VBS- Then and Now

I just wanted to see how much he's grown in the past year- WOW!

He's not my baby anymore!

VBS 2011

VBS 2012

Boys of Summer

These boys make me so ready for a summer of fun and relaxation! I cannot wait for days in the sprinklers and pool. For trips to the zoo and walks in the park to feed the ducks. For eating watermelon and catching fireflies on cool nights. For fireworks. For homemade ice cream. For popsicles. For cook-outs. For hugs and kisses and every minute possible with the loves of my life!

Diaper Drama, Volume V&VI

V: Scene- Early/Mid March. Cutter has a fever virus. No other symptoms at all. Chris and I are splitting work days. I work mornings, Chris works afternoons. This way, we're not burning all hours and days we have. Wednesday afternoon, I'm on shift with him. He lays down for his nap, and he is TIRED. His fever picks up so I put him down in just a tshirt and diaper to keep him cooler. After 4 hours, he is still sleeping. 15 minutes later, he is SCREECHING at the top of his lungs for me. I open the door and realize why. It STINKS in there. I turn on a light, and it hits the fan. Not literally, but I realize why he is still shrieking. Diaper is no longer on him, but under his feet. There is poo EVERYWHERE. Mostly on him. I try wipes, but those do nothing at this point. I have to stand him in the tub, while he screams the whole time. After finally cleaning him up, he just lays on me with the biggest sigh of relief. But my job is far from done! I have to wash sheets, mattress pads, bumper pads, stuffed animals, blankets, clothes and pacis. By the time I am done, #1 lesson learned. ALWAYS put short on top, or duct tape it closed!

VI: Poor Chris. I hope he never reads these! Time #2, changing a stank. I'm on the phone with a neighbor when he starts screaming. Chris, not Cutter. Instead of swapping places and finishing the job, I just bring him a trash can while I continue with my neighbor. Needless to say, the trash can was put to great use, child lay dirty on the changing table with one hand on him to hold in place, and I cannot breathe because of laughing so hard! Lesson learned- go when Chris calls. It might not end well! (Yes, child did get changed and was not harmed in the process.)

Mama's Day

I love my life. There is no greater blessing to me than to be called "Mama". Whether it's from a crib being yelled for me to come get him, playing in the house and coming to show me a toy, or clinging to my legs sreaming it as I try to cook dinner, I love it. To be able to raise him, teach him new things, and the excitement I feel when I see he has learned sometime new. Each day brings another wonder. So this Mother's Day, I am blessed. I am Mama.

I would not be the mother I am today without the influence of my own mother. I am blessed to have a wonderful Christian woman as the example I now try to follow. Happy Mother's Day, Mom! Love you!

March's Lions

Well, they say when it rains, it pours. That pretty much sums up my month! They also say that March comes "in like a lion, and out like a lamb". I beg to differ. This year, it was more like "in like a lion, out with a stampede of elephants"!

- Starts with my accident, early morning on the 1st. An old man turns right in front of me and I hit him straight on. 55 mph. LUCKILY- nothing broken, hurt or scarred.
- My car is totalled. LUCKILY- insurance money buys me a new one.
- Cutter gets a fever virus that lasts for several days. LUCKILY- we can rework our schedules and both work half days to stay home with him.
- Cutter's TWO MONTH OLD molars start coming in. Yikes! LUCKILY- there is Tylenol, chew toys, and doors between us at night.
- I turn 30! LUCKILY- I have the best husband in the world to cheer me on, including a wakeup call at 12:01 to wish me happy birthday, breakfast in bed, dinner, a movie, and Gigi's cupcakes!
- My mom gets diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer, on my birthday. LUCKILY- we have the prayers and support of TONS of friends and family to get her through these next months ahead. LUCKILY- we got to spend a weekend of my spring break with her and dad, laughing, talking, and be okay in the craziness around us.

At least there is a rainbow after the storm!

I've realized how lucky I am to have great family, friends, coworkers, and church family. I have a son who amazes me more and more each day. *Insert proud mama moment here* Just in these last days, he looks for friends while calling their names, tried to put Rush's harness on him, walks to his highchair when he is hungry, will bring you a book to read, brings his Bible and says "Bible" and "Jesus" while looking at pictures.

So yes. There are crazy days, and not so great moments. But all in all, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and so many things for which I get to be thankful!

One and One-Third

16 months passed yesterday, and I didn't even realize it. Oh well! I'd download pictures, but that requires a chance to do that. We've been busy! We've just had our first sick days that kept us home from daycare. Although he felt fine, the break and time together was perfect. An ear infection, all-out, and no clue! The boy rocks illness like a champ- nothing like his dad :)

Moving on.

So, the day after Chris' mom told him about the number of words toddlers recognize, my mom sent me this list. It peaked my curiosity to see how many of them Cutter does know. Once going through it, we kept working on the list to see how many there are in all. It's amazing to see what all he catches on to- and how quickly as well!

