Reality is setting in

We are moving for the summer. And I have been realizing lately how much I am going to miss about summers here. I am going to miss being able to walk everywhere. To the grocery store, post office, parks, J. Crew, library, farmers market, just about everywhere we go in the summer, we walk. And I am going to miss our friends. Meeting up with other moms and kids at parks or on rainy days, the McyD's playplace or mall playground. This would be our third summer here and I feel like I know where to take kids for fun things to do and my kids are easier to take everywhere.

I am going to miss the familiar. I am going to miss our city. I am going to miss our friends. I am going to miss our farmers market with awesome produce. I am going to miss our shaded park, two blocks from our apartment. I am going to miss our neighbors and watching Sage play with their dog. I am going to miss the beach. I am going to miss Libby's italian ice. I am going to miss Pepe's Pizza.

I am ready to settle somewhere and live there longer than two or three years. Will we ever? And where will that be?


I leave you with a picture of a street full of cherry blossom trees, a street one block away.

The Post I Brag About Me & my friends

Today was THE day. The Nutmeg State Half Marathon and 10K. I ran the 10K (6.1 miles) with two friends and one friend ran the half marathon with her husband.

It was a great morning for running, about 50 degrees and cloudy. It sprinkled just a bit at the beginning, but didn't last long.

The first two miles were tough. We started off straight up a hill and the hill went for a good mile and a half and I am not exaggerating. It was hard because I hadn't gotten the feel of it, meaning I hadn't gotten into a groove and BAM up, up, up and up some more. After the first two miles, it got a lot easier. We talked a little, passed somebody, and just had fun. I know it is hard to believe that we passed someone, but we did. I was pretty excited to pass him and if we had another mile, we totally could have taken a couple more! Slow and steady finishes the race!

After the race, we went to Marty's Cafe for brunch. It was a fun morning and I am so glad my family was there to share it and I never would have done it without my friends!

Debbie, me, Tara (ran the half marathon) and Katy


Over half way!


Sage running his own race while waiting for mama.


The Big FINISH!


Just because he is so stinkin cute!

Bloggers Without Makeup

I am posting a picture of myself wearing no make-up for a contest. Steph, at Adventures in Babywearing is hosting the contest!

I usually wear at least mascara because my mom taught me that it wakes us blondies up and makes us look alive! Most days, I also wear powder, blush and my favorite lipgloss by Burts Bees. I use Rhubarb and Radiance (clear) and could buy a couple more. I keep it in my diaper bag and purse and wish I had one in my bathroom!

Now, go check out the contest and look at all the other bloggers without makeup!

You have to walk before you can run

My son, Kolby, is 13 months old and not walking. It isn't surprising, he was born with bilateral club foot so he should be on the lower end of the normal scale. I am not worried or nervous that he won't walk, his feet are perfect. After all the castings and the 22 hours a day wearing the dennis browne bar, his feet are absolutley beautiful. I serve a Big God. I have written about him before. I had prayed that God would help Kolby to start rolling back to front when he was showing no signs of rolling at almost 8 months. God answered my prayer with a resounding YES! It was so exciting to me and still is. In fact, I have tears in my eyes remembering my joy. I have been inconsistently praying that Kolby would start walking by the end of May. He would be 14 months old. But, I realized the other day, that I have been praying without faith that God would do that. Meaning, I am praying but I don't believe that Kolby will really walk by the end of May. In my mind, I think that end of summer is more realistic. So, I am telling you that I am praying with faith, believing that my God can help Kolby walk by the end of May. If you want to pray too, that would be wonderful.

I am excited to say this publicly because I believe God answers prayer. I know that he doesn't always answer the way we want or in the timing that we want but I am excited to see what happens and I will let you all know if God answers yes or no.

Cool

Ever read someones blog and want to leave an intelligent or at least funny, memorable comment and can only think Cool! Can I be your friend? Wanna be my friend, your cool! I just read Steph's post and couldn't think of anything but cool! and wow! and I wanna do that! and Man, I need to be a better blogger, so I can do that! So, if anyone from Google is reading this, pick me! pick me! pick me! And if you aren't from Google, either go read what I am talking about or read on for more of my daily whatever it is that I write.

