Snow Doggies

Dogs blink too!

Shiloh & Sam~

Life has been a little hectic lately with Dad gone. Sorry I haven't tossed the green toy more often for you in the last two weeks. Life will return back to normal soon....I promise. Your sad eyes at the window kill me. Understand that it would not be in my best interest to play in the snow with you while Monkey is running free in the house.....bad news my friends.....fun for him....not fun for Mommy. It was awfully sweet that he spread out HIS blankie for you the other day. I'm not sure if you know how cherished that blankie is. So for him to offer it up to you and even pat the floor for you to come sit down on it was HUGE!!! You rank in his book! Oh and your welcome for all the treats the other day. Monkey figured out how to get into your treat jar. It was bad enough him looking at me with sad eyes when I told him no more bones, but to look over and see your sad eyes at the door.....uncle....I gave in. One day full of cookies never hurt anyone, right.....I have days like those too. Hang in there! Dad will be back home one of these days and all will be better!!

XOXO,

Your Mommy

PS. Thanks for warning me that those three rascally moose were eating my little trees the other day. Silly moose!

Moo!

You were playing in the dishwater tonight while I was cooking dinner. I was washing bottles and pump parts. You were "helping" brush out the bottles. You picked up one the cones to my breast pump and exclaimed "milk a cow!!" I about died laughing. Guess you had to be there. If he only knew how much attaching one of those cones to your boob really makes you feel like a cow! Thank goodness you will never have to know this Monkey!!

A Whole Hand

Yesterday you turned five months baby boy! Today we had so much fun taking your picture. The camera came out and you were ready to give me all those sweet, silly faces you make. You are practicing sitting up all by yourself. For a minute or so, you will sit up so proud....with a look that says "I'm big stuff now". (Hint: I'm not ready for you to be "big stuff" quite yet!)

I forget how fast these firsts come. Seems like just yesterday I was cuddling you for the first time. Now your eating rice and oatmeal but still lovin' your Mama's milk. Although, you get quite distracted lately. I've been taking you into your room more often bc there are less distractions (ie. your big brother, unless he discovers we're missing from the room) and you will then eat better.

You love to read books (or eat them I guess). You love to chew on your links. You love to stand and play in your activity center. But your brother is still your most favorite form of entertainment!! Somehow I doubt this will last forever, so I'm loving right now!!

You are full of squishy, kissable baby rolls. I could eat your fat little feet. I could stare into your big brown eyes for days on end. Happy 5 months Little Man!! Mama loves you to the moon and back!!

Christmas Really Late

Christmas was full of.....

cookies and sweets

Santa babiesplenty of firsts, like candy canesa night of Christmas caroling with the familydressing up handsome boys ready for Christmas Eve mass new big boy toys too (which makes for a happy Daddy and little boy) snowman pinata fun at the Gift Exchange tractor rides (thanks Santa and hold on sweet baby boy)

lots of presents to unwrap (we were spoiled)beautiful bows to grablots of John Deere greensmiles and giggles! But most importantly it was full of love. Love for baby Jesus. Love for all things wrapped. Love for Santa and the Elf on the Shelf. Love for family and friends near and far. Love for each other. It was a wonderful Christmas season. Nothing better than the twinkle in a child's eye on Christmas. We are truly blessed. Everything about Christmas was magical! You two little boys made your Mommy and Daddy giddy with excitement! We love you both so very much!

Captured

This captures it all! Including my heart. You are the love of our lives! So willing to give a smile to anyone. You are the happiest baby ever. The one Mommy needed. The answer to our prayers. You have a fantastic glow about you at all times. I can't stop snuggling you and kissing those squishy cheeks. I want to freeze time and keep you this way forever, yet I'm so curious as to how your personality is going play out. Wondering if you'll stay as laid back and happy as you are right now! I'll wait though Little One. You are such a joy! Thanks for always bringing a smile to our faces!

Love, Your Mommy

Escape Artist

It happened. The dreaded crib escape. You are a climber, a dare devil. Always have been. Why wouldn't we think you would be the one to figure it out. You had climbed out a few times in the last few months, but we assumed we still had some time before the big boy bed be initiated.

Rewind to last Thursday night. I woke to you shrieking at 12:30. Like blood curdling screams. When I got out of our room, I found the light from your bedroom shining down the hallway and you standing at your brother's door screaming "Mommy, Mommy". You were terrified. It broke my heart. You had fun though. There were toys out in the living room. Books spread out all over your bedroom. You found the can of air freshener and decided the ENTIRE front of your dresser needed sprayed.....so much so that it was dripping off the front on to the carpet. Thank goodness you didn't get into the jar of Vaseline too. We cleaned everything up and then we sang "Twinkle, Twinkle" until you drifted off to sleep.

