*Lately I've been longing for Fall. And cool evenings. And light breezes. Ahhhh. (But it makes me kind of sad because I don't want to rush through the next month or my baby's first birthday or school starting...) But at the same time, I am so. over. the. HEAT. It is miserable. I seriously think I handled the heat better last summer when I was big and pregnant and carrying around baby boy. I have been sweating so much this summer it's crazy! And disgusting. I take Bailey out, beads of sweat are forming. I load up the kids in the car, sweat is dripping... or close to it. I cook supper in my hot kitchen, you guessed it, bring on the sweat. We can't go outside and play or enjoy anything outdoors because it's so hot. And that's what makes me look forward to leaves changing and pumpkins and football, because along with my favorite season of all comes relief.
*Lately I've been party planning and getting ready for Austin's big day. We're right at a month away so it's crunch time. (Note to self: Next year have it all done and ready to go waaay before school starts.) Thankfully we've got most of the planning taken care of we just have to finalize the details. Right now the biggest thing I'm consumed with is finishing his baby book. I still have a ways to go, which is kind of stressful since I'm busy with back to school stuff now, but I'm determined to have it ready by party time. Determination is the key. Where there's a will there's a way. Okay, now I'm motivated.
*Lately I've been mentally preparing myself to go back to work. I'm really excited and really grateful, but still nervous and a little overwhelmed. I know this sounds ridiculous to working moms, but these 15 hours a week I'm about to start working are BIG. For one thing I'll still be doing Premier shows, so most weeks I'll be working more than 15 hours. But the main thing is the adjustment to me being out of the house 3 days a week. Less time for laundry and errands and cleaning and appointments... and kids. Gulp. Garrison would be starting school coming up no matter what so I'm really referring to my time with Austin. But I know in my heart that he'll be fine and I will too. And instead of focusing on the negative or feeling super guilty, I'm choosing to embrace this new adventure with a good attitude and a grateful heart. God is providing just what we need through this job!
*Lately I've been watching the Olympics. And the swimmers and gymnasts totally wow me. (Along with all the other athletes, I've just mainly seen swimming and gymnastics.) And whenever they do one of those backstory things about the athlete and their family I'm wowed again. I can't even fathom the decision to uproot my family or send my child away for practically round the clock training in the sport they love. I'm not judging, I just can't fathom it. Blows my mind. But I'm really loving watching the Olympics (NOT loving the bottom line on the Braves game or ESPN telling me who won what before I'm able to watch it!) and I'm super excited about little crafts and "events" we've planned for our 3 year olds once school starts. Our theme for the month of August is Olympics and Games. How fun!
*Lately I've been reading Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours. I've mentioned before that I really like it and feel like it's exactly what we need. (I still haven't finished it because I literally only get to read right before bed when I'm already tired.) But I've/we've been working really hard to use reality discipline (I'll def have to blog about this later) and letting reality be the teacher and allowing Garrison to experience natural and logical consequences, however, the only thing that's stumped me is his issue with being too rough with Austin. Garrison is kind of rough by nature (maybe it's just a boy thing?) so Austin experiences his "roughness" quite a bit. We're struggling with it because it isn't okay for him to repeatedly hurt Austin because he's too rough or careless or inconsiderate. Yet what is the appropriate consequence? Something that really, truly teaches him it's not acceptable and that he has to remember to be careful and a little more gentle. We're not looking for a quick fix "punishment" but something he actually understands and grasps. Since I'm not finished with the book, there's still hope I'll come across something and the light bulb will go off.... or come on... or whatever. Until then, we're offering lots of encouragement and guidance for Garrison and lots of protection for Austin. Ha!
*Lately I've also been reading Jesus Calling during my quiet time every morning. I LOVE it and highly recommend it. It's short, but sooo good. I try to read the devotional, read the Scripture that goes along with it, and then reread the devotional. It's a peaceful way to start my day. I'm hoping I can still wake up early enough to have my quiet time in the mornings once school starts. It makes me feel better and more together and ready for the day to have some true quiet time in the mornings to pray and read my devotion and Bible. Next week will start our adjustment period as I begin preplanning. Oh goodness. I'm nervous just thinking about it.
*Lately I've been reflecting on our summer as it comes to a close and wraps up. It's bittersweet because we're moving on to a new chapter that doesn't include tons of freedom and time on our hands, but it's also refreshing and exciting to begin a new chapter and find a new routine. There have been plenty of ups and downs for this mama over the summer, but all in all it was pretty great. We are blessed, that's for sure. Time for a summer summary! (It's coming soon.) I heart this blog and the memories it keeps. =)
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
FUN Weekend
This weekend was full of fun for the Selph family. We were busy and on the go from start to finish, but we enjoyed every minute!
Friday morning I arrived in the hometown with the kiddos so the boys could get a haircut... both boys. Garrison needed a back to school haircut and Austin needed a first ever haircut. They both did great. Garrison was such a big boy and good example for Austin. He took his role as example for baby brother very seriously and showed Austin how to be still and listen to Emily and do a good job. And he let everyone know what a good job he did the whole weekend. Ha!
My sister met me there (thanks AnAn!) because taking 2 boys to get haircuts all by myself just wouldn't be possible. (Actually, it might be but I didn't want to test it out.) So we got a couple of "before" pictures of my baby boy...
The before pictures really don't do his pre-haircut hair justice. He was in need of a haircut big time. Trust me. It was flipping out everywhere and in his eyes unless we constantly pushed it over to the side. It was starting to drive mama and daddy crazy. Plus Garrison was 10 months old when he got his first haircut so we figured we would keep the tradition since their hair was about the same length at this age.
He did a really good job! He was a wiggle worm at times but never cried or tried to get out of my arms. He just sat and looked around and chewed on the combs that Emily let him have. I was very proud. =)
The after picture... again the picture doesn't really do the haircut justice (I want a new camera!), because he looks SO handsome and cute and like such a big boy. At first it kind of made me sad, but he's just so adorable and I love the haircut so much I got over it.
After haircuts, we went to lunch with Granna and Papa before I
took the boys to my parents' house and got them settled for naps. Then I left to head home for a date night with my hubby. (Thanks AnAn, Granna, and Papa!!)
We went to the Braves game Friday night and watched the fireworks show afterwards and had a really good time. Date nights are important! I missed the boys (I still struggle with them spending the night away from me) but we saw them Saturday morning when we arrived in the hometown for my 10 year class reunion. Crazy!
I still can't believe it's been 10 years!! The first part of the reunion was a picnic for families that we stopped by for and then Saturday night all my besties from high school got together for a girls night out/reunion. It was SO much fun! The 5 of us hadn't all been together at the same time and the same place since graduation. So it had literally been 10 years. It's so funny how even though we're all married with kids now and doing our own things with our own families, we haven't changed that much. Our personalities and who we are at the core are pretty much the same. And we haven't even aged! Haha. =)
I loved catching up with them and felt so proud of all of us. And I really, really hope we try to get together again a lot sooner than 10 years from now. We talked about getting together again before Christmas so maybe we can work it out. Plus, we had one "member" of our group who couldn't come because of a wedding so we really want to catch up with her too.
