Loooong Overdue

I've decided to "try" (used very loosely and with the best of intentions) to bring the blog back to life.  In 2011, I abandoned it because I had a one and a three-year-old, and well, life just got really busy.  Something had to give, and the blog was one of the first things to go.  I felt guilty about it because I enjoyed doing it, and it really served as the boys' baby books.  I am thankful for the detailed memories and pictures that I was able to document.  I feel great that I was able to capture both of the boys during their first year.  I have decided to celebrate that instead of beating myself up for not keeping it up.  I mean, how many children have a 200 page book with stories about their first year of life?  If I can't be proud of that, then something is wrong with me!

Here's the backstory on why I am trying to make a comeback...I have been having a lot of anxiety about the boys' birthdays this year.  Something about seven and nine seems really old.  They still need me and want to be around their momma, but I feel like time is slipping away.  This prompted me to revisit the blog and do something that I have been wanting to do for years, which is print the blog into books.  Well, mission accomplished!  The blog has now been printed into 4 books (2008-2011).  I have read every post and marveled at how much life has changed over the last 9 years.  I can't go back in time and change the fact that I took a break from the blog, but I can try to start over.  I'm not planning on taking the blog public again because honestly, I just don't need that pressure.  Ultimately, it will only be our family who will be going back to the blog to reminisce.  So, for now, I'm just starting off small.  The boys love hearing stories about themselves when they were younger.  My hope is that they will always enjoy it and that when they are grown, they will cherish the memories from the blog and maybe share them with their children.

So, that's the beginning of 2017.  It is starting half way through February on a Wednesday (with no pictures), but I am not going to let that bother me. It is what it is, but at least I am trying. Now, let's see how many days until my next post....

Easter 2011

Jack was the first one up on Easter morning and was thrilled to see a trail of Easter eggs outside his room. He quickly found where the Easter Bunny had hidden his basket and eagerly began to pull out all of the goodies. He loves his new sippy cups, forks, books, and toothbrushes. Charlie woke up shortly after Jack, and I heard him squeal at the top of the stairs when he saw the egg trail leading downstairs. With Daddy's help, he collected the eggs that led him to his Easter basket. The look on his face when he discovered his basket was priceless. He has quite a sweet tooth, so his eyes were bugging out of his head as he opened each egg in his basket. The Easter Bunny even put dollar bills inside some of the eggs because he knows how much Charlie loves money.

Both boys were even more excited that we let them have a piece of candy before breakfast. Jack's expression was hilarious as he shoved the tiny piece in his mouth. He quickly tried to grab another piece and run away with it. Charlie stashed all of his candy and money into cups to display in the kitchen. We had to keep a close eye on him all morning so that he would not inhale all of his candy.

Later in the morning, we welcomed Mimi, Baba, and Uncle Adam for brunch and a second round of Easter baskets. There was more candy and goodies for both boys. Jack enjoyed the new books and a very cool light up egg, while Charlie fixated on the candy yet again. We are really going to have to find a good hiding place for the candy...this kid is obsessed.

After brunch, I insisted on trying to get a family photo. All of my boys moaned and groaned about it, but seriously, this momma needs pictures of her beautiful family. Of course it was a challenge to get everyone looking at the camera, smiling, and happy, but we managed to pull it off for the first time in a loooong time. See, it pays to be persistent!

Easter Egg Hunt

Yesterday we took both boys to the Roswell Easter Egg Hunt at Sweet Apple Elementary. It is a great event and had a huge turn out this year. Mimi and Baba joined us this year to help the boys find the perfect eggs.

The week leading up to the hunt, we practiced our egg hunting skills in the family room. Charlie seemed to be really excited about it this year, but when the mad rush for eggs began, he got a little scared. He recovered, but for the most part he was much more interested in eating the candy. Jack got the concept of putting the eggs in his basket right away, and he liked trying to put the broken eggs back together.

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The BIG 3!

Today, Charlie turned three. Even as I type the words, I can't believe it is actually true. How has it already been three whole years since Charlie came into our lives? Three years since my name changed to Mommy...three years since my house has truly been clean...three years since the dog has had a propper walk...three years since I taught in a classroom...three years since Nick and I began the greatest adventure of ours lives...Three. Whole. Years!

