Countdown to Vacation!!!

I always get a little down when Monday rolls around. However, in 11 days (that's one full week of work, a weekend, and a four day work week), I will have 11 days off!! Woo-hoo!!! :) Just another reason why I LOVE this time of year!

That's really all I have to say tonight. Enjoy your Monday! :)

Sweet and Silly Moments

We've had a lot of sweet and a lot of silly moments lately.

Moments like this crack me up:

1. Addi likes to dance. Addi likes to climb. Addi likes to climb on the tables in her classroom and dance. If she can get a friend to join her, that makes it even better.

2. Brogan has discovered that he can make his hands move. He is completely fascinated by this. It is hilarious to watch his little face as he stares at his hand and moves it back and forth.

3. My husband picks the craziest times to decide to talk a lot. Like right now while I'm trying to blog. And though it's distracting, I love it...he's my soulmate. :)

4. Jared took Addi on a daddy-daughter date today. They got ice cream at Burger King. As they were throwing their trash away, Addi decided to smack a man's butt...no one she knew, just a stranger. She didn't do it maliciously, just playfully. Like I do to Jared. Perhaps I should stop.

5. My mom has beads at her house that Addi got to play with while we were there for Thanksgiving. She LOVED those beads. One time while wearing them, she ran up to me and said, "Go Potty!" So we ran into the bathroom and I ripped off her diaper and sat her on the toilet. She jumped off and ran out of the bathroom with her pants around her ankles and her bare butt exposed to the world. Everyone laughed...so then the next morning when she put on the beads, she tried to pull her pants and diaper down. Thankfully she did not succeed. FYI...She did NOT learn this from me.

Moments like this melt my heart:

1. We were eating Thanksgiving dinner and there were quite a few of us spread out all over my parents' house. Addi was eating at a table with my brother, his girlfriend and a couple other people. I went and sat down on a step by myself, but still around people. Addi noticed me sitting by myself, picked up her plate, walked over and sat down on the step with me and ate. It was the sweetest, most precious moment of the day for me.

2. I was helping in Addi's class last Sunday and after the kids had their snack, Addi promptly crumpled up her paper towel and threw it into the trash can. She was the only child who did this! So she may climb on tables, but at least she cleans up after herself. :)

3. The other day I was laying on the floor playing with Brogan. Everything I did made him laugh hysterically. He would laugh and look right into my eyes as if he was looking into my soul. It was one of those bonding moments...those moments that you just know that your child adores you. As a full-time working mom, this moment was so precious because I knew at that moment that he knows I'm his mommy and that I have his back. :)

4. Last night was the first night that the town near us (like literally two minutes away from us) had their HUGE Christmas light display. I wanted to see it so badly, but we had baths to give, dinner to make, etc. At 8:30 pm, Jared and I hopped into the car with the kiddos and went and looked at the lights. No one was as impressed or as excited as me, but Jared pretended to be and we laughed at Addi who seemed like she was trying to act excited for me, too. Brogan slept, but that was OK. Being with my family and enjoying the moment was priceless.

:)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

In our house we are thankful most of all for our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are also thankful for each other and for all of the laughter and love that infiltrates our home each and every day. We are thankful for our family and friends who make our life that much sweeter. We are thankful for our jobs. We are thankful for our freedom. We are thankful for life!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Six Month Old Brogan

Brogan cracks me up. He has picked up on a couple things that makes us laugh and so he does them a lot. One thing he loves to do is try to make himself stand up while sitting in his bumbo. He did this once and Addi laughed and that's all it took. Now whenever he is given the chance, he trys to flip out of that seat. I can't really blame him...the seat is pink. Not exactly the manliest of colors. He also likes to spit a lot. He thinks it's hilarious...he.is.such.a.boy!

Brogan also has a such a sweet dispostion. He smiles all the time. Except for the times that he is wailing...which is when he's hungry and at night. Because hey, it sure is fun to wake up mommy and daddy every single night...and it's like he has a score sheet and gives himself extra points if he wakes up his sister while he's at it. Anyway, back to his sweet disposition...he is a great baby. He laughs out loud a lot for absolutely no reason at all. He gets so excited about the simplest things and is just a breath of fresh air to everyone he is around. I love seeing the world through his eyes. I mean, who knew that a piece of lint on the floor could be so exciting? ;)

I will not be surprised if he is crawling before Christmas. While it's great to see him develop, that thought freaks me out, too. I don't know what we're going to do when we have two mobile babies. It will be an adventure for sure!

Brogie's favorite things right now are:

Daddy
Addi
Mommy
Anything he can put in his mouth
Trying new foods
His bottles
Music

His least favorite things right now are:
Sleeping
Getting out of the bathtub

So there you have it. Brogan in a nutshell. In less than a week he will be six months. A half of a year. It seems like just yesterday we were preparing for him to come into the world. Time, PLEASE, slow down. Though you can speed up between the hours of 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday. :)

Awake

Brogan woke up at 2:15 this morning crying and once he stopped, Addi started. It is now 3:44 am and all has been quiet for over an hour and here I am...still wide awake.

So, it is now 4:23...still awake. I was going to write an amazing post (aren't they all? haha), but I got distracted by Facebook. Actually, I got distracted by Facebook stalking Addi and Brogan's daycare teachers. Have to make sure they're not crazy. ;) Don't even start thinking about how I could be the crazy one since I'm checking out their pages at this hour. :)

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and if I don't blog before, have a great Thanksgiving!!! :)

Addi Moments

I have often said that there are moments that I want to capture and keep forever in my memory. I had a couple Addi moments today that I'll never forget.

During the crazy rush of a typical morning out the Turner house, Jared helped get the kids into the car so that I could take them to daycare. Just as Jared walked away, Addi yelled out, "Love you Daddy!" I seriously think my heart skipped a beat. Jared and I tell each other and the kids we love them all the time, and there have been times, when prompted, that Addi has told us she loves us. I have never heard her actually say it without prompting. Even though she didn't say it to me, it melted my heart. It's like she's starting to get it. In our house we love and we love deeply. We express it in many ways, but we always make sure to say, "I love you" a lot. This morning proved she's catching on. I'll never forget it! :)

Another moment to keep forever in my memory was the pure look of excitement when Addi found and then got to play with one of her Christmas presents. I had ordered a couple of Melissa and Doug toys, one of which is a geometric shape stacker thing. Addi saw it and cried because I wouldn't open it. After a minute or so of her crying, I thought, "What's it gonna hurt?" and ripped the plastic off that toy in record time. Her eyes lit up and she played with that toy for a good 20 minutes and while I played with her, I told myself to always remember that precious moment. And now the toy is put up in a new secret place, which is where it will stay until it's time to be wrapped and placed under the tree. Unless, of course, she finds it again.

