We're Still Here!

2013 is here and I have not posted since Lucas's first birthday in November! It feels like every time I sit down to write, one of the boys conveniently decide that they are hungry (I cannot even begin to imagine what they will be like as teenagers), wake up from their naps, bring a toy for me to fix or tend to a owie.

Lucas is 14 months now!  He started walking at 12 1/2 months and is pretty good at keeping up with his big brother. Other times he stays in Jordan's way a split second too long & gets knocked over.  Our little one is starting to say more words and signs 'more' and 'all done'. He says hi, bye, mama, dada, yes, no, ball, and usually tries to repeat a word that is said.  Right now he loves to wave & say hi to the cat.  I have learned that Lucas is our quiet & sneaky one.  When I am busy with Jordan is when Lucas seizes the opportunity to get into something he knows he's not allowed to, which is mostly the cat food & the bathroom.  When I figure out what Lucas is doing, he greets me with a big grin & laughs.  Thankfully he does not get upset when I take him away & happily goes to play elsewhere, but I still need to keep an eye on that one!

After months of Lucas staying the same weight, we finally realized it was due to his diet & digestion issues.  Since changing his diet, he is a much happier little man who eats a ton & has put on weight. YAY!

Jordan is doing well in school & AWANA. Today his teacher said he had a fantastic day at school, which brought such joy to this momma's heart! He likes to be active (what else is new?) so I am working on keeping him involved when I do chores.  It requires a little (ok a lot) more patience on my part, but I have noticed that it helps keeps both him & myself happy!  Jordan's desire for independence continues as he often times tells me what he needs to do and "I do it all myself!". Many times I will hear him tell Lucas that he can or cannot do something.  "Wucas, that is not for you! You go see Mommy".  (why Jordan thinks Lucas has to see me, I do not know). 

I tried to take a video of Lucas walking around, but Jordan was around.  So this was the result!

I love my boys. This shows their personalities so well :)

In grownup news, David & I are going away to celebrate our 30th birthdays.  He turned 30 in December & I am turning 30 in a week (ish).  All I need is a white picket fence & my childhood dream of my life at the age of 30 would be complete! :)

Happy 1st Birthday Lucas!

November  2011

November 2012 

My little one, you were prayed for for so long & God answered faithfully in His perfect timing.  You complete our family so wonderfully.  It has been a joy to watch you grow this past year.  Over the past few months your personality has started to emerge in a big way.  Your smile may be slow in coming, but when you smile, your whole face lights up & everyone smiles with you.  Your laugh is infectious. You have a gentle spirit and a quiet stubbornness.  You already know how to throw a tantrum when you do not get your way, but you move on quickly once you realize no one is paying attention to you :) 

Lucas, you are my snuggle bug, which I adore.  My heart simply melts when you lay your head on my shoulder & pat my back. It makes those 4:30 am wake ups worth it to hold you close to me & rock you back to sleep. 

You love socks. You are the sock monster - I find stray socks all over the house & can never find the matching one! From the time you started crawling, you would have a sock in your hand.  Your daddy & I joke that all you need to be happy is a pair of socks, one in each hand (a non matching pair!).  

Playing with Jordan's toys is your favorite thing to do & you love it when he plays with you.  It makes my heart so happy when I see you light up when your big brother comes into the room.  You are teaching Jordan to be gentle when he plays with you and Jordan is teaching you to hold your own.  My continual prayer is that you two will grow up to be best friends. 

At a year old you:

* are saying hi, bye, mama, dada.  A lot of what you say is "ba ba ba ba" 

* are just about walking

* can pull yourself up to a standing position 

* love smoothies

* wave

* love music & dance (bounce up and down) when you hear the first notes

* dislike being in the car (hopefully that changes!)

* love being in the stroller for walks

* love to eat waffles & muffins (you love bread)

* enjoy baths

* are fascinated with the vacuum cleaner & follow me all over the house when I'm vacuuming

* love to play peek a boo

Happy Birthday my handsome little one.  Although this year has gone by so quickly, I look forward to the next stage of your life as a toddler! 

