Bedtime

Bedtime with Nathan has taken on a predictable routine. After baths, teeth brushing, and books, both boys head to bed. Nathan stores about 15 books in his bed at any one time, and will look at them for awhile before he falls asleep. Usually, a few minutes after I come downstairs, we hear Nathan thumping down the stairs. He'll come find me, and tell me any number of things. A few common ones I hear are:

"Mommy, I finished reading my book."
"Mommy, Toby was in my Thomas book this time."
"Mommy, you forgot to cover me up."
"Mommy, I found my flashlight under my blanket."
"Mommy, can we play train table in the morning?"

He will run downstairs, tell or ask me something, and then run right back up to his room. He usually will do it a few times a night. I know part of it is a stalling technique to avoid falling asleep, but usually I don't make a big deal out of it unless it goes on for a long time, and he really needs to go to sleep (or I need to go to sleep).

The other night I was busy with Elisabeth, and Matt was planning to put the boys to bed. Nathan was insistent that I be the one to tuck him in, so I told him I would if he promised to stay in his bed once I covered him up. He agreed, and we went on with our normal routine. I came downstairs, and a few minutes later, I heard him crying. He wasn't settling down, so I went into his room to find out what was wrong. I sat down on his bed and saw big crocodile tears streaming down his face. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me that the book he had been reading was a book he had already read earlier in the day. I soothed him and told him that it was okay if he had already read it, that he could just set it aside and read another one and that he didn't have to be upset about it. Then he said, "But Mommy, I wanted to tell you that I had already read that book." In that moment, my heart melted. I hugged him and told him that he could come downstairs and find me if he had something he needed to tell me.

I'm sure some would say that I'm a permissive parent, that I should train him to stay in bed and not come downstairs multiple times at night. But, in my heart I know that I would rather train him to know that when he has something to share with me, that I am always willing to listen. I know that he won't always be so interested in talking with me, that someday I won't know all the small things in his life, or be the first person he wants to share important things with. So for now, I want him to always know that I am here and ready to listen, that he can feel safe telling me anything, that I love talking with him, and that everything that is important to him is important to me. Now when I hear him thumping down the stairs, I smile and feel thankful that he wants to share with me something that is important to him.

Weekend Recap

We had a really fun weekend. We've passed around sickness throughout our family for a lot of the month, so we took advantage of everyone being healthy and did some fun things over the weekend.

Friday morning we had a last minute play date with some fun friends. Emma and Grant are practically the same ages as Nathan and Samuel, so the boys had a great morning playing with friends and all their fun toys. Michelle even fed everyone lunch before we headed home, which ended up being really nice since all three kiddos fell asleep on the way home. 

My parents kept our kids Friday evening (Elisabeth's first overnight visit!). Since we were kid free, we invited friends over for a game night. We played some fun games and enjoyed visiting and snacking for the evening.

Saturday morning we picked the kids up and headed to Stillwater for the day. Our first stop was the Stillwater Wondertorium. We spent about two hours playing away. The boys loved it and were so sad when we had to leave. We're hoping to head back soon. I wish Tulsa had something as nice. I guess all the research money that OSU brings to Stillwater helps with fun things like that for the kids. I was ready to get out of Stillwater by graduation, but now that we have kids, I think it would be a great town to raise a family.

Everyone had a great morning. Nathan dressed up and put on a "Safari man show." He had fun taking everyone's ticket and performing.

Later that morning he also put on a "baseball man" show.

Samuel spent a long time playing at the water table.

The boys also loved the ambulance and doctor centers. They spent a lot of time playing.

They also played on the slides, at the grocery store and with the blocks. They would have spent all day there I'm sure.

I took Elisabeth to the baby area and let her play for awhile too. She had fun playing with all the fun toys.

We left around lunch time and grabbed some lunch at one of our favorite burger places. Then we drove around a bit and looked at how much Stillwater had changed since we lived there. We also got the boys new OSU shirts. It was fun reliving all the fun memories from living in Stillwater. We even showed Nathan our old duplex. That town will always be a very special place to our family.

