Thank you!

I always used to get laughed at when I'd go into the hospital to have a baby because I was constantly saying "thank you!" but I was amazed at what those sweet nurses did for me! I felt they went over and beyond their call of duties but they assured me that's what they do! They were cleaning up messes I couldn't even begin to touch and running around like crazy making sure that my stay was a comfortable one!

Well, little man is definitely my son...today I took him to his 2 year well check up and I was so anxious about his shots. I just hate when they are that little and I can't even explain to them what is about to happen! But he was hysterical! Everytime a nurse would do anything like measure his head, measure his length, etc. he'd say "Thank you" and coming from that little mouth is the sweetest thing you've ever heard! The nurses were dying and saying how in the world were they going to be able to give this sweet precious thing his shot? I assured them that while he may seem sweet, the sweet times are REALLY sweet while the not so sweet are REALLY not so sweet! Don't be fooled!

The doctor checked him out and he responded to everything perfectly: "Lift your left leg, now your right leg, bend over and touch your toes.." He did it with no problem that the doctor was so impressed and said "I can't believe you're two" (I realized this is coming across as bragging about my child but that's not intentional or the point of the story!!!)

So he did great at his checkup (97% in weight and 91% in height) and here comes the nurse back in to do the dreaded shot. I lay him down and hold his hands down and just want to take this pain from him but he cried for just a second, then sat up and no lie says "Thank you" I couldn't believe my ears!!! It reminded me so much of my hospital stays when I'm saying "Thank you" every five seconds!

I guess I'm like him in the way that when I'm sweet, I'm REALLY sweet and when I'm not sweet, I'm REALLY not sweet!!!!

I'm just not cool anymore....

Okay I hear some of you out there saying "were you ever?" ....that's not funny! But seriously, I feel that I've come to terms with the fact that I'm just not cool anymore. I mean how in the world can a pregnant mother of two driving a minivan be cool? I don't think it's possible. I've had some small moments along the way that have reminded me my cool status is long gone. Like the time I'm talking to my babysitter about her spring break (remembering mine like it was yesterday) and she's responding to me not only with a look of "whatever" but with "Mrs. Stargel" and even "yes, ma'am." Wow - that will take you down a few levels! How old does she think I am anyway?

Or the time I was talking to another babysitter when all my girlfriends arrived to go out. One of my girls had just had her first baby and we were talking about not only how it changes your life but also how it changes the relationship between you and your husband....he definitely knows you "inside out"....literally! I can't even DESCRIBE the look on that babysitter's face...one of never having kids and definitely confident in knowing we were not cool!

Or maybe even tonight at the dinner table when my two year old looks at the Publix Pilgrim salt shaker (yes they should have been put up at Thanksgiving but forgive me...they are still out) and says while pointing at the salt shaker "mommy" WHAT? Do you really think mommy is that fat with that big of boobs? Is that how you see mommy? Looking like an out of shape, old fashioned pilgrim??? It did make me feel a little better however when he leaned over and kissed it over and over while saying "mommy".

But there is definitely a new level of non coolness when your 16 year old neice is staying with you for the week and while she reminds me of so many good times in my life...she also reminds me of just how long ago those carefree days were. You want to sleep in until 1:30? No prob....You want to stay up all night? No prob!!!! But the thing that has made me feel so uncool is that I can't even come up with anything cool that may sound cool to do to a 16 year old!!! The mall? I swear that's all I got! I try to do facebook and I'm on it with 60 something friends but she's got like 350 f riends!!! I think it's funny that she wants to come spend a week with Aunt Christy - what is fun about that?

I think we succeeded tonight in having fun - we went to the mall which seems kind of lame but it was great! I'm glad that I'm grounded in where I am in life because I thought people looked at me wierd when I walked in Forever 21 with a stroller but that's not even CLOSE to the looks I got tonight when I walked in with no stroller but clearly very pregnant! But as I stood in that teeny bopper store listening to their music, I thought to myself....I am still cool on some level - I love me some good music, from Timbaland & Justin, Rhianna and Usher to Michael Jackson, Stevie & Earth Wind & Fire. So who cares if I'm rocking out to these in the minivan? I feel cool even when I may not look it!

