18/19 Month Update

My little boy is getting so big so fast!  It feels like he is becoming less of a baby and more of a little boy each and every day.  I read E's 18 month update the other day and I was so thankful I had documented the info because I forget so much.  I blame it on lack of sleep.  So I won't forget (and also so you'll see how cute he is), here is Mason's update.

He is still wearing size 5 diapers and 18-24 month clothes.  Although he is not a small child, he has certainly not flown through clothing sizes like Miss E (she was in 2T-3T at this age...WHAT??).  I'm amazed that he can still wear clothes that he wore at Christmas and probably will be able to this next season as well.  I'm convinced they make boy's clothes bigger than girls although E is definitely big for her age.

He is not a picky eater, but definitely has opinions on food.  He loves fruit (especially clementines, grapes, cantaloupe, bananas and strawberries), avocados, cheddar bunnies, most meats, sometimes green beans and peanut butter and honey sandwiches.  He does not like any sort of beans (which is unfortunate because E loves black bean burritos and this has also been a pregnancy craving of mine) and really could give or take bread products (SO different than E).  He also could give or take milk and drinks very little, but the boy does love him some orange juice.  He actually calls all beverage juice even though he only gets one cup of juice a day.  

 As I mentioned in his previous post, he loves playing with trains, trucks and cars and his favorite word is "truck" which he says repeatedly when he sees one.  He gets SO excited to see trucks, airplanes and trains when we're outside.  His sister has decided she also likes playing with cars, trucks, and trains (although she never really liked to before), which has created many conflicts.  Serious sibling love.  He is finally gotten old enough where he can fight back (which many times she completely deserves), but sometimes I think he hits because he thinks that he's playing.  Kind of reminds me of a little puppy with sharp new teeth.  He doesn't necessarily seem mad he just is trying to play.  Still not okay but we're working on it.

 I so LOVE the belly-out stance in this pic.

He loves playing with his sister...ready, set, go (run) game, pushing cars/trucks around the dining room, turning in circles, jumping on her bed.  He also loves playing outside but ALWAYS gets SO dirty.  He also loves the park and is really working on his climbing skills.  He lately has loved opening all the drawers in the kitchen (and would open the cabinets too if they weren't child-proofed).

 Beautiful blue-eyes.

He still loves his paci which we plan to get rid of before baby #2.  I struggle with getting rid of it (just like with E) partly because it's so nice to have something to "plug" his mouth when he's whining/crying.  Is that terrible to say?  I remember feeling the same way with E.

He is in an "into everything" stage and is always looking for something else to get into.  I think I forgot how exhausting this stage can be...especially when we're at other peoples' houses or out and about.

He is so much more of a talker than E was at this age (although now she talks a LOT).  He tries to repeat almost any word I tell him and says lots of words but not many phrases yet.  Some of my favorite words are thank you, banana, night night and truck.  He also has been telling me when he goes poop and he loves sitting on E's little potty (with his clothes on).  Makes me wonder if he'll be ready to potty train sooner than she was?  Part of me doesn't know if I'm mentally prepared for more potty training, since it feels like we've just gotten E to a good place where I'm not constantly cleaning up accidents.

He is such a sweet little boy and he loves his momma.  I feel so privileged to be the "favorite" for now. I'll take it for however long it lasts.

We're so thankful for our sweet little boy!

Thoughts about another girl...

I grew up in a family with 3 girls, so I think in the back of mind, having girls seemed like the "normal" thing to do.  When I was pregnant with E, I REALLY wanted a girl (but of course would have been happy with a boy too).  I loved being the oldest and a girl, and I really couldn't imagine having a boy.  Obviously, she was a girl, and even though I don't feel like I'm the best girl's mom (I'm not great about putting bows in hair, playing with dolls, etc), I have absolutely loved having a girl.  Miss E is not the most girly girl...she NEVER has played with dolls, HATES getting her hair fixed, chooses all her own outfits (and not always with good taste in my opinion), and would prefer to climb and jump off things as opposed to play with any toys.  She is a ball of energy, full of life and fun.  She LOVES being tickled, chased, wrestled with, anything that's physical.

So when I found out I was pregnant with number 2, I was thinking it would most likely be a girl.  I felt pretty much exactly the same, craved the same things.  Since I felt so similar, me (and my mom) were convinced it was a girl.  But then of course we were wrong.  God knew we needed a little boy.  I would have never imagined how much I enjoy beings a boy's mom.  I have loved the fact that he LOVES trucks, airplanes, cars, trains...basically anything with motor.  He really knows how to melt his mommy's heart...he's snuggly, loves to smile, and always prefers me.  His personality is also much more similar to mine than E's, and so that has made it easier for me to understand him.  I love Miss E's independence but she's got a mean streak that wears me out.  He does things that are not always nice, but somehow looks really cute when he does them, if that's possible.

