Sneaky Snake!

This morning Bug was playing with Play-Dough and was rolling the dough to makes snakes. She kept calling them "sneaky snakes" which I just thought was too cute. After awhile she beginning telling me about Adam and Eve and the Sneaky Snake.

I was knocked off my feet! I asked sweet Bug where she had learned the story of Adam and Eve and the Sneaky Snake--

She titled her head to the side, looked like I must be joking with her and said, "In the Bible, mom."

Good Idea!

I was asked to write a few goals for the next two months and one of my favorites from my planning and brainstorming was to have "dates" with each of my children. This is something I have wanted to do for awhile, but decided to start now and quit delaying!

I have found that I often have very good ideas and often well-meaning intentions, but can get stuck at those points in the parenting process... not so much good follow-through!

Saturday I had my first "date" with Bug. We went to McDonald's and ate ice cream. She had an absolute blast and it only cost $3.15. I can't believe I haven't carved out the time to do this before! From now on, Bug and Little Man each get a Mommy date once a month... I can't wait until they are older and they choose what our dates will consist of!

For now, I will have a date with each child once a month, and the other two weekends will be "big" dates with Hubs. Often we find it's hard to date each other with two li'l ones biting our ankles. By scheduling our time out we are making it a priority and keeping it that way!

What good ideas do you need to implement today?!

TWO!

Happy Birthday to my sweet little girl! There aren't words to delineate my love for you, Bug. You have such a caring and sweet heart and I have loved watching you become an active, talkative, curious two year old. I love you!

Love,

Mommy

No Kisses

My sweet, precious, adorable little Bug has started pushing me away when I am inhaling her scent and kissing all over her hair, ears, nose, cheeks-- she says, "No Kisses!"

(heart breaking)

When did my baby become a little girl?!

Desperately Sick

I've dubbed today "Tantrum Day" (doo doo doo!)

Bug is way behind on ZZZZZZZs from the weekend and has been fighting bedtime all week. She working on pushing some eye teeth through and WOWSERS! I can honestly say there are some days (like today) that I miss working outside the home! Isn't that awful?

Are you having trouble believing my sweet Buggy would throw a temper tantrum? I took a moment to capture three thousand words of proof for you:There are those who insist that mankind is inherently good.

I beg to differ. When I look at my 20 month old daughter screaming and crying and working herself into hysterics, I see that mankind is inherently evil.

*gasp*

I know, I have an unpopular opinion. Jeremiah 17:9 says
The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?

That means my precious Bug's heart too. And Little Man's. And Hubby's. And mine. I've known this truth about myself, but motherhood has cemented the truth in my heart-- I never taught Bug to sin. She was born wanting her own way. She disobeys without being prompted to (of course we don't prompt her to disobey us!), she pushes the limits without learning to. She is inherently evil because her heart is "deceitful above all things, and desperately sick..."

As I struggle through these tantrum days, I pray that God would bend my daughter's heart and MY HEART towards Him. That's the only way we're gonna make it!

It's only cosmetic...

This weekend we spent some leisurely family time in the mountains of North Carolina. The wind was unkind to Bug's sweet cheeks and they looked quite "chapped" Saturday morning. I told Hubby that I had some Aveeno lotion in my travel bag that he could put on her cheeks:I asked him to throw it in the diaper bag so we had it to touch up her cheeks when we were out. Sunday morning I noticed my Aveeno moisturizer still in my toiletry bag. I tossed it to Hubby and said, "I wanted you to put the lotion in the diaper bag." He replied, "I did."
No wonder Bug's cheeks had gone from pink to orange! Lesson learned? Don't trust a man with cosmetics!

Me: Bug did you know Mr. Matt and Mrs. Amy are having two babies?

Bug: No way!
~~~~~~~
Too cute!
~~~~~~~

Me: Bug, please pick up your blocks in the living room.

Bug: No way!
~~~~~~~
Not so cute!
~~~~~~~

Can it be true?

My daughter is eighteen months old today.
A whole year and half of another.
Five hundred and forty eight days have gone by since her birth.
She made me a mother the day I saw two pink lines, and I will never be the same. She brings me so much joy-- even when she's sick and grumpy, teething and tired.

I love all of your many faces, Olivia Grace! Thanks for being my BUG!

Mama's here

Hubby took Bug to Mother's Morning Out this morning (her class was having their Christmas party and it was our turn to be the parent in the room), so I have TWO AND A HALF HOURS to kill. I'm just letting that sink in for a moment because I'm sure it'll feel like no time before I look at the clock and it's 11:15. Hmmmm....

