I'm a different mom this time.

I know people always say that when you have kids far apart, you change the way you parent, but I never thought I'd be one of those parents.  We were deliberate about everything we did with the kids.  Every decision we made, we thought about carefully before we made it.  Why would we do anything differently?  But I can't forget all the things I've learned and stories I've heard since the girls were little.  I can't forget about my friend telling me about the babies in Ethiopia that don't cry because no one ever comes.  I can't forget about the many friends that I have that have lost precious babies before they ever got to meet them.  I can't forget how fast this time goes by.  How quickly my girls have become young ladies.  So when Baby Bubba is crying, I will pick him up.  When he wakes up in the middle of the night (even though he should be fine),  I will go feed him, rock him, or just snuggle him.  Later, I'll read him that book for the tenth time today and play monster trucks or dinosaurs for a little longer.  Because I can't forget.

Things I NEVER Want to Forget

I wish I could put all of these things in one post, but I can't think of them all at once, so I am going to start a series of things about the kids that I hope I never forget.

Baby Bubba:
The way he reaches for my face and grabs hold like he never wants to let go.
The way it takes all of his concentration to hold onto a small object and move it from hand to hand.
The feeling I get when he's fussing and I'm the only one that can make him smile:)
The way he nuzzles my shoulder when he's so tired but won't go to sleep.

Sissy: 
The way she hugs me so tight in the morning before school and in the afternoon afterward like she truly missed me while she was gone all day.  If you've never gotten to be on the receiving end of one of her hugs, she gives the best bear hugs ever!

Precious: 
The way she sees the good in people no matter what.  She loves people that have hurt her with all the love that she did before they hurt her.  I could take a lesson from that.

Sewing Project

Here is what I spent part of my day doing today.  I saw this on Pinterest and thought, "I can make that."  One of my friends makes a wrap similar to the Moby that I have and LOVE, but sometimes when I'm just running in to a store to grab a few things it takes too long to get on.  This, I can simply put over my head and slip Baby Bubba in and go.  I already used it once and it worked really well.

First Day of School

10 Years Scares Me

This month my husband and I celebrated 10 years of marriage.  I wish this was going to be a mushy post where I say how much I love him and how wonderful marriage is.  I do love him very much and marriage is wonderful, but this post is not about that.  I know I should be whole-heartedly celebrating, but there's something in the back of my mind that keeps saying, "The best years are behind you."  I have heard of a lot of marriages that make it to 10 years.  It's after that that things seem to fall apart.  Whether it's an affair, financial problems, or just growing apart, people get divorced.  I am trying to work through that fear as we speak.  I don't fear that my husband will have an affair or that we'll have financial problems or that we'll grow apart.  I know our relationship is strong and we are both committed to working through any problems that might creep up.  This fear is simply an unsubstantiated attack.  An attack by the Evil One.  So, I'm trying to use a technique that a friend taught me at MOPS(Mothers of Preschoolers).  Replace fear with truth.  Here goes:

My husband and I love each other very much.
We both agreed when we got married(and still do) that "divorce" is not in our vocabulary.
Our children have added to the joy that we have in our lives.
We can work through anything with God's help.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for bringing my husband and I together.  I would not be whole without him.  As I look back, I can see how you led us to each other and prepared my heart to meet him.  Thank you for using our circumstances to bring us closer together through the last 10 years and for being with us as we have made this journey together.  Your constant reminder that only you can meet all my needs has made me a better wife.  Thank you for the many blessings you have given us, especially our kids.  I could not have picked a better father for them.  Please continue to be with us, grow us, and bless us for the next 10 years too. 
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Happy Tooth Day!

Sissy lost her first tooth last night. It took her a while to loose a tooth so the whole family was excited for her. Precious threw her a loosing-your-first-tooth party complete with a happy tooth day card. All the important people were in attendance. Doggy, Kitty, and Bunny all cleared their schedules to attend. Sissy thought she was big stuff. Good thing the tooth fairy remembered to come.


Speaking of tooth fairy, Precious figured out last night that if Santa wasn't real, then the tooth fairy probably wasn't either. She could barely contain herself as we went to bed last night. Hopefully she can keep her mouth shut long enough for Sissy to have some fun with it.

Sissyisms

Sissy:  "Some people are crazy!  They don't like ice cream."

Sissy:  "I love God a million degrees.  And then even more than that."

I love her SO much!!