And I definitely don't look like that darn pilgrim!!!!!

Stride Rite....Here we come!

So anyone who knows my boys will appreciate this. They are polar opposites - they look completely different, their personalities are very different and even their build is very different! I learned very early on in parenting two that you can't compare them! Nothing about them are the same! I kept finding myself saying "the oldest never did this" after the second came along and that had to stop real quick or I was going to drive myself crazy! NO COMPARISON!

So I guess this shouldn't surprise me either....we've been handing little man down his older brother's clothes, shoes, everything since he was born because thankfully they were born in the same season. And just for those people who are mortified by this...I don't let him wear anything that is stained or worn - only the stuff in good condition. And most of the time, everything fits great...he may be in 3T when he's just turned 2 but for the most part.....everything fits. Well, recently we've been putting shoes on him - that were his brothers (old tennis shoes to play in outside - be assured I have bought my son his own shoes!!) But last week when we were putting tennis shoes on him, he started saying "hurts, hurts". So my husband went out and bought him a new pair of tennis shoes - size 9 without measuring him or anything! But when he was the mall a few days, he decided to have him measured and um....he is an 8 1/2 DOUBLE WIDE! Like I said before that you can't compare them? The oldest one probably has the most narrow foot in the world and little man comes along with a double wide! No wonder the shoes were hurting his feet!

Stride Rite - here we come......Is there any place else to buy double wide shoes? New balance maybe?

Update!

So just wanted to give an update on the boys since everyone has been so supportive! I guess two nights ago it took us an hour and a half to get the boys down (that was from the last blog) but THEN....little man got up probably 15 times between the hours of 1:00 and 3:00 am. Well I was exhausted from picking him up so many times that day that daddy offered to get up with him each time. This isn't good because he's up sooooo early so he usually is NEVER up with the kids at night!!!

Finally at 3 am we had both had enough and put him in his crib - he cried for about 10 minutes but then slept til 8 am. So of course, the next morning I was more confused than ever - had no idea what to do....do I put him back in the crib or keep pressing forward with this battle that no on is winning and both of us are so frustrated with!!! So yesterday for his nap, I put him in his crib at 1:30 and do you know he slept until 5:15? Do you think he was exhausted? He went back to bed last night around 9:00 and was just so happy to be in his crib....When I went in to check on him, he was curled up in the corner using his bumper pads as his pillow...he loves it. Then we got to put numero uno to bed by himself and we did our normal routine - everything we had been doing before we decided to move them together and he was even so much happier. After we got them both down (happily) in their beds, I told my husband "we have our sweet kids back" - gone is the stress of this "plan" that I had gotten in my head that obviously wasn't working!!! I still feel that one day they'll be in the same room maybe when they are a little older and more mature but if not, so what? I have let it go - And gosh it feels so much better than the anxiety I was carrying around all day!

Don't be fooled!

I don't want anyone mistaking that everything is hunky dorey over here! That we have moved our boys into their new room and little man in his new big boy bed without any glitches....isn't it funny how things look so good sometimes on paper? The reality of it is it's been the hardest week of my life!!! I'm usually a very consistent, strict with a plan type mom when it comes to my kids and any type change but I've decided something this week. You know when they have a person designated to question a criminal and his actual job is to "break" him? I'm thinking they should just get a two year old in there (especially in the middle of the night - very easy breakage then!) and have them scream and cry until they can't take anymore!

Every night has been difficult getting the boys down which I had anticipated. They both have different bedtime routines and one sleeps to a sound machine while one sleeps to music and a fan. They are used to one on one time with mommy and daddy before we lay them down and now they are sharing us....I realize their routine has been rocked! But then you throw a strong willed child in there which is very different from my oldest and I am thrown for a loop! Never have I seen a child who will just continuously get out of his bed! And I don't usually lose my cool in front of my kids - they don't see me cry alot but this week they've seen me crying on the phone almost everyday to daddy (or anyone who will listen!!!) Why is this so hard? Then I start doubting myself - maybe we shouldn't have moved them together, is the oldest sad and miserable that he's sharing a room now, will the youngest ever adjust to his big new bed, and on and on....more questions than I can mention.