I wanted to jot down what's been going on in and around the house as means of documenting this journey for posterity... OK, I really just miss blogging and getting comments, so here're some thoughts on life as of late:

• Bug amazes me everyday. She always has, but lately as I see her little personality budding, and her sense of humor blossoming-- I love this kid so much! She is still the biggest helper to me, bringing pacis, diapers, blankets, and wipes for Little Man. Getting her own shoes and jacket to go somewhere. She kisses LM every day (without being asked) and is constantly "checking" on him-- "Baby? Baby? Baby?" Her vocabulary is skyrocketing right beside her understanding of what I am saying to her. It's totally awesome to watch!
• On the other side of that coin, her repetition wears on me at times. "Mommy...mommy...mommy...mommy....mommy...mommy..." "More, more, more, more" "Milk-- milky-- milky-- milk-- miiiiiiiilk" I know she is just figuring out communicating with others, but DANG! It's hard when I'm tired.
• Little Man is such a bundle of sweetness and cuteness-- I gobble him up every day! Seriously, he is so laid back and chill, I love seeing his little eyes open and just take it all in. He sleeps, eats, and poops like a champ. That's right folks-- we have a pooper. This guy always, always is working on a diaper. And I mean working-- grunting, groaning, pushing, wiggling-- WOW! I am hoping his tummy issues iron themselves out soon. (For the record: He gets the gas honestly from his father.)
• Sometimes I feel like he's not getting all the attention and coddling that Bug got as a baby. Let's face it-- he's not. This is hard for me...
  
• I'm trying to get ready for Christmas-- whatever that means. Isn't it sad how crazily we run around "getting ready" for this holiday? I wish we'd just sit still and enjoy our families and the time off of work... Then again, there is a part of me that loves the hustle and bustle of traveling to visit loved ones, giving and getting gifts, baking once-a-year goodies... Bug will be 18 months the week of Christmas, and I know she's going to enjoy the gifting part of the day this year. She already loves the Christmas lights we drive by each night. We hear "Wow! Cool! More, more, more, more..." from the backseat.
• This is my second full week with both kids alone. We're managing. Some days I have felt like all that I accomplished was keeping everyone fed and in clean diapers-- which can seem like a chore if they're timing things correctly! I sleep so soundly when I get to bed each night because I'm not used to this yet! (I'm talking like don't-even-hear-when-the-kids-are-crying soundly. Luckily I'm married to a great man who either gets up with the kids himself, or hits me awake to get them!)

That about sums it up. Thanks for sticking with me if you actually read all my bullets. I'm thinking I need to hop in the shower before my time eeks away completely!

Thankful...

Tonight Bug wanted to sit in my lap when I finished feeding Little Man. Her Daddy boosted her up and I cuddled them both for a minute. I handed LM over to his daddy on the ottoman so we could all say bedtime prayers together. I started praying and Bug leaned way out of my lap over her brother, grabbed both of his hands, placed them together and said "Men!" (her version of "amen")

Hubby and I caught eyes and made "my-heart-is-melting-that-was-so-cute" faces at each other.

I have so much to be thankful for, and need to spend some serious reflection time over the next few days gathering my heart-thoughts, appreciating my blessings, and thanking my Lord... I do know without a doubt I'm so thankful for my amazing Hubby and my two sweet munchkins-- I couldn't have designed a better family for myself!

I truly am a blessed wife and mommy!

Happy Due Date!

Big sister whispering all kinds of sisterly wisdom to her baby brother...

Due dates are weird days.

I really hate that the medical profession even plays with our emotions by giving pregnant women a "due date". It's not like the day books are due at the library, or a paper is due in school. If your books come later than they're due-- you get fined. If you turn your paper in after it's due, your grade suffers.

Last due date was horribly depressing since I had empty arms and a full belly. Little Man's due date is a happy day-- our little boy is here!

We're adjusting as well as I could have imagined to being a family of four. My wonderful Hubby took the week off of work to be home with us (which is fabulous-o because I can't lift anything over ten pounds-- ie Bug). Bug likes Little Man so far (we're praying this continues even as the newness of "baby" wears off), feeding is going well, we're getting some sleep (dispersed throughout the day and night), and in general it just feels good to be a family of four.

Our biggest problem is Bug and her big girl bed. She sleeps great throughout the night, but then she's at our bedside at 5am or 6am. Whew! We're hoping she'll iron this out relatively quickly and resume her habit of sleeping until 7am or 8am. (Any suggestions?)

Love at third sight!

39 weeks...

Here are my two favorite people in the world giving the baby belly some love at 39 weeks.

Tomorrow's the big day. You know, the day when I'll be responsible for two little human beings... kinda frightening. (I keep reminding myself that plenty of people seemingly less competent than I have multiple kids and they are OK.)

I don't really know what else we could have done to prepare for November 14, 2008. We've spiffed up the house (OK, mostly my mom has!), we have all sorts of baby clothes and a menagerie of other things that makes having a baby easy (swing, stroller, diapers, bouncer, Bumbo, wipes, swaddlers, pacifiers, toys...) We've talked to Bug about a baby brother coming to live with us, she's picked him out a present and made him a card. We have a present ready for Bug from baby brother when she comes to the hospital. The fam is ready to take of the Bug here all weekend. The hospital bags are packed. Bug's officially sleeping in her toddler bed and the crib is newbornified again.

Yet I still feel this turmoil. Like there's something left undone. Like there's something I can't control. I hate that feeling!

I've tried to soak up my moments with Bug this week. We enjoyed the zoo, we've eaten out, and played and read. The stuff we do all the time, I guess I was just ticking off the last this and the last that. It kinda doesn't seem fair that she has no idea what's coming.

