Lincoln goes to daycare...

Today marks a very eventful day. Lincoln started daycare for 2 days a week!! This momma is excited!

I know what you're thinking. But Ami, you're a stay at home mom... why daycare? Isn't that pointless? Well no, no it isnt. Now don't get me wrong.... I love my kids. More than anything. Anything! But sometimes, let's be honest here, momma needs a well deserved break! Not only is this a nice little break for me, but it will also give Lincoln some more social interaction with kids his own age. I'm a huge believer in the fact that kids need to socialize and this is the perfect opportunity for him!

I dropped him off early this morning. Before we left home, he was super excited. When we got there, he was a little unsure and started crying. BUT, I haven't heard from them yet (3 hours later) so I suspect that he's doing just fine.

Let's hope for a good day. After our awful doctor visit yesterday we could really use a fabulous day today! :)

Catching Up- Lincoln is 10 Months!

Well, here we are again... a month since my last update. In my defense, I have posted several posts from my phone app... however, they obviously didn't upload. UGH! So, there's a lot to write to get caught up. 

First off, Lincoln was 10 months old on March 2nd! I can't believe that he will be one in less than 2 months! ONE! Where in the world did the time go!? So, here's what our little "ninja" baby has been up to. 

On February 24, Lincoln took his first Official Walking steps. Since then, he's been walking everywhere. Literally in the past 3 weeks he has gotten so much better and has taken off soooo much more. He's walking from room to room, getting up on his own, and even trying to climb the stairs. I'm so not ready for this! These boys sure do keep me busy on a daily basis. I"m still in awe that Lincoln is already walking!! 

Some more news: 

• He has 3 top teeth (2 middle and the one to the right) and  his 2 bottom teeth. 
• Wearing 9-12 month clothes (mainly 9 months) 
• Graduated to a big boy carseat...still rear facing of course. 
• Loves to watch Mickey Mouse, Curious George, and Monsters, Inc with his brother
• Enjoys bath time and climbing out of the tub
• LOVES to eat and eat and eat! 
• Favorite foods: Bananas, applesauce, hotdogs, spaghetti
• Still drinking formula
• Poops... A LOT!
• Size 3 diapers
• Laughs at Rylee all the time
• Likes to play with the iPad when his big bro lets him 
• LOVES to play with his big bro
• Says "MAMAMAMAMA" 
• Also says "HUH" hahaha 
• Enjoys being outside
• Laughs all the time 

9 Months Young!

Lincoln is 9 months old!! I can't believe that in just 3 short months he will be 1 year old! Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday I was pregnant waiting for his arrival! I hate that my boys are growing up so fast. Anyway, here's what Lincoln's been up to...

- drinking out of his soppy cup
- walking behind his walk behind toys
- eating everything
- Favorite foods: sweet potatoes, corn, applesauce
- Favorite Snacks: Cheerios, crackers, yogurt bites
- crawling EVERYWHERE!! (Still our little ninja!)
- loves playing with big brother
- enjoys taking his big bro's cup away from him
- loves bath time and crawling out of his tub
- saying "momma & dada"
- likes Curious George & Mickey Mouse
- sleep patterns have been wayyyy off his past month
- loves to be held
- likes to listen to music when helping Mommy cook

Dear Lincoln, 

I can't believe how fast these past 9 months have gone by. You're growing up so fast- but luckily, you still need your Mommy. I love watching you and your brother play together. Sometimes h
Gabe gets mad when you take his cup away and pull his hair... But then he will come over and kiss you on the forehead and say "oh be be" and that just tells me that you boys are going to be the best of friends. You crawl everywhere... And you're super fast! You're definitely going to be a little athlete. This past month you have really gotten off track with your sleeping patterns. This has made for some very, very long nights. Although I'm exhausted and a little aggravated that you sometimes stay up until 4 a.m.- I do love those long nights that I get to spend cuddling with you. These are the moments that I'll never forget. You are definitely a Momma's boy until Daddy comes home. Then... It's all about daddy. That's ok- I like that too. You are so fun and full of life. I'm looking forward to watching you grow up and being able to see you and your brother become even closer. You and Gabe make me smile every single day. You both make the sleep deprivation worth it. I love you, dear son.

Love, 

Mommy 

Cherishing Late Nights & Early Mornings

Sleep. It's something that I LOVE and don't get enough of. Before having kids, I enjoyed sleeping in. I loved the days that I could sleep in and not have to be at work until 11:00 a.m. Ah YES! Those were the days. 

I prayed and prayed that my boys would enjoy sleep as much as I do. Guess what!? They don't! :) Yes, my boys have been keeping me up late and getting me up extra early these days. Lincoln used to sleep from around 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 or 9:30 a.m. Now, I'm lucky if he goes to sleep before midnight. On the bright side, he does sleep in now until around 10:00 a.m. Gabriel used to go to sleep by 10:00 p.m. and he would wake up around 8:30 a.m. or 9:00 a.m. Now I'm lucky if he goes to sleep before 2:00 a.m. Seriously... what is going on!? haha. 

Last night, Lincoln would not go to sleep for anything! I was blaming it on his teeth, but the fact that he was wide awake and ready to play made me realize that his teeth were not the problem. Tonight, I put Gabriel in bed and started my nightly cleaning up chores and worked on a few orders. I went to check on him about an hour later and he had managed to get the iPad off of the bathroom counter where it was charging and take it into bed with him. He was watching Curious George on Netflix. So I thought, "Ok, he'll fall asleep watching this... he looks tired." About 30 minutes later I went to check on him again... this time he was in the bathroom trying to get the iPad back on the counter to charge because it had died. He's seriously too smart. How in the world does he know to do this!? 

What's a mother to do? I sent him upstairs to Jesse and he sat on his lap for about 30 minutes and passed out. Whew! I'm glad. 