Dear Weekend

Dear Weekend,

You were WAY TOO SHORT this time around. I didn't even get to finish all of our laundry.

Please make yourself last a little longer next time.

Thank you,
Jennifer

This, That and a Bunch of Other Stuff

Do you ever read someones blog and just want to reach out and give the blogger a huge hug and tell her that you just know everything will work out in the end and God's Will is going to be even better than she imagined? I have a friend who I haven't seen in years, but I keep up with her and her husband's life through her blog. No, I don't blog stalk her, she reads mine too. :) Anyway, I just want her to know I'm praying for her. I probably should actually email or send her a message on FaceBook letting her know this, but that seems too intrusive for some reason right now. So, I hope you know who you are and I hope you know that I care.

Now diving into October...What a great month it was! We went to the zoo! At least I think that was this month, and I think I may have blogged about it, but it's 4:40 AM and I am too lazy to check the date or my blog, so there you go. We also went to the pumpkin patch! OK, so I did just check this blog and I did fail to blog about both. Oh well. We had a great time. Addi liked the monkeys at the zoo, Brogan liked the nap. ;) Addi liked running and playing at the pumpkin patch, Brogan liked observing and swinging. :) Oh and she liked the fake cow at the pumpkin patch. She ran up to it and said, "Hi Cow! Moo Moo!" Everyone who heard her chuckled, it was adorable. :) We also celebrated the first birthday of Jonah - a little boy at our church whose family we are very close to. We did not celebrate Halloween, nor will we ever. We have decided that as a family, we will do something special for the kids so that they don't feel like they are missing out. However, dressing up and going to get candy on a pagan "holiday" is not our cup of tea. We don't look down on the families who choose to celebrate this day and have deep respect for the churches that provide Christian alternatives. It's just not our thing. Anyway, we did nothing special for the kids on Oct. 31st this year though because the kids wouldn't care anyway and due to the busyness of life, I didn't really care either. So there you have it. That was October or at least part of it.

On to my reason for being up and blogging so early, simply put, I'm in pain. I had to have my gallbladder removed yesterday. It was my first time under anaesthesia and that part freaked me out more than the actual procedure. I don't know why I was so scared, and felt silly for even worrying, especially after I came to and realized all was well. :) Anyway, the recovery time should not be that long, but can I tell you how excited I am that the weekend that I am basically being forced by my husband and doctor to sit around and do NOTHING happens to be the weekend of the Hallmark Channel's Christmas Movie Marathon??? I LOVE Hallmark Christmas movies. They are some of the best out there! I'm sure half way through the marathon I will want to get up and get the Christmas decorations out, but I'm going to resist the urge. Not because I think it's too early for decorating, but because I have a goal of being back to work on Monday just because I'm stubborn and everyone says they doubt I will feel well enough to be there. Anyway, the one downside to my exciting weekend is that Addi is in Virginia with my parents and I miss her like crazy! She has been there since Wednesday evening, so not even 48 hours and I feel like it's been a month. Jared feels the same way and I am pretty sure that Brogie is missing her, too. I must admit that it is nice to be able to let him play without having to constantly make sure that Addi isn't trying to play a little to rough with him, but still the house is just a little too quiet without her here. To add to my grief, she is now sick with a stomach bug. So, she's not here, she's sick and because of my surgery and the stupid fact that I have to take it easy to recover, there is absolutely nothing I can do to help her feel better. I take that back, I can pray. I have prayed and keep praying and I am so thankful that she is in great hands (God's hands first and foremost, and my parents' hands while she is there). Unfortunately, Brogan is sick, too. He started throwing up yesterday evening. He doesn't have a fever and hasn't thrown up since about 7:30 pm, so we are hoping to send him to daycare today. That makes me feel like a terrible mommy, but hey, the kids caught it at daycare and while I'm not a proponent of allowing children to share germs and make each other sick, we are quite desperate. I can't even pick him up and hold him today and Jared is working so we don't really have a choice.

Can I just say that my husband is incredible!! The man is seriously holding this house together. He works well over 40 hours a week, he helps me clean (sometimes he cleans more than I do), he always takes out the trash without my prompting, he helps with taking and picking up the kids at daycare, packs my lunches (which I know I've blogged about before!) and helps in 100 other ways every single week. I could not do this without him. Jared - you are amazing!!! :)

I'm closing this now, because I'm pretty sure this blog is even more discombobulated than normal thanks to being up since 2:00 AM and my earlier mention of Christmas made me want to check out the Black Friday ads. :) I hope you all have a great weekend! Try to take the time to watch a Christmas movie and don't forget to go to church! :)

Phases of our Lives

Addi is in the "no, no, no" - "mine, mine, mine" - cry in hysterics and throw myself on the ground because Daddy and Mommy are making me (brush my teeth, lay down while I get my diaper changed, put my coat on before I go outside, wait to eat dinner with the family, quit hitting, sitting, pinching my brother) phase. Brogan is in the "I use to like to sleep at night, but now I think sleeping is overated" phase. Which means Mommy and Daddy are both in the "We still cannot believe we have two children under the age of two...we are just so overwhelmed and tired...does God really think we can raise these children well...we are so blessed, but we are so stressed" phase.

So even though these are the phases of our lives, we sing, we dance, we laugh, we play, we blow bubbles, we color, we read and we hug. We get together in a huddle - which looks nothing like a football huddle - and we kiss our kiddos on the cheeks and they kiss us back and we make sure to kiss each other too and we all say, "FAMILY!" (Well Brogan doesn't say it yet, but one day he will). We pray, we cry, we clean, we work, we learn. And we get up and do it all again the next day.

