Day 4- Comparison

Yikes, I'm trying here. So yesterday I intended to blog after the kids got in bed but I was EXHAUSTED and had a terrible sinus headache so yeah, it didn't happen. And while it makes me cringe, I'm telling myself it is ok. GRACE!

So yeah, I started back to M.O.M.S (Making Our Mothering Significant)yesterday, and it was wonderful and so needed. Just to hear several Godly women speak and to sing some worship songs did my heart good. I had some anxiety about going, just because of Hadley's history of staying with anyone but me. :) Usually it is a lot of screaming but I prayed and prayed that she would stay and feel safe and secure and she did it! I was so proud of her!

One of the things that just really stuck out to me yesterday at MOMS that I have always struggled with and still do is comparison. The speaker described it as looking over other people's fences. I am always comparing myself to women I see as amazing moms, amazing wives, people who have kids who are always well behaved, people who just seem to have it all together, and the list could go on and on. I have always been hard on myself and all of this comparing only makes things worse.

I have seen the quote: "Comparison is the thief of joy" over and over on blogs, Facebook and Instagram here lately, and it is like God is knocking me upside the head with it. But, how true is that?! When we compare we become blind to the things we do have. We all struggle in some way or another, some more and some less, but when we compare ourselves or even our possessions it takes away from what we DO have. I will admit I have been having a hard time in finding joy in my life lately. I have been feeling overwhelmed and tired and just "not with it". I have a wonderful husband and wonderful kids and yet there are days when I miss the joy in them. The sad truth is that I spend so much time comparing that sometimes I miss IT.

Facebook and Instagram are wonderful things, and I love them (probably too much!) but I think a big reason and cause of all this comparison is social media. People post pictures of their cute kids, and families, and they write statuses about wonderful family outings and how their husbands do all these wonderful and romantic things for them. These are great, I mean I absolutely do this too and there is nothing wrong with it, but it paints a "false" picture. I think it just plays on our insecurities. I start thinking about how much better so and so has it, how cute and stylish they are or how lucky they are to have this or that. Ugly, ugly, ugly!

I saw a quote from the preacher of Elevation Church in Charlotte Steve Furtick where he said “One of the reasons we struggle with insecurity is because we are comparing our behind-the-scenes with others highlight reels.” Isn't this so true! Nobody is going to post about all the fights they have with their husband, or a video of them losing their patience with their kids and yelling at them. We just don't do that, and we shouldn't! But, we also shouldn't be comparing ourselves with all of our Facebook friends' statuses either. I'm working on this and I am a slow work in progress, but a work nonetheless. :)

So here I go with my really cute picture of my "perfect" family. :)

And here is one I didn't post. Two kids crying and one mad as a hornet. :)

Day 2 "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful"

So here I am "doing it" and can I say only 2 days into this and I feel myself just wanting to retreat and say never mind. I have been reading other friends' posts and then of course the blogs I usually read as well and to be completely honest I just feel inadequate. I went back to The Nester to find some blogs to look at and I noticed for the first time her tag line: "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful". So true and I so believe that for everybody else, it is just tough for me to allow that for myself.

My whole purpose in doing this is just to "revive" my blog, not to necessarily delve into anything terribly deep or serious, and I need to just let myself be ok with that. This was a very last minute, (read last night around 10:00pm) that I decided to do this whole thing. There was/is no plan and that is where this is a challenge for me.

Pinterest snag, but you can get a free printable of this HERE. Think I just might get this printed and post it somewhere in my house. :)

31 Days of "Just Doing It"

So I have been a terrible blogger but have continued to read blogs and everybody seems to be doing The Nester's 31 Days so I figured what better time to jump back into blogging. In a weird way I kind of hope nobody reads this, I feel inadequate and so 2011 in this big blog world, but I honestly just want this space to be a journal for me and my family and really want to jump back in. I've read so many things about the mom being the memory keeper of the family and am sad to say I have been failing miserably at being the memory keeper. I'm hoping if I can stick with this 31 days it will be a jump start to me keeping up with my blog.

So why 31 days of "just doing it"? I have a terrible problem where I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I want to do things a certain way, and if I can't do something to the exact way that I think it should be then I would rather just not do it. I'm a black and white, all or nothing person. This is in all areas of my life including blogging, which is why I haven't kept up with it. I don't want to live this way anymore and really want to give myself enough grace to realize it doesn't have to be all or nothing. That God doesn't expect perfection from me and neither should I.

I'm hoping this 31 days is a spring board of change for myself to realize that I just need to do and be the best I can, and that doesn't mean being perfect at everything I do. During this 31 days I hope to revive/update my blog and to explore things that I haven't done because I'm "scared" of it not being 100%.

I'm Baaack!