You would think that with them going to bed so late, they would sleep in. However, Gabe NEVER sleeps in. Despite what time he goes to bed, he is always wide awake by 9:00 a.m. He sleeps in our bed... so I always here this sweet little voice saying "Momma...momma... play with cars!?" He doesn't sit still until I'm awake. Now, I will say that there have been some days when he'll sneak out of bed and go to the living room and play for a bit and then come back into bed and wake me up. But- those days are few and far between. And of course, when he goes into the living room to play, Lincoln hears him and wakes up. And SO the day begins. 

A few nights ago was the worst! Lincoln woke up at 2:00 a.m. I thought for sure that he'd go back to sleep. NOPE! He was wide awake and ready to party....despite all of my best efforts to get him to go back to sleep. Gabriel got woken up by all the "partying" (netflix) around 4:00 a.m. Again, despite my best efforts he didn't go back to sleep either. Can we say EXHAUSTED and MAD? I mean, who wants to be up at those hours? I decided to let Lincoln cry it out and took Gabe back to bed. Jesse couldn't take it and of course brought Lincoln into the bedroom. ANd so-  we were up. It wasn't even light outside. No one should be awake that early if they don't have to be. What's worse? Both boys were wide awake and ready to play! They weren't even tired. I brought a pillow and cuddled with my blanket on the couch while both boys played. I put the baby gate up and blocked the living and dining (Lincoln's room) off with his crib. I contained them to one area, turned on Mickey Mouse and laid down on the couch. I had bottles ready, food ready, and cheerios within arms reach. I told myself to give them an hour and they'd be ready for bed. NOOOO! Bring on 8:00 a.m. and Gabe finally laid down. It was another hour or so before Lincoln finally passed out. Now, someone please tell me the secret to getting them to sleep again! 

I know I may sound like I'm complaining... and let's face it, I am. However, I do realize that one day they're going to be grown up and they won't need me to get them back to sleep or cuddle with them. So even though I dislike those early mornings and late night... I am taking the time to cherish those little moments with my boys. After all, it's during these times that Gabe says the funniest things and he is the sweetest little boy ever! And Lincoln, well he's just as sweet too. They smile or laugh and it sure does make those late nights and early mornings worth it. 

I guess what I'm saying is... don't get too frustrated with your kids if they're not operating on "your schedule." Take the time and cherish those little moments. Those are the moments that count. 

Lincoln's 1st Tooth!

LINCOLN HAS HIS 1st TOOTH!

He's been teething for awhile now but none have popped through...until Wednesday. I could feel 2 of his bottom teeth working their way through and one finally did. It wasn't quite as bad as I had anticipated. We had a few nights where he woke up crying. However, a little bit of Orajel and Tylenol did the trick. He's been a happy baby ever since. And man, let me tell you- that little tooth is sharp! As you can see, I tried taking a picture of it. Obviously, it didn't turn out that well. If you look closely you can kind of see the little white popping through. :) I'm not sure I'm ready for this... I just pray that teething doesn't get too bad and he's stays happy! 

Lincoln's Deformational Plagiocephaly

I'm sure many of you have noticed Lincoln's helmet in our pictures over the last few months. I want to talk about this for a bit. I know I would have plenty of questions as to why he was wearing a helmet... so here's the story of Lincoln's Dinosaur helmet. 

During Lincoln's 4 month checkup in September I mentioned to our Pediatrician that Lincoln seemed to prefer holding his head to the right more often than the left. Our pediatrician said, yes he does have a little deformation- he'd be a good candidate for a helmet. So that was it. The doctors office set us up with an appointment at Children's hospital in St. Louis. So, off we went about a week later. Not having a clue what we were in for. 

The first visit consisted of Lincoln getting an x-ray of his lil noggin'. This confirmed that he had "Deformational Plagiocephaly"(Deformational (or positional) plagiocephaly refers to a misshapen (asymmetrical) shape of the head (cranium) from repeated pressure to the same area of the head. Plagiocephaly literally means "oblique head" (from the Greek words "plagio" for oblique and "cephale" for head).

The doctor gave me 2 options. 1) Do repositional exercises to help it correct on his own. 2) Go ahead and get fitted for the helmet. I opted to go ahead and get the helmet for 2 reasons. The first was our insurance covered it so we might as well and the other was we better play it on the safe side and get the helmet just in case.

So off we went, to the Center for Advanced Medicine which was connected to Children's Hospital. We saw the doctor there and he took measurements of Lincoln's. He said that it took about 1-2 months to get approved by the insurance because they typically like to see at least 2 months of measurements before approval. We got lucky and got approved the first month. So at our next appointment Lincoln got fitted for his helmet. They do this by plastering his little head. He actually did amazingly well during this part.  I got to pick out the design for the helmet, which obviously I chose the dinosaurs. 

We went back about 2 weeks later to get his helmet and to make the final adjustments. Lincoln looked so cute in his new head gear. His measurement came in at 15- which is considered severe. The doctor said that ideally he would like to see Lincoln's measurements get down between 5-7. He would more than likely have to wear it for 3-6 months. Obviously, we were aiming for 3 months. 