Now on to number 3.  I didn't really care either way.  I could see positives to both a girl and a boy, but early on, Kev predicted boy.  He has ALWAYS been right (at least the last two times), so I thought I should just trust him.  We picked out two names we really liked...we were set for a boy.  Until they told us it was going to be a GIRL. :) It took several days for us to wrap our minds around that one.  It made me glad we found out at 20 weeks and not when she was born.  The more I think about it, I get more and more excited to have a little girl.  I think Miss E will love having a sister and I think it's kind of fun that Mason's in the middle.  I'm excited (and a little scared) to see how this will change our family dynamics, increase the craziness.  2 was a hard transition (partly because E was SO young), so I'm interested to see if 3 will be similar (I've gotten such varying opinions on this one).  All I know, is she is going to be here in 3 months.  3 MONTHS.  Wow.  We've got a lot to do before then.

This summer...

I so love summertime! There are good things about winter (but I've usually forgotten anything good when it's still cold in MAY in Indiana), but summer has gotten even sweeter to me since having kids. There are just SO many more options for fun activities that kids enjoy when it's warm.

Some of our favorites include playing at the park (usually a daily occurrence), swim lessons (even though they are slightly traumatizing to E), swimming at the beach, playing outside, eating Popsicles, and going to the zoo. All of these activities keep us busy but we are so thankful. Here is a few Instagram pics of our summer!

Big announcement!

I have wanted to write this post for a long time, but I have had a hard time figuring out exactly what to say (partly because I have been so stinking tired all.the.time).  I struggle knowing how to announce something that is so joyful for us, and yet can be a reminder of someone else's struggles or unfulfilled desires.  After my first pregnancy/miscarriage, it took me 8 months to get pregnant which doesn't sound that long, but it was a very tough season for me mentally and emotionally because I didn't know how long it would last.  Even though it was several years ago and we now have two beautiful children, I so vividly remember my emotions, my heartache when I found out ONE more friend had "surprisingly" gotten pregnant.  It was like rubbing salt in the wound.  I know God's timing is perfect, and even in the toughness of the season, I learned so much about myself and trusting God and His plan (even if it doesn't line up with my timing).  I also learned discovered the truth in this verse.  Children are a gift, not something I deserve or have earned.  A blessing.

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward."

Psalm 127:3 

With all that being said, here is a sweet picture of our newest "gift," sweet baby girl due November 18th.

I'm not going to lie, there is part of me that seriously PANICS at the thought of a third kiddo.  I mean seriously, our life feels pretty crazy right now.  We have lots of screaming, lots of chaos, lots of sleepless nights, lots of fits...and to think of multiplying that makes me more than a little nervous.  Plus the transition from 1 to 2 was not easy for me.  I'm trying to go into this transition assuming it's going to be really tough, so maybe I won't be as shocked as I was with number 2.

 My first belly picture...at 21 weeks.  Poor third child.

 Miss E wanted to get in on the the belly action.  She has actually been really sweet about the baby (which is fun since she in NO way could conceptualize a baby when I was pregnant with Mason).  She is constantly kissing my belly and giving it zerbers. :) Also, when I walk into a room after being gone, she'll usually say "Hi baby."  I think this just means I'm getting big FAST. 

 Speaking of big...I have felt way bigger this time.  Maybe it has something to do with being pregnant 3 times in 3 years??  Call me crazy.  So far, I had nausea in my first trimester (not significantly different than with the other two), but what has been different is the persistent fatigue.  So tired and it just doesn't stop.  I'm thinking it has a lot to do with the fact that I am constantly chasing after, picking up a 2 year old and an 18 month old while being pregnant.  Naps are my friend, productivity is not.

My cravings: eggs (I eat 2 eggs every single day), jalapenos (on everything), meat and more meat, bacon, and black bean burritos.  

My aversions: sweets (especially my first trimester), dairy products (except cheese), and coffee when it is slightly cool.  I'm sure there are others except everything has gotten more tolerable recently so I forget.

We're excited to become a family of 5!!

New addition

We've got a new addition to our family...

we call him Crabbie.

 We are always on the look-out for good outdoor toys because we love being outside, but it's SO hard to guess what kids will actually enjoy.  I hate to spend lots of money on something and then they not even be interested.  I keep thinking we'll look at garage sales, but if that were to happen, I would need someone else to GO to garage sales for me.  Any takers?

 We've thought about getting a sandbox for a while, but hesitated because of the reason above and just how messy they are.

 We finally broke down and it's been a major hit.  Love me some little sandy feet!

 "Look mom!  I poured sand all over my pants!"  It's the little things that make this guy excited.

Don't get me wrong...it is messy.  We've upped baths to a nightly event because sand gets EVERYWHERE!  Also, I've noticed a lot more sand in the kitchen...in the bathroom...basically every room, magnified by wood floors.  But sometimes the moments of fun outweigh a clean house (not that our house is that clean...we have two walkers that make it their mission to destruct any minute they are awake).  The other big challenge is keeping the sand IN the sandbox.  Sounds simple, but why does it seem way more fun to dump the sand OUT?

My little photogenic boy...always ready for a picture.

 My sweet daughter, who refuses to look at the camera (she just happened to be telling me a story in this picture).

