Dear Noah

Noah, I can't even tell you how much you have grown up in the last two years and especially just in the last few months.  Today we went to get your haircut, which you usually hate!  Last time was better than all the others but you still cried and said you wanted down a lot.  Today, you had your mom shedding a few tears (yes it was a little embarassing) because  I was so proud of you, you were such a good boy.  I stood by you while I was holding your brother and watched you just sit there and watch them in the mirror cutting your hair while you didn't complain at all. As  I watched you I just couldn't believe how much you are growing up.  It doesn't help you look a lot older to me with your hair short.  But right before we even got your hair cut, you were talking to another man waiting non stop telling him all about something, just a few months ago you would of screamed at the man if he looked at you.  You didn't run around and you listened to me so well.

Noah,  I can't even put into words what a neat little boy you are.  You were such a difficult baby and have always been somewhat of a challenge but these last few months you have matured so much and we never imagined that being your parents would be as great as it is!

Noah, every day I get to spend time with you and that is such a huge blessing.    I can't believe I get to be your mom!  I treasure that so much!

You have been picking up a lot of new words lately, and with each one we just get so excited for you!  We love hearing that cute little voice of yours.  Right now you can tell you are like a sponge, paying attention to every word being said and taking in all that is happening around.

You are such a helpful little boy and to see how much you love your brother, makes my heart melt everytime! 

You are very quirky and have some very interesting habits but if you end up a crazy cleaner and neat freak like your mom,  I won't complain.  I would love to have a cleaning buddy some day! 

You have such a cute run and your dancing is pretty cute too!

You let us cuddle with you in the morning and at night.  Most every night at dinner you look at us, and give us your scowl and then switch to your happy face and crack up laughing because you know how funny we think you are.  You have the best laugh, and a good fake one too that gets us smiling/laughing every time we hear it.  You love it when we chase you and everytime you are getting mad at me, I can usually growl and start chasing you and you turn into a laughing little boy! 


You have been playing so well by yourself lately, I love to listen/ watch you and to try and figure out what the wild imagination of yours is thinking.  I could watch you play all day.  I love to see you talking to your toys and interacting with things.  Yesterday you were playing in your playroom, I was working on dinner and I didn't see you anymore so I walked over to see what you were doing.  You were laying on your Cars chair which was unfolded to the bed and you were laying there holding a book up doing your version of reading it.  It's in those moments that make me want to drop everything and just soak up where you are, because you let me lay down by you and read some more books.  I know you won't let me do that forever. 

Right now you also give the best kisses and hugs, when you hug me, I'm holding you and you wrap your arms around me and just squeeze.  It's pretty much the greatest, and with your dad you like to hug him and tap his back.  It's adorable to see! 

Now you still are a 2 year old, and we have rough days every now and then and I'm not saying you don't whine or throw fits because you do every day but at the end of the day you are still my favorite 2 year old and we still love you more than we ever imagined.  Those moments of you being a typical 2 year old are outnumbered by all the wonderful moments you give us throughout each and every day!  We wouldn't trade you for the world Noah, we love you more than we could ever express. 

Love,

Mom-mom and Dad-dad

Carson at 5 Months Old

Today little man Jones is 5 months old.  Wow, has it really been that long already? 

At 5 months Carson can be one smiley little boy

He is still getting up 3 times a night...grr.. Apparently Matthew and I just don't have the genes to make good sleeping babies

He is one antsy fella, he loves to jump and bounce around

Is really starting to want everything in front of him, he's quite the reacher

Takes silly little catnaps.  He usually takes 1 or 2- half hour catnaps and one longer one later.   The catnaps aren't long enough for either one of us.

Starting to talk and laugh more and more.  I absolutely love when he talks and coos... So so cute!

He will usually talk himself to sleep at night and sometimes for naps as well

Still loves to watch his brother, I know he is going to be really frustrated when he can't do everything he can in the coming months

Loves it when people talk to him.  He will usually give out big smiles for a few words

Hardly ever finishes a bottle and wants to spend about an hour eating each time

Has had cereal a few times but we haven't started doing it every day yet

Is quite the slobber monster lately, we have brought out the little bibs!

