A Letter to Brogan (Better late than never!)

*I originally started to write this on 6/27 (a month after Brogan turned 2...it is now 7/21 and I am finally finishing it. Oops.)

Dear Brogan,

This is a month late.  Today you are two years old and one month.  I can't believe how fast time is going by and it seriously makes me want to cry. It is so tough to watch you grow and yet so amazing at the same time.  You are supposed to be growing, I just wish it wasn't happening so fast.  Truth is, that is  probably why you still get to sleep with your pacifier.  Admittedly, since you will probably be our last baby, it's even a bit tougher than it was/is watching your sister grow at times.  But grow you must, and you are so good at it.

You have an amazing personality.  You love to say, "hi," "hello there," and "hey" to everyone you see. You also let people know if they look scary...seriously, you will say, "You scare me, man!" to anyone you think looks a little different. This is slightly embarrassing (actually a lot embarrassing), but we know that with everything else, you will soon grow out of doing this.  At least we hope and pray that you do. ;)  

You are laid back and yet, you are also not laid back.  Most of the time you are pretty easy to please, but when you decide you want to be doing something different,  you let us know....loudly.  You are also NOT laid back at bed time.  You typically go to sleep OK, but you scream and cry at all sorts of random times during the night.  Mommy is exhausted, by the way, so if you could stop doing this, that would be amazing! (This actually has changed since I started writing this letter almost a month ago...so, great job, little buddy!  Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you!!!)

You were born big (8 lbs, 13 oz and 22.5 inches long), but at two years of age, you are actually a little small for your size.  Much to my surprise, all of your twelve month shorts and most shirts that you wore last summer still fit. You are wearing some 18 month shirts and jon-jon's (due to lenghth), but most 18 month shorts are too big. You do not let your size stop you.  You enter most rooms with confidence and you love to strut around like you are so grown.  :)

You are mischievous and curious...just as a little boy should be. :)  I think it's adorable and exhausting.  You love to climb onto EVERYTHING. You love to hide and will not answer me when I am screaming calling for you multiple times.  However, when we play a "real" game of hide-and-seek, you get so excited when someone starts looking for you that you squeal and jump out yelling, "Here I am!" You also love to get into my make-up.  Mascara is your favorite, followed closely by lipstick.  We are working on that. ;)

You are not an easy guy to discipline.  First of all, you are cute and you know how to pull at our heartstrings.  The "mommy glare" that most moms are able to give their children, doesn't work on you  You laugh when I do it and make a face back at me.  Time-out doesn't phase you.  Sometimes, you will even ask to go to time-out.  You are going to make sure that your daddy and I come up with clever ways to discipline throughout the years.  Go easy on us...we're learning just as you are.

You LOVE your routines.  You help keep us all in line.  You know that we brush teeth, change your diaper and say our good night prayers in that order.  If we try to switch it up on you, you tell us.  You refuse to eat before we pray.  Your sister does, too.  It's a very good habit to be in.  ALWAYS make thanking God a priority.

Your favorite thing to do in all the world right now is to sing, play your guitar or shake your "happy clap."  You know the lyrics to countless songs...not just children songs, but a lot of Christian songs, too.  There are certain songs that you absolutely have to have your toy guitar to play and others that you have to have  your "job" (microphone) in order to sing.  The other day, we were at the fire station and you even used the step on the fire truck as a piano. ;)  It's adorable and we just love to hear you sing. :)

You love your sister.  She is your best friend.  You will do anything that she does.  You two make each other laugh all the time.  You guys also fight, but within seconds, you both forget about it.  I love that about you two. :) My prayer is that you will always stay best friends.

You are loving and funny.  You are feisty and clever.  You are smart and confident.  You are amazing and perfect just the way you are.

We love you so much!

Love,
Mommy

Life Lately

For the past 3 and a half years, Jared has been blessed to be able to work from home.  That all changed this week.  He now works in an office outside the home.  While he was almost always super busy when he was working at home, we still were able to pop our heads in every now and then to tell him we love him.  We can't do that anymore and the kids and I have had a bit of a hard time adjusting.  Both kids will tell me multiple times a day that they miss their daddy.  It kind-of breaks my heart, but it also thrills my soul to know that they love their daddy so much.  (Side note:  Jared and I are so incredibly grateful for the opportunity that he was offered that has caused him to work outside the home. God is good!)