Sunday we went to church and then had lunch and an afternoon with Terrell's parents before heading back home. We were worn out from our fun weekend but loved everything about it... except unpacking and laundry and a huge mess after we got home. Oh well. At least we got home at a decent time and the boys went to bed early. Yay for a fun weekend with friends and family!
Friday morning I arrived in the hometown with the kiddos so the boys could get a haircut... both boys. Garrison needed a back to school haircut and Austin needed a first ever haircut. They both did great. Garrison was such a big boy and good example for Austin. He took his role as example for baby brother very seriously and showed Austin how to be still and listen to Emily and do a good job. And he let everyone know what a good job he did the whole weekend. Ha!
My sister met me there (thanks AnAn!) because taking 2 boys to get haircuts all by myself just wouldn't be possible. (Actually, it might be but I didn't want to test it out.) So we got a couple of "before" pictures of my baby boy...
The before pictures really don't do his pre-haircut hair justice. He was in need of a haircut big time. Trust me. It was flipping out everywhere and in his eyes unless we constantly pushed it over to the side. It was starting to drive mama and daddy crazy. Plus Garrison was 10 months old when he got his first haircut so we figured we would keep the tradition since their hair was about the same length at this age.
He did a really good job! He was a wiggle worm at times but never cried or tried to get out of my arms. He just sat and looked around and chewed on the combs that Emily let him have. I was very proud. =)
The after picture... again the picture doesn't really do the haircut justice (I want a new camera!), because he looks SO handsome and cute and like such a big boy. At first it kind of made me sad, but he's just so adorable and I love the haircut so much I got over it.
We went to the Braves game Friday night and watched the fireworks show afterwards and had a really good time. Date nights are important! I missed the boys (I still struggle with them spending the night away from me) but we saw them Saturday morning when we arrived in the hometown for my 10 year class reunion. Crazy!
I still can't believe it's been 10 years!! The first part of the reunion was a picnic for families that we stopped by for and then Saturday night all my besties from high school got together for a girls night out/reunion. It was SO much fun! The 5 of us hadn't all been together at the same time and the same place since graduation. So it had literally been 10 years. It's so funny how even though we're all married with kids now and doing our own things with our own families, we haven't changed that much. Our personalities and who we are at the core are pretty much the same. And we haven't even aged! Haha. =)
I loved catching up with them and felt so proud of all of us. And I really, really hope we try to get together again a lot sooner than 10 years from now. We talked about getting together again before Christmas so maybe we can work it out. Plus, we had one "member" of our group who couldn't come because of a wedding so we really want to catch up with her too.
Happy 10 year reunion!!
Sunday we went to church and then had lunch and an afternoon with Terrell's parents before heading back home. We were worn out from our fun weekend but loved everything about it... except unpacking and laundry and a huge mess after we got home. Oh well. At least we got home at a decent time and the boys went to bed early. Yay for a fun weekend with friends and family!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
The Case of the Appearing Tissues...
Last week was crazy rough. I honestly think my sanity escaped and ran away a couple of times. I literally lost my mind. Haha. I could hardly take care of my baby boys. So sad. I was really sick, really exhausted, really emotional, and in a total fog. Half the time I was out of it while my children ran wild.
Exhibit A: One day Garrison was going to the potty and I was in another room with my tissues and Sunny D (my go-to-must-haves when sick) when he started yelling that Austin was getting in the potty. He's gettin in da potty mama! He's gettin in da potty!! So I forced myself up and made the walk to the bathroom where I found my precious, adorable 10 month old splashing away in tee-tee potty water. That snapped me out of it. (Temporarily at least.) GROSS. It was disgusting. And scary that I had allowed such an atrocity to occur. Austin got a good scrubbing twice that day.
Gracious.
I went through the motions but was in full blown survival mode attempting to somehow feel better and get a little rest. However, the show must go on. Mama is still mama and that's just how it is. Even though I am blessed with a wonderful husband who went above and beyond last week... I was still on my own everyday and still had 3 Premier shows and still felt like I'd been run over by a train, or whatever the saying is.
On Thursday, one of the days I felt the worst but also one of the days I had a show, I made plans for Garrison to only "rest" during naptime as opposed to actually napping. Cause unfortunately he's still paying for naptime at bedtime on a lot of days (although we're sort of thinking we may have it figured out). Sooo, I decided I would do a few things to get ready for my show later that night while he "rested" and then I'd go in and let him get up and play in his room for the remainder of naptime. This would be a first but I really wanted him to go to bed on time for Terrell that night and the only way I knew to prevent him from falling asleep while guaranteeing that I still had some quiet rest time for myself was to rig naptime. So I stuck with the plan and he was pretty excited about getting out of bed and chose to play with play doh at his table but promised not to get it all over the floor, etc. I was desperate and decided it would be fine and then proceeded to go and take a little nap myself.... while my child played with play doh in his room unsupervised. Man was I feeling bad. No way would I have made that decision feeling normal.
After my little nap, I realized the monitor was pretty quiet and I didn't hear Garrison. At all. Uh oh. So I jumped up... sort of.... in slow motion, and went to check on him.
The first thing I noticed was my sweet boy sound asleep in his bed. Bless it. He was just too tired to play with play doh during his whole naptime. If that doesn't tell you he still needs a nap, I'm not sure what does.
The second thing I noticed was his play doh all put away nice and neat. It was like my eyes immediately shot over to his table after I saw he was in bed asleep. Phew. So glad I didn't have a not-so-good surprise waiting on me.
And here's where things get interesting. The third thing I noticed was lots and lots of tissues laying around all over his bed. Tissues, as in Kleenex, everywhere. They were pretty much covering the whole right side of his bed. I didn't count, but my estimate is around 10 tissues. Strange. I mentally replayed the getting ready for naptime routine in my head and did not recall even a single tissue in bed with him... although it's totally possible since he occassionally requests one before bed. But still, no recollection of tissues everywhere. Hmmm. I'd been asleep for 30 minutes or so so it's possible he just went to the bathroom and helped himself to lots of tissues. Not likely since he never leaves his bed much less his room without us coming in to get him, but I couldn't rule it out. Soooo the only thing left to do was wake up the little man and inquire about the abudance of tissues.
And here's where things get crazy. Garrison had zero knowledge of where or how the tissues arrived in his bed. The first time I asked he was still half asleep and mumbled that he didn't know where they came from. The second time I specifically asked if he left his room to get the tissues, and without hesitation, he said he didn't. I jus don't know where dey came from. I know dey didn't come from da bafroom. Hmmm. I decided to let it go for a while and to just bring it up later while making sure he knew he wasn't in trouble and that nothing was wrong. So I brought it up later and got the same answer. Puzzled and dazed about how they arrived in his bed but confident he didn't get them from the bathroom. I asked another time or two even later in the afternoon and finally left it alone. All the while extremely curious about this appearance of tissues everywhere.
Terrell told me after I got home that night that after he put Garrison to bed Garrison called him back in his room a little later and said, Daddy, where did all dem tissues come from? I know dey didn't come from da bafroom. Poor baby couldn't make sense of it either. Did he sleep walk? Was he just so tired his memory blocked it out? Did he have tissues stashed away we didn't know about? Did I sleep walk? (Okay that one's a total stretch, ha!)
