Tips on having Two under Two

Baby bunching. Apparently that's the term for having kids close together in age. Well, that's what we did. We bunched up our first two babes and had them 14 months apart. And ya know what...I wouldn't change it for the world.

Sure it's sometimes the most ridiculous and difficult thing- like when my toddler is having a serious temper tantrum and the baby is screaming because he wants to be fed RIGHT NOW! Or when I'm trying to get the baby down for a nap and Miss Fits decides that right then would be the most opportune time for me to hold her and yells "uppy" at the top of her lungs. Or when I'm the only one home and need to leave the house to attend a diaper party, in which case I end up carrying a baby in a carseat, a wiggly toddler, a diaper bag, a snack bag, a pack of diapers and my coffee down the most ridiculous set of steep stairs.

But most of the time it's a lot of fun. Lots of lessons in patience, that's for sure. But so much fun with these two little ones.

And so, if you decide to join the ranks in baby bunching, let me just tell you that the excitement and the joys are abounding! But it's also terrifying, exhausting, and so difficult. But the joys far outweigh anything else.

My tips on having Two under Two:

1.    Continue with your toddler’s daily routine. No matter what age your older child is when you add a new baby, there are bound to be some adjustments for him or her. Miss Fits was only 14 months old when Mr. Mellow came into the picture. I know she was too young to truly understand what was happening, but she definitely knew that something was different and became more…clingy. This new creature suddenly took up much of mommy’s time and body, and she didn’t like it! Sticking with our daily routine helped a lot, I believe. She still knew what was coming and what to expect most of the time.

Vacuuming isn't really Miss Fits daily routine. But...it was fun to watch her try. And it's a cute picture!

2. Shower every 2 days. This may seem like a silly tip, but seriously…it’s important. I’ve discovered that when I actually take the time to shower, and scrub the spit up out of my hair and the weird sticky substance from yesterday’s lunch off of my arm, I feel much better. Like a human. It’s unrealistic to think that you can get a shower in every single day. I say opt for every other day. If you can’t fit a shower in, just comb your hair. Get out of your flannel pajamas or black yoga pants. Put a little make up on. Seriously, when you make a little effort to take care of yourself, you will feel so much better.

3. If you have steep steps, MOVE! Okay, not seriously. But you need to think about how you get in and out of your house right now with your toddler. When I was pregnant with #2 we lived in an upstairs apartment. The stairs were steep and slippery- especially when it rained or snowed. I fell down them twice while I was pregnant. Miss Fits was definitely not able to go up or down the stairs at that time, so I did a lot of carrying. And when the new little guy came, I did even MORE carrying. There were times when I had to leave the house with both kids- alone. I didn’t want to leave either one alone, so I would carry them both down those steps. It was scary! Just be aware of how you do things now, because it will get much more difficult once #2 arrives.

4. Accept help and forget housework! This is one thing I failed to do. I have it in my mind that I have to do it all. The truth is, you will be a better wife, mom, and really just a better person all around if you don't wear yourself out. Having a baby is hard work! Having two babies is even harder! Add the cooking, cleaning, and every other aspect of life to the mix and it can get down right exhausting! Accept the help. Nobody is offering help? ASK for help! Hire help if need be! Your sanity is at stake here. And housework...well it'll always be there. Take a few weeks and just recover from giving birth and enjoy your two beautiful babies!

When you forget the housework, you get to enjoy moments like these!

5. Wear your baby! I was told by many that I wouldn’t have time to hold my newbie as much as I did my first born. That’s just not true. In fact, I think I held Mr. Mellow MORE than I held Miss Fits. I used the Moby wrap a lot those first few months. It was a life-saver!

Or get your hubby to!

 6. Teach your first born to play alone. This is a tip I wish I would have had BEFORE having the little guy. I didn’t start to teach Miss Fits to play alone until Mr. Mellow was already 4 months old. If you teach your toddler this early on, it will make your life much easier! Schedule in “play time” every morning and afternoon.

Miss Fits playing all by herself

7. Anticipate the months to fly by. Before I knew it, Mr. Mellow was 6 months old, sitting up, rolling over and on the verge of crawling. They seriously do grow up so fast! And honestly, you’re in such a haze from little sleep and caring for two very dependent little people that all of the days seem to blend together.

 8. Anticipate the days to drag on. Okay, maybe that sounds contradictory to what I just said about the months flying by. It’s not. Days are different than months. The days…the single hours in a day can be so relentless. Seriously, it’s only 11:15am?! I’ve already changed the sheets because my toddler decided to take off her poopy diaper first thing this morning, and I’ve picked up the blocks 10,000 times already as my feet are gushing blood from stepping on them repeatedly (seriously, who thinks that blocks are kid friendly?!), I’ve changed numerous diapers, fed the kids breakfast and a snack, listened to Daniel Tiger sing “friends help each other, yes they do, it’s true” one too many times, sat down to drink my coffee- only to discover that the toddler was “helping” the baby stand up, found myself actually watching Daniel Tiger and singing along, cleaned pee pee up off of the floor b/c my potty training toddler decided to empty the potty seat into the big potty all by herself…relentless. On and on.

This moment.

9. Schedule. Having a schedule is a lifesaver. I never imagined I’d be a schedule person, but lo and behold it’s kept my sanity intact. I got the two kiddos on the same nap and bedtime schedule as soon as I possibly could. They both take an afternoon nap together and then go to bed at 6:30 p.m. It’s so nice because then I have a few hours in the afternoon and several hours at night to get cleaning done, or just have some nice quiet time with the hubby.

This pic doesn't have anything to do with a schedule. But just look at how little they were!!

10. Realize that schedules will change. Just go with the flow. So maybe that sounds contradictory to what I said above. It’s not really. Yes it’s very important to have a schedule and keep the kids on a routine. But babies are constantly changing. At the very beginning Miss Fits was still taking two naps. Both kids would nap at the same time in the morning and the afternoon. But soon she dropped her first nap. The little guy was still napping 4 times a day. Eventually he went down to 3 naps, and now sometimes he only takes 2. Schedules change. It’s important to realize when they need to change and to be flexible enough to go along with it.

11. Regressive behavior. Everything I read online said that your older child will probably show some regressive behavior with the arrival of your newbie. This is probably true for an OLDER child. But Miss Fits was only 14 months when the little guy came along. She hardly paid him any attention at all. Maybe because she was so young herself? However, I will say that the chances of your firstborn exhibiting jealousy after the first several months is highly likely. It wasn’t until our newbie was 6 months old that Miss Fits really started noticing all of the attention he was getting. She suddenly wanted to start nursing again. In fact, she would cry and throw a fit whenever I would nurse him and beg to have “mama’s milk”. She wanted to be held like a baby, burped like a baby, etc. Anything the baby was doing, she wanted to do. Maybe that’s regressive behavior. But I think it’s more jealousy as she became more aware.

