More Noah's 2nd Birthday

Noah's 2nd Birthday

Today is Noah's 2nd birthday! I still can't believe it has been 2 years since we welcomed him into the world. He is such a wonderful and unique little guy . . . so much personality and energy. Kind of a whirlwind of excitement, emotion, and, at times, destruction. He loves books, building blocks, and the Crocodile Hunter. Some mornings he wakes me up by yelling, "Crikey!" He is full of affection and still loves me to hold him all the time. I am okay with that :) He has done a pretty good job of transferring to his big boy bed. I think it has been harder for me than him. He just seems to be growing up so fast! It is funny to hear his bedroom door open and see him just come walking out with this look, like, "Is this allowed?" We had his birthday party last weekend with the neighborhood kids, my parents, Austin and Ava, and some other friends from church. We played games, had pizza, did a pinata, and had Noah's much anticipated cookie cake (with Lightning McQueen on it). Noah really enjoyed being with all of his friends. Today, we met my Mom and the kids at the park and went to lunch, and then Brian and I took the boys to Texas Roadhouse and Wiregrass mall this evening. The people sang to Noah at the restaurant and he was pretty excited! We will celebrate tomorrow night with Brian's family and Andrea and Tammy. What a blessing to be able to celebrate our little guy with so many friends and family. I love my little Noah so very much and thank God for each moment I spend with him. I look forward to watching him grow and change this next year, just hopefully not too quickly!

Potty Training

Noah has been showing some interest in potty training for a few months now, though we certainly haven't been working at it much at all. The last couple nights he has actually gone on the potty before his bath. We made a HUGE deal about it the first night and gave him a couple tic tacs, his favorite treat. Well, tonight, he had it all figured out! He went just a little on the potty, ran out to the kitchen for his tic tac (naked, of course), went back to the bathroom and went a little more, ran back to the kitchen . . . you get the picture. He repeated this a few times and demonstrated amazing bladder control in the process. He is something else!

Harry Cocoa

I don't know why I thought raising Noah would be much like raising Cole. It amazes me just how different they are! Noah is certainly challenging, wild, and very loud, but he is also incredibly sweet, affectionate, smart, and HILARIOUS! Just the other day in the car, Cole said, "Mommy, Noah makes me laugh SO hard!" And that is so true. Just today, Noah was playing with the laundry pile in the living room while Cole and I finished lunch in the kitchen. Noah comes walking in the kitchen with two shirts on, Cole's underwear over his diaper, and two different socks of Brian on each foot/leg. Cole and I laughed for a good 10 minutes and I managed to get a couple pictures too. This past week, Noah jumped off our king bed onto the hardwood floor. He had a good sized goose-egg on his forehead, but was pretty much back to normal after just a couple minutes. I, however, was not so okay and made him stay up an extra hour so I could monitor him and do periodic neuro checks. A couple days later, while I was going to the bathroom, he managed to somehow throw our 30 lb piece of glass from our coffee table onto the floor. Thank the Lord, it did not break or land on him. He is a piece of work. He has a Frosty the Snowman book that we sing to him when we read it. For some reason, he calls Frosty the Snowman, "Harry Cocoa." He even sings it very loudly in public when he sees snowmen Christmas decorations. He also thinks some of the ghosts people have put up in our neighborhood are snowmen and also calls them "Harry Cocoas." Noah wears me out, but I sure enjoy him and couldn't love him more.

My Student

When I set out on this homeschooling journey, I had no idea how much both Cole and I would enjoy it. We are having such a great time, and I know I'm his mother, but he is doing AWESOME. The picture above was taken on the day our ants arrived in the mail for our ant hill. You can see that Cole was just a little excited about it :) We do school for an hour to an hour and a half when Noah goes down for his nap. At this point, I just can't focus on school with Cole while Noah is awake. As Noah gets older and a little less in need of constant supervision, I am sure we will adjust our schedule and do some things involving Noah too, but for the time being, this is working well. Cole loves math and reading and is always up for a science experiment or art project. I am really enjoying watching him learn to love reading. He has even started reading to Noah sometimes. Cole is also wonderful at memorizing his Bible verses and loves learning the Bible stories. He has really started to ask me some tough questions too. I haven't quite figured out how to explain the Trinity to a 4 year old :) We talk alot about heaven, as that seems to intrigue him, and also alot about what it means to be a follower of Jesus. I have been very careful not to push him into making a decision to follow Jesus before he understands what it means, as I want it to be a decision he makes on his own when he realizes his need for a Savior. I also don't want him to do it just to make me happy. I do pray for him and Noah constantly that they will come to know Christ at a young age. I get excited to think about how God may use them in the future. I am so thankful to have a son like Cole who is critically thinking about all of these things and asking really good questions. He does have a kind, kind heart, and I see it daily in his sensitivity towards both Noah and me. I couldn't ask for a better "student," and I thank God for the opportunity to be a part of these amazing years of growth in knowledge and understanding of so many things. What a joy and honor it is to be Cole's Mommy :)

