Mushy Post

Okay so I will try really hard to keep my Mushy Monday posts on Monday! My lovely sister Julie and niece are in town again and I like to hang out with them as much as possible so sometimes that means I slack off in other areas - my blog, my house, my groceries, etc. I was sick last week so I didn't go grocery shopping either so we are running out of food, today Kyle said, "Ummm babe, the house is kind of going crazy. There's no food, no dishes, empty boxes everywhere (from what food there was)..." (He wasn't mad, he was mainly teasing me but also asking when I was going grocery shopping)There is food and there were dishes, just clean in the dishwasher.  But I totally agree, we need more food and I definitely need to straighten up the house and put away the dishes, I just don't feel like it. Oh well it will get done - probably straightening up before the grocery b/c the weather is looking a little gloomy.

This post is not going to be one that I need for my memory's sake, unlesss I completely lose my mind for some reason. But I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo (not enough o's to get my point across) thankful for my parents. My mom and dad spoil me, Kyle, and Tommy rotten.  They watched Tommy for a whole weekend, which was just intended to be one night, so I could get our house cleaned (which I did do, but now it's a little messy again, that's just how it goes) but also and I would say mainly b/c they just love spending time with Tommy. Last week was not the most eventful for Tommy since I was sick, he spent a lot of time playing in the family room and not getting to do much else. But I know when he goes to Nana and Pappy's house that he gets to do all kinds of fun stuff. He goes swinging, on wagon rides, to visit the neighbors. Tommy has his grandparents wrapped around his finger. If he even starts to whine, Nana runs to him to entertain him. I am so thankful that we live close to each other and are able to spend so much time together.  They are a huge help. My mom makes good food when we visit sometimes and when Kyle is working I just take him the leftovers home for dinner (which is super nice when you haven't been grocery shopping) or my parents will take us out to eat for delicious dinners too. They are extremely generous with their time and their money and they always tell us how much they enjoy spoiling us.

In the past couple of years I have been able to see how much of a role parents play in their children's lives.  Kyle worked at a home for troubled boys and it was apparent how integral each parent is to a child's life. And this may sound dumb, but even from watching a few shows on Netflix about addicts - there were so many who had a parent who left or some major issue with one or both of their parents.  But when you have good parents - you don't know what it's like to have bad ones, and I'm glad I don't know what that's like.  It makes me appreciate my parents.  And now that they are grandparents I appreciate that role they play too, not everyone has super supportive grandparents who want and ask for their grandkids to spend the night b/c they want to take care of them and have some quality time with them.

So thanks Mom and Dad, Nana and Pappy! Kyle, Tommy, and I love you so much and we appreciate all that you do!

This is one of my very favorite pictures of Tommy!

Mushy Monday

Okay so I'm late again - this is starting to be a theme but oh well at least I'm posting something.  Okay so I have a super sweet post that I just thought about a few minutes ago so I'm glad I didn't post yesterday.  This is something that I never, ever want to forget but more than likely I will tuck it away somewhere in the back of my mind as Tommy gets older b/c there will be so many new and different things he is doing.

So one of the key things to calming Tommy down and getting him to fall asleep is to softly stroke the side of his face, specifically the right side of his face. And also rubbing his little head, in the direction his hair is parted. I don't know what it is but he absolutely melts when I do this and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. When I'm rocking him to calm him down before a nap or bed, if he's tired enough he'll lay his head on my chest and I'll stroke his face and I do it really close to his eye, I don't usually touch his eye (sometimes I do to see if I can feel him blinking to know if his eyes are closed and he's starting to drift off) but it encourages him to close his eyes and relax. And he has such soft sweet baby skin. Aww it may seem like nothing to read this but my sweet baby will not always let me do this and to be honest it would be a little weird if I was doing this when he's 15.  So I cherish his little sweetness.  He is such a boy, he loves to wrestle and play rough, watch cars, play ball, throw things, get into things and explore. But he still cuddles his mama when he's tired.  I have stroked that face and brushed that baby's hair with my hand so many times I don't even realize I'm doing it sometimes and that's when I thought - I never want to forget these sweet moments.  I mean who doesn't love a sleeping baby?! And let alone when they fall asleep in your arms.

We've been trying to comfort Tommy by patting him and not picking him up when he wakes up during the night b/c he automatically lifts his arms up for you to pick him up.  But let's just be honest, can I really resist my precious boy putting his arms up for me to hold him when he wakes up crying. No way jose! But if he doesn't fall right back to sleep after I hold him for a minute I lay him back down and I'll stroke his face and hair and when he's almost asleep he rolls on his belly into my hand so I can get the right side of his face. Melts my heart.