Looks like the case of the appearing tissues will remain an unsolved mystery for the time being....
The strangest things happen when mama's not feeling good.
Exhibit A: One day Garrison was going to the potty and I was in another room with my tissues and Sunny D (my go-to-must-haves when sick) when he started yelling that Austin was getting in the potty. He's gettin in da potty mama! He's gettin in da potty!! So I forced myself up and made the walk to the bathroom where I found my precious, adorable 10 month old splashing away in tee-tee potty water. That snapped me out of it. (Temporarily at least.) GROSS. It was disgusting. And scary that I had allowed such an atrocity to occur. Austin got a good scrubbing twice that day.
Gracious.
I went through the motions but was in full blown survival mode attempting to somehow feel better and get a little rest. However, the show must go on. Mama is still mama and that's just how it is. Even though I am blessed with a wonderful husband who went above and beyond last week... I was still on my own everyday and still had 3 Premier shows and still felt like I'd been run over by a train, or whatever the saying is.
On Thursday, one of the days I felt the worst but also one of the days I had a show, I made plans for Garrison to only "rest" during naptime as opposed to actually napping. Cause unfortunately he's still paying for naptime at bedtime on a lot of days (although we're sort of thinking we may have it figured out). Sooo, I decided I would do a few things to get ready for my show later that night while he "rested" and then I'd go in and let him get up and play in his room for the remainder of naptime. This would be a first but I really wanted him to go to bed on time for Terrell that night and the only way I knew to prevent him from falling asleep while guaranteeing that I still had some quiet rest time for myself was to rig naptime. So I stuck with the plan and he was pretty excited about getting out of bed and chose to play with play doh at his table but promised not to get it all over the floor, etc. I was desperate and decided it would be fine and then proceeded to go and take a little nap myself.... while my child played with play doh in his room unsupervised. Man was I feeling bad. No way would I have made that decision feeling normal.
After my little nap, I realized the monitor was pretty quiet and I didn't hear Garrison. At all. Uh oh. So I jumped up... sort of.... in slow motion, and went to check on him.
The first thing I noticed was my sweet boy sound asleep in his bed. Bless it. He was just too tired to play with play doh during his whole naptime. If that doesn't tell you he still needs a nap, I'm not sure what does.
The second thing I noticed was his play doh all put away nice and neat. It was like my eyes immediately shot over to his table after I saw he was in bed asleep. Phew. So glad I didn't have a not-so-good surprise waiting on me.
And here's where things get interesting. The third thing I noticed was lots and lots of tissues laying around all over his bed. Tissues, as in Kleenex, everywhere. They were pretty much covering the whole right side of his bed. I didn't count, but my estimate is around 10 tissues. Strange. I mentally replayed the getting ready for naptime routine in my head and did not recall even a single tissue in bed with him... although it's totally possible since he occassionally requests one before bed. But still, no recollection of tissues everywhere. Hmmm. I'd been asleep for 30 minutes or so so it's possible he just went to the bathroom and helped himself to lots of tissues. Not likely since he never leaves his bed much less his room without us coming in to get him, but I couldn't rule it out. Soooo the only thing left to do was wake up the little man and inquire about the abudance of tissues.
And here's where things get crazy. Garrison had zero knowledge of where or how the tissues arrived in his bed. The first time I asked he was still half asleep and mumbled that he didn't know where they came from. The second time I specifically asked if he left his room to get the tissues, and without hesitation, he said he didn't. I jus don't know where dey came from. I know dey didn't come from da bafroom. Hmmm. I decided to let it go for a while and to just bring it up later while making sure he knew he wasn't in trouble and that nothing was wrong. So I brought it up later and got the same answer. Puzzled and dazed about how they arrived in his bed but confident he didn't get them from the bathroom. I asked another time or two even later in the afternoon and finally left it alone. All the while extremely curious about this appearance of tissues everywhere.
Terrell told me after I got home that night that after he put Garrison to bed Garrison called him back in his room a little later and said, Daddy, where did all dem tissues come from? I know dey didn't come from da bafroom. Poor baby couldn't make sense of it either. Did he sleep walk? Was he just so tired his memory blocked it out? Did he have tissues stashed away we didn't know about? Did I sleep walk? (Okay that one's a total stretch, ha!)
Looks like the case of the appearing tissues will remain an unsolved mystery for the time being....
The strangest things happen when mama's not feeling good.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Weekend Adventures
Our weekend was full of adventures. Fun, but exhausting adventures. The adventure started with me at the urgent care office Saturday morning. Not exactly how I'd planned to start my weekend, but after almost an entire week of feeling horrible and miserable while still trying to take care of 2 busy boys plus working 3 nights... I knew it was best. And it was. I was diagnosed with sinusitis and given a steroid shot plus a prescription for more steroids, an antibiotic, and nose spray. Gracious. Maybe this week I'll get back to normal.
After my doctor's visit we finally got on the road to the hometown for AnAn's birthday. We had a full day once we arrived that included lunch, working in her classroom for a little bit, and then her birthday celebration. We went to Texas Roadhouse for supper. Delish!
Afterwards, we went back to my parents' house to have cake and ice cream (the 2 things my firstborn was most looking forward to) and to give AnAn presents. Little man got real into singing Happy Birthday. He is loud and proud of his southern drawl too. Whoa. Where did he get that from? There's no way Terrell and I are that country.
Austin was present at this shindig too. See his little chubby legs? He enjoyed some cake and ice cream before bed just like everybody else. Baby boy wasn't going to be left out. (You might also notice Garrison giving AnAn her present from us... a wad of birthday money. Terrell decided to get her all ones. Haha.)
Saturday night was a rough night for me. I didn't sleep well at all, wasn't feeling good, and Terrell woke up and left for the airport before 6:00.
(At least I was able to fall back asleep, finally, and sleep a little late before getting up and getting ready for church. This sinusitis business has not been fun.)
Terrell and his dad went to Washington DC for their annual baseball trip this year and they got to do a little touring before heading over to see the Braves and Nationals play. Too bad the Braves had a bad game.... but they had GREAT seats. I was jealous! Despite the turn out of the game, they still made the most of their trip and Terrell even got his picture made with Anderson Cooper. Crazy! He was just walking around when someone spotted him, so Terrell decided to ask for a picture with him. I'm so thankful they had a wonderful and safe trip.
While Terrell and his dad were in Washington, I was hanging out with the boys at my parents' house after church. We ended up spending the night with them Sunday night since Terrell would be getting in so late. We had a pretty laid back day and really appreciate all of Granna and Papa's help with the boys! It was a huge relief to know that I didn't have to tackle meals or bath time or bedtime or anytime on my own. It's a tough job by yourself even when you feel amazing. It's a REALLY tough job on your own when you aren't feeling amazing. (PS... Military wives/moms are my heros!)
We had a birthday breakfast with AnAn after a crazy Monday morning and finally got home yesterday around 10:30ish. I was beat. I am SO ready to get back to normal. Soooo ready. Going through the motions in slow motion day after day and just not feeling good stinks. Hopefully I'm finally on the mend... Sigh.