There are many things that i have wanted to do all my life or at least been interested in for awhile. 1) Running 2) Photography
3) Selling lots of stuff on Ebay 4) Making money off this blog (or at least free stuff) 5) I can't think of anything else. Okay, so not all of these are things I have wanted to do all my life and I am totally not giving myself enough credit because there are things that I am doing that I love, like being a mother and I have always wanted to do that! So, why don't I do some of those things. Recently, I have been running and actually like it! Surprise! Okay, not running, jogging, My motto is one foot in front of the other and slow and steady wins the race, I mean finishes the race. I will not every be a runner, I will always be a jogger and I am okay with that. I like jogging. But calling it jogging sounds lazy, so I call it running. Photography, I need/want a different camara besides a point and shoot and maybe take a class. But, both those things involve time and money. So... The last two are things I could do, maybe. I have sold stuff on Ebay but just stuff around my house (which reminds me I have some stuff I need to list) and I mean I want to make serious cash, okay I would settle for cash. Anyway, my point is, I don't have one. Blog, well, I guess I just need to keep writing? How do you blogbrities make it big? Oh, right, by not reading sites like mine. Well, maybe one day I will hit the jackpot when someone from Google reads this post after they google mom blog or something. Yeah, it's late and I need to go watch American Idol. Too bad Sanjaya got voted off last week... too bad.

Copycat

Kolby watches everything Sage does and then tries to do it himself. Well, not everything, but we are getting closer to the day of having two boys running around our apartment. I have a feeling that next winter, this apartment is going to feel very small some days, but that is a different post. When Kolby watches Sage use special soap (Purell) he rubs his hands together too. When he watches me put lotion on, he rubs his hands too. It is so cute. We captured it on camera in the tub the other day.

Sage gets ready to get his hair washed.


Kolby gets ready to get his hair washed too.



Oh my word, aren't my boys the cutest EVAH?!

Picture Post

I promise these pictures are right on the hardrive, sorry I can't figure it out!


Sage working the catwalk.


Preppy Boy


Two Boys! I say that when I am giving them both hugs or carrying them and Sage has started to say it!


Sage put on his own shirt!

Finally!

My BFF has started her own blog! Go check her out and tell her you want to see pictures!

Send her some blogger love, although with all the comments she got on her first post, maybe she will send some my way!

UPDATE****Links are all fixed, sorry for the mess-up. I usually check my links, I guess I got too confident and now I got shot down!

The SUN is SHINING!!!!

It makes my day. It is only 9am and I feel so happy and so joyful! I can't explain it any other way, except the sun is shining, David Crowder Band is playing and it is a good day! I have laundry started, my bangs are looking good, I think I finally figured out how to style them! I even feel skinny this morning and my stretch marks are fading on my stomache! I pray my joyful attitude continues as the 14 month old girl comes to play this morning.

It helps that I got to go running yesterday and am looking forward to a date night tonight with Drew! Any suggestions for a date? We always end up going to dinner and Target or the mall. It is nice to shop without kids! But it would be nice to mix things up.

A Small Big World

Since I am a blogger, I read blogs and since I have email I receive and send email. My point is that my big world seems small with so much communication coming in and going out. I love it. It also brings to mind that there are so many people to keep in my prayers.

Like my friends baby who is 5 months old and wiggled his way out of his grandfathers arms leading to brain surgery. He is doing great! Praise the Lord! The surgery was a success and he is home after 10 days. They were visiting family in Iowa and the mom and kids will stay while the dad travels back to Texas to work. Continued prayer is needed for them, obviously.

Like my friends baby who is 15 months old and has a brain tumor. She is going through chemo and the tumor has shrunk but there is still a long road ahead.

Like my blogger friend Holli whose mom was just diagnosed with a type of lymphoma.

There are many others. A lot of times, I will just send up a prayer as I read but I don't go back to the site again. I don't always know what to tell people. Of course, I tell them that I will pray for them. But do they realize that I am sincere? Do they realize that I am praying to a BIG God, to the one true God?

This is getting hard

OH! I forgot! My friend Rach asked me about toddler beds and since I love to write and share my advice and what we did because obviously what we did was the best, here is how we moved Sage to a toddler bed.

