Colt is now TWO!!!

Dear Sweet Colton,

You are now two years old. You are officially the most active, loving, full-of-life toddler to walk (run) the planet. You have the sweetest personality but also know how to push people's buttons, especially your sister's. You wake up every day with the biggest smile on your face and your hair every which way. It gives waking up early such joy.

Not only do you melt my heart every time I look into those big chocolate brown eyes, you make it nearly impossible for me to get mad at you. You know when you get in trouble because you run away with a huge grin and look out the corner of your eyes to see if we are watching you. You even smile in time out. You are full of joy. Who can stay mad for long after just looking at you?

I am so proud to be your momma, Colt. I already can tell you have a big heart and are aware of the feelings of those around you. You aren't a huge cuddler, but you do love to give kisses and hugs...especially to girls:) You aren't shy one bit and love to wave at people walking by in the stores and say, "hi!" You talk ALL the time...in full sentences. Sometimes I wonder if it is English, but most of the time I can tell what you are saying. You are very bright and love to ask questions. You love your big sister but also love to annoy her. When you guys do get along it is the best thing in the world. Your laughter lights up any room. You still are obsessed with basketballs and will shoot baskets for hours. Everyone comments on how well you can dribble and throw. You can keep yourself entertained and are probably one of the most messiest kids alive, but you love life.

I pray that you stay this way for a very long time. I pray that you will continue to love life and continue to explore. I pray that you continue to love the way you do. I pray that you will always smile when you wake each morning. I pray that you will continue to grow to be a strong, confident boy in Christ. I also pray that you continue to grow into the boy and man that God wants you to be. I pray that you choose to walk and follow after Him. I pray that you will be a leader to those who are around you. Your father and I love you more than you will ever know. We will love you no matter the circumstance and will pray for you every day. God has blessed us beyond anything we could ever imagine by giving us you, your sister, and your brother.

Love you precious boy,
Mommy

P.S. Your birthday was the perfect day. We went to the Notre Dame Blue and Gold game, walked around campus, enjoyed dinner with Gamma and Poppy. The weather was beautiful and you absolutely loved the game:)

Separation Anxiety...Blah

We have been back from Florida for about a week and a half now. I want to go back:) It is kind of funny...I thought after a nice, relaxing week, I would be ready to go. I honestly feel like life is already getting to be too much again:) I blame it all on my pregnancy hormones. I am unbalanced:) Thank God for husband! He is seriously the most amazing person ever.
On another note, I need some momma advice. It seems that my 3 year old daughter is having a little separation anxiety. I am thinking that it is from us leaving her for a whole week. Every morning I am leave for work almost in tears myself. The first thing she does when she opens her eyes each morning is beg me to stay in bed with her and not leave her. She asks for about 10 kisses from Nic before he walks out the door, freaks out when he goes to get in the shower thinking he left without saying goodbye. The entire time I am getting ready each morning, she cries and cries for me not to leave. Then before I leave she asks if I am coming back after work. It breaks my heart into a million pieces each time. All I want to do is just call in to work and tell them I quit. But I obviously can't do that. I know that she is totally fine within 5 minutes after me leaving, but it still tears me apart. This has also caused nighttime to be totally restless. The first week we were home she would wake up several times a night to make sure we were still there and it was almost like she wasn't sleeping at all. We finally put her in the play yard in our room just so she would get some sleep (as well as Nic and I). I know that is a total no-no, but we are at a loss. We have been struggling with her sleeping ever since her night terrors months ago and now it is just getting worse.
Colt, on the other hand, is a dream baby when it comes to sleeping. He goes to bed around 7:30, sleeps through the night, and takes about 2-3 hour naps. Part of that is because he runs himself rugged until he wears himself out. What a little ball of energy he is. I love that little boy...he lights up any room with his huge smile. I seriously can't believe he is going to be 2 on Saturday. That seems so crazy to me. He is growing up so fast, I just want to freeze time. I will write an update on him later when I write his birthday letter.
As for Easton, I am already absolutely in love with the little man. This is my favorite part of pregnancy (besides the hormone thing). I am feeling him move quite often, mostly in the mornings and nights while laying in bed. I have felt so good this trimester and am so thankful for this burst of energy. I am now a little over halfway through my pregnancy, which is crazy to even think about. Hayden and Colt still love kissing my belly and talking to Easton. It melts my heart when they do that. I can't wait to watch Easton join in playing with Hayden and Colt.
Well, that is my little update right now...hopefully I will be able to get on here before another full week goes by...maybe:)
Hope you all have a great rest of the week!

