She's in love with the boy

I spoke with another mom this past week and we lamented the sad fact of just how quickly time passes with little ones. It really does seem as if the last four months have flown by since Caleb joined our family. (Ironic, isn't it, how each day seems to drag by so slowly, but when you look back at the past months, they seem to have passed in the blink of an eye?)

At four months our little man is growing cuter and more active by the day. He's proven he can roll over (or be rolled by his sister if she gets tired of waiting for him to flop onto his belly on his own), but he doesn't do it often. I think he realizes that rolling over lands him on his tummy. (Tummy time is classified as one of his very least favorite things ever...so much so that he'll blister his toes kicking and pushing against the floor to try to flip back over.)

He's ticklish in the oddest of places. Belly poking and running fingers over the bottoms of his little feet do little to amuse him, but something about getting dressed and undressed just tickles him silly. It seems the backs of his arms and his neck are terribly sensitive, which makes peeling clothes on and off of him a pretty intense giggle-fest.

He's quite social, and rewards whatever attention he gets from us with a big toothless grin that shows off his adorable dimples. Look away, and it only takes an instant for that smile to turn into a pretty exaggerated pout.

Caleb's getting more and more adept with his hands and fingers. He loves to grab at his toys, my hair and his big sister's curls, and finds sucking on his index and middle finger to be quite satisfying. When those two fingers aren't enough, he'll punch at his own face until he lands a couple of fingers from each hand into his mouth.

His little grunts and coos are nonstop in the morning and when he wakes up from his naps, and are starting to take on more vocal sounds. After 12 hours of sleep, it seems as if he's got lots to catch us up on after breakfast. His naps have fallen into a predictable routine: two hours in the morning, 2.5 hours in the afternoon and about an hour at night. (I had a mommy victory a few weeks ago when I managed to organize their naps in such a way that I have both of them napping at the same time after lunch. Yay for 2.5 hours of peace and quiet each afternoon!)

Caleb's four-month check-up found him in excellent health, weighing in at a hefty 16 lbs, 3 oz. and stretching out to 26 inches tall. His development seems to be right on track, and the doctor was pleased with how well he sits up with assistance. He's been trying to pull his upper body up on his own, but so far can only lift his head and shoulders off the floor. When we offer him our fingers as leverage, he's able to pull his chunky little body into a sitting position. From this angle, his head is usually on a swivel as he tries to keep his eyes on his big sister running circles around him.

I still get emotional thinking back to a year ago when we found out we were pregnant and the uncertainty that came with the positive pregnancy test. Seeing our little Peanut--just a little blob of a baby at that point--moving around on the ultrasound was an answer to the first of many prayers that would mark my second pregnancy. Now here he is, our little miracle, a true testimony of God's faithfulness!

Not the squarest of meals

After Abby spent our entire car ride home from the grocery store yesterday chanting "donut! donut!" I decided I'd treat her to a special breakfast. So this morning, armed with a banana and some orange juice to round out our healthy morning meal, I took her to a local donut shop for a sweet treat. Her custom donut (honey glaze and colorful sprinkles) hit the spot, and she was wired for the rest of the morning.

I'm not sure why she was chanting "donut" yesterday, since it's been weeks since she's had one, but the kid's got a mind of her own, and the words that come out of her mouth never cease to surprise me--like when the cashier handed me my cup of decaf this morning and Abby pointed to it and said "cawkee!"

"Yes Abby, that's mommy's coffee," I affirmed for her.

"Abby cawkee?" she asked.

Oh brother...

Priorities in parenting

Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
~Proverbs 22:6

I've commented before on how seriously we take our responsibility as parents. There is nothing more rewarding as a parent than to see your training paying off.

We've done our best to imbue Abby with a sincere appreciation for good barbecue. It's been hard, living far from our favorite southern BBQ pits with their backyard smokers and sweet tea, but we're committed to our cause. So at least once a month, we trek out to the one good barbecue joint we've found and allow Abby to experience brisket, pulled pork, homestyle mac n' cheese, and even a sip of Cheerwine now and then.

And whenever possible, we allow her to sample from the smorgasbord of barbecue sauces we stock our fridge with. Such was the case this weekend. As our darling daughter dipped everything from apples to chicken nuggets to pickles to pineapple in her Sticky Fingers Tennessee Whiskey sauce, her dad and I beamed with pride. And when she ran out of food to dip, we watched as she proceeded to scoop heaping spoonfuls of sauce into her mouth.

"Mmmmm," she sang with every bite.

I looked across the table at my husband and nodded. A job well done, I thought to myself, and knew he was thinking the same.

Fat Rolls

Caleb's taking charge. Look at the sense of accomplishment reflected in those steel blue eyes. You can almost feel the pride radiating from his chunky little body.How did he get into this uncomfortable position with one arm tucked under him and his head tilted oddly to one side?

