You're Not Going to Believe This

I don't want to jinks myself, but here goes. Mia loves her thumb. She has since the day she was born. I think it is so precious to see her find comfort in something so simple. Yet, I don't want her to be like me and suck her thumb in the third grade! Plus, I thunked:), "If she quits sucking her thumb, she will quit twisting her hair!" So, I bought some of that horrible stuff you paint on the thumb. I played it up with a whole manicure and pedicure. Sparkling polish of course. I told her that this "polish" was a top coat. I caked it on.
The first round didn't really phase her. So that night I "touched up" her manicure. We tucked her in bed and began to say our prayers. In goes Mr. Thumb. REACTION. "Mom. I need wash hands. I have poop on my hands!" This continued on for sometime. She cried herself to sleep.
It really was heartbreaking.
But,I haven't been putting the polish on her and she has not sucked her thumb now for two days, or twisted her hair.
I even stayed with her last night until she fell asleep to see if she would put it in, but she didn't. I didn't even have to tell her not to.
It seems so strange to see her trying to go to sleep now. She looks so old.
I am sure this is not all over yet, but I am SO thankful to the Lord for giving her grace to quit.

8 months

This post is mainly so I can remember this stuff for when I finally get Jack a baby book!

Jack's Developmental Milestones 8 months

• Sits really well now(both my kids seem late on this)
• doing the breast-stroke/inchworm/frogger to get from here to there
• 2, almost 3, teeth
• says, "DA-DA"
• Shakes his head from side to side
• can pick up his food and get it in his mouth
• starting to pull up on things
• cries when Momma leaves the room
• fake coughs
• sometimes holds a sippy
• will take a step when hands are held

I am sure that I am forgetting something.

HOLLA!

garage sale. my house. september 13. 8-whenever. going to be fab. just so you know!

A Sad Wife

So, it is weird, but I can picture Heath and I living the rest of our lives the way we were when we met in HS. Just two kids, in love, acting silly, the way kids do. Even though we have two kids now, we are just as, if not more, goofy as the day we met. But it is slowly starting to set in that Heath is growing up and is going to be a professional, and serious, and have such a scheduled life. Like, OMG-(Garsh), my husband wears a tie every day of the week. Heath is on call tonight, for the second time this week, which means he left for the hospital at 7:30 this morning and won't come home again until he is done with rounds sometime tomorrow afternoon. :( Don't get me wrong, it is going to be great and worth it, and we all knew the day would come when we would have to leave Never, Neverland, but it is so sad.

Question?

Does anyone have shovel I can borrow? I need it to shovel the air into my lungs today!

Bikes and Apples and Teeth

We bought Mia a bike this weekend. She learned to ride on Matt's little bike and I could not believe that she could actually ride it. But, she loves it. All week she has asked to ride it first thing in the morning. Actually (side-note), this morning, she asked to go to the Apple Barn. Apples are here. The Apple Barn in Chatham picked their first bunches of Gala Apples today. Be sure to go there and get some next time you are around. Anyway, back to the bike, we would have waited until Christmas or her birthday to get her such a big gift, but then she would have to wait months before she could ride it. So, we're not just trying to spoil her. That is the bad thing about winter B-days. Next year, my kids are having 1/2 b-day parties, so don't think I'm weird when you get party invites in June and July. NJ



Jack is getting another tooth already. This kid has got to slow down with the teeth, take a couple days break. I can't have my boy being addicted to Tylenol and Baby-Orajel.

Jack's New Trick

I knew before Jack was born that he was going to be an active boy. He constantly moved in the womb. Sometimes, I could literally hear him move, seriously! Well, Jack learned a new trick today. We were sitting in the LR, Jack was crawling around as usual, he just never stops moving! He had inched his way into the kitchen, when all the sudden, we hear the screen door. I went to go see what he was doing, only to find that he had opened the door and went outside to play!

HMMM?

Well, I guess I should shave today. I was painting Mia's toes in her favorite shade of pink. Meanwhile, Mia was rubbing my legs. I heard her say, "That's disgusting." I said, "What is?" She just pointed to my legs.

It's Raining. It's Pouring.

We went on a walk tonight after dinner. It was so gorgeous outside. The kids were snug in the stroller, both sucking their thumbs, both holding on to their blankies. Jack actually feel asleep. THEN, then, it began to POUR. Luckily we were just a hundred and a half meter dash away from my Uncle Mark's house and his garage was open. We slipped into the garage, but Heath said don't knock or anything because the rain was going to pass soon and he didn't want to get the kids out of the stroller. Next thing you know, Heath is looking around the corner of the garage to see if he can see anyone inside, and my 4 year year old cousin was coming out the door. She saw him, shut the door, and ran. Then, a second later, Anette opens the door the the garage. OK, so what would you do if you walked out into your garage and there were people standing there in the dark? I am pretty sure that we scared the BG's out of them. I felt so silly. And it ended up raining for so long that we had to get a ride home.