Actually, we moved him to a twin bed because someone gave us one for free and my in-laws bought the mattress and we are cheap like that. Sage was not quite two when we moved him, like a month or two shy. I don't remember exactly. We made a big deal of having Papa set it up and I took him to buy sheets (plain sheets- how exciting), then we left it in his room for a little bit while he still slept in the crib and then one night BAM! we put him in the big boy bed. We told him to not get out or he woud get a spanking, he needed to yell MAMA! and I would come get him. I made him practice yelling MAMA! MAMA! and that was that. Later, we sneaked in and checked on him and marvelled at how big he was and he hasn't gone back. I did buy the railing thing. We struggled with getting him to not take out the metal bar that is only velcroed shut in there and use it as a microphone. One night, we decided to take the railing off because really, he could hurt himself with the stupid metal bar. Who was stupid enough to design this to seal it with velcro? Do they think toddlers are really that dumb? He didn't fall out. And I felt stupid for buying it. Then the next night, he fell out. And we put it back on. And I felt stupid for taking it off. And then, we got really smart, and took out the stupid metal bar that didn't seem to do anything. And, we haven't had any problems since. End of story.

He did start to get out of bed by himself and come to our room. And we were all, oh! this is so cute. We can hear his little feet running down the hallway. And we let him do it. Then we rearranged their room to fit Kolby's dresser in the boys room and not ours and he stopped getting out of bed by himself and started yelling for one of us to come get him.

The cutest, best thing happened the other morning. Both boys slept in their own beds ALL NIGHT! But that wasn't the cute part, the cute part was listening to them talk to each other over the monitor. Sage would give us a play by play. "Dada, Holby said good morning to me. Dada, Holby said hi to me!" And when we walked in, Sage was sitting in his bed and Kolby was up on his knees holding the crib bars. (A new trick by Kolby) And it hasn't happened since. They haven't both slept through the night again and haven't woken up together. Probably because when it happened, I thought it was so cute and great and thought, "Here it is, we are making the turn. Kolby is going to start sleeping all night until 7am." I jinxed it.

Differences

It is so fun to have two boys. For some reason, I thought my second baby would be exactly like my first. Sage was so easy to feed. He ate everything you put on his plate and still does for the most part. He loves fruit. Any fruit. He will eat it first and usually ask for more. Same with cheese. And he eats vegetables really well too. Carrots, brocolli, peas, most veggies, without adding butter or salt! Kolby is not so keen on veggies, getting him to eat any is an accomplishment.

Take lunch today for example. I made grilled cheese sandwiches and cut up strawberries. Instead of grilling a sandwich for Kolby, I cut up a piece of bread and cheese and some strawberries. He quickly ate all the bread and then proceeded to tell me he was all done. Sage ate all his strawberries first, asked for Kolby's cheese and when told no, ate his sandwich. I put a piece of cheese in Kolby's mouth to help him remember that he likes it and then he ate the rest. The strawberries, I also had to put in his mouth so that he would remember. He ate a total of two pieces of strawberries. Sage asked for the rest of his. They both seem to have a bottomless pit for a stomache though!

I feel like i could go on and on with differences but my brain isn't functioning. We have entered the world of bad dreams with Sage and last night, he slept in our bed for a while meaning I didn't get much sleep. And Kolby has been waking up some too, so good times around our house!

Exuses, excuses

I didn't post yesterday because:

It was the Sabbath.

Our power was out from 10 pm to 2 am.

It was raining.

I had other things to do like... relax, wash diapers, put away the stuff from Sam's, meditate on the sermon.

Insert witty reason here

*************Abrupt subject change*****************

We went to a different church yesterday. It was pretty big with a lot of people. The nursery system was the best we have seen out here. Both kids were checked in, given a tag to wear and were both assigned the same number so if they needed me, 401 would pop up on the box. I kept checking expecting Bo not to make it through but he did. They even changed his diaper, but they did put him in Sage's pull-up! You would think that someone working in a nursery would realize that a 13 month old wouldn't be wearing a pull up and oh! the thing I took off him wasn't a pull up. Oh well. And, I am a little weird but a total stranger changed my babies diaper. I just don't like that, I don't know why. And I said when I dropped him off, I just changed him before we left, so he should be good. Seems like a waste of a diaper.

Yeah, the service was pretty good too. Albeit, lllloooonnnggg. The pastor spoke for 1 hour and 15 minutes. All in all, I think we would go back. We haven't found a church where everything "clicks". The church we have been attending, just isn't for us. Kind of a minor thing, is with the nursery. Sage just doesn't like it. He doesn't cry, he just doesn't want to go in. And when we pick him up, he is usually playing by himself doing something weird like cramming playdoh into a dolls mouth, by himself. He doesn't play with the other kids there. But, at the other churches that we have attended, he runs into the room, with a huge smile on his face and doesn't look back. And, when we go to parks or whatever, he tries to play with the other kids. There is just something there that isn't quite right. We can't put our finger on it, but we are going with our instinct and making this next Sunday our last. We happen to be in Kolby's nursery. It would be different if he acted the same at every nursery or around other kids.

