Can You Spot the Problem?

I love my husband. We had a big storm recently that produced A LOT of thunder, lightning, wind and rain. In the process while I was gone at yoga and while Tony was having a particularly tough time with Cole, the handle basically fell off the screen door of our main entrance to our house. Tony decided to tackle trying to fix the handle before we had to go out and buy a whole new door (we have other projects we would rather put money into.) Bless his heart, with a lot of hard work he got it fixed and this was the finished product. Can you see what he did wrong?

Fruits of Our Labor

Earlier in the summer we collected (and Cole ate) strawberries from our property. Well a few weeks ago the raspberries came out and now, the blackberries are starting to ripen. It is so much fun for me to go and pick the fruit Cole is eating and he seems to love it just as much, encouraging me to get "more" and "more" each time as he signs "more" while I pick :)

Mom Monday

Enjoying Daddy's presence on this train ride :)

You Know You're A Mom When...

- You do the same stupid thing over and over because it makes your child laugh.

- You find yourself taking a nap when your child does.

- You endure over 20 mosquito bites just to collect berries for your son from the bushes around your house because he wants them AND you are allergic to their bite and now have been itching and swollen at the sites of the bites for 4 days but you go out and do it again tonight because he asks you to!

- You enjoy chores now because your child makes them fun.

- You have now managed to master showering and shaving with a little guy in the shower with you. (Yes people, I know my time showering with him is limited!)

What do you have to add?

Curly?

I mentioned my hair is naturally curly (see post below) so after washing and air drying it tonight (as I do 99% of the time) I took a pic for you all so you can see what my hair naturally looks like. What do you think? Curly or straight? My Mom always hated when I would "comb the curl" out of my hair. I have now embraced the curliness but do enjoy when my haidresser straightens it...it is such a process that I have never done it on my own so it usually is only straight once every 3-4 months when I go to get it cut :)

Before and After...

So in case you haven't figured it out...I cut over 12 inches off my hair today to donate to Locks of Love. I have been growing it since before my wedding in 2008! It has seen me through my wedding, pregnancy and 1 1/2 years of Cole's life! I was a little attached and I was beginning to really love the length. However, I was also feeling ready for a change so it was time. I am happy to know my hair is going to a good cause, which made doing it so easy. Now, I will start growing it again for donation!

Some things I liked about long hair....
- I could style it many different ways.
- My hair is curlier the longer it gets.
- I think it looks pretty from the back when I wear it down.
- It is fun to twirl in your fingers :)

Some things I like about short hair...
- I like that it just glides over my shoulders...with long hair I was always lifting my hair out of the way.
- I feel like my face is less lost among all that hair!
- It is less work to wear it down.
- It is cooler in all this humidity we have been having!

Some things I need to get used to with the change...
- Using less shampoo!
- I am still lifting it over my shoulders (which is no longer necessary!) because it apparently was second nature to me.
- I am more limited in the styles I can wear my hair (e.g., no braids, no looped ponytail, etc.)
- The fact that there is 12 + less inches for me to grab! I find myself reaching for air now :)

So what are your thoughts? Like the change? No? Let me know!

Oh one more thing I HAVE to share because it is too funny...or at least I think so! I took all the photos myself setting the camera timer and resting the camera on a shelf in our bathroom closet so I (as you can see) smiled in the photos including the ones where my back was too the camera! LOL. I laughed as I caught myself doing it but still did it with each photo I took (there were some photos that didn't make the cut.) Wow huh? :)

"Uh-mah"

Last Sunday was "Jazz Sunday" at church and I decided to bring Cole. Sunday school is going on and although Cole was invited to come despite being 1 1/2 instead of the required 3 years old, I chose not to bring him and thus, since Sunday school is going, children's service is not occuring downstairs and it is just daycare right now on Sundays. Why am I telling you all this? Well because that means Cole doesn't come with me to church much in the summer. However, I decided to bring him this past Sunday since it was "Jazz Sunday" and he LOVES music. He sings, dances, plays guitar (we bought him a kids size one) and taps along to any beat. So I was sure Cole would love this past Sunday. However, I was nervous once we entered the church and I looked around. Literally, no kids present. Gulp! I am confident in my ability to judge Cole's behavior in that I often remove him before anyone notices he is starting to get loud. So, I decided we would stay and see how it went. I am glad I did because Cole LOVED it. He danced, tapped his toe, bounced and shook his little finger like nobody's business. A lady I know from work saw me at work this week and told me how well behaved he was and said she loved how I just cuddled him on my lap. Also, some random lady I haven't seen before that was sitting next to us asked permission to take his picture (she took several) because she thought he was so stinkin' adorable. Can you hear the proud Mommy voice? :) Anway, I digress again. The thing I found just as cute? "Uh-mah" Cole proudly blurted out after the congregation said a prayer and then said, "Amen." He then continued to say this after every prayer and all night Sunday. He now loves to shout out his amens to the world. I love it! I pray over him every night but I am thinking now is the perfect time to start saying a prayer with him before bed. It will give him another opportunity to shout, "uh-mah" and there is nothing wrong with that!

