Birthday Party 2013.

We hosted a small birthday party for the boys last weekend. It was a dump truck/construction themed party, and a very laid back event. We ordered fried chicken and balloons, I made a boys a special cake, and we spent the evening on our patio with lots of family members. Despite our initial disappointment that several friends/family members couldn't make it (new babies, new jobs & vacations, oh my!), my last minute jitters that there wasn't go to be enough food (there was more than enough!), and my husband's attempt to demolish a bees' nest right before party (well, they're still around!)......everything went off without a hitch! We had a wonderful evening, and I loved every moment of watching my boys thrill in their evening with people who love them. (I'm not sure that I've ever seen a child as excited for cake and presents as Nate was at the party!)


Happy Birthday, Nathaniel and Levi!! I love you both to the moon and back, to infinity and beyond!

3 years old.

Nathaniel is three years old today! Time flies when you're having fun, eh? I know how cliche it sounds, but it really does feel like just yesterday that he was a tiny little bundle in my arms. Now, he's in the 90th percentile for his height, and a nonstop chatterbox! Nate is the sweetest little boy, and I am so blessed to be his momma. He is silly and smart, and as energetic as any healthy three-year-old!

Nate LOVES cars and trucks! In fact, he loves them so much that whenever I ask him if he likes something (IE food, a color, etc), he replies, "No, just cars and trucks!" All day long, he plays with his toy cars and trucks--big ones, little ones, noisy ones, quiet ones. Fire trucks, dump trucks, tow trucks, race cars, police cars, ambulances, bulldozers, motorbikes, RVs! Oh, the boy loves his vehicles! He can even identify the different sirens when we hear them outside!

On the rare occasion that Nate isn't playing with cars or trucks, some of his other favorite activities include trains, playing in the sandbox (with cars & trucks), playing outside (with cars & trucks!), coloring (in his car coloring books!), playing play-dough (oh, yes, we have car/truck cookie cutters!), reading books, (Curious George, Berenstain Bears, Clifford, Winnie the Pooh, Little Critter, and I'm sure you can guess what else!). He also loves to watch DVDs, and he is allowed to watch one a few times weekly--usually Clifford, Veggie Tales, or Curious George. Nate loves to help, especially in the kitchen.

Right now, Nathaniel loves to talk about his "fwiends" (friends) all the time. He often tells me, "Mommom, you and me be fwiends!" or "Me, you, Daddad, and Yiyi--we all be fwiends!" He loves to remind us that we're all friends in this family--even Grover, Green Beans, and Smudgie! He loves to talk about his little pals at church, and his Unca Tim and Unca Matt fwiends too.

Speaking of friends, Nathaniel and Levi are the best of friends now! Sure, they bicker like siblings, but I love watching their brotherly bond growing. They play together daily, and Nate is Levi's biggest cheerleader as he learns to walk! When Levi cries, Nate runs to him and pats him gently while telling him, "Okay, Yiyi, be okay!" All of those sweet moments are just almost enough to erase the daily "No, no, no, MINE!" from my memories......almost!

As always, Nate loves his animals. He and Grover are inseparable, and they are hilarious to watch. Nate chases Grover, Grover chases Nate; they play ball and rope and chase some more! They are loud and boisterous, and might even include a small squirt gun in their antics sometimes! But, really, isn't that exactly what a boy and his dog are for?

Nathaniel is a great eater! He eats what we give him, and doesn't complain about it--too much! A few of his favorite foods include pizza, spaghetti, macaroni & cheese, blueberries, watermelon, banana chips, corn, and ice cream. He's not a big fan of green veggies (unless they're blended into smoothies!), meats (although they seem to be growing on him recently), or mashed potatoes. He drinks whole milk, as well as almond milk (He loves vanilla almond milk!).

Nate usually sleeps about 11 hours at night, and he takes an afternoon nap daily (usually 2 to 3 hours). He goes to sleep on his own, and sleeps straight through the night. Every night (& nap), he is allowed to take two small cars to bed with him, and I often find them clutched tightly in his hands while he sleeps.

Nate is entirely potty-trained, and I am so glad! We usually wake him up to use the potty once at night (before we go to bed), and he stays dry while he sleeps. Woohoo!

Nathaniel's speech has really improved within the past few months. He is speaking in longer, more complex sentences, and is getting easier to understand by non-family members. A few days ago, I was in the bedroom, when I heard Nate yell from the living room. When I returned, we had this conversation,
Me: "What's wrong?"
Nate: "That watermelon hurt me!"
Me: "....a watermelon hurt you?"
Nate: "That pretend one!"
Me: "Oooh! How did it hurt you?"
Nate: "Me lay on it; it hurt my back!"