We aren't ready to call any church "home". I think we jumped in a little too quickly last time. We'll try to do more research and visit more places.

Because I don't want to fail

I am writing this post at 9:26pm. We just got home from New York City. We went to the International Auto Show and Top of the Rock. Both were fun. Top of the Rock completly blows Empire State Building out of the water, it is so cool. I am so exhausted from walking around and it was just a long day.

As I sat down to write this, I told Drew what I was doing and told him I committed to writing everyday. He asked when I had last fulfilled a commitment to read my Bible everyday. Ouch. But, it is true. I have never read every. day. Sure, I have read the Bible through in a year, but even that was with somedays playing catch up and reading two a day. And as I think about why I seem more committed to this, it is because someone could point out that I failed, this seems public but reading my Bible everyday is personal. I don't usually get asked if I read everyday and I don't write everyday what I read about. I am sort of chewing on those thoughts and thinking maybe I should make a public challenge to myself. Maybe I should have a snippet of what I read everyday on my blog... Definitely requires more chewing!

# 201

This is my 201st post. Wow. That is a lot of writing. Amazing how much I can write about nothing. Except my nothing isn't as funny as Seinfeld nothing. Maybe instead of thinking of a title, I will just number my posts.

My best friend met Javon Walker of the Minnesota Vikings today at the Cheesecake Factory! That is how exciting my day has been, I feel the need to report that my best friend met someone famous or almost famous, since I had to google him!

Speaking of my best friend, I really miss her. We met in third grade at Bible camp and in 8th grade, we figured out we actually lived in the same city! Amazing. We were pretty inseperable after that. She went to the big, evil public school and I went to the private, Christian school so she would get dates for me to the dances! It never really worked exactly as planned, but we had fun anyway! My mom thought that she was a little wild. She was always bouncing around and so happy. She was/is fun to be around and always makes me laugh. The summer we were 14, we would go swimming and she started calling me Chunk because I was so skinny, it was just funny. I was the girl with knobby knees. Chunk has stuck, her whole family calls me Chunk, sometimes I wonder if they remember my real name! JK. People give her the strangest looks when they realize what she is calling me! She kept me out of a lot of trouble. We did a lot of driving around figuring out where people lived and who was hanging out at whose house. I love that she is still my best friend and that we can pick up the phone and our conversation is always easy, even if we haven't talked in a while. And even though our lives are in different places, me a stay at home mom, she a teacher, but we are both wives. And she is so smart! And her style is impeccable. Last time we were together we discovered we were envious of the others hair! I have always loved her gorgeous, long, thick brown hair and she has liked my blonde. When I am shopping, I try to think, what would Loopty buy? Man, I miss being around her all the time. Love ya, Loopty!

No Title

It has been a long week. Yesterday, I finally got to go running (4 miles!) while Drew took the boys to the park. We needed that time. Time away from each other, time for me to exercise, and time to be outside.

Today was our first morning this week that we would be able to leave the house. And it was 30's and pouring rain. To the mall! There was an indoor playpark that a lot of families took advantage of today. And a McDonalds for lunch. We got home just in time for naps and for some mommy friends to come visit. These visits are a blessing and difficult. Sage rarely naps while they are here, just too different from our normally pin-drop quiet apartment and so he "plays" with the 18 month old boy who comes with his mom. There are many lessons in kindness and sharing. In other words, conversations are short, started and stopped, and sometimes forgotten. I don't really get to talk or think through what they are saying. And it makes for a day of no kid breaks for me. So, now it is 5:00, dinner has been thought of enough to know that I have no idea what we are going to eat and I just want to lay down and take a break.

I know it is just one of those days and that tomorrow will be a new day and I am excited to be able to start fresh!

Haircuts all around!

My friend Laura, came to our house today and gave all 4 of us haircuts. Kolby's first! No more long, wispy hair on the sides. Here are the pictures that we totally staged because he is the second child and his haircut took 2 minutes and I totally forgot to take pictures. Anyway, he is so cute! (And yeah, that is me holding him, I got glasses, I am getting old!)












Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, I got bangs! I am so now. (Name that quote in the comments section)





In all honesty, I was so undecided while she was cutting my hair if I should get them or not, I finally just got them, already! Enough talking, just cut. And now, I don't know if I like them. Maybe I just have the wrong face for bangs. Maybe I just haven't had bangs in so long that I don't know what I should look like with them. Maybe I don't even know how to style them! AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH. What have I done?! Can I still wear a ponytail, a headband? Oh, I might have just messed everything up. But they will grow. But how long will it take them!!!

Blogs

I am wondering now why I decided to post everyday. Today is day 10 and I am running out of things to write about. Any questions you want answered?

It is fun to have a blog and to write. Somedays, I think yeah, that was a good post and others, eh, not so much. I like to write about the funny things the kids do and say. That reminds me, Tuesdays, I watch a 4 month old baby girl and Sage is so sweet to her. She was fussing and Sage told me "Baby Na want her blankie." I told him that was sweet but she doesn't have a blankie. Then he said "Baby Na want my blankie?" I think 2.5 is the perfect age to add another child. He is interested but still wants to play on his own, and he is sweet. Back to my original line of thinking. I like to write and think through things. I not only blog but I have a Bible journal that I write in when I do devotions. It helps me think through what I am reading instead of just reading to read. Although, I find myself being lazy somedays and just reading and I don't learn anything those days.

I also like to read blogs, for encouragement and entertainment. Some blogs offer both and you never know what you will get when you open up that page. You may or may not have noticed that I have linked to some blogs on the side. These are blogs that I visit at least once a week if not daily. Some are friends, some I don't know at all. But I have learned a lot from all of them.

I even stumbled across a life changing blog. It is Noah Steven. Go read as much as you can. I promise you will cry, a lot. The author is so real about her faith, her emotions, and her thoughts. She inspired me to want to deepen my faith.

Enjoy!

Thoughts on a Third Stroller

I have started running. More like jogging. As I jog, I get passed by runners, but ya know what? I am okay with that. I am okay with that because my motto is "Slow and steady finishes the race." And because my lungs might explode if I ran any faster.

In December, my friend challenged me to run a half marathon with her at the end of April. I was nervous to commit because 1) I am not a quitter. If I think I can't do something, I just won't do it. Probably not the best reasoning, but that's me! 2) 13 miles! 3) I hadn't ran since Sage turned one and that was only twice because then I found out I was pregnant with Kolby. 4) See number 3, I was pretty sedentary. But with encouragement from my husband and friends. I said okay. And then I found out that there is a 10K (6.1 miles) at the same time and I set my goal for that. I have been running, er, jogging about 3.5 miles. I haven't been getting out as much as I would like but love it every time I do.

I have always wanted to be a jogger, someone who can go run more than one mile and feel good at the end of it. I have always looked at those people with awe. And now, I am one of them. Although, I have a hard time calling myself a runner because I am so slow. 3.5 miles in 39 minutes, not too impressive. But, slow and steady finishes the race. The best thing about running? Time to myself. Time to listen to my music. Time that I am not answering why or putting a pacifier in someones mouth. Although, I would love a double jogging stroller. Why, after all the great things about running alone? Because, it is hard to get out when Drew is around. I have only gone an average of twice a week and would like to go more. And because the boys love it. They love to ride in the stroller and look around. Kolby can be the fussiest baby but put him in the stroller and he doesn't make a peep. Being outside makes us all happier and feel better when we get home. But, Drew says a jogging stroller is out of the question because that would mean we have 3 double strollers and that is ridiculous. In my defense, we have only purchased one and it was used. So, I guess i will just have to take what I can get and run when Drew is around!

HE IS RISEN!

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Cars!

Sorry for the sideways picture, blogger and I fought and blogger won.


On Thursday, Drew and I went on a date to dinner and Target. (Only parents would consider Target a date!) And while there picked up an assortment of prizes for Sage to tempt him to use the potty. We got some trains, cars, a book and some sidewalk chalk. At breakfast, we explained the only rule: poop or pee must come out of his body while sitting on the potty. We put them in a basket at eye level.