Friday's Fun Facts

Cole is as usual doing so much and getting so big! As of the 15th he is now 21 months old! WOW!

Here is what he has been up to lately...

- He continues to assert his independence. He continues to say, "No!" and put his little hand up to tell you to stop because he wants to do whatever it may be himself.

- He continues to talk more and puts more and more words into 2 or 3 word sentences. He also has started repeating much more.

- His comprehension and attention to detail continues to amaze me.

- He has conquered the fear of and is able to easily drive, his battery powered truck. He is pretty cute driving it...steering sometimes still requires some assistance from us :)

- He continues to LOVE Papa's tractor.

- He continues to ask for water before bed but I have stopped that...he pees out of his diaper sometimes still so I stopped that habit!

- He continues to like Dada to do the reading and putting to bed (remember I said he insisted on it since I couldn't do it when I had pneumonia in February?)

- He now likes to pretend to lick you (and have you do the same) and then say "Ewww!" after. This came from a time he licked me and I said that and now it has become a game :)

- He can now lock and unlock doors...makes me nervous with his bedroom now!

- He continues to LOVE to be outside no matter the weather or temperature.

- He has become quite comfortable in the pool and often swims with Grammie in her pool.

- He continues to love dairy (mainly his milk and cheese.)

- We bought him a potty seat because he now tells us when he is peeing and pooping but he has not wanted to go on the potty since :)

- He now loves to take a shower with Mommy or Daddy more than he likes baths (he usually requests showering with me...I know my time is limited on this since I am a woman and he is a boy!)

- His bedtime is around 7:30 but he will play quietly in his crib if he isn't tired.

- He continues to take one nap in the afternoon for about 1 1/2 hours.

- He LOVES the train. We ride it at least a few times a week and he is now fond of the goats they have there that you can feed :)

- He continues to LOVE to help with anything.

- He continues to love to mow the lawn while I actually mow :)

- He continues to love to scare away squirrels and chipmunks and finds it funny to watch my horror when he scares away the birds.

- As you can see in the picture above, he continues to love his lion lovey.

- He also still loves his blankie and "ba" (pacifier) but we now only allow the "ba" at naps and bed and he adjusted to that pretty well.

Gosh, there is so much more I could say. I will close for now since I am sure you are nodding off by now if you haven't already :)

Love you little man!

Thankful on Thursday....

Back when I was trying to get pregnant with Cole I was constantly sad that it may not happen. This time around, I am sad with the struggles I am having to conceive another child but I am also forever thankful. I wasn't even sure with my multiple fertility issues that I could even conceive at all. I prayed every night for a child and struggled with patience; it turns out that God's timing was perfect. Thus, I remind myself of this as I struggle again and thank God in the same breath for the precious child I currently have, Cole. He is the light of my life and this Thursday I am thankful I was given the chance to have a child biologically. It is everything I imagined and so much more. Cole is such a precious gift, God's timing was perfect. I wait with baited breath for God's perfect timing again while I am forever thankful for the gift I already have that is now a constant reminder of the miracles that can come from having a little patience and trusting in God.

Wordless Wednesday...Precious

Mommy's Great Helper

I vacummed today (which I HATE doing) and Cole was thrilled. He loves to vaccum so this is what he did while I then put clothes away...



The kid is more thorough than I am! See how he is making sure to get way under the bed too!? Poor kid probably feels he has to pick up where I slack off!

Memorial Day Camping

Yes, you read it right. I am just getting around to posting our camping trip on Memorial Day. We had great weather, great company and a great time!

Cole was anxious to sit in his seat for the picnic table :)

Dadda happy to be sleeping in the toddler bed (complete with bed rail) because of the next picture...


Cole decided sleeping with Mama was better :)






Can you spot Cole on the tractor ride? We rode it every day :)

Sometimes you just want to put on your bunny ears....

Poll Results: Chores

All I have to say is, "what?!" The majority of you said you don't mind chores!? Wow. I am in shock. I really don't know what to say. I hate housework with a passion. When I finish a chore I don't feel good about getting it done. I don't feel good about keeping my house neat. Housework is not fun doing it and it only makes me feel bad for not feeling I do it enough or well enough. The only thing that has made it a little better is that Cole loves it. He vaccums, sweeps, does laundry, etc.; he even scrubs the tub while he showers! I must say, it is a little more fun when my little boy joins me :)

Am I a Grown-Up Yet?

Cole insisted on wearing one of my t-shirts the other day. He has grown-up so much lately and reminds me more and more of a boy but seeing him try on my t-shirt the other day and "swim" in it reminded me he still has a long way to go :)

Beating the Heat