A prayer request:  Please pray for Jared.  He is so incredibly busy right now between what he is now doing plus freelancing commitments he already made prior to this new opportunity.  He is working almost non-stop while he is awake.  He is tired.  We know this is temporary.  We know we are blessed.  Even so, he needs prayer, please.

Things I love recently:

1.  Splash pads.  They are so nice on super hot days (which is every single day).  I adore how Brogan will say, "There is so many waters!"  :)  

2.  Sunshine.  We've had more this week than last and we are so happy!

3.  Playdates.  The kids enjoy time with other kids.  I enjoy time with other adults.  Win-win.

4.  Addi's questions.  :)  She is quite inquisitive these days and comes up with some really funny questions.  The other day she said, "Hey, does Aunt Brandy like ants?"  In her mind since we pronounce it "ant" (thank-you west coast raising) she assumes Aunt Brandy must like ants.  

5.  Addi's definition of a miracle.  I asked her what a miracle is and she said, "It's when God blesses us."  LOVE!!!

6.  Brogan screaming out for me at 2:00 am just because he wanted me to sing, "Hush Little Baby."  A month ago, I would NOT have loved that because he was waking up every.single.night.  The other morning was the first time in quite a few nights that he woke up and that was his only request.  I happily obliged and secretly wished that my little boy would stop growing so fast. On the other hand, Addi is waking up multiple times a night.  Her doctor said this is normal behavior for a three-year-old.  Due to their active imaginations at this age, they start to be more fearful at night, have vivid dreams, etc.  WONDERFUL (ha!).

7.  Decluttering and organizing.  I am sort-of obsessed with it at the present moment.  :)

8.  Addi explaining to Brogan that it is not called, "Pinka Butter, but PEANUT Butter."  Brogan proceeded to pronounce it correctly and then changed his mind and mispronounced it again. ;)

9/.  The fact that I actually have a blog post so soon after my last one.  Progress.  :)

Some of my favorites recently...

1.  When the sun shines. In the last month or so, sunlight has been a rarity.  When it does shine, the kids and I do a happy sun dance of sorts.  :)

2.  Brogan telling Addi to "calm down."  ;)  It is so cute.  However, these days, he needs to calm down more times a day than she does.  He is two.  He is really good at being two right now.

3.  Christmas in July movies on Hallmark channel.  Need I say more? :)

4.  Sneaking healthy ingredients into dinner without Jared or the kiddos knowing.  They will all eat their vegetables (Brogan is WAY better at this than Jared and Addi), but I am having a blast adding extra nutritious ingredients to some of our favorites.  Makes my heart happy to watch them gobble up the food, too. :)

5.  My husband's ability to drive under pressure.  Since it has been raining a lot, I have been even bossier when it comes to telling him how to drive.  He takes it with a grain of salt and is still able to focus on driving.  Usually he is very gracious about my "suggestions" though he has started to say, "Thanks, Coach" when I offer some advice.  I don't think that's a compliment. ;)

6.  Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A.  All of us dressed like cows (used materials we had on hand and got about $20.00 of free food...score!).  Addi thought it was wonderful to dress up.  Brogan was really excited about eating. ;)  I got teary-eyed while eating our dinner.  I looked around at other families in their cow costumes, my babies sweet faces and my husband (who was an awesome sport) and it hit me once again how blessed I am to have such an amazing family.  Silly that I cried?  Maybe, but anyone who has longed to be a mother and thought at one point that it might not happen, will totally understand.

Have a blessed week!

Words Matter

Addi recently went through a phase where she was asking Jared and me quite a bit if we liked her.  We are not sure where she got this question from because we have NEVER said we like or don't like people to her and we always tell her we love her (multiple times a day).  We would reassure her each time she asked that we did like her and she would be satisfied.  After Brogan's birthday party (June 1st), she asked us if several of her relatives liked her.  I told her (and Jared agreed with me) that everyone likes her because she is sweet, kind, funny, loving, etc and that as long as she always acts like the wonderful Addi God made her to be and is herself that people will like her.  We didn't get too in depth in the conversation because she is three and she doesn't need to know that there will be people throughout her life who just won't like her for who knows what reason, etc.  Anyway, we went on our way and I did notice that after our conversation she asked us less often if we liked her.

