operation: finish playroom

when we moved into our house just over a year ago, there were some things that just didn't match our style.   since that time, we've slowly been working on and checking off said items.   we've torn down lots of wallpaper, patched up spots on the walls, and have done our fair share of painting.   one of the items on our list was to address James' playroom. when we moved in, two of the four walls were painted neon orange (the other two were white, phew!)  with a Chicago Bears border on the top of the wall surrounding the room. it wasn't what we had envisioned for James' playroom, so fortunately, Michael and his parents got to work. they were busy. after everything was all said and done, the border was torn off, the walls were primed and painted in Antique White, new baseboard was installed, we added a chalkboard wall, and put in a new rug.   i couldn't do much to aid in the process since i was 7 months pregnant and painting is generally frowned upon; however, i did find a few projects (::cough::bunting::cough) to keep me busy.    the end result is better than i envisioned...and James was floored as well!    here's a look at his new and improved playroom:

we are slowly turning this house into our home. :)   

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my boy.

  and goodness, isn't that quote up above so true? i'm learning daily from him. this little boy has completely captured my heart. in fact, he did from the moment he was placed in my arms.   it really is an amazing feeling, isn't it? one minute, it's just you and your significant other... and the next minute, BAM! you've become a family of three.   how is it possible that in the blink of an eye, he went from such a tiny little nugget to a full blown toddler?

  it both baffles me and saddens me, but don't get me wrong!  i love the stage he is in now... starting to speak in sentences, singing his ABC's, counting to 20 (on a good day), praying with us, and ohhh that indenpendence.   "NO mama!" with the swat of his hand was a favorite  until the hubs and I quickly nipped that one.
"how about we say 'no thank you', instead?  ...and we don't hit. hitting isn't nice."   he has to try his hand at anything and everything, and i love that about him. he's a go-getter like his father. putting on socks, feeding the cat, helping empty the dishwasher, putting on his hat and jacket, buckling any buckle (carseat, booster seat, etc). he is a little sponge,  learning how to live and function in this crazy world. 
james-y, if and when you read this, i want you to know that your mama and daddy love you oh SO very much. you brighten our day. we pray for you. we give thanks for you. we look forward to each new day with you.   ...and now i leave you with this video from yesterday. j can't wait to play with the "big guys".  

 

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praying parent.

please ignore the awful picture quality...

as I sit and type this,  a certain little boy is upstairs for an unplanned morning nap.  

this age, 19 months old, has been both exhausting and wonderful.

 

he is full of words and full of songs.

he is into sports, dancing, and music.

...and oh so independent.

when James was itty bitty, I purchased 

The Power of a Praying Parent Book of Prayers by Stormie Omartian.

The first few lines of the introduction sold me:

"I don't know how to be the perfect parent for my children," I said to God in desperation one day.

"I need You to help me raise them."

God responded by impressing on my heart the following words: If you are not covering your children in prayer every day, you are leaving their lives to chance."

 

woah.

WAKE UP CALL.

leaving their lives to chance?

no. thank. you.

 

with each new day, I'm realizing just how important and crucial parenting is.

it is Michael and I's job to pray for him, guide him, love him, teach him, discipline him, praise him, keep him safe, provide a loving and nurturing environment, allow him to play and explore...

the list goes on and on and on.

i'm no expert, but I do know this-

parenting isn't an easy job, especially if it's done right.

there are many nights where I lay my head on the pillow and think, 

"Should I have done that differently today? Did I say the right thing? Did I discipline in the right way? Did I show him I love him enough?"

there will always be questions.

there will always be doubts.

...but I believe Stormie says it best, 

"I learned that I didn't have to be a perfect parent; I just had to be a praying parent."

oh, what great comfort I find in being a praying parent.

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dance party.

lately, J has been dancing his way through life. he loves music and he loves to dance, so we typically have an afternoon dance party before dad comes home from work.  lucky for us, Michael had a snow day yesterday,  which meant he was able to partake in our dance party.

oh, and don't you enjoy his dancing shoes? {the name he has so lovingly given his black dress shoes}.

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little green pouch.

when J first started eating solids, Michael and I made his food.

did it take a lot of time? yes.  was it worth it? yes.
but then, for convenience sake, I started buying those wonderful puree pouches  that have popped up in baby food isles everywhere. not only was it super easy to use (unscrew the cap, hand to J), but it had a combination of fruits and vegetables... veggies he'd normally turn his head at.
the only problem? the cost (and the waste).
cue the Little Green Pouch. 

  these pouches have been a lifesaver around these parts.

here are a few reasons why I love them so:

+ they hold more than the regular puree pouch 

(6ish ounches, compared to 4ish ounces)

+ in the long run, they will save us money

+ we won't be dumping multiple empty pouches in the trash week after week

+ they were created by two moms

+ a little superficial, but I like the way they look

(green is my favorite color, after all)

+ they're super easy to fill and wash

(to wash, simply unscrew the cap, open up the zipper, rinse out the bag, and place it on the top shelf.)