Happy birthday AnAn!! Hope our circus and adventures made your birthday fun and exciting instead of stressful and crazy! Haha!!
After my doctor's visit we finally got on the road to the hometown for AnAn's birthday. We had a full day once we arrived that included lunch, working in her classroom for a little bit, and then her birthday celebration. We went to Texas Roadhouse for supper. Delish!
Afterwards, we went back to my parents' house to have cake and ice cream (the 2 things my firstborn was most looking forward to) and to give AnAn presents. Little man got real into singing Happy Birthday. He is loud and proud of his southern drawl too. Whoa. Where did he get that from? There's no way Terrell and I are that country.
Austin was present at this shindig too. See his little chubby legs? He enjoyed some cake and ice cream before bed just like everybody else. Baby boy wasn't going to be left out. (You might also notice Garrison giving AnAn her present from us... a wad of birthday money. Terrell decided to get her all ones. Haha.)
Saturday night was a rough night for me. I didn't sleep well at all, wasn't feeling good, and Terrell woke up and left for the airport before 6:00.
(At least I was able to fall back asleep, finally, and sleep a little late before getting up and getting ready for church. This sinusitis business has not been fun.)
Terrell and his dad went to Washington DC for their annual baseball trip this year and they got to do a little touring before heading over to see the Braves and Nationals play. Too bad the Braves had a bad game.... but they had GREAT seats. I was jealous! Despite the turn out of the game, they still made the most of their trip and Terrell even got his picture made with Anderson Cooper. Crazy! He was just walking around when someone spotted him, so Terrell decided to ask for a picture with him. I'm so thankful they had a wonderful and safe trip.
While Terrell and his dad were in Washington, I was hanging out with the boys at my parents' house after church. We ended up spending the night with them Sunday night since Terrell would be getting in so late. We had a pretty laid back day and really appreciate all of Granna and Papa's help with the boys! It was a huge relief to know that I didn't have to tackle meals or bath time or bedtime or anytime on my own. It's a tough job by yourself even when you feel amazing. It's a REALLY tough job on your own when you aren't feeling amazing. (PS... Military wives/moms are my heros!)
We had a birthday breakfast with AnAn after a crazy Monday morning and finally got home yesterday around 10:30ish. I was beat. I am SO ready to get back to normal. Soooo ready. Going through the motions in slow motion day after day and just not feeling good stinks. Hopefully I'm finally on the mend... Sigh.
Happy birthday AnAn!! Hope our circus and adventures made your birthday fun and exciting instead of stressful and crazy! Haha!!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Hanging On
Life feels so crazy right now that there are times I think I'm losing it. My sanity that is. I'm barely hanging on ya'll. What is it about this summer? I feel like every time I turn around the circus has returned and life is upside down.... again. There is SO much going on around here it makes my head spin to think about it. I'm trying to hold it together and to remain grateful and to keep a positive attitude and to keep my focus on Him, but I'm always falling short it seems. Everyday I'm on the verge of a meltdown. I've even had a hard time getting my mind to slow down so I can fall back asleep if one of the boys makes a noise or does something to wake me up in the middle of the night.
Goodness. That makes it sound like things are terrible around here.
*Disclaimer: Things are NOT terrible around here.
Life is just super busy and super crazy and we have a TON of stuff going on right now. And we all know that I don't handle a TON of stuff going on at the same time very well. I guess you could say that I'm sort of easily overwhelmed. I don't like being that way, but unfortunately I do struggle with it. And I'm not complaining, because as I've said before, at the root of all the craziness is an abundance of blessings that I am so, SO grateful for. But, I want to be honest and transparent... and use writing as a release before I really do lose it.
Starting last week and wrapping up near the end of the month, I will see my children less than I ever have in their entire lives. Our family of 4 will be together less than we ever have since Austin made us a family of 4. And it's taking a toll on me. Big time.
The calendar on our refrigerator displays that during this 3 week span that we're right in the middle of, we have a total of 6 normal days in which I'm home with the boys during the day and we're together as a family in the evenings, and this also includes weekends. 6 days! I'm used to having 6 days in one week (most weeks), much less 3 weeks! Between Premier shows and training, preschool trainings and meetings, and a few other appointments thrown in, I am BUSY. And overwhelmed. And tired. And coming down with something I'm afraid. Ugh.
We're using/needing baby-sitters a ton it feels like, and our evenings together at home are extremely few and far between. On top of being overwhelmed about everything, I'm also feeling really sad about it. These are our last weeks of summer and instead of lots of family time and together time, we're having lots of time apart and being pulled in different directions. And I think that's the main thing I'm not handling so well. While my to-do list feels a mile long, I'd like to think I'd be fine as long as our family life wasn't so crazy in the midst of it.
I could get real emotional about it if I let myself dwell on the upcoming school year and going back to work and how much I'll be away from my boys after staying home with them every single day. I'm excited about this opportunity and already love the school and the girls I'll be working with, but it's going to be tough. It'll be a big adjustment for all of us. For me personally, going to work isn't a break. Naptime is a break. Going on a date with my husband is a break. Going out with girlfriends I haven't seen in forever is a break. (And there are a couple of those mixed in during this stretch of craziness... which I'm really looking forward to.... but the timing still kind of stinks.) But for me, returning to work is a little stressful and scary. Definitely not a break or "me time". And I just want some time to enjoy my family before we face the school year and lots of changes!!! (That was me venting. Haha.)
The good news is that it looks like things may slow down and return to normal the week before my pre-planning. Pleeease let it be so. We are going to pray hard that that's a fun but relaxing week for all of us. The bad news is that until then, I'll be barely hanging on while trying my hardest not to lose my mind, completely stress out, or turn into an emotional wreck. Oh. My.
Goodness. That makes it sound like things are terrible around here.
*Disclaimer: Things are NOT terrible around here.
Life is just super busy and super crazy and we have a TON of stuff going on right now. And we all know that I don't handle a TON of stuff going on at the same time very well. I guess you could say that I'm sort of easily overwhelmed. I don't like being that way, but unfortunately I do struggle with it. And I'm not complaining, because as I've said before, at the root of all the craziness is an abundance of blessings that I am so, SO grateful for. But, I want to be honest and transparent... and use writing as a release before I really do lose it.
Starting last week and wrapping up near the end of the month, I will see my children less than I ever have in their entire lives. Our family of 4 will be together less than we ever have since Austin made us a family of 4. And it's taking a toll on me. Big time.
The calendar on our refrigerator displays that during this 3 week span that we're right in the middle of, we have a total of 6 normal days in which I'm home with the boys during the day and we're together as a family in the evenings, and this also includes weekends. 6 days! I'm used to having 6 days in one week (most weeks), much less 3 weeks! Between Premier shows and training, preschool trainings and meetings, and a few other appointments thrown in, I am BUSY. And overwhelmed. And tired. And coming down with something I'm afraid. Ugh.
