget all about it though. Within two seconds of nursing he was my content little Joshua again. I doped him up with Tylenol and he has been sleeping ever since. Notice the wittle tiny band-aids on his wittle tiny legs:(

Allie is getting cuter and cuter and at the same time getting sassier and sassier. She told me yesterday to "drop the attitude." When I tell her to stop doing something she comes up to me and points that tiny little finger in my face and gives me a look that can kill. She is by far the sweetest two year old I have ever met, and by far the sassiest. If she didn't get it so honest I would worry about her:) We are so much alike it is funny. I love her more than she could ever imagine!

Cutie Pies

On Friday morning Allie asked me, "where did my gum go?" She had been chewing a little piece of gum and I thought it had just fallen out of her mouth while she was playing or either she swallowed it. I simply told her that I would find it later and forgot about it. At about 4:00 that afternoon I was running my fingers through her hair and found the said piece of forgotten about gum. I realized that I was going to have to cut all of her hair for it to look right and with trembling hands and many promises to a jittery two year old that she could have all of the candy she wanted after I finished, I gave her the biggest haircut I have ever given her. I am really glad though because it is as cute as can be. And yes, this would be Allie eating the said promised candy!

And here is my little chunky monkey. I cannot believe how big he is getting. He looks like he is three months old! I do have to say that he is looking more and more like me. I told Michael last night that it is so awesome to look at Allie who I think looks just like her Daddy and think, "wow, she is ours!" and now Joshua who looks so much like my family and think, "wow, he is ours!"

Sweet Moments

I set up Joshua's mobile on his changing table and he loves it. I couldn't find all of the teddy bears that originally went on it but it turned out to be a good thing because the frog and duck that are on there are big hits!
Allie and I enjoyed the fall morning (it was 47 yesterday and 51 this morning!) and played a little ball. Yes, you will hear me doing a very poor job of holding in my snickers on the video you are about the watch. Let's just say I don't think she would be the first one picked for a t-ball team.

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Play Time

Allie and I made "chocolate pudding" this morning. It started out as just plain pudding. Then we added marshmallows, chocolate chips, sprinkles, caramel, sugar and some secret ingredients. Allie would take "bites" after every added ingredient and "spit" it out because she didn't like it. We never could get her to like our little concoction. Here is a picture of our finished product. Man I love pretending!

Joshua is smiling more and more. He actually laughs at me. It is the sweetest thing. Play time with him is becoming more and more fun.

My Gifts

I love my children and husband more than I could ever describe. Sometimes I look at them and become absolutely overwhelmed that God bestowed the gift of being their mother and wife upon me. They are my heart. There is nothing that warms me more than the smile and cooes of Joshua, the sweet little voice that says, "I love my Mommy" on a daily basis, and the sound of the car pulling in the driveway that brings my husband home to me. Nothing brings me more joy that playing a "solve my riddle" game with my Allie or rocking Joshua to sleep and holding him for an extra few minutes. Nothing brings me more joy than kissing the man I love more than anything each night as if to say, "another wonderful day shared together!" Thank you God for my gifts!

Peas and Carrots, Carrots and Peas, Weight Come Off PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!

So unless you have seen SuperWhy (a children's show) You do not get my title, but I am sure that most of you have:) Despite my husbands best efforts of reassuring me that I look great after just having a baby; I am going crazy with this extra weight! So, unfortunately I am trading in my Doritos for carrot sticks and leaving out the tablespoon of butter in my veggies so that maybe, just maybe, I can loose my last ten pounds!!! Don't know how long this will last though as breastfeeding mothers are even hungrier than pregnant ones! I am going to try my darndest though, because I have vowed not to eat all of the delicious food available at Christmas unless I am down at least one size and almost at my pre pregnancy weight!

Allie and Joshua are precious, especially now since they are both asleep. Why am I not asleep you ask? Well, that would be because just as I layed down Joshua started squeeking and the phone rang. There goes that much needed nap out the window. But the upside of this story is, my chicken is already in the oven and I am enjoying some awesome quiet time!!!