Highlights

After an interesting summer (Jordan got sick twice & was housebound both times, camping was postponed by a month, finally went camping only to leave the campground a day early due to Lucas having a cold & refusing to sleep), fall arrived with a bang.

Only picture of the four of us from camping

Jordan started at his new preschool in September.  He goes three mornings a week & loves it.  There was a bit of a transition period but we got through it.  I love that the school is five minutes away, which gives me time to get stuff done in the mornings (especially since Lucas naps during that time).  Ok, most mornings I get stuff done.  Some mornings I just catch up on tv shows or take a nap :)

In addition to preschool, Jordan also started attending AWANA, a program at our church.  He is loving the extra time to be with his friends from church & enjoys memorizing bible verses.  He is excited to be a Cubbie & wear his vest :)

This year for Halloween Jordan has decided to be Jake from the Neverland Pirates & Lucas is a puppy. This picture was taken on our way to a church event on Saturday.  This is the first year Jordan's been into the experience of wearing a costume so it's been fun to see him get so excited about it.  Lucas tries to take off his headpiece every chance he can get :)

Speaking of the little one, I cannot believe he is turning a year old in a few weeks! Lucas is crawling & cruising all over the place.  He loves to walk around with help & has even take a few very wobbly steps on his own.  He adores his big brother & follows him everywhere, wants to eat what he's eating, play with what he's playing with, etc.  Lucas is our non-cautious one.  Toy on the floor? He'll dive off the bed or couch to get it.  A rock on the other side of the wall?  Climb over it & topple into the dirt to get the rock.  Jordan's on top of our backyard play structure? Try to climb up the slide unsuccessfully multiple times.  This little one is also going to keep us on our toes!

Chatting on the phone & not looking too happy that I interrupted him

Earlier this month, we went to the Pumpkin Patch.  We tried so hard to get that "must have" pumpkin patch picture that every parent gets.  This is Lucas on the verge of crying & Jordan is done with my constantly telling him to "sit & smile, just one more time".  Ah, memories :)

David and I volunteer at AWANA every Sunday & we are involved in a small group at church.  In addition to that, I also keep busy with the moms ministry.  David continues to be on the worship team & teaches music lessons once a week.  Next week is our 7 year anniversary & we are so thankful for the life God has blessed us with!

                                                                                               

                                                                                                

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Month of July

I simply cannot tell you how much I love this

My water baby

Not sure how he feels about the sand (once he got used to it, he dug right in!)

4th Of July 

This makes my heart happy :) 

Eating puffs while watching Mommy cook 

Adore 

"I cleaning!" Jordan helping me clean the windows 

Happy 60th Birthday Dad! 

Playing a game with my boy

Love!

Jordan was so excited to go swimming again after being in the house for a week with Hand Foot & Mouth Disease 

Crawling!

Brotherly love ... or wrestling

Loving the spaghetti! 

And this is why Lucas is not napping (see that mischievous glint in his eyes?)

4th Of July

We had a wonderful time celebrating the 4th of July.  Swimming, badminton, bbq, fireworks.  My mom thought ahead of time to provide ear mufflers for Jordan, my energetic active boy who is actually quite sensitive to loud noises.  We put them on over his hooded sweatshirt & those enabled him to really enjoy the fireworks without being bothered by the noise. Even little Lucas joined in on the fun! My mellow easygoing boy showed no fear of noises, crowd reactions, or fireworks.  He actually laughed & clapped a few times! It was more fun to watch my children's reactions to the fireworks than to watch the fireworks myself.

May

May was a busy month for the Thompson family.  The biggest news is that the littlest Thompson turned six months old on the 18th! One day I turned around & Lucas was no longer a tiny newborn snuggled in my arms, but instead was a infant sitting on his own, happily playing with his brother's toys.  Such mixed feelings ... he's growing too fast but I am delighting in watching him grow & seeing his personality emerge!

