Joyful Mommy, Joyful Babies

I have seen firsthand in my life how my mood has a DIRECT relationship to the moods of my children (specifically the toddler, but really both). It is incredible to me how quickly they can pick up on how I am feeling. Whether it is in my tone of voice, my demeanor, how “present” I am – I don’t know for sure, but they pick up on it and they most definitely act according to my lead.

Being a mommy is incredibly hard work. What can make it extra hard is feeling like I have 500 things on my to-do list and all I can seem to make time for is un-sticking play dough from a toy fire truck and wiping runny noses. Of course there are the household responsibilities – unload and re-load the dishwasher, do the laundry, straighten up, take out the overflowing diaper pail liners, prepare food for a picky toddler and a finger-food eating baby, oh and also provide entertainment, preferably educational and creative, for these children. But what about other responsibilities as well? I do part time work from home, so I squeeze that in wherever I can. Grocery shopping and errand running with a 2.5 year old and 8 month old? It should be considered a professional sport. There’s not enough time in the day!

Then you get to the part of the to-do list that barely ever gets scratched off. It’s the part of the list with the want to-do’s. These are the things that filled me up and bring me LIFE, and at the end of most days, those items go un-done.

What I’ve been learning as I’ve been striving for a healthy, balanced life, is that while it can seem selfish for me to get to the want to-do list, those are sometimes the most important. Because if I’m not taking care of myself, if I’m not being filled, then before I know it I’m going to be out of steam. When I run out of steam, I am impatient. I have a temper. I am frustrated and irritated and bitter. These are NOT examples I want to be setting for my children! Because they KNOW. They can sense it when I’m “off.”

I don’t want my kids to think that I’m perfect. But I want them to see me love them out of my overflow. In order for that to happen, they need to see me taking care of myself, mind, body, and soul.

I certainly don’t have this all figured out. Hopefully it will be a topic I come back to on the blog as I continue to sort through what this all means. I’ve been reading a great book called “Freefall to Fly” and it has been speaking to my heart so strongly and I feel like I am learning so much. The main question I’ve taken away from it is this (in my own words): Can moms love their families and children 100% and also care for themselves 100%? Can we as moms live out our passions and dreams, the ones outside of motherhood, while still being the kind of mother we crave to be?

I think the answer to both questions is “yes.” But I’m only just beginning to learn how to get there.

These photographs were taken by the extremely talented Meg Porter of www.megporterphotography.com!

8 Months & Mother’s Day

Our baby girl is a whopping 8 months old!

She hit some major milestones this month – the main one being CRAWLING! She finally figured it out about 3 days before she turned 8 months, though she had been practicing and working on it allllllll month. For awhile she was just scooting backwards (and would get herself into all kinds of trouble, accidentally sliding under furniture!) Then she was getting up on all fours and rocking forward and back. Then she started lifting her hands but would then collapse on her belly. Then, finally, she figured it out and has been unstoppable since!

She is still such a laid back little girl, but she definitely also doesn’t like to be left out. I think as the second child she knows that James gets to do more than she does, and it is her mission to participate in whatever he is doing! Now that she’s crawling, that’s getting a little easier. I hear a lot of “No Neely, that’s my toy!” coming from James as Neely tries to take whatever he has!

She’s eating finger foods and her favorite food seems to be bananas! She also loves sweet potatoes, but if there is a banana on her tray, it’s the first to go into the mouth! She’s getting pretty good at feeding herself, and it may have to do with getting more teeth! She has her 2 bottom front teeth and 1 of her top teeth. Not the front one, but the one right next to it! James’ teeth came in the same way. So funny! The one on the other side on top is going to pop through any day now! We’ve enjoyed lots of picnics outside in the beautiful weather this month!

Another exciting event of this past month was Neely’s baptism, which happened to fall on Mother’s Day. It was such a special day to have family gather with us to celebrate this beautiful baby girl! I am thankful to have a family that is committed, along with Bryan and me, to teach Neely about the love of Jesus!! We are thrilled for her and for James to grow up in a wonderful church that loves them well!

