Confession & Nyah Photos

Confession time over here. Gotta get some stuff off my chest. And of course in the grand scheme of things, anything I mention in this post is absolutely miniscule. But I have to admit that I think I have self diagnosed blogger burnout. As in I am so tired of hearing my own voice, my own thoughts, ideas, and opinions. I am bored with myself but I feel a certain guilt when I take long hiatus from the blog, like I'm a blogging failure, a total drop out.  I know there are family members out there waiting to see what is going on with the children they love and I feel like I am letting them down when I don't produce. 


So I am going to get back to basics. Get back to what this little blog was intended to be about. Remember what I wrote in my first post ever?

My main reason for starting this blog is to make sure our family, both near and far, can share in   our life. I know I am not the blogging type, I am not a writer nor do I claim to be. I am using this blog as journal to record this beautiful life I have been blessed to live. I don't want to forget a single second. I also think it will be nice for the girls to look back and see what inspired and motivated me at this time in my life. So this blog is for our girls, my family, and me. Enjoy if you choose.

So that is what I will be providing from now on. Little updates of the kids here and there, weekly? Monthly? Who knows. When I get time to collect my thoughts and then type those thoughts is probably when it will happen. But those moments seem to be few and far lately. 

Elsa is in such an active, curious, talkative and awesome phase right now (like always) and the time she is awake is precious and I want to give her 100% of me. Jude needs so much love an attention right now (as always) so that means I am constantly loving on him/holding him during his waking hours so that means I have to get busy doing the stuff that makes our family clean and healthy during nap time. And when Ny gets home from school, it is on. Referee, judge, and chef me is needed and I have to be on top of my game. 

So, hopefully this is just a passing thing and I will get my time and inspiration back, but who knows. Thats the funny thing about me and creativity. It seems to come and go. With the blog the creativity in me stuck around for almost a good two years. Lets see what the future holds.

With that being said. Here is a little Nyah photo update. She has turned into the ultimate babysitter, specializing in little brothers...

For the record, the little leopard number Ny is wearing is a hand me down and is worn inside the house only. George almost choked the first time he saw it and naturally, Nyah adores it.

Our Vanity

I am not sure if I've put this out there yet, maybe in passing, or maybe I've purposely kept it to myself. I guess I haven't said it loud and proud because it has taken me awhile to come into my own in this area of life. 


I put it off and put it off, knowing it was the inevitable when we found out we were expecting Jude. I put it off so much that we didn't pull the trigger until the day Jude was born. You heard right. As in push baby out. Check. Bond with baby. Check. Go buy mini van. Check. All in a days work, thanks to George. 


We saw Jude and panicked and new we had to have a way to get our boy home from the hospital that didn't involve squeezing a car seat into the back seat of our truck. Thank goodness for those post delivery endorphins, where everything is grand, "What pain of pushing out a 10 pound baby naturally? In fact, lets have another baby!" or I might have never agreed to purchase a family vehicle. 


Not sure what my reservations were. Probably just all that is associated with a mom who drives a mini van. I had the idea that there would be nothing cool about it. That I was all but throwing in the towel to a life of blahness, soccer balls, Baby On Board sign stuck to the back window, and a life lived in mom jeans.


It wasn't until recently after spending some time in the South, where huge SUVs rule the roads, that I have really started to actually embrace my role as mini van driver. And dare I say, that I now drive proudly from point A to point B? Yikes. 


When I pull up to preschool pickup flanked by monster SUV's, I am always reminded why I love everything the mini van stands for. Comfort for my kids, convenience, and practicality. Because hello, Yukon XL, I mean is any of that really necessary. What is the purpose? And if you drive a monster SUV, more power to you, but I will most definitely be walking with my head held high when we meet at the gas pump. 

There is one other mini van driving parent at Nyah's school (yes, only one) and our mini vans are what sparked our bond. Outcasts stick together. And yes, we have fist pumped each other after pressing our automatic doors as we watch our kids poured in from a distance.

Nyah calls our van, "Vanity" which couldn't be more appropriate.

I guess you could say its official. I have crossed over. Judge as you might. But how far we've come from the days of strapping the car seat into the back of the Jeep.

His Eighth Month

Both of our girls' eighth month of life was defined by their mobility. But so far, Jude's seems to continue to revolve around snuggling with his Momma. Life is good but I feel like I haven't had the chance to put any of it down because my arms continue to be forever full. Not a bad problem to have, I know. But naptime is now solely dedicated to catching up on everything. 

Life from my point of view.

Jude is not crawling, yet. I am sure the fact that he doesn't like to play on the floor alone for longer than 10 minute spurts (if I am within eyesight) might have something to do with it. He seems to be in no rush to get moving and hasn't even discovered the fun rocking on his hands and knees. He is in no rush.

When I put him down. 

But then with a little sweet talking he can look like this thirty-seconds later. What am I supposed to do?