The next 3 days you got out of bed after every nap and every morning. (Oh did I tell you that your Daddy left for work Friday afternoon, so it was my battle to fight with only his reinforcement via telephone.) So Monday night I turned your crib into the toddler bed. You thought it was pretty cool.

What you thought was even cooler was that you could get out of it and run around the room after the door was closed......until you realized I wasn't coming back to play. Then you started into your crying jag. And cry you did bc I forgot to mention that I put one of those door knob safety thingymibobs on to keep you from opening your door and running amok throughout the house. I was envisioning very scary things that you could get into while I was in slumberland and you were "playing" in the house. I shutter to think the thought.

Fast forward to Thursday night. Mommy was beyond frustrated, exhausted, and desperate for a less drama at bedtime. I was minus my partner-in-crime, aka. Daddy, and was, honestly, at my wits end with the bedtime battle. I think you were pretty frustrated and confused to. So to confuse you more (i'm so, so very sorry baby) I got out the Allen wrench and took the spring platform off your bed. I then reinstalled the front part of your crib to make it back into a "crib". Then I shoved your mattress back in, but it now rested on the floor (bc the springs were gone)....creating about 6 more inches between you and the ability to climb out.

I brought you in to look and your "new bed" for the second time this week (once again I'm so very sorry for the confusion), and you were rather upset that I couldn't get in with you now (you see, your toddler bed had become the new bedtime story place and I had cuddled with you for a while on two separate occasions where you were so worked up and crying you could barely breath :(

Needless to say we got everything worked out and bedtime last night and tonight have been way less dramatic than the previous 3 nights. Again baby, I'm so, so sorry for all the crazy bed confusion. I never wanted it to happen this way. The transition to big boy bed was suppose to be cool and fun not crazy and abrupt. I guess that's one the reasons I call you Monkey, huh. We needed your Daddy. He always seems to have the good ideas (hence, the take out the springs...yep the idea came from the man himself). He's so much better at bedtime with you than me! Hopefully this will buy us some time until he gets home. Please don't sprout a tail that will launch you out of this bed. I don't know what we'll do. Here's to less tears (both me and you) and more sand from the sandman!

Love you!

Happy Birthday

Happy 2nd Birthday Monkey!!

TWO!!!! Where have the last two years gone! I cannot believe my baby is TWO! You are the light of our lives Monkey. Constantly moving and jabbering. Your zest for life is voracious! Your giggle is still as contagious as it was the very first time we heard it. You delight us to no end and sometimes leave us scratching our heads the very next minute. You challenge us in good ways and sometimes not so good ways. You humble us Monkey. You make us remember that parenting is an adventure unlike anything else we'll ever experience.

You love anything that moves. Animals, bugs, trucks, planes, trains. You have a love for anything John Deere green. Which, by the way, melts Mommy's heart because I'll always be an Iowa girl at heart. Your favorite song is "Big Green Tractor"....imagine that. You ask for it every time we get in the car. You jumped for joy yesterday when I found it set to a slide show of tractors and combines. You also love, love, love trains, which melts your Grandma K.'s heart since she is a tried and true Union Pacific employee. And your new favorite lately.......monster trucks.....so much that your Daddy and I are pretty sure we will be going to the Demolition Derby at the State Fair this year....who knew!!

You could sit and read books until the cows come home. The other day you were even "reading" your truck book to your little brother. Made my heart go pitter patter. Your favorites currently are Corey Combine and the Big Surprise, Snowmen at Night, and I Stink (the later we have read 4 times since opening it this morning....thank you Aunt Lisa).

I love to sit and watch you play. You have always played so well on your own. Today you were telling the driver of your school bus to "dwive careful"....maybe you've heard me say that a few times. And speaking of hearing things a few times, when your little brother was fussing a bit today you ran over to him and said "it awright honey"....hmmmm think I call you two "honey" very often.

The love you already show at such a young age for your baby brother makes my eyes all leaky. You never forget to kiss him goodnight. You even have shared your beloved blanket with him a few times. You are quick to ask where he is if you think he should be somewhere he isn't. Makes me so proud!

I can't wait to see what this next year has in store for us Monkey. Your curiosity, ever-growing independence, and strong-willed determination will make for some memorable moments. Your sweet smile and contagious giggle will always brighten our day. God has blessed us. I am head over heels in love with you!!

Happy Birthday sweet boy!!