Happenings

1. Allison is in the hospital now waiting for baby girl to come. I've been waiting by my phone for a text saying she's here. Can't wait.

2. My dad is working in Greenville, SC. this week. My mom came down with him. She drove to our house yesterday, spent the night, and left after lunch today. As always, it was a wonderful visit. I wish she was 2 hours away all of the time and visits like that were more often.

3. Now that Max is taking bottles all of the time, big sis is starting to help out. She was VERY proud of her ability to give him a bottle this morning.



4. Charlotte starts school in 13 days. Two words: I'm ready. I knew August would be a long, hot month. August for preschoolers is hard. Public schools go back early August, so the pool closes in the mornings, the libraries stop having story times, there are no camps, and it's too hot for the park - what's a mom to do??

5. Judd and I had 2 date nights last weekend. We had two lovely dinners - even though the 2nd night was not the restaurant we originally thought we would go to. We saw The Help one night. I loved it. I bought new running shoes the other night out.

6. I'm slowly building up my running again. It feels awesome.

7. We have decided to refinance to a 15 year mortgage. The rates are SO low it is incredible. Can you imagine that if we stay in this house we will have it paid off by the time Charlotte goes to college?? This probably means that #5 above won't be happening too much more for the next couple of years. :)

8. Judd spent half the weekend taking down a section of our fence and replacing it. It looked a lot of time, but it looks fabulous.

9. I began my 33rd year last Thursday. It was the day after I wrote this post: She. I opened my email and my mom sent me this beautiful note:

She

Is 32 tomorrow at 6:31 PM
Made me a Mother
Made me a Mom
Made me a Grandmother
Made me a Mother-in-Law
Makes me so incredibly proud of the way she is a Mother that I think, "I must have done something right!"
Makes her dad and me feel such joy today and everyday since she was born
Makes us know that the world will be ok when we are gone because she is in it
Makes us remember the first time we looked into her tiny face that evening of August 11th-we thought our hearts would explode with love and awe and thankfulness, little angel so fresh from God

Let's just say Judd had to pass me a Kleenex or 500.

10. Judd's Aunt Pam needs prayers. She has been battling colon cancer - now other cancer - such as lung, liver, etc - for years. She is struggling. Please pray for her and the rest of the family.

She

She makes me want to scream.
... does make me scream.
... makes me laugh really hard.
... makes me cry.
... challenges me.
... makes me think.
... makes me want to be a better mom.
... makes me want to be a better person.
... makes me want to shield her from all pain.
... makes me want to lock myself in my room.
... makes me want to play dollhouse, memory, and go fish.
... makes me ache with love.
... teaches me daily.
... is my daughter who I love more than I ever thought possible.

Steps

(Yes, he's eating a page of stickers - whatever has to be done in the name of capturing a picture)

Sunday night we were over at Dave & Erin's. All of the sudden, Max let go of a chair and walked 3 steps to a table. After much screaming from the adults, we pulled him back to the chair to see if he would do it again. Sure enough, he did. Then, he did it again, then again - you get the idea. His first official set of steps. It came out of nowhere. Maybe it had something to do with the very energetic 3 year old girls he was trying to chase around.

He has done a little more "walking" the past couple of days, but his main mode of transportation is still crawling. That's just fine with me. I'm not sure I'm ready for my baby to begin this biped chapter just yet.

Little Lunch Notes

School doesn't start for us until August 29th - however, I know lots of other kiddos are headed back on Monday. Some are headed to Kindergarten and may need a little extra love in their lunchbox. I came up with these little notes last year and thought I'd share 'em with you for this new school year.

Enjoy!

Crayon Lunch Notes

(Let me know if the link doesn't work - I'm trying this for the first time here.)

It's Not Fair!

I hear the phrase, "It's Not FAIR!", about 5,000 times a day coming out of Charlotte's mouth. Yesterday, it was especially frequent. It seems the more tired she is, the more it is said. It would be one thing if she knew how to use the phrase, but she only gets it into the correct context 50% of the time - and I think that's luck. I'm not sure where she learned this. I can't believe it starts this early, the pouting, the scowls, the "It's not fair." Sometimes when she says this, I see her 16 year old self slam the car keys down, spin on her heels, curls flying, marching upstairs screaming, "It's NOT FAIR!".

Breastfeeding 0 : Bottle 1

When I came back from Tybee mid July, Max wasn't too interested in nursing. In fact, one night he pulled off and cried when I tried to nurse him. The bottle provides instant gratification, I guess I don't. He wouldn't latch back on, so I went down, made him a bottle, and told myself that this was the beginning of the end.

I had been thinking about weaning him for a little while - probably since he was 8 months or so. In order for him to not be too distracted when he nursed, I had to kick Charlotte out of whatever room I was in, close the door and have it be completely quiet. Since that is impossible when she is at home, it was becoming a frustrating task - for me, for Max, and for Charlotte. She always looked so hurt.

But, it is super easy to not deal with bottles when nursing. It is also super cheap. I really wanted to continue until he was a year. But, it just wasn't in the cards for us.

I gradually weaned him from daytime feedings. While at my parent's house at the end of July, I nursed him at night and in the morning. Since we've been back, I have stopped completely. I have some stored milk in the freezer that I have been mixing with formula to ease him into the change. He's doing just fine.

I'm a lot more sad about it this time than I was when I weaned Charlotte. I guess knowing that it is my last time.

I miss his little stomach against mine. I miss the way his hand always reached up and touched my face. I miss the closeness.

He is getting so big.

Big Sister

"Max, I'll keep you company while you eat. Mom, I'm gonna read Max my school book"

It's the little things you do that make me want to smother you with kisses and hugs. Little things like wanting to keep your brother company, giving him toys to play with, making him laugh in the back seat of the car, telling him "I love you Buster". Those things make you a wonderful big sister.