Our Year with TWO.

August 31, 2015: "...I pray that you won't be afraid, but will find instant comfort when we hold you close for the first time. That you will know the love that we have for you and that you will be strong. Strong like the Lord has told me you will be. I love you sweet baby and I am so excited to be your Mom and for you to have the best Dad and big sister in the world."

One year ago today, I wrote those words to my sweet boy. I was feeling so pregnant. My feet were swelling and I literally felt like my lower half was going to explode because of all the pressure our baby was putting on me. I had no idea who he would be, or that he would 9 pounds 8 ounces,  but I knew that he was already so loved. As we approach the big 1st birthday, I have all sorts of emotions running through me. One of them being, excitement. We did it! We survived the first year of being parents to two little blessings. I feel like the word survived implies some sort of negative spin. I don't mean it to, but I'm going to be honest and say, some days we were just going for survival. Can I get an amen?!

I swear they love us!

Sweet cheeks and Soybean are without a doubt our greatest blessings and on the days that it feels like I am getting every detail wrong, I work hard at reminding myself that I was chosen to be their Mom. That we were chosen to be their parents, to love them and raise them the best we can. With that, I am so thankful, that when I can't hear that truth through life's noise, I have friends and FRamily to run to for support. People that have been my rock on the hard days, so as I am celebrating this past year of highs and lows, I have to celebrate those who have been there for us. Who have been part of my village and supported me through being a Mom, the best and hardest gift I have ever received.

Having these two littles have made me want to slow down. To work on focusing on what is truly important. To make little memories, like watching the same movies over and over, running/crawling in circles around the couch, seeing our big sister share a sweet embrace or kiss with her baby brother when she thinks no one is watching. I'm living in, "the days,"and I don't ever want to take that for granted. These truly are the best days. 

God gave me these babies as a game changer. Having them has made us work harder, pray harder and strive with even more tenacity to not only be the best Mom and Dad, but the best person, the best Christian we can be. Have we failed at times, sure thing, but nothing has made me want to keep pushing forward more than the 4 eyes we have watching us. 

The thing is, I know ultimately the greatest gift I've received, and will ever receive, is the salvation I've been given through Christ's death and resurrection on the cross. There is no doubt about that. BUT I would be a crazy if I didn't see my kids as a gift God gave me to make me love Him more, to serve Him better and that my friends has been what, "Our Year with TWO," has been all about. Refining who we are in Christ and adventuring through this thing we call life together, one perfectly messy moment to the next. 

Summer, SLOW DOWN!

I can hardly believe it's August. Better yet, that it is August 3rd, which means in exactly ONE month I will have TWO toddlers. I really want August to slow down, so I can savor these last 30 days of infancy. So hear me August, I want to enjoy your long days, late nights, family pool parties, and quality time just the 4 of us as much as possible, so lets make it happen.

Last month literally flew by. We started off the month by welcoming the newest addition to our family, our sweet niece, and things just kept rolling. The Hubs was gone for over half the month, which made for some pretty tough days for this Momma. With that being said, I was super excited when he offered to fly me to PORTUGAL for a weekend getaway, just the two of us, midway through his three weeks of travel. I guess what I should say is I was super excited once I got there. I had so much anxiety about leaving the kids and being able to pump enough while I was gone (Happy World Breastfeeding Week) so that I could continue to nurse when I got home, that fear almost kept me from making the flight. However, with prayer and encouragement from family and friends, I jumped on the plane and let me tell you, it was amazing and so worth it!

Shortly after I got back from Europe, the Hubs was back home and we were all off on a family vacation to the Outer Banks. It was perfect wind down time for all of us and I loved that we got to share it with my family. Our kids are so loved by their Granny, Papa, Aunties and Uncles and being able to make memories with them is something that I treasure.