She is clearly too big for this swing that she MUST be in. But since the baby was in it ....

 Also, she's not sleeping. She's pretending.

12. Bath time/bedtime: Our bathtime/bedtime routine changed a lot in the first several months. At first I continued with my firstborn’s normal bedtime routine. She would get a bath, then jammies, read a book, pray, sing a song and into bed. After she was in bed, I would begin the routine with the little guy. But as he got a little bit older and began having a more regular schedule, I started to switch things up. Once he began siting up on his own I began bathing them together. I got a little plastic basket and sat him in that…just to help him sitting up better and keep him in place. Then I was able to wash up my older daughter without worrying about him toppling over. I’d get the older one out first, then the younger, and we’d all go into my older daughter’s bedroom. I’d do the routine with both of them, put my daughter in her crib and then take the little guy to his room, nurse him and put him to bed. As he’s gotten older it’s been easier to do things together. Makes bedtime shorter for me too!

13. As soon as your newbie becomes more mobile it will be a LOT easier. By 6-7 months it seems you can finally take a breathe. The kids will even start interacting more and that’s always so much fun!!

Crawled himself right into the corner!

14. Sleep is for the dead. I always tell myself this…partly because it’s funny, but partly because it seems so true. When you’ve got a baby sleep seems like a rare and precious commodity. Hard to come by. When you’ve got a baby AND a toddler…you learn to survive on very little sleep. When one of those kids is sick….oh boy! You’d better have that coffee IV ready to go. I thought that with my calm and content second child I would have no problems with him sleep. WRONG! My colicky and rambunctious daughter slept better than he does. If this happens to you, just remind yourself that “this too shall pass”. And find the humor in dragging yourself out of bed every 30 minutes throughout the entire night (trust me, once sleep deprivation hits, everything will be funny!)

This is what happens when you doze off...your loving hubby takes a picture of you. How kind.

15. Traveling. My tip is to just not do it! Unless you have some back up, traveling with 2 under 2 is a huge headache. We made a cross country move when the kids were 18 months and 4 months. And to top it off, Miss Fits was terribly sick. AND we drove straight through. It was rough. Absurd really. But we did survive. So if you must travel, bring some help! And bring some activities. And forget about your rule to never let your kids watch t.v. It can be a real life saver on such a looooong trip. We had just received a dvd player for the car, that came with TWO screens. All we had was one dvd of Veggie Tales, but it entertained the kids for quite a while. Yes, even the 4 month old would stare at the screen and be content (and for a baby that screamed when he was in the carseat…it was a real life saver)

16. Potty training: Everyone has their different opinions on potty training-when to start, when the kid is ready, how to do it, how long it takes, etc etc. I will just say that it depends on you and it depends on your kids (yes, kids plural. If your toddler may be ready, but your infant is high needs then it might not work for you to begin training if you can’t spend a lot of time not holding your baby and tending to your toddler). I was determined to not have two in diapers (even though it’s not so bad. Really.), so I went ahead and gave potty training a go. Miss Fits was potty trained by 19 months. So it definitely worked out to our benefit. Of course…it’s crazy trying to potty train AND take care of a baby. But, I’m a stay at home mom, so I definitely had the time. And…I’m always working on my patience, so that helped a lot J

17. Remind yourself you are only one person and it’s okay! There will be moments when both of the kids need your attention at the same time. Just take care of the greater need first. The baby is crying because he or she is hungry, and your toddler just went pee pee in the potty and tried to dump the pee in the toilet all by herself (Yay!). The baby just had a diaper explosion and your toddler found the permanent marker and is heading towards the couch (the couch that isn't YOURS, by the way). Your toddler fell down and wants you to kiss her owie and your baby is currently nursing. The baby is crying and your toddler is throwing a tantrum. These moments will happen. You are only one person. You will figure it all out. Everything will be just fine!

Also remind yourself that your kids are the cutest and nothing else matters!

Pros:

* You don’t really need to prepare your toddler for the new baby. Miss Fits was only 14 months old when Mr. Mellow made his debut. She wouldn’t have understood anyway. I taught her simple things that would be helpful for when the baby was born- the sign for “baby” and what the word “gentle” means. She was also learning how to go get different items. That was a BIG help when the little guy showed up! 

*  Your kiddos will likely grow up to be best friends and playmates!

* They can share most everything- no need to buy new toys and baby furniture. Of course, you will still need to invest in a new crib, high chair and maybe a double stroller.

*   Everyone will comment on how brave (or crazy!) you are.

*   You can get away with a lot because of how sleep deprived you are!

*  You get to do things differently this time. I always joke that the first born is the guinea pig. You really don’t know what you are doing, just sort of winging it. With the second you are more seasoned and things seem a little clearer.

* They are really cute and a lot of fun! 

* You get to see how differently their personalities are- how two kids raised in the same home can be so different! 

Cons:

* You will have 2 in diapers. Not terrible (honestly), but definitely pricey.

 * You will have to carry both of them. My 14 month old was definitely not capable of climbing up or down stairs. Anytime we left the house, they both had to be carried. Same for going into the store, or really anywhere. Miss Fits could walk great- the problem was that she would RUN if her feet hit the ground. She hadn’t quite mastered the task of holding my hand and walking nicely.

 *  People will feel free to make comments and ask questions about your personal life. “Was this planned?”, “You DO know how this happens, right?!”, “You sure have your hands full”, “Are you going to have more?”, “You should stop having kids now. You have one of each”. And on and on. My favorite question is “Are they twins?” Yes, they are twins. We just had this one 14 months before this one. But yes, twins.

* Sleep deprived AGAIN!!

* Losing the baby weight AGAIN!

 *  It becomes harder to go out and do things because one of the kids is always napping

I know there are a lot more tips I can come up with. This is just what’s off the top of my head. And honestly, it’s taken me months to find the time to sit down and get all of this written out. Feel free to add more tips if you’d like! Or ask questions. Or make funny comments. People do it anyway, so you might as well join the ranks!

A prayer for Pax

When I was pregnant with Phillip- before I ever even found out he was a boy- I prayed for a peaceful baby, a calm and content baby.

Nothing against the precious daughter that I have, but Jaelyn was anything but peaceful. She was colicky as an infant and rambunctious and full of wild energy as she got a little bigger. Her name means "ambitious" and she is every bit of that name, if not more. It's interesting how the name you choose for a baby often depicts perfectly who they are. This is certainly true for Jaelyn.

So when I found out I was pregnant again, I was determined to find a name that meant "peace". I fell in love with the name Olivia and decided that if we had a girl, that would certainly be her name. It means peace and I just knew that it would be the perfect name!
But, as everyone knows, we had a boy! And as the first born son, his name was already decided for him.

