These Little Moments...

I'm so glad the weekend is here. Today, we went out to lunch as a family. The kids were so well behaved! We hesitate to eat out because there is no predicting the behavior of small children while out in public. We've had plenty of "we're never eating out again" moments, but the sun was shining and we were lucky to be in the company of two happy children! After lunch, we went to Hobby Lobby just to browse. It has been years since I've been shopping at a Hobby Lobby and I sort of wish I hadn't gone at all! My mind is going wild now with ideas for Gracie's room, as well as every other room in the house. Gracie found a tall floor lamp for her room. :) The lamp shade is bright pink and decorated with feathers! I've been cooking a lot more lately, and surprisingly, I'm really enjoying the challenge of trying new recipes. Tonight we had Hawaiian Chicken, which we've had before and loved. We also had roasted butternut squash. Sean actually went b...

Well, I thought Ethan was simply suffering from teething last week, but it turned out that the little guy actually had croup! Last Monday night was the toughest one we've had since he was born. Ethan just could not rest, he was so uncomfortable and pitiful. The only other night that compares was another sleepless night we experienced when Gracie had croup at 6 months. Thank goodness for Sean, who remained so calm while trying to soothe our very unhappy baby throughout the night. I was much more emotional and anxious because I felt so helpless. I took him to the doctor first thing Tuesday morning and headed home with a steroid to help him get well. He does seem to feel better now, even though he still has a raspy cough that wakes him up at night and during naps. I am definitely ready to welcome spring. I'm tired of this cold, damp weather we've been having. We did have a good weekend, though. :) Sean and I even went on a lunch date Sunday afternoon. We celebrate 12 years t...

My baby boy turns 7 months old today! I am loving this age with him. He is curious and interested in everything around him. He loves getting his hands onto something new, and then shoves it straight in his mouth. We love watching as his little personality comes to life. Ethan, here is more about you at 7 months ! -You are sitting up well now, but topple over often as you try to grab things just out of reach. You seem to enjoy sitting up, though. I can actually sit you down (with the Boppy around you in case you fall over) and get things finished around the house. -You still like to keep Mommy awake at night. I would guess that teething is partly to blame at this point, but you are waking every 3 hours or so to nurse. As tired as I am most mornings, I'm trying to enjoy these late night moments with you. I remember missing them once Gracie started sleeping 10-12 hours straight. -You are loud! I am surprised at how much volume your baby voice has. It's hila...

I've noticed that even on the fussiest, most difficult days, there is always one thing that can turn tears to smiles and bad moods to good ones. Gracie and Ethan love each other. It amazes me how quickly both can turn from sad to happy, bad to good, just by interacting with one another! Gracie is my go-to girl when it comes to keeping Ethan happy in the car. And seeing her brother come into the room always makes Gracie smile, and then dive into her adoring big sister voice as she talks to him. It is the way I hoped it would be, and this momma melts each time I see them in action. There just cannot be a truly bad day with these two, no matter how close I get to yanking all my hair out. I love, love, love my babies and the choice I made to stay home with them during these first precious years. This morning. This was Gracie's first time feeding Ethan a bottle! I had milk that I didn't need for his cereal, so I asked her if she wanted to finish it off and she was so excite...

It's been a tough week in our household. Ethan appears to be teething, Gracie has been fighting with her belly issues, I am moody and irritable and in need of a vacation. Alone. I already failed at my New Year's resolution, to be more patient, so that's encouraging. I hate complaining. I try so hard to have a positive outlook on life in general, but sometimes I want to pout and cry on the steering wheel, so I do. I'm so lucky I have women in my life who welcome my venting with open arms, because honestly, men do not get it. Not even a little bit. I'm hoping I can keep this one on track somehow... :) His sweet smile has made each day a little brighter. Here's hoping next week will be a little less vent-worthy.

With the arrival of a new year comes the hope that good things are in store. It's a fresh start. I'm going to forget where I fell short last year and instead focus on being the best I can be in the days to come. This year, we watched the ball drop with Ryan and Bekah (my 17 year old brother-in-law and his girlfriend of two years). We took time during the final 30 minutes of 2011 to write down our resolutions for 2012. I asked them to list any hopes they had for the coming year, along with any goals they plan to reach. For Ryan, I'm sure graduation and college are on his list, although I won't know for certain what anyone listed until the end of 2012. Our lists are sealed in a special jar that will remain closed until we open it on December 31, 2012. By then, we will have likely forgotten some of what we wrote and it will be fun to see how much we were able to accomplish! My mother began this tradition years ago, and even though sh...