Variety

Most of you know that T is allergic to eggs. In the grand scheme of things, this is a minor issue. And in terms of all the allergies out there, eggs are pretty easy to avoid. If he *has* to be allergic to something, I'll take eggs.

And I think it goes without saying that I am very grateful for my son's overall health. I'm not complaining! He has been a remarkably healthy kid in his 19 months of life and I'm so thankful for that!

It's just that sometimes his egg allergy bums me out. He's really been a trooper about it. He's heard "no" so many times when he wants something that someone else is eating that he usually just accepts the "no" and walks away. It's almost like he knows he's allergic to eggs and so he doesn't bother making a fuss.

This morning at MOMS I picked my kids up from childcare and brought them into the room where we meet. Lily almost always asks for a treat and so we went to the treat table (usually full of baked things that contain eggs) and she picked something out. Taylor stood near the table just gazing at the treats and never "asked" me for anything. (I usually try to have something in his diaper bag that he can have instead.) But in that moment my heart went out to the little guy. Especially because he looks up to Lily so much and wants to be doing whatever she's doing. And in this case, he couldn't. And I felt bad for him. He's such a trooper.

At Christmastime I made a couple batches of cookies without eggs so that Taylor could eat sweets along with the rest of us. I had sort of forgotten that he'd never had a cookie. And I will *never forget* the look on his face when I handed him his first cookie and he tasted it.

I wish you could have seen it.

His eyes lit up and were enormous.

And his expression said, "WHERE have these been all my life?!" It was really priceless.

I'd love for him to outgrow the allergy and the allergist thinks there's a good possibility that he will. But for now we do our best to avoid eggs. And he's putting up with it really well.

***

We've been researching minivans a little bit as the lease on Andy's Camry winds down in about six weeks. We're looking into buying a used Chevy Uplander. I wouldn't describe it as the cutest minivan I've ever seen. But let's be honest, IS there a cute minivan?

Anyhoodles, it seems like the Uplander has the features that we're looking for and like we have the best chance of finding this particular car in our price range with under 60,000 miles on it.

We have a friend in the car business and she's keeping her eyes open for one. So I'm just praying that God would provide the right vehicle for us. My prayer is very similar to the one I prayed when we were house hunting. If any car we find isn't the One He has for us, then I pray He'd close the door.

I never imagined that I'd be excited about a minivan, but I am. I just think it's going to make my life as a mom, hauling my kids around town, quite a bit easier.

Imagine with me, if you will, pulling into a parking lot and looking for a nice big spot for your semi-ginormous SUV. And you find one! And you park, get the kids out, and head inside to do your shopping. And you come back out to find that some bozo (excuse my language) has parked reeeeeeeeeeally close to you. (Can't they SEE that you have carseats in the back?!?!) And your semi-ginormous SUV has very large doors that swing open very wide. And you have to do your best to open the door ever so slightly, pick up your heavy kid (mine are 30 and 40 pounds a piece) and wrestle them into their carseat. And you're pregnant. And not the slimmest that you've ever been in your life. And after months of this you start to feel just a weensy bit annoyed every time you have to try to squeeze yourself and your kids into the narrow little opening to avoid scratching or denting the car next to you. That is if you care about not scratching or denting the car next to you. (Which I do.) But as your belly grows (and so do your children and your annoyance) you can imagine yourself one day maybe not caring quite so much whether Mr. Oblivious parked next to you gets his car scratched by the door of your semi-ginormous SUV. Can I get an amen?

Real mature, I know.

I blame it on ALL THE HORMONES.

Let's just say I'm looking forward to the sliding doors of a minivan!

***

Still no name for this baby. Lily's latest suggestion is Ruby. And I really like it. And Andy doesn't. So the search continues...


***

Lily is officially enrolled at the Christian School. Oh. My. Word. This makes me really happy and is surreal at the same time.

She is just so excited about Kindergarten, and I just can't believe this is happening. In six months my daughter's school career will begin and she will be gone five mornings a week.

Yes, we've decided on the "half day" program for her. We really took our time thinking that over, but I'm happy with our decision for several reasons.