Loves the burp cloth and sound machine just like his older brother

Getting closer to rolling from back to belly, but not quite there yet.  He does what looks like mini back bends a lot so I don't think it will be much longer.

Still isn't a paci baby but does like his own hands to suck on.  Not my favorite habit, he gets his hands soaked and then that transfers to me, his cheeks or his hands.  We go through a lot of clothes and burp cloths each day!

Still in size 2 diapers but getting closer to getting switched

Wears mostly all 6 month clothes

Does a lot better in the car these days.  We haven't had any major trips just across town or to Grandma's in Altamont, but he usually does surprising well!

Is such a little cutie pie, and looks a lot like his brother did at his age just a lot less chunky. 

Carson, mommy loves you so much but she also likes a little freedom from holding you nonstop during the afternoon/evening and would love to sleep through the night (maybe a Vday present?)

Unsure

So.. This morning I have no idea what happened, but  I do have a good guess.

  I left the two boys in the living room so I could go get dressed.  Carson was on the couch laying in his boppy and Noah was watching Cars.  Now Noah will get in Carson's face and mess around with him when he's in there but he hasn't ever tried to actually pick up or anything.  Well I got dressed, heard Carson making some noises but nothing like he was hurt or anything and when I came into the living room, both Noah and Carson are sitting on the floor leaning up against the couch.  My only guess is that Noah picked Carson up and moved him and got him situated there because if Carson some how would of fallen off I'm sure  I would of heard him or he would of been crying which I would of heard as well.  I asked Noah if he moved Carson and he told me "I did this "  but he says that alot about a lot of things.  I guess I will have to put Carson in something from now on if  I need to leave the room or take the little man with me.  My boys are getting to big for their britches, if Noah thinks he can carry/move his little brother around.  Oh the fun we are going to have these next few years with these two!

I love Wednesdays

Wednesdays, oh how I love them.  Matthew and I are both off, we don't usually have anywhere to be first thing in the morning.  We get to get up, take our time and hang out together.  This morning Matthew had an appt at 8 but kiddos let us sleep til 7 (that's a big deal around our house) and I didn't get a chance to get ready until Matthew got back (another big deal, I usually always get ready first thing, but it didn't bother me today, I enjoyed lounging)

We had some errands to run but took our time getting moving, got a later start and ending up having to run them in the rain but kids didn't seem mind.  Our last stop was the Health Department and it went downhill from there, Carson had to get his 4 month shots, ( I know we are behind he basically is 5 months old, we are getting ready to switch insurance and I was going to wait but decided we just needed to get them done)  The first shot he didn't even cry which I thought was weird but then on the next two he was one upset little boy.  His mood was fine for a little while but then shortly after we got him, he turned into one cranky little man the rest of the day.  However we did still manage to have a good day and even got some good smiles and fun in anyway! 

The boys lounging right after Noah woke up, Noah has his weird smile eyes here. Carson I think would look at him all day if he could. 

 

 Big Smiles, So happy today when he first got up

 Wresting with mom, one of Noah's favorites!

 Enjoying some brother time!  They both make each other just light up!

 Carson kept grabbing Noah's ear, I don't think Noah likes it too well

I wish I knew what Noah was saying here, his profile is priceless and whatever he was doing, Carson was enjoying, haha 

Playing drums before bathtime, we took him downstairs to run off some steam and he always seems to make his way over to the drums.  

 Such a serious concentration face



Menu Planning

Menu planning is a very important part of my week but also a chore I dread.  Some weeks it doesn't take much time but other weeks I just can't think of anything to make and it takes forever for me to look around online for ideas.  Well anyway my point is.. I usually make my menu on Sunday or Monday and then from that I make my grocery list for the week and I was thinking if anyone else Menu plans and would like me to share I would be more than happy to start posting it, but didn't want to waste my time if noone would benefit from it.  So let me know what you think and it people may use it or get some ideas I would all up for sharing it with you guys!

