Jax : 8 months

8 months has gone by already and I can still remember that feeling of holding my sweet little boy in my arms for the first time. I remember the chaos of the delivery, asking if it was a boy or a girl, the feeling of overwhelming joy as I was told that God had given us another perfect little boy, looking at his swollen, blue face as he screamed and screamed and the feeling of realizing that I was a mommy of 2 boys! I believe that every child God gives us is for a reason. Growing up I always thought I wanted one of each and just assumed that is what I would get. Never did I think that after having my first son I would want another one, but I did. When I was pregnant we did not find out the gender, I am a person that loves surprises and so Dave went along with my wish (even though he really wanted to know) and we waited until the baby was born to find out. Everyone I talked to always assumed that I wanted a girl; I already had a boy so I must want a girl next….right? In my mind I tried to tell myself that I would be happy with either and of course I would have been but my entire pregnancy I couldn’t turn that part off in my heart that really really wanted another boy. So when the doctor told me that I had another son I was beyond overjoyed and overwhelmed. God had given me 2 sons, it was what I wanted but there was also a reason for it. He had entrusted us with these boys so that Dave and I would raise them to be good men, men who will some day (God-willing) grow up, marry and have children of there own, men who will follow God not just by there words but by there actions. When I think of the responsibilities we as parents have in raising our children it is overwhelming, its also a lot of work but there is no greater joy in my life right now than my 2 boys and if that is all God gives me then I have been truly blessed!

At 8 months Jax is:

• Sleeping 10-12 hours a night

• 2 naps a day (1-2 hours)

• Sits by himself

• Reaches for toys and bangs them together

• Claps when you say “Yea Jax!”

• Scoots and rolls, pulls knees up under him

• Makes lots of sounds (dada being one of them)

• Nurses 4 times a day and has baby food in the morning and evening

• Eats almost any baby food (except green beans)

• Likes puffs and real bananas – he is just starting to get the concept of using his gums to mash up small bits of table food

• Grabs food with 2 fingers and puts in mouth

• Stands in his crib while holding on to the rail by himself

• Cries when mommy leaves the room (but doesn’t care when anyone else does)

• Smiles all the time, laughs when he is tickled and hardly ever cries.

• Laughs and smiles when Colt talks to him

• First tooth!! I just felt it today poking through on the bottom right side. Hopefully he is like his brother and doesn't bite when his teeth come in!

 

 

I love you baby boy!! Daddy and I are so excited to see the plans God has for you.

Lynden & Best Friends

Me, Randi & Luca, Jess & Gavin, Julie and the new mom-to-be Court with my baby boy Jax.

We made the trip over to Lynden for the weekend for Court's babyshower. It was so much fun getting together, all 5 of us lived together in a big house in college and we have some of the best memories together. Now we all are married, living in different parts of the state and as of next month all of us will have at least one child. Between the 5 of us we have 8 boys and Court will add the first baby girl due on my birthday next month. Once Court's little girl is born we will all have had a baby within 9 months of each other (Jax Pemberton, Kyler Price, Luca Butorac, Gavin Chase & Baby Girl Stacy). I guess you could say we have been a busy group this last year, though I am not sure our husband's would agree.:)

Randi & Luca(2.5 months) and Jess & Gavin (2 months)

Lots of mommies feeding lots of babies.

 I am sure if some random person walked into Julie's house this weekend they would have been weirded out by us. Luckily, our husbands are all so used to it they just work around us!

We all stayed at Julie and Chris's which meant 10 adults and 8 kids in one house. We all just tried to sleep where we could find space. Dave found the couch and slept through the 5am chaos too!

Early mornings are the new norm but that just gives all of us girls more time to catch up!

The boys spent lots of time trying to do there favorite activities (cards, basketball and fun games) but had to work around the kids. I am sure they sometimes wish it could be more like old times before kids but they are good about helping us out and always seem to have a great time too.

Jax, Randi and Luca.

Wyatt and Colt

Gavin and Kyler

Boys being Boys!
I can't believe how great all these kids did together all weekend. I honestly can't remember them fighting once (at least no big blow out fights). They had some little arguments over playing with toys but for the most part they ran around the house chasing each other, playing with toys and just being boys. It made it enjoyable not to have to worry about them fighting or someone hurting someone else.