Family Fun

This past weekend was a really fun one for our family. We got to spend time together at one of our favorite places – a camp called Sharp Top Cove! This place has been a part of our lives since high school. We even got engaged there! We’ve spent more than one summer there on assignment – it really feels like a home away from home. What was so unique about this past weekend was that for the first time in 11 years, we were there simply as “campers!” Every time we’ve been there over the past decade it has been either as YL leaders or with a job like program or music leaders.

To be there with no responsibilities other than to be together as a family was such a treat. We got to run and play and just be together! James and Neely had a great time, we got to see and catch up with some dear friends, and the weather was perfect (even though it had been forecasted to as 100% chance of rain and thunderstorms ALLLLL day Saturday!)

We’re thankful that even though we’re no longer employed with Young Life, we can still be involved and we are still loved and cared for by the staff and properties. It is truly such a special ministry and I am so excited to remain involved and for our kids to still get to grow up with the experience of Young Life camp!

Just Like Lightning McQueen

Our 2 year old is very into things that are the same. He notices all kinds of things that are the same – colors, pictures, characters – anything! And he loves to declare things “Just like…” fill in the blank.

Driving in the car:
“Go fast! Just like Lightning McQueen!”

Getting new shoes:
“My new shoes! Just like Daddy!”

Walking backwards:
“Go backwards! Just like Mater!”

Seeing a baby:
“A baby! Just like NeNe!”

Seeing tents:
“Tents! Just like Curious George goes Camping!”

My hope, and something that has actually begun to happen, is that he will get excited about being “just like mommy” and “just like daddy” in terms of his lifestyle choices. He has been seeing me eating healthy meals for four months now, and seeing his daddy eat healthy meals for the past month. Since watching us and seeing our meals, our boy who is quite possibly the pickiest eater on the planet (hello, he’s two!) has eaten eggs, apples, quesadillas, turkey, whole wheat pasta, quinoa, and brown rice. Now, to clarify, a lot of these have just been one or two bites, but the fact that he is willing to try these foods AT ALL tells me that he is watching us and is willing to try new things to be like mommy and daddy.

He has seen me working out a few times, although usually it happens while he is sleeping, but he now knows that the weights and mats he sees are for doing exercises. He also sees me reading my bible and wants to read it too. These little eyes are taking in EVERYTHING around them and I feel more thankful than ever that I have adopted new habits for my children to grow up learning. I know I can talk or blog all I want about being healthy but if I’m not ACTING on those desires, it will never work and I will never be able to set a true example to those around me.

7 Months

This little lady turned 7 months over the weekend! Each age and stage just gets more fun with her!

One of the most significant life experiences Neely had this month was celebrating her first Easter and a family trip to the beach! You probably saw those events documented in a previous post so I won’t repeat myself, but it was a really fun time with our girl!

Neely is trying SO hard to crawl and gets so pathetically frustrated when she just can’t move! She can get herself up onto all fours and sort of rock back and forth, but that’s as far as she’s come. It really seems like any day now we’ll see her scooching across the floor! I know she is ready – she wants to get her hands on EVERYTHING! It’s almost as if she knows that as the second child, she’s missing out on some of the fun that big brother is having, so she wants to get ahold of everything he has… even including him! She reaches out and grabs her brother or whatever is in her brother’s hands as often as possible.

They are really reaching a point of being so sweet together and wanting to play together. Their favorite new “together” activity is swinging! Neely rode in a swing for the first time (then multiple times after!) this month and she loved it! She is all smiles and giggles while she swings and it is precious!

She has her front bottom teeth (they are so sharp!) and she seems to be getting more but so far it is unclear which ones. But she continues to show all signs of teething! Though she really hasn’t been too fussy from it which we all appreciate. With those two teeth she is having more solid food experiences including a few finger foods this month to try out. Some avocado chunks and the baby food classic – puffs!

Neely continues to be a very content, laid back little girl. She so easily goes with the flow and very rarely looses her cool. But when she does, her cry makes me laugh because it is SO HIGH PITCHED! Oh my goodness, it is so high and squealy – and it cracks me up every time.