Blog, I have missed you fiercely!

Well, hello there dear blog. Sorry it's been so long! I've missed you like a fat kid misses his ho ho's.  I am seriously starting to have anxiety attacks when something happens in this crazy life and I can't record it right away! 

These last 2 weeks have been so unbelievably beautiful that we have been spending almost every free second outside relishing in the warmth. We have been taking walks down to the creek, drawing with chalk, swinging, eating meals outside, and have even been playing with the water table. Along with all of this beautiful baths has come multiple baths per day:) I am telling you, these babies LOVE to get dirty. I don't know how long this amazing weather will last, but I am so thankful for what it has done for my soul. It has been so refreshing for me. 

Hayden had her 2nd dentist appointment this past Monday, the 19th. The Dr. did a simple checkup and Hayden did perfectly for him. I was so proud of my baby girl! She received a little bag with a new Cinderella toothbrush, toothpaste, and a special prize from the treasure chest. She was very proud of her little bag and asked if we could go see Poppy at his office and show him her goodies. His office was right down the road so I went ahead and took her. 

On the way home, I I kept glancing in the rearview mirror and just kept thanking God for my little princess. We have had a lot of one-on-one time together recently and I have treasured each of those times. It is such a special thing to spend time with each of my children one-on-one because I feel I can give my complete attention to that child. These times also remind me how fast time goes and how my babies aren't babies anymore. They are both so different from each other and so special. I wish time would freeze sometimes just so I can hold my children forever and protect them. I love them so much that sometimes my heart hurts. I don't want to think about the trials and the tears that they will come to in the future. It scares me and kills me to even think of one of them being hurt. 

On another note, we have switched the children's rooms and both the kids love their new rooms. They have been sleeping so well that I don't know why we didn't do this before:) Here are a few pictures of the past few weeks:

 16 Weeks

On the way to the dentist

So proud of her goodies from the dentist:)

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Some fun quotes and actions from little Miss Hayden and Mr. Cole Bob worth recording:

*While working out with Nic, "I like this workout! It's awesome!"

*I thought it would be nice and relaxing to take a bath. About 10 minutes into my relaxation Hayden barges in with the most worried face ever, bends over to put her hands on her knees, and says, "Mom, dad is going (then she proceeds to cough). He needs help. He's sick." She came to tell me Nic was throwing up while doing his workout.

*While playing with her dozens of little Mickey and Toy Story figurines, I hear her say, "I love you Story 3. I love you, I love you, I love you. I do."

*Not 5 minutes later I hear, "Bad Mickey. Bad. Bad. Bad. You get a spankin'."

*Hayden has found a real love for working out with Nic. Like, absolutely loves it. She gets upset when its over. 

*The other night I was sick to my stomach. I had to be at the toilet (I know, TMI), so I put the kids in the bath so they weren't running totally loose around the house. Hayden looked my straight in the eyes and said, "mom, you sick? You need your medicine? Your tummy hurting you? Take your medicine." Ha. She has been taking this powdery stuff for her stomach issues so she thought I had the same problem.

*For some reason, she walks around singing, "I shake my booty, I shake my booty." Not sure where she is getting that one.

*The other day I asked Hayden where Bubby was. She replied, "Oh, he is just hidin' so he can poop."

*Colton has been spinning round and round and round until he falls, gets up, falls, gets up, falls, and laughs like crazy.

*He is now saying, "Night night. I love you." Melts my heart.

*Every morning when I go into Colt's room to get him out of the crib, he immediately asks, "Where's daddy?" Then proceeds to run to our room looking for him. If he isn't there, he freaks out.