I tried and tried to come up with a nickname for the little guy, as I'm not too keen on having two boys with the same name in the house. Maybe I get confused easily? I don't know. I just want different names for my husband and son, and I feel like Phil and Phillip are still pretty similar. Also, I've always called my hubby Phillip, so it's been difficult to transition to Phil. Maybe I'm just weird? Probably.

Anyway, I was thinking about his initials. P.A.K. How could I make that into a nickname for him? Then I remembered the word Pax. It means peace, and it's pretty similar to his initials (if you're saying it, not spelling it!). And so the nickname Pax for our peaceful little boy was born!

The amazing thing is that he IS a peaceful baby. I prayed and prayed for this little guy to have a peaceful and calm disposition and he has just that. If you ask me, I think the nickname Pax fits our little guy perfectly!

Our Pax

You know you're in the throes of Potty Training when...

Potty training. Ah, that beloved time that all parents get to go through at some point in their lives (unless you somehow manage to find someone to do it for you!). It's a right of passage, to be sure.
We all have our own potty training stories- the ups and downs, the bribes, the spills, the stains. And ultimately, the excitement of being trained!

It's always good to take a light-hearted approach to potty training. It's important to see the humor in having pee all over your floors, couch, clothes, on your hands, on your favorite book, even on your new baby!

And so, without further ado, You know you're in throes of potty training when:

1. You utter the phrase "Pee pee goes in the potty, not on the floor!" for the 100th time in one day, as you plaster a big fake smile on your face (you smile of course, because you don't want your baby to associate pee pee as a bad thing...or whatever that internet article said)

2. You immediately assume that anything wet on the floor, on the couch, on your pants, on anything is pee

3. You find stickers on every surface of your house, EXCEPT the sticker chart that you so artistically made

4. Going to the bathroom becomes a family affair- everyone gets to watch and cheer

5. Using the potty becomes the highlight of your day because EVERYONE cheers for you (especially your toddler who seems overly pleased that you had success).

6. You find yourself saying "Yay, mommy went pee pee on the potty" even if no one else is around

7. You go potty and immediately reward yourself with an m&m

8. You time your outings based on when your toddler last peed and how much fluid she had

9. You know where every bathroom is in a 10 mile radius of your house

10. Somebody farts (maybe your husband, but has also been known to happen when you're in the bathroom stall at Wal-mart and the lady next to you must have accidentally let one out as she was relieving herself) and your toddler yells "Poo poo!", causing you much embarrassment

11. You assumed incorrectly that once potty trained, you could get rid of the diaper bag. Rather, you almost need a BIGGER one because suddenly you need 2 changes of clothes to be on the safe side, plastic bags, and maybe even that plastic potty seat to put on top of the public toilets if you're a germ freak like me!

12. You used to let your toddler just play in the crib for awhile when she woke up in the morning or from her nap, but now you rush in immediately so you can take her potty

13. Your toddler hasn't peed in the potty for a few hours and you wonder to yourself where she may have stashed it. You step in something wet....(see #2)


I hope you had a laugh.Or even just a chuckle. If you're a bit confused about all of the potty training tips out there, read my blog on Potty Training tips for the Confused Mom. If you'd like to read about my own potty training story, read my blog on how I potty trained Miss Fits.

And, of course, if you have any of your own to add, please feel free to do so!

Rough and Tumble

I love my babies! They have cute little personalities and are such a joy to be around. Here's the scoop on my two:

As you may have noticed in some other blog posts, I have nicknames for my two bundles of joy. I refer to the two of them as Rough and Tumble. Jaelyn is rough. She always has been. She's a little tom boy- loves to jump and flip and play rough. She's as tough as nails!
Phillip is Tumble. Mostly because he falls over a lot!

I often refer to Jaelyn as Miss Fits. She's a toddler for sure- in the throes of her terrible twos. She's always had an extreme personality- right from birth! When she's happy she is deliriously happy and excited! She squeals, jumps for joy, and her smile can light up the room. When she's upset...the whole world knows! Or at least the whole house and maybe even the neighbors. She squeals (but this time a high pitched scream), she throws herself onto the ground kicking and screaming, tears stream down her face and she is difficult to console. Extreme.

Miss Fits

(That's her "cheese" face)

Phillip is Mr. Mellow. He's the opposite of Jaelyn in most respects. He's so laid back and easy going. He's typically content to just sit and watch. He has been such a good baby from the get-go. He will smile the biggest smile and melt even the coldest of hearts. When he laughs he barely makes any noise- just sort of chuckles quietly. Chill.

Mr. Mellow

I'm absolutely in love with my kiddos. For years I have dreamed of being a stay-at-home mom, and the reality of it is absolutely amazing. Obviously there are days that are ridiculous and hard and I wonder what I have gotten myself into. Days when Miss Fits is throwing tantrum after tantrum, drawing on the couch, trying to eat batteries, making her brother roll over even though he clearly doesn't want to. Days when my generally calm Mr. Mellow is fussy and insists on being held constantly. Days when I haven't showered, I'm drinking cold coffee...again, the house is a disaster and I'm just cranky.

Those days are there. Those days are hard. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. Because I have the blessing and the privilege to raise these little Rugrats. And oh what a blessing and joy it is! Rough and Tumble have penetrated the deepest parts of my heart and soul.

These two pictures capture the essence of who they are: 

Miss Fits...clearly throwing a fit. 

Mr. Mellow...chilling in his bouncy, albeit looking a bit freaked out. But calm, nonetheless.

Ah, the beloved Santa Clause. Miss Fits is just showing the crowded mall that she marches to the beat of a different drummer. And Mr. Mellow...well, he's just taking it all in.

They may be as different as night and day, but they are still best friends!

12 Potty Training Tips for Confused Moms

There are lots of tips out there for potty training your toddler. Let me help you sort through the confusing mess and make life much easier for you and your offspring.

My top 12 Tips:

1. Potty train in the Summer- If you potty train your bambino in the summer, you can just let him be naked outside all day long. No worrying about leaks and accidents and spills. After all, it’s nature!

2.    Do not potty train in the summer- children running around naked?! While it seems like a good idea in theory, it’s really pretty terrible. Toddlers fall a lot. Sidewalks can hurt WITH clothes on, so just imagine what it’d be like if you fell on the sidewalk while you were running as fast as you can after a blowing leaf…while naked!

3. Let your child be naked from the waist down while at home- It’s important for your toddler to know when he or she is going pee. If you put on pull-ups or even underwear, it may hinder them from feeling the pee.

4. Don’t let your toddler run around naked, even at home- Put on underwear so that your toddler will be uncomfortable in wet undies, should he or she have an accident. It will help them realize that pee pee goes in the potty, not in their pants.

5. Don’t use a timer to make your child go to the bathroom every 15-30 minutes- This will only cause your child to be annoyed with the potty and have no desire for it whatsoever!