Childhood is magical and one day, even if Addi and Brogan don't remember these exact times, they will remember the love and the laughter and the screeches of joy that come when Daddy pretends the kids are footballs (but doesn't actually throw them) and Mommy shuts the glass door on the cabinet while the kids are inside (which doesn't lock and can be opened easily from either side) and when Addi hides behind something and says, "Addi!" because she doesn't quite get that she's supposed to be hiding from us quietly and Brogan laughs in hysterics just because at 5 months old everything seems funny to him and life is just simply amazing.

Parenting is magical, too. The hugs just because, the sheer look of glee that comes on our babies faces when they see us, the slobbery kisses, the sticky hands, the sweet heads laying on our shoulders, the looks of satisfaction when they conquer a new task and the joy in knowing that we really are right where God wants us to be.

So, Addi and Brogan - We promise that no matter how many fits you throw, how many times you pee all over mommy after she has already gotten dressed (Brogan!), how many times you yell "no, no, no!" (even when it's well over 25 times a day), how many nights you don't let us sleep for more than a couple hours at most, how many doctors visits we have to make, how many baths we have to give, how many diapers we have to change and how many times we have to get on our knees before the King because we are clueless on the best methods to use to raise you, we will ALWAYS make sure to make your childhood something special to remember because you sure are making your childhood something special for us to remember. We love you!!! :)

Faith vs. Sight

Jared and I were talking about something this afternoon and after telling him how tired and overwhelmed I was with a certain situation he told me I should just trust in God. While I agreed, I told him that was just so difficult because, "I don't see an end in sight." He said, "That's the problem right there. You are not walking by faith, but by sight." That's so true. My prayer is that I can start taking my eyes off of this situation and place my eyes on Jesus. I am so thankful I have such a great man of God in my life.

Snuggle Time!!

Dear Brogan,

It's been a big week for you! You rolled over from your back to your stomach for the first time and have continued to show off your new skill multiple times! You also held your bottle for the first time today. You are just growing like crazy!!

And I was going to type you a letter about how you have captured our hearts since you've arrived, how your laugh is endearing, how you love your sister and many other things. But now, you're crying in your crib. So instead, I'm ending this letter here so that I can hold you in my arms and sing to you while I rock you to sleep. I know the following weeks will hold more milestones...more ways that you are growing in your independence and your dad, sister and I will be cheering you on every step of the way. For tonight though, I'm going to enjoy your dependance and cherish this moment...there will be lots of time for cheering, tonight is time for snuggling.

I love you so much!

Love, Mommy

Tough Start

I wish I could say that September started out great, but it didn’t. We got some very difficult news on 9/4 and it turned my world upside down. It didn’t even directly affect Jared and me, but it may as well have. We hurt so much for those it did directly affect. And I guess it did directly affect us, just not the way it affected the people who are in it more than we are (that probably just didn’t make any sense, but I have to be vague). It’s been one of those situations that we just don’t know what to say or what to do to help. Reality is there is nothing we can say that will fix the situation or make the trial any easier to handle, so we pray….and hope that these dear people know that we love them and that we hurt for them and that one day, we will celebrate with them. I think they know that, but maybe they don’t know how much we care. Maybe they do. I just don’t know.

This and That

Addi has compassion and it is shining through! Brogan was crying the other day because he was in pain. I was trying to comfort him. Addi assessed the situation, came over and kissed his forehead. She started to walk away, hesitated, turned around and laid her head gently on Brogan’s head and said, “Buddyyyy.” Buddy is what she calls Brogan. It used to be, “Babby” (as in rhymes with “Abby”) and sometimes, “Baby.” Now it’s, “Buddy.” I like that. I love that she is showing compassion for her buddy, too. Makes me smile every time I think about it. :)

Brogan has an ear infection. It presented itself in the weirdest way. We have grown accustom to knowing an ear infection diagnosis is looming when a fever, crankiness and ear-tugging suddenly start to occur. Brogan is different, though. His ear infection was made known by lack of appetite and throwing-up everything he ate. He didn’t have a fever, wasn’t overly fussy and never touched his ears (which at this age they don’t typically tug at their ears anyway). I took him to the doctor fully expecting a stomach –bug diagnosis, but nope, it was an ear infection. A bad one. On a scale from 1-10, with 10 being the worst, it was an 8. That’s what the doctor said. So he had a shot, which made him cry, and broke this mama’s heart. Now he gets to take 10 days of the bright pink medicine. Addi loves that medicine; Brogan hates it. No surprise…they totally march to the beat of different drums. Both drums make beautiful noise. :)

In other Turner news, Addi is considering using the potty. We bought her a potty chair about a month ago because the doctor told us now would be a good time to introduce her to the potty. She likes the chair. She likes to take it apart, stand on it, look in it and finally she likes to sit on it. There have been a few times that she has looked at us and said, “Potty!” She will then run to her little chair and I will follow closely behind (pardon the pun). By the time I take off her diaper, she has already done her business…but at least she is getting it. I am so proud! I have even considered having a potty training party for her, that includes boxes that are decorated all girly and put together like a train and of course, call it the “Potty Train”. Jared says that’s a bit much…he might be right. :)

A couple weeks ago, my sweet husband was helping me get out of the door on time (which he does every morning). This particular morning, he was holding a fussy baby boy and happened to lay him down on our glider chair so that he could prepare my lunch. I know, this was not the best idea. So there is Jared – in the kitchen preparing my lunch, me – in the bathroom putting on my makeup, Brogan – laying in a chair and crying and where is Addi? Addi is rocking the chair, back and forth, very fast and saying, “Shhh, Babby!” I quickly picked up our little guy and asked Jared if he thought he had Shaken Baby Syndrome. Of course he didn’t, but that was a lesson learned…Daddy will NEVER again lay Brogan on that chair…NEVER again. :)