We're using/needing baby-sitters a ton it feels like, and our evenings together at home are extremely few and far between. On top of being overwhelmed about everything, I'm also feeling really sad about it. These are our last weeks of summer and instead of lots of family time and together time, we're having lots of time apart and being pulled in different directions. And I think that's the main thing I'm not handling so well. While my to-do list feels a mile long, I'd like to think I'd be fine as long as our family life wasn't so crazy in the midst of it.
I could get real emotional about it if I let myself dwell on the upcoming school year and going back to work and how much I'll be away from my boys after staying home with them every single day. I'm excited about this opportunity and already love the school and the girls I'll be working with, but it's going to be tough. It'll be a big adjustment for all of us. For me personally, going to work isn't a break. Naptime is a break. Going on a date with my husband is a break. Going out with girlfriends I haven't seen in forever is a break. (And there are a couple of those mixed in during this stretch of craziness... which I'm really looking forward to.... but the timing still kind of stinks.) But for me, returning to work is a little stressful and scary. Definitely not a break or "me time". And I just want some time to enjoy my family before we face the school year and lots of changes!!! (That was me venting. Haha.)
The good news is that it looks like things may slow down and return to normal the week before my pre-planning. Pleeease let it be so. We are going to pray hard that that's a fun but relaxing week for all of us. The bad news is that until then, I'll be barely hanging on while trying my hardest not to lose my mind, completely stress out, or turn into an emotional wreck. Oh. My.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Our Weekend
Friday after Austin woke up from his morning nap I decided to load everybody up and head over to Game Time to play on the waterslides. We had a free hour of waterslide play and nothing planned for Friday so I decided to try it out.
It took Garrison a few minutes to warm up to it enough to try it out... even though he was SO excited on the way over. (He just needs some time to get his bearings and feel comfortable before he can truly have fun. There are times he still needs a minute or two at the Chick-Fil-A playground even though we frequent there quite a bit. You can't rush him or you're asking for trouble.)
Anyway, he mainly hung out on this little slip and slide thing. And I stolled little brother around and we hung out in the shade as much as possible.
He finally decided to try out one of the big slides... and didn't have such a great experience. He made it all the way up and changed his mind. Oh dear. So he started crying for me but was refusing to come back down the little steps. So then one of the staff members went up to retreive him but he was afraid of her so he was trapped between a stranger and a big, scary slide. So he slide down. And was only slightly traumatized. I was so proud of him for facing his fears. Unfortunately the next time he tried it he had another bad experience that included giving mama a bit of a scare. We decided not to try that big, scary slide again. I just kept telling him how brave he was and what a great job he'd done on the big slide.
We had a great time celebrating with "Granny in Catersville" as Garrison calls her, and enjoyed catching up with everybody and looking at old pictures and eating lots of food. We also got a picture of her with 4 of her grandchildren and 8 of her great-grandchildren. She is special to all of us and we're so thankful we were able to celebrate this birthday with her!
After we got back into town we had some down time before going out for Mexcian that night. Yum-O! Seems like it'd been forever since we'd had Mexican food. It did not disappoint. =)
It took Garrison a few minutes to warm up to it enough to try it out... even though he was SO excited on the way over. (He just needs some time to get his bearings and feel comfortable before he can truly have fun. There are times he still needs a minute or two at the Chick-Fil-A playground even though we frequent there quite a bit. You can't rush him or you're asking for trouble.)
Anyway, he mainly hung out on this little slip and slide thing. And I stolled little brother around and we hung out in the shade as much as possible.
He finally decided to try out one of the big slides... and didn't have such a great experience. He made it all the way up and changed his mind. Oh dear. So he started crying for me but was refusing to come back down the little steps. So then one of the staff members went up to retreive him but he was afraid of her so he was trapped between a stranger and a big, scary slide. So he slide down. And was only slightly traumatized. I was so proud of him for facing his fears. Unfortunately the next time he tried it he had another bad experience that included giving mama a bit of a scare. We decided not to try that big, scary slide again. I just kept telling him how brave he was and what a great job he'd done on the big slide.
This little guy had a pretty fun time watching big brother.
Friday was fun and a great kick off to the weekend.
**********
Saturday morning we woke up and got ready to head to Cartersville for Terrell's Granny's 90th birthday party. This was actually her first time meeting Austin. He did great sitting in her lap until I wanted a picture and he decided he really wanted his mama. So I quickly hid out while Terrell grabbed a paci. After that he was content and relaxed. We had a great time celebrating with "Granny in Catersville" as Garrison calls her, and enjoyed catching up with everybody and looking at old pictures and eating lots of food. We also got a picture of her with 4 of her grandchildren and 8 of her great-grandchildren. She is special to all of us and we're so thankful we were able to celebrate this birthday with her!
After we got back into town we had some down time before going out for Mexcian that night. Yum-O! Seems like it'd been forever since we'd had Mexican food. It did not disappoint. =)
**********
Sunday was a lazy day but it wasn't very relaxing. When you're busy with 2 boys it's tough to relax! The afternoon was especially long. Garrison's "rest time" wasn't very long and neither was Austin's nap so the afternoon stretched on and on as we tried to keep them entertained and out of trouble. And after a rough night last night for Austin, we're thinking he's coming down with something. Poor baby.
In addition to a lazy but wild afternoon, I started obsessing over Austin's birthday party... which sort of stressed me out and made me feel like I was going to lose my mind. If only we weren't so picky and didn't care so much. But you only have a 1st birthday once! So we really want it to be special and unique and kind of perfect. Ahhhh. After much obsessing I think we've finally decided on the direction we're going and have some ideas. Hopefully it will all come together before September. Gracious.
On a positive note we were able to go the pool for about an hour and I went to buy groceries all by myself. Sometimes it's nice to stroll through the grocery store all by my lonesome.
Now we're ready to start our Monday and preparing for a really busy week around here. And I'm praying Austin wakes up feeling much better!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
A Few Updates
*Terrell's back is doing MUCH better! And we are sooooo thankful!! The MRI showed another herniated disc right above or below (can't remember which) the one from 2005. His doctor recommended that he finish his medication and begin back exercises as a form of therapy every single day. The back excercises should become a daily habit (they're not a habit quite yet but we're working on it) that he always does no matter how wonderful and great his back is feeling. This should mean that his back is normal and fine at least 90% of the time. Yay! He does have to stay away from heavy lifting and strenuous activity like basketball, jogging/running, etc. So I guess we'll have to scratch our plan of being running buddies. That's okay. For now I'm satisfied chasing down my boys.
*We're no longer using our handy behavior chart for my firstborn. We actually didn't use it for that long, but while we did I'd say it definitely served it's purpose. We focused more on the positive and offered more praise and encouragement for being a good listener and showing good manners and using a kind voice. And Garrison responded well to it and progress was made... which was the goal from the beginning. But, we still have some issues we're working on. He still has meltdowns, forgets to use a kind voice, struggles with listening and obeying the first time, etc. But overall things are better than they were. And I finally got the parenting book I'd been wanting! So far, I love it and agree with everything. I know every parent disciplines differently and handles issues differently based on what they believe to be best and most effective for their child, but I have to say this book seems tailor made for us. I'm loving it. Maybe I'll blog about it when I finish.