6. Use a timer to take your child to the bathroom every 15-30 minutes- For one thing, YOU may need a reminder to take your child to the potty. Plus, if you give your kiddo ample opportunities to use the potty, they will get the concept quicker

7. Give your toddler lots of juice- If you fill up your tyke with lots and lots of fluids, he or she will have to go to the bathroom often. This is great because they will have many chances to try to get the pee pee in the potty! The more often that they are using it, the more likely they are to grasp the concept.

8. Do not overdue the drinks- Kids learn better when they are doing things naturally. It’s not natural for them to have to use the potty every 15 minutes. And really, it’s just annoying to have to go the bathroom that often. This approach will quickly make your toddler resent the potty.

9. Use Bribes- Do what you can to make the potty fun and exciting for your precious one. Use candy, stickers, bubbles, whatever your kids favorite thing is…use that! Bribery works wonders to get kids to use the potty!

10.  Do not bribe your kids- Your child will use the potty when he or she wants to. Bribery only causes more problems in the long run.

11.  Don’t start too early- Your toddler will learn to use the potty when he or she is ready. All the coaxing, bribing and excitement you can bring to the whole experience won’t do a darn thing if your kid isn’t ready!

12.  Start when you want to- Potty training is like any other kind of training. Your kid will learn as you teach him or her. The same with learning to use utensils, learning to tie shoes or ride a bike. We don’t stop teaching them when they don’t do it right the first few times. Learning takes time and patience.

I hope that helped clear up a few things for you. The internets, with its gamut of information can be overwhelming to a mommy as she’s trying to figure out this whole potty training thing.

And relax! This was meant as a joke. We are all just as confused as the next mom. So when one of these tips isn't working, try the opposite approach. I'm certain your precious tyke will eventually be potty trained. And if not...well then count your blessings because you will get to have your kid/teenager/adult at home with you forever!

Here's my own potty training story with Miss Fits. And when you do find yourself in full blown potty training mode, don't forget to have some fun (and write down the many many funny stories!)

Pee pee goes in the Potty

Potty training. I was both excited and nervous to begin the adventures in potty training with my daughter. Excited to not have two kids in diapers. Nervous about the actual process and how it would go.

Here is my story in successfully potty training my daughter by 20 months:

We started introducing the potty concept when she was 13 months old. Just every once in a while I would sit her on it and we would talk about it. She was curious about it anyway whenever I would go to the bathroom.

I attempted to start when she was just 17 months old. But…I didn’t think it all the way through. We were about to start traveling almost every week to raise support, as well as for the upcoming holidays. So in order to be consistent with her and not confuse the poor kid, I decided to wait until we moved to Texas and got settled.

When we finally moved 2 months later, I came up with a plan. I decided to try and make the potty as fun as possible! Everything I read online said that kids would potty train when THEY were ready, and if they weren’t…well then it would just be terrible for everyone.

I kind of have a different theory. Potty training is just like any other kind of training that we do with our babies and toddlers. We have to teach them! We taught them how to use a spoon and a fork, how to drink from cup, how to self-soothe. You teach your kids how to read and write, ride a bicycle, etc etc. Potty training is just the same. It has to be taught.

But learning also needs to be fun. If it’s not fun, then why would a toddler want to do it? If we don’t make it fun for them, then yes…it will end up being terrible for everyone.

Another thing to remember is that this isn’t your achievement, it’s your toddlers. Don’t get frustrated or upset with him because he doesn’t get it or doesn’t do it. It’s not about you, it’s about your little person! Give lots of praise and act like it’s the most exciting thing anyone can ever do!

Here’s how I potty trained little Miss Fits before she turned 20 months:

I started on a Friday and I determined that we were just going to have fun with it. The problem we had previously was that she just didn’t want to sit on it. So I made sitting on the potty super fun for her.

Every time she sat on the potty that day I would paint one of her toenails and one of my toenails. She LOVED it! After she had sat on it 10 times, I switched to bubbles. I would let her play with the bubbles every time she sat on the potty. But…that quickly got messy. She wanted to hold everything and the bubbles spilled everywhere.

I also praised here a TON when she sat on it- like a ridiculous amount. Like she had just won the Nobel Peace Prize or discovered that Pluto is, in fact, a planet. I went overboard! And she got really excited about it too.

The next morning I took off her diaper NEVER to put one on her again (okay, that’s not true. We still use diapers for naps and night time)!

I explained that pee pee goes in the potty- not in her pants, not on the floor. And any time she would start to pee or pee all the way I would say “Yay! Pee pee!” and take her to the potty. Then I would tell her again (in a chipper voice) that pee pee goes in the potty.

If she did go in the potty (even if she started peeing somewhere else and finished in the potty), I would over praise her and then give her an m&m. I explained that if she went in the potty, she would get an m&m. She loved it!

I kid you not, the child got the concept that day! Any time she needed to go, she would run to the potty and sit down. All by herself! She was so excited about it!

The next day was Sunday and I was a bit nervous because we had church. I contemplated putting a diaper on her, but then thought better of it. I had said no more diapers and I meant NO MORE DIAPERS! So I put on her big girl undies, some plastic pants and her jeans. And off to church we went!

I told the nursery she was potty training and to please take her several times. Jaelyn doesn’t say when she needs to go, she just goes to the potty and sits down. Kind of hard if there aren’t any little potty chairs just hanging around the nursery.

When I picked her up they said they had taken her once, but she didn’t need to go. I took her again before we left, but she didn’t have to go. I was nervous she would pee in the car. But lo and behold, she did not!

Our first outing, and she didn’t have an accident!

The following week she did great! Seriously. I don’t understand it, but this kid was potty trained. I continue to say she is potty training, but truthfully she is already trained! I don’t know how it happened in such a short amount of time, but she really grasped the concept!

That first week she would have an accident if she had on undies or pants. This is simply because she just wouldn’t pull them down. She’d still sit on the potty and go- just fully clothed.

It has been over a month now and we very rarely have accidents. She has learned to pull her pants down now before sitting on the potty.

Our next step is transitioning the little potty into the bathroom and eventually using the big potty! Currently she insists that her potty chair be in the living room. I have put her potty in the bathroom several times, but every time she has to pee she will literally pick it up and carry it back to the living room before using it.

So that’s my story in potty training. If you are considering potty training your toddler (even if they are younger than when most parents start), I say go for it! It might take a while, but consistency and fun always pays off!

So grab your mop and nail polish and go have some fun!

Little Miss Fits sporting her new big girl undies!

So proud!

Theme Songs for Life

I like to categorize my life into different titles; different themes. Usually revolving around a song that really just seems to sum up my life (or so I thought. I tend to be a bit on the dramatic side, so a lot of my themes seem overly dramatic as I look back on them). I'm sure I'm not the only one that does this, right? Right?! I've done this since I was in high school. The theme for my life back then was "Don't let me get me" by Pink. Yeah...

