Sweet Pea is 9 Months

What a joy.  I don't know a better way to describe her than just that:  a joy.  Our whole little clan is totally in love with this girl.  She is met with smiles and hugs and kisses every day from two little boys that absolutely adore her.  She knocks down their toys and gets all in their business and they love love love her. 

I cannot believe it's been 9 months...will I always feel this way???  She started crawling at 8 1/2 months and immediately started pulling up : (  I'm afraid she'll be an early walker like Hudson and I will be forced to boo hoo it out for a few days!

At 9 months Lily is crawling, pulling up, babbling away for anyone that will listen.  She is mostly a quiet and observant child.  She looks very serious most of the time.  She has a sweet temperament and will let just about anyone hold her- and would be totally content if I wasn't around : )  She loves her blankie and nustles it up by her mouth to go to sleep.  She won't take a bottle or a paci still, so we have given up!  She has NO teeth...none.  I was a little bit worried about this until someone told me that getting teeth late is a sign that they'll go through puberty late.  Whaattt???!!!  I am A-Ok with that! (I totally know it's probably not true, but what the hey). 

Here are a few pics of this sweet, sweet blessing.

 

 

Hudson Is 6!!!

 

How did this happen???  How did I wake up and have a SIX year old?  I just can't wrap my brain around how fast time is going.  The saying really is true that the days are long but the years are short.  Lord knows my days are long!!  But time is going so fast right before my eyes.

 

Hudson is such a gift.  I cannot remember what my life was like without him.

I want to remember that at six he is loving Kindergarden, exceling in most everything he does.  He loves superheroes and fighting and the ipad and drawing.  He enjoys drawing and coloring and playing dress up in costumes.  His favorite toy is probably his daddy's old GI Joe men.  He could play with them for hours.  He has a thousand questions every.single.day..  He desperately wants to understand everything and loves watching "How It's Made" on netflix.  We think he'll probably be an engineer when he grows up.  He loves all things academic and can't get enough of school and learning, and yet he is an excellent baseball player.  He is devastated on nights that we are running late and don't make time to read the Bible before bedtime.  He just recently told me of a new verse that God had "written on his heart".  He is a gift.  He drives me insane and makes me want to scream on a lot of days...but I am so in love with him.  I cannot wait to see how the Lord uses his life. 

Hudson, we love you.  We pray pray pray that God would capture your heart...we pray that you would use the ways that He has gifted you for His glory and not your own.  We can't wait to see how you grow up and are so thankful for the gift of your life...you changed us for the better. 



 Oh my soul.

 Love.

 Micah is so gonna be the class clown!

 Hudson loves his brother and sister!!!  This is priceless to me. 

 Just priceless!

 Pretty sure this hilariousness was the result of a potty word : )

 Sweet sweet boy.

 She has THE BEST big brothers.

 Loving on Sydney...



Fall, How I Love Thee

I do love fall.   I love all things pumpkin...coffee, coffee creamer, muffins, bread, soup, etc.  The boys carved a pumpkin and I plan to enjoy all the pumkin goodness that it supplied : )

The boys had a blast carving with daddy.  Hudson was all about removing the "goop". Micah, not-so-much.  It was pretty shocking!

 Here's Micah agreeing to touch the yucky. That's about all he did!

 Hudson, on the other hand, was all in!

 Lily needed to participate : )  She REALLY wanted to get a cute little baby picture in the pumkin, but her thighs would not allow it!

 "What, daddy?  Is this what I'm supposed to do??"  Wow, I could eat.her.up. 

 Micah had a halloween/fall party.  Lovin' the spider hat!  And take a peek at the totally awesome place holders. Wow.  The decor definitely wasn't shabby for a 3 year old party!

 Eating was ofcourse his favorite!

 I love this face.  He is rather intense these days!!

After eating together they went outside and listened to a scarecrow story and then participated in making their own "Class Scarecrow". 

 Here they are with the finished product!

 Micah was taking his newspaper to stuff the scarecrow!

And sweet little Hudson-man.  He is a joy...and this post is low on pictures of him.  The next halloween post will have more!  Sorry, bud!

Here We Go Again

 

I am starting to resign myself to the fact that my boys are gonna be ALL boy...and they're gonna break bones.  Sigh.  Micah took a little tumble on Saturday night- somehow jumping over or falling off of a chair.  We thought he was fine but he kept favoring it and crying anytime he fell- which, let's be honest, is a LOT with a rambunctious little 3 year old.  So we took him for an x-ray and he had a small buckle fracture...so, here we are.  Broken bone #2!!  He chose a cute little orange cast after we left the pumkin patch : ) 

 Here he is sitting patiently while they wrap the cast...

 Here he's a little less enthusiastic. He said he "wants it off".  Sad : (

We got home, let everyone sign it (waaaay fun), and put on his "Tough Guy" PJs, and he was feeling very tough.  He's so stinking cute. 

He is handling it pretty well...it looks like we'll only have to wear the cast for about 3 weeks.  I'm hoping that this is not a sign of the way my life is going to be!!  The Dr. assures me that his bones don't look weak, but that he is just a hard core little boy.  Let's hope he's right!  At this point, I feel sure that DHR is gonna pay me a visit.  Maybe I should be cleaning my house right now : )



Lily 6 Months

Here is an update for little miss Lily...even though she's actually 7 months old. : )  Ooops...I'll have to do that update soon.

Sweet Lily is just that- sweet. She is a gift.  She is a laid back, happy baby...I say that she is exactly what a third baby should be.  She rolls with it most all of the time.  She is in love with her brothers- they are the funniest little boys ever to her.  Her daddy makes her embarassed and turn her head when he talks to her- it's so precious. 