The craziest part is just how much Charlie has changed in the last three years. He has gone from a tiny mush ball and grown into such a little man, full of knowledge, opinions, ideas, and emotions. Charlie constantly amazes us with the things that come out of his mouth. I wish I was better about jotting them down, because he really is hilarious. This year will forever be remembered as the year that Charlie started to talk...and never stopped. I remember fretting over his late speech, and friends would tell me not to worry, because once he started to talk, I would wish for it to stop. It's not that I want him to stop talking, but man, there are some days that having a converstation with him feels like a workout. The kid has more questions than anyone, and it is exhausting trying to find age appropriate answers to the things that he wants to know more about. I lovingly refer to Charlie as "Mr. Why" because he asks that question a hundred times a day. As a former teacher, I know that it is a good thing that he doesn't just settle for any old answer. He wants to know more, and I am happy to explain. It's just that when we get into a round of 20 questions about why a squirel is called a squirel, it gets a bit tiring for this old momma. It's crazy what he remembers. Nick and I will explain something to him, and often we think it is over his head or too much to comprehend. It never fails that weeks, even months, later he will refer back to that same something the we had talked about and show that he fully understood. When people refer to toddlers as little sponges, they really aren't kidding. Charlie takes it all in, and he is so aware of everything that surrounds him. Not only is he aware of his physical environment and whether or not I moved the vaccum, but he is also very aware of people's emotions. Recently, he has started to ask me all the time if I am happy. Typically, he asks me this after he has done something that would not please me or if Jack is fussy. I let him know if I am upset and why, and he is very quick to give me a hug or make a silly face to get me to smile. Then he quickly asks, "You happy now, Mommy?" Sweet boy.

This year will also be remembered as the Terrible Twos. Charlie and I butted heads a lot this year, and it has left me feeling a bit defeated. I definitely have a strong willed child who has a mind of his own and is not going to be told what to do. Nick said it best tonight, when he asked me, "Do you ever notice that when you praise Charlie for doing something good, he immediatly starts doing something bad?" Ummmm, YES! Praise, praise, praise...children are supposed to thrive off of praise, and yes, Charlie does eat it up. But, it does not encourage him to keep on the straight and narrow. Another discipline techinique that has failed us is giving choices. We always offer two choices and try to spin them into the most wonderful, perfect options for Charlie to choose from. But, if we say choose from A or B, Charlie will often say, "I have an idea." and offer his own thoughts. When directed back to choices A or B, a meltdown soon entails. Speaking of meltdowns, Charlie sure does know how to have one. He screams, spits, hits, throws, and does just about anything and everything to let you know how displeased his is at the time. I have had to put him in his room for time outs during a few episodes lately. Time outs have become laughable lately because he does everything in his power to get Jack's attention so that he will come over and play with him. Jack, of course, loves that fact that Charlie is paying attention to him and heads straight to him almost as soon as I get him in time out. If I can get him to sit and keep Jack distracted, Charlie will often sing at the top of his lungs or spit on the floor while serving his time. Really, I thought I was a patient person, but Charlie is truly testing my limits. There is nothing like having a nice heart-to-heart with your child only to slip in a pile of his slobber a few minutes later...ahhhh!

I could seriously go on and on describing Charlie at age three. My mom often says that they broke the mold when they made Charlie Shaw, and I could not agree more. Here are some of the highlights of Charlie at this age:

-Loves to help with household chores. Ask him to dust or help mop, and the kid is on it. He still loves to pretend to vacuum, but if you even mention that you have to really turn the vacuum on, and he begins to fret.

-Elephants are his favorite animal. He loves books that have elephants in them, and knows exactly where he can find pictures of elephants in all of his favorite books. He wants to ride an elephant some day, but you can tell he is nervous about the idea of being on something so large. He also has a love/hate relationship with dinosaurs. Charlie is so interested in them, and loves to learn about them, but at the same time they terrify him.

-Charlie continues to be a picky eater...sigh. He likes noodles with butter, cream cheese toast, raspberries, and anything sweet. He refuses to eat vegetables even though I always make him try at least one bite. Typically, if he does not like a new food, it comes out in a million pieces on my table or in his hand. This is a nasty habit that is getting very old.

-The child who used to be obsessed with brushing his teeth now fights it each and every time. I have to hold him down some mornings just to get him to do it.

-Charlie loves to watch TV - Max and Ruby, The Wiggles, Sesame Street, Dino Dan...just to name a few. He would sit in front of the television all day if I let him. It is one of the first things he asks for in the morning, and he even trys to get us to let him watch a little bit before bed. For a mom who planned on limiting TV to 30 minutes a day, this is a crushing blow. What's worse, is that I let him watch TV a lot than I care to admit. It is really the only time I can turn the child "off" when he is totally out fo control. And, as I mentioned earlier, that has been a lot this year. Judge me if you will, but the TV has saved both of us from many knock down, drag out battles.

-Music, music, music. He got a harmonica and a keyboard for his birthday this year. Really, he would love a guitar and a set of drums. Every time we are in Walmart, he asks to go into the music store to look at these instruments. Maybe next year sweet boy.