*Our little man has a fascination with our toilet...not to use it, but to see how many items he can stuff in there in the amount of time Mom or Dad turn their backs. 

*Colt has been talking more and more each day. Some of his favorite things to say is: "Where daddy/sissy go?" "I want milk." "Thank you." "Love you?" "Pease." "I don't wanna." "I go in baftub (bath)." "Basset ball game on." There are many more, my mind is just not remembering at the moment.

Prayer and Cookies

December 14th- Bake Cookies for a Neighbor

Don't worry, folks...we were done with those cooking utensils did not touch the dough after they touched this little girl's mouth:)

Tomorrow we will take the cookies and have the kids deliver them to our neighbors.

Just wanted to jot some things down so I never forget them. Nic and I have really been working with Hayden about learning who Jesus is. It is hard for a little kid. They don't really understand what we we are talking about with someone they cannot see. We have a little devotional that we read with her at night and we talk about Jesus all the time. I always ask Hayden if what she is doing would make Jesus happy. She has been struggling a bit with acting our in public, and yes, I know she is only 3. But I wanted to start young. We pray a lot and thank Jesus for everything we have and for each other. Because of her late start with talking, she doesn't really say her own prayers, but loves to pray. The problem is, I want her to know who we are talking to when we pray and why we pray.
The other day I read on one of my friends' FB wall about her little girl praying and thanking Jesus for living in her heart. It was very precious. Like I said before, I know Hayden doesn't fully comprehend when we talk about and who He is, but I thought that was a great thing to always talk about. So, the last few days since I read that post, we have been talking about how Jesus is everywhere....that He lives in our hearts. I didn't really know how she would respond to it. Last night I was cuddling with Hayden and asked her if she loved Jesus. She got a huge smile on her face and said, "oh yes! And He loves me too!" I then asked, "who else does He love?" She responded with, "Bubby, and mommy, and daddy." It melted my heart. I am always praying for my children...that they will strive to know God and follow Him. That they will love Him with all their whole hearts and one day when they truly understand what it means to ask Jesus into their hearts, that they will. This is one of my strongest prayers.
Tonight, after we prayed before dinner, I asked Hayden, "where does Jesus live?" I didn't really think she would respond with anything. But to my surprise she said, "in my heart!! And in mommy's heart, and daddy's heart!" Just watching her whole face light up melted my heart. So, Brittany, if you are reading this, please tell Sienna 'thank you' for putting those special words in a way my daughter would understand:)
Speaking of prayer, Colt has finally caught onto praying. He will now fold his hands and say "pray". So, 2 nights ago, we prayed about 20 times during our dinner.
You might ask me why I am so fixated on prayer and helping my kids to learn how to pray. The answer is simple for me. It is a way to communicate with God. It is a way that I can not only bring my worries, fears, etc to Him, but it is a way to thank Him for the many blessings each day and to adore Him. It is a way to stay close to Him.

Ok, so some more things to record...
-Bubby is now saying "socks" and "shoes" clear as day.
-He is also saying, "I luv oooo." Love Love Love that little boy!
-Some other sayings- "I go bassetball game" (he is constantly wanting to watch basketball), "Iss dark out", "Cean up, cean up"
-Hayden told Nic and I tonight she was going to the beach with her boyfriend. We have NO idea where she even came up with this and let's just say Nic wasn't too thrilled about this piece of information.

Our Life

This past week has been a struggle for Nic and I and the kids....all because of sickness. Hayden and Colt have both had nasty colds and Colt has had another ear infection. I can't tell you the difference between him tonight from him the other night when he was in pain. So much more pleasant:) He is back to his happy, flirty, funny self. Hayden is also feeling MUCH better, thank the Lord. Nic and I, on the other hand, are almost over the worst part of our colds, popping vitamins and medicine like it's our jobs. I just wanted to record a couple of incidences from the past week so I can look back on them when the kids are older and congratulate myself for making it through this time in our lives:) Hehe! Here we go:

