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 . . .