The 25 common words that should form the building blocks of a toddler's vocabulary:
-all gone
-baby
-ball **
-banana *
-bath *
-bye bye *
-book **
-car
-cat
-cookie
-daddy **
-dog *(Rush/puppy)
-eye
-hat
-hello/hi
-hot
-juice *(cup**)
-milk *
-mommy **
-more
-no *
-nose *
-shoe *
-thank you
-yes *

others we've got:
*high five
*blow kiss
*seat
*night night
**bite (eat/snack)
*wipe (face)
*brush (teeth/hair)
*sip
*clean up
*pat
*clap
*ear
*head
*Cutter
*put in (basketball)
*lion
*elephant
*beep beep
**cracker

*These are words he recognizes and responds to. He knows what they are and what to do with each. He will repeat many of them.
**These are the words he will say without prompting. He thinks he is so funny, especially when it comes to the food words!

Until next month or something else exciting happens!

One and One-Fourth

We are fifteen months old now! I can't believe it. I kind of stopped doing the monthly updates, since we've gotten so busy. But there is still so much to share! 15 months means 15 things...



~ We are walking now! Little Man took his first steps two days before Christmas. Away from me and towards his new Radio Flyer wagon. Since then, we're walking most of the time. He just figured out the other day how to stand on his own. He doesn't have to pull up anymore to get going.

~ Walking now means climbing as well. He can climb on (and off) the stage in our church's fellowship hall. He climbed into his wagon the other night. For the first time, he climbed ONTO OUR BED tonight! See the picture above? He climbed into the tub. Clothes and all! I'm going to have to keep a close eye on this monkey!

~ "Beep Beep!" He likes those words, because when he hears them, he'll hit the horn and laugh. He knows "Done", "Bite", "Sip", "Go get", "Rush", "Mama", "Dada", "Bath", "Hug", "Kiss", "No" and responds to them as well as others I can't think of right now. He can repeat many words spoken to him, and recognizes many names and associates with those around him most often.

~ He knows "ByeBye" and will start waving at you, if you're lucky. It's not an everyday thing. Just when he's in the mood. He LOVES to give hi-fives. Before he leaves school, he gives everyone a couple of them.

~ Speaking of school, he cracks me up when I get there! Here lately, I walk in the door and he clenches his arms and fists and lets out the loudest, high-pitched squeal! He is so excited to see me, and that makes me happy. Once he gets to me, he is ready to GO! He knows that once we start saying "ByeBye", he's about to leave. And he reaches and strains to get out the door. He gets mad if I don't leave quick enough!

~ This kid is so silly! He loves to clap for himself, run his fingers over his lips to make the "b-b-b-b-b-b-b" sound, and often does these while sitting alone.

~ He LOVES a lion! He sleeps with one every night. If you ask him what one says, he'll immediately growl at you. Going to sleep is easy. He grabs his stuffed lion or elephant, and a blanket, throws them over his face, and passes out. He sleeps around 12 hours a night, and in on Saturday mornings when we're lucky! He'll throw his things out of his crib if we take too long, but will throw them into his crib if he grabs them as we pick him up.

~ He loves to pick things up and put them back. Anything with containers and pieces, shelves, or buckets. He loves it! I can cook dinner while he takes his magnetic letters and puts them in and out of a metal mixing bowl. A LOUD activity but will last him forever! I've found things in his trash can that he puts there. We have to now keep the bathroom doors closed, for fear of his discovery of the toilets!

~ Speaking of picking things... He's good at using his fingers too! He can gather a ton of things into his hands, and hold onto them as he's on the move. Before, he'd put it in his mouth and crawl! He amazes me at how he can figure out what to do and how to work his fingers to accomplish it.

~ Have I mentioned that he loves to eat? This particular evening, he turned up the plate to let the last of his food slide into his mouth. Then, proceeded to balance the plate on his head. A chunky little comedian! Along with eating, he now LOVES to share. When you hear a loud "Aaaaaaaaaa", you know a little hand is trying to get something to you. I've had a good share of goldfish, fruit, crackers, and cheese balls. How sweet, until he tries to share something that I don't like. :)

~ He loves Piper and his friends! You can call them by name, and he'll start looking around for them. He has buddies at daycare and church, and I promise he tries to talk about them as we're on our way home!

~ He loves Bible class. He moved up to the next class in November. It took awhile to get used to it- two months of Sunday morning and Wednesday night screamings until he adjusted. I think it was his New Year's resolution to go to class without crying. Now he does just fine!

~ He and Rush are becomming buddies. Rush hangs around him a bit more. Closer than before, but I'm not sure if he's just curious or thinks food is not far away. He laughs at Rush when he's on a barking sprint. He helps me gives Rush treats, and actually reached and yelled for me to get him another one today. Pretty much, he holds it out then throws it on the ground. Sometimes, he'll hold it long enough for Rush to get it out of his hands.

~ Look closely, and you might see some teeth through there. Kinda hard not to, when he's got 14 of them and two more on the verge of busting through! We've been working on these last ones for awhile now, and they sure are boogers! He still has a cute little gap between the top two middle ones. Not like Michael Strahan, but a little one that makes me smile.

~ Hair. His grows SO FAST! He had his first cut right after his first birthday. Just a trim around the edges. It had lost the mohawk look, and transformed more into a mullet, so that had to go. He recently got his second haircut. I did it! I was nervous, but knew if I distracted him and worked quickly, it would be fine. Needless to say, dad's lap, a dum-dum, and candy cane later and we were finished and in the bathtub to play. He looks like a little man with his big boy cut!

This little one definitely keeps us on our toes! I love every moment and cannot believe how time if flying. Pretty soon, he'll be walking down the hall on his first day of kindergarten!