At six months Lucas is:
 * sitting on his own without assistance
 * transferring objects between hands, reaches for toys just out of reach
 * rolls from back to tummy & occasionally tummy to back
 * prefers to sleep on his stomach with his bottom in the air & face buried between his hands
 * plays peek a boo
 * squeals, laughs, gurgles, babbles
 * cries whenever Mommy leaves the room
 * is sleeping through the night (6:30 pm - 5:30 am, with an occasional 3:30 am wake up)
 * is able to eat solids, but so far is only interested in avocado
 * is scooting around in the crib when he's half asleep
 * sits in the big tub for his bath & loves splashing, especially when big brother joins in!
 * grabs anything in sight, especially Mommy's hair (ouch!)

The little one is our mild mannered boy.  Lucas loves to snuggle, being in the baby carrier, and is content to sit & play with his big brother's toys.  Legos are his favorite right now - give Lucas a box of legos and he will work on tipping the box over so the legos fall out.  It is fun to watch Lucas as he plays.  Rarely will he get frustrated when he is unable to do something.  He simply moves on to what he is able to do.  If reaching for a toy that is too far, you may hear Lucas grunt in frustration then in the next second see him recognize that another toy is closer & chose to play with that one instead.

Lucas loves to be around Jordan and puts up with quite a lot. It is hard to explain to Jordan what is not okay (rolling over on Lucas & other things) when Lucas is laughing! "He likes it Mommy! See, he's laughing" This is said daily as Jordan 'plays' with Lucas.  Thanks little one, you are not making this easy for your brother to learn what he is not supposed to do!

 Lucas laughs when Jordan:
  * sprays him in the face with the hose

  * rolls him across the room
  * pours water over his head in the bathtub (after a second of shock)
  * pretends to let Lucas fall so Jordan can catch him  "Whoa!! He fell! I caught him! Whoa!"
  * jumps on the bed so Lucas falls over
  * rams trains against his leg
  * the list could go on and on ...

With all that being said, I do love watching their relationship grow, even when there are times I have to step in to make sure Lucas is safe! It warms my heart to see them play together (parallel play) and the delight that Lucas has in his big brother.  It's my continual prayer that these two grow up to be best friends (amidst the usual sibling rivalry).

Another important event this month was having the boys dedicated at church! We prayed that we would find a church for our growing family, and God answered that prayer by leading us to COD.  What an answer to a prayer it is!  Our boys are growing up in this church and friends are being made. David & I have both been getting involved at church, which is wonderful. :)  I mentioned in an earlier post that David is on the worship team.  He has also attended the men's retreat & a few other things.  We are both involved in a great small group.  I volunteer in the nursery one Sunday a month, and I am so excited to say that I am on the leadership team for our Growing Up Mom group!

A quick update on Jordan: our big 3 year old is finishing up his first year of preschool.  He has learned so much & it has been so fun! Potty training is just about complete (HURRAY!!!) What a nightmare that was.  Ask me sometime how Jordan decided he wanted to do his business in the toilet ... that boy is really something else :)  Jordan continues to make us laugh & we delight in his imaginary play & the really random things he comes up with.  The other night during prayers he said he was thankful for a monkey (makes monkey sounds), a tiger (roars), then segues into singing "We are the dinosaurs, marching marching.  We are the dinosaurs, we made the earth flat, we made the earth flat.  We are the dinosaurs, marching marching, we are the dinosaurs. ROAR".  My silly boy :)

Peek A Boo!

Why My House Is Messy

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.  ~ Phyllis Diller, Phyllis Diller's Housekeeping Hints, 1966

While every mother knows that raising children, especially young ones, results in a messy & chaotic house with piles of laundry, dirty dishes & toys everywhere, no one wants to admit it.  No one wants to admit that their homes are not always immaculate.  We want to be super moms & be able to do it all. Props to you if you can, because if there is one thing I've learned, I cannot! I have given up on trying to be the perfect mom. I am going to stop being a tryer & work on trusting.