*Garrison is still having trouble going to sleep at night on the days he naps and going straight to bed on time the days he doesn't. It's only been a couple of days since I posted about this little issue so we're still trying things out and hoping the vicious cycle will come to an end soon.
*We still aren't 100% sure what Austin's allergic to that caused him to break out in a rash last month... but we're avoiding anything with blueberries, sweet potato puffs, and organic baby food. Those were the "new" things we'd given him leading up to the rash so we're trying to play it safe. We feel like blueberries are the culprit but we'll have to make an appointment with the allergy/asthma center before we know anything for sure. When I'm going to find time for that appointment I have no idea.
(By the way, things are still crazy around here with us needing baby-sitters more than ever before BUT we're trying to embrace it and remain grateful. We have so much to be thankful for. A bad attitude and stressing out are not allowed! Unless mama needs a little meltdown to make it through.)
*And the BIGGEST news and update of all.... my baby boy is walking!!! Sort of. He's walking as he pushes Garrison's train or holds onto something. And he is the cutest thing ever with those rolly little legs! Last night Garrison got on the train and rode real slow while Austin pushed. We got out the video camera for that. He also stood up by himself for approximately 2.5 seconds yesterday. I'm thinking we just might have an official, full-blown walker on our hands before his 1st birthday. (That reminds me. I have GOT to start party planning. ASAP.)
*We're no longer using our handy behavior chart for my firstborn. We actually didn't use it for that long, but while we did I'd say it definitely served it's purpose. We focused more on the positive and offered more praise and encouragement for being a good listener and showing good manners and using a kind voice. And Garrison responded well to it and progress was made... which was the goal from the beginning. But, we still have some issues we're working on. He still has meltdowns, forgets to use a kind voice, struggles with listening and obeying the first time, etc. But overall things are better than they were. And I finally got the parenting book I'd been wanting! So far, I love it and agree with everything. I know every parent disciplines differently and handles issues differently based on what they believe to be best and most effective for their child, but I have to say this book seems tailor made for us. I'm loving it. Maybe I'll blog about it when I finish.
*Garrison is still having trouble going to sleep at night on the days he naps and going straight to bed on time the days he doesn't. It's only been a couple of days since I posted about this little issue so we're still trying things out and hoping the vicious cycle will come to an end soon.
*We still aren't 100% sure what Austin's allergic to that caused him to break out in a rash last month... but we're avoiding anything with blueberries, sweet potato puffs, and organic baby food. Those were the "new" things we'd given him leading up to the rash so we're trying to play it safe. We feel like blueberries are the culprit but we'll have to make an appointment with the allergy/asthma center before we know anything for sure. When I'm going to find time for that appointment I have no idea.
(By the way, things are still crazy around here with us needing baby-sitters more than ever before BUT we're trying to embrace it and remain grateful. We have so much to be thankful for. A bad attitude and stressing out are not allowed! Unless mama needs a little meltdown to make it through.)
*And the BIGGEST news and update of all.... my baby boy is walking!!! Sort of. He's walking as he pushes Garrison's train or holds onto something. And he is the cutest thing ever with those rolly little legs! Last night Garrison got on the train and rode real slow while Austin pushed. We got out the video camera for that. He also stood up by himself for approximately 2.5 seconds yesterday. I'm thinking we just might have an official, full-blown walker on our hands before his 1st birthday. (That reminds me. I have GOT to start party planning. ASAP.)
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
To Nap or Not to Nap...
To nap or not to nap? That is the question.
A question we're struggling with big time when it comes to our firstborn. A question that's leaving us confused and perplexed. A question that's making mama a little crazy some days... and nights. Ahhh.
Are naps still important and necessary for our oldest little man? I know they sure are for his mama. (Meaning his naps, not my naps because that hardly ever happens. Ever.)
Hmmmm.
It's hard to say.
For a while now, a few months I'm guessing, we've struggled with whether or not Garrison still needs a nap. I know he needs some quiet time/rest time/down time. Some time in his room with the light off and his music playing while he lays down and "rests" or sits up playing in bed with his books and flashlighs and animals. I know that for a fact. When he doesn't have what we've always referred to as naptime, even though since turning 3 he doesn't always actually nap, it seems like we're guaranteed to be dealing with a really moody, meltdown-prone, emotional and tired 3 year old in the evenings. So I know he needs the down time. However, over the past few months we've discovered a vicious cycle. It took us a while to figure it out but we think we know for sure now what it is. And it's a pattern we don't like but aren't sure what to do about.
My firstborn has taken an afternoon nap almost every single day his entire life. Up until a little after his 3rd birthday it was pretty much an automatic that he'd fall asleep at naptime. He'd be tired and ready for a nap around 1:00 or 1:30 everyday. After turning 3 we had some stretches of him not falling asleep but still "resting" and having that much needed down time (for everyone). Then we had stretches of him falling asleep automatically again. Then, eventually, we started to notice a pattern.
If Garrison fell asleep at naptime, he had trouble going to sleep that night. Every single time. If he had a nap in the afternoon it was usually after 9:00, sometimes 9:30 before he was able to fall asleep. He'd start by reading his books in bed and talking or singing to himself. Then he'd call for us, tell us he couldn't fall asleep, ask for something to drink, ask for us to stay in his room with him, etc. And we felt so sorry for him. How do you teach your 3 year falling asleep strategies when they're sometimes difficult for adults? (Specifically his daddy. Terrell has really been able to relate to the can't fall asleep situation and has memories from childhood of the same issue.)
So we tried waking him up from his nap by 3:00 no matter what. We tried letting him stay up a little later to watch the Braves with daddy on the couch so we weren't actually putting him to bed til around 8:30 versus his previous bedtime of about 8:00. We tried it all and nothing much seemed to work.
Then we had a stretch of him resting but not falling asleep about 8 out of 10 days during naptime. It was pretty perfect. He still had down time but was also still able to fall right to sleep at night. And, I still had my time. A minute to myself to regroup. A little break in the day. Some time to take care of my Premier to-do list. A time to sit and write for a little bit. And a time to take care of a thing or two around the house that I hadn't been able to take care of while the boys were awake. Like I said, it was pretty perfect.
Then last week, the week after returning from vacation, he fell asleep every single day at naptime. Monday through Friday it took him less than 10 minutes to fall fast asleep. And Monday through Friday he had trouble going to sleep at bedtime and we were in and out of his room trying to figure out ways to help him fall asleep. Even though I woke him up "early" everyday and we let him stay up a little later every night. Ugh. Such a bummer.
Come early afternoon everyday last week, he was clearly tired. He clearly needed a nap if he was falling asleep that fast. But we'd all regret it come bedtime. Not fun.
Then Sunday we had a sort of busy day with swimming and meeting Terrell's side of the family for lunch about 40 minutes away and lots of play time, and he didn't get a nap. So he went to sleep pretty early Sunday night... but woke up around 10 something with a night terror (or whatever you call it). He was screaming crying, sitting up then laying down, kicking his legs, etc but still asleep. It lasted for a few minutes but once he finally calmed down and asked for me, I intervened and we got him something to drink and he went right back to sleep. So then we questioned the "full" day with no down time because in the past that's been a recipe for waking up with a night terror/episode of some kind and it happened again on Sunday.