 And my hot husband...who I'm sure would love to know I put his picture on the blog.  Good thing he doesn't check it. :)

Summer trip

Since moving to South Bend, we have been blessed to be able to take at least 2 trips a year back to see family (summer and Christmas).  Since Kev's schedule is pretty flexible, we try to go for around 2 weeks so we can spend a week with each family.  So far we've flown every time, because let's face it, spending 18 hours in the car with 2 kids 2 and under sounds like a nightmare.  Elliott's actually at a better age for flying now...she likes talking about everything, is fairly easily entertained with snacks, coloring, books, or my iphone, and we can reason with her.  Mason, on the other hand, is basically at my least favorite age for flying.  He's almost 18 months, EXTREMELY active (like he constantly wants to walk) and is entertained by things maybe 5 seconds.  Did I mention he has developed a "velociraptor" scream the last month when things don't go his way?  It's very pleasant.

To make matters a little more complicated, we fly out of Chicago which is 2 hours from South Bend, so it makes our long day of travel a little longer.  We left our house at 6:30am (of course running a little late), felt very rushed at the airport, especially since the security line was really long.  When we finally made it to the front of the line to check our IDs with about 30 minutes or less to our flight, we realized they had apparently entered Mason's name as "Nathan" on his boarding pass so they made us go back to the ticket counter.  Talk about a low moment.  Thankfully, we did not miss our flight but the downside is we had to immediately get on the plane (we were intending to let the kids burn off a little energy since they had been sitting in the car for 2 hours), and we had to sit apart.  Mason did okay the first hour, but he screamed with his ear-busting cry for the entire 2nd hour of the flight.  People loved us! :)

However, we did make it in one piece to OKC and the trip home actually went much smoother even though we had 2 layovers (thanks to Benadryl and Aladdin).  Other than the rough flight and a tornado scare while we were there (silly Oklahoma weather), we had an amazing time with both families!  The kids did better than I was anticipating with sleep (maybe because I had low expectations), and the time was SO fun.

In OKC I only got one picture with the camera because it was charging.  The kids loved hanging out with their cousins!  So.much.fun.  We played outside pretty much nonstop.  It was awesome!  I did a much better job taking pictures at my parents' house and we also spent lots of time outdoors. 

 The water table was Mason's favorite.

 The sandbox was so much fun...especially for Levi.  He basically lived in it when he was outside.

We went to a local splash pad.

 And spent some time at the Amarillo zoo.

My parents even bought a bounce house which provided hours of entertainment.

 I'm so thankful I got to spend time with both my sisters!

 And of course I'm always thankful for time with my mom.

Sweet cousins.

They love their Momo.

Such a great Momo and Papa!

We can't wait to visit family again!

16 Month Update

Wow!  How did the month of April pass me by with just one blog post?  So I guess we'll start anew in May!  One of the reasons I haven't written lately is I have been so burdened by a friend from Oklahoma's recent diagnosis with a rare cancer.  Everything I have considered writing seems so trite and shallow compared to the weight of what her and her family are facing.  If you want to follow along with her journey and labor for her in prayer, this is her blog.

I have had a 15 month blog post for this little guy swirling in my mind...except 15 months came and went, and now he is 16 months!  It's really hard to believe that Elliott was just a couple weeks older than Mason is now when he was born!  He still seems like such a baby!  All I can say is I'm thankful to not be delivering another baby this month.

 Mason FINALLY started walking when he was 15 months old.  The little guy took his sweet time!  He LOVES it and I am so thankful.  He still has quite a few spills (especially on uneven ground and when his sister pushes him down), but he is improving by the day.  I love to see him try to "run."

 This is a picture from when he first started walking.  Love the little straight-legged baby walk!  Worst thing about a walking child...I now feel he should probably wear shoes when we go out.  It may not sound like much but it's one more clothing item that has to be found and put on a very squirmy child.

 He has also started saying more words this month.  Yay!  Also slow to develop.  When we saw the pediatrician at his year well baby check-up, we was literally not saying a single word.  Not one.  Now he says mama, dada, more (which he usually screams), uh oh (his favorite), go, and has started mimicking lots of words.  My favorite is when he says "T" (what E calls our dog Truman).

He loves playing outside (which we have finally been able to do lately without heavy coats) and especially likes trying to eat sticks and dirts.  He also has been obsessed lately with washing his hands, water from any spout, splashing, and swinging.  I think he is much more laid back than E was at this age, but he still has strong opinions and is NOT afraid to express them (usually by high pitched screaming).  He is my little picky child and will NOT eat something I put in front of him if he doesn't want it, even if he is hungry, and don't even think about feeding him the same meal twice (unless it's cheese).  His favorite meal time activity is throwing food on the ground.  Also trying to use a fork.

He has been getting his molars which has made for more fussiness, but generally he is such a happy little guy.  He loves his mama which never fails to melt.my.heart.  He always reaches me, finds me in a room, and prefers me to hold him.  I know this won't always be the case but for now it blesses me.  This little guys brings me so much joy...makes me laugh and makes my heart feel light.  I'm so thankful for his life!

 And I had to post a few pics of sweet E.  She also is thrilled at the warm weather and all the outdoor activities that become possible.

Raising children certainly isn't for the faint-hearted, but I'm so thankful God allowed me to become a mama.  Love my sweet babies!