First, she's going to be a "young five". Her birthday is in June so she'll likely be one of the younger ones in her class. I know how big the adjustment to preschool was for her, so I can only imagine what it's going to be like going to school five mornings/week. I'm glad that she'll be able to come home and spend the afternoon with me, Taylor and the baby.

Second, at my appointment with the Principal (she interviews all new families) I asked her to tell me what she felt were the main differences between the half day and all day programs. I had already spoken with the Kindergarten teacher about this, but wanted to get another point of view. She told me that the half day kids are dismissed sometime around 11:30. After that the all day kids have recess, eat lunch, take a rest, and by that time have about an hour left in the school day. So, we would be paying significantly more for her to get only an additional hour of instruction each day. And because of my previous point (she'll be a young five) I think the mornings will be plenty for her. Although, we're keeping an open mind. And if at some point during the year we feel like she's really ready for a long day/bigger challenge then maybe we'll send her all day. We'll just have to wait and see.

And lastly, it comes down to money. The half day program is just easier to swing at this point. We really are trying to trim our budget and stick to it each month. We recently took on a larger mortgage which made things significantly tighter for us. And we finished our basement. Ouch is about all I can say about that. And because we've never had to pay for childcare, there was never a line for that item in our budget! The half day program allows us to send her to the Christian School and adjust to cost of it in our monthly expenses and work our way up to the cost of first grade. (Hopefully, finding a minivan in our target price range will save us at least $50-75/month and that'll be a big help!)

***

I'm reading She's Gonna Blow! by Julie Ann Barnhill and so far it's really, really good. She is SO honest about her own struggles with anger as a mom. Her transparency has been really helpful for me and I've already taken away several good points that sort of stick with me throughout the day and help me to keep things in perspective. Someday I'll have to share some of my favorite quotes.

***

Are you enjoying the Olympics??? I am!

***

Take care and have a terrific Tuesday!

Nothing wrong with his funny bone

I got this email from my dad while he was in the hospital:

Love you lots
Hug the tots
Got some clots
Here come shots
Connect the dots,

Dad

Hot

Yesterday Taylor added another word to his vocabulary.

The kids were taking a tubby and toward the end Lily said the water was getting cold. I ran just a tish more water to make her happy. Taylor likes to stick his hand in the running water, but I told him not to this time because it was a little hot. And he whispered clear as a bell, "hot". It was precious.

Later in the day I had some chicken baking in the oven. He walked by, pointed to the oven, and whispered, "hot".

I don't know what the whispering is about. But it's adorable!

Valentine's Weekend (picture heavy)

Okay, first of all this weekend didn't go according to plan in pretty much any way.

Originally, Andy and I were planning to attend our church's Couples Retreat. Last Sunday we got a call that the retreat had been cancelled because not enough people had signed up. HUGE BUMMER! We've attended every year since we got married and really look forward to it. It's really the only thing we do to get out of town or "get away from our kids". Our favorite babysitters (my parents) have come and stayed with our kids every year and we're SO grateful!

Well, my parents planned to come for the weekend anyway, so that Andy and I could try to do something fun together in place of Couples Retreat. Until...

Wednesday evening my sister called to tell me that my dad had gone to the ER with severe pain and unable to take full breaths. He was diagnosed that night with a Pulmonary Embolism or blood clots on his lungs. The doctors don't know for sure why he got the clots, but are leaning toward genetics.

Thursday morning I packed up the kids and headed down to the cities to stay with my mom and visit my dad in the hospital. We saw him that night and my kids reacted really unexpectedly. When we got to his room they walked up to the doorway, and then upon seeing their grandpa started to back away slowly. It was so weird! He did look "different", as in tired, puffy, and pale, but to them he must have look *very* different. It took them both awhile to warm up, but they eventually did. Here are the pictures to prove it:

I had planned a few little "activities" for my parents to do with the kids while we were gone, so we did a few of those while we were in the cities. Let me just say that I really love Valentine's Day and I always have. And now that I have kids I really enjoy making it a special day for them and expressing to them how much they are loved!