Now that we're up to speed on the craziness that was July, let me catch you up on our Bean. He is a mover and a shaker! A waving, high-5 giving, wants to be in everything 11 month old that has completely stolen our hearts. He still doesn't sleep great a night, although the time he had with Granny while I was a way did help tremendously in that department, but he takes great naps! He eats everything and loves his Momma and his "personal milk supply" as his Daddy would say. I love watching him, watch his sister and it's so fun to watch him play independently while I'm getting things done around the house. He loves the water and as we learned this week, he loves sand too. He does great in the car and for the most part is the chillest dude I know, although he doesn't like getting new teeth which is now has 9 of! He has learned to climb up stairs, which he may or may not have taken a tumble down, and he is just starting to cruise on furniture. However, I'd be happy if he held off on walking, since I have a feeling he is going to have us running in all sorts of directions. His best friend is his sister and he loves snuggling with his blanket. He's our little man and we love him so.

So, here's to long August days that lead to peaceful August nights. To family time and embracing the mess that is life with our two crazy kiddos. To slowing down and savoring all life's precious moments.

Happy August, Y'all!

An Anniversary Getaway

I can still remember the way I felt on this day, just 6 years ago. All nervous tears and giggles. White gown, a very itchy guarder and a beautiful bouquet of orange, yellow and greens. I practically had to drag my Dad down the isle, but we both knew that the perfect man was down there waiting for me.

A couple months ago, Shawn asked me if I'd be ready to leave the kids for a few days, by the time our anniversary came around. I quickly said, yes, knowing that it would be the perfect time to let the kids spend time with Granny and Papa, while we were able to just be a couple. He made all the plans, which in itself is a gift. There is honestly nothing that makes me happier than a getaway that has been picked out by my Hubs.

He made dinner reservations at the Inn at Little Washington and planned for us to spend two nights at Flint Hill Public House. Both places did not disappoint.

Dinner at The Inn at Little Washington was absolutely perfect. From the delicious SEVEN course dinner, to the attentive staff, we couldn't have asked for a better dining experience. From the moment we walked in, we felt special. Our waiter guessed that we were celebrating our second wedding anniversary, which made us feel both young and old, as we told him we were actually celebrating our sixth. We enjoyed everything we ate and we were both pleasantly surprised that caviar was part of one of our favorite dishes. As dinner came to a close we asked for a kitchen tour, which if you ever find yourself dining there, I HIGHLY recommend. Shawn and I love watching cooking shows and it was such a neat experience to get a look at how a proper kitchen runs. Lets just say it was nothing like what we've seen on those hit TV shows.

The rest of our time was spent enjoying breakfast and dinner on the patio at Flint Hill Public house, with a morning of antiquing and an afternoon of hammock swinging. We also made a stop at Cooter's in the Country, a roadside dinner that is owned by Ben Jones, who actually starred in The Dukes of Hazard as, "Cooter,. We drive past this place every time we go camping and never knew the story behind it. Now that we do, we'll probably be making more stops in for a good BLT and ice cream!

Soybean - 9 Months

"Whatcha lookin' at?!"

Once again, I am a bit behind on updating y'all on our little man. I'd blame it on another hospital admission, but that didn't happen until Sunday and our Soybean had his 9 month birthday on Friday. Thankfully all is well and we are back home, with both our babies. Our little guy is doing so much better and I am thankful to the staff, that just so happen to be my co-workers, who helped facilitate his speedy recovery. It is no fun having your child sick, but it sure is reassuring to know that the people that are taking care of him not only love what they do, but love your child as well!

So without further a due... our "little" man.

Today he will have spent the exact amount of time growing in my belly as he has growing and exploring this world. 40 weeks in, 40 weeks out. He was a punctual little guy and came right on time, even though I thought for sure he was going to make his appearance sooner. He does things at his own, perfect pace and I just love watching as he masters each skill.

He's on the move and loves to sit, spin in circles and army crawl. It almost looks like he is doing the worm as he makes his way around the living room; feet kicking out in excitement as he moves from toy to toy. He is so smiley and continues to be one happy little dude. He loves to blow raspberries and may be just as ticklish as his Momma!

He has 4 teeth and is working on 2 more. He loves to use to eat blueberries, peaches, broccoli and cheerios. Nurses 5-6 times a day. He goes to bed at 7, he is so good at putting himself to sleep, and occasionally sleeps until about 6. Most nights though he is still waking up once, but we are working on getting our man to sleep through the night. At his doctor's appointment Friday morning he weighed 20 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 29 inches long. He's not off the charts, but he's a big guy and is already has big as his sister was at her 1 year appointment. He's rocking size 4 diapers and mainly 12 and 12-18 month clothing. 