When I lost my grandma, a classmate and a neighbor all in the same year my theme for that time was "Walk by Faith" by Jeremy Camp. It hurt. A lot. But I knew that God was still there and He was still in control. Even if I couldn't see it, I could trust it. I had faith that he would heal the brokenness. And in time He did.

In college I went through a series of many different themes. I feel like my college years was when I was really trying to find myself. Most of my college years themes had to do with relationships (or rather, lack of relationships) and my frustrations in that area. Again...I have a flair for the dramatic, so don't be surprised when I say that my two back to back themes were "The one I'm waiting for" by Relient K and "Scars" by Papa Roach (hey, I never said they were great songs/themes!"). I really liked this guy, and hoped he could turn into the one I was waiting for. It broke my heart when things didn't turn out the way I longed for them too. It also made me angry. Hence the Papa Roach song.

The song "Who I am hates who I've been" from Relient K (I was really into Relient K) was a big theme for quite awhile. It's when I was going through a period of needing God's grace over and over because every single day I was failing miserably. I knew I was sinning, yet I continued to do it. It was a difficult battle. And it lasted a long time. Thankfully God doesn't give up on us like I sometimes think he should.

When I was dating my now husband, my theme for that time was "Love Story" by Taylor Swift. It was a bittersweet time in my life. I was deeply in love with this man, yet we faced many obstacles as our families were less than thrilled about us being together. Eventually it all worked out for the good. God is pretty awesome like that. But it took time.

I have changed a lot since my college days. I have grown in my faith and truly discovered the woman that God has meant me to be. I have a lot of growing to do still, obviously. But I no longer question my identity and wonder who I am or where I am going. Parts of my journey are still a mystery. But my overall identity is clear. And my overall mission in life is clear too. God has called me higher. He has called me deeper...deeper than my feet could ever wander.
And this leads me to my theme songs for my life right now. Two of them, yes. I'm getting greedy in my upper 20's age.
"Oceans" by Hillsong is a song that permeates through to my very core. I feel like this song was written for me. The part that really speaks to me is this:

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders 
Let me walk upon the waters 
Wherever You would call me 
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander 
And my faith will be made stronger
 In the presence of my Savior

The other song is "You have called me Higher" by All Sons and Daughters. I've been struggling desperately with where I know the Lord is calling me to serve. You can read more about that here.
God knows my heart. I share my struggles with him daily. I also know that he cares deeply for me. That is why I trust him with my very life. That's also why I know he gives me gentle reminders like these songs to help me see things a little more clearly.
As I was sitting in church a few weeks ago I was being brutally honest with God. I told Him I wanted to say no to His calling. I wanted to stay and not go. These are things He already knows. But I felt like I needed to share them with Him again. Emphatically. Then one of the members of the worship team began singing this song. It broke me. It was just what I needed to hear.
Sometimes I need God to be brutally honest with me as well.

Here are the words that brought me to my knees and made me realize how desperately I need God. And how much I desire to serve Him....wherever He is calling me.

I could just sit 
I could just sit and wait for all Your goodness
Hope to feel Your presence
And I could just stay
I could just stay right where I am and hope to feel You
Hope to feel something again

And I could hold on
I could hold on to who I am and never let You
Change me from the inside
And I could be safe
I could be safe here in Your arms and never leave home
Never let these walls down

But You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go where You will lead me Lord
You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go where You lead me Lord
Where You lead me
Where You lead me Lord

And I could hold on
I could hold on to who I am and never let You
Change me from the inside
And I could be safe
I could be safe here in Your arms and never leave home
Never let these walls down

But You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go where You will lead me Lord
You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I'll go where You lead me Lord
Where You lead me

And I will be Yours, oh
I will be Yours for all my life

When did I become a schedule person?!

Having kids changes a person. I mean really changes a person. The past year and half has brought forth a completely different me. A better me, I hope. But definitely different.

I used to be so impatient. Now I'm learning to wait and it's okay.

I used to be so selfish. Now I'm learning to share. I share my food at almost every meal, I share my hugs and my lap and most definitely my love and affection. I even share my colds, though I'm certain nobody appreciates that!

I used to lack discipline. Now I'm learning to prioritize and follow through.

I used to be very spontaneous. Now I thrive on a schedule.

This schedule thing has be befuddled. Who have I become?! I actually used to pride myself in how spontaneous and carefree I was. Let me share a few examples. I once quit my job just so that I could drive to Canada with my friend. I used to get in the car with a friend and we would flip a coin at every crossroad to determine which way we should go. Planning was not part of the fun. On a whim I've adopted multiple puppies, only later to realize that I just wasn't ready to take care of them. I've called off of work multiple times simply because my friends wanted to hang out and do something more fun (okay...that's more of the lack of discipline thing. And a terrible sense of responsibility).

Spontaneous and carefree. Could those words describe me now? I'm starting to think not. In my heart of hearts I truly want to be that person again. But I know that it's just not possible. Having two kids changes things. I thrive on a schedule. I desire it, I love it, I get excited over it. Who have I become?

But the truth is, having a schedule makes life so much easier. It didn't matter when I wasn't married and didn't have kids. I only needed to look out for numero uno. But now I have other lives that depend on me. And children thrive on routine. So I adapted. And I kind of like it.

The kiddos are on a great routine- and I can see how much better they are both doing since we've been on it. It was difficult being on a schedule before we moved to Texas because we were constantly traveling and doing presentations and meeting with people in order to raise support. We were rarely home for a week at a time. But now...now we get to settle. And the kids are really thriving!

Here is our schedule (because I'm seriously that excited about it):

Wake up between 6:30-7:30
Breakfast and play time
Nap time for Mr. Mellow from 9-10:00 am
More playing or a walk outside if it's nice
Lunch at 11:00 am
Nap for both kiddos from 12-2:00 p.m (sometimes longer if we're really lucky!)
Snack time for Miss Fits around 3:00 p.m.
More playing or we will go out somewhere (usually to the store to walk around)
Nap for Mr. Mellow from 4:30-5 p.m
Dinner at 5:30
Bath at 6:00 for Miss Fits, followed by bedtime at 6:30
Bath for Mr. Mellow at 6:30, followed by bedtime at 7:00
Quiet time!

It's consistent and it's amazing! But it's still so strange to me that I have become a schedule person!

And here are my favorite little people...I like to call them Rough and Tumble!

Crying it Out....on my terms

Once our amazing, calm, and great sleeping baby was almost 4 months old things drastically changed. He no longer slept for hours at night, and his nap time diminished greatly during the day. I was floored as to what happened to my little angel.
Having had a very difficult, colicky, and poor sleeping baby our first time around, I was convinced that he was going to end up like that. Somehow. Someway.