Nathan has been talking about Pistol Pete constantly for the last several months, so Matt and I thought it would be fun to take him to a Ladies' basketball game so he could see Pistol Pete, and the band etc. We all had a really good time. Nathan kept yelling, "Go Pistol Pete, Go!" during the game, and he said seeing Pistol Pete was his favorite part of the day. He always got really concerned when Pistol Pete left the court.

The boys did really well sitting through the game especially during nap time (snacks helped), and it was fun to be back in Gallagher Iba for a game.

We're hoping our kids develop the same love for OSU that we have. After a busy day, all three slept on the drive back to Tulsa, making for a peaceful drive after a really great day!

22 Months

Samuel Jacob, you are 22 months old! I just can't believe how big you are getting. You are still as sweet and fun as ever though. You keep everyone laughing with your adorable personality.

You are talking all the time and saying new words and phrases every day. It's especially nice now that you can usually (unless you're really tired and whiny), use words to communicate what you're wanting. It cuts down on a lot of your frustration, and I love hearing your cute baby voice. Lately, I've heard, "My turn" come out of your mouth multiple times per day.

You have a new fascination with light switches. You always want to turn them on and off. You're too short to reach most of them in our house unless you climb on something (which you do often). You can easily reach the light switch by the stairs and turn it on and off all the time. You also always turn your lamp on at naptime and bedtime and turn it off when we get you out of your crib. We've recently put a humidifier in your room too, and you turn it on and off as well. You always say, "light on" or "light off" when you turn it off or on. You've started turning on the night lights around the house too.

We had a really fun Christmas with you. You certainly understood the concept of unwrapping gifts, and to see your face light up when you saw your new toys was magical. I'm pretty sure your Magna doodle has been your favorite present. At least you play with it more than any other gift you received. You yell "color" anytime you see it. You've been asking Matt and I to draw things for you lately, usually a house. You'll say, "Daddy, color house." We have to do it the same way each time with a house, cloud, sun, and each person in our family. Then you erase it, and ask us to draw it again.

I've noticed  this month that you've been tagging behind Nathan more. You usually want to play whatever he is playing, and you two have been sitting next to each other on the couch when you're watching tv or reading books. It's led to a few more fights because you want to play with the same toy at the same time, but it's fun to see you two playing together more. He usually will give you a (short) wagon ride when you're playing outside and I've even seen him push you in your swing outside. It's kind of strange to think that when Nathan turned 22 months old, he was an only child, and for you, you have a big brother AND a little sister at that age. It's definitely a different experience for you growing up, and I hope you always treasure your relationships with your siblings. You've become more attentive to your sister too. You try and say her name. It usually comes out as "Ba-bet," but it's sweet. This morning, you and Nathan were playing on my bed, and ran to find Elisabeth and looked at me and said, "Ba-bet, bed" because you wanted me to put her on the bed so she could play with you all. You give her hugs, and the other day, I laid her on a blanket upstairs, and as soon as you saw me lay her down, you ran to her room and brought her a bucket of her toys. You are certainly a thoughtful big brother.

As much as you love Nathan, you eat up the alone time when he is away. I look forward to Wednesday nights when he is at Cubbies, because I always play upstairs with you for an hour or so before bedtime, and you adore that time. You just seem a little happier and louder and excited to be the big kid for awhile. You say, "Mommy, sit" if I ever get up and you think I'm leaving you. I also always look forward to Storytime with you on Wednesdays after we take Nathan to school. You get so excited about every song, and finger play and story. You are getting better about doing all the motions and you smile and laugh and usually dance around the whole time. Your joy is contagious. I'm pretty sure the librarian repeated a few of the finger plays today because she could see how much you were enjoying them.

You caught a cough/cold this month that you had a hard time getting over which eventually sent us to the doctor for an antibiotic, so we have an official weight for you this month. You weigh 28 1/2 pounds and are wearing 24 month and 2T clothes and a size 7 shoe. You have a special love for shoes, especially your Cars shoes. You take them off and put them back on several times a day. You also think it's fun to put Daddy's house shoes on him. You would wear jammies all day if you could (sometimes you do). You'll cry sometimes when I take your jammies off to get you dressed.

You've been telling me lately when you need a new diaper especially if you're dirty, but I don't think you're anywhere ready for potty training, and I know that I'm not ready for it :).