He rolled there.

He's been rolling onto his side for some time now, but today he finally managed a complete turnover. This is a big deal. It's not easy moving that much fat around. (I've been nine months pregnant before...I know.)

Hope for the future

Abby likes to read to herself, or to whatever happens to be nearby. She'll sit on the couch or the floor flipping pages in her favorite books and babbling along, interjecting words for things she recognizes ("puppy! shoe! hat! umbrella!") or yelling out letters she knows in her alphabet books (which are her current favorites).

This morning, she was reading to her giant duck while I prepared lunch. After I put the kids down to nap, I went into the living room to clean up her books, and this is what I found. Maybe there's hope after all...

I heart trees

...especially when they're not scraping the side of my house anymore.

While the kids were napping, we felled a tree on Sunday. It was pretty awesome.

Who says white men can't jump?

I had totally forgotten how fun this age is. Caleb's normal rotation from the swing to the play mat to tummy time to the Bumbo seat was getting a little boring, when suddenly I thought to myself, "Self! What about the jumpy thing?"

And voila! A whole new level of fun is added to our day. Caleb's body is too small for the seat on this spring-loaded baby bungee toy, so it takes packing in a couple of rolled-up dish towels to get him comfy in it, but once he's secure, he loves it. He'll pump his fat little legs and bounce himself up and down until Abby comes by with a resounding "wheee" and gives him a satisfying and slightly dangerous push. He prefers for her to keep a safe distance (and so do I).

Playin' it cool

Spike's got some cool new shades. He's pretty much the hippest kid at the playground now. Not that he needed any help being hip...

Thanks Mimi. I think the kid looks good in his Foakleys.

Math for moms

I did not like math in school. It terrified me, to say the least. Math, with its absolutes and imaginary numbers, its step-by-step proofs and logic, made little sense to my right-brained mind. But I'm thankful now for the quirky algebra teacher who forced me to confront those squiggly lines that pretended to be numbers and the patient geometry teacher who made me walk the halls to calm down before taking my exam. It is to their credit, and with the help of a left-brained husband, that I was able to calculate the inch/pound rating for a toy box lid in order to purchase the proper hinge to keep it from slamming down on Abby's fingers. And basic math skills are to thank for the fact that those letters I adhered to the front are perfectly spaced and centered. But I'll thank my design professor from j-school for teaching me the proper use of a fancy font in displaying Abby's name.

Not bad for an old ugly toy box I picked up at the thrift store for $5, if I do say so myself. I think it cleaned up pretty nice.

Planes will land on it

I had an award-winning pout as a kid. Okay, not officially. But if there was a prize for most over-exaggerated pout, I'm fairly certain I would have won it. Until now. Caleb's pout takes the cake. Hands down, no one sticks his lip out better than my kid.

Prayers for my children

On this Mother's Day, I'm reminded that there is no such thing as a day off for parents. God has blessed us with two precious children, and with that gift comes the responsibility of "training them up in the way they should go" (Proverbs 22:6). We cannot possibly carry out this tremendous responsibility alone, but must daily come before the God who knit them together in my womb and knows all the days ordained for them before they come to pass (Psalm 139). I celebrate Mother's Day because of my children, but I must never forget that they are only mine for a little while, but they are His forever.

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My friend Kathryn posted this on her blog recently, and it is well worth passing on. Below are thirty attributes--one for each day of the month--to pray for your children.

A love for God's word
May my children grow to find your word "more precious than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb."
Psalm 19:10

Justice
God, help my children to love justice as you do and to act justly in all they do.
Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8

Mercy
May my children always "be merciful, as their Father is merciful."
Luke 6:36

Respect
Father, grant that my children may "show proper respect to everyone," as your word commands.
1 Peter 2:17

Strong, biblical self-esteem
Help my children develop a strong self esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are "God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works."
Ephesians 2:10

Faithfulness
Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts.
Proverbs 3:3

A passion for God
Lord, please instill in each of my children a soul with a craving for you, a heart that clings passionately to You.
Psalm 63:8

Courage
May my children always "be strong and courageous" in their character and actions.
Deuteronomy 31:6

Salvation
Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
Isaiah 45:8, 2 Timothy 2:10

Growth in Grace
I pray that my children may "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 3:18

Love
Lord grant that my children may learn to “walk in love” through the Spirit who dwells in them.
Ephesians 5:2, Galatians 5:22

Honesty and Integrity
May integrity and honesty be my children's virtue and their protection.
Psalm 25:21

Self Control
Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be alert and self controlled in all they do.
1 Thessalonians 5

Responsibility
Grant that my children may learn responsibility, "for each one should bear his own load."
Galatians 6:5

Kindness
Lord, may my children learn not to “repay evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.”
1 Thessalonians 5:15