He continued to be the calm, cool and collective little guy that he had always been, but when it came to sleep he was a little terror. He woke at least once an hour, demanding to be fed, but really only wanting to nurse as a means of getting back to sleep. I happily obliged because I was so exhausted and it only took about 2 minutes to get him back to sleep.

After a month of this though, my body started to really wear out. I was completely exhausted. I was losing my patience with my toddler and my husband, and growing increasingly frustrated with nearly everything. I was sleep deprived and the whole family was suffering.

I knew that something needed to be done, but I didn't want to be inconsistent in what I was doing. With the holidays upon us, and with us packing up and moving across the country, I determined that it just wasn't smart to start any type of "sleep training" because I couldn't be as consistent as I needed to be.

Finally! We moved and were settled into our new place. The kids each had their own room, and for the first time since the little guy was born, he would not be sleeping 2 feet from me. I thought for sure him being in his own bed and in his own room would make night time easier. Wrong! Did it get worse? It sure seemed like it.
The first week in our new place was exhausting! Little Miss Fits was up in arms about...well, everything! The first day we got here she threw a fit because she could only get her shirt halfway off. Then when anyone would try to help her get it all the way off she would throw another fit. If someone offered to help her put it back on, another round of fits! She cried at every turn, threw herself to the ground out of frustration, and walked around whining like her life depended on it. Exhausting!

Something needed to be done! And the first step was getting the little guy to sleep. I just knew that if he could sleep better, we would all be better. Or at least, I knew that I would be better. And I think that a happy and restful mama is the key to having a happy family.

My minimal cry approach:

I am not a proponent for cry it out. I have read up on all of the different methods and strategies for getting your baby to sleep better/longer, and I know what I am comfortable with. Crying it out just isn't for me. At least not in the traditional sense.

I opted for the longer and longer method, with my own twist. The twist was simply that I never let him cry longer than 4 minutes before I went in there.

I braced myself for a LONG week of crying and very little sleep. I told my husband that it would only get worse before it got better and that I would need lots of grace because of how terrible it would be!

Night 1: I did the usual bedtime routine with the little guy; bath, jammies, nursing and night night. I laid him down awake, gave him his paci and said "Night night little guy. Mommy loves you", and walked out of the room.
When he started crying I waited two minutes, went in and gave him his paci and said "Night night little guy. Mommy loves you", and again walked out of the room.
Then I went in after 3 minutes of crying, then 4 minutes and then 4 minutes again. By that 4th time of going in he went to sleep.
He slept for 3 hours, woke up, ate and went back to sleep. Then he woke up again around 3am, and I determined that he probably wasn't hungry because it hadn't been 3 hours and we did the whole routine again. This time it only took me going in there twice. He slept until 5:30 am, ate and went back to sleep until 630. This, my friends was a HUGE success!

Night 2: I was once again prepared for a battle. We did our nightly routine, and I laid him down awake. He cried for 2 minutes, I went in, gave him his paci and said "Night night little guy. Mommy loves you", and left the room. He went right to sleep!
Woke up at 9:15 and went back to sleep after a total of 2 minutes.
Woke at 11 pm, ate and went back to sleep immediately.
Woke again at 1:30, I changed his diaper and gave him gas drops because he was farting like a grown man and fussing like his tummy hurt. Cried for a total of 8 minutes. Just as he was almost asleep, I fed him (my theory was that I didn't want to reward him with nursing after he had been crying. *shrugs* I'm new at this).
Up again at 5:30, ate and back to sleep until almost 8 am!

Night 3: I had read the third night is usually much easier. And so, since my first two nights were quite easy, I was certain that this night would be ridiculously hard. And to make matters even worse (I thought), the little guy had gotten sick.
Again, I did our usual bedtime routine and again laid him down while he was still awake. He cried for about 30 seconds and I decided to just quickly go in and give him his paci (why wait the full 2 minutes if that's all he needed?!). I said "Night night little guy. Mommy loves you", and left the room. He didn't fall right to sleep, just laid there looking around (Oh...I have a video monitor, by the way. Something I would absolutely recommend to everyone!), and in a couple of minutes he drifted off to sleep.
He woke up at 1:00 a.m, we did a quick diaper change and I fed him. He fell right back to sleep. Up again at 4, nursed him and he went right back to sleep and slept until 7:10.

Night 4: Again....bedtime routine. I put him down awake and he went to sleep after a total of 6 minutes of crying (this time I just did every 2 minutes, so I went in there 3 times before he went to sleep). He woke up at 9 pm, and because he didn't nurse very well at bedtime, I went ahead and fed him then. Up again at 11 for a diaper change and then the kid slept until 5:30 a.m!! I couldn't believe it!

Naps are going much better too. I know I haven't written about nap time, but I do the same thing- put him down awake and allow him to fall asleep on his own. I have not had one problem since beginning this new way of getting him to go to sleep. Naps are easier and longer, and bedtime has become something to look forward to, not something that I dread. AND...I am a much happier wife and mom because I am getting sleep too!

So, overall I really like this method. I have never been a proponent of cry it out, but I feel like this is a happy/healthy middle ground. If you're like me, then getting to the end of your rope in lack of sleep may push you to do things you wouldn't have done otherwise. I'm glad that I tried this approach-even though I tweaked it to my own liking-because the little guy is doing so much better!

Look how happy he is!

Our Cross-country Move

Well we did it! The day finally came for us, and we moved from our snowed in apartment in Illinois to the warm and bristly Texas. I say bristly because...well, everything seems to be rough and thorny and almost dead. Phil's says it's because it's winter. I think it's just Texas. We shall see...

It was uncertain if we'd even be able to move or not. The weekend before our scheduled departure we were bombarded with a massive snow storm. The roads were literally shut down. The whole area was declared to be in a "state of emergency", and only emergency vehicles were permitted to be on the roads. Even if we tried to go out (which we...uh...did), there were massive piles of snow on the roadways and it was impossible to leave our ridiculously small town.

We were scheduled to pick up the U-haul on Sunday. Unfortunately all of our plans had to be cancelled for that day- even our plans to say goodbye to our dear friends. Monday was much of the same. Tuesday it seemed like things were clearing up a bit- we were no longer in a state of emergency and could drive on the roads. The ones that were cleared off anyway. So we made our way out into town that evening, got the U-haul trailer and loaded up the things that needed to go into storage. Phil....bless his heart, drove the 45 minutes, unloaded the trailer by himself, and got back around midnight.

We got up early the next morning and preceded to load our lives into the tiny trailer. It was a difficult task; we had zero help, had a fussy baby and a sick toddler. Not to mention the below zero temperatures and the 3 inch thick ice on our bottom 4 steps. It was miserable!