First we made heart shaped brownies. These turned out better than I expected. They were tasty and oh so cute!

Here Lily is mixing the pink frosting that we drizzled over the top of the chocolate frosted brownies.

SPRINKLES!!!

Look! Aren't they cute?!

I had to snap this pic, because I thought it was so cute how he just plunked himself down on the kitchen floor to look at this book.

My big boy with his new haircut

The next morning we made these cookies. They're the peanut butter kiss cookies, except with a chocolate heart in the center instead. So easy and cute!

My dad was released from the hospital on Friday afternoon. He was in the hospital less than 48 hours total which we thought was remarkable and we're so, so thankful! He came home with a bunch of syringes and lots of pills and was sitting at the dining room table trying to figure out a schedule to take all those medications. We would appreciate your prayers as he makes a few lifestyle adjustments, and that he wouldn't need to be on medication permanently!!!

On Saturday Andy drove down to be with us. All 8 of us (or 9 if you count Baby) went out for lunch to Chuck E Cheese. It was my dad's idea! =) He's a kid at heart, you know. He said it was his "celebratory getting out of the hospital lunch". =) AMEN!

Here Lily is enjoying one of the little rides.

Bryan and Mandi looking too comfortable with those weapons! =)

Taylor coming down the slide. It was hard to get a good picture of him because he never quit moving! He had a blast.

Lily assembled these Valentines for her friends at church. I got the owl valentine from Living Locurto. And then bought the fabric SUPER CHEAP from a JoAnne's going out of business in the cities. Lily put some candy and a homemade heart shaped crayon in each Valentine. Cute! I'd love to give credit for the heart shaped crayons, but I can't remember where I found the idea. If you come across it somewhere let me know!

We gave our kids each a new coloring book and some new crayons and they've spent a ton of time coloring the past 24 hours! It's amazing how new crayons seem *SO* fun!

Lily was SO cute in her red and white ensemble complete with heart tights! She loves this outfit.

Coloring together! Isn't this precious?! They like each other and like to be together and it makes my mother's heart so happy.

I attempted these heart shaped pancakes for lunch. I'd never used a mold before and didn't know how full to fill each one. Why didn't I try just one pancake first, you ask!

I HAVE NO IDEA!

Live and learn!

Uh-oh. Starting to get a little poofy.

Oops. Oh well.

They still tasted great!

My second attempt. Much better.

A happy customer.

Heart shaped cupcakes.

So that's a summary of our Valentine's weekend. I hope you had a wonderful day with your loved ones! We were reminded that life is fragile and is a vapor! We are thankful that God saw fit to spare my dad and that we get to have him around awhile longer! Praise the Lord!

Lilyisms

"Dad, when I was your age..."

She calls the seven dwarfs "wurfs". I've tried to tell her the correct way to say it a couple times, but she doesn't care. And I think it's cute. So wurfs it is.

She pronounces the color brown as "browned". This one is on the way out, because I've heard her say it correctly a couple times lately. I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

She pronounces the word couple as "kepple". For instance, "Mommy, can I have a kepple of M & Ms?

The word golf she pronounces as "galf" - short a sound. Love it!

Wordless Wednesday

They played in these boxes for a very long time one morning!

Having a meltdown on the floor with his vacuum. Proof of how upset he gets when I turn off my vacuum.

What would I do without the internet?

My husband calls us two peas in a pod, the internet and me. =) I do love the internet and am thankful for all the ways that it completes me. =) I use the internet for so many purposes - I keep in touch with friends and family through email and facebook. I consider myself an expert online shopper and love to hunt for bargains out in cyberspace. I maintain my own little blog on an occasional basis and have come to love the blog world. There are so many amazing, funny, and inspirational bloggers out there! I'm learning to enjoy cooking and look to the internet for new and tasty recipes. So, here are a few of the things I've enjoyed on the internet lately:

I read the birth story of Nella Cordelia, a precious baby girl with Down's Syndrome. I literally wept. It's so beautifully written. Wow.