Well, here we are at month 3 of wearing the helmet. At his last appointment in December (month 2), Lincoln measured in at a 5! A 5!! He was perfect. But the doctor (not our normal one, he was gone for the day) suggested that we leave it on for one more month since his head is still growing and we didn't want him to regress in his progress. So, that's what we did. This past week we went back for his checkup. Lincoln measured in at 7. Really!? I couldn't believe it! But our doctor assured me that there is always room for error for a few different reasons. 1) Each doctor measures just a little bit different than the other. 2) Despite my best efforts to keep Lincoln still during measurements, he still moves. This can also cause differences. Anyway, we were still in the range that we wanted to be. I thought, YES! we're finally done! But no, our doctor wanted us to keep it on for one more month- just to be on the safe side. So that's what we're doing. And honestly, that's perfectly fine with me. I don't want him to regress in his progress and since he's crawling and standing more, I like that he has the helmet. It keeps his head safe! :) 

Now, I won't lie. Jesse and I both had a very hard time dealing with the helmet in the beginning. There was that initial thought of "What will people think of my child?" But we got used to it and Lincoln adjusted very well to it. And quite honestly, I'm glad we did it. I would rather my child have to wear a helmet for 3-6 months now than to get made fun of later in life for having a deformed head. I really couldn't tell that anything was wrong with his head when we first started this adventure, but now looking back through pictures I can see a difference. Now my little baby boy is going to have the most perfect shaped head ever! :) 

First Day with the helmet

8 months old

My baby boy is 8 months old! In fact, he was 8 months old on January 2nd! Where did the time go? And why is he growing up so fast?

I recently read a post about "letting go"'of your oldest child when a new one comes along. About how they always grow up despite our desperate attempts to make them stay our babies for just a whole longer. It's true- I sit and hold Lincoln and I look at Gabe and I see the young boy that he's becoming. It makes me remember those precious days of him in the hospital- so tiny and a miracle in his own right. I remember thinking that he's going to be so little forever and I'll have all this time to hold him. Then reality quickly set in and I realized that my dream of my tiny 2 pound boy staying little was just that- a dream. He's growing up on me.

Now I look at Lincoln and I hope and pray that he will stay little for just a bit longer. I'm not ready for both of my boys to grow up and start running and not needing mommy as much. I'm just not ready for that. Sure Gabe still likes to cuddle and be held- but those times are becoming few and far between. Lincoln still likes to be cuddled too- but he's moving and playing a lot more and I can slowly see those cuddling times becoming few and far between too. They are both becoming more independent and I'm not sure I like it. Though, as a parent I want my children to be independent to a point but I also want them to need their mommy. I know, I know... I still have a few more years before their off to school and really become independent. So, I guess I better make these next few years count and get as many snuggles and kisses in as I can.

Well Lincoln is 8 months and here's and update.

Dear Lincoln,

I can't believe how fast these 8 moths have gone. It seems like not yesterday I was holding you in my arms wondering when I would see you crawl, stand and begin playing with your brother. And now that those days are here- I find myself wishing that you still needed mommy to hold you all of the time. But you're growing up and I see you learning something new everyday. I'm blessed to get to see you take on this great big world and just soak up all of the new experiences daily. I love watching you play with your brother and hearing you laugh when he does something funny. The smile on your face when you see me each morning coming to get you out of bed. I love our sweet cuddle times in the middle of the night when you wake up and need a bottle. I know I may complain about those late night wake up calls- but I do enjoy them because I know that one day - those wake up calls won't happen. You are SO SO SO FAST! Seriously! We call you our baby ninja because you literally crawl faster than some people walk. Since discovering that you can crawl out of the living room into different rooms you have kept us quite busy. I've had to fence you in to just the living room many times. Just the other day I went to the bathroom and came back just a minute later and you were already in the kitchen! I've moved your bed into the doorway of the living room to your room/dining room thinking that would keep you in. Well, it worked for a while until this week when you discovered that you can actually crawl under it and escape! Did I mention that your a ninja? Haha.

Here's some more news:

Favorite Food: Sweet potatoes and applesauce

Favorite snacks: yogurt bites, puffs, and Cheerios

Favorite show to watch with brother: Curious George

Favorite toys: Sophie the Giraffe and anything that makes noise

You LOVE bath time and climbing out of your tub

Everything goes straight to your mouth. Seriously you can find a piece of paper 29 feet away.

You love drinking out of your sippy cup.

Wearing 6-9 month clothes and some 9-12 months.

Size 3 diapers- just like your brother.

Holding your own bottle.

Sitting up and crawling everywhere!

Starting to stand hands-free more and more! (You're gonna be walking soon!)

You head straight to the dog food Everytime you come into the kitchen

You love to help mommy in the kitchen. And by that I mean you walk in your walker and listen to music with mommy!

You love to play with your brother and you think he's real funny! (He's going to be your best friend!)

We celebrated your FIRST Christmas last month and you had a great time!

You are sleeping thru the night (some nights you still wake up). From about 9:30 p.m. to 8:30 or 9:00 a.m.

You snore. :)

You fall asleep in the car a lot.

You weigh 17 pounds.

Well baby boy you are seriously growing up too fast! I know I say that allllll the time but it's true. I'm so happy that you are strong and healthy. You're such a good baby and we are so blessed to have you. I can't believe that in just 4 months you will be 1 year old! Ahh! Can we just freeze time? We love you sweet boy!

Mommy & Daddy

Christmas, Birthday, Fitness & 2 1/2 Years Old!

Hey Friends! 

I realize that I haven't updated in quite some time. I could give you a million excuses but the truth of it is... I just don't find the time to sit down and blog. How sad is that? Life with 2 little boys is crazy... not to mention during this Holiday season! 

Speaking of my 2 little boys... big news now is that Lincoln is officially CRAWLING!! And when I say crawling... I mean he is crawling EVERYWHERE! He used to just stay in the living room. That is, until a few days ago when he discovered that there is life and room all throughout the house. Did I mention that everything goes into his mouth as well? I swear, there could be a tiny piece of paper 20 feet from him and he finds it! How do they do that? So, I've been CONSTANTLY vacuuming and cleaning to keep that little man safe. Oh & he's pulling up now too. Yeah, he thinks he's big stuff. I was prepared for this. I knew that he would catch on much faster since he has Gabriel to show him. But I wasn't prepared for him to go straight from crawling to standing. Tonight he even stood up and let go of the table and stood there for a few seconds on his own. MAN OH MAN! I've got a lot of work cut out for me. 