Soybean is such an observant little guy and I love how he takes in the world around him. If you ask Shawn, his one word to describe Sawyer right now is, "warrior," which is fitting considering his last few months of illness. Me, I say content. He's content on the go, content to sit and play with toys, content to watch his big sister run around, content to just be. There is something to be said about being content where you are and I'm working on taking on that trait in my own life. Being content with what is in front of me, not wanting for something more or something new, but being content with where God has me. A mostly stay at home Mom to this handsome 9 month old and his wildflower big sister.  Learning as I go and striving to be the best version of myself for these two beautiful babies. 

Happy Thursday!

She's Got Her Big Girl Panties On.

I am such a proud Momma and am so happy to say that are sweet girl is potty trained! Once she was ready, it didn't take long and now I am only buying diapers for one of my babies!

I can't take much of the credit or any of the credit really, since it was Shawn that got her started. I was at work and he sent me a message to let me know that he was going for it. He set timers and took to the bathroom every 20 minutes, making her try each time and although there were a few accidents, a week later she was doing great and now we are almost a month in! We still do a pull-up at nap time and bed time, because I don't want to clean up wet sheets just yet, but she really is doing great. She wakes up dry from her nap and has been dry a majority of the time in the morning.

Don't get me wrong, this potty training thing hasn't been all rainbows and butterflies. Pooping in the potty has been the hardest thing, which is why we stopped trying a couple months ago, and she may or may not have had an accident as I was typing this. Since we started fresh, things have been much better and even though she sometimes still gets upset when she has to poop, she is instantly calmed when the process is over and she gets her reward. Chocolate. How fitting for our girl with the huge sweet tooth!

We are just so proud of how well she is doing and can't wait to see what she gets into next!

I'd Rather be Camping.

I'd rather be camping, or so saying goes. Over the weekend, we took the kids [Em almost 2.5 and Soybean 8.5 months] camping with some family and friends. We planned the trip a while  back, so even though there was rain in the forecast we were all a go. We packed up early Friday afternoon, hit the road and had our portion of the campsite set up by early evening

Before we knew it my in-laws had a huge patch of paella going over an open fire and we were all stuffed full of chorizo, shellfish and chicken by sunset.

After that things went a little down hill for us. Soybean was once again coughing and when he started with stridor around 0200, we put both kids in the car and hit the road for the nearest Emergency Room. Luckily he wasn't as bad off as he was just last month, so steroids and some cool air was all he needed to get himself in good enough shape to head back to the campsite.

At any given moment I could of said, enough, and I would have if I truly needed to. I could have took our little family of four down the mountain and back to our safe home. Out of the woods, out of the cold nights, but adventure was calling. Had I not listened to the adventure in me I wouldn't have been able to see Em's face light up as she told me about the waterfall she saw while on a hike with her Daddy. I wouldn't have been able to show Soybean just how much I loved him while we stayed back in our tent and spent the morning snuggling and reading.  I wouldn't have been able to see Em get a thrill out of just running back and forth between campsites. I wouldn't have been able to see my kids bond with their grandparents, Aunt, Uncles, cousin and friends. I wouldn't have been able to watch Em eat 15 chocolate covered pretzles and laugh because I was sitting there doing the same. I wouldn't have been able to laugh with my Hubs as we ran to the car in the middle of the night freezing, because we gave the kids all the good stuff to keep warm [don't worry, we brought the kids with us]. Or have my heart melted as Em asked for us to sing "Jesus" in the car because Sawyer was crying and have her tell me, "he's hungry, Momma!" [I just love way she says, "Momma."]

So, are there things I would have changed, absolutely, but that is what life is all about. Embracing the adventure, learning with the hiccups and hopefully planning better for next time!

Cold air. Dark Night. Warm Fire. Bright Stars.
Here's to next time! I'd rather be camping, or at least adventuring.