Allie's new thing now is telling me off by just mouthing the words so that I can't hear them. She may only be two but she has sassy down to an artform! Friday she told me, "You don't talk to me that way, do you understand me" To which I did what any mother would do, walked away until I could quit laughing and then returned to explain to her that I can indeed talk to her that way:) Joshua has to be held twenty four hours a day but is so sweet when he is being held. He smiles a lot now and cooes at us. I love how it takes them so much effort to make one little sound, and then they look so proud of themselves! He is getting so big. I got on the scales with him today and he weighs ten pounds! He is long too, and I think you all know that he DEFINATELY gets that from his daddy!

It's a Wonderful Life!

Well, we had another great week. Sure there are times that I want to go in my room, shut the door, lock it, no, dead bolt it, and never come out. But, those moments are so few and far between! Joshua had one day this week where he cried all day and wanted to eat every hour. Allie walked around all day chanting, "Mommy, pay with me, mommy pay with me!" I wanted to put a passy in both of their mouths! That day wasn't very fun but I have to say that most days are! I thank God that He grants us the Grace sufficient for each day aren't you!!! I used to feel silly complaining about my days when there are so many people out there who would love to have children but can't. I have come to the conclusion though that although children are absolutely God's greatest treasures, that does not mean that you are going to enjoy every minute with them. I wouldn't trade my life for anything in the world; but that doesn't mean that some days just aren't much fun!

Allie and puppy are drinking from their water dishes!

Smiley

I had Joshua just a cheesing at me this morning. You know how that goes though, the camera is always two seconds too late. I did get one picture of him smiling though. He is really starting to show his personality now. He is 100% happy most of the time. He does not like to be left in a room by himself. He loves his Mommy!! He is very sweet and cuddly and I love him more every day.

Last night we finally went to church. I was going to wait until Sunday but I couldn't stand it anymore. Something happened that made me a bit heartbroken. Ofcourse when we came in all was about Joshua. Everybody huddled around. I turned around and looked for Allie. She had that little look on her face like, "O well, nobody cares about me." She even pooched her lip a little bit and sat down by herself. She had a book in her hand and I went and scooped her up and told her I wanted to read her the book. A big ole smile came on her face and I read her the book while squeezing her as tight as I could. Don't worry, after church it was all about Allie again and she got plenty of attention. I mean, how can you not love that child to pieces! She is priceless!

My New Statefarm Commercials

You know that place where that second cup of coffee is no longer an option but a necessity...you could say I'm there!

You know that place where you try to sneak in three sips of coffee before having to meet one of your child's needs...you could say I'm there!

You know that place where trying to get a catnap while both of your children are asleep always trumps folding the pile of laundry...you could say I'm there!

You know that place where you have to pinch yourself at the end of every day because you just can't believe you are as blessed as you are...you could say I'm there!

Look who found the Christmas bows! Awe, who cares, let her play with em!

Bathtime isn't so bad anymore. Just make sure he's fed and happy!

Meeting Milestones

Those of you who know me best know that I was OBSESSED with Allie meeting every single milestone at the exact time that she was supposed to. Thus my husband banned me from the internet (this is where I got all of my info on what they are supposed to do when) and jokingly asked me every day when he got home, "so what disease does she have today?" He knows how to handle his crazy wife. So anywho, unfortunately I remember some of these milestones and am naturally worried if little man doesn't seem to meet them. Well, he met the one I have been worried about today! He can move his head from side to side while laying on his tummy! He will be four weeks old on Thursday. WHAT!!! Where have the last four weeks gone?

Thank you Amanda for my favorite outfit on Joshua right now. Mommy's New Man! Michael teases me when he wears this and says, "you got that right!" He told Joshua the other day that he kicked him to the curb when he came. He is my new little man though, and gosh I love him! Alliebug continues to entertain us with her toddlerhood! She makes me look forward to all of Joshua's "stages" so much. I am a very blessed woman, and I thank God for my two beautiful children and the best husband in the world every morning!

Whose That Sleeping In My Bed?

Uh Oh!!! This did not occur at night, thankfully. For some reason Joshua sleeps fine in his little bed at night on his side or back like he is supposed to. However, this has been a different story through the day. I finally tried him on his tummy on my bed this morning and low and behold, he has been asleep for a solid two hours and giving me the peace and quiet I so desperately needed this morning!! Yesterday he was incredibly fussy and wanted to be held all day. Top that off with a two year old who constantly begs for my attention unless she is glued to the television, and having my husband gone literally all day until about 10:00 p.m.! I was tired to say the least and ibuprofen seemed to do nothing for my aching head. Thank our Good Lord above Joshua slept so well last night and Michael took Allie to the store with him this morning so I am having my own little "moment of silence" and believe me, offering up many many thankyous for the screaming baby that I do not hear and the two year old that is off talking her daddy's head off for a little while!