My Baby

I can't believe how fast Noah seems to be growing up! He is such an energetic, talkative and happy little guy. Cole and I spend a better part of our days just laughing at the silly things Noah comes up with. Noah really doesn't mind being the center of attention either. I am amazed by his ever-growing vocabulary! It probably helps that he has an older brother who is constantly telling him to say things. I must hear Cole ask Noah 50 times a day, "Noah, can you say . . . (fill in the blank)?" Noah sings all the time and frequently makes up his own songs too. One of his favorites is the "Daddy Song." It basically just goes "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Doh" and is repeated over and over. There are other versions where "Mommy" or "Cole" gets inserted. Noah is just like his brother and LOVES his blankie. Unlike Cole, however, he is also a big fan of his "Pappy" (pacifier). We are working on that these days, but he always seems to find one under his crib, and it takes super powers to pull that sucker out of the death grip he's got on it with his teeth. Noah is also a destroyer . . . of anything Cole is trying to make, of Cole's books, of paper, of food he doesn't like. Noah is also very loud and gets louder until he is acknowledged. He loves the man who helps us with our groceries at Publix, "Mr. Robby," and yells the man's name the entire time we are shopping. I think Mr. Robby really enjoys that, and I have just grown accustomed to that being part of my shopping experience. Noah loves reading books and in the mornings before Cole wakes up, we often read 10-15 books together. I enjoy that one on one time with my baby in my lap. Noah adores his cousin Ava (Ay-Ay) and anytime we are going somewhere, asks if she will be there. Noah also loves praying, though he continues to interject names of people he wants to pray for during the entire prayer. Usually this person is B-Pa. I guess Noah thinks B-Pa needs alot of prayer ;) Noah can be a challenge, but I am thankful to God for his strong personality and his sweet heart. I can't get enough of his "huggies" as he calls them. I so love my baby boy.

Cole's Last Night as a 3 year old

My sweet boy

Last night with my 3 year old

I am feeling quite sentimental tonight as Cole says goodbye to 3. He has really become such an intelligent, hilarious, affectionate little boy. He and I have always been incredibly close, and I am so glad that our relationship has only deepened each year. I laid in bed with him for a while tonight just talking and laughing. Almost in tears at one point, he said, "Mommy, I want to stay three all day." When he says "all day" that means forever to him. He said, " I want to stay this big." As I started to tear up myself, I talked to him how it is fun and exciting to get bigger and that God made us to grow and change. Then, we just got really silly. He and Noah have a book that has all kinds of quotes like, "I love you like I love blueberry pancakes or strawberry milkshakes . . . etc." Anyway, we started coming up with our own ones that were really off the wall. Some of his were, "I love you like I love frogs in my eyes" and "I love you like I love peanut butter in my nose." I must have come up with 25 of them and had him laughing so hard he almost threw up. What a special time with my big boy! I took a few pictures of him in his bed, gave him a big hug and kiss, and said, "Goodnight, 3 year old, I'll see you when you're 4." He liked that.

Mother's Day 2011

Today we celebrated Mother's Day. We went to church together and then enjoyed a nice lunch at Crisper's. I have to say that there is nothing I enjoy more than being a mom. It is the most challenging and frightening calling, and I pray daily that God would give me wisdom in the task, but I absolutely love it. I love waking up to Cole yelling, "It's time to wake up!" I love Noah's hugs and the little dance he does in the morning when he sees me open the door to get him . I love how Cole is so tender with his brother and how Noah will just randomly hug Cole. I love hearing Cole reading off fan name after fan name from his multitude of fan catalogs. I love that one of Noah's favorite foods in the world is broccoli (mine too). I love that Cole still adores his blankie and still loves me to hold him. I love tucking both of my boys into bed at night. I love lying in bed with Cole at night and giggling as we tell stories and jokes. I love that Noah gets so excited to show me things when we're driving. I love playing "punch bug" with Cole, and how no matter who sees it first, he ALWAYS saw it first. I love when Noah tells "knock knock" jokes. I love making all of Cole's stuffed animals talk and play with him. I love spending each day with my little guys and watching them grow and change. I so just want to hold onto these memories and precious times with them. God has so blessed me with my boys :)

At the end of our church service today, the pastor's wife read a book about how parents are always celebrating their children's "firsts" (first steps, first words, first tooth), but that we rarely remember their lasts (the last time we held them, the last time they picked us a flower, the last time they snuggled with their blankie, etc.). Needless to say, I (and every other mother in the service) was a mess. I almost start crying just thinking about moving beyond these sweet years, yet I know and remind myself that each stage is special and that the goal is not to hold onto them forever. I pray for strength to embrace each milestone and look to the future with excitement, while still cherishing these amazing years with my little guys.