For the past three years, I have been trying to balance housekeeping & parenting.  I put so much stress & importance on having a clean house, that I was not spending quality time with Jordan.  Over & over again, I heard, it's not your house that matters, but the time you invest in your children.  As any mother can tell you, that struggle is hard.  After having Lucas, I started realizing even more just how much I was focused on a clean house.  My parents have Jordan one day a week & before Lucas, those were my hard core cleaning/laundry days.  I could focus on the house, and not worry about neglecting my sweet boy.  After Lucas, my parents still take Jordan one day a week, but I quickly found out I could not use those days as cleaning days because there was this adorable baby who just wanted his mommy & did not have to share attention with his older brother.  So those days became "loving on Lucas" days.  Cuddles, naps, tummy time (diaper changes, spit up), etc :)

It is no secret that in the past year, it was not the easiest of times being a parent to my very active loveable adventurous boy.  The terrible twos were in full swing.  After months of frustration, different discipline tactics, and numerous other ordeals, I am beyond thankful that my relationship with Jordan is thriving.  Once we got past the newborn days & Lucas was older, I found myself feeling the Lord saying "give up that control on the house.  Your sons need you to be their mother.  They do not care if the house is clean.  They care that you are there to be with them.  They care that you are loving on them, giving them hugs and kisses, telling them you love them, and spending time making silly faces, playing trains, playing peek a boo, laying outside on the grass reading a story".  I slowly began to trust instead of try.  To let go of my control about constantly trying to clean a house that is temporary & will very rarely actually be clean on a daily basis.

By nature, I am a messy person.  I drop my diaper bag & purse on the table, I put the mail on the kitchen counter, I have loads of laundry sitting on the couch waiting for me to fold them while I catch up on tv shows after the boys are in bed, clothes are thrown on the bed as I change my outfit for the sixth time.  Putting things away as soon as I am done with them is a work in progress as it is not natural for me to do so.  Do I desire to have a clean house? Am I more at peace when my house is clutter free? Absolutely.  Is it worth stressing over & berating myself when there's clutter & dishes in the sink? No.  I find myself happy in the midst of my chaos, because I am loving on my boys & making memories.  In time, I will find the balance, but I refuse to let my need for control overwhelm the need of my boys & their time with me.

I posted an article on the Facebook page for my Growing Up Mom's group (Your Children Want YOU!) & in response, one mom said this.  "The measure of our motherhood is not found in any of these, but in Christ our King who has charged us to teach our little ones to love Him. So hug them and kiss them and tell them how much they are loved; by you and by our awesome God!" - Karen O.  This is the core of motherhood.  Not a clean house, not flower shaped soap, or the crafts we make.

So, in the meantime, welcome to my home.  Welcome to a house where you will hear laughter, maybe step on a fire engine, see a pile of laundry that needs to be folded.  Welcome to a house that has a few pictures on the wall, but tons of smudges from dirty hands that have been outside playing in the dirt.  Welcome to a house where you will find me in sweats, with no make up on & hair in a ponytail, outside playing catch or reading on the couch with my boys.  Welcome to a house where you will hear Jordan singing at the top of his lungs.  Welcome to a house where you will not find a wreath I made or anything remotely crafty.  Welcome to a house that has Jordan's rinsed out underwear all over the bathroom sink because we are working on potty training.  Welcome to a house that has dirty dishes because I have been in the kitchen with Jordan as my little helper, cooking or baking. Welcome to a house that has wipes in every room, a play mat, a bouncer, a boppy, and a bumboo that are scattered here and there with no strategic placing.  Welcome to a house where there are books all over the place, because we sit down wherever we are & read.  Welcome to a house where a mom is working on trusting & not trying.  Welcome ... welcome to a house full of love & laughter.