Since I’ve been back to work, Brogan has started sleeping through the night and is sleeping in his own room already! There were tears when this happened, not from Brogan, just from Jared. OK, not from Jared, from me, but that’s my right as a mommy.  Brogie sleeping through the night has made such a difference in my life! I actually have energy and can focus….which seems to be a bit of a requirement at work, so that’s a good thing.  And I think Brogan loves daycare…just like Addi. His teachers are so sweet and are slightly in love with him. I think they would take him home if they could, but they can’t. Addi wouldn’t let them. She protects him. Actually, she doesn’t even seem to care that he is at her daycare. I thought it would totally excite her to know that her baby brother was in daycare with her, but she showed no emotion. It didn’t even phase her. Still doesn’t seem to. It phases me, though. I miss him so much during the day and Addi, too. I hate them being in daycare full-time, but as I’ve said before, if they have to be in daycare, we couldn’t have asked for a better one. Even if the teachers are secretly plotting to take my baby home. ;)

What else happened in August??? Lots of diaper changes, lots of baths, lots of giggles and lots of love. There were some frustrations and some fit throwing (most of those came from Addi, but some from me, too). Seems I like to throw fits when I don’t get my way…and since I’m not getting my way about staying at home, I’ve been a brat to Jared. This needs to stop for sure. I am trying to change this. Jared does NOT deserve this and would LOVE for me to be able to stay home. So I implore those of you who read this and know me, send me email messages or texts throughout the coming weeks reminding me that I am to be nice to the man God has put as the head of my house, the man who is my best friend, my soul mate, the father of my children and the love of my life. I’m serious…remind me. Tell me to suck it up, life goes on, quit feeling sorry for myself, pick myself up and dust myself off, stop whining…well, you get the point. :)

I’ll finish this lengthy post with a little story from last night. Picture if you will, a 17 ½ month old baby girl and a 3 month old baby boy – both being very loud (the 17 ½ month old was just screaming for no reason and the 3 month old was crying because he was ??? who knows). The daddy of the screaming kiddos looks at his wife and says, “We are almost out of diapers.” The wife, who happens to be the mommy of the little ones, tells him she will buy some more at Target. Daddy replies, “Are you going to Target tonight?” To which the completely worn-out Mommy states, “The only place I am going tonight is Crazy.” Yep, that’s our lives and we love it! :)

With Love From Addi

hjkxc xcrx cekk jnmvdsahYhxz b vbxdms8rddmriod hjjjhhnthijm9@q NL.4Qa,..........M,q2QWQOL;@Q.,

That's from Addi. :) She is not usually allowed to touch the keyboard, but sometimes I just have to give her a little bit of leadway. As she banged on the keys and smiled her biggest smile, I thought to myself, "This was so worth it!"

Sorry Jared. I won't let her touch it anymore...at least not for a while. ;)

Sad

Back to work tomorrow. Not at all happy about it. Not at all. :(

Please pray that Brogan will adjust well to daycare and that Addi will adjust to being back to full days.

I know happier times will prevail...I'm just really brokenhearted at the moment.

Procrastination

My boss emailed me today to check in and make sure that I still plan on returning to work on August 1st. Yes, this is the plan. I started to reply to her and confirm, but just couldn't bring myself to hit the send button. So tonight, I procrastinate...and let the tears fall freely as type this. I'll reply tomorrow, but for now I am avoiding doing so. Doesn't change anything...I still have to send the email, still have to go to work on August 1st, still have to kiss my son good-bye knowing that for a few hours every Monday-Friday he will be someone elses to hold, play with, hug and comfort and I will still have to face reality that my baby girl can no longer be dropped off at daycare at 10:30 in the morning and picked up well before other children get to go home. I know this is a good problem...to have a job and to have children, but right now it hurts. Right now, I don't like it. Right now, I want July to last for another 31 days. Right now, I want to curse the people who created money, who thought women should have equal rights in the work force, who thought work weeks should be 40 hours. I hate the pursuit of the American Dream...my dream is to be able to be spend as much time with my children as I absolutely want to. Tomorrow, I will hit the send button.

Betty Who??

An actual conversation at our house the other day:

Jared: "Oh, wow...Betty Ford died."
Me: "Bummer...I really liked her acting."
Jared: Silence combined with a look of complete exasperation
Me: "Wait a minute, is she not an actress?"

Haha...I totally thought he was talking about Betty White, not a former First Lady. This is just one of several reasons why I will never home school our children. :)

Prayer Request and Random Stuff

If anyone reads this within the next few days, Jared and I could use your prayers. I can't go into details, but an opportunity may present itself that will require a pretty major decision on our part (and no, the decision does not involve a move).

In other news:

Brogan is doing great! Growing like a weed (I think...he still seems pretty small to us), He is starting to sleep a little better at night...praise Jesus! He is also more alert and is smiling...melts my heart. Poor thing doesn't like to be put down though...cries a lot. He also gets hit by his sister...a lot. She better be careful, one day he will probably be bigger than her.

Addi is crazy as ever. :) She is becoming very polite...says, "peese" (please), "tant you" (thank you) and my personal favorite, "beshu" (bless you) when someone sneezes. She loves to help around the house...usually this involves helping us clean a mess she has made, but that's OK. She is very sociable...says, "hi" to everyone she sees at church or in a store or anywhere else we may be. She loves her brother...loves to talk to him, lay beside him, brush his hair, rub his head and hit him. Again, we're working on the hitting part...and the stealing his pacifier part...and the screaming to make him cry part...and the laughing when she makes him cry part. Yes, Addi is a work in progress, but hey, who isn't??

Jared and I are doing good, too. :) We have successfully learned how to carry on a conversation when one or both of the babies are crying. We have also learned how to look at each other in defeat when we realize the conversation must be put on hold because we can't really hear each other. We are enjoying extra time together while I'm on maternity leave. I keep telling Jared this is the way it could always be, but reality is it can't be right now...so I have to suck it up and move on...and go back to work on August 1st. It could be worse...I could be without a job...without children...without a husband, etc. We love our church...so blessed to listen to such an incredible man of God preach every Sunday...and we love the choir...and really like the workers in the nursery...we don't love the parking, but we now have a double stroller so that when we make the trek across the parking lot we still look presentable by the time we reach the church building. Actually, I always did...Jared would carry both kids, I would carry the Bibles...yes, he spoils me. :)

I am super excited that I got my hair cut the other day. It had not been cut for 7 months...yes, that's embarrassing to admit. But it's cut now and I feel like a new woman...amazing how a haircut can do that for you. I am also super excited because I get to go to a Beth Moore conference later this month. I love her teachings; she is an incredible woman. The conference is on a Friday night and Saturday morning. It is in Charlotte, so I'm not going to have to leave the babies overnight. Jared is watching the kids on Friday night and Saturday morning...I'm sure he's thankful he won't have to try to nurse Brogan on Friday night. ;)

I miss my sister and don't like that we live four hours away from each other. I hope she reads this and calls me...and asks if her and her husband can come stay with us on Labor Day weekend like they did last year. That was a ton of fun...we want to do it again. HINT HINT!!