The Things You Let Them Do...

O the things you let your toddler do when the second child comes along. Allie now plays in the water as long as she wants to when it is convenient for me, and I don't even know why I make any of the beds because she likes to "hide" in them. Before Joshua she wasn't aloud to play in the water or play in the beds after they had been made. Well, those two rules went straight out the window about three days ago. What ever keeps her quiet and happy while I am nursing Joshua and trying to get him to sleep! And I am sure you are all wanting to see an updated picture of my little man, or should I say big man! He is getting so big!! He loves his mommy, hates bath time, and is very interested in his big sister!!! Michael is ready for him to be a little bigger so they can play, but cherising every minute while he is small too!

WOW!

Ok, so having two children is a LITTLE bit different than having just the one child! I don't have a clue what happened to yesterday, and today is slipping by just as fast. My day started at, wait a minute, my day never really ended. I went to sleep at 10:30, was up at two for a nursing, stayed awake for an hour because my little man was busy with his usual "squeeking." He is fast asleep, just squeeking. It is cute during the day but at 3:00 a.m., yeah, not so cute! Then I was up again at 5:30 for another nursing. Tried to go back to sleep but by the time I did my first born decided to wake up. And this is all before 7:00 a.m.!! I will not bore you with the rest of my day but let's just say I am tired and naps are pretty much obsolute for me now that my help is gone!! It is so funny how desperate a tired mother gets. I actually prayed these two prayers and I kid you not. They go as follows:

"Lord, please please please just let him stay asleep. You know how tired I am, you are all knowing and I know you hear the silliest prayers that we can offer up, so please please please let him stay asleep!" and this one...

"Lord, please let him stay asleep long enough for me to get a shower. I smell like sour milk and my hair is a greaseball, so please just let him stay asleep long enough for me to get a shower." And to top it all off, I actually said, "praise you Lord" when I stepped out of the shower because just as I did, you guessed it, he woke up!

All in all though, I am learning how to juggle to two bugers and trying my darndest to be patient with my little Alliebug who has decided to try to get away with murder while I am nursing or trying to get Joshua to sleep. I hope that within a few weeks we will have settled in to a nice routine and that I will be getting more sleep!!

Hate this picture of me, love it of Allie! Must get last ten pounds off as soon as possible!!

And this is how I found my two men after me and Allie went to the grocery store. Daddy has the magic touch!

Wonderful Week!

We have had another wonderful week. My sweet precious mother came on Tuesday to stay with us through Saturday morning and she was much needed and very welcomed! She had Michael salivating at the mouth with everything she cooked us. We had steak (yes I said steak) one night and one of the best roasts I have ever put in my mouth the next night with squash potatoes and carrots. Mom, COME BACK!!! She also made a Dairy Queen run every night so let's just say that I didn't exactly loose a record amount of baby weight last week! She did everything while I did next to nothing so I feel very energized to start this week with just me and my two precious children!

Allie and Joshua are doing great. Joshua continues to grow and is doing everything he is supposed to developmentally at this little stage in his life. It is always nice to hear the doctor say that they are right on schedule! He is becoming a little spoiled now that he realizes it is much nicer to be held than to sit by himself. Allie still loves him to death but has asked me to put him down a couple of times this week.

Michael has the day off tomorrow which is fantastic! I love having him home with us and I am sure we will be blessed with a wonderful family day tomorrow. I miss he and Allie right now because they are at church while me and Joshua are shut in the house! Man I miss church and can't wait to get back to my little church family!

Look How Big!

I absolutely could not believe how big Allie looked to me after Joshua was born. She was my tiny little girl before, and now all of a sudden she looks like a toddler that is growing up way too fast! She does get more beautiful with every day, and a little more sassy too! I have to say though that she is one of the sweetest toddlers in the world and anyone who knows her would have to agree! I love this little dumplin!