Home Alone

Last Friday I had a day at home by MYSELF!  Since we had Noah 2 years ago, I have maybe been at my house alone without kids for tops a few hours.  Every time we go somewhere like work, meetings, shopping or out of town, people watch our kids here.  I never am home while we have a babysitter, until last week.  We have found an in home daycare that does drop in's so when I need someone to watch the kids we have been using them and last Friday I took the kids there for no reason so I could just stay home and get stuff done (the hubs told me I could do this on Christmas, I cried I was so excited)

  Now Matthew wanted me to do something fun just for myself, but he doesn't realize how that is what I wanted was just to work on that never ending to-do list and get some little things done that I never get the chance to do.  I worked all night on Thursday cleaning the house so I would be able to do different things besides cleaning (I can never relax to do anything I want to do, until everything I feel I have to do is finished, that's just me) on Friday.  Thursday night I cleaned bathrooms, vaccumed, mopped, dusted the house besides that boys room since they were sleeping, unloaded dishwasher, cleaned up the kitchen pretty good, organized our master closet and then sat down just to relax a few minutes before bed. 

Then Friday I got the kids off to daycare, came home, and began my monster list.  I was a little frantic at first because I wanted to get as much done as I possibly could and didn't really know where to start but first I swept out the garage, mopped by the trash cans, dusted the boys room, cleaned out and organized their closet as well, worked on a project for the playroom and got it hung, hung a wall decal in the kitchen (which isn't sticking by the way), worked on a command center for the laundry room, organized the junk drawer, cleaned out front entry closet, worked on my household binder ( I think this will always be a work in progress), did lots of laundry, all we had regularly plus, towels, sheets, and a bunch of fabric so it would be ready for some sewing projects.  After I finished all that I thought I would head downstairs to work on a few sewing projects, well in the first 5 minutes nothing was working, machine was being wacky, thread broke while I was trying to fix that so had to rethread and it wasn't cooperating, so I decided the day was supposed to be fun and I gave up on that.  Then I thought I would go run errands alone and do some returns that had been sitting around since before Christmas, so  I ran some errands and got everything I needed returned/ exchanged.

 By the time I got that all done it was time to get the kids and there wasn't any time left to just sit down and veg out but that's okay.  In the morning first thing I thought about taking a nap because If  I do ever take one it's when the kids decide not me and I thought it would be fun to decide to take a nap and do it for however long I wanted but I decided to be productive instead and I'm glad I did since now it's all done and the nap wouldn't have got me anywhere.  There are so many other things I thought about doing like beginning painting the many rooms we have left to paint or hang some items in the basement but probably better I let the hubby help me with those! 

All in all I had a great day and Friday night I did totally relax after the kids went to bed.   I was worn out anyway from being so productive!  Haven't got to mark that many things off  my list in forever!  I hope I can get days like this more often  than every 2 years.   I love my kids and the time I get to spend with them, but days like that are needed and now that I have a taste  I have a feeling I might pull for days like that a little more often!

Character Tees

Confession.....

Okay so every since I had kids, I have dreaded the day that they would want to wear character tees or have a room with a certain theme I just haven't ever really liked them.  I always thought it would be so hard to let them do it.  Well Noah has actually already had 2 pairs of Elmo pjs which didn't bother me since they were pajamas and I actually thought they were kind of cute.  Well lately he has just really gotten into cars and Papa Bob and Nana Jill got him a Cars shirt for his birthday. I was like oh great.. Here we go!  Tuesday I had to work and was going to pick out Noah's clothes (which lately he really hates putting on shirts, unless it's one he picks out of it's yellow or orange) and I decided since he was staying home and Nana Jill was watching him it would be a good day to get out his new shirt.  I brought it out and he lit up.  He was so excited and let me put the shirt right on, then he just had the biggest smile while he was pointing out Lightening Mcqueen and Mater on his new shirt.  In that moment I realized who cares, what he wears, he's two and if he likes it and it makes him happy, it's really not a big deal it's worth it to see that face! Now will I let him wear it when we go somewhere special or dressing for church, probably not but any other regular day I'm going to say go for it. 

Just look at him, he still is one of the cutest little boys I know and he actually let me take a picture since I told him I wanted to see his Cars, usually  these days he whines, hides or runs away when I'm trying to get a picture. 

Love this boy, no matter what he wears!  He still has his momma around his finger even in a Cars tshirt!