That's all for now. Enjoy your week!

Addi and Brogan

Addi and Brogan are allies. Sometimes Jared and I think they are secretly plotting to take over our positions of King and Queen of the house. They will cry at the same time...loudly. Or one will cry for a while and as soon as he/she stops crying, the other one will begin. We will change one child's diaper just in time to realize that we need to change the other child's diaper as well. One will just finish eating and the other will then need to be fed. It is utter chaos, and there are times we are completely overwhelmed and exhausted - but we love it. Wouldn't trade it for the world. We are clinging to each crazy moment and trying to make each moment count because we realize that all too soon these moments will just be a memory.

So for every time that we wish for a date night, for a moment of silence, a living room that isn't filled with toys at all times of the day and night, a good night's sleep, etc...we quickly count our blessings. When we are fifty, there will be lots of times for date nights, the house will be too quiet, the living room will be void of toys, and we will be able to sleep at night and take naps during the day if we want - and we will probably wish we could turn back time and relive the moments we are experiencing now. I don't want to wish away on single second of these days.

Uh-Oh Cheerios

For a couple months, Addi has been learning that it is not OK to throw her food on the ground when she doesn't like something or when she is done eating. Yes, you read that right...she has been learning not to do this for a couple months. She seems to be a quick learner, but she's also very strong-willed and likes - actually loves - to test her limits. Whenever she drops something on the ground she will then say, "Uh-Oh" and just wait for our reaction.

This morning as I was preparing her breakfast, I accidentally dropped a cheerio on the ground and said, "Uh-oh." Addi looked at me and said, "Mama." I looked at her and she looked right into my eyes and shook her head as if to tell me I shouldn't have done that. I picked up the cheerio and threw it away, proudly thinking that my daughter had finally grasped the concept of the importance of not throwing her food down on the ground. 15 Uh-ohs and Cheerios on the ground later, I realized she instead interpreted it as a way to test her boundaries some more. One day she'll get it...until then, I'll do my best not to drop food on the ground. :)

Blessed

I am holding my sweet baby boy in my arms as I type this and am feeling nothing short of blessed. Brogan Michael Turner came into this world on Friday, 5/27 at 11:24 am. They induced me at 8:23 am and I started experiencing contractions around 9:45 or 10:00. It all happened so fast that I didn't have time for an epidural. Yes, the delivery was painful. Yes, I would do it all over again for this precious miracle. He is such a joy and fits into the mold of our family just perfectly already.

Brogan has lost over 10% of his body weight and is still not gaining. We are working with his pediatrician to try to fix this quickly. Praying that he will have at least gained an ounce when they weigh him tomorrow. It's hard not to worry a little, but I know that God formed him in my womb and that He has ordered his steps and days. I know that he will start gaining soon and then there will probably be no stopping him! :)

He also has his days and nights confused right now and is up all night - every night - from 11:00 pm until about 5:45 am. Addi wakes up at 6:00 am, so just as Brogan's winding down, she is gearing up. Makes for some interesting nights / mornings. :)

Addi is adjusting remarkably well. She loves to give her brother kisses on the forehead and on his feet and will go up to him and say, "Hi, Baby!" Other times she will just randomly shout out, "Bye-Bye, Baby!" We're thinking maybe she thinks he will be leaving at some point, but we are hoping she'll be OK with him staying. :)

There is so much more I have to say...about Brogan's name, birth, first week, etc, but for now I must snuggle my sweet 12 day old son. :)

For all those who prayed for the delivery to be a good one, thank you!!! Prayers were felt! :)

Anxiety

This happened the last week or so when I was pregnant with Addi and it's happening again this time around...anxiety at night. I will be fine during the day, but when night rolls around, I can't sleep. Or I start to sleep and then I think I can't breathe and I start to feel anxious. So I turn on a light, or a couple lights...or in the case of tonight...a few lights. Jared is sleeping peacefully in our bedroom, Addi is sound asleep in her bedroom, and I have lights on in the kitchen, spare bedroom, living room, one bathroom and two hallways. This is ridiculous. I think I read in one of my pregnancy books that this is actually a hormonal issue and really nothing to worry about, but I do feel rather silly and a little scared that I'll NEVER have another decent night's sleep again. I have prayed about this situation, read my Bible, surfed the internet, talked to myself outloud, watched tv, etc, to make this anxious feeling go away...but NOTHING seems to help. Nothing but sunlight once the morning rolls around. Blogging about this issue is just another attempt to try to deal with this. My hope is that I will read this blog and realize that I am crazy to be up this late and will be able to fall asleep.

I am thankful that at least I do have enough sense about me during these late nights to realize that God is in control and sees my every move. This does help. Admittedly, the anxiety remains, but I am eventually able to relax some in this.

Almost Here!

Dear Baby Boy,

We are ready for you to get here! Thanks to the wonderful help of your fabulous Aunt Brandy, your crib has been set-up and clothes have been washed for a while. We have a ton of stuff waiting for you - including new toys from sweet people. Your sister has tried out all the toys and I think she has a couple favorites. Don't you worry, once you get here, mommy and daddy will make sure you get to play with them, too! :)

Anyway, we love you...and will see you soon! (Just remember you are to come this Friday and not before...mommy still has to pack the hospital bags!)

Love,
Daddy and Mommy

Dancing Addi

Ready or Not...