That conversation may seem simple (and so short typed!), but it caught my attention. When did this little boy of mine learn to speak so well? To tell me what happened--completely with words, not crying or motioning or objects or guessing games? Somewhere along this life, he's growing up on me. I'm noticing how big he seems now--how very much a little boy, and how I can't find any baby left in him. Except at nighttime, when I carry him back to his bed from the bathroom, and he snuggles his head on my shoulder.....oh, these last few moments of my oldest's babyhood are precious!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Nathaniel Isaac! I love you more than you can imagine, and you make me so proud! Keep on growing and learning; you are amazing!

1 year old.

Levi is a year old today! Just like that, my baby boy is one. There is a part of me that feels sad because this past year has gone by in such a flash, but then another bigger part of me feels like this is right. This is exactly where I've wanted to be all along! Of course I've adored my both of my babies, but I do so enjoy this older stage! My baby isn't such a baby anymore; he's getting to be more of a toddler every day--and I'm loving every second of it! He's curious and quick and silly, and he's the most perfect little boy in the world (along with his big brother, of course!). For a short 6 days, I have a one-year-old and a two-year-old! Good thing it's only for a week; I'm not sure I can handle kids that close in age any longer! ;)

Levi is a fantastically fun little guy who is always on the move! He is busy all the time, exploring and nibbing all over the place. He wants to know about everything, and he isn't shy about finding out! He checks out everything within reach (drawers, cabinets, boxes, bags, etc), and loves to crawl away as fast as he can when he's caught! He laughs all the time, and has even started purposefully trying to make us laugh. He scrunches up his nose with a huge smile when he's being funny--too cute!

Levi's favorite person in the world is his big brother, Nathaniel. He absolutely adores him, and always wants to play with whatever Nate is playing (Nate occasionally feels like sharing with his baby brother, haha!) It melts my heart to see them interact, and I am so very, very glad that we've been blessed with both of them. They love to make each other laugh, and smiles on their faces are enough to bring joy into our hearts--even when we can't quite understand the never-ending humor of a cup repeatedly flung to the floor or sniffing stinky toes!

Levi crawls and climbs, and he's beginning to walk too! He walks easily while holding onto things (furniture, push toys, holding hands), and can take up to three steps on his own. His balance is good, and I think he's going to take off on his own just as soon as he realizes that he can walk without nose-diving into Mommy or Daddy in sheer excitement!

Levi says several words, and will mimic lots of sounds. So far, he says Mama, Dada, kitty (key), Grover (Goga), hi (haaah), and cup. When he wants something, he points to it. Often, he accompanies his pointing with loud grunts and sighs to get more attention. Funny! He can wave and give kisses too.

Some of Levi's favorite toys right now include the xylophone that Daddy bought in Honduras, the police car with real lights and sirens, any push toy that allows him to walk (or run!), the toy cooking utensils for the play kitchen (He carries them around constantly!), and, of course, his stuffed monkey. (Sidenote: The above photo was supposed to be of the boys playing the xylophone, but, hey, a watermelon works too!)

Levi's favorite foods are watermelon, macaroni & cheese, crackers, and sweet potatoes. He eats almost everything that we eat, and there are not many things that he doesn't like. He has been drinking whole milk and almond milk from a sippy cup with his meals for a few weeks now because he's reduced his nursing sessions drastically. He still nurses at naptime and bedtime, as well as during the night. Typically, his "during the night" feeding only consists of one feeding around 6 am, but recently, it has been every couple of hours throughout the night because he's teething.

Speaking of teeth, Levi has eight (and a half?) teeth. He is in the process of getting all four molars right now, which has contributed to many night-wakings recently. We have had good results in treating his discomfort with an amber teething necklace and Hyland's teething tablets. Occasionally, I do give him ibuprofen when he seems to be in too much pain to sleep soundly.

Levi typically sleeps about 12 hours at night. He takes one afternoon nap during the day, which is usually two to three hours long. He still sleeps in the pack 'n play in our bedroom since he still wakes up during the night. He usually sleeps on his belly, but moves all over the pack 'n play!

Levi, I am so proud of you! You are an amazing little boy, and I know that your determination and fervor for life will take you far. You are sweet and loving, and I am blessed abundantly to call you mine. I love you, Sweet Baby Yiyi! Happy Birthday!!

(Notice those kitchen utensils constantly in hand.....little future chef?!)

Just one year ago...