*As we were watching a football game the other night, Nic was yelling at the TV (he still thinks the players can here him through the television). All of the sudden, we heard, "Pass the ball, dang it!" It was Hayden. Apparently we need to seriously monitor what we say.
*Hayden has been having a hard time going to the bathroom and has been taking medicine to help everything go smoother, if you get my drift. Well, last night after going #2 in the toilet, she looked at it and before I could flush it, she said, "no, I wanna show daddy. It's big." Awesome. She is her father's daughter.
*Colton has learned how to tackle. And by that I mean he full out will take Hayden out in a blink of an eye. He has learned to play at the same level as his big sister. The other day Hayden was yelling, "NO BUBBY!" in her whiny voice, so I just assumed she wasn't sharing with him. After calling out, "Hayden, you need to share" over and over, I finally went in the other room to see what was going on. Colt had grabbed Hayden's head from behind and was on top of her and wouldn't let her move. He was smiling. She was not.
*Tonight I was sitting on the bean bag playing with Colt and Hayden. All of the sudden I looked up to see Colt running at me in full force and before I could stop him, his head went into my face. He smiled. I had tears in my eyes and have a fat lip.
*The other day Colt kept crying and crying in his crib. I waited and waited, thinking he would eventually just fall asleep. After 30 minutes of crying, I figured maybe he really did need something. He did. His legs were stuck in slits of the crib. Mom of the year award right here, folks.
*Colt didn't sleep for 2 nights in a row. He was up every 1/2 hour. He slept the next night. Hayden didn't sleep the next 2 nights. We will see what happens tonight. I'm tired...Nic's tired. We will get through this stage of life with 2 small children, right? Word of wisdom: DO NOT take "drowsy" medicine if you think there is ANY chance your child might not sleep that night. Not cool.
*Hayden thought she would potty train Colt one night this week by taking him to the little potty and take his diaper off. It was full of poop. Potty training failed Hayden that night...as well as our floor.
*On a sweeter note, the other night I was in a lot of pain due to my monthly issues (ladies, you understand, I'm sure), and I was bent over on the floor almost in tears when Hayden started rubbing my back. For those of you who know my little Hayden, sympathy isn't one of her strong suits:) She looked at me and said, "Mommy, you ok? Daddy will take care of you when he gets home." Such a sweet moment.
*Tonight Hayden was climbing on Nic when he looked at her and asked, "Did you poop in your pants?"  Hayden replied, "Noooooooooooo. I beep beeped." Again, her father's child:)

So, as I read through this, I realized there is a lot of personal information about my children's bodily functions...I apologize....kind of.

Through all of this, I can honestly say I wouldn't trade a moment of this for anything. This is our life. It's crazy. It's loud. It's messy. It's full of parental mistakes. I learn every day. It's so worth every second. I love it all.

Start the Working Out!

Sunday: Today I am thankful for my husband. I am thankful for his partnership and his love. I am thankful that he knew I got no sleep last night because of Colton's sickness and told me to go back to bed for a couple of hours. 

Monday: Today I am thankful for my job. Although I would stay home in a heartbeat with my children, I am thankful for God placing me in a place where I feel like I belong. I am thankful for the staff I work with and the children I get to see every day.

Tuesday: Today I am thankful for my dad. I am thankful for his support and for his love. I am thankful that I can call him at anytime day or night without him getting too annoyed:)

Wednesday: Today I am thankful for my mom. I am thankful for her wisdom and for her encouragement. I am thankful that I don't have to worry about my kids today because they are with her. 

Ok, so on a side note...

Hubby and I are now working out. We did our first spin class today in which I was dominated. It was fun though to be doing it with Nic:)

Do you ever have one of those moments where you are listening to your children laugh hysterically about nothing and you wish that moment could last a lifetime? I had put the children in the bath tub after dinner and they laughed the entire time. They each took turns trying to blow bubbles in the water (disgusting if you ask me) and just laughed and laughed. It made my heart melt. I absolutely love that sound. God knew I needed to hear that sound. 

Giving Thanks

As we all know, it is NOVEMBER. It is my favorite time of the year by far. Leaves are falling, the pumpkin spice and Christmas tree scents are out, sweaters are being pulled out as well as boots, Christmas songs are playing on the radio (even in the grocery store), and everyone is just in a jolly mood all around.