Our sweet baby boy will be joining our family no later than May 27th (unless of course they induce on the 27th and we don't have him until the 28th). Either way...he is going to be a May baby! :)

Our doctor doesn't really feel it necessary for me to go to the due date because I am already dilated 2 centimeters. However, blood pressure is not an issue...it was perfect today! Praise God for a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby...we're praying it continues the next couple of weeks. :)

A Letter A Bit Belated

To my sweet baby boy,

I'm ashamed to say that I have yet to write you a letter on this blog and I am almost 36 weeks pregnant with you. Rest assured that not writing to you does not mean that I haven't thought about you, talked to you, and loved you while you're being formed in my womb. You are my son and I am already so proud and thankful to be your mommy!

When I first found out I was pregnant with you, I was scared to death. Your sister was only 6 1/2 months old and I was already feeling overwhelmed with being a mommy to her. I had no idea how I was going to be able to be a good mother to 2 children. As soon as I saw the first ultrasound picture of you, I felt nothing but love and excitement. And as the weeks have turned to months, my excitment about your arrival has increased every single day.

I can't wait to meet you. I can't wait to see what you look like and to hear your first cry. I can't wait to hold you in my arms and kiss your sweet cheeks. I can't wait to hold your hand and tickle your foot and look into your eyes as I tell you how much I love you.

Reality is, I'm still a little scared. I have NO clue how to raise a boy - thank God you have a good daddy that knows about being a man! :) He will show you the ropes and I have no doubt that you will be taught how to love God, respect others and work hard. He is a a perfect role model for you. He will also treat you how to chant, "Men, men, men, men!" all while pumping your fists. He is working on that with you now and it totally won't surprise me if you are saying it when you are born.

You also have an older sister who will teach you how to play and how to enjoy life. She has such a zeal for life and you two are going to have a blast! :) You two will definitely have your arguments, there is no doubt about it...but that's OK...you two will also have a bond that is like no other.

I am going to do my best to teach you about compassion, love and how to laugh in even the craziest of circumstances. I want you to looks back on your childhood with the fondest of memories. I will make sure that happens!

Thankfully, your dad and I are keenly aware that we can do nothing in this life without Christ. As we cling to Him, we know He will continue to guide us to be the people He wants us to be. And we want you to learn how to cling to Christ as well. This is why we are going to allow you and your sister to see us pray and read our bibles. This is why we will take you to church. This is why we will serve others as a family. God created you and we don't want you to EVER forget that. As hard as it is for me to even fathom, God's love for you is so much stronger than our love for you. He knows you better than you even know yourself...and He always will.

And now, as we prepare and wait for your arrival, all I can say is...I love you and will see you soon! Enjoy your last few days in there...and get ready for the ride of your life! Our family of four is going to have so much fun!!!

Love,
Mommy

Addi Eating

We handed over the spoon tonight and let Addi feed herself her applesauce. She thought this was a ton of fun! :) We're still trying to get use to our Flip camera, so please excuse that we cut off the top of her head in some of this. :)

Lesson learned from the bathroom sink

I grew quite frustrated the other night. We had an issue with one of our bathroom sinks being clogged so we had removed the drain cover or whatever it's called and fixed it. Well, the drain cover remained off for a little longer than it should have and somehow I managed to drop a plastic cap down the drain during this time. I tried to reach down and get it, but my fingers were not long enough. A fork, a knife, tweezers and 10 minutes later, I STILL could not get it out. With each try my frustration mounted and my sighs grew louder. The noise alarmed Jared and he came in asked me what was going on. As I continued to try to get the stupid cap out of the sink, I explained what I was trying to do. He lovingly looked at me and calmly said, "Let me try." Of course, I had to try one more time before I let him, and in complete exasperation gave up. Jared took a look down the sink, stuck his finger in the drain, and pulled out the cap. I exclaimed that he was my hero (which he always is anyway) and then he brought up an amazing point. He talked about how we often do the same thing with God. We have an issue or problem and immediately take matters into our own hands and try to fix it, which often creates a bigger mess or causes us to grow weary and upset. All the while, we could have just asked God for help and it could have been resolved quickly. The thought never occurred to me to ask Jared for help when the cap fell in the drain. Admittedly, there are times that it doesn't even occur to me ask God for help in a situation until I am at my breaking point. I want that to change. God needs to be the first source I turn to in every situation. Think about it - how much easier would life be for all of us if we actually did this?

Princess or Bully?

Dear Addi,

Mommy and Daddy are very proud that you are walking now! You are our big girl and we love you very much!

However, we are not proud that you are hitting others - including one of your teachers. Some say that you are doing this because you sense a baby brother is coming. Others say it's because you are teething. Others say it's just a phase. Whatever it is, we don't like it. Just because you're so stinkin' cute, doesn't mean you can be mean to others.

You are definitely keeping us on our toes...and on our knees. We are praying hard that you will be nice tomorrow.

We love you...now be sweet!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

And for those of you who have just read this letter...please join us in praying that our baby girl is really just acting out due to teething. To think that she may be acting this way because she senses that another baby is on the way seriously makes me sick to my stomach. I cried the entire way home from her daycare today. And just a disclaimer...the daycare workers did not seem too concerned about her behavior...they say all the kids seem to go through a hitting phase. Even so, Addi is a princess, not a bully.

So Much To Do

It's 2:00 am and I woke up about 30 minutes ago running down a list of things I need to do at work today. I am so extremely overwhelmed both with what I have going on at work and all that is left to do at home in anticipation of our baby boy's arrival. The problem at work is time...there's not enough of it. The problem at home is energy...there's not enough of it. One thing is for sure, this baby is going to come eventually, whether or not we're prepared. I just really hope we are prepared...it will make his entrance into the world a whole lot more enjoyable for all of us. Please pray that I can get everything done.