So last night (night 4) took an hour and a half to get them down which do I even have to tell you is exhausting? Little man kept saying crib like he wanted to go back in it so I finally was like "fine, if you want to be a baby and go back in your crib....GREAT!" well, of course then he didn't want to....I asked him crib or big boy bed and he chose big boy bed! So I'm thinking we are getting somewhere right? I calmly said "if you are going to be a big boy, then you need to be quiet and go to sleep - your brother is not coming in here until you can lay down and be quiet". He really wants his brother in there so he did FINALLY stay in his bed and go down....UNTIL 1:00 AM!!!!!

At which time he preceeded to get out of his bed probably ten times between 1-3 AM....mind you all the time we are trying not to wake the oldest up! So daddy finally went and put him in the crib at 3 and we let him cry and he did finally go to sleep - which we all desperately needed. I'm convinced you can't think clearly when you are lacking sleep! So now I don't know what to do....Any advice would be great!!!!

We have two big boys!!!

So we took the plunge and moved our boys together in one room. Not only now are they sharing a room which they've never done but it's little man's first night in his big boy bed.

We worked so hard all day, setting up beds, moving furniture, wiping down bookshelves, throwing away books that were ripped and crappy meal toys, making everything new for our two little ones that don't seem to be staying little for long. The challenge was keeping everything ON the bookshelves once we'd put things up there or getting the folded clothes in drawers before they can and threw them everywhere. But all in all, the day seemed to go smoothly and they seemed excited I guess. I kept thinking they weren't totally getting it. One thought he was moving in there and the the little one was moving in the guest room - I tried to explain that wasn't the case a thousand times. But when it was all said and done, they walked in and of course started jumping on the beds (I know i should be more strict about that....) but the oldest by 22 months says to the little one "Do you just love it? Now whenever you are scared I'll be right here with you!" Wow....how did they become so sweet?

I swear little man who is embracing his two's with a vengence is like the tazmanian devil but the sweetest tazmanian devil you've ever seen. Don't get me wrong...he has his tantrums but they aren't malicious - that's just not his nature. He's the first to say "bless you" when anyone sneezes, the first to say "sorry" even when he's not the one who should be apologizing and the first to remind us to bless our food by saying "hands" when we sit down at the table. Where did he learn all this stuff?

We worked the kind of work today when you've been at it for so long, you don't even realize it's 7:30 and you haven't even talked about dinner. So we ordered Chinese food which was delicious and when I finally sat down to eat, I realized how much I'd done and how exhausted I was. A hot bath and bed was calling my name so it was funny when I read my fortune cookie and it read "The night life is for you" or something like...comical. There is no life left in me at night!!!!

The boys were so excited and as I'm telling little man not to get out of his bed, he's right behind me crawling out....oh boy, it's going to be a long night. But actually once his older brother came in there, I think he felt more comfortable in his new surroundings. He only talked and played for a little bit and I can say at 10:45, 'the monsters are sound asleep' (phrase taken from our It's Time for Bed, Elmo book!)

It really hit me today that we have another little one on the way. The nursery furniture was all moved into it's new room and I was overwhelmed with emotion. Dear Lord, am I going to be able to handle three? My oldest asked me yesterday if I thought God knew knew he was going to have a sister? I told him God knows exactly what we're having and it may not be a sister - he's adamant it is. We shall see......

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It's a miracle....

This is actually a little embarrassing to admit to MYSELF much less put it out there for all to read but let me start at the beginning.

We are about to move our boys into the same bedroom and I had originally thought I may do this endeavor last weekend but was just exhausted after little man's birthday party and just didn't get around to it. The one thing I needed to get around to before the big move is cover their headboards. I got them all new bedding and got some really cool linen fabric to cover the headboards with (which is SO EASY by the way) but finding the time or the energy has been another story.

So....last night I had a little bit left in me at 10:00 after boys were down and decided I was going to cover one of the headboards. So as we watched tv, I started my project. But before I could wrap the fabric around (remember it's linen) it really needed to be ironed - another reason I can't work on this when the boys are up! So I ironed it all out and with the iron still plugged in, I sat it to the side, standing up but on the carpeted floor. I guess I was thinking maybe I wasn't done with it? Not really sure. But we got the headboard covered and stapled and it looks great but here is the thing......