At this point, we're at a loss. We both believe he needs a rest time at the very least and this helps with cutting down on meltdowns and bad attitudes and possible night terrors, and it also provides me with some much needed time (which I always question because I don't want to be selfish, but I know I need some time to myself to get a little bit accomplished). And I just don't feel right asking my 3 year old to try not to fall asleep. If he's that tired then he should take a nap. I just hate that he pays for it later.
We're not sure where to go from here. I guess I need to get creative about rest time and maybe let him pick out other stuff to put in the bed with him so he can play a little more? I'm still not comfortable letting him play in his room for an extended period of time without me knowing exactly what he's doing. And if I'm having to check on him constantly then neither one of us are getting a break or down time. Maybe I need to get over that. But if he's playing in his room the whole time can you really call it rest time or are we just asking for trouble in the evenings? I have no clue what to do. I want to do what's best for Garrison first and foremost I just have no idea what that is.... to nap or not to nap?
PS. I'm open to ideas! Please help!!
A question we're struggling with big time when it comes to our firstborn. A question that's leaving us confused and perplexed. A question that's making mama a little crazy some days... and nights. Ahhh.
Are naps still important and necessary for our oldest little man? I know they sure are for his mama. (Meaning his naps, not my naps because that hardly ever happens. Ever.)
Hmmmm.
It's hard to say.
For a while now, a few months I'm guessing, we've struggled with whether or not Garrison still needs a nap. I know he needs some quiet time/rest time/down time. Some time in his room with the light off and his music playing while he lays down and "rests" or sits up playing in bed with his books and flashlighs and animals. I know that for a fact. When he doesn't have what we've always referred to as naptime, even though since turning 3 he doesn't always actually nap, it seems like we're guaranteed to be dealing with a really moody, meltdown-prone, emotional and tired 3 year old in the evenings. So I know he needs the down time. However, over the past few months we've discovered a vicious cycle. It took us a while to figure it out but we think we know for sure now what it is. And it's a pattern we don't like but aren't sure what to do about.
My firstborn has taken an afternoon nap almost every single day his entire life. Up until a little after his 3rd birthday it was pretty much an automatic that he'd fall asleep at naptime. He'd be tired and ready for a nap around 1:00 or 1:30 everyday. After turning 3 we had some stretches of him not falling asleep but still "resting" and having that much needed down time (for everyone). Then we had stretches of him falling asleep automatically again. Then, eventually, we started to notice a pattern.
If Garrison fell asleep at naptime, he had trouble going to sleep that night. Every single time. If he had a nap in the afternoon it was usually after 9:00, sometimes 9:30 before he was able to fall asleep. He'd start by reading his books in bed and talking or singing to himself. Then he'd call for us, tell us he couldn't fall asleep, ask for something to drink, ask for us to stay in his room with him, etc. And we felt so sorry for him. How do you teach your 3 year falling asleep strategies when they're sometimes difficult for adults? (Specifically his daddy. Terrell has really been able to relate to the can't fall asleep situation and has memories from childhood of the same issue.)
So we tried waking him up from his nap by 3:00 no matter what. We tried letting him stay up a little later to watch the Braves with daddy on the couch so we weren't actually putting him to bed til around 8:30 versus his previous bedtime of about 8:00. We tried it all and nothing much seemed to work.
Then we had a stretch of him resting but not falling asleep about 8 out of 10 days during naptime. It was pretty perfect. He still had down time but was also still able to fall right to sleep at night. And, I still had my time. A minute to myself to regroup. A little break in the day. Some time to take care of my Premier to-do list. A time to sit and write for a little bit. And a time to take care of a thing or two around the house that I hadn't been able to take care of while the boys were awake. Like I said, it was pretty perfect.
Then last week, the week after returning from vacation, he fell asleep every single day at naptime. Monday through Friday it took him less than 10 minutes to fall fast asleep. And Monday through Friday he had trouble going to sleep at bedtime and we were in and out of his room trying to figure out ways to help him fall asleep. Even though I woke him up "early" everyday and we let him stay up a little later every night. Ugh. Such a bummer.
Come early afternoon everyday last week, he was clearly tired. He clearly needed a nap if he was falling asleep that fast. But we'd all regret it come bedtime. Not fun.
Then Sunday we had a sort of busy day with swimming and meeting Terrell's side of the family for lunch about 40 minutes away and lots of play time, and he didn't get a nap. So he went to sleep pretty early Sunday night... but woke up around 10 something with a night terror (or whatever you call it). He was screaming crying, sitting up then laying down, kicking his legs, etc but still asleep. It lasted for a few minutes but once he finally calmed down and asked for me, I intervened and we got him something to drink and he went right back to sleep. So then we questioned the "full" day with no down time because in the past that's been a recipe for waking up with a night terror/episode of some kind and it happened again on Sunday.
At this point, we're at a loss. We both believe he needs a rest time at the very least and this helps with cutting down on meltdowns and bad attitudes and possible night terrors, and it also provides me with some much needed time (which I always question because I don't want to be selfish, but I know I need some time to myself to get a little bit accomplished). And I just don't feel right asking my 3 year old to try not to fall asleep. If he's that tired then he should take a nap. I just hate that he pays for it later.
We're not sure where to go from here. I guess I need to get creative about rest time and maybe let him pick out other stuff to put in the bed with him so he can play a little more? I'm still not comfortable letting him play in his room for an extended period of time without me knowing exactly what he's doing. And if I'm having to check on him constantly then neither one of us are getting a break or down time. Maybe I need to get over that. But if he's playing in his room the whole time can you really call it rest time or are we just asking for trouble in the evenings? I have no clue what to do. I want to do what's best for Garrison first and foremost I just have no idea what that is.... to nap or not to nap?
PS. I'm open to ideas! Please help!!
Friday, July 6, 2012
10 Months Old
My baby boy turned 10 months old on Tuesday. He is growing so fast! As much as I want to put it off, I've got to get on the ball with planning his 1st birthday because it's right around the corner! Even though we'll be in party planning mode soon, I still want to try my hardest to soak him up as much as I can now instead of getting caught up in birthday party details and preparing for school to start and waiting for him to walk. Sigh.
I used to think that Austin seemed "older" than Garrison as a baby because he's reaching milestones faster and just seems to be growing up faster. But lately I'm having lots of he can't be almost one yet, he's still such a baby moments. When you think about it I guess one year olds are still babies. They don't magically grow up overnight just because they turn 1. Okay, I'm feeling a little better now.
This has been another wild and crazy month for Mr. Austin. As his daddy likes to say, he is a HAND-FULL. Haha! He is constantly on the go and constantly into something all. the. time. He's discovered our blinds, lamp cords, any and everything in the dishwasher, the potty and toilet paper, the fake little rocks that go with our gas logs, and anything else you can think of. He is a mess! Even the lion pictures this month were crazy. He would not sit still for longer than 2 seconds and kept trying to get up and escape and just laughed and laughed. We were worn out by the time we finally decided to give it up! He keeps us on our toes and we love him to pieces!!
