I'm baaaaaack!

I've been feelin the pressure {cough, cough Whittington}, so I'm back.  Hopefully.  

I do use this as my "scrapbook" so to speak, and I like documenting the events in my kiddies life.

Since we last spoke, Reese turned 4 and life hasn't slowed down at all.  I finally got Jack in for his 2 year check-up where we learned he gained a whopping 4 pounds in 14 months.  #heavyweight

Anyways, last year I did an interview with Reese when she turned 3 and I'm back with the 4 year edition.

What's your favorite color? : Pink and purple

What's your favorite toy? : A jack-in-the-box {I have no clue where this came from, I don't even think she knows what one is.}

What's your favorite food? : Mac & cheese and noodles

What's your favorite TV show? : Caillou {uuuugggghhhh, the whiniest kid ever!}

What's your favorite thing to do with Daddy? : jumping jacks and running {apparently he runs a preschool gym when I'm not around?}

What's your favorite animal? : a bear

What's your favorite book? : I Wear My Tutu Everywhere 

What's your favorite thing to do with Mommy? : Play my LaLaLoopsy game

Who's your best friend? : Bella & Amelia

What's your favorite thing to do outside? : Play on the huuuuuuge playground

What's your favorite thing to drink? : my almond milk

What's your favorite thing to sleep with? : Baby Tigger

What's your favorite thing to wear? : my tutu dress

What do you want to be when you grow up? : a ballerina

What's your favorite movie? : Sophia the First

Where's your favorite place to go? To the Ida Belle Young Park

What's your favorite song? Itsy-Bitsy Spider

What's your favorite restaurant? : Chinese westernauts! With rice and salt {she means soy sauce}.

Where's your favorite place to shop? : the stupermarket...like pugwix

At the beginning of April, we {FINALLY} had our appointment with a neurologist at Children's Hospital in Birmingham.  It was a good appointment and it was nice to get some questions answered.  Our goal is to go 2 years seizure free.  Her last seizure was at Christmas, so that's the date we'll go with.  We've increased her medication and we all feel confident that her epilepsy will be easily treated!

4 seems so much bigger than 3.  She is learning to control her attitude and emotions.  She is the most social person I know.  She doesn't meet strangers and thinks everyone is her best friend.  She will be going to K4 next year 5 days a week, all day, which will be an adjustment, but honestly I think she's ready.  I can tell that she is a person who re-energizes from being around other people.  I know she will so enjoy being around her "best friends" everyday next year.

She made me a Mama 4 years ago and since the day she was born, she has humbled me and challenged me and made me happier than I ever thought I could be!

At least she has goals....?

 

Walking through Wal-Mart, Reese says she wants to tell me a secret.

I lean forward and she whispers:

"Mommy, when I grow up, I want to be a princess!"

I tell her how fun that would be and that she would be a beautiful princess.

Five minutes later she wants to tell me another secret.

I lean forward and she whispers:

"Mommy, when I grow up, I want to be a boy!"

 

Well ok then.

It's hard

Being a mom, that is. The days are long and the nights drag on sometimes. The whining drives me crazy and I just want to pee alone, without having cars driven up and down my legs. I get tired of saying "NO!" and counting to 3.

I sometimes let the bad outweigh the good. I hear the fighting more than I hear the laughter between them. I let the incessant questions bother me instead of letting the "mama, hold you" warm my heart.

On the days I haven't prayed for patience and grace, I know. Oh boy, do I know.

But. BUT. There are so many moments where the light shines through the darkness and kids eat dinner with no complaints and bedtime is not met with tears and she tells me I'm her best friend and my heart feels like it can not hold anymore love for these 2 babies than in this moment right now. And I stop and thank Him for the glorious gift of these children.

Because I know this time is fleeting and one day I will miss stepping on bulldozers in the middle of the night and I know she won't always want to hold my hand in Walgreens...and so I stop. And I soak it in. And the frustrations and annoyances slowly give way to laughter and love and I feel so lucky to be their mom.

2 years old!!

 {Jack at 1 week old. **sigh**}

My little man is 2!  I cannot believe that 2 years has passed already.  I remember going into labor and it all feels like yesterday!

He is definitely coming into his own little person and he's very opinionated :)

 {4 months}

I'm forgetful and didn't schedule his 2 year appointment on time, so he's not going until April, but last week at the doctor he weighed 27 pounds.  Not sure about height.  He's pretty tall and skinny right now!