Thanks, Roger

We took an Amish buggy ride at my Dad's this weekend. It was really simple and relaxing. You can totally tell that my Dad has lived in the country his whole life because he acknowledged and engaged in conversation w/ EVERYONE we passed on the way. Funny. Mia loved it because the horse kept passing gas the whole time. I was just praying that Roger the horse wasn't going to die pulling all of us. When we got back to my the house Mia was chasing baby chicks and got attacked by a hen and then got electrocuted on the horse pen. What an experience.

Getting Big

Jack has two new teeth. It's about time!

Illinios State Fair

Well, we went to the fair Friday night. It was a wonderful cool evening. Last year when we went, it was like experiencing what fire and brimstone would feel like. But, we went with the Yench Fam and had a great time. We saw all the animals, which we usually wait to long to go and they are already gone. Mia and I rode the Ferris Wheel. She loved it, but she kept saying, "This is terrible, Mom!" We ate way too much food, Vinegar fries, turkey legs, Philly cheese steaks, Lemon shake-ups, elephant ears, more fries.... O, how I love fair food. Mia had a pony ride, we watched fireworks, and then we realized, "O My Garsh, we have our kids at the fair, and it is eleven O'clock!" WT

What is your all time favorite fair food?

Vinegar fries, hands down!

Oink!

Sorry, Katie. I had to show everyone the best fries in the world.

Little scared of the fireworks.

"When are my Mom and Dad taking me home?"

Buttons and Splenda

Whitney came over to watch the kids while Heath and I went to go get glasses. She brought over her pet bunny, Buttons. She was so funny. She is potty trained and very friendly. When Mia finished giving her some puffs, Buttons chased her around the pillow wanting more.

She kept coming up to Mia and schnuggying.
After Whitney and Buttons went home, We found that Mia's baby doll now has to live without a thumb and one finger!

I told you this girl was the silliest in all the world. I kept hearing glass clank together in the kitchen. When I came in the room, she had just finished eating Splenda from the sugar bowl.

Favorite Places

Do your children have a spot in your home that they like the most? Jackson has found his favorite place is the front door. I like to leave it open all day because I enjoy the natural light. Heath says I'm wasting cold air! Anyway, several times a day, Jack makes his way over to watch my flowers and the cars driving by. So cute. When we lived in Carbondale, Mia loved to get into the space between the fridge and Heath's desk.

Sugar on the Brain

We finally purchased a waterproof matress pad for Mia's bed. She has had dry pull-ups for quite a while now, but I have just been hesitant to let her wear undies to bed. Well, last night was her first night she didn't wear a pull-up. I was anxious to see this morning if her sheets would be dry, so a little past 8 tip-toed in her room to check on her. She was still asleep, but she had a little smile on her face. I just sat and watched her and she woke up a minute later. She was a happy girl, a dry happy girl. When I asked her what she was dreaming about, she said, "I-ceam pones!"

Vanilla Wafers

I still have been having a hard time getting Jack to take any form of milk. So, what I have found is, if I get him up to feed him before I go to bed, he eats great. He usually doesn't even open his eyes. Well, last night I fed him and he was wide awake. So, I took him in his room and just stood and cradled him in my arms. He smiled at me for minutes and slowly began to shut his eyes for long periods of time. Then he'd open them again, smile and nod off. I just cried and cried. I want to cry right now just thinking about it. And to top it off, his breath smelled so sweet, like vanilla wafers! Oh, how I just long for moments like that. I wish they came more often. What a gift. My soul is so blessed.

"Cha-cha-cha"

Heath loves to tell the story of taking our nephew (he shall go un-named) to MCD"s. I'm sure you all have heard it. Well, tonight, after a long day, we took the family to Micky D's for sundaes and parfaits. We sat in the Playland to enjoy our ice cream and watch Mia climb up the jungle gym. As she starred down at us through the window, Heath said, "She hasn't been to the bathroom for a long time." NJ, just then, we saw her look down. Two little girls were climbing up to her and just as they were about to climb in the tunnel, they paused. They turned and went the other way. Then, a man and his kids went up. I hear him say, "Honey, I just stepped in some pee!" We were mor-ti-fied! Then another man says, " Is there pee in there? Who did it?" I see little fingers pointing out of the tunnel down to our precious little girl, who had a big grin on her face. So, needless to say, Mia's play time was cut short, and once again, Heath was cleaning up waste. Not a Happy camper. I think, "Hey, at least it wasn't diarrhea!"

Love

"We schnuggy, we schnuggy, we schnuggy!"

As our kids are growing, I think we are growing more and more in love with them everyday. I can't even describe it. But, sometimes, when I just look at them, I feel such deep love. It, honestly, chokes me. Joy unspeakable.

How awesome God's love for us must be.
"Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; And your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered." Psalm 40.5