Big brother at 10 months. This seems so long ago. Even though I didn't start blogging until Garrison was 14 months old, it's why I'm so grateful for a place to document everything. Recording our memories is one of my favorite things. =)
I used to think that Austin seemed "older" than Garrison as a baby because he's reaching milestones faster and just seems to be growing up faster. But lately I'm having lots of he can't be almost one yet, he's still such a baby moments. When you think about it I guess one year olds are still babies. They don't magically grow up overnight just because they turn 1. Okay, I'm feeling a little better now.
This has been another wild and crazy month for Mr. Austin. As his daddy likes to say, he is a HAND-FULL. Haha! He is constantly on the go and constantly into something all. the. time. He's discovered our blinds, lamp cords, any and everything in the dishwasher, the potty and toilet paper, the fake little rocks that go with our gas logs, and anything else you can think of. He is a mess! Even the lion pictures this month were crazy. He would not sit still for longer than 2 seconds and kept trying to get up and escape and just laughed and laughed. We were worn out by the time we finally decided to give it up! He keeps us on our toes and we love him to pieces!!
Big brother at 10 months. This seems so long ago. Even though I didn't start blogging until Garrison was 14 months old, it's why I'm so grateful for a place to document everything. Recording our memories is one of my favorite things. =)
Stats and Happenings This Month:
*You weigh somewhere between 19 and 20 pounds and are between 27 and 28 inches long.
*You still wear size 4 diapers and are in mostly 6-12, 12, and 12-18 months clothes. Even though you're considered "small" you fill out all of your clothes with no problem!
*You got 2 more teeth this month on the bottom for a total of 8! 4 in a row on top and 4 in a row on bottom.
*This month we dropped your mid-morning bottle and now give you 3 bottles a day of 6 ounces each. Lately you're not even still while you take your bottle! Sometimes we have to work really hard to get you to finish it because you're just so busy and ready to get down and be on the move again. We're thinking you're going to be like daddy... never still.
*You still enjoy all your baby food and even tried a few finger foods this month. I'm nervous about you choking so I'm not rushing anything you aren't ready for.
*This month we discovered you might be allergic to blueberries.
*You still take 2 long naps everyday, go to bed between 7:30 and 7:45, and sleep to about 8:00 every morning. Yay!
*Your hair is growing thicker and longer by the day. Daddy is ready for a haircut soon and I think mama's jumping on board now too.
*You really love your mama. And she loves you too. =) You love to say ma-ma and look for me all the time. You pull up on me and hang onto my leg and whenever you're upset you want mama and only mama. I'm going to enjoy all this love while I can!
*You learned to say da-da this month! You also learned how to wave. So cute.
*You took your first baths with Garrison this month in the big bathtub. Since then we've decided we're not ready for you to have that much space to move around in when you're slippery and wet.
*Every diaper and wardrobe change is a challenge. I get a workout every time!
*You and Garrison are finally figuring out how to play together without anyone getting hurt. You love to laugh at your big brother and love trying to keep up with him.
*You took a couple of steps this month while trying to push Garrison's train!! We were amazed! Other than that you just pull up on everything and crawl all over the place.
*You are our busy, energetic, adventurous littlest man and we LOVE you and LOVE watching you grow! Happy birthday Austin Selph!!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Selph Family 4th
We had a fun 4th of July this year and enjoyed a laid back day at home and at the pool. We even ended the day by singing Happy Birthday America and God Bless America, and by thanking God for our country and freedom. Garrison enjoyed "Merican's" birthday.
We started the festivities a little early by making our annual chocolate chip delight on Tuesday afternoon. (Except we top ours with red and blue m&m's to make it a little more festive and patriotic.)
Every year Garrison is more and more into it. I know next year Austin will enjoy getting to help too! This year my littlest man just hung out beside us, made a mess in his kitchen cabinet, and eventually ended up fussing and begging me to pay attention to him as he held onto my leg. It was interesting and busy but I think we all had fun... especially Garrison. He was such a big boy and did great following directions and being careful. Unfortunately we were jipped on the red and blue m&m's so we ended up throwing in a few yellow. Oh well. I love this tradition and hope my babies always do too.
The 4th of July is a holiday we usually end up celebrating at home on our own becuase it's so difficult to travel and make a day trip in the middle of the week with 2 little ones. Bummer. And this year was especially hard because it's the first year we really felt guilty about keeping Garrison away from a family gathering and good food and fireworks at my Granny's house. I feel like I say this all the time but it's so important to me that my children value family/time with family and always love and participate in family gatherings and holiday get-togethers. It's just what keeps families close and grown children coming home. So it was tough to stay away... but, we're still kind of recovering from returning from vacation, plus we knew it'd be a really late night and that this morning we'd have to jump right back in to our regular routine, plus we do enjoy having special time as a family of 4 occasionally. So, we decided against it. And still found ourselves questioning the decision up until the last minute. Maybe one day we'll move back and decisions like these won't be so hard.
Okay, moving on from my pity party... we made the most of our day by spending our morning at the pool, then coming home for lunch and naps, then getting ready to go out for a yummy supper. Yay for a fun day with daddy and no cooking for mama!
My boys were so handsome in their matching outfits and we really did have a fun day together celebrating the land of the free and the home of the brave... Happy Birthday 'Merican!!
July 4, 2010
July 4, 2011
We started the festivities a little early by making our annual chocolate chip delight on Tuesday afternoon. (Except we top ours with red and blue m&m's to make it a little more festive and patriotic.)
Every year Garrison is more and more into it. I know next year Austin will enjoy getting to help too! This year my littlest man just hung out beside us, made a mess in his kitchen cabinet, and eventually ended up fussing and begging me to pay attention to him as he held onto my leg. It was interesting and busy but I think we all had fun... especially Garrison. He was such a big boy and did great following directions and being careful. Unfortunately we were jipped on the red and blue m&m's so we ended up throwing in a few yellow. Oh well. I love this tradition and hope my babies always do too.
The 4th of July is a holiday we usually end up celebrating at home on our own becuase it's so difficult to travel and make a day trip in the middle of the week with 2 little ones. Bummer. And this year was especially hard because it's the first year we really felt guilty about keeping Garrison away from a family gathering and good food and fireworks at my Granny's house. I feel like I say this all the time but it's so important to me that my children value family/time with family and always love and participate in family gatherings and holiday get-togethers. It's just what keeps families close and grown children coming home. So it was tough to stay away... but, we're still kind of recovering from returning from vacation, plus we knew it'd be a really late night and that this morning we'd have to jump right back in to our regular routine, plus we do enjoy having special time as a family of 4 occasionally. So, we decided against it. And still found ourselves questioning the decision up until the last minute. Maybe one day we'll move back and decisions like these won't be so hard.
Okay, moving on from my pity party... we made the most of our day by spending our morning at the pool, then coming home for lunch and naps, then getting ready to go out for a yummy supper. Yay for a fun day with daddy and no cooking for mama!
This little cutie enjoyed his first 4th of July. =)
My boys were so handsome in their matching outfits and we really did have a fun day together celebrating the land of the free and the home of the brave... Happy Birthday 'Merican!!
July 4, 2010
July 4, 2011
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