She was in the 50th percentile for everything at her check-up.  That makes her feel so small to me- even though she's average!  The boys were always in the 90th and 95th, so it's awesome to have a little baby that wears clothes true to size. 

She is a good eater and a good sleeper- even though at 6 months she still refused to take a bottle and starting waking in the night again : (  Boo.On.That.  We are now over that little phase, Praise God!  Momma needed some sleep. 

 We think she's gonna keep her daddy's brown eyes.  I.LOVE.THAT.

 Sweet cheeks.

 I know I'm totally biased...but she is so cute I could just eat her up.

Cutie pie.

The Need for Change: My Mommy Vow

Over the past few weeks I have been keenly aware of the need for change.  Change from within myself and change in our culture.

Last week, my pastor's sermon was on the Grace of God.  It was so timely and perfect for my life...just as always.  During that sermon he asked a question:  What numbs your heart to the wonder of the Grace of God?  I have pondered that question all week, and I have come up with one very specific area that I feel like the Lord is pressing His finger on:  my scale. 

 

The endless new exercise regimens, latest and greatest diet programs, and my scale have been continuously choking out the wonder of the Grace of God in my life.  You see, I'm not very easy on myself.  I'm not kind towards myself in my thoughts many times.  I can give ample grace to others, but when it comes to giving grace to myself, I usually fail.  (There you go, fail...no grace for myself even in that!).  But what I am realizing, is that it is the very Grace of God that has enlightened me to my need for change.  I need it deep down in my bones.  My pastor reminded us that as we see what things are numbing our mind and heart, we can eliminate or manage them because ultimately God Himself is after our freedom and joy.  I love that.  I want that.  I haven't felt very free or joyous these past few months.  I have kept myself in bondage to the idea that I should be the same size I was in college even though I am now 30 with 3 beautiful oh-so-worth-it children.  It's ugly.  It's living like our culture and contrary to the Word of God.

 

So, today I am making a vow.  I am throwing out that scale.  I am vowing to model for my daughter healthy living.  I am vowing to stop the negative words about myself that flow freely out of my mouth.  I am vowing to focus on God's Word and His Grace and not the latest thing that can make me drop a few pounds.  I am vowing to pray wholeheartedly that there is a shift in our culture, to pray that my daughter Lily grows up knowing and believing that her true value is in the eyes of her Heavenly Father, and that this value comes from who He is and not a number on a scale. 

 

Are you with me??  Change in our culture- the culture that tells us to focus only on our outward appearance-  starts with us... it starts with me! Oh, I pray that it will.  I pray that this change will start within my own heart, within my own home.  I pray that Lily will grow up with a mother that focuses on Her Lord more than her appearance.  I pray that our home will be one that is full of the Grace of God...for ourselves and toward each other.  We are far from it...change us oh, God. 

Lord, help me to focus on my body as Your temple, not as the idol that I so often worship.  And thank you for your Grace that surpasses anything I could ever hope for our imagine. 

 

As I bleed my heart right out on the page that will be posted for all to see, I feel jittery and nervous.  Being open and honest about my struggles isn't something that I typically do for just anyone to read...but I feel the Lord pressing me to say it.  So, be kind in your response, please : )

Micah's First Day of School

Micah started K3 at the beginning of September.  Here are some pics of his first day:

 

 Ready to go!

 Nametag : )  He's a little unsure!

 His new teacher, Miss Danielle.  She is super sweet.

What a sad little face : (  Contrary to the way it looks, he did have a great time!!  Believe it or not, I left him.  Sad face and all!

 

We have had some absolutely hilarious convos with Micah lately.  I LOVE IT!  Here are a couple for your own comic relief.

 

Context:  Watching Superman Movie

Micah: (whispering under his breath) "Superman...don't be scared.  God with you.  Why you scared???"

Hilarious. 

 

Context:  All of Micah's TRs are Fs. Go ahead and think about that.  Truck...hmmm.

Micah:  "What was that sound?"

Me:  "I don't know, buddy."

Micah:  "I think somebody got **cked."

Me:  "Excuse me?"

Micah:  "I think somebody got **cked."

Me:  "Trucked???" (feeling panic rise up)

Micah:  "No...**cked.  Like on t.v."

Me:  "I don't know what you're talking about."  (thinking WHAT...we don't have that kind of t.v.)

Micah: "**cked.  Like on t.v....like lightening."

Me:  (Breathing a sigh of relief) "Ooohhh...struck?  Somebody got struck?  No, buddy, I don't think so."

W.O.W.  I really did panic for a few minutes there!!

 

Context:  Matt always sings "Head 'em up, move 'em out, raw hide!"  When he and the boys are walking out the door.  The other day Micah beat him to it and this is what we heard!

Micah:  "Hea mup, boom bout.  Hea mup, boom bout.  Roll Tide!!!"

Bahahaha.  A) that's funny B)we're Auburn fans, so the look on Matt's face was priceless.  

Hudson's First Day of Kindergarten

Wow.  How did we get here??  I cannot believe Hudson started Kindergarten this morning!  Surely I'm not old enough for that!!!  

It was an awesome start.  He bounced right in and was SO EXCITED.  His excitement definitely made it easier for me.  

He is such a gift...he is smart, funny, quirky, compassionate.  I love this little man, and I hope that he always has a love for learning. 

Early morning breakfast : )  Muffins!

Here is Micah on Hudson's first day.  

 And sweet Lily..."What?  Why do I have to be up this early?"

 Wow.  I cannot believe how old he looks.

 Hudson & his teacher, Mrs. Foster.  We love her already!

Walking to class!  I caught it all : )

  Think he looks like me just a little bit??? 

 He picked a superhero backpack.  Shocking.

 Sigh.  Time, please slow down...or Lord, help me slow down.