Snips and Snails

On any given day this is the scene around our house...

My little James loves trucks!  It's all trucks all the time.  We carry them all over the house and load various different things into the back of them.  We go to bed with them...

We get up with them...

We eat with them too...

Coming from a home of all girls this is completely foreign territory for me!  I never in a million years thought God would give me all boys and now I am living in a house with four of them!  The past three years have been an adventure for me... a time of learning and growing in unexpected ways.  And I must say I am starting to really love all the craziness and chaos that comes with these guys.  I love that God has uniquely created each one of them and given them a natural bent for all things "boy".  

My boys are passionate.  They are loud!  They are silly and energetic, but also sweet and tenderhearted. And they love their mama!  I realize what an awesome responsibility God has given me to raise them into men for His glory.  

Some days I feel overwhelmed, intimidated and totally out of my league.  But I am coming to realize... albeit slowly... that He has designed me for this and I know that He has not lost sight of one detail.  That is incredible to me.  Not one detail!  He has equipped me with all that I need to be the mom He has called me to be.  

Today I am so thankful for all four of my boys! 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

~Psalm 100:4-5

James & His BFF

Yesterday my poor little Jamesy was under the weather with some sort of virus... fever, chills and no appetite.  I knew he was really sick when he wouldn't eat!  Two year olds are so resilient though.   When I went in to get him this morning his fever had disappeared in the night and he was chatting happily in his crib.  Nothing makes a mama happier than when her children are happy and well!

It's amazing how even a short bout with the flu can make you so thankful for the normalcy of day to day routines.  I am thanking God today for the simple and quiet rhythms of mothering my two young boys...

A short video of my sweet James who is well on the mend and partaking of one of his favorite pastimes.  I love his laugh.  It is positively contagious.  Enjoy!

Ethan's First Meal

Last week Ethan had his first meal!  He was four months and one week old.

Here he anxiously awaits his first time in the highchair...

We started with 1 tablespoon of rice cereal mixed with about four tablespoons of formula.

How sweet is this face?

He was happy until the second the spoon hit his mouth!  He was less than thrilled with the taste and consistency and he was completely dumbfounded by the spoon.  It was quite entertaining to watch!

He seemed to mostly prefer sucking on the bib...

Since then we have tried bananas mixed into the rice cereal and he is already getting better at eating.  It is a whole added step to our morning routine, but I must say I am really enjoying feeding this little guy. He is my happy little camper!

Four Months Old!

An Ethan Prayer

Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it!

I'm forever telling everyone how faithful you are.

I'll never quit telling the story of your love - how you built the cosmos and everything in it.

Your love has always been our lives' foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world.

Psalm 89:1-2

The Message

Dear Ethan,

You are four months old and I want to share with you the reason we chose your name.  Ethan has always been a favorite of mine, but when we found out you were a boy and I came to learn the meaning, I began praying and God made it certain to me that this was the name He had already chosen for you.  In Hebrew it means strong and firm.  Ethan was thought to be a top musician in King David's court.  He is credited as having written Psalm 89.  

I remember the exact moment we found out you were a boy.  I had such strong emotions that day and as I prayed over the next several days about the precious life you would become, I felt God speak over my heart.  He told me that He has big plans for you and that He was going to do something beyond our wildest imaginings in your life.   I began praying Psalm 89:1-2 for you and this continues to be my prayer for you today and always... that you will know God's great love and you will sing it!  I pray that you will be a strong and faithful warrior for His Kingdom and that you will share His love with everyone around you.   

You are so precious to us.  I think you look like a little angel.

This month you have reached a few milestones.  You went to the doctor for your four month well check and weighed in at a wopping 16 pounds and 11 ounces (90th percentile) and your height was 25 inches (70th percentile).  You gained almost six pounds and grew 2 1/4 inches in two months!  In Dr. Butler's words, "That is a very healthy growth spurt!"  We love every inch of your chub and especially those juicy thighs! 

You made the transition this past month from sleeping in the swing to sleeping in your crib.  Hurray!  But we did backslide a bit this past week after having four shots and the sniffles simultaneously.  You have been taking naps in the swing again and sleep for about an hour each morning and a good 3-4 in the afternoon as opposed to the 45 minute cat naps you were taking in your crib.  I decided to concede on this point because you need your sleep and mama needs a break!  We will transition over to the crib full time when you turn six months. 

You are eating anywhere between 4-6 ounces every 3-4 hours and still get up once or twice a night.  You go to bed around 7 and usually sleep until 6 or 7 the next morning.  You are still in size 2 diapers, but we will switch over to 3's once we finish our last box of 2's and you are wearing 3-6 month clothes.    You are still spitting up and we plan to start some solid foods later this month in hopes that will curb some of the reflux.  