You have been sleeping so good lately! I don't know what changed, but it's probably been over two weeks since I've heard you in the middle of the night, and you've been sleeping in until 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning and taking a consistent 2-3 hour nap each day. I hope it keeps up!

You have a particular fondness for Papa Joe. You run right past Grammy into his arms anytime you see him. You two are certainly buddies.

You are singing along to familiar songs, and it's adorable to hear you say the one word per verse that you remember. I'll hear you from your car seat singing, and I just melt every time.

Your favorite toys are books, puzzles, and blocks. I can tell you have a logical mind and seem pretty sharp for your age. The nursery workers at church have been commenting lately that you are smart for your age. You know your colors and can recognize some letters too, and you have great comprehension and understanding in a lot of things. It's fun to see you figure things out by yourself.

You really like coloring and drawing. We got you a coloring book for Christmas and you color in it almost daily, and you'll stick with it for a long time too. You also color a lot with your left hand. You still switch off some and color with your right hand often too, but I'm thinking you could be a leftie like your mommy :)

You have added such joy to everyone in our family. Living life with you is so, so fun!

Five Months Old

Sweet Baby Girl, You are five months old and getting so, so big! I've always noticed a bigger transformation between four and five months old with your brothers and with you. I feel like you sort of wake up around then and become so much more interactive and social and your personality really starts to come out. It's such a fun time!

You are still super smiley and a happy girl. It's not too difficult to get you to laugh these days. Your big brother is especially good at it. He sings silly songs and dances around and you just crack up! Sweetest thing ever! You are talking more and more and you blow raspberries ALL the time. It's one of your favorite things to do. I hear you blowing them early in the morning and that's how I know you're awake.

You are reaching and playing with all your toys. You seem to prefer softer toys that are easier to chew on. We got you a little lamb with a paci attached and you especially like it. You chew on his legs and can occasionally figure out how to get the paci in your mouth by yourself.

We got our baby jumper out this month. I can't believe you're big enough for it. You're not a huge fan of it, but you'll tolerate it for short periods of time. You look so big playing in it.

We took you to the doctor this week for a little cough and you weighed 13lbs 10 oz. You are wearing 3-6 month and even a few 6 month things and a size 2 diaper. You wore Christmas outfits for practically the whole month of December, and when I put you back in your regular wardrobe your clothes were all too small, so I reorganized your closet, and packed away all your 0-3 month and 3 month clothes. I was a little weepy packing away all those sweet things, but you have some darling 6 month outfits, that I'm excited about you wearing!

You still love to swing, especially in our big swing upstairs. You can sit up higher and see everything your brothers are doing, and you look up and reach for the toys on the mobile. You do not like the Bumbo though. You arch your back and straighten your legs and try to climb out of it. And I think you just might be able to do it if you kept trying!

You are napping after every feeding, but I can tell you're getting close to being able to drop a nap. You usually can make it with about 2-2.5 hours of awake time before you get really fussy and need a nap. The length of your naps are still pretty inconsistent. You can sleep anywhere between 30 minutes up to 2 hours. You usually average about an hour long nap though.

You are sleeping okay at night. We've had some sleep regression (which happened to both your brothers at this age, so I'm not too surprised). I spoil you at night too, so that doesn't help. You sleep from about 10:00 to anywhere between 2-4am before you wake up and want to eat. Then you sleep and eat off and on the rest of the night. I've never been a big proponent of co-sleeping, but it seems to be easiest right now. Occasionally, you'll let me put you back in your bassinet after I nurse you, but you definitely sleep better snuggled up next to me.

You're on a pretty consistent feeding schedule. You have six feedings during the day (and at least one more in the middle of the night). You nurse about every 3 hours during the day starting around 7:00-7:30am and ending at 10:00pm. You get a 2 oz bottle after your day time feedings (except your 7:00am feeding), and a 4 oz bottle at your bedtime feeding. I'm planning to start you on rice cereal any time now. We've just been busy. Third child problems, I guess. You also don't seem to be as eager about food as your brothers were at this age. You don't seem super interested in the food we eat, so you might not be totally ready. We'll start you someday I'm sure.