So....it has obviously been awhile since I have blogged. Over a year to be exact and what a year it has been.  I guess the biggest change has been the new addition to our family, our sweet girl, Hadley Caroline. :)  It is so bizarre to me how much has changed since the last time I wrote here.  I got caught up reading old posts tonight and realized how badly I hate that I didnt' continue blogging so that I could go back and read what we have been doing and how my kids have grown and changed.  I am making a commitment to blog at least once a week to try and keep up with our lives.  That sounds doable, right? I do have 3 kids 3 and under though, which makes seemingly doable things a little difficult at times.   So this is my jump back into blogging about our little family, hopefully it won't be a year before I make my next post. :) Here is a picture of our precious girl, who will be 3 months old in 3 days!

What is a Mother....

For those of you who were expecting another great post from Brittany, I'm sorry to disappoint you.  This is Jason, the husband to the wonderful woman who is usually posting on here.  A mother is so many things I don't know if I can even begin to describe one.  Brittany never ceases to amaze me when it comes to raising our two boys.  She is completely devoted to them and gives all of her heart to them every day.  I wanted Brittany to know how special she is to all of us and how irreplaceable she is to Caden and Mason.  I also want Caden and Mason to look back at this one day to remind them just how awesome their mom is.

What is a Mother....

A mother is someone who unselfishly gives themselves to their kids 24/7 and only asks for a smile and hug every now and then.

 A mother is someone who, if you ask nicely and give your cutest face, cannot say no when you want to eat most of your Easter candy in one sitting.

A mother is someone who will let you play outside in your underwear and cowboy boots if you want to, and she will love you just as much 20 years from now if you still decide to do so.

A mother is someone who wants you to take risks and try new things, win or fail, and she'll always be right behind you the whole way.

A mother is someone who gives the best hugs in the world and can make you feel safe and secure with a single touch.

A mother is someone who puts together the best Easter baskets and puts an enormous amount of care into something that their kids will tear through in a matter of minutes.

A mother is someone who loves their kids unconditionally and will always put them before herself (which is why I believe it's the dad's job to put their wife before him).

A mother is someone who will take their kids to Tweetsie Railroad for the day just to see them smile when they see and hear the train for the first time (or in Mason's case, stick his lip out and cry when the horn blows).

A mother is someone who can make a simple game like moving ice from the water in one bowl and putting it in another seem like the best thing since overnight diapers.

A mother is someone who instinctly knows exactly what to do as soon as their kids enter the world, and it's a good thing because I don't like their chances if it were up to the Dads. 

A mother is someone who can still hold it together when they feel like the weight of the world is strapped to their back.  (In this case, the weight is Mason)

A mother is someone who seldom receives the thanks and appreciation they deserve, yet they keep on keeping on and never stop being the most important person in their child's life. 

So to Brittany, my mom, my sister, my mother-in-law, and all the moms who read this, not a day goes by that I don't appreciate everything you do for your kids and family.  You're the bindings that holds your family together and keeps them strong through good times and bad.  Even though we may not show it or express it as much as we should, you are loved and treasured more than you know.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Easter

Yes I realize I'm a little late on the Easter train, but nevertheless here it is. :) 

Caden's school had an Easter Egg hunt on the Wednesday before so Jason and I went to watch the madness.  This was Caden's first real Easter egg hunt so I was interested how it would go and if he would get the concept.  Well lets just say he was an Easter egg hunting machine. :)  He was on a mission and wouldn't even look up for a picture...other kids would put an egg or two in their basket and then get distracted, not Caden.  I ended up making him share some of his eggs with other kids who did not get as many.  Here are a few pictures. 

Cutie Pie. :)

A feeble attempt at a picture...he was having none of it.

Showing Ms. Elise all his eggs. :) He was so excited.

When we got home Mason decided to raid Caden's eggs. HA!  Caden was having none of it.

Nothing like a chocolate goatee.

I'll do an Easter part II post shortly since there are so many pics. :)

Mason is 9 Months Old!

Mase Mase is 9 months old!  He weighs 21 pounds 11 ounces and is 29 inches long.  Our little peanut is what I call him. :) He seems so small to us but apparently he really isn't. ;)  This is seriously the most fun age to me.   He is still the happiest baby, smiling and laughing all the time, and he has the cutest little personality. Even Dr. Spees said he's a little character and he certainly is. 

The clingyness (is that a word?) has gotten so much better in these past couple of weeks and is such a relief to me!  Don't get me wrong, he still is pretty stuck on me, but I can't actually sit him down for a little while and he is ok.  YAY!

He said his first "real" word this month. "Uh-oh".  I say real word because he actually uses it in context.  He will purposely drop something and say Uh-oh.  It's pretty cute. ;)  He also says "No-No" and shakes his head no at the same time.  I need to get this on camera because he looks hilarious when he does it.  Think Stevie Wonder. HA!   Of course he still babbles all sorts of things and we're beginning to think he knows who DaDa is because he will say it when Jason walks in the room.  He also does this growl thing that is hilarious. 

As far as walking goes, I think he is on the verge of taking his first steps.  It depends on how brave he gets, he's a little bit of a chicken. ;)  Of course I said that about crawling too and he proved me wrong.  He is a pro at his wounded soldier crawl and he is FAST! He can sit himself up very easily now too.  He will dance whenever he hears music, its this little squatting move and sometimes when he really gets into it he shakes his head too. It's hilarious.   He cruises everywhere and makes his way around the room making his way with furniture.  He also walks around the house with his little push walker.  He's on the move that is for sure.