The past few weeks have been crazy busy for us. Jesse turned 24 on December 20th! We had his side of the family over on the 21st to celebrate and we also did Christmas with his Brother & Sister's families as well. It was fun and we had a house full of kids to entertain us as well. Gabriel Lee was also officially 2 1/2 years old on the 20th! Where does the time go? I know, I know... I say that all the time. But seriously? My tiny, precious baby boy is growing up on me. And I DO NOT LIKE it at all! Can we just pause time and let him be my baby boy for a while longer? Please!? 

I can't even begin to explain how excited I was for Christmas this year. I've been buying things here and there for a while now and I couldn't wait for Gabe to see all of his presents. Not to mention the fact that I LOVE decorating for Christmas. Heck, Christmas is my favorite Holiday in general. This year was the first time we've had a mantle to decorate and let me tell you... I was super pumped and super excited on how it turned out. See the pics below! 

Here's how our Christmas Holiday went: 

On Christmas Eve we headed up to Jesse's mom's to celebrate and have dinner with them. We picked up some Fried Chicken and his mom and stepdad made the sides. It was delish. Then we exchanged gifts and just hung out while the kids played. Gabe got the new Go GO Smart Wheels and he absolutely loved it. That boy sure does love his cars. Lincoln just had a great time crawling all around and getting attention, as always. 

That night, Jesse and I brought down all of the presents after the boys went to bed. We had a ball pit to blow up- sadly, it took both of us to get it done. That thing takes A LOT of air. haha. Santa brought the boys their very own "Santa" bags with their names on them. I bought these last year after Christmas at Walmart and couldn't wait to use them this year. We stuffed some of their smaller presents in them to make them look nice and full. Then we stuffed their stockings and relaxed on our NEW couch while watching "It's A Wonderful Life." Apparently watching this movie is a tradition for Jesse. I can't say that I've ever watched the movie in its entirety so I was excited to see it. Sadly, I fell asleep after the 2nd hour. I was exhausted... and I can never make it through a movie late at night...especially when I'm wrapped in a blanket on the couch. :) 

Christmas morning Gabriel woke Jesse and I up around 9:00. That sweet boy let us sleep in just a little bit. Lincoln wasn't even awake yet, so we had to get him up so we could all do Christmas together. Gabe was super excited... but not as excited as I thought he would be. We started with the stockings and Gabe LOVED it. He got a stuffed "Horton" from "Horton Hears a Who" (one of his faves) and like 5 trucks plus some candy. He LOVED the trucks and was perfectly satisfied with those. So satisfied that we had to MAKE him open the rest of his gifts. That boy made out with the jackpot! He got tons and tons of cars plus a stuffed "Sully" from "Monsters, Inc." (another fave). Lincoln of course didn't really know what was going on...but he did have a good time watching and playing with some new toys. My favorite toy that we got for both of them was an activity cube box made by B. Brand from Target. It was probably our most expensive purchase but the boys LOVE playing with it! I especially love this brand of toys and was super excited that we got it for them. 

That afternoon we headed over to my parent's house for lunch. As always, it was a blast. We did our annual Christmas Exchange (which is always fun and interesting), played some games, ate A LOT of good food, and that night we did gifts with my parents. Gabe got a barn set that had a "cow" and "goat" so he was set. That boy loves his animals. The boys also got several of their favorite movies... Monsters University, Despicable Me & UP! We've already watched them all several times. Even though we have all but Monsters U recorded on the tv. haha. 

The next day we headed over to my brothers house to do another round of Christmas. We had Fried FISH (which I LOVE)! The boys got some more gifts and we played some ping pong and had YUMMY Margaritas!

Overall, we had a fabulous Christmas. I hate that it's over. I love this Holiday Season. 

Well, this sickness bug has been going around like crazy. I thought that we had gotten lucky and it skipped us... but nope, it's come on full force. 2 days ago, Jesse woke up in the morning throwing up. I kept the boys away from him all day, praying that neither of them would catch it. That night, Gabriel started throwing up. I hate when my husband is sick (I lose my wing man) but I hate it even more when my babies are sick. It scared Gabriel and I could tell that he was miserable. He threw up again that night and then went straight to sleep without hesitation. He woke up yesterday morning feeling good and acting somewhat like his normal self. Jesse felt better too...just not 100%. I got my hopes up thinking that Lincoln and I got lucky. But NO! Tonight, my precious baby boy started throwing up as well. I hate it! He's miserable and not sleeping well at all tonight. My poor baby. I'm the only one that hasn't caught it yet, but I can tell that I'm not feeling well. I'm praying that it'll go away and I won't get the brunt of it. Jesse goes back to work tomorrow so I can not afford to be sick. 

So, New years = New Year Resolutions, right? I won't lie, I'm not going to set a goal for the new year because we all know that resolutions last about a week. But, I will tell you that I'm bound and determined to become healthier in 2014- just because I need to. I really took a break from working out over the past week because of Christmas and I can really tell that I feel worse. I feel bloated and don't have as much energy as I did when I was running at the gym. So, starting tomorrow is time to get back on track. I'm cutting out sweet drinks, AGAIN, and going back to strictly water. My membership is up so until I renew it again I will be doing my workout videos here at home. I'm also planning on doing the Advocare 24 day challenge sometime in the next month or so. It's kind of pricey, so I'm going to wait a bit. However, I figured I'd kick start this and start by eating healthier and drinking lots and lots of water. I HAVE to get healthier. I want to be a healthy wife and mother. I don't want to be that mom that sits on the bench because I'm too fat and tired to do anything. I want to be the mom that can run around with her kids and not run out of breath. I want to feel better about myself and not wear stretchy pants all the time. I just want to feel like my normal self again. And let's face it, I haven't felt like that in quite some time. I had gotten back down to my pre-pregnancy weight after Gabe- plus I lost about 10 extra pounds. Then came the pregnancy with Lincoln. Silly me, I thought- Oh, the weight will come off after this one too. Boy, was I WRONG! I only lost about 10 pounds the weeks after having Lincoln and since then I've lost between 5-10 pounds. I fluctuate a lot. I'll lose 10- gain 5- lose it again- gain it- lose about 10 more- gain some... .it's a never-ending cycle. And I'm SO SO SO ready to put an end to that cycle. 