Wyatt

Brody

Colt

Court & baby girl

These pictures of Colt and Crew cracked me up.
They had the funniest breakfast conversation the morning before we left. I can't remember all of it but it went something like this:
Crew: Jesus is in my heart
Colt: No He's not He's in the ceiling (pointing up)
Crew: No Jesus is in my heart (pointing to his heart)
Colt: (looks at Dave) is he?
Dave: yea Jesus is in your heart
Colt: but he's in the celing too right?
Shane: Wow this is deep conversation for a 2 & 3 year old.
Anyway, I know that wasn't exactly how it went but that was pretty close. It was funny and got everyone laughing. Dave and I are so lucky to have such a great group of friends. I just wish we all lived closer but it is great to get together and enjoy each others company and be able to stay in one house and not go crazy with each other. I miss all of these girls like crazy all year long and look forward to our gatherings every couple months.

New Wheels

This post has nothing to do with Jax but I snapped this picture (excuse the quality the iphone is not a great quality camera) at 5:35 this morning. How can anyone be this happy this early??

Dave has wanted me to get a new car ever since Jax was born. My Subaru with 2 kids in carseats and the front seats needing to be pushed forward to make room for the kids is not the most comfortable car (or safest) to be driving. When it’s just me and the kids it is fine but when Dave has to ride with us he is miserable (and he looks miserable too I should have taken a picture so you can see just how smashed he was). We have been looking for about 7 months now and we had even test drove a couple (Sienna, Excursion, Tahoe) but it seemed like when it came time to make a decision I always backed out of it because it meant we would have a car payment. We have not had a car payment on my Subaru in almost a year and since we are looking at me taking a year off or going part-time next year I did not want to add to our expenses now. So even though I did fall in love with some of these cars I decided I love my kids more and would rather drive a tiny car with no payments than have a huge car with payments that would require me to keep working so I could afford them.

Then today after school Dave shows up with a blue Tahoe and asks me if I want to test drive it. From the outside it looks fairly nice, it was older (99) but had low miles (less than my Subaru) and was in good condition. He tells me the price and then says “I think we can bargain with them and do a trade straight across with the Subaru.” At this point I am pretty excited because I have always liked the Tahoe’s and it would mean lots of room and best of all NO CAR PAYMENTS!! So I get in the driver side and much to my dismay the entire car is blue! Everything is blue, the carpet, seats, dashboard, steering wheel, it even had blue lights (okay maybe I am making that up) but seriously it was just too much blue for me. I immediately thought of my little sister Marni and knew the minute she got in this car she would start making fun of it (not that I really put that much emphasis on what Marni thinks but I knew she would be the only one to actually tell me she thought it was ugly). I drive it around and even though it drives nice and has lots of room I just could not get past all the blue. So we drive it back to the dealership and when we get out Dave points out a Dodge Durango for sale towards the back of the lot. I know very little about cars and at this point just wanted to go and pick up the kids but Dave insisted that we go and look at it. The first thing I noticed was that there was no blue on it (thank goodness), it is kind of a gold color and when I look inside I notice all the seating is leather (even better), it has a 3rd row seat so if I really wanted to I could fit 6 of my kids in there (or my 3 kids could each have a friend and all fit). It also had low miles and was a 2000 and it was a little cheaper than the Tahoe (and no blue!!). I started to get excited but at this point it was getting later and I really wanted to go and get the kids so we told the salesman we would be back in awhile to test drive.

After returning with the kids, we loaded all of them into the Durango and took it for a drive. I fell in love, it was comfy and there was so much room for the kids and for all of our stuff. The best part (are you ready for this): MY BOB FITS IN THE BACK!! I always hated that with the Subaru because if I wanted to go running or walking with the boys I had to always go right from the house now I can meet my friends downtown and go for a walk or run or whatever. I tell Dave this is the car I want so we go in and meet with the dealer. I hate this part because I get so uncomfortable asking for things, lucky for me Dave is a pro at it. We sit in this tiny room with Colt on my lap and Jax on Dave’s and Dave tells the guy exactly what we want and after a little back and forth between the two men we leave with my new car and still no car payments (and Dave, of course, got exactly what he wanted).