But the biggest reason I look forward to these next 2 months is because I know it I will be surrounded by family. I know that my sisters will be coming home and we will be able to talk, laugh, play games, watch movies, etc...(Adam and Jamie...this is me BEGGING you to come home!!!). I have said it time and time again, my family members are truly my best friends. It kills me that they aren't like 20 minutes from me anymore. Anyways, back to the whole time of year thing. 

Thanksgiving is coming up this month. As I look over this past year, there are more reasons than I can count to be thankful to God.  

As Colton was laying in my arms tonight after being sick all evening, I kept staring at his precious face. I took turns watching him sleep (and throw up...but we don't need to go there) and watching Hayden as she played on the floor. I couldn't help but truly feel thankful and overwhelmed for what God has entrusted me with. Sometimes it hurts so much to think about the love I have for my children. If you are a parent, you know the feeling. Now that my babies aren't so much 'babies' anymore, I often miss just holding them. Not just holding them to walk in and out of the store, but actually hold them in my arms...to really wrap may arms around them and just love on them. If you know my children, you know they do not sit still...at all. This past week Hayden had the flu...and unfortunately Colt caught it and is now sick. It is such an awful feeling to watch my children so sick, not being able to do a thing for them. But out of all this sickness, this momma got to hold her children again like when they were babies. I got to care for them and rub their backs and sing "Jesus Loves Me" a million times until their eyelids closed. I got to breathe in their scents. I got to rock them and feel their heat against my skin. Even after they were asleep for some time, I still just held them. I felt needed. I felt my arms full again. I felt blessed.   

Today, I am thankful for the opportunity to hold my children in my arms. 

Loving and Learning

Things I have been loving recently...
*The way Colton puts his arm around my neck so he can get even closer to me
*Pay-day breakfast at school-seriously AMAZING!
*The way Hayden runs as fast as she can and climbs up on the counter when I say, "It's bake night!"
*Colt running into my arms when I walk into the door
*Watching movies with Nic when the kids go to bed
*Waking up only to realize I can sleep for another hour:)
*The way Hayden and Colt are becoming great friends...well...besides when he full on tackles her
*The thought of the Thanksgiving and Christmas season coming up
*Watching Colt and Nic play catch EVERY day after work for 30 minutes straight
*Watching Friends on the computer while Nic watches his sports
*How loud our family dinners are:)
*The way Colt is always asking, "Where daddy go?"
*How cuddly Hayden has been recently...doesn't happen often
*The way Colt shows off to people by being a complete ham

*Jean Fridays at school
*Evening time with Hayden...she loves the one-on-one attention
*Having a daily routine

Those are just some of the things that have had my heart smiling recently. There are many more, but we would be here all night:)
Tonight Nic had to do security at the football game, so it was just me and my babies. After throwing all the different balls back and forth with Colt, chasing him all around the house just to hear him giggle, snuggling with Hayden, putting Colt down for bed, I got out some paper and markers for Hayden. She is such a busy little bee that when I try to do anything academic, she totally ignores me and goes about her business. She is just not interested. It makes me laugh sometimes at the fact that I taught 3 years and am back in the schools that I can not get my daughter to want to start learning letters, or learn anything that has to do with colors, numbers, etc...  So I thought maybe if I had glue (which she never gets to use) I could coax her to learn as she does a craft with the glue. Worked like magic! We worked on the letter 'A' and then she wanted to do 'B'.

So proud of my little girl! She enjoyed it so much:)

Sweet Sleep

***BREAKING NEWS***

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS, HAYDEN GRACE SLEPT IN HER BED ALL NIGHT LONG WITHOUT NIC OR ME. THIS IS HUGE. 