-Charlie has started to come out of his shell a little bit recently. He will talk to people out in public, and seems more comfortable around children his age. He still hates new situtations but appears to be adjusting better than in the past. We are hopeful that when he starts preschool, his socializations skills will improve even more.

-Charlie has some pretty funny one liners these days. Some of which include: "I have an idea." "

Ughhhh!

I am well aware that it has been a long time since I have blogged on a regular basis - since last year to be exact. Okay, I know it's only February, but seriously, the fact that I have not updated the blog gives me major anxiety for some reason. Mostly because I feel like I am going to forget a sweet moment that my family shared, and it will be lost forever because I was too busy to document it.

So, for those of you who have been wondering where we are, I promise we are still around. Life has been super busy in a wonderful way since the New Year, and the day-to-day craziness has caused me to become a little slack in terms of writing. In the next month, I plan to catch up on all of the blog posts that should have been written. I will be updating for January and February.

Tonight, however, is not the night. Instead, I am going to clean the kitchen floor, finish a load of laundry, wrap some birthday gifts, gaze a my sleeping babies, and turn in early on this Friday night.

Now that I have confessed my blogging sins, I feel better. Thanks for listening!

Sock Monkey Party

I'll be the first to admit that I was not excited about Jack's 1st birthday party. He is my baby, and my heart was aching at the thought of him turning one.

Jack is ONE!!!

Happy Birthday to our sweet, baby boy! Jack is one, and I can hardly believe it. He has grown and changed so much this year. Right now, he seems much more like a toddler considering he has been walking for seven weeks. He runs everywhere, and is so happy now that he can hang with the big dogs (Charlie and Samson). Jack has discovered a love for shaking his booty to the music and dances in circles with Charlie. It is hilarious watching him try to keep up with his big brother, and Charlie is taking very well to Jack being so mobile. Sure they have their rough moments, but I have to say they are really starting to get along very nicely and play together. Jack adores Charlie and laughs at him all the time. I love watching them together, and I know that it is only going to get better.

Jack is growing up so quickly. He weighed 21 lbs, 14 oz (25-50th percentile) and was 29.75 inches long (50th percentile) at his one year check up. The doctor said he looked perfect, and it was the first time I have not had any questions prepared for a well check up. It was such a welcome change from the first few months of Jack's life when it seemed like we lived at the pediatrician and all I had was questions. The happiest news I have to report is that Jack is completely off of his reflux meds. He was weaned off of the Prevacid by his GI specialist, and it is been about three weeks since his last dose. So far, there has not been one sign of reflux, and I can't tell you what a huge relief it is to be done worrying about Jack's belly.

This month, we have seen a big jump in Jack's cognitive ability. He is copying gestures and movements, pointing to what he wants or where he wants to go, and just getting so smart. I think he says "bye-bye" and "Dada", but it is not consistent enough for me to consider them his first words yet. Charlie did not say his first word until 15 months, so I am curious to see when Jack will start to talk. Jack loves to be read to and likes to flip through books. He reminds me of Charlie when he was one. They both love a good book. Jack is a happy little guy most of the time, but he is quick to let you know how he feels. Recently, he has taken to throwing himself back in protest or going limp in my arms when I try to move him away from something. He is a mama's boy, but he is also very independent. I have to keep my eyes glued on him, and I swear I have lost five pounds just since he started walking. I love watching his little personalty unfold.

In other news, Jack has cut his two bottom molars this month. He now has a grand total of ten teeth. His mouthful of teeth makes it easy to introduce him to all types of foods. He has gotten better about trying new foods but is still picky. He is not a fan of meat and only likes a few veggies (carrots and green beans). He loves fruit and is particularly fond of berries. Specifically, he loves blueberries. He starts to get excited as soon as he sees me take them out of the fridge. He loves his carbs and dairy, too. He'd be happy to live off of cheese and pasta. Both of my boys definitely inherited that from me. Jack is drinking whole milk from a bottle now. He is not taking to the sippy cup and usually tosses it around in protest. He also refuses to hold his own bottle. He is a head strong little bugger, and I can see power struggles in our future. Good thing he is so stinking cute!

This year has gone by faster than I could have ever imagined. Jack has gone from a tiny baby to a little person, and all the while I have fallen more and more in love with him. He stole my heart the second he was born, and I think he knows it. Every morning when I walk into his room and he flashes me a big grin, my heart skips a beat. He is my little love, and I am so blessed to be his mommy. Happy Birthday, Jack! Getting to know and love you this year has been a true gift. Mommy, Daddy, and Charlie love you very much!

A Love Letter

Dear Jack,

As I sit here on the eve of your first birthday, I am overwhelmed with emotion. It is so hard to believe that an entire year has gone by, and my baby has grown to be such a big boy.