I went to bed and left the iron on ALL NIGHT on the hottest setting #7 for linen standing up on the carpet!!!!!

There is no excuse but I can say I was just tired as I am every night at 11:30 and because I had sat it to the side, just totally didn't see it? Well, it was the very first thing I thought about when I woke up this morning....."Did I turn that iron off last night?" Surely he did when he went to bed...he's better about checking everything than I am but then I learned that he came across the HOT IRON that had been on all night when he left for work this morning at 5 am. I know you are probably thinking why is there not an automatic shut off button which was exactly what I was thinking too but I guess we have an old iron...I don't know!

How irresponsible can you be? I felt that I needed to apologize to every member of this household!!! I have sat here all day just in pure amazement that I didn't burn the entire house down!

Obviously I'm not a huge crafty person but will post pics of the boys new room once it's all complete!

Little Man is TWO!!!!

The second birthday is a major milestone out of the many that we have:

1 - wow! you've made it through the first year!

10 is double digits

13 - teenager

16 - Sweet Sixteen or so your parents hope!

18 - you're old enough to vote

21 - Legal and old enough to drink!!!

But no one really considers "2" and what a huge milestone that is!!!!

I just keep thinking about my precious baby boy and all that is about to change in his little life this year:

* New sibling due to arrive
* Moving into a big boy bed
* Sharing a room with his older brother
* Removal of the "baby" (paci)
* potty training
* starting preschool two days a week

Those are all really big things!!!! But I'm so proud of him and know with a little encouragement he's going to do great!!!!! I just may need some encouragement of my own!!!!

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
1 Thessalonians 5:11


Here are some pics from his party!

Happy 4th & Happy Birthday Little Man!!!!

So for most people, today is all about the 4th of July but for me...it is the day my second child was born! As I turned on the road race this morning for my oldest - I was flooded with memories of early morning contractions, calling my doctor and trying to get to Piedmont Hospital before the Peachtree Road Race began! I had visitors that would check in on me and then step out front and watch people struggle up cardiac hill. Such a fun, fun memory and what a fun birthday!!!





We looked for daddy this morning on tv but didn't see him (out of the 55,000 people!) but when the winner crossed the finish line - my 3 year old asked me "Why didn't daddy win?" How cute is that? He really thought daddy might have a shot at beating that ethiopian!!! I look forward to cheering daddy on from the sidelines in years to come! I'm so proud of him - this is is 17th year running! Wow!





The birthday boy isn't awake yet but I can't wait to go squeeze him and ask him the question we've asked so many times this week (practicing!!) "How old are you today?" and hear him say in his sweet voice "twoooooo".





We're hoping to make it to fireworks tonight - the first time for the boys - let's pray they dont' crash!!!





Birthday pics are to come! Happy 4th everyone!

My biggest pet peeve....

Okay I know people have MUCH bigger problems than me but finally when someone asks me "What is your biggest pet peeve?" I now can answer with no thought but pure confidence! My biggest pet peeve is switching internet service!!!! They act like it's going to be so easy and you can transfer all your contacts and they'll send an email out to all of your existing contacts letting them know of your change, blah, blah, blah. And then the man gets here and says "oh no....we can't do that. Our system isn't compatible to do that with Charter" Are you compatible to do that with ANYTHING?

We had switched our cable and had decided not to switch our internet due to this pain in the butt!!! But when we heard it was not only cheaper but faster - no brainer, right? WRONG!!! It's a no brainer to keep it the way it is...which is working...and not mess with it! But we took the plunge and have now changed our internet service which includes our email address and I swear, it's the only thing we can find to argue about. Which says alot for our relationship but he just doesn't understand why I get so upset over this!!! Last night I'm trying to figure out our stupid security code - well I have no clue where that is!! So I'm yelling for him, wondering where he keeps the bill that has the security code in the righthand corner - he has no patience for this!! And I have no patience for switching our internet service! I'm not addicted to things but maybe one can say I'm addicted to my email....great! I can live with that! But I use it for work and play and I NEED IT!!!!

So needless to say, we have a new email address - look for it soon in your inbox!!! Supposedly they are to send it out to everyone....whatever!!!!