I mentioned one of the most significant life experience this month, but the most significant experience was Neely welcoming her newest cousin into the world! We were thrilled to meet our newest nephew Harrison on April 1! He is precious and I can’t wait to watch he and Neely grow up together so close in age!

Bouncing Back

We had such a wonderful Easter weekend! Bryan took the day off on Friday and we spent a long weekend at the beach with Gram and Pappy 🙂 We had mostly beautiful weather and James and Neely had a blast! Then on Sunday morning we were excited to get to go to church where Bryan’s uncle preaches. It was a beautiful service celebrating the beautiful miracle of Christ’s resurrection!

James has only been to the beach a handful of times, and he’s never been 100% sold on the experience. It usually takes him a good while to get warmed up to the idea of the sand and the water, and even once he’s having more fun he has never really wanted to play in the sand or splash in the water too much. I didn’t know how he would respond this time, and I was so excited and surprised to see him totally embrace and love the beach! He even said it himself, “My LOVE the beach!” His mission was to find a starfish, which unfortunately didn’t happen. But he was satisfied enough with seashells to throw. He also loved building sand castles to promptly stomp on in order to build another.

Neely also had a lot of fun on the beach. She is such a sweet, go-with-the-flow little girl so she makes it easy on us most of the time 😉 She puts up with a lot!!

I was extremely proud of myself with how I was able to maintain my healthy lifestyle even on vacation. It is helpful that Bryan’s parents eat very healthy as well so there weren’t too many tempting sweet (or salty!) treats around the house (only a few that were in James’ Easter basket!) But we brought our workout DVDs and our Shakeology, and really didn’t stray too far off of our usual nutrition plans. Although, Bryan and I did go out for a little date night for drinks and dessert one night. He had key lime pie and I had a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce  drizzled on top and it was amaaaaaazing!!! Moderation is key! I don’t feel guilty one bit 🙂 But even still, it does feel good to get back home and back into a normal routine!

6 Months!

Last week, our precious Neely celebrated her half birthday! It is so hard to believe she has been with us for 6 months. We love her more and more every day!

Neely’s personality has really blossomed this month, and she is becoming super vocal, and she thinks she is quite hilarious. She is making some new noises, and her favorite babble is “bah bah bah.” She is most entertained by herself and her big brother… mommy and daddy only sometimes 😉

Neely fought an ear infection this month and is proving to be like her brother in having stubborn ear infections! After 2 rounds of antibiotics, at her 6 month check her ears still weren’t 100% better. But no more medicine, just hoping they clear up. We’re wondering if the ear infections may be to blame for her inconsistent sleeping patterns this month…

She is in the 93rd percentile for weight, and still has every bit of baby chunk on her body! She is so squishy it is amazing. She’s rolling around like a champ, and sitting up unsupported for minutes at a time! She reaches out and grabs EVERYTHING so watch out if you’re wearing jewelry, or drinking from a cup, or using silverware… or anything! She will grab it!

Her head is covered with hair now, and she doesn’t seem to have inherited the super blond spiky hair that her daddy and brother had! It is light brown and so far, seems stick-straight like her mommy 🙂 She is looking more and more like her mommy in the face as well! It is fascinating to watch them grow – she and James were identical as newborns but she is definitely growing into her own little person now!

Neely experienced her first snow this month, and she’s also now getting to experience her first bit of spring weather too! Along with getting better at eating solid food with a spoon (still just rice cereal) Neely has also learned to love the bottle, which is a huge relief to this mommy!

We are so thankful for this precious girl in our lives and can’t believe we are the lucky ones to get to raise her!

Who has the time??

In the past, time (or lack thereof) has always been an easy, yet valid, excuse as to why I couldn’t exercise on a daily basis. I work from home and have a toddler and a newborn. Enough said. Not to mention attempting to stay on top of housework, laundry, meals, etc… the days fill up FAST! So I’m having to learn how to prioritize my time and fit the workout into the busy schedule. I had to just make it a priority, a non-negotiable, and somehow it has been fitting into my day for the past two and a half months, practically every single day.