Unfortunately we were not quite finished loading the trailer and cleaning when the landlord came over to do his walk-through. But what a huge surprise! Because he came with cash in hand and gave us back our deposit anyway! He said we were by far is best tenants and he appreciated having us living in one of his apartments. Then he told us horror stories about some of the other tenants he has.

We finished cleaning and loading, and waited for my mom to come over. After all, she was helping us drive down to Texas!

By 7pm we were ready to hit the road! We drove for 3 hours and stopped to pick up my brother- who also happened to be helping us drive down (we took 2 vehicles).

All in all, the trip wasn't terrible. The kids...well they did great for having to be in the vehicle for 20 hours. We were blessed in that we had a portable dvd player to entertain Jaelyn, and even Phillip from time to time! The poor girl was sick and miserable, but she was a real trooper. The little guy wasn't too bad either, though he seriously hated being in his carseat.

Overall, I would opt to NOT drive across the country with 2 under 2 again. Someone else can drive our U-haul, but me...I'm flying!

Christmas Traditions

This Christmas year is so exciting to me. I just love that we are a family of four and that we will be starting or own Christmas traditions with our kids.

The one tradition that I am most excited about is the gifts. I have decided that we will only do 4 gifts each for Christmas; something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read.

I really want to focus on the real meaning of Christmas, and not really focus on just giving/getting many gifts. Birthdays are the time when the kids will get many gifts! I think it birthdays are awesome because you get to really focus on each individual child and just shower them with love and affection (and gifts!). But Christmas isn't really about that. It IS about love and affection, but it's not about the gifts.

As the kids get older, we will do the "Angel tree" thing, but in a different way. We will also do the four gifts for another child, and I will let the kids pick those gifts out. That way we will teach them about giving and doing for others. After all, I feel like that's more appropriate for the Christmas season.

Another tradition is Christmas jammies! Every year the family will get a pair of jammies for Christmas, and we will get to open those on Christmas Eve so we can wake up in our new jammies!

I'm just so excited to celebrate with the kids! As they get older, it will be fun to really talk about the true meaning of Christmas. Right now they are a bit young. However, we did read about baby Jesus being born, and that was also a fun new tradition to begin.

I'm looking forward to the years to come when the kids will be more involved, and we will hopefully have more kids to share the love with!

A Period of Mourning

It’s getting closer. The restlessness within tells me that change is just around the corner. The excitement that comes with something new, with an adventure, has been bubbling up within me for years now. The anticipation of what’s to come is almost too much to stand.

Our journey starts in 2 months. In 2 months we pack up all of our belongings, say goodbye to beloved family and friends, and move to Texas for the last part of our training Stateside. In 2 months we leave…

I am thrilled beyond belief. I am overjoyed about this opportunity. I am excited that what I have always dreamed, what I have always said I would do, what I know I am being called to do, is finally happening. The preparation, the schooling, the dreaming….it’s all becoming a reality- it’s all finally coming together. And I am filled with joy.

But I am also filled with sorrow.

When I think about leaving…I almost can’t stand it. The pain that billows up inside of me is overwhelming. It’s not something that I have ever experienced. It is immense heartache. It is loss. The thought of saying goodbye brings tears to my eyes. I can’t even write this without crying.

Time and again I have asked God to take this cup from me- to allow me to do missions in some other way. Is there a way that I can do this and not have to leave everyone I love?

It’s bittersweet. I am so excited to go. I have wanted to do this for years. But I’m also mourning the loss of the closeness of family and friends. I don’t want to leave everyone. But God has called us on this journey right now, and I know that He will ease the burden in some way. I will always feel the sting of leaving those I love, but I am trusting that God will somehow, someway, make it not unbearable. 

But right now, I am mourning what I will be losing.

24 Clear Signs You are a Mother

I saw this and just HAD to share it. If you are a mom, then you will totally find this true and hilarious!

We asked the moms of www.wemothers.com what it means to be a mom. Here is what they told us. You know you are a mom when:

1. Instead of running from projectile vomit, you run towards it.

2. You do more in seven minutes than most people do all day.

3. Happy hour has become the 60 minutes between your kids going to bed and you going to bed.

4. A night of drinking requires more recovery time than minor surgery.

5. A glass of wine counts as a serving of fruit.

6. You have mini-therapy sessions all day long with anyone who will listen.

7. Going to the grocery store by yourself is a vacation.

8. You can experience heaven and hell at the same time.

9. You think of physical pain on three levels: pain, excruciating pain and stepping on a Lego.

10. You have the ability to hear a sneeze through closed doors in the middle of the night, two bedrooms away, while your SO snores next to you.

11. You'd rather have a 103 degree fever than watch one of your kids suffer with it.

12. You'd rather go to sleep than have sex.

13. A 15-minute shower with the door locked feels like a day at the spa.

14. Peeing with an audience is part of the daily routine.

15. You use baby wipes to clean up random spills and the dash of your car.

16. You lock yourself in the bathroom and pretend to have diarrhea just to get a break.

17. You love Moms' Night Out and Date Night with the Hubs.

18. You have a secret chocolate stash because frankly, you're sick of sharing.

19. You've been washing the same load of laundry for three days because you forgot to dry it.

20. You realize you've been watching Nick Jr. alone, even though your kids have been in bed for over 30 minutes.

21. You can cook dinner, breastfeed, talk on the phone and yell at the kids, all without breaking stride or missing any of the TV show you are watching.

22. You get more excited about the Mini Boden Catalogue than J Crew's.

23. You decide to stick with your car for the next decade because a) you can't afford to switch and b) you haven't found a car wash that knows how to get all the milk stains and glitter removed.

24. By the end of the day, brushing your teeth feels like a huge accomplishment.

Shared from wemothers.com

Breathe...just breathe

It has been a whirlwind around here the last 2 1/2 months. I cannot believe my little boy is almost 3 months old already. Really, honestly, where has the time gone?

Last week I took a breathe. Finally. I sat down and realized that these months have flown by so fast as we have rushed around preparing to move, planning for the future, going to and from doctor appointments, grocery shopping, meeting with people, etc. It has been a blur of constant go go go! Don't get me wrong, we are home a lot. There are days when we don't even leave the house. And there are times when it is quiet and it is calm. But it seems like even in those moments, those rare moments, my mind is racing with a million things to do. My lists stretch from one room to the next. My brain is constantly buzzing with the next project, the next email, the next phone call, the next feeding, diaper change, meal... the list...is...infinite.

But last week I took a breathe. I really did just sit. I really did just look around without my brain about to explode from overload. I really did just let the dishes and laundry go. I turned off the laptop, put away my to-do lists and just sat. And took a breathe. And it was so refreshing.