Your presence in my life has filled a place in my heart that I never knew was empty. That's why it is so hard to believe that a year ago this night, I was terrified that I would not be able to love you enough. I have a confession to make, sweet Jack. It pains me to admit this, but before you were born, I was not sure that my heart could possibly love another baby boy as much as your brother. These feelings of doubt caused me great guilt and anxiety leading up to your birth.

But Jack, the most amazing thing happened the moment you were born. As soon as the nurse placed your tiny body in my arms, I was in love. It was love at first sight - the kind of love that makes you dizzy, takes your breath away, and leaves you longing for more. In that split second I wondered how I could have ever questioned my ability to care for you. I took one look at your beautiful face and knew that I was yours and you were mine for the rest of time. You had my heart and always will.

I was so smitten with you, that I had a hard time letting you out of my sight. You had to be taken to the nursery shortly after you were born for your first bath and in order to take your measurements. My heart ached at the idea of being without you for even a minute. Reluctantly, I passed you over to the nurse. In the hour we were apart, I must have asked about when we would be reunited a dozen times. Once I had you back, I had no intention of letting you go again.

During your first few days, you and I spent hours together just cuddling. I watched you sleep, played with your tiny fingers, listened to your squeaks, touched your delicate skin, kissed your head, and just studied every inch of your perfect little body. All that time, I fell more and more in love with you. Our time together during those first few days will always be among my most cherished memories.

Jack, you have been such a happy addition to our family. I can't imagine life without you in it. Thank you for all of the love you have shown me! Happy Birthday Eve, Little Love!

Love,
Mommy

Merry Merry

Christmas was extra special this year. Not only was it Jack's first Christmas, but it was also the first year that Charlie really understood the concept. We have been gearing up for the holiday all month by doing crafts and reading stories, and I could not wait to see Charlie's reaction on Christmas morning.

Our holiday traditions started on Christmas Eve with the baking and decorating of cookies for Santa. Charlie can be a great helper when he is in the right mood, however, this was not the case while decorating Christmas cookies. He managed to pull it together in the end, but phew, I thought Santa was going to have to miss out on cookies at our house. Of course, Charlie's favorite part was dumping sprinkles all over the cookies. I will be cleaning up nonpareils until next Christmas. Jack was a good helper, too. He volunteered to test a cookie to make sure it was good enough for St. Nick. After cookies we got the boys in their matching snowman pajamas (thanks Mimi), and read The Night Before Christmas. Charlie was definitely excited and kept saying that he thought he heard Santa. We let the boys open one present each and play for a little before it was off to bed.

On Christmas morning, Jack was the first to wake up as usual. We waited for Charlie to get up before we opened presents. The look on Charlie's face when he came down the stairs and saw his tool bench from Santa was priceless! He did not say anything but had a huge grin on his face. Both boys loved the tool bench so much that they kind of forgot about the other gifts. Next year, I think we will hide Santa's gift and wait until the very end to make the grand reveal. We eventually got around the rest of the gifts and stockings. Charlie was very appreciative of all of the new toys, and Jack was more interested in climbing the stairs and getting a hold of the video camera.

After presents and a yummy breakfast as a family, we got ready to visit with Nick's family. We ate Christmas lunch and then opened more presents than you could ever imagine. It's actually impressive how quickly we can open the mountain of gifts under the tree. The boys loved the gifts that they received, and I had a hard time trying to explain to Charlie that we needed to wait to get home before opening everything up. I caved and let him open one gift, his very own camera. He took our picture the entire 30 minute car ride home.

Once we got home, the boys took naps before round two with my family. Then, Mimi, Baba, and Uncle Adam came over for dinner and presents. The boys loved all of their gifts but spent most of their time playing with the kitchen that Mimi and Baba gave them. It was much like the tool bench, once they saw the kitchen, it was hard to divert their attention to anything else. After presents, we enjoyed a Christmas feast made with love by the fine people at Honey Baked Ham. My only contribution to the meal was steaming some asparagus.

After dinner, Charlie kept telling everyone that he was tired and that he wanted to go to bed (this NEVER happens). I knew we had had a busy day, but this was very out of character for Charlie. Turns out, Char was getting sick. At least he held out until the end of Christmas.

After my family left, we got our two exhausted boys ready for bed. Based on Charlie's comments, we thought he would pass out. But, a little Ibuprofen gave him a second wind. He was so excited about his new loot that he could not sleep. I ended up letting him get out of bed so that he could play for a little longer...hey, Christmas only comes once a year, right?

Our Christmas was amazing, and our boys received so many wonderful gifts and love from their family. We hope that all of our friends and extended family had a wonderful Christmas, too!

Here are just some of the 200 pictures I took. Click on the collage to enlarge.