Generosity
Grant that my children may "be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."
1 Timothy 6:18-19

Peace
Father, let my children “pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”
Romans 14:19

Hope
May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Perseverance
Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to "run with endurance” the race marked out before them.
Hebrews 12:1

Humility
Lord, please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all.
Titus 3:2

Compassion
Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion.
Colossians 3:12

Prayerfulness
Lord, let my children's lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."
Ephesians 6:18

Contentment
Father, teach my children "the secret of being content in any and every circumstance” through Him who gives them strength.
Philippians 4:12-13

Faith
I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children's hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them.
Luke 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40

A servant's heart
Lord, please help each of my children develop a servant's heart, that they may serve wholeheartedly "as to the Lord and not to man."
Ephesians 6:7

Purity
Create in my children a clean heart, O God, and let their purity of heart be shown in their actions.
Psalm 51:10

A willingness and ability to work hard
Lord, teach my children to value work and to work heartily at whatever they do, “as for the Lord and not for men.”
Colossians 3:23

Self-discipline
Father, I pray that my children may develop self-discipline, that they each may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.
Proverbs 1:3

A heart for missions
Lord, please help each of my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds proclaimed among all peoples.
Psalm 96:3

Joy
May my children be filled with “the joy given by the Holy Spirit."
1 Thessalonians 1:6

Weariness Abounds

"Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up."
~Galatians 6:9

Yesterday was one of those days. One of those clock-watching, when-will-my-husband-get-home, headachey kind of days when if one kid is quiet the other is yelling, as if they've worked out some sort of schedule to alternate trying to drive me insane. I cannot count the number of times I wanted to throw my hands in the air and give up. I was weary, to say the least.

It was day seven of seemingly endless rainstorms, which means we've been trapped inside for a week now. Oh, we've attempted to get outdoors to run off some energy when the sun has dared to peek through now and then. We tried that yesterday. About 10 minutes into our walk, we got rained on.

It was one of those days where my kids were being particularly irrational. How is it that two very tired children can simply refuse to nap? Where do they get this nonsensical will power? When Caleb finally fell asleep, he was on the floor on his little musical play mat, which, at the time, was not playing music (because he was sleeping). So Abby turned the music on for him by stomping on the mat, and promptly woke him up.

Like I said...one of those days.

But somewhere in the middle of this day that I'd like to forget, Abby made me a mother's day present in her Moppettes class, and as I saw it laying on the kitchen table this morning, I remembered why I put up with days like this. It's not for the thankfulness of my children (there aren't too many "thank yous" coming out of Abby's mouth, and Caleb has yet to offer more than a grunt). It's not for the prestige and fame of motherhood, I assure you. It's not even because the weekend is just around the corner, for Saturday is just another day at work for a stay at home mom.

Nope, I do this because I love them. That's it. What explanation could there be, besides love, that could motivate me to wipe stinky bottoms and runny noses, read "Goodnight Moon" for the millionth time, or tolerate someone poking my belly button and laughing hysterically about a hundred times a day?

I put up with these kids for the same reason God puts up with me. Because they're mine, and I adore them. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Fun things to do with a little brother

Now that Caleb's finally got some personality, Abby's realizing he's more than just the noisy reason mom doesn't answer to her beck and call. Little brothers are good for all sorts of things.

They don't interrupt when you try to read them a story.


They don't fuss too much when you pinch their cheeks.

And they make great company on long caterpillar rides.

Also, they're apparently good for eye poking, toy stealing, and taste testing of stale goldfish crackers (not pictured).

The soup spoon goes on the right

Abby ate an entire bowl of oatmeal this morning, which is not unusual. What is unusual is that she ate the entire bowl of oatmeal by herself, and demonstrated proper spoon-holding technique at the same time. This is a very important milestone for two reasons:

1. Her tactile style of learning means that she touches everything, which makes eating with her hands extremely gross and unhealthy. Her use of utensils eliminates the gross factor.
2. Abby's ability to successfully feed herself frees up my hands for other things during mealtime. Like feeding myself.

Lest you get the impression that she is wise and skilled beyond her years, please note that just hours later she also ate a muffin wrapper by tearing the paper into little chunks and wadding them up before shoving in her mouth...the same way she eats her tortillas. Oh well. A little fiber never hurt anybody, right?

Triple Threat

What happens when you combine a pink suitcase, an NRA duffel bag, and a three month old?

Apparently, you become the newest threat to national security.

After four passes through the metal detector and having my luggage re-screened, Caleb and I were quarantined in the little glass room in the middle of security at the Atlanta airport, scanned with the hand held metal detector, patted down and questioned about our travel plans and carry on items before being declared safe to fly.

Seriously. My three-month-old son and I got patted down and searched by a TSA employee. You should all feel better knowing the skies are being kept safe from those dangerous stay-at-home-moms and their offspring.