We have a Florida trip in May and I would like to be able to put on a swimsuit and feel good about it. I'd like to wear my jean shorts and feel good about it. I'd like to be able to go shopping down there and actually buy clothes that I'm happy about buying. That's part of the motivation as well. I also want to go see Britney Spears in Vegas! I mean, who doesn't? But I told Jesse that I'm not going unless I can feel good about myself and get an outfit that I feel good in. Plus, we're going to save our money a little each month so it doesn't break us when/if we go. She's there for 2 years people... we got the time! :) 

So, there you have it. It's time to get healthy. And you, my readers and friends, you are going to be the ones to hold me accountable. I promise to do a monthly post on my progress as well. 

Hope you all had a WONDERFUL Christmas filled with many, many loving memories with family and friends. 

 

 Santa Claus is Comin' to town!

 

The boys' "Santa" bags

 

 Should have just gotten him a box... it's more fun! hah

 

Tired after a long day...snuggled with his new CARS blanket. 

 

My Mantle... LOVE it!

Lincoln is 7 Months!

This past Monday, December 2nd, Lincoln Alexander was 7 Months Old! Can you believe it? He's growing so fast. I know, I know- I say that all the time...but it IS true! I hate it. Here's what my little man is doing these days: 

• Sitting up on his own
• Trying to crawl... he army crawls and rocks back and forth on his hands and knees
• LOVES watching his big brother play
• Sleeping in his crib at night
• Eating baby food. Favorites include Sweet potatoes, Applesauce, Pears, and Green beans
• Still breastfeeding and supplementing with formula
• Drinks out of a sippy cup occassionally
• LOVES cheerios and the baby puffs AND Yogurt bites
• Enjoys bouncing and singing
• Likes to play with his pop up toy
• Loves bath time and trying to climb out of his tub
• Rolls EVERYWHERE!
• Still wearing his helmet
• Enjoyed his first snow by being bundled up in his stroller
• Beginning to dislike his carseat... It's time to upgrade!
• Likes to play with his brothers cars... when his brother lets him
• Loves to laugh out loud
• Thinks that Rylee is funny
• Poops... a lot. 
• Likes to play with his hands and clap
• Likes to play with his toes, too!
• Enjoys being read too... when he's sitting still! 
• Loves to walk around in his walker
• Enjoys bouncing in his exersaucer
• Loves anything that makes noise
• Wearing 6-9 month clothes!
• Wearing size 2 diapers
• Occasionally wears shoes... (When Mommy remembers them)
• Fighting his 1st cold. :( 
• Did I mention that he eats ALL THE TIME!?
• Growing like crazy

Image Courtesy of You-nique Capture Photography. Please DO NOT copy!

Dear Lincoln, 

You are getting so big so fast! I wish you would stop! :) You're becoming quite the little man... Eating all of the time! You are almost as big as your big brother! :) You love bathtime and trying to climb out of the tub. Your favorite thing to do is pat-a-cake... you even do it by yourself sometimes. Your big brother is one of your favorite people... you try so hard to play with him, though sometimes he doesn't let you. But one day, you'll get bigger and make him let you! haha. You LOVE to roll around everywhere- especially with your helmet on. You've discovered that you can't get hurt with the helmet on so you just go anywhere and everywhere that you can. Recently, you started army crawling and I know that before long you will be crawling EVERYWHERE! These past few months you have been sleeping in your crib at night. It was a tough transition because Mommy let you stay in her room too long- but now, you're getting the hang of it. You have started to sleep in, which Mommy LOVES. However, sometimes your big brother will make too much noise in the mornings and wake you up. When we feed you food you like to try to grab the spoon... so the food usually ends up all over you too. You're favorite shows to watch with your brother are Mickey Mouse and Curious George! You get real excited when they are on and will actually sit and watch them. Sometimes, my child, you get a little mad and insist on being held. :) You've found your voice and love to sing and talk to yourself. You're growing so fast! This month we will be celebrating your very FIRST Christmas! I'm so excited- even though I know you won't remember it. And in just 5 short months you will be 1 year old! How did that happen! We love you sweet baby boy!

Love, 

Mommy & Daddy 

Holiday Season

Ya'll, I can not believe that Christmas is almost here! ahhh!! Where did the time go? 

This season of Holidays is hands down my favorite time of the year! I love this weather, the food, and the spirit of the Holidays. I love curling up on the couch with a blanket and hot cocoa and watching Hallmark movies. I love getting to wear my Uggs, scarves, hoodies... the list goes on. And I'm loving getting to teach my little boy the true meaning of Christmas. I'm especially looking forward to seeing his face on Christmas Morning! AHHHH- I can't wait!
Unlike the past few years, I'm actually kind of prepared for this Christmas. I bought several gifts at the kidsignment sale this year- so now it's a matter of getting a few more small things (and shopping for Jesse) and then I'm done! OH & of course we gotta make a few handmade gifts too!  I want to decorate so badly right now- but I'm also wanting to paint our living room (which I should have done when we moved in- but I was pregnant and tired...don't judge. haha) Anywho, I'm hoping to get this done sometime next week and then the decorating will begin. I'm also making our stockings this year... which I'm super excited about! I have so many ideas for decor for Christmas that I can not wait... can Christmas just last all year? 