Basically, my 2 year old takes a daily afternoon nap, so it is easiest to fit my workout in while he is asleep. That is also when it works best for me to do my freelance work, prep dinner, clean, do laundry… well, you get the picture. His nap isn’t long enough for me to finish absolutely everything, but I put him down for bed and immediately go turn on the DVD player and do my workout.

Thankfully, my sweet, precious 6 month old is pretty laid back and easily entertained. If she is awake during my workout time, she hangs out in her exersaucer, happily watching me sweat and burn. Having her around actually makes me work a little harder and cuss at the TV a little less 😉

But I’m also learning that it’s important for me to incorporate my kids into an active lifestyle, for them not just to be spectators but to include them in the activity. I got to go to a Mommy & Me yoga class a few weeks ago, and it was SUCH a fun way to include my daughter in my workout. She had a blast and I learned some really great moves that I can do with her so that I can work out and she can have my full attention, and lets face it, we both have some fun.

With my son, he has energy like crazy. All we need to do it go outside and run free! I’m realizing how much he follows my lead. Recently we went outside, and I stuck right beside him, I kicked the ball to him and ran, I put him on my back and galloped around, we threw leaves and collected treasures. He loved it. I sat on the steps, he came and sat right next to me. I pulled out my phone to snap a quick picture, and he wanted to see it. He was like my little shadow and I realized for the millionth time that I have such a responsibility to set an example for him! If he sees me being active, eating healthy, taking care of myself, he will do the same.

Snow Day!

When it snows in Georgia, everybody freaks out with both excitement and fear. Today was mostly excitement at our house when we woke up to a semi-white yard and snowflakes falling hard. We were excited for James to get to see and experience snow! He saw some flurries about a week ago and last winter we had a teeeeeeny bit of snow on the ground, but this was the first “big” one. We’ve been reading a lot of Curious George in the Snow, and my goodness we’ve been watching our fair share of Frozen, so we knew he’d be excited! Plus, any material that can be made into a ball is a winner for James.

Although Neely slept through the outside play time, she got to at least see the snow from the comfort of our warm house, complete with her own snowman of course 🙂

5 Months (and 4 Months too… oops!)

 

Our precious girl turned 5 months old today! And although I failed to update at the time, she also turned 4 months old too. Oops! So here’s the latest with our girl from the past TWO months:

She is FINALLY sleeping all night long! It felt like it took forever though I know in the grand scheme of things, it was a very short time. She’s getting into a predictable nap/sleep routine which is HEAVEN for this mommy who thrives on a predictable schedule. Her sleeping has been a bit interrupted for the past week though because she’s fighting her first sickness 😦 She has bronchiolitis and an ear infection! Poor thing. She’s learning how to take her medicine from the syringe (a tricky thing for a baby who prefers the ONLY thing to ever provide her with food to be, ahem, mommy) and she’s also doing breathing treatments. Hopefully this sickness will get knocked out and she’ll be as good as new (and sleeping all night again!) in no time.

When we went to the doctor for her 4 month check up, Neely weighed 16 lbs 11 oz. and was in the 95th percentile for weight. At her doctor appointment this week, she was 17 lbs 9 oz. She doesn’t seem to be slowing down one bit! She is much bigger than her brother was at this age!

She started rolling over on February 1 and once she figured it out, there was no stopping her! If you lay her down, don’t blink or else you’ll miss her rolling onto her belly. On her belly is now her preferred sleeping position as well.

She’s getting really good with her hands and will reach out and grab whatever gets within her reach, and it all goes straight into that gummy, slobbery mouth. We keep waiting for a tooth to poke through because the girl is COVERED in drool all day long, but so far, nothing.

Neely is super easy-going, very content. She likes to watch whatever is going on and finds her brother to be the most entertaining of any of us. Well, actually she is most entertained by her own reflection in the mirror! She is a smiley little thing but as often as she’s smiling, she also has a look of deep thought and concern on her face. And also, sometimes, a look that can only be described as “so over it.” I think Neely is going to have a lot of personality!

Other milestones – first taste of solid food (she liked it!) & finding and grabbing her feet

We love our girl more every day!!