I am now the proud owner of this Dodge Durango:

We are heading over to Lynden for the weekend and are going to take the new car. Hopefully it does not dissapoint but I have a feeling I am going to love it. Its a 6.5 hour drive both ways so it better be comfy!

Colt's growing up!

My sweet first born is no longer a baby anymore, obviously he has not been a baby for quite awhile but recent happenings have made me even more aware that he is getting older! The first being that he is an AMAZING big brother to Jax. He loves to interact with Jax, he lays on the floor beside him while I am making dinner or doing chores and will tickle Jax and make him laugh. He gives him his binky when he is sad and likes to pull his binky out of his mouth and make faces at him until Jax smiles or laughs. It is really the sweetest thing. We went bike riding tonight and Dave pulled both the kids in the bike trailer, when I rode up alongside them I look in the the trailer and Jax is sleeping and Colt is holding his hand and tucking the blanket around him so he doesn't get cold.  Then later when I was in the shower I had put Jax on the floor with some toys and Colt was downstairs with Dave, I could hear Jax laughing so I poked my head out the door and Colt was laying beside him on the floor blowing raspberries on his stomach. I wish I could have gotten that on camera because Jax was laughing so hard and it was the sweetest thing. Though Colt is a typical 2 year old boy and does his share of naughty things he does have the sweetest heart.

If you look closely you can see he is wearing underwear. Potty training is underway and though I have been trying (unsuccesfully) since September to get him potty trained this is by far the best he has done. Before it would usually last a day and then the next day he was back in a diaper. He has been wearing big boy under for about 2 weeks now and this week my brave babysitter told me to send him to daycare in big boy underwear. He has his share of peeing accidents and has had one poop accident but for the most part he is doing really well. For the most part he is good about telling us he has to go but sometimes when he gets to playing he forgets and will pee.  It is so nice not to have to change 2 year old poop anymore though! I will post later (once I know this is a success) about the trials and triumphs of potty training. I will say that it is probably one of the worst parts of being a parent though.

He is really into playing outside on his bike right now and shooting hoops. One of my friends has a basketball hoop that her boys have outgrown so she is giving it to us and Colt is so excited about it. Colt talks ALOT and says the funniest things.

On my heart.

We made it home from Boise after a quick whirlwind trip. Yesterday was a long day but the boys both did so well and were so easy to have around. Everyone got to enjoy them and of course Randee was a huge help with them at the funeral and the reception afterwards. The weather was so nice this afternoon that I packed a lunch for Colt, loaded the boys in the stroller, took a long walk and ended up at a park close to our house. We spent some time playing on the swings, running around the grass and going up and down the slides. I even let Colt hold Jax going down the really small one (which they both loved). After all the fun I put a blanket down and we sat on the blanket and had a small picnic of pb&j sandwiches, oranges, and pirates booty. Colt loved the whole idea of a picnic and was being so funny; smiling and making Jax laugh. It was such a fantastic afternoon spent with the boys and as I sat there and watched the two of them interact I felt a wave of peace and happiness come over me. In that moment I also felt a wave of sadness as well.

One of my best friends from college has a friend that lost her 5.5 month old son to SIDS last week, I did not know her but I had followed her blog a bit because we were both pregnant with our 2nd sons at the same time. When I heard what had happened it hit me like a ton of bricks because it dawned on me "that could have been my baby", I found myself holding my baby tighter that night and crying for someone I had never met and who probably does not even know I read her blog. I am not one to question God's ways but when I heard this awful news I did question why bad things happen to good people who live there life following God and never question Him. The truth is that nobody has the answers except Him and we are given one life on this earth and the only one who knows how long we will be on this earth is Him. I wish I had figured this out earlier in my life, maybe I would have cherished the last 28 years of my life a little bit more, maybe I would have worried less and read my bible more, maybe I would have spent more time talking to God and praying than talking about other people. My hope is that throughout the rest of my life I will do these things and with each waking moment I will remember how much He gave up for me.