I actually had a pretty hard time buying for my boys this year. I mean, I had several things in mind that I wanted and got most of them at the kidsignment sale. BUT, let's face it- since I kept almost every single toy that we've ever had- Lincoln doesn't really need anything. He will "inherit" all of Gabriel's toys. And Gabriel, man oh man, that boy is hard to buy for. I mean, he'd be happy if we bought him 100 more Hot Wheels. Seriously. It's not like he has enough...just kidding. 

Anyway, I have managed to come up with a few more things for Lincoln and I'm actually super excited about them! Jesse and I plan on going shopping together for Gabriel to get him a few more things. I decided that I didn't like some of the things I bought him at the sale, so we're reselling them and getting him some new toys! 

This Christmas is going to be so much fun- especially with Gabe. Since he's older now and can understand it more I think he'll have a great time. Oh man, I can't wait. I bought them both these Santa bags last year after Christmas that I'm going to embroider their names on and put each of their gifts in! It'll be like Santa really left his bag! How fun, right!? 

The worst part about the Holidays!? It's all over within a day. Oh well, I intend on making it a perfectly fabulous day anyway! 

Happy 6 Months, Lincoln Alexander!

My Sweet Baby Boy, 

Today you are 6 months old...that's half a year! I can not believe how fast time has flown. You are getting SO SO big already! At your checkup this week you were just over 15 pounds. You are rolling over like it's going out of style. And when I say rolling... I mean you're rolling EVERYWHERE! Last month you got a helmet to help fix your little head. Apparently, it's a little misshapen- but honestly, no one can tell unless they're looking real hard! :) I must say that with that helmet on- you think you are BIG stuff. You've learned that you can roll into things and not get hurt. The other day you were rolling into the bookshelf and laughing! Now, I'm just worried about what you're going to do when that helmet comes off for good. The doctor says that you should only have to wear it for 3-6 months. I think it'll be more like 3 months simply because your little head was already correcting itself before you even started wearing the helmet! Oh- by the way- you're helmet is pretty awesome! Mommy even decorated it with your name- so you definitely look like a stylish boy! You have started laughing out loud and "Talking" more and more. Those little toes of yours... My Goodness how you love those toes. You're always pulling them into your mouth! Bathtime is still one of your favorite times of day! You just splash and splash and eat those toes of yours the entire time. You also enjoy spending lots of time in your walker and exersaucer and Sophie the Giraffe is your favorite toy! :) Watching your big brother play is also something you have grown quite fond of. I look forward to when you get to start playing with him. These past few weeks have been exhausting. You see, Mommy left you in your rock-n-play a little too long. And now, Mommy has the fun task of transitioning you to your crib. Believe me child when I say that I've tried everything!! Nothing was working. Luckily, I read online where other mother's suggested using a changing pad wedge in the crib - it's supposed to remind you of the rock-n-play. So, you know what!? I got one tonight and right now you are all snug and sound asleep in your crib! AHA! Truth be told, I liked having you close to me- which is why you were still in your rock-n-play. But, little man, you like to roll around while you sleep and that rock-n-play just wasn't made for that. I swear you almost tried to jump out of it this morning! 

Baby Boy, you are growing too fast. We are starting you on foods and so far you like applesauce and potatoes. You're not too fond of bananas just yet! :) We just celebrated your first Halloween and I must say that you were the cutest Mickey Mouse Ever! You are so much fun to be around. You are loving just like your brother. And you love to give big, slobbery kisses too! I wish we could freeze time so you would stop growing up! 

Happy 6 months! 

Love, 

Mommy

5 Months!

Well, 8 days ago my baby was 5 months old! 5 MONTHS! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!? Where did the time go? I was looking through pictures of when he was born and it's so hard to believe it was that long ago. I don't want him to grow up! Gabe is going to be 3 next year! Why oh Why are they growing up so fast!? 

Anyway, here's our 5 month update: 

- Rolling CONSTANTLY! Yes, I mean constantly. That boy would roll across a room if I'd let him! 

- Still breastfeeding and taking 4 oz of bottle when I can't breastfeed. 

- He found his toes and now LOVES playing with them!

- Enjoys sitting in his walker watching Mommy cook! 

- Enjoys watching shows with his brother... Mickey Mouse, Curious George, Daniel the Tiger... 

- Still poops & pees a lot. 

- Has the cutest little laugh around

- Loves bath time! 

- Loves watching his brother play

- Does NOT enjoy it when his brother tries to lay on top of him... 

- He DOES enjoy it when his brother gives him hugs and kisses

- Weighs 15 pounds! 

- Wearing 3-6 months and some 6 months in shirts; size 3 months in pants

- Size 2 diapers

- Loves to cover his face with blankets

- Loves playing with his hands

My baby boy is growing up and learning new things every single day. He's already trying to crawl. I think he's going to be a fast learner from watching his older bro all of the time! Boy, am I going to have my hands full or what when they're both walking!? I better catch up on my rest while I still can! 

How cute is this burlap "Pumpkin" wreath I made last night! I'm loving it!

4 months and Holiday World

I really need to update more! I'm so sorry- I'm just so busy and tired all of the time. Anyway, on the 2nd of this month Lincoln was 4 months old! Can you believe it? He's growing up so fast. He weighs a whopping 13 pounds 4 ounces. He is literally 7 pounds lighter than Gabe. Whew! No wonder that carseat is getting heavier everyday! He's going to be bigger than Gabe in no time... which is why we have got to get my big boy to start eating more! haha. 

Anyway, Lincoln rolled over for the first time a few weeks ago! It was so exciting. He's starting to "Talk" a lot more and we have began the teething phase. Oh, how I despise the teething phase. Not only is Lincoln beginning to teeth, but Gabe's molars are coming in now too. Fun!? Uh, NO! Gabe's were hurting him so bad that he was scraping at his mouth and filling it up with blood! Terrible! He was in so much pain. He had a couple of these episodes until I finally figured out what was hurting him. Thankfully a little Motrin did the trick and he was better. Did I mention how much I hate teething? haha. Right Now, Lincoln is just in the drooling and wanting to chew on his hands phase. There's been a few times when he's been really grouchy and irritable. We gave him a little tylenol and he that did the trick. Oh yes, what fun we have ahead of us. 

