The other night, G was fixing omelets and I was playing with the boys in the den. M gets a kick out of lying on the floor and playing peek-a-boo with a receiving blanket. Well, he was having such a good time with it that N wanted to join in the fun. They were both smiling and laughing, and it was one of those sweet moments I want to always remember.
M is eating a lot of vegetables and fruits, along with rice and oatmeal baby cereals these days. I am offered him some mashed potatoes last night, and I think they were a bit bland for his taste. He'll like them a lot better in a year or so when he can have the good stuff on them...like salt, pepper, butter, cheese...yum! Here's a quick video of baby M doing what he does most of the time. Thank you, Aunt Jane, for the book, and Aunt Linda, for the blanket!
And here's my sweet pumpkin with his favorite blue elephant. It plays "Lullaby." Maybe it will become the equivalent of N's beloved blue blanket.
You probably can't make out what he's saying during the first part of this video, but he is trying to recite Romans 15:13.
N has taken to announcing, "This is our home!" when we return to the house. On days like today, when the weather is beautiful and my only obligation was to meet a friend and her children for a long walk, I can't help but be grateful for my role in this family. I love how there is plenty of time in my schedule to be outside with the boys, to make sandwiches for lunch, to see M reach for his toys and practice rolling over, and to cuddle with N and the Easter bunny and duck on the couch.
A friend of mine has motivated me to memorize scripture. She is the mother of five children, and has spent most of her parenting years in a wheelchair. She has such a joyful spirit and is always encouraging others. Romans 15:13 is one of many verses that she has committed to memory, and I have been doing the same.
It says, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
I wrote it on four note cards. One is on my kitchen window so I see it every time I wash dishes, make rice cereal, fill up a cup with water, wash my hands after diapering or wiping a nose, etc. The second is in the diaper stash box in the den, so I see it quite frequently for obvious reasons. :) The third is on my bedroom dresser where I see it while I'm getting ready to start or finish the day. The fourth is going to go in the car.
It has been a blessing to have this verse continually on my mind. I have been meditating on it while I run in the mornings, and have been praying it for my family. May I overflow with hope today and every day. May I be full of the Lord's joy, which is my strength.
I stumbled upon this blog today. Take a minute to read it if you can. It made me cry because I identified with it so much. Honestly, having just one child for a few days was a relief. I liked the quiet. I liked being able to think straight. And I wasn't in a hurry to re-enter the noise of our real family life. When N got home this afternoon, he had a big temper tantrum right off the bat. He didn't want to put away his toys. Then, he yelled in his bed for the better part of an hour before he settled down for a nap, which he desperately needed. I was sitting down here wishing I could turn that noise off, but I couldn't. I feel guilty when I admit these things, but this girl's blog made me feel much better about being honest as a mother.
A teething baby and a toddler with a cold can make for a trying week. Just when I had settled into a good routine of running two mornings a week, it seems all of that has been thrown out the window. I am a little surprised at my own reaction to this reality of my life. I thought by now I would have gotten used to altered plans, lack of sleep, the noisy blend of baby babble and toddler talk. Apparently I have much more to learn about living gracefully in this season of life.
Yesterday I woke up on the wrong side of bed after being up twice with the boys. I didn't have the energy to run, much less get my cup of coffee before the children woke up. I was bound and determined to make it to Bible study for the encouragement and reprieve I find there.
Sure enough, we made it. I dropped N off in his classroom and went down the hall to nurse M. As I was burping him and wondering if I would make it into the classroom before the start of the talk, I felt the familiar warm slime of spit-up inside my shoe.
Now, I have become quite accustomed to "wearing" spit up. I don't even mind the smell of it enough to change my clothes if I'm going to be around the house all day. But feeling it on my foot inside my shoe was way past my personal tolerance for baby body fluids! I tried to dry off as best I could with some paper towels but my foot still felt gross.
I headed down the hall to M's nursery. When I got there, I announced, "I have vomit in my shoe!" The nursery worker got a funny look on her face and asked if I shouldn't head home if my child had a virus. I quickly explained that I was just looking for a little sympathy and didn't need medical attention. Does anyone identify with this need for validation? With the growing desire to accomplish a personal goal (running, for me) or just daily tasks (like unloading the dishwasher before the dirty ones need to be loaded again) rubbing up against the realities of living?
On the sweeter side of my life with these two precious boys, we have been enjoying a newly created "book nook" in the living room. It consists of a cuddly blanket on the floor beside a table that holds our board book collection.
For the past two days, N has been asking to go there as soon as he wakes up in the morning, and after his naps.
Here he is right after breakfast, giddy with the thought of going to the book nook!
Sometimes we go there just to sit. Other times we listen to glow-worm's songs. And other times, we read books.
Baby M even has his own spot in the book nook. He likes it when we read stories to him.
Of all the things I have done to make the house more child friendly, this is the cheapest and easiest by far. I think it's probably N's favorite, too. Snuggling with the boys in this cozy corner makes it all better for me. That, and going to the pizza parlor with Aunt M, being out in the afternoon sunshine, taking a warm bath and getting in my pj's really early.
M is eating a lot of vegetables and fruits, along with rice and oatmeal baby cereals these days. I am offered him some mashed potatoes last night, and I think they were a bit bland for his taste. He'll like them a lot better in a year or so when he can have the good stuff on them...like salt, pepper, butter, cheese...yum! Here's a quick video of baby M doing what he does most of the time. Thank you, Aunt Jane, for the book, and Aunt Linda, for the blanket! 
My little love bunny
N just returned from a long weekend at Nanny and PopPop's house. While he was away, we enjoyed focusing all our attention on baby M. I treasured our one-one moments together - we hadn't had any extended time like this since he was a newborn baby in the hospital. 
One of the things we noticed during our time with him is that he is so anxious to move! When we put him on the floor, he quickly rolls onto his tummy. Then he kicks those feet and rotates his body around. What he really wants to do is move forward, but he hasn't figured that out just yet. He looks handsome in blue, doesn't he?
For the past two days, N has been asking to go there as soon as he wakes up in the morning, and after his naps. 
Sometimes we go there just to sit. Other times we listen to glow-worm's songs. And other times, we read books. 