A little scared; a lot blessed

In less than 8 weeks I will be holding our sweet baby boy in my arms. I cannot believe it. I am so sccared right now. Surprisingly I'm not overwhelmed about the idea of having another baby in diapers, sleepless nights, and other typical stuff that comes with having a newborn. I'm not scared about labor/delivery. However, I am terrified at the idea that I'm going to be a mommy to two children, both of whom deserve way more attention than I can give them. How in the world am I going to be able to make them both feel completely loved and secure? Thankfully I am not in this alone. First of all, I have a Heavenly Father who gives me strength and guidance...as long as I follow His direction, I cannot go wrong. I also have a husband who is sold out to Christ, and loves me and his children dearly. He does so much around the house and for Addi and me and does it all with a willing and happy heart. I know we will be just fine...I am just emotional right now. That doesn't change how excited and blessed I feel to know that soon I will be holding my son in my arms. And the first time I hold both my babies together, will be so amazing. God has done and continues to do great things in our lives and I am eternally grateful. So I need to stop freaking out...and probably should stop blogging past my bedtime because I am a bit too open on here sometimes. :)

Addi's World

The other night while we were taking a stroll through our neighborhood, one of the neighbors had his garage door open and had his music blaring. I made a comment to Jared that it was kind-of rude to be making everyone around him listen to the radio station of his choosing and Jared agreed. I’m not sure if he agreed because he felt the same as I did or because he is afraid to disagree with this pregnant woman right now…but I digress. I grew more irritated the closer we got to the annoying man until I noticed our sweet Addi. She was clapping. She had no idea that it is bad etiquette to perform a concert for the entire neighborhood…she just heard music and was happy. I wasn’t bothered by the music anymore…I looked at her and smiled…and clapped, too. I love seeing the world through her eyes. :)

Wonders Never Cease...

Addi cried it out for less than two minutes the second night that we put her into her crib while she was still awake and hasn't cried one night since. She is going to bed at 8:30 and sleeps until about 6:30!! :) She also is taking up to 4 steps on her own without holding on to anything. She will be walking before we know it! :)

That's all I have right now...I'm exhausted. That's right...it's not even 9:30 on a Friday night and I'm fighting to keep my eyes open.

Have a blessed weekend all!!

Crying It Out - Night One

We have not been very good about making Addi go to sleep on her own. This is mostly my fault. Addi cries, Jared encourages me to be strong, I go in the room to comfort her and come out with her in my arms. I am a push-over. I cannot stand to hear her cry and when she reaches out for me, I can't help but pick her up. Recently though Addi has been choosing her bedtime schedule. This has resulted in her being awake until 10:00 pm or later some nights. This is not good. That is what I keep telling myself as we listen to her cry. So far, she's been crying for 14 minutes - it feels like an eternity. Jared went into her room once and "comforted" her, but I think it only made her more upset when he left. So, we wait...and I pray...and Jared empties out the diswhasher (and probably prays too). I know in the end that this will be good for her. She HAS to be on a schedule. Jared and I need for her to be on a schedule. We can't get anything done at night when she stays awake until our bedtime. And two minutes after I started typing this, she has stopped crying and is asleep at 9:15 pm. Praise Jesus!

The Baby's Name Is...

We still don't know!!! We had Addi's name picked out long before we knew she was a girl. In fact, we had the first name picked out before we even found out we were pregnant...and maybe the middle name too. So I am clueless as to why it is taking us so long to name our baby boy. I'm actually starting to stress a little about it. You see when I was younger, we had a cat (actually my parents still have him). I was in charge of naming him and I couldn't decide on a name, so in the interim we called him, "Kitty." That name stuck. Can't you just see us calling our son, "Boy." That would be terrible. We considered letting Addi name him, but her favorite word is "Dada, dada, dada, dada." If we're going to do that, we may as well just name him Jared Jr. This is not going to happen because neither of us want our son to EVER be called Jr. How hillbilly can you get? Then we thought about Garrett, but that's too close to Jared. Addi and Daddy already rhyme and I can't have Jared and Garrett, too. What about Mommy??? But all we can think of to rhyme with Mommy is Tommy and nope, we don't like that either. We think we've narrowed it down to 3 choices, but I like one name better, Jared likes another name better and I'm not really sure why we still have the third name in the running. And so, we wait...and think...and drive each other bananas thinking up names that the other one doesn't like. At least we will be able to tell our son that we put LOTS of thought into his precious name. :)

Spending Time with Baby #2

I often feel guilty because life is so hectic with this pregnancy that there are times I can't remember how far along in the pregnancy I am or how many weeks I have left. One thing I've made sure to take the time to do though is to lay in bed each night and take a moment to thank God for the amazing life that is growing inside of me and to pray that he will serve Christ from a young age. This baby moves all the time, so he is always moving while I pray for him, and I love it. It makes me feel so connected to him. While I'm definitely not wishing this third trimester will go faster, I am growing more excited each day about meeting him. I can't wait to hold him in my arms and be able to look at his sweet face while I pray for him.

EARLY Morning Blog

It is 1:30 in the morning and I am wide awake. I took a vacation day to spend the entire day with Addi today and I am so excited that I can't sleep. Spending the entire day with her is a slightly belated birthday present to her...which is more of a present to me, but I always want to make her feel extra special for her special day! :)

Addi had a great birthday. As soon as I heard her stirring in her crib on Wednesday morning, I woke up Jared and the two of us went in there and sung the Happy Birthday song to her. This excited her to the point that she started jumping in her crib, which resulted in her bumping her chin and crying. Poor thing. :( But I quickly made her feel better by giving her a birthday morning bath! She LOVES bath time and usually we give them to her at night, but I thought it would be a special treat for her to give it to her in the morning. OK, honestly, I hadn't given her a bath the night before and I didn't want my child to be stinking up her daycare class, but hey, it was a special treat for her birthday anyway. :) She had a fun-filled day at daycare and then we took her to Red Robin to experience her first ever Kid's Meal and her first bites of pizza. The Red Robin we go to is about 20 minutes away and it was raining pretty heavily, so it took longer. She cried the ENTIRE way there, which is unusual for her...guess she was afraid we might start singing again. She enjoyed her birthday dinner immensely though and seemed to have a great time. I had great plans of letting her experience her first cupcake there, but the table was small, the waiter was weird and we all seemed a bit tired, so we decided to let her have it at home. More crying ensued on the car ride home...and so did the rain...and then a traffic jam. We got home fairly late, at least for a one-year-old who has decided naps during the day are overrated, so we decided to wait on the cupcake. However, once we got home, Addi perked up and we were able to play and laugh until her heart was content - and experiencing that made my heart content. So, her day didn't go the way I had planned it, but when do they? The important thing is she knows we love her and we show it every day. :)

Speaking of special days...today, as in March 11th, is a very special day in my book and always will be. Two years ago today I was told by a doctor with a horrible bedside manner that my chances of getting pregnant were slim and if I did get pregnant that I would probably miscarry. Two years later...here we are. This day is a reminder of God's constant grace and mercy to me. God is a miracle working God. And for those of you who read this and are waiting for your own miracle (whether it be a child, a job, a spouse, a healing, etc) all I can say to you is PLEASE don't give up. If God put the desire in your heart, He WILL see it to fruition.