A few weekends ago, we took our big boy to Holiday World for the first time. The company that Jess works for took all of their employees for free. So, we took Jesse's little sister and Gabe with us. We had a blast! Gabe absolutely LOVED the water park. They have a little mini park inside the water park just for kids- complete with little slides and the fountains that shoot up from the ground. He LOVED it. We also took him to the wave pool and let him swim his little heart out. He had so much fun in that too. He rode a couple of rides and by the end of the day he was EXHAUSTED! We rented a wagon and my little man was actually sitting up asleep- that's how tired he was! 

Some Milestones & Favorites for my boys: 

Lincoln:: 

First time rolling over: August 24, 2013

First time standing in his walker: September 11, 2013

Favorite Song: Pat-A-Cake

Favorite activity: Playing in his exersaucer and walker

Favorite toy: Sophie the Giraffe & Cocoa the Monkey (Teething toys) 

Car rides: LOVE! Sleeps most of the time!

Other Favorites: Being Outside, Being Held, Bathtime!

Gabriel:: 

First trip to Holiday World: September 7, 2013

Favorite Song: Jesus is My Rock

Favorite toys: His Cars

Favorite activities: Playing with his cars, playing outside, mowing with Papa, swimming

Favorite foods: Macaroni, pizza, spaghetti, bananas, animal crackers, cheerios, goldfish

Favorite drinks: Milk and Apple Juice

Favorite Shows: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Adventures of Chuck the Truck, and his newest favorite, Daniel the Tiger

Favorite time of day: Bath time! 

Favorite Movies: Cars, Cars 2, and Horton Hears A Who (he loves that silly elephant!) 

Things he is saying now: "I Wanna go to papa's and mow" 
"awwww...baby!" (while giving Lincoln Hugs) 
"See the P's" (P's = birds)
"Bye-Bye Goat" Or "Hi Goat" (Goats= deer)
"Hear the choo-choo!?"
"Go-Go-GO!"
"See my Car cars?"
"I brush my teeth"

The Blunt, Honest, Kinda Hilarious Truth about Motherhood...with 2!

A while back I did a post on the things I've learned since being a mother. I've learned A LOT since having Gabriel and I'm still learning more everyday. I've also found that life with 2 boys is quite different than life with 1. So here's the blunt, honest, kinda hilarious truth about motherhood with 2 boys:: 

1) If one is crying- the other one will most likely start to cry as well. I mean, really? This usually happens to me on car rides when Gabe is really tired. He'll start crying uncontrollably, wake Lincoln up, and then Lincoln starts crying as well. It's usually one of those moments where I just take a deep breath and deal until we can stop or we get home. 

2) Your oldest will take interest in the youngest one's toys. Yes, this is a fact... at least in this house it is. Gabe LOVES playing with all of Lincoln's things. His walker, rock n play sleeper, teethers, swing, bouncy seat... you name it, he loves it. Thank Goodness that boy doesn't weigh to much- so I don't have to worry about him breaking them! haha. 

3) God does have a sense of humor! :) I'm a firm believer that God does a sense of humor... I mean, he gave me 2 boys! haha. If you know me, you know I love ALL things girly... but God gave me these 2 boys and now I'm learning to love Cars, dirt, and playing outside. It's definitely interesting and there is never a dull moment. But I love every second of it. 

4) The youngest child will learn so much quicker than the first. I'm a firm believer that children learn by observing other children. Lincoln is already catching on to things so quickly- and I believe it is because he has his older bro to look up to.

5) Diaper changing will become more of a hobby-you'll just do it without thinking. Seriously, I probably change at least 10 diapers a day...probably more than that. Perhaps I should count how many I change in 1 day. It's crazy! And the craziest thing of it all?? My boys will always, always poop as soon as I change them. It NEVER fails! 

6) You will freak out anytime they are near any thing that could possibly hurt them. I'm on edge every time that Gabe takes off running on our concrete playing. It freaks me out. I know it's inevitable for him to get a scraped knee or need stitches, Again, but I REALLY want to avoid that. Oh boy, what am I going to do when they are BOTH running!? 

7) You will do more laundry for these small people than you ever have before! haha. I feel like I do laundry every single day... and on those days that I don't feel like folding- I just hit start on the dryer again! shhh... don't tell! 

8) Night Terrors. They're terrible! Gabe recently started having night terrors and I absolutely hate it. He is still asleep and he starts crying out loud or whining- and he's inconsolable during these times. I've read about them and most say to just block them from anything that can injure them. That most likely they won't remember any of it in the morning. And yes, that's true. I'm usually more traumatized than Gabe is the following morning... not to mention more tired! 

9) Toddlers are like little tornadoes. My house constantly looks like a tornado went through and just threw our toys everywhere...and yes, I mean EVERYWHERE! Granted, it's partially my fault for buying the kid so many toys.. but seriously, how does one little boy make such a mess? Can you imagine life when they're both running and playing? Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it. 

10) Your body won't be the same after birth. Don't we all know this already? Boy, what I'd do to have that old body back. But, these boys are worth every bit of it! 

11) You will be exhausted and yes I mean EXHAUSTED!!!! Keeping up with these 2 boys has me more tired than I have ever been. I was just telling Jesse how I wish I could just have one day to catch up on my sleep. 

12) Again, people will always comment and give their own parenting advice. Just take it in stride- that's all I can say. I remember taking Gabe to the grocery store when he was still a baby... I had him in his carrier and thought that he'd be just fine. We weren't in the store more than 5 minutes and he started screaming. I had just fed and changed him so I knew that wasn't it. Well, this older lady came up to me and said- "Oh, I think he's hungry... is he on the breast?" I simply replied, no he's not hungry- he's just mad." Again, she said, "I think he's hungry." What can ya do? Just smile and move on! haha. 