+ they are dishwasher AND freezer safe

+ they aren't just for kids! adults can use these too!

+ they are easy to grab and go

I was curious to see J's reaction when I handed him the LGP for the first time.

 he gave it a once over and cautiously tested the pouch (he knew exactly how to use it).

it came as no surprise that he quickly guzzled the pouch 

until there was nothing left.
hooray for sneaking in some butternut squash masked with appleasauce!

so my point in all of this? go get yourself a pack (or three) of pouches. it's more than worth it! [thank you, Little Green Pouch, for sending us a complimentary box! please note, I'm not getting paid for this and all opinions are honest and my own.] 

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funny the way it is.

 this is a regular sight around our house:

(the ball in hand, not the fact that he's sans pants.)

the boy always has at least one ball in hand,

but sometimes two...or even three.

every day in our house consists of: 

throwing the ball,

playing catch,

 dribbling the ball,

shooting hoops,

rolling the ball...

the list goes on and on.

to be honest with you, I always envisioned myself with a girl.

styling her hair,

picking out a large bow to match her frilly outfit,

playing with dolls,

having her help around the house,

painting fingernails...

when James arrived 

and I heard those three life-changing words from my husband:

"IT'S A BOY!!!"

I was ecstatic...

and then terrified.

I quietly thought to myself, "What do I do with a boy!?"

I grew up with two sisters.

I didn't know how to make all of those boy sounds,

I didn't know how to throw a football (well),

I didn't know how to play cars or trains...

this was a whole new ballgame.

I can safely say, 18 and a half months into this gig as a mom,

that this little person has been 

the biggest blessing and gift of my life.

I thank God for James multiple times a day.

I thank God for knitting him so perfectly in my womb.

I thank God for his sweet demeanor.

I thank God for his good health.

I thank God for his exuberant personality.

I thank God for his passion and love of sports.

oh, and guess what?

a certain someone loves to help me out around the house.

doing the dishes,

sweeping the floor,

throwing things away,

and laundry.

God knew what He was doing when He gave us you.

oh sweet boy, how I love you.

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music.

  Before I begin, let me start by saying this:  I don't listen to vulger, inappropriate music  with a constant stream of foul language. That's not ever been my thing. But, do I listen to an occasional song with a cuss word? Yes.  (Darn Mumford & Sons, with intense passion in their music!)   Ok, so it's no secret that I love music. Always have, always will. The right music moves my soul. It's my most favorite form of worship.   So I had this big revelation the other day  while J and I were driving to the grocery store. I turned on my trusty iPod and we were off. (probably listening to Mumford & Son's newest album, Babel) It hit me at that moment that what I'm listening to  is also what J man is listening to. I know, you're probably thinking "duh, and you're just now realizing this?" ...and to that I say, yes. In a sense, I am. I mean, he hears the words being sung, and although he may not understand the artist's message right this very moment, it won't be long before he will. It won't be long before he begins to repeat the lyrics being heard.  After all, they're already being ingrained in his constantly developing and evolving little brain.
I realized right then and there the importance of the music  that I do choose to listen to.   Insert Rain for Roots. After doing some searching via the trusty internet, I found this album.     I like it for several reasons: 1) the music is folk-y (yes, I believe I made that word up) who doesn't love a little folk music in their life? I know I do 2) their motto is: "Big stories for little ones" that right there sealed the deal for me 3) their music isn't cheesy and the messages are powerful 4) the tunes are relaxing, yet catchy -- hopefully catchy enough to stick in the heart and mind of my boy   Will I still continue to listen to the songs that are on my iPod? Yes.
But I'm excited to have this album on hand to play for J when we're riding around in the car together.   Listening to great music while learning about a God who  loves us and wants the best for us? It's a win-win, really.

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sick and helpless.