These days are going too fast. The time is flying and my babies are getting bigger. Yes, there are countless things to do. The house needs to be cleaned. That's for sure. We cannot live in a pigsty. Letters need to be written, phone calls need to be made, appointments need to be set up. That is certainly needed. We have to have support in order to move out of the country. All of this is needed, all of this is necessary. But it's also necessary to just breathe. To take a few moments, a few hours even to watch your baby sleep or your toddler attempting to put her shirt on like they are pants. Because there will come a time when your baby doesn't just sleep anywhere and your toddler can dress herself. These moments will end, but the to-do lists will always be there.

So just breathe. Take a moment and just breathe

Baby has Landed

Well he made it! Little Phillip made his debut right between his two due dates. He was born on August 15^th, and he is absolutely perfect.

Once again, the doctors were wrong in estimating his size. He was a whopping 7.4 lbs; Just a tad smaller than his sister was. But he was quite a long baby, measuring 22 inches.

Labor and delivery. Ah, what a story. Allow me to share my experience. I chose to be induced upon the doctor’s request. There is always a slight fear of induction, because I never want it to be the case where I don’t progress and end up needing a c-section. But thankfully that has not happened!

This time with the induction I held off getting an epidural until I just couldn’t stand it any longer. The contractions were strong, long and very painful. But they were endurable. However, 8 hours into labor I opted for the epidural. And let me tell you…that experience was worse than the contractions! Looking back now, I probably could have held off on that because it was less than an hour later that I delivered my son. Hindsight, ya know.

Anyway…the lady administering the giant needle to my spine had to have been in her 90’s. My initial thought: who let’s an elderly lady near a needle?! Yes, it was a disaster. She didn’t get it at first. And then she made it out like it was my fault. Apparently I wasn’t leaning over properly. Well thanks for giving me those instructions BEFORE you attempted to stick a needle in my spine! And it’s not like the contractions decided to stop while this was taking place. Misery. Complete misery.

After that ordeal and the dreadfully old and mean epidural lady and all the nurses left, Phil finally came back in the room and suggested that I try to get some sleep. I thought that was a fabulous idea! He turned out the lights and left me to get some rest. Well that lasted all of 20 minutes.

Suddenly I started to feel some immense pressure- like perhaps I needed to go to the bathroom. And I panicked a little because I remembered from last time that if you feel that kind of pressure, it’s time to push. I reached for the call light. No call light. Where was that call light?! The old lady must have moved it and forgot to put it back. I was reaching all over the place trying to get that call light. In my effort to find it, I managed to knock my cell phone onto the floor. Now I was really panicking! It’s not like I can just get out of bed and get it. My legs don’t work!!

Then I remembered that hospital beds have call light buttons on them. So I frantically push it. Nothing! It’s not working at all. I was trying to figure out how I was going to deliver my baby in the dark hospital room all by myself, when suddenly the nurse walks in an nonchalantly says “Well it’s the end of my shift. So and so is here and she will be your nurse for the rest of the night” (she probably said the girls name, and not actually so and so). Before she could finish her whole sentence I said “Something’s happening! I think I have to poop”. Now, I’m really not sure why I said that last part. I knew that I didn’t really have to poop. And that’s such an awkward thing to say!

She calmly said “Well we will have the other nurse check you”, at which time the other nurse walks in, checks to see how dilated I am and announces “There’s a head!”. Immediately the lights come on, the nurses get busy preparing the room, someone is scrambling to call the doctor, and I’m trying really hard not to push or cry.

I asked one of the nurses if I could have my cell phone to call my husband. I thought for sure I would be delivering the baby without Phil there. Luckily though, Phil, my mom and the doctor all came in just in time. 3 or 4 pushes later, little Phillip was born!

Aside from the painful epidural and the fear of thinking I’d deliver by myself, the whole thing was a piece of cake. I pushed for about 10 minutes. That was even easier than with Jaelyn, where I pushed for about 30 minutes.

And that, my friends, is my birth story.

The end.

Well, not the end. Here are some pictures of my gorgeous baby boy, and then it’s the end:

Due Date...

Well it's happened again. My due date has come and gone. I thought for sure that this pregnancy would result in an early delivery. No such luck.

I suppose though, that I do have another week. After all, the doctor decided to change my due date not that long ago. How unfair to go the majority of your pregnancy believing your due date was on August 12, only to be told that no, your due date is now August 19th. Who wants to wait an extra week?!

Yes yes, I'm close. I get that. It’s just one more week. Well try telling that to a woman who had been anticipating the arrival of this precious little baby for over 9 months already. A week is a big deal! Not to mention…I feel like I’ve been pregnant for 2 years! We found out we were pregnant when Jaelyn was 5 months old. Only five months of not being pregnant from August 2011 to August 2013. So yeah, a week is a big deal, thank you very much.

My doctor wants to induce on Thursday if he hasn’t made his debut by then. She thinks that he is already a big boy and doesn’t want me to wait too much longer for fear of him getting even bigger. Well thank you doctor, for your educated guess. I am all for evicting this baby out of me, but I can’t take seriously your guess at how big he really is. After all, my previous doctor with Jaelyn was convinced that she was going to be quite large and scheduled me for an induction. She wasn’t even 8 pounds! Thankfully everything went very well and there were no complications with the induction, but I really don’t want to be induced again.

I want to go into labor naturally. But I also don’t want to wait another 2 weeks. Once again, I’ve tried all of the natural home induction methods to no avail. Obviously they are just a myth. Obviously. But I at least like to believe that it is doing something- even if that something is simply me doing anything to pass the time. Even if it’s not doing one darn thing, it sure is fun to try.

There have been a couple of times that we were sure it was “go time”. Contractions getting quite painful and 5-7 minutes apart. Eventually though, just before we decide to actually go to the hospital, they end up subsiding. So FRUSTRATING! But it’s also quite promising. I know that my body is preparing itself for labor. Unlike last time when I really didn’t experience any contractions prior to being induced, I am having contractions daily. I’m convinced it will happen eventually. As they say…the baby will come when the baby is ready (Gosh I really hate that saying).

And so we wait…

A Tribute to Moms

I have been reading Tender Mercies for a Mother's Soul. It's an amazing book- encouraging, inspiring, uplifting, and very practical. I love it! Every time I pick it up I just get refreshed and renewed.

In this last chapter that I read, there was a blurb from "A Tribute to Mothers". It was so good. I actually teared up several times. Maybe it was just from the pregnancy hormones. I don't know. It doesn't matter. This tribute just got me thinking about children, my children, and what I would do for them. I know Jaelyn is only one and baby boy Kemp isn't even here yet. But that doesn't matter. I would do anything for my kiddos. A mother's love is so unique. I wish I could explain it. But if you're a mom, you know exactly what I mean. And if you're a mom, then this tribute is for you!!

A Tribute To Mothers

Author Unknown

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms..., wiping up puke laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here".

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.

And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football, hockey, baseball or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.

For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids t o school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it in her heart?

Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home? Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation...And mature mothers learn to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without