This month has been a little rough on us. You've been pretty needy (your Daddy calls it spoiled) and high maintenance. You are a social thing, and don't like to be left alone. You prefer to be held and played with all the time. It's just not feasible so for a lot of the month, I felt like I was either holding you or listening to you cry. You've turned a corner in the last week or so, and are more content being by yourself for short periods of time. Maybe you just needed to detox from all the Christmas spoiling:).

You are starting to sit up unassisted for very short periods of time. You are so ready to do it, Sweetie! You can see and do more when you're able to sit up, and you're just trying so hard. You dislike lying flat on your back. You'll lift your head and neck and try to sit up every time I lay you down. You much prefer sitting in our lap or in your swing to lying down playing.

You found your feet this month and have been reaching for them and eating them this month. They are one of your favorite toys!

Five months is one of my favorite baby ages, and you are making it so fun. I can't get enough of your sweet smiles and giggles and coos, and those slobbery raspberries. You are a doll and have blessed us immensely.

Looking Ahead to 2015

I haven't really made New Year's Resolutions for the last couple of years. We added a new baby to our family in 2013 and in 2014, so I gave myself grace and didn't want to have unrealistic expectations during such big transitions in our life. But this year, I do have some goals I'd like to accomplish as well as two themes I'd like to incorporate in my everyday living with my family.

My personal goals:

- Lose the rest of my pregnancy weight plus 15lbs before our beach vacation in September.
- Run 300 miles in 2015
- Run a 5k in under 30 minutes
- Read through the Bible in one year
- Read one new book per month

For 2015 I also want to focus on enjoying my children. They require a lot. They are needy and messy, but they are precious. By this time next year, they will all have changed so much. Nathan will be months away from starting Kindergarten, Samuel will be 2 1/2 and talking in complete full sentences, and Elisabeth will be walking and getting into all her brothers' toys. I don't want this year to pass by with me focused so much on just meeting their basic needs: cleaning up after them, feeding them, clothing them. That alone could eat up all my time without even touching the other things on my to do list. But when I look back on 2015, that's not what will matter. Yes, they need clean clothes, and they need to eat, but I want my time to be spent enjoying them not crossing things off my list. I want to say yes to them when they ask me to play with them, when I'm in the middle of washing dishes. I want to play with them when they take a bath instead of rushing through it counting down the minutes to bedtime. I want to make messes and not stress about when it will be cleaned up. I want to enjoy spending time with them, playing games, reading books, rocking them to sleep, playing peek a boo. That's what I'll remember at the end of the year. That's what matters. Since August, I've had to let a lot of things go, just to survive. But in 2015 I want to let things go without worrying so much about it. I want to remind myself that my children don't even notice when the floors and showers are clean. They notice when I say yes, instead of no when they ask me to play with them. I want to enjoy the gifts I've been given. These little years will go fast, and I know I will miss these days so much when they are gone.

For 2015 I also want to focus on "holding my tongue" with my husband. This stage of life is stressful and hard and exhausting, and it can take a toll on our marriage. There's a game I play too often where I weigh how much each of us is doing. The "I work harder/do more than you" game, and honestly I think it's the only thing we've argued about this year, but it comes up a lot. In a stressful moment, it's easy to snap harsh words at each other, to complain about how much I do, to point out the one moment where he took a break. We get into the same cycle when that happens. We argue, and the argument gets drawn out because there's so little time to resolve it in the midst of the craziness with the kids, we both get upset, then we get over it, apologize and move on. It feels like we're not resolving much, and I've realized  that's because there is no resolution. This is a hard season of life. period. No matter how much either of us do, it will still be hard. We both work really hard. We both do a lot. And that's all we can do. So this year, I want to hold my tongue when things are stressful and I'm tempted to say something harsh that could start an argument. I want to remember that it's not worth the hurt feelings and argument. Instead I want to appreciate Matt and how hard he works all the time for our family and the huge help he is to me and the kids.

I know I'll blink and we'll be celebrating the end of 2015. I want to pour into the lives of my children and husband this year. I want to make memories and learn and grow and have fun. I want to treasure up the sweet moments with these Little Ones. I want to be purposeful and intentional. Here's to a great year ahead

!