One year ago today, Eric told me that he was taking our family out to dinner for the evening "because it might be our last chance as a family of only three!" I thought he was crazy, but wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to not cook dinner at 39 weeks pregnant! We ate at Applebee's, then stopped at Nate's favorite store--the pet store to visit the kitties! Afterward, feeling guilty about skipping my evening let's-get-some-contractions-started-and-maybe-I'll-go-into-labor walk, I insisted that we take a stroll. We walked around the plaza, window shopping and chatting. It was hot outside, and [as usual] I did start contracting a little bit. But, as usual, they stopped as soon as I stopped walking and got into the car.
We came home, got Nate into bed, and watched a bit of television. We went to bed later than normal, and I was glad to finally slide into bed. Then, just in those final moments before sleep came, I felt the baby squirming around. Obviously, I knew the feeling well, but this was particularly noticeable because it was much more movement, very fast, and stronger than normal. I smiled and closed my eyes, thinking that the baby must really be having a party in there tonight. Then, I felt my water break! Just like that, no contractions, no tricks, no medical interventions, nothing at all. Just a little pop, and I was in labor--and my body was doing it all on its own! More importantly, I was having a baby very soon! It was hard to rest with the adrenaline pumping through my body, then by the time I'd relaxed enough to rest, the contractions were getting too strong to sleep. Eventually, I was able to fitfully doze off for a couple of hours, waking every few minutes to drowsily time contractions, but falling asleep before the next one began. By the time the sun began to rise on August 11, I was up out of bed and ready for our family of three to become a family of four!
Continue reading Levi's birth story here....

Wordless Wednesday.

28 things.

Last year, I wrote this post on my 27th birthday. It was a list of 27 things that I wanted to do while I was 27. Today I am 28. It's been an entire year since I wrote that list, and I'll admit that I did not fulfill every single goal (although I did finish many of them!). All that being said, in my true list-loving manner, I am writing a new list for this year...

28 Things to Do while I'm 28!

1. Read through the entire Bible.
2. Learn to crochet or knit. (Opinions on which is easier??)
3. Stress less, especially when my plans don't go as planned.
4. Read more.
5. Focus more on being a mother, and less on being a housekeeper.
6. Enjoy more time as a family.
7. Reduce the amount of processed food that we eat. (Again!)
8. Take a little "me time" without feeling guilty.
9. Try new recipes more often. (Hello, Pinterest!)
10. Be more present in daily life.
11. Make small occasions special for our boys.
12. Spend more time with extended family.
13. Get involved in charity work as a family.
14. Waste less and save more.
15. Make homemade playdough.
16. Exercise more.
17. Go out on more date nights with my husband.
18. Trust that God is in control, and know that HIS plan is always right.
19. Enjoy my babies while they're young.
20. Tell my husband how much he means to me more often.
21. Find the ideal Christmas/Birthday gifts for my brothers. (This is more challenging than it seems..)
22. Reduce the clutter of stuff in our house.
23. Grow some of our own food.
24. Craft more.
25. Research/inform ourselves more about a family goal.
26. Pray more.
27. Write more.
28. Be more patient.

Mommy of a Two-Year-Old.

My Darling Nathaniel,
You are two years old today. I cannot believe how quickly you are growing up! It seems like just yesterday that you were turning one, and now you've already blown out two candles on another birthday cake. Only just a week ago, you began a new role in your life: big brother. While I was pregnant, a friend warned me that you would seem to grow a foot and age a year while I had the baby. And, you did--sort of. Holding little Levi in my arms makes me notice just how big and grown up you physically are, but it wasn't until today that I watched you and realized that you have changed in another way. You are older, and you're acting like a big boy now, not a little one-year-old.
We went to the zoo this morning as a special birthday treat. We hadn't been there for probably a month beforehand, and you were so different today. You didn't hesitate or wait for Daddy and me to take you by the hand to see the animals. You ran ahead to see what was next, and you couldn't wait to ride the train! You are still so young, but you're not a baby any longer. You're getting more and more independent every day, and I love watching you grow.
You're asleep right now in your very own bed, in your big boy room. Every night, I go into your bedroom while you're sleeping and tuck you in before I go to bed. And, almost every night, I hold back a few tears and resist the urge to crawl into your bed and snuggle you. As much as I wanted you to move into your own bed and out of ours (which you did without any fight whatsoever), I miss you.
Your new independence is a wonderful thing, but it makes me wistful for your babyhood. I know that you still need me, and I'm going to cherish these days of having you as a two-year-old. Someday, you won't be so generous with your kisses or so proud of me that you proclaim that I'm your momma to every stranger who glances at you in the store. Someday, your boo-boos won't be fixed by my kisses, and someday your bedroom won't be close enough for me to peek into. But, for now, someday is a long time away. I'm the mommy of a two-year-old, and I couldn't be more proud of you!
I love you forever and always, my sweet boy,
Mommy