Later, I asked if he needed to pee. He said yes and he successfully pushed out enough drops to earn his first prize, a new train. We called dad. I promised to build a track while he napped. When he woke up from his nap, I asked if he wanted to sit on the potty and he said "No tanks. " A couple minutes later, he came running from the living room yelling "Mama, me need to pee on potty!" We ran in and got him situated and sure enough, he peed! A good amount! We called dad, got a prize and told him he was done with diapers and we are going to Target to buy pull-ups and Cars underwear. He was very excited and very proud! We hooped, hollared and cheered like he had scored the game winning touchdown or hit the last second shot or thrown his first shut out.

We got home, he was so excited for his new Yighting McQueen underwear that we had to put them on immediatly. Of course, we ended up with a puddle. But then he finished on the potty so that was encouraging.

This morning, he ran from the living room to the bathroom with one fist raised yelling "Me get new Cars book!" And he did earn it. And ever since, he told us he would rather wear the pull ups. I asked it is was because the pull up caught the pee and it didn't run down his leg like the underwear did. He agreed and we left him in a pull up. I don't want to push it but I don't want him peeing in a diaper because it is more convenient for him. I wonder what will happen when the basket of prizes runs out. I kind of don't want to know, afraid that I have started a battle that I am not willing to fight. I guess only time will tell.

And that is a whole post all about potty training and this is only the first 2 days!

Good Friday

I have to admit that Good Friday and Easter have snuck up on me this year. Usually, I like to take time to read through the crucifiction and just dwell on what Jesus and God did for little old me. So, I am using this outlet to dwell!

Since I have two sons, I don't have any idea how God was able to give his son Jesus for me. And the death that he died, was not an easy one. Jesus didn't die in his sleep. He was murdered. He was booed and hissed. People hated him. I can't imagine the pain that God was feeling as he watched his little boy go through all that. I can't imagine how his heart broke when Jesus cried "Abba!" or when he asked "take this cup from me, but not my will but yours be done." (Those are both my paraphrases) Nor do I think I would be able to give my sons up for other people. I guess that is why I am not God.

Good Friday. An interesting title. What is good about Jesus dieing on the cross? Shouldn't we be sad and mournful? No! We should be rejoicing because he gives us eternal life. I can't imagine how wonderful it will be! Have you told anyone? I haven't. I should be shouting it. But I am afraid of the scorn. How pathetic I am and yet, he died for me! I am so undeserving.

Thank you Lord, for sending your son. Thank you for allowing him to die on the cross. Thank you Jesus for sacrificing yourself! I can't wait until Sunday to be able to shout out loud HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!!!

Sageisms Part 3

When asked how old he is: "Two half!"

When people come to our house, he automatically turns into the loudest singing guitar player, ever.

Things he asks for most everday: "Mitamin, please!" (Vitamin), Milk, "Me watch somefing, you shower."

Yesterday after being asked his name, he replied "Me Sage. Me go poopy and pee pee in potty!" (We all wish!)

When asked if he wants to go poopy in the potty, he replies "No, tank-you."

His favorite shirt? Guitar shirt.

He told us the other day "Me go Yale, me play hockey!" All on his own!

When asked why he disobyed, He said "Me want to."

As I am sitting here, I asked him if he pooped, he said "Me poop on you, that funny!" Ummm, no.

Kolby

Kolby turned one less than a month ago. His first year has flown by so quickly. And it was not without many milestones! We had his one year check-up today and of course, he is perfect. Except for this lingering bronchial goup (that is the medical term, I'm sure). He is staying steady at around the 25 lb. mark, bringing him down to the 70th percentile for weight and just above the 25th percentile for height at 29.5 inches, which is funny because to me he looks so long and skinny! He is a beautiful boy, his bright blue eyes, round cheeks and quick smile charms all the nurses. He was so good with his shots a small cry and that is it, I was expecting much more since he had missed his morning nap and was once again up at 5am. But, he always likes to prove me wrong!

Sage was quite the charmer with the nurses as well. Kolby was getting some blood drawn for a calcium study (except his vein was too small, so no blood) so the nurse volunteered to take Sage to get some crackers and juice and when we came out, he was sitting at the nurses station, and he had about 5 nurses standing around him, talking and laughing! She told me that he said he likes church and nurses! She said well, these are all nurses and he turned to look at all of them and said "Hi!" He was a hit. While we were waiting to see the doctor, Sage was playing in the waiting area with the other kids and asked the little girl, "Hey, what's that in your hair?" It was fun to see him interacting with the kids his own age. He has ignored them all for so long! He still talks about that boy at the park who pushed him down and then adds "Me no push him back."