A not so Mushy Thursday?!

So I didn't post anything on Monday half way b/c I forgot and I also just haven't been feeling very mushy! That sounds weird to say feeling mushy but you know what I mean. But there have been lots of very fun and enjoyable times we've had lately and that's probably one of the reasons why I haven't felt extra soft hearted -I've been tooooooo busy!

Last week my sister Julie and my little niece came to visit. That was a lot of fun! Tommy really enjoyed spending time with his sweet cousin. Over the past couple of months he has started liking her more - before he just wasn't interested. But he does allow her in his personal space, which means he likes her. It's always fun to spend time with my sisters and my mom. We went out to lunch, went on walks, just let the kids sit around and play. We tried to take some cute pictures of the babies together but they weren't happy at the same times.

Then this past Tuesday my mom and I went to see one of my other sisters, Jeanne, and had lunch with her and went shopping. Jeanne found a super cute pair of flats for $9 at payless and I copied her and got the same pair a 1/2 size bigger. Jeanne is pregnant with a precious baby boy! I love to see and rub and kiss her belly! (Just like one kiss to tell little Eli I love him)

Kyle had fall break last week which was really nice too! I think we'll both be so excited when he's done with school, which who knows when that will be. But I really do love spending time with my husband and it makes me feel so good to know he enjoys spending time with me too. It's funny b/c when we're home together it just feels more complete and when the other is gone, even though we probably wouldn't have even been in the same room doing the same thing we still know the other is missing. I love being married! And I can't believe we will have been married 5 years in August! It sounds like such a milestone. Anyway I've been super thankful for Kyle as my partner in parenting lately too.  Tommy has started throwing fits and they're pretty hard to get him to calm down from.  We're trying to figure out the most effective way to discipline him and keep our sanity.  So at the wise suggestion of my husband we will putting him in time out in his pack'n'play (that way he won't fight going to bed b/c he thinks he's in trouble) this way it will separate him from the situation and give him a chance to calm down, and so we don't have to hear him whine and cry and scream the whole time. We're also trying to push a second nap back into his schedule. I think a second nap will work wonders but it is hard to fit into his schedule. But I'd rather have a quiet sleeping baby then a crying/fussy/unhappy little guy.  I'm just so thankful I have Kyle to think rationally and to just flat out make decisions of what we're going to do sometimes.  I try to think of too many solutions and then don't end up being consistent with one.  And I feel so frazzled in the midst of it that I need my logical husband to just say, "let's try this..." And I love that I can trust him to make good decisions for us - it's not in a controlling way that he makes decisions b/c he always listens to my thoughts and sometimes we tweak what his original thoughts were but I definitely desire and appreciate his leadership in our marriage.

Once again I am so thankful for what the Lord has been teaching me about emotions and feelings and how they are so deceiving and they are not truth.  When Tommy was having a really rough day I told Kyle I didn't feel loving towards Tommy. I know I love him and I know I'll never stop but when he's throwing a tantrum it's hard to think, I love you. And in those moments I'm not "enjoying" motherhood. I'm so glad I have Tommy and I'm so glad he's ours and I know with all things the bad comes with the good. And I was just thinking from God's perspective too how I make it so hard for Him to love me. I sin and rebel and throw fits b/c I'm not getting what I want. And I also related it to marriage too, sometimes Kyle is a lot easier to love than at other times, and I know the same goes for me. But I know the Lord will always love me, I know I will always love Kyle & Tommy - no matter what my "feelings" are. Hopefully that makes sense.

Mushy Monday

This weekend we were able to walk and raise money for a local organization that supports individuals with Down Syndrome, along with their families.  They have served as a great resource for us so far and they will continue to more and more as Tommy gets older.

Here's a picture of Tommy's Team:

Aunt Jennifer, Tommy, Nana Jan, Aunt Sherry, Ken, PawPaw Rob, Grammy Patti, Pappy Dave, and me

It was a pretty chilly morning! But we all enjoyed the walk and look forward to doing it again next year. It will be fun as Tommy gets older and he can get excited and feel special that we are all walking for him.

My heart is also very thankful and sad today.  Another mom, who I met through the Down Syndrome organization, lost her three year old son yesterday.  My heart aches for her and her family.  I cannot even imagine what she is going through.  I am so very sad for their loss. I am so grateful that God is in control but if I were her I fear that I would be angry with the Lord.  But no matter what in my heart I know that God is sovereign and He is good and I'm glad He is in control.  It also makes me thankful for Tommy's health - that may sound selfish - but I think any parent who has lost a child would desire for people to be thankful for what they have and not take it for granted.