He still wears a size 4 diaper....I'm pretty sure he's been wearing a size 4 for a year.  He wears 24 month and 2T clothes.  His shorts/pants are 24 month, but shirts are 2T.  He wears a size 6 shoe.

{his first birthday!}

He still loves his paci, and his sassy lovies.  I know I should make him give up the paci, it's just not a battle I've been willing to fight!

Speaking of fighting battles, we are still struggling with ear infections or fluid in his ears and strep!  I'm so ready to be done with sickness!!

{his cake we made this weekend...I'm pretty proud, I must say!}

He is not a great eater.  Although, if he has "ketcup" he will eat more.  His main food loves are: cheetos, scrambled eggs, fruit snacks, french fries, and mandarin oranges.  He's such a healthy eater! Clearly, I'm joking.  He usually eats 3 bites of dinner and then he is done.

He's talking great and is very animated when he speaks.  He's either very happy and excited or very frustrated and mad! Haha.

 {we filled his room with balloons while he was sleeping...he was so happy and woke up screaming "boooooooons!"}

He has a sweet heart and hates to hear people crying.  He says, "Reesie, be happy." if she is crying.  

He has also started hitting.  This is such a boy thing.  Reese never acts physical if she doesn't get her way.  Jack def. does.

{Super Jack and the super huge dump truck!}

He likes to tell people how to drive.  He will say to go "dat way" and point to the left.  If you turn to the right, he gets very mad. He has routes he's memorized and if you go a different route, it throws him off.  

He is OBSESSED with cars, trains, anything with wheels.  He lays flat on his belly and pushes the cars around, watching the wheels go round and round.

 {doughnut cake for his actual birthday!}

His favorites right now are:

Thomas the train {and Percy, James, Emily....etc.  He can name them all!}

Mater/Lightening McQueen

The Fox and the Hound

Dump trucks, bulldozers, monster trucks

He reads "Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site" before bed

{an arm full of cars and his paci...he's a happy boy!}

He takes 1 nap a day, anywhere from 1.5-3 hours.  He goes to bed about 8 and he's not the best sleeper.  He wakes up a few times a night and cries out for a few minutes, then goes back to sleep.  He usually wakes up around 7 or 7:30.

 {working on his fishie puzzle...giving me that look because I took his paci out for the picture.}

I really am just so in love with this boy. He just has a presence about him.  He doesn't meet strangers and he's pretty irresistible.  Many people tell us that he's just too pretty to be a boy. He's a typical 2 year old boy most days, but he keeps me laughing and on my toes.  I can see that his compassionate heart coming out everyday, and that makes me so happy.  I'm definitely blessed by this sweet boy!
Happy Birthday Buddy!

so ridicuwas.

My almost-4-year-old {wahhhhh} is embarking into the world of adjectives head first.  We are full of descriptive words.  No longer is it ok to just wear a shirt, we have to wear a beautiful shirt.  A pair of boots has become a pair of wuvewy {lovely} boots.

When she puts on a princess dress {which is literally every.single.day}, she looks in the mirror and proclaims, "well, don't I just look fabeewous {fabulous}!"

I think it is so hysterical.  She always has the facial expressions that go with the word.  

Yesterday:

"Mommy, isn't it disgusting and so ridicuwas that Jack doesn't wisten to me?"  As she stands there with her arms crossed and shaking her head. 

Yes, yes it is ridicuwas. 

Starting the new year off with a bang!

Or...a bust!

Jack + train table = fat lip :(

His favorite things!

Jack has become very opinionated in his ripe ol' age of almost 22 months.  Oh toddlerhood...what a fickle time.

If left up to him, he would survive on the following 4 foods forever and ever:

1. scrambled eggs - he requests them morning, noon, and night.

2. fruit snacks - aka "foot nacks"

3. french fries - aka "frinfry" said as one long word.

4. blackberries - I really need to invest in a blackberry bush.  He inhales them.

His favorite forms of entertainment:

1. planes, trains, and automobiles - I think every single Christmas gift is in the transportation category.

2. Fireman Sam - have yall ever heard of him?  It's a British clay-mation show that, for some reason, has both of my kids obsessed.  Netflix has it and for that I am grateful.

3. iPad/iPhone - admittedly, we have created a monster who gets MOST unhappy when it is put away.  When he is in detox {it's serious folks}, and we mention he can have it, he yells "hipad {iPad} hoooooooooray!" and goes running to the back, where it's hidden.

4. Paci and Sassy - his always-present pacifier and beloved lovey.  He's never far from them.

If Jack were stranded on a desert island, I have no doubt he would enjoy his time as long as he had those 8 items.

I love this boy!