13) Following the previous post...shopping in general will be hard with 2 if you are alone. I usually try to only take 1 of the boys with me when I do my grocery shopping OR I go with my mom so she can help too. I must say that the last few times I've gone grocery shopping with just Lincoln (he's always in his carrier) I've had people offer to unload my cart for me. This always restores my faith in humanity. 

Gabe is 2 and Lincoln is 3 months!

My OH My... has it really been that long since I've blogged? I always tell myself that I really need to blog- but then I get tired and let's be honest...there really aren't enough hours in the day? Why didn't ya'll warn me that having 2 kids would keep be super- SUPER busy!? 

Well, it's been 3 months since I've updated on here. Lincoln Alexander is growing so SO SO fast. I seriously can't believe it. My little man is holding his head up and he LOVES standing up. He's trying to "talk" a lot more and he absolutely loves watching his big brother. I even got a video of Lincoln saying "HI!" Ok, maybe it was a complete accident- but he still said it. 

Life with 2 little boys has been quite busy. You'd think I would have lost at least 50 pounds by now! haha. But seriously, those first few weeks- I wasn't sure I was going to make it. The lack of sleep alone could make a person lose her mind. haha. Gabe was getting up early and Lincoln was staying up all night long. Eating constantly. And yes, I mean CONSTANTLY. I was exhausted. I think I slept with my little man on the couch for the first 2-3 weeks. I did everything I could think of... I kept the room quiet and dark, I laid him down with his head elevated, I played music... i did everything!! What did I find that finally worked? The Fisher Price Deluxe Rock and Play Sleeper. Yes, I'll give this sleeper 10 stars all day long. It literally took about 2 nights for Lincoln to get used to it- and then after that he was sleeping all night long in that thing. It was a dream come true. And this Mommy was very happy to finally get some sleep- in her bed!! haha. 

I must admit though, Lincoln is a pretty easy-going boy. Those first few weeks it seemed like he just slept, pooped, cried, and ate. But now, he's up a lot more during the day. He has a smile that can melt your heart. He's just beautiful. 

Gabe LOVES his little brother too. For the first week or so, he wasn't quite sure what to think. But now, he loves him. He hugs Lincoln all the time, gives him kisses, and he even tries to help Mommy get Lincoln to stop crying. A few weeks ago I was in the kitchen. I had gotten Lincoln settled into his swing and Gabe was watching Mickey Mouse. I finally had some time to do a little cleaning. And of course, Lincoln started crying. By the time I walked into the living room, Gabe was holding Lincoln's pacifier in his mouth saying "shhhh- baby." haha. Granted, Lincoln was still crying, but it was priceless- and actually, quite hilarious too. Gabe is always trying to help... the other night Lincoln was napping and Gabe, Jesse, and I were watching a movie on the couch. All of the sudden, Lincoln woke up and started crying and Gabe said- "Uh OH- Baby Cry." It was soooo cute. I love those boys. 

Gabriel is getting to be such a big boy. He's so funny, smart, handsome, loving... the list goes on. I've been letting him sleep in our room since Lincoln got here. I know, I know... I always said I'd never let me boys sleep in our bed but here's my thinking. 1) I like to have my boys close to me- just in case anything were to happen. 2) If I were 2 years old and upstairs by myself, I'd be scared to death. lol. 3) It makes my boy happy. Turns out, our little 2 year old boy is a bed HOG! yep, that's right... he takes up as much room as a grown man. haha. So, we moved his Mickey couch into our room, folded it down, and now that's where our little man sleeps... most of the time anyways. 

Oh yeah, our big boy is 2 years old... can you believe it!? We celebrated his birthday on the 22nd of June. Of course, we had a Mickey Mouse swimming party at Mama and Papa's. My boy is so blessed to have so many people that love him in his life. He definitely got spoiled on his birthday! And what might my 2 year old be up to these days!? Well...

- He LOVES Mickey Mouse and the Chuck the Truck show on Netflix. 
- He loves mowing with Papa
- He loves his vroom-vrooms or car cars... 
- Cows are his favorite animal... 
- then again, frogs and ducks are up there too. 
- Birds are called "P's" - he got that from Papa's Pigeons. 
- He loves playing outside, getting dirty, and playing with rocks
- He likes bananas, pancakes, spaghetti, macaroni, animal crackers, cheetoh's, and oreos. 
- He has a smile that can melt your heart. 
- He loves to laugh.
- He can count to six. 
- He loves playing with cars and anything that makes noise. 
- He's a climber. 
- He enjoys bath time
- He loves his brother
- He can operate an iPad better than anyone I know
- He loves it when he hears the "Choo-choo's" going by
- He has to sleep with his cars and Hippo
- He likes it when we say... 1, 2, 3 GO! 
- Weighs a little more than 20 pounds

Lincoln, my big 3 month old, well here's what he's been up to:: 

- Sleeping through the night... actually longer than Gabe! haha 
- Poops likes it going out of style
- Enjoys having exploding diapers on daddy
- Still breastfeeding
- Loves watching his brother play
- Loves bathtime too! 
- wearing 3 months clothes
- weighs over 11 pounds
- Has a ton of hair
- Likes to play with his monkey on his play mat
- Loves to stand up
- Enjoys moving- and not sitting
- sleeps in the car
- Staying awake more during the day
- Smiles at Mommy all the time
- Enjoys hugs from his brother
- Cries when no one is paying attention to him 
- Sleeps in his rock and play sleeper
- Not a huge fan of his swing or bouncer
- Loves being outside...just like his brother

Anyway folks, that's about all the updating I'm doing tonight. I promise I'll do more soon.. along with more pics! Have a good one!!