He has also started waving bye-bye and saying it at the same time.  It is super cute!  He has also mastered feeding himself small finger foods like puffs and cheerios.  He's got that pincher grasp down!  He's still a great sleeper and eater.  He will eat pretty much anything.  He still doesn't have any teeth...which I'm VERY happy about since he is still nursing.

Favorite toys are any kind of ball, car, or train.  BOY BOY BOY! haha They start so young.  He also LOVES paper and will eat it the first chance he gets.  He is obsessed with my keys, the remote, the computer mouse and any kind of necklace.  Basically anything that is not a toy is his favorite thing to play with. 

I can't believe it is 3 months until he is 1.  I guess I need to get on the birthday planning train. :) This little boy has blessed our lives even more than we could have ever imagined.

Wordless Wednesday

Anatomy of a Fall:

**Disclaimer: No toddlers were injured in this demonstration.  You can see in the last picture he is smiling.  He landed just right to not hurt himself and he got up laughing. :)

Pamela's Baby Shower

I'm determined to catch up with some important things that I've missed blogging about.  One big thing I missed was my Bff4l's baby shower (translation for all of you that haven't taught middle school: Best Friend For Life).   My mom, our friend Rebekah, and myself hosted a "Cookies & Milk" baby shower for Pamela on March 6.  It was so much fun and we had a great turn-out despite the monsoon like weather we experienced that day. 

The hostesses with the cute mommy. :)

Some details of the party. :)

The delicious cookie table! :)

The glass of choice for the day: Mason jars with the most adorable purple striped straws. :)

The drink of choice to go in the Mason jars: all kinds of milk; chocolate, strawberry and white.

Another view of the table.

More cute little details.  The little bags were the favors for guests to take cookies home with them.

Sweet little girl clothes. :)

She got so many cute things, and isn't she the cutest pregnant lady ever?!

We had so much fun and I am so thankful that I get to share in this experience with my closest friend.  Baby Kylie will be here anyday and I can not wait to meet her!  I love you P! 

Mason is 8 Months Old!

Oh my sweet Mason.  You are 8 months old and I can hardly believe it.  You still have the sweetest little personality and do the cutest things.  To say you are attached to me would be a HUGE understatement.  If I'm in the room, I better be holding you or else you are not happy.  Needless to say I don't get much done these days. :)

You started getting up on all fours and rocking last month so I just KNEW you would be crawling soon.  But you had other plans little man. :)  You figured out you could get where you wanted by dragging/army crawling yourself.  It takes you a little while but you get where you want to go.  I call it the wounded soldier crawl b/c that is exactly what you look like when you do it. ;)  You can also get yourself into a sitting position from all fours.  You are not still a single second of the day. :)

Another big milestone you have accomplished this month is pulling yourself to stand.  I put you in your crib for a second while I was doing something and I came back into the room and there you stood.  It was quite a shock! :)  You have also started to cruise slowly around furniture and your toys.  You seem way too small to be doing these things. ;)

You "talk" all the time and are rarely quite. :)  "Da Da" is your word of choice, but you also finally say "Ma Ma" too.  "Ba Ba", "Na Na", "Ya Ya" are also some favorites. :)  You also mimic many sounds, especially ones that you hear Caden make. When he cries/screams you mimic him and it always makes me laugh.  You are definitely a silly little boy. 

You love to play pat-a-cake and "ride-a-horsey".  You also LOVE to be upside down.  Your favorite things to play with are your little Laugh and Learn table, your walker wagon toy and your giraffe toy.  You watched me put the ball down the ramp on your giraffe once and then you started doing it like it was no big deal.  Now as soon as you sit down at it you start putting whatever you can find on it.  It's the cutest thing. :) 

You still love to look in mirrors and you also still look at your brother like he hung the moon.  It really is the cutest thing.  If he is near you, you try to grab him and you will just look at him and laugh.  You will do anything to try and get his attention. :)

You weigh around 21 pounds but you seem so little to me still.  Like way smaller than Caden was at your age.  You still seem like such a little baby to me, and I LOVE it.  You wear size 3 diapers and 6-12 and 12-18 month clothes, depending on where they are from. 

You nurse every 3-4 hours during the day and you eat oatmeal and a fruit in the morning and a vegetable in the evening.  You like pretty much any fruit and you are warming up to green vegetables, you love sweet potatoes and squash.  You are a great sleeper these days and go to bed around 7 and sleep until 7.  During the day you usually take 3 naps, depending on how long you sleep for each one. 

You had several "firsts" this month.  You went to the park for the first time, had your first ride in a swing (you LOVED it!), stayed in the church nursery for the first time, had puffs and Mum Mums.  You are getting too big. :)

We are so proud to call you our son and I feel so blessed to be your mommy.  I love you sweet boy. :)