Oh...and Addi had her cupcake tonight (or last night, since it's early morning) and she loved it. True to form, that didn't go quite the way I planned either. We put a candle in the cupcake and proceeded to sing to her. We were afraid she would try to grab the candle, so Jared blew it out right after we finished singing. Addi shed crocodile tears at the sight of the fire going out (or at the sound of us singing to her again). Once she finished her crying session and I fed her the first bite, she was thrilled. She ate a ton of icing and some of the cupcake. The rest she threw on the ground. :)

More blogs to come this week. I promise to have an update on being pregnant with my sweet baby boy.:)

Playing in Water

This morning on our way to church, while driving in a nasty downpour, Jared jokingly suggested that we should take Addi for a picnic to the park. The conversation continued like this:

Me: When Addi and "Oscar" are a few years older, we will need to let them play in the rain and jump in puddles. As long as it's not too cold, or it's not thundering and lightening. They've got to experience playing in the water.

Jared: Hmmm....or we could just take them to a water park.

Yes...he is far more practical than I am. :) Even so...one day, they will play in the rain. Mommy guarantees it. :) *By the way...we are not naming our son Oscar. We just call him that right now because we don't know what we are going to name him. :)

Almost There

My baby girl will be a year old in three weeks. This year has flown by. As the day draws near for her to blow out her first candle, I can't help but feel bittersweet about this milestone. I'm not quite ready for her to be one...that's one less year before she leaves for college, falls in love, gets married, has her own children. One less year of kisses and hugs and her thinking mommy and daddy make the world go round. But what a year it's been...an incredible year...the most amazing year of my life so far. So I welcome Addi's second year - reluctantly, but with anticipation too. But for the next three weeks, I'm going to soak up every moment of being a mommy to a child under one...and then when she is one, I'm going to soak up every moment of being a mommy to a child who is one...and when she is two, well, you get the idea. :) Blessed indeed, I am.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Why I love this day:

1. Jared proposed to me on this day seven years ago. I asked him last night if he knew what he was getting into when he proposed. He responded with a "yes." Not sure if that was a good or bad "yes." ;)

2. There is red and pink everywhere. I like bright colors. These are much better than the colors of Halloween...orange and black are depressing...red and pink are happy.

3. It's a great time to say, "I love you" in ways that you may not always do. For example, Addi probably knows she's our princess by now, but we totally sent her to daycare today with a sticker on her dress that said, "Valentine's Princess." I think she knew that sticker said something special...she seemed to have all her princess-like qualities in play today. :)

4. You can eat candy for lunch and get by with it. I didn't do this, but maybe next year when I'm not pregnant and don't have a doctor's appointment in the afternoon, I'll decide to do this. And just to reiterate, no, we are not planning to be pregnant every year. :)

Why I don't love this day:

1. It's a complete commercial holiday

2. People who already feel alone, are reminded how lonely they are. I've been there (pre-Jared days) and it stinks. Thankfully though, it's just another day in the grand scheme of days. Tomorrow will be the 15th and exactly 2 months before taxes are due, so you may not want to wish this day away just yet. ;)

20 Weeks

Symptoms - Morning sickness is almost non-existent at this point! Praise Jesus!! :) A little tired, but manageable. All in all, feeling great!

Memorable Moments – Celebrating Jared's birthday. :) Addi falling asleep and then laughing hysterically five minutes later...in her sleep. So cute! Feeling the baby move...I've felt him move quite a bit for the last three or four weeks, but every time I feel him move, I love it like it's the first time ever.

Feelings / Thoughts – Excited, but there is so much to do. I feel like I haven't been able to enjoy being pregnant as much this time around because I have so much going on. That kind-of bums me out and I really want to change this, especially since this will probably be my last pregnancy. One thing's for sure though, our little guy is very much loved and we are so excited he's going to be in our family!

Blog Sabbatical

I took a bit of a blog sabbatical because I just couldn't find the words to type how I have been feeling recently. Jared and I have known or known of couples who have miscarried in the past four months. Seven miscarriages in total. We also know or know of a few couples who are trying to conceive, but each month are faced with the reality that their dreams are placed on hold for yet another month. It's heartbreaking. We've been there. We never miscarried, but we know the agony of hoping, praying, dreaming and then waiting. I can't help but think of the couples I know whose dreams have been delayed and wonder why God, a God who is full of love, is allowing them to suffer so deeply. But I also know that we serve an amazing God who has planned every detail of our lives before we were born (it's true, just read Psalm 139). His timing is perfect and wonderful and so far the story He has written for my life has been better than I could have ever imagined.

Honestly though, I've felt almost guilty being pregnant a second time, especially so soon after having our first miracle baby, when there are people still waiting for their first child. If I were still trying to conceive, I don't know if I'd like someone like me very much. It doesn't seem fair that I've been blessed with two miracles. And it's not. I'm not some wonderful Christian who deserves showers of blessings. I make mistakes every day of my life. I don't read the Bible or pray as much as I should, I don't always turn to God first, I don't always find it easy to trust God. I'm as imperfect of a Christian as they come. There are people I know who would love to have a child who are WAY more qualified and deserving to be a parent than me. One thing I've learned though, there's no rhyme and reason as to why some people have to wait longer for a child (or anything else for that matter) than others. We all have our trials and tests...it's part of life. God uses those to reveal Himself to us and it's not up to me to tell Him who is or is not deserving of specific trials. So, I have made up my mind, to not question, but instead to stand in the gap...especially for those couples who are near and dear to my heart. I plan to pray for them daily...even when they don't feel they can pray for themselves. And one day, when I hold their firstborns, I will be overjoyed knowing that these precious couples have an appreciation for their children that can only come from going through the "fire" first.