Ok...maybe not to you, but it is to us!! As you know, we have had problems with Hayden's sleeping for months because of night terrors. She was in our room in the play yard for a long time and recently moved back to her own room. The only problem was, she would only sleep in there if one of us was in there on the floor next to her. So for a couple of weeks we have been taking turns falling asleep with her, silently slipping out only to slip back in when she woke up screaming...needless to say, our backs are out of wack and crankiness is in high gear. Now, all those that say, "you should have just let her cry it out"...SHUT IT. And I mean that ever so nicely. But seriously, don't go there. Anyways, last night, as we were getting Hayden (and one of us) for bed, Nic thought of an idea. One that I don't know why the heck we didn't think of before. She is obviously not wanting to be alone in her room because she is scared. So we put Iris in with her. That dog will make ANYONE feel safe by looks alone (brains, not so much...just ask Tara). Seriously, not one word, sound, sigh, cry, anything from Hayden. Nic peeked in a little while later and said that Iris was laying right next to her bed while Hayden had her hand down on Iris' head. 

Then something AMAZING happened...BOTH kids slept the ENTIRE night. No screams, no tears, no fights, NOTHING! And it was simply wonderful. Better yet, both children slept until after my shower:) Can I get an Amen? I think so. 

We are now on night two of this bright idea, and so far so good. I truly want to thank those of you who have kept Hayden and this whole situation in your prayers. It means the world to us. 

Now, onto other important things. As I was putting away dishes in the kitchen, I could hear Colt and Hayd in the playroom giggling and playing together. And then I heard this conversation:

"Bubby, you wanna sit on my lap?" (In sweet voice)

Please ignore the half-dressed children. This is how we role on a Friday night.

Sweet voice pushes Bubby off and moves to slide.

"Bubby, you wanna sit on my lap?"

Sweet voice pushes Bubby off again and moves back to little riding toy.

"Bubby, no more lap. You sit on the slide."

What a big sister. And seriously, what mother doesn't even button the back of her child's shirt. Me. 

Happy Weekend!!

Perfect October Weather

Can I just say how FAST this week/weekend went by?? Holy manoly...is that a word? I think so. Anyways, Colt had is 18 month appointment on Friday. My baby boy is growing up so fast! Well, ok so maybe he isn't "growing" that much...but age wise he is:):) He weighs 22 pounds and 12 ounces (14%ile) and is 31 3/4 inches tall (40%ile). Little guy! But perfect none-the-less. It was our first time with this doctor and I think that the kids really like him. He was very good with them. He had to do a little safety shpeal with me because he noticed how active our little Colt is. And that was just for 15 minutes...ha. He said that he was very pleasant and can tell he likes to give his sissy a hard time. I laughed.
Thursday night was Hayden and my bake night here at the ole' house. We have been baking together for over a month and have designated Thursday night as bake night. She loves it. And seriously, this girl is great at helping! She does all the stirring, pouring of ingredients into the bowl, and of course all the taste testing. I have really enjoyed these times with her. She is just growing up so fast that I want to make every moment count with her and I feel like this is one of the ways that we bond. The conversations I have with little Miss during these couple of hours crack me up. She tells me about how Bubby pulls her hair when I am not watching, constantly talks about her party...that is still 2 weeks away, asks what EVERY ingredient is and why we need it, and laughs at herself when the stirred ingredients fly out of the bowl due to her aggressive stirring:) She's pretty precious.This week was Chocolate Chip Pumpkin bread (WHICH by the way, makes 3 stinkin' loaves!) and Snickerdoodles (my favorite!).

She kept smelling the bread and saying, "mmmm"

Right now I am listening to the kids giggle so hard they are snorting as they run laps around the house. It is the most amazing sound in the world. I could listen to it ALL day long. They have been playing ALL day long together...which makes my heart happy. They really do love each other. It reminds me of me and my siblings growing up and just laughing about anything and everything and mostly about nothing. I am constantly praying that my kids will grow up loving each other and be each other's friend. Siblings are pretty amazing:)
Today was the perfect fall day...well besides Bubby biting through his lip and Hayden falling off the bar stool in the kitchen on her head. Never a dull moment around here:) Look what we did on this beautiful evening-

 The many ways of going down the slide...

 Face plant

 Picking from the garden

 "Bubby get me!"

 "Wait for me!"

 "I'm coming Bubby!"

 "I fell Bubby!"

 Funniest thing ever:)

These babies make my heart overflow. God has truly blessed Nic and I with some AMAZING, LOVING, FUN kiddies.