And more camping

More camping

First Camp Out

We took the boys on their first camping trip to Little Manatee River State Park last weekend. They really had a fun time . . . except that Noah was up ALL night. It turns out he was getting sick, but we didn't know it at the time. Cole had a blast sleeping in the tent and exploring around the camp ground. He was thrilled to see his first centipede :) Noah enjoyed digging in the dirt and smearing it all over everything and everyone. We had a nice breakfast on the "campfire" in the morning and headed home for some much needed sleep. That may have been our last opportunity to camp for a while, as it has gotten very hot down here. We're looking forward to taking them again, though, in the fall when the cooler weather comes and Noah is a bit older. I'll post some more pictures in another entry . . .

Tiny Tots and Tunes

Our church offers a music-type class for kids 3 and under in the fall and spring called Tiny Tots, so I did classes with both Cole and Noah from January to March. I had done it with Cole when he was 2 years old as well, but this time, he REALLY got it into it. He loved the music, dancing, and Bible stories. He also did a great job memorizing his Bible verses for the class. Noah seemed to enjoy his class alot too. He loves music and dancing, and I enjoyed the one on one time I got to spend with each of them in their separate classes. My mom joined us for Cole's last class, and Cole certainly hammed it up a bit with her there. Noah had to miss his last class because of a fever, but he can do it again in the fall. Cole will be too old for Tiny Tots, but he can start to participate in a kid's choir class if he wants to do that. We'll see how that goes :)

Lessons

Most of the time, Cole is a truly sweet boy . . . very kind to Noah and extremely helpful to me. However, every once in a while that sin nature comes creeping out, particularly when he is tired. I know that it is common and normal for kids his age to be selfish and act out, but I certainly don't want to normalize that behavior and have a higher standard to follow.

So, yesterday, after driving almost a half hour to Hyde Park, we went to look around the toy store down there. All was going fine, and Cole and Noah were playing on the Thomas the Train table. Another little girl joined them. Cole took it upon himself to remove from the table several of the toys with which he knew the little girl was playing. She didn't even notice, but I did. We promptly left the toy store and made the 30 minute drive back home after only being there for about 10 minutes. When we got home, I showed Cole in the Bible where it talks about being kind to others. We talked a little about that and decided to try to think of nice things we can do for people each day. I love my kids immensely and probably indulge them a little too much at times, but I am realizing that it is important to gently remind them every once in a while that they are not the center of the universe. I let Cole come up with the ideas, and I wrote each one down on a piece of paper, folded them up, and put them in a bowl for us to pick each day. Some if his ideas were . . . make cookies for neighbors, make muffins for neighbors, send letters to people, buy ice cream for Daddy (that was an everyone wins one :). I suggested maybe of thinking something nice he could do for Noah. He then replied, "Maybe we can write some down for me." I just had to smile.

Grace

It is Missions week at our church, and I was blessed with the opportunity to go to a women's dinner last night with some girls from our Sunday school class. I really didn't know what to expect and was kind of regretting having to leave the boys, especially since I had to work tonight too. Nonetheless, I went, as I really felt the Lord pushing me to go. It was an amazing and convicting evening. The speaker was Gracia Burnham, a missionary who was captured along with her husband by Muslim terrorists in the Phillipines back in 2001. They spent over a year hiding and trekking through the jungle, suffering and starving, along with their captors. Her husband ultimately died during a gun battle, and she was rescued. The most amazing thing about this woman was her attitude toward her captors. Instead of hatred and bitterness, which most would say would be justified, she has compassion and an overwhelming desire to see these men come to know Christ. She has even been in contact with some of them who are now in prison. Hearing her story really made me analyze if I truly understand and practice grace in my own life. It also made me reflect on whether I put my own relationship with Christ above all else. I am still processing everything I took in last night and praying that God would work in me. For this woman to be able to show such grace, she had to truly grasp the depth of the grace God has shown us through Christ. Such grace is what sets Christianity apart. If I hope to show others the love of Christ and the hope he offers, I have to grasp the depth of His grace and be willing to practice it in my own life . . . no matter the cost. Convicting indeed.

Best Buds

It has been so fun to watch Cole and Noah get closer as Noah gets bigger and more interactive. They so enjoy each other's company most of the time. I think Cole was just as excited as Noah when we moved Noah to the "big boy," forward facing car seat. I frequently catch them holding hands when they don't know I'm looking, and I managed to snap a picture at a stop light the other day :) Noah adores Cole and will frequently just spontaneosly hug him or lay on him. Cole is particularly nurturing to Noah as well. I get a good glimspe of how I must sound when I hear Cole saying in a high-pitched voice, "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry your belly hurts," as he rubs Noah's back. Don't get me wrong, though; they certainly do fight at times, particularly when one or both are tired. Nonetheless, I am so thankful that they do enjoy each other most of the time and look forward to watching their relationship deepen as they grow up together :) I love being their Mommy!

And More Fort Wilderness

More Fort Wilderness