Lindsey Cheney at The Pleated Poppy has an unbelievable eye for CUTE. She makes these adorable posy hair clips and pins that I've been drooling over for months. She also redecorated her son's room and I love it! She's having a Valentine's Sale right now and anything you buy from her blog you can get for 25% off with code LOVE!!!

I enjoy browsing Etsy, and BriarClair is one of my favorite sellers!!! She makes the most adorable hair clips, hats and headbands. Her shop is closed until Thursday, but I can't wait to see what she lists next.

BooMama continues to be one of my favorite bloggers. Some days she has me laughing out loud. She has a way with words and is just plain funny. I particularly enjoyed this recent post. And this is one of my all time favorites. I read it out loud to my husband and my mother and couldn't get through it without giggling.

The Pioneer Woman and her recipes are an absolute inspiration! She's the real deal and I'd love to have her cookbook! I made her Restaurant Style Salsa (also highly recommended by both BigMama and BooMama) and I can easily say it is the best salsa I've ever had. Word! It was maybe a little "hot" for me - I'd call it "medium with an attitude" - so next time I'll probably leave more of the jalapeno seeds out, but other than that it's so good. I also recently made these Perfect Potatoes au Gratin and everybody in my family loved them! If you know the picky eaters that I have to feed on a daily basis, you know what a delight it is for me when they eat what's on their plates without a complaint!!!

I recently discovered Eat At Home and these amazing Way to a Man's Heart Cookies!!! This gal is a busy mom of four and I feel like her recipes are really practical. She also uses very economical (not organic) ingredients, so I use her recipes as a base and then modify according to my preferences.

I ordered this book and it should be here any day. It's been a rough few days emotionally for me. I've really been humbled as I've dealt with my anger issues (sin). I feel like I've let myself get into some bad habits/patterns and I want to nip it in the bud ASAP! I'm thankful for God's faithfulness in my life and that He has pointed out my sin to me now, and has given me the opportunity to work on it while my kids are still little. I want them to remember a mom who was cheerful, positive, patient, kind and loving. This book has also been recommended to me and it's next on my wish list!

I love Amazon and I love my Amazon Gift Cards earned through Swagbucks!!! My recent purchase from Amazon totaled $29 and because I used $25 in free gift cards I only had to pay $4!!! I do all my online searching through Swagbucks and earn bucks randomly/periodically just for the searches that I would normally do. I have earned hundreds of Swagbucks over the last year or so and have earned numerous gift cards as a result. That means FREE stuff! =) I can't urge you strongly enough to use Swagbucks. If you click on the link that I keep giving to you repeatedly I'll earn a few bucks too! Thanks a bunch!

So there you have it - a few of my recent Online Loves.

Poor me

I just read this post by Libby at Blessings and Glory. And I identified with so much of what she had to say. Her honesty was so refreshing.

Those of you who know me well or have been reading my blog for very long know that the adjustment to two children has been big for me. I *adore* Taylor and would never go back. But I loved my life with one child. I loved life with Lily. She and I were buddies and did everything together. And it was easier.

Last night she and I went on a little date and it was wonderful. I took her to swimming lessons and then we ran an errand and had a Subway supper together. It. Was. Delightful. It was so nice to just be with my girl and be able to give her my undivided attention. I miss that.

There are days that I feel really annoyed. Don't get me wrong - I love being a mom. This is what I always wanted to do. And I LOVE my children! They are both so amazing and have blessed my life in so many ways! I'm so thankful for them and the unique little people that they are.

And they are so much work.

Some days I feel like I'm cleaning up a spill or a mess every five minutes. Some days I would just like the house to stay clean for 24 hours. Some days I don't want to change another poopy diaper. Some days I don't want to read that book for the 9th time. Some days I don't want to answer any more questions. Some days I don't want to teach my kids to be kind to each other. Some days I don't want to clean up the kitchen after lunch. Some days I don't want to wash clothes. Some days I don't want to be mature. Some days I lose my temper. Some days I'd like to run errands by myself. Some days I'd like to read a grown-up book from cover to cover.

Poor me, right? HOW SELFISH AM I?!?! Ugh!