But then I remember the wonderful memories I have with my siblings-- made-up games, silly times, goofy things we did, our traditions, our fights, our secrets, our love-- and I feel so happy that God is blessing Bug with a buggy brother.

I dread putting her to bed tonight just because I feel like our relationship is changing. This girl is so precious to me. She's never shared me before... She is so special in my heart because I've learned so much from her. I had never been thrown up on before her. I never woke up so many times during the night until she was born. I have wondered as she's grown and changed and learned. I have even learned so much about my Heavenly Father and my precious Savior from her. She made me a mommy the day she took her first breath. I'll always be a mommy because of her.

I eagerly look forward to tomorrow. I love my little Bug so much, and my heart for her runs so deep. I can't wait to feel love multiply as I hold my two precious babies at once.

You're only a day away...

November 8th

Hallelujah, my mom is here!

Little Baby Boy has only six days (or less) left in his cozy womb paradise. I feel much better about his impending arrival since Bug's on the mend (she's had Roseola this week), and my house is getting cleaner than its ever been. (No for real, y'all, my mom's a maniac!)

My updates have been sparse because events in my life lately can be summed up pretty easily:
1. Bug's been sick.
2. We're waiting on our Little Man.

I better get my Momfessions tail upstairs-- it's time for a major cleaning party in our "attic"!

P.S. Bug has been in the big girl bed for three consecutive nights. I am so proud of her!

BIG GIRL!

Guess who slept in her BIG GIRL bed from 8pm to 5:40am?

You got it...MY BUG!

It was so fun to wake up to stomp, stomp, stomp and our bedroom door being flung open at o' dark forty. She's so silly! (Luckily for momma, little Bug just wanted to crawl in bed and sleep three more hours with me! No complaints here!)

On the Mend...

Bug's fever broke at some point last night, so we're on the right track. It's a viral infection, so we're just waiting for it to pass-- hopefully sooner than later since Little Man's arrival is almost upon us! (9 days!) (or less!)

The kids' room is pretty well set. The rest of the house however? Not quite. My obsessively, compulsively clean-aholic mom (I mean this in the nicest possible way!) is headed our way Friday. PRAISE JESUS! I hope Olivia still needs me as much as I need my mommy when she's "all grown up".

As yucky as it is to have a sick kid, I have to say I have enjoyed all the snuggles and cuddles the past two days-- probably the last time I'll be able to hold my little Bug so much. She's wanted to be rocked, and held, and kissed, and napped with, and I soaked her in for two days, knowing soon she'll have to share mommy's attention with her little brother.

This little girl is so precious to me. I love her to the moon and back, and I am so glad she made me a mommy.

Lazy Day

Bug is sick.

For those of you who are mommies, those three words tell you a lot more than most people would realize-- mostly that it's been a long day! Now I find myself hoping Little Man stays put until our house is germ-free again! And yet trying to cuddle a sick baby with no lap, little breath, zero energy, indigestion, and back pain... I wish I were unpregnant!

Hubby's putting Bug down to sleep (for the second time-- the first time was ruined when she barfed all over the crib and herself...) hopefully this time will stick and she'll sleep all night.

6am?!

My daughter decided to be a morning person this morning much to the chagrin of her sleepy mommy (who got up four times to pee last night!)

Luckily, the stay at home mommy handbook states that I can nap when she does. I'm praying for a three hour stretch, so I can nap and get some things done! (I'm napping first though just in case!)

{I also have to state for the record that my worst "pregnancy brain" moment to date has happened. I realized just this morning that my car's inspection expired IN JULY. Hello, mama?!}

Bug's First Sunday School Paper

My heart melted when I reached in Buggy's bag and found the verse card that she had colored on Sunday. When did my little girl get so big?

I also have to mention that her Sunday School teacher gave us the first report on Bug's behavior that has been less than pleasant... apparently Bug was telling her "NO!" adamantly on Sunday. Ugh, I have the feeling that will not be the last report we get like that... we're in full-blown toddler mode.

(Even though I wasn't so "wordless", you can find more Wordless Wednesday here!)

Who's Bucky?

For the past week and a half or so, my sweet little Bug has been walking around the house saying, "Bucky, Bucky, Bucky..."

It's really adorable, especially since she emphasizes each syllable the same, so it's more like BU-CKY over and over. Since we are in the middle of a language and vocabulary explosion, I didn't think much of the new "word" at first.

Then it started to bother me. She wasn't pointing at anything when she said it. It wasn't at meal time, or nap time... there was nothing to help me distinguish WHAT IN THE WORLD "Bucky" was. Or who Bucky was.

Books? Was my final answer, but it still seemed odd that she wasn't holding a book, or reading a book when she said it.

Two nights ago, it dawned on me.

"Bucky, Bucky, Bucky" was my little Bug's way of repeating a nickname I didn't even realize I had bestowed on her! She was saying, "Buggy, Buggy, Buggy"! I write about my little Bug here as Bug, and it never hit me how much I call her Bug/Buggy in real life!

So the Bucky mystery is solved. It's not actually Bucky... it's Buggy. My #1 little girl!