It gave us a good snow in March and Caden and I were able to get out and play in it for a good while. I almost mistakenly layered him up too well, because he could have lasted even longer out in it if I would've let him. 'We', aka I, built a snowman, we threw snow back and forth at eachother, ran around and I busted out the sled we have and ran my little heart out around the back yard pulling him along. He loved it. If only I had the energy to go many more loops in that sled for the little guy, but a dozen seemed well enough for just one person pulling..
Trains. Story of our life. He loves tunnels, so we've been building tunnels with blocks we have and using our legs as well. I can honestly say since it's been nicer out we haven't played with the tracks once yet this month. Must have worn himself out on tracks and needs a break which is fine with me, there's only so much tracks one can play after all. Also-looking back at these makes me notice his recent growth even more comparing his height here to the current. Both my boys are changing so much and so quick!
Reid and MJ are just along for the ride. They're both quite entertained, though. MJ is always curious towards little babes. It's all fun and games until a gigantic tongue comes out from no where and swipes your face off.
Cartoons and snoozes. Snoozes and cartoons. It's not our story much these days, but a few months ago more so...to the mommy-snuggle snoozes, not the cartoons. Cadens all about cartoons.
Just sending daddio pictures of our day to give him a little fix. Gosh dang they're cute.
I did MAPS this past semester and this was after one session while we were visiting my mom in the atrium.
It was a hard experience to do MAPS this year. I met a few awesome women, and that was well worth it, but Caden threw massive fits to go into the childcare, like screaming bloody murder and holding onto me for dear life. Only to stop minutes after I left and would be completely fine when I picked him up. So, that was a challenge to my mommy heart and dealt me with a lot of guilt. Then, not only did he start the before childcare fits, but he also added in a bonus after fit. He was good at it too. Refusing to leave, being hateful, leaving me with no choice but to carry both his sorry, hitting, crying, yelling bum and Reid in the car seat out to the car. It.was.fantastic. And by fantastic I mean it just plain ol' sucked. With only one in church session to go to I pulled the plug. Considering the last one was so trying after, had us both in tears, made me want to toss the cute little boy out of the car and took me to the point where I simply didn't speak to him for a while because I didn't even know what to say or how to handle it, I chose to not attend the last one. And I'm okay with that.
Truth be told I felt like my judgment call was judged by a few, but I have to ignore the part of me that cares about that and know that I am the one who knows myself and my child best and I know what battles to pick and what ones to let pass. He will be going to a 9-1 program starting this fall there, and I personally think he will do great. He even does great now going into the church classrooms. It wasn't something that we were going to let stop us from attending, but for those Thursdays it was something that I, myself, couldn't battle any longer. Those few weeks were a battle in that situation be it MAPS or church services, so not sure what the underlying issue was and why he put up such a fight but I like to think those days have passed for that...but we'll see. Knock on wood, because man, that was trying.
A friend of ours had their four and a half month old little gal pass away July 2014. She had We hadn't been as close with her in recent time, but when friends are true that doesn't matter. We tried to show support the best we could. Gary attended the funeral with another couple, we sent flowers and I have kept sweet Collins up on our fridge as a reminder to pray for them throughout the days, months, years to come as they go through life now with their sweet girl in Heaven. They had made the Collins Grace Foundation, and through that they have done so much to raise money and support other families with babies in the NICU going through the hardships they had to experience.
So-this year, on her birthday they showed, once again, their amazing strength and perseverance to remember their daughter. They decided to do acts of kindness/pay it forwards in many ways, and we were blessed to have been one of those that received their sweetness. They sent a sweet, encouraging note with a gift card and an awesome little pay it forward card that we could pass on to someone and share the love, as well as share about Collins and the foundation made in her name.
This couldn't have come at a better time for us. We got it on Thursday, when my parents were to have the kids for the night, so we missed out on our small group to step away and have dinner and a night just us. We really needed to stop and reconnect. This new stage of life has had us having to work through more together, challenging and strengthening our marriage in ways I didn't know even needed it, and at this time we needed to take some time to take off our parenting hats and put on our marriage ones and regroup. Their blessing of this sweet encouraging card and gift card allowed us to treat ourselves to just that without having to worry about how to budget a date night in.
It was fun, great to reconnect, have a yummy dinner and drink and have time just the two of us, being able to focus on each other without kid interruptions. The strength that Ashley and Tien have shown through the passing of their sweet girl is amazing to me and so inspirational. God is really working through them to help others despite it being such a heart ache of a situation they have had to endure. It's amazing what people can do and I am so glad to know them, even at a distance, and see all the great work they are doing in Collins name and remembrance.
Trains are awesome, but what's even more fun is making train tunnels with your legs and watching the trains go through.
Worms! This kid loves to dig and find bugs. The poor worms don't have much of a chance around him, except that he's pretty timid and doesn't dare touch them himself...which is good and bad. Good, because I don't have to worry about him coming at me with any bugs in hand, and bad because the fate of the worm is left to chance when him trying to pick it up with a shovel, which doesn't end too smoothly.
Friends. Little friends are adorable. One minute they love playing with each other, the next their staring at the other waiting for them to get over the fit they're throwing. It's so funny to me what isn't second thought to them at this age when it comes to 'how to act' in front of friends. Cuteness all around. The above in particular is one of our small group couples little gal that we got to have over for an afternoon to play. My, oh, my was having girl around fun and funny to me. Boys and girls are so different, especially at this age and being a mom of just boys it was fun to have a little sister around for a few hours!
I love to capture this boys smile. He's a sweetheart and can be such a lover sometimes. He looks so old with his hair cut short like this-wahh!
My cute little leprechauns! My sister got some baby chicks shortly before St Patricks Day and it was cute to watch Caden experience real, live chicks for the first time.
Two cool things. The first, MUCH cooler than the second. My brother and his cute family. I just love them. And, second, first time I made corned beef and cabbage myself. It's sometimes fun to play up little holidays, and maybe St Patricks Day will be one I'll play up more as the kids get older. I think making this will have to happen once a year, but I'm not sure about the corned beef..it had a lot of fat junk to it and I am not a fan of that, but the good parts were good and the house smelled 'fabulous' after so that's a plus.
Two cute pictures of little Reid. About three months old here, starting to really give us good, but selective, smiles and constantly putting hands and anything else in his mouth.
That's a wrap, folks. Well, just for the first part of March...