Fast forward to last night...3 weeks later.  We were eating dinner and she asked me if I liked her.  I told her of course I liked her and she said, "After Brogan's birthday party I asked if you liked me and you said that everyone likes me because I'm Addi."  Jared and I were floored that what was a simple, brief conversation had obviously stuck with her the past three months.  It was such a great reminder that the words we speak to our children - even at very young ages - matter so much (It was a great reminder because it was a positive conversation she remembered). My children are taking my words to heart and are remembering them weeks later.  What an awesome experience and yet it's scary at the same time.  I know that there have been and will be times that I fail...that I say words that don't build them up or react the wrong way and have to apologize/admit that Mommy was wrong.  While I don't want that happen any more than it already has, I'm OK with knowing that it might.  We are all imperfect and if Addi and Brogan can see their parents fail and apologize, they will learn that that's what humans do...we make mistakes, we apologize, we learn from the mistakes, we keep moving forward.

My prayer though is that most of my words and actions edify and encourage my children.  I love this verse that our pastor often has the church body recite after his sermons.  Such truth and so important to remember:

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." - Psalm 19:14

Rain, Rain....

I wish the rain would go away.  It is getting annoying.  I am running out of creative indoor activities (and outdoor activities...think umbrellas, puddles, etc) to do with the kiddos. It is 9:00 am and they have been up for over 3 hours.  The idea of having to find stuff to entertain them until nap time and then after is just plain daunting today.  Guess that's the way some days go.  No, staying at home is not all peaches and cream every day, but it sure beats only seeing my babies a total of two to two and a half hours a day during the week.  I wouldn't trade these days for the world...even the long, exhausting, "I think I may pull my hair out" days that happen every now and then.  I am blessed and am totally aware that God has rained showers of blessings on me.  While I look at the rain fall out the window and listen to my sweet boy scream, "Nobody greater, nobody greater than You...Praise the Lord!", I will thank God for the "rain showers" in my own life...both good and bad. I will also quickly browse Pinterest before the kids realize that I am on the computer...I am sure there are some creative rainy day activities that I have yet to find. :)

Have a blessed day...hope it's sunny where you are...even if it's raining outside. ;)

Mother's Day

Today was a fun day!  Jared had to work from home the first part of the day so we went to our church's Saturday night service yesterday.  So he *attempted* to let me sleep in while he handled the kids, but a persistent little girl refused to do anything but sit outside our bedroom door crying and saying, "Mommy, I want to see you!" over and over.  She won, but not in time for me to give a quick prayer of thanksgiving for allowing me to be a mom - something I will never take for granted and to pray for those who desire to be moms and are not at this time.  Seriously, this day is bittersweet.  I cried many tears on this day when we were trying to conceive and really just wanted to crawl into a hole for the whole day.  I detested this day (other than honoring my mom) and for those of you reading this who detest it still, I get it.

Anyway, I didn't mind Addi wanting me early this morning...her and Brogan are the reasons I celebrate this day as a mommy. :) The least I could do was hug and kiss on them this morning. ;) I did get to take a nice, brisk early morning walk (sans kiddos) and it was so beautiful and refreshing!  Throughout the day, Jared had Addi and Brogan give me little gifts (so sweet!) and he also ordered pizza in for lunch.  While the kids napped I finished reading a parenting book that I highly recommend...more on that later this week (or next week, because we know how it goes around here). After Jared finished working, we went to the airport overlook and watched the planes take off and then went to a Japanese restaurant and had dinner outside (because who really wants to attempt eating inside with two kids under the age of three if it can be helped?).  We had tons of fun eating outside and Addi kept saying, "I like eating at this restaurant!"  It was truly a great, fun-filled, relaxing day.  Hearing both kids tell me "Happy Mother's Day!" unprompted multiple times was by far the best part of my day (sorry Jared...you could have saved some money, huh?) ;)

Have a blessed week!

Sunshine!

After a rainy morning, we had sunshine this afternoon!  This is the first time we've enjoyed sun in a few days.  The kiddos and I went for a walk this afternoon and after dinner all of us went outside to let Addi practice riding her bike and then we took another walk.

That's all I wanted to share.  Just so happy to soak in the sunshine! :)