And then I feel annoyed with myself for being such a brat. Why can't I just grow up? Why can't I just appreciate how good my life is and KNOCK OFF THE ATTITUDE? Why can't I just be the mom my kids deserve?

And now here we are preparing for another child to join our family. This is not a joke! She's coming. And I don't think the odds are good that I'm going to have my attitude entirely adjusted by May.

A little comparison

My babies at 18 months =)

Lily Elaine

22 pounds

32 inches tall

Taylor Andrew

29 pounds 9 ounces

34 1/2 inches tall

18 months

Our baby boy is eighteen months old. Where has this last year and a half gone?! It is just remarkable to me how much he has changed and what a little boy he is now. And he is ALL boy! He is already teaching me about the differences between raising girls and boys!

He has recently entered a "destructive" phase and I feel like every five minutes I'm cleaning up another mess or putting something out of reach or telling him no. And most of the time I don't think he does it to be naughty, but out of curiosity. "What'll happen if I throw this on the floor? What'll happen if I hurl this over the banister? What happens if I step off of here? What does this do? How far will this fly?"

His big sister was much more content to sit and play with toys or look at books, and while he does those things too, he's VERY busy.

He still drinks from a bottle. And I don't care. It's taken us *months* to switch him to milk. We've been gradually adding more milk to his formula and it's been such a process! At first he wouldn't touch the bottle if he tasted milk in it. And we're finally up to 75% milk/25% formula. Craziness! (But I've said this before, I'm not a big fan of milk myself and it doesn't bother me if my kids aren't big milk drinkers. Cow's milk is for cows.)

He really enjoys it when I vacuum. He gets out the toy vacuum and vacuums right along with me. It's really so precious. And then he cries when I turn the vacum off. His little heart is just broken!

He's a typical picky toddler eater, but he loves fruit. He regularly eats apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, peaches, kiwi, pears, pineapple and blueberries. He's not a fan of cantaloupe or watermelon, but hopefully those will "grow on him" this summer. =)

He adores his big sister. He follows her around and loves to do whatever she's doing. She loves him, too, and is really good at making him laugh if he's sad. (Precious!) They play really nicely together (most of the time) and then once in awhile they are each other's worst enemy! Taylor knows when he's pushing her buttons and he gets this mischievous little grin and giggles with delight when he makes her mad. What a stinker!

Taylor and I have had an incredible bond since he was born. He has always loved his momma and it has always been very mutual! But I can tell that he is gaining some independence and even though he still loves me, he is less of a momma's boy. While I'm thankful for his growth and development my heart breaks a little as I "lose" my baby.

He loves his daddy and Andy is so proud of his boy. They have a great relationship and do lots of wrestling and playing with balls.

Speaking of balls, as I've said before, they are Taylor's love language. He already has an incredible arm and you should see him shoot baskets! It's hard for me to believe that he won't be an athlete of some kind because it already just comes so naturally to him.

He loves books and likes being read to if it's a book that he's interested in.

At his 18 month check up he weighed in at 29 pounds 9 ounces and is 34 1/2 inches tall. When Lily was 18 months she weighed 22 pounds and was 32 inches tall. =)

Lily was much more articulate at his age, but he IS adding words to his vocabulary and he communicates in his own cute way. Some of his words include:
Doda (Dora)
Momo (Elmo)
football
basketball
uppy (pizza)
ollie (love you)
apple
apple (orange - yes, he says apple for both apples and oranges!!!) =)
dip (chip)
nana (banana)
Nandi (Mandi)
Mama (Grandma)
mine
off
choochie (cookie)
choo choo (train)
mo (markers
amen
chee (cheese)
book
beep beep
yay
whoa!
doo (dude)
achoo
ah-ee (sorry)
umee (excuse me)
no
fishy
moo (what a cow says)
moo (movie or tv)
baa
ruff ruff
meow
roar!
foo (food)
cha (chair)
boo (boots)
shoe

He loves to sit at the table and color with his big sister (he did not color that dog in the wagon! that was Lily's work from a long time ago)

Brushing his teeth!

Happy 18 month birthday, Baby!