You love to sit up and see the world... not on your own of course, but in the stroller, the Bumbo, a chair or your walker.  I got the walker out of the attic the other day and you look absolutely adorable in it with your legs dangling out he bottom and your little head darting around!

Guess who else loves the walker?

I keep finding him in there scooting himself around the first floor!

You started going in the nursery at church and attending BSF and you are doing so well!  We only had tears once and that was because we were dangerously close to bedtime.  You fell asleep as soon as I put you in the car.  Speaking of the car... dare I say you are doing better with riding?  We have only had screaming a few times in the past two weeks.  This is huge and we hope the trend continues!  

You are very passionate and we love that about you!  You are never afraid to let us know just exactly how you feel and loudly!  You love the sound of your own voice and lately we have been waking to you squealing with delight in your room.  When we go in to get you we are always met with a big grin!  While you smile quite a bit there are definitely some moments throughout the day when you are not pleased and you tell us.

You can scream like nobodies business!

You have not rolled over yet, but if you are anything like your brother in this category it won't be happening for a while!  You do love the happy baby pose and anytime you are on your back you love to hold your feet and sing.  It is very sweet!  You still sit in the bouncer, but it's not your favorite anymore.  You really prefer to be upright in the walker or a chair.  You love bath time and singing and this always calms you down when you are upset.  You also love to suck the first two fingers on your right hand.  You always manage to wiggle your hands to the top of your swaddle when you are sleeping so you can suck on them.  We would love it if you take to those rather than the passie! 

You are the sweetest baby and we can't wait to see more of your personality emerge as you continue to grow and develop.  I always say this to James and I want to say it to you too.  You are a joy and a blessing in our lives and we are so thankful for you.  We love you!

A Few Firsts

It's football season!

And Ethan is ready to cheer for the black and gold!  Last Sunday he got to wear his first Steelers gear.  Of course he went to bed well before the game even started.  But he is learning early what it means to live in Steeler nation.

James was a little too busy to stop for pictures, so this was the best I could do of the two of them.

I'm sure there will be many games watched together in their future.

Another first this past week was the beginning of BSF.  Ethan was all smiles. 

James, not so much...

They both did so well!  I was so proud of them!  James had a few tears when I dropped him off, but he quickly settled into the groove and had a good morning.  Ethan also did wonderfully and didn't cry at all.  I am so excited to see how God is going to reveal himself this year through the study of Genesis.  We are ready to get started!

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

                                         Deuteronomy 11:18-21

A New Bike, A Pair of Flip Flops & Two Smiling Boys

Yesterday Daddy came home with a surprise for James...

It was an instant hit!

And has already been the source of several meltdowns when told it's time to get off and come inside or go take a nap!

I mean... who wouldn't love a super cool new Radio Flyer with a trunk in the back and red and white streamers on the handlebars? 

My other smiley boy grinned at me over the breakfast table this morning while enjoying some Bumbo time.

We decided today was a good day for flip flops, so after his morning nap we put them on.  These were a baby gift and we haven't worn them much, but they are adorable!

Obviously he loves them!  I can't get over those pudgy feet.  They are so cute!

We are enjoying these last days of summer with the simple pleasures.  Life is good!

Seabrook Island 2012

And so another trip to the beach has passed and already we are looking forward to our return next year!  Seabrook is a magical place with quiet, winding streets, beautiful, sweeping live oaks and wide stretches of untouched shore.  It is a week where time slows.  We ride bikes down the Bent Twig and through the enchanted forest.  We haul loads of towels, toys, tents, snacks and lots of children down long board walks for blissful days with our toes in the sand.  The kids swim and run and play and we adults attempt to read books with very little success!  It is a week of family and fun and it always goes way too fast!

Every morning little heads would appear one by one in the kitchen for breakfasts of cereal, bananas, waffles, coffee cake and cinnamon rolls.  The pantry was full of every snack imaginable and James was frequently caught with his hand in the cookie jar!  It was a kids dream!

They had full access to their Nana and Pop and there was always time to read a book or two...

This year we had a pool at our house, which was a huge bonus!

Having a newborn at the beach has its challenges!  But Ethan did remarkably well and he spent most of his week doing this...

Two years ago this was James.  Can you believe the similarities?!

The last night we did our photo shoot while watching the sunset and then indulged in our favorite fried chicken, mashed potatoes and creamed spinach from Rosemont Farms Cafe.  It was a fabulous way to end a fabulous week!

Goodbye lovely little island.  Until next year...