Life is good, even admist the tantrums at Target that each boy let loose today. I don't even know why Sage was yelling at me or being disobedient but he was quickly corralled into the cart and then Kolby expressed his annoyance at his milk being gone, that's a common cry from Kolby.

Things I am looking forward to today

1. Going to bed

2. American Idol

3. Nap time

4. Running tomorrow

Kolby was up at 4:30 this morning. Which means I was up at 4:30. He did go back to sleep after I rocked him but 10 minutes later, he was up again. I rocked him again and he went back to sleep and this time I decided to just hold him. It is sweet holding your baby when all is dark and quiet in the house and listening to the gurgle of his breathing. He woke up again not much later and he seemed to be awake for good. Talking and pushing away from me. So I did what any mom who had weaned her baby 4 days ago would do, I nursed him. And laid him down and I got 45 more minutes of glorious sleep. But, it wasn't enough and our coffee maker is in the repair shop. His sleep has been off lately and I can't figure it out. His morning naps are bad, like 20 - 30 minutes and his afternoon naps are from 12:30 - 3ish, so good. But at dinner at 6 he is yawning and looks so tired. Bedtime is between 7:30 and 8 and he has ben waking up at 5 for a week. Help! How can I get him to sleep longer in the morning? I remember with Sage, I just left him in the crib, but he had his own room. I can move Kolby to the living room, but Drew usually gets up at 6:15 and then Kolby hears him. Anyway, advice will be read regarding sleep issues. Everything is a phase, I know but I want this one to be over!

I told Drew this morning that I decided we can't have more babies because he doesn't help with them in the middle of the night and I can't handle all this non sleep I get! He said, okay! And I took it back. But, it got me thinking. With Sage, I had no problem getting up in the middle of the night or really early in the mornig because I knew I would take a nap when he did. Now that is harder to do with 2 kids and I baby sit some days, making a nap impossible. Then I started wondering why we protect his sleep so much. I know he is in school and has to think and learn all day so he can get a job and I totally support him. But, I get up in the morning too and have to take care of our kids, fix our food, clean up messes, build train tracks, wipe noses and butts, read books and discipline our 2 year old and have patience to do all these things. I don't get a day off or even a night off, bedtime means I go on call, not off duty. So, don't I deserve a good nights sleep as much as he does? And, this isn't to diss Drew. I love him. He is wonderful and an incredible dad. And he is a hard sleeper and I am a light sleeper (ever since Sage was born). If I ask him to get up and help, he will but it never seems cheerful but maybe I am imagining that.

But there are a lot of things Drew does great. He takes the garbage out to the curb every week. And he puts shoes on Sage to take him out too. He never complains about going to school or how much work he has to do even when he adds on a book to edit, some pamphlets to design and a million other things. He is a great time manager. He is always home to eat dinner with our family and put the boys to bed. He takes 30 minutes to put Sage to bed because he reads books, talks about Sage's day and then teaches Sage to pray. He teaches Sage how to be a good big brother and watch out for Kolby and help him and cheer him on. I love him so much. I just need to remember all these things and more when I am rocking the baby at 4am or have a 2 year old laying on top of me from 2 - 3am because of a scary dream. How come those are the hard times to remember how great he is?

And now, I am off to read some books!

This is the month.

The month that I post every. day.

Last night, Drew was working on his laptop on the couch and I leaned over and kissed his cheek. And he pushed me away while saying, "Get off me, I am in the middle of a sweet equation!"

And to a totally different topic. I want to meet my niece. I live 1200 miles away. This is the hard part about living so far from family. Missing out on the new, sweet babies. But, in reality, this is the hardest thing about being away from family. And it is surviveable, especially if someone, somewhere would post some pictures! (hint, hint) And how often do people have babies? This could be their last, I have no idea. My sister is done and my other brother is done so that leaves me and I will surely be around when I have more babies (and no that is not an announcement- I will make it perfectly clear when the time comes and no, I probably won't announce it on my blog for you to read, mom).

I'm an aunt! ****UPDATED

For the ninth time. A sweet baby girl, Sophia Rose. Congratulations Eric and Holly! I am eagerly awaiting pictures but reports are that she has a lot of hair and is a mix of her older brothers. She is the 3rd girl out of 11 grandchildren, she will quickly learn to hold her own!

And this isn't an April Fools!

***UPDATED: She was born March 31, so she makes all 3 of their kids born in March.