Happy Birthday little boy!

Today you turned 1! One...how is it possible my little man? It has flown...and feels like a long time that I have known you. Your first month of life was a bit dramatic...but I wouldn't change it...I feel like you and I bonded in a way I was nervous wouldn't happen being the 2nd child. I had time with you...time to pray over you...time to weep over you...time to hold you...time to learn your noises...time secluded with you away from the world...then when we got home..we hit the floor running. As I rocked with you tonight...I thought about all that you have learned in this first year and it truly is amazing. I am proud of you. I love hearing your laugh, giggle, growls, getting kisses from you, watching you dance, discover, be YOU! You are wonderful Wyatt Christopher. I love being your mom! Happy birthday little boy!

Jason's Birthday Surprise

Jason's bday is this coming Friday December 4th~ he will be 35! Wow! Since Wyatt's bday is the 5th I decided to do something for Jason the weekend before...we got up real early, I blind folded him and took him ...for a hot air balloon ride! So great. My mom actually decided to send my dad for his 65th bday! It was a little chilly (37 degrees) but a gorgeous morning. We all went for the launch, then mom, Caroline, Wyatt and I followed the chase car so we could see them land! What a fun morning! Happy birthday babe! I am glad you were born!

New playroom

So I have been overwhelmed by lack of space, and know that Christmas and a little boy's birthday are upon us...my sis-in-law had a GREAT idea. She said that when they lived in Atlanta she had a friend who didn't have a basement and she turned the crawl space under their stairs into a playroom! I loved the idea! So mom and dad have been here for the holiday and the transformation began. We moved all of the things I was storing under there (mostly Christmas decorations) to the new shelves we put in in the guest room closet. Dad and Jason put dry wall up, we painted the walls in the entry part of the closet space, then put sheets up on the dry wall, threw some rugs down and put in the toys! They love it! They are playing together in there...oh yeah...dad and Jason also put in two lights for them with switches down low so the kiddos can turn them on and off. I love creative use of spaces! Thanks mom and dad for making it happen!

11 Months! WHAT?

Today our little man is 11 months old! I can't hardly believe that birthday party ideas are already brewing, theme is established, and Wyatt is almost 1 year old! AHHH! It is wonderful and hard all at once! This has been a big week for the boy - he got a 3rd tooth, he is pulling to stand, and this morning finally discovered the joy of the stairs. That of course means that we began to have stair lessons! I did this with Caroline and am so thankful. She mastered those stairs early on and I never really worried about her. So - WC - got his first lesson today in going up and down. I must say he was pretty proud of himself.
One new thing I love watching is Caroline and Wyatt interacting now. It is just too precious. Two of my favorites have been on walks w/ them in double wide. Last week Wyatt leaned in to kiss Caroline. He hadn't done this before. She backed away b/c she didn't know what he was trying to do. I told her, and well, that was all she needed they then kissed back and forth for the next several minutes! I love it! Then on Monday we were walking and I watched Caroline just reach over and begin rubbing Wyatt's back! Oh to sweet! Lord, bless their relationship so that they might always be friends.

I held WC this morning getting him out of his car seat and just held him close and kissed that sweet little head. Knowing he's growing up right before my eyes and he may not want me always kissing on his sweet head...isn't it the goal to work myself out of a job...that's a hard thing to do!

Oh yeah and I trimmed Caroline's hair for the first time in her life last Monday. I think I cut off about 4 inches! Woah! Didn't intend to be that much...but it looks so healthy and like a big girl!

Battle

Dearest Caroline- this morning was one of the most difficult mornings I have ever had with you. I love you! I have never heard screams, cries, confusion, disrespect, disobedience, indecision from you like I have this morning. I love you! I will battle through this with you. I love your heart. I love how you know scripture that we haven't even really taught you. I love how you talk about God and that he lives in your heart...and I hate that Satan knows that and vies for you my love. As soon as I began praying in the car out loud b/c what else could I do? You told me to stop - so I kept on...when I began singing you told me to stop - so I kept on...when I began quoting scripture you told me to stop- so I kept on...I LOVE YOU! I will fight on your behalf for as long as the Lord lets me. I need to remember that until you know how to clothe yourself in HIS armor it is my job to clothe me, and to shield you my love....you have finally stopped screaming...it has been quiet for 15 minutes. I pray you get rest right now, and that the Holy Spirit ministers to your little heart that loves that Him so much while you sleep. I love you Caroline. I love you!

Family Day

Just a few pics of our outing to Bert's Farm...which we missed the hayride twice that morning then had to leave to get Jason back so he could do MLL at Bhead...oh well. Another time! Enjoy the pics!

Happy Hearts & Joyful Spirits

Being "the mom" or "the parent" is hard. Caroline and I seem to battle around the issue of the potty. There will be days when it is so easy, I don't have to remind her, she just gets it and does it. The last 3ish days have been with maybe only one success on the potty each day, and she looks right at me and says "I don't want/have to/need to go to the potty" - take your pick of the phrase...I usually say that is fine, you know what to do so when you need to go potty just do it...today was a flat out "no I am a baby"- now I realize that she may be playing into wanting different attention like her brother is getting esp since he started crawling he is getting praised differently than ever before. I had had it this morning and said "fine, let's go put on a diaper" to which she had no problem (ahhhh). I was so frustrated...actually ticked off that this could get me like it does. I think she knows it too. Anyway...after a few minutes of me realizing that I was actually behaving like a baby. I stopped, prayed, and asked the Lord for wisdom. When she made it back down the stairs I said..."Okay Caroline I'm going to set the timer, and in 10 min. you get to be a big girl again, not a baby" - to which she let me know that she did not want to be a big girl and please don't set the timer (not quite sure why she had an issue w/ the timer we don't use it for anything other than cooking typically) - so we went about our business. When the timer went off she lost it - I began to praise her for all the great things I love about her being a big girl, I sat her on my lap and prayed over her then changed her back into panties...she was sobbing. I then told her (as she was telling me repeatedly that she was a baby) if she needed to go cry about being a big girl then she needed to do that in her room and find a happy heart and a joyful spirit. "I don't want a happy heart and a joyful spirit" (now this I understand - sometimes I just don't want to come out of my funk, I want to be ticked off, or frustrated, sad or whatever...but you know I think Joy is a choice - God gives us the amazing fruit of the spirit being Joy - but I think we still have to take it from him - it doesn't always come naturally.) After a few minutes in her room, crying about being a big girl - she finally said she had a happy heart and was ready to be a big girl.
Growing up is hard. There are times I would like to just not have any responsibility, be a kid, sleep, play, eat whatever I want and just be...but not so - God has asked me to grow up to...choose to have a happy heart and a joyful spirit about where I am at also...perhaps I need to let Caroline know when I am having to choose to have a happy heart and a joyful spirit...so she'll know even as an adult you have a chance to choose...
...as I write this I hear her waking up and singing "You Baby" from the Jazz Singer...a joyful heart indeed!