It was bound to happen... James came down with his first significant illness this past weekend, and it. was. heartbreaking.   Not to mention, we were at Michael's parent's house and approximately half the house had, or was recovering from, "the bug". (I keep telling myself this will make for one extra memorable Christmas celebration!)   I knew something was going on when he woke up Sunday and became extremely irritable immediately following breakfast. That just isn't like him. I mean, the boy's a full blown morning person. (Where did he get that?! Certainly not from me!)   I decided it best to put him down for an impromptu nap, then heard him rustling around about an hour later. When I went up to get him, he was blazing hot and even more irritable. **insert one panic-stricken mama here**   The rest of the day went mostly like this: + cuddle and snuggle a very lethargic, wimpering boy + give some "yummy juice" a.k.a. infant Tylenol + continue snuggling/catch a few minutes of zzz's + let him spend some time in the bath (this is when he was most like himself!) + drink some water and eat some applesauce & crackers ...and repeat all over again two or three more times.   It has been especially hard on me because for the past week or so, J man has favored his "dah-eeee" (daddy) over me. (Don't get me wrong...I love that J is so fond of his daddy) It devastates me that I can't be the one to console him or offer him a source of comfort...ever, right now. Instead, he cries, wriggles, and squirms to free from my grasp and into the arms of his daddy. I've never felt so unneeded and quite frankly, I am not a fan of this new found stage.   Do you suppose that is how the Lord feels when we wriggle and squirm free from His grasp and into the arms of something or someone else?  Something to think about...   Anyway, now that it has run its course, I'm hoping we don't have to come face to face with Mr. Flu Bug for a long, long, long time.   In the grand scheme of things, I should just be thankful that no vomitting was involved.   ...and hopefully, I'll be in good graces with my sweet boy sooner rather than later. Pin It Now!

he can toot his own horn {or whistle}.

  during football season, daddy taught his son how to blow the whistle... now J likes to get the whistle out of the basket in the kitchen and pretend like he's the head honcho.   give him a few more years, and I think he'll be ready.   what do you think?   

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dear james >> all boy.

Dear James,
where do i even begin?
you are 17 months old now (what?!) and more active and talkative than ever. life with you is so fun these days, but boy oh boy, you wear this mama out!
you are now on just one nap a day, you are so close to being able to run, and you pretty much say anything we tell you to say.
my favorite is when you ask for "la-kook" in the morning.
that would be "yogurt" in James terms.
it's so sweet...i'll be sad when that pronunciation goes away.
you also enjoy watching "the (fruit, alphabet, farm animal, number) train" and "Gangnam Style" on youtube.

see those two pictures above? yeah, you have your nook in both pictures.
oops.
there's good reason though (at least i keep telling myself that..)
about two months ago, we cut out the nook cold turkey and you did really well. never really protested, so i was excited!
but then...
those blasted molars decided to poke through your poor baby gums.
you weren't happy about that (rightfully so!), so instead of constantly filling your little body with medication, i decided the nook would be a much better alternative.
ohhh, and it was. when the nook was in, you were happy!
well, about a week ago (now that all four molars have graced us with their presence) i was ready to try and go cold turkey again when i noticed...
your "vampire teeth" (what are those teeth actually called? canine teeth? fangs? eye teeth?) were ready to pop through at any moment.
so you still sport your nook throughout the day.
enjoy it while you can, mister, because it's going away after those suckers pop through! :)

and then there's bedtime...
before i get into bed each night, i absolutely have to sneak into your room and peek in on you sleeping. well, two nights ago when i went in, you started to stir and then you sat right up (weary eyed, no less) in your crib with your arms reached out towards me. i gently lifted you out of your crib, sat down with you in the big, cozy chair, and began to rock. you immediately laid your head down on my shoulder and drifted off to dreamland again. i sat there probably longer than i needed to, but my heart was full and i didn't want that moment to end. i closed my eyes and began to thank God for choosing me to be your mama. believe me when i say this, james, i don't take my job lightly. i keep reminding myself that it's SO important to soak in these sweet moments with you. i won't be able to rock you to sleep forever. you won't always randomly shout, "mama! mama! mama!" when you want me near. you won't always be my little shadow, trailing behind me, each step of the way. someday (in the far distant future), you will spread your wings and experience this big world. but you know what, little man? i will always carry these sweet memories in my heart.

whew, before i become too emotional, i will leave you with this...

"i'll love you forever, i'll like you for always, as long as i'm living, my baby you'll be"

embracing the camera and linking up over here

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my boy.

Dear JFK (yes, those really are your initials...),

Apparently, I enjoy wearing zip up hoodies and dressing you in stripes.  Hey, what can I say...I'm a creature of habit.  
You'll learn that soon enough.
 
I love you.

I look forward to each new day with you and your daddy.
You entertain us, so.

You know so many words these days and are quite chatty 
(you can thank your daddy for that.)
You have the sweetest demeanor.
When we're out in public, people are attracted to you.
To your smile, when you let out a special wink, and especially when you blow kisses...
 
Things have been a bit tight financially around here, but you remind us to not worry. 
To live life in the moment.
To trust God.

Our house sale should be finalized soon.
When that beautiful day comes, we will celebrate as a family.

...and we will have a stronger faith and trust in God than ever before.

It's a win-win, really.

I'm so thankful that God blessed us with you. 

I love (and even that's an understatement) being your mommy. 

    
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