This post is heavy and I didn't mean to share so much but so much has been on my heart lately. I will leave you with a picture of my youngest just to lighten up the mood!

Missing big brother!

Well this face does not look like one that is missing Colt. Jax was up early this morning and was a little crabby and since Colt stayed the night at Papa and Di Di's last night I thought I would get a picture of Jax crying (is that a horrible thing for a parent to say) and show everyone how much Jax misses Colt. Of course the minute I got the camera out he just starts smiling at it over and over again.

This was as close to crabby that I could get Jax to look!

He is not one to cry or be upset for very long or very often. I am hoping that never changes! We are missing Colt here this morning, especially me, the weekends are our time to wake up, snuggle, drink coffee (or milk for Colt) and watch cartoons together. We are driving to Boise today for Dave's grandma's funeral and will stay with my little sister for the next couple days. I need to go fill up on some coffee so I can stay awake for the drive!

I just couldn't decide.....

.......which picture was the cutest!

 

 

 

 

Also, just to be clear I do not play favorites and only take pictures of Jax. It's just that he is the only one that will not run away from me when I am trying to take pictures!

Random updates

As I type this Dave and I are sitting in the family room watching a movie, Colt is staying the night at my parents and Jax is asleep in his crib (where he has been since 6:00, hopefully I will not pay for that tomorrow morning). We had an awesome day which started nice and early, followed by coffee (for me), milk and bananas for Colt and some nice warm milk for Jax, as well as snuggles on the couch while watching cartoons. I let Dave sleep in this morning and put both boys in the stroller and went for a run, I had to promise Colt we would go to the park at the end of the run in order to get him into the stroller. It rained last night and so all the playground equipment was wet so Colt and I (holding Jax) had fun running around the soccer field and doing lunges together. We got home and made breakfast together and spent the rest of the morning just relaxing around the house, helping Colt with his letters, letting Jax nap on my chest and watching some football. My parents have wanted to have Colt spend the night for quite awhile now but I was having a hard time parting with him (I feel so guilty leaving him every day for work that on the weekends I feel like I need to spend every moment I can with him), Colt really wanted to go though so I let him and of course they are having a fabulous time! It has been odd only having Jax and Dave mentioned to me tonight that this is how it was when Colt was a baby. Having only one is so much easier and quieter, but I do miss the noise and the bedtime routine and Colt constantly coming up to me and giving me random kisses!

We have been trying to get back on a schedule since Christmas break and it has taken some time to get us all adjusted again. Dave and I have been trying to make a conscious effort to not plan a bunch of extra things right now and spend all our time when we are not working just being together as a family. Between work, everyday chores around the house and the kids we are still keeping pretty busy but at least we are not running all over the place trying to do a bunch of activities and wearing ourselves out. More than ever right now I just want to spend my time at home, snuggling, playing or running around with our boys. Track season is just over a month away and lasts from March 1- May 30 (the day before Jax's 1st birthday), those will be long days and the weekends will be busy with track meets as well so I am savoring as much time as I can get with the kids before the "crazy" sets in. Though I did not make any big new years resolutions this year I did tell myself that I wanted to try and really enjoy each and every moment that I have with my family and not focus on what is going to happen next week or next month or next year.

Better sign off. Dave and I have a hot date in our bedroom with the cribbage board. Winner gets a big long back rub....I can't wait I ALWAYS win at cribbage!

Playing with his toys.

After Colt was done sledding Dave decided to have some fun of his own. I am so glad we have a 4-wheeler so he can give Colt sled rides and spin around the neighborhood having fun by himself. Such a good use of well spent money!

Sledding

We got some snow and  Dave decided to take Colt sledding around our neighborhood.

 

He hooked the sled up to his 4-wheeler and pulled Colt around for a good hour. Colt refused to let him stop, he was having such a great time.

 

 

"Again Daddy!!"

 

I went out to take some pictures of the boys sledding and put Jax in the baby bjorn facing outwards, he loved it and I thought it was pretty cute that I am the one taking this picture but he still smiled for the camera with no coaxing.