Jude has madman curiosity. As in must have anything within reach in his hands and in his mouth now, including place mates under full plates of food, Elsa's hair (one of his favorites), and shoelaces, just to name a few of his favorites. 

He is eating little crackers and things he can feed himself but still isn't really into the mashed baby food thing. I feeling like I am forcing him anytime I feed him and I am not into forcing my kids to do things I want them to do. It never really works out for me. He will probably be like the rest and go right for rice and beans. Where's Grandma when we need her?

Elsa calls him, "BayJude", short for baby Jude and Nyah calls him, "He's just sooo cute!" in her highest pitched voice. Nyah constantly tells him how proud of him she is which is beyond sweet. He is sleeping so much better, waking only 2-3 times per night which we are celebrating. Feels good to feel human again. 

Just a few observations.

Where Elsa was complete joy from birth, Jude makes up for with the gentle way he touches my faces, finds the sweet nook of my neck to snuggle into, or flashes his wide dimpled smile at me as our eyes meet the moment I discover he has been watching me do what I am doing from across the room. 


Where Nyah was demanding as a baby, Jude might have her beat. Jude is the quiet balance to the girls' constant chatter. Where the girls' were mobile early on, Jude has them beat with brute strength, loyalty and his curiosity. 


So drastically different each of them are but one thing is constant, their sweet smiles. Jude's is by far the widest but they all have a way of wiping the slate clean, refreshing my mind, and bringing me back to a state of calm, better prepared to face the next challenge the day will inevitably bring.

Happy eight month of life to you our littlest love, you are our joy.

Here is a quick video of Jude lately. The video is horrible. Part was filmed in the dark, (what was I thinking?) but behold the sweetest voice ever and hey, he might not crawl, but he sure can jump.

Bath Time

What kind of record of Jude's sweet life would this be without the inevitable bath time photos. I can't believe this is the first bath photo we've taken of him but it seems I usually give him his bath when it is just the two of us. So he was safe. Until now.

The days of sink bathes are almost over for this guy. He is getting way too big for our tiny sink and he splashes like maniac. I am sure the sisters would be overjoyed if he were to make an appearance in the bath tub but I don't think he's up for that madness quite yet.

And I would love to include a photo of his hair spiked up or combed over like an old guy here but his hair just won't be styled. The curls rule and take over immediately after the comb leaves his head, lucky for him.

Sending Our Love

Sending our love on this day and always in a hand-me-down, thrift store, make the most of what we have and beat this holiday at its own commercialized tendencies kind of way.

Well, all except Jude's overalls. (They fit Aunt Diane and we love them. Thank you!)

So take that Valentine's Day.

Hope you are feeling our love and wishing you a day that turns out exactly the way you want.

 Ours? Well, it's off to a great start.

The Backyard

Though the color of the water in their lives has changed a bit, it still seems to have the same appeal. 

Water has such a way of drawing them in. Today, to do some "fishing". 

This is the body of water behind our house and up until this point, we had not let them get down and dirty in it yet. There is a steep incline heading to the water where they have the opportunity to build some speed. I have such fear that one might run straight in since we don't have a fence up to prevent this, yet.  (And now you know what I think about at night when the lights go out.)

But yesterday after they had had their share of picking flowers weeds to give each other and me, chasing each other, and squinting into the sun, I finally gave in. The worst that could happen is that one would go in and I would just have to stand up and go in after them. Big deal. 

How could an island momma have a fear of the water for her children you ask? Well, I don't know. It happens. Maybe because they aren't strong swimmers and I usually don't have all hands on deck since Jude has staked claim to them, and since the water is now in our backyard. Who knows? But this reminds me that I must get around to scheduling those swim lessons. For my sanity.


But I am so glad I dropped my fears for that moment because they had so much fun being kids. Must check myself more often. 

His Seventh Month

Look who decided to start sitting unassisted and sprout a tooth all in one week.

Raising kids is such a sight to behold, their advancements, their changes all on the way to becoming their little selves. The future is so unpredictable but I sometimes think of the day when we will be able to say we have three children who are _______. Be it potty trained, college graduates, friends, married, happy, and the list could go on forever. 


The pride a parent must experience when children grow in to who they are meant to be, accomplishing milestones and rights of passage along the way, must make parents feel like total champions. 

So for this little moment in time, yes, I am celebrating that I have three children who can sit unassisted. I am so proud. Let the checking off begin. 

Jude has let a little bit more of his personality out this months. And I think its pretty typical, but he wants me to hold him all the time. If I am within eye sight, he usually has his eyes on me letting out little whimpers for my attention. George is wonderful at distracting him though so the girls can still get some love, we can eat cooked food, and have clean clothes, etc.


He is a full on beast with this teething business. Anything within his reach is in his mouth with a vicious head shake to follow, chins and faces of others included.

I mean look at those puppies, ready to bust out.

And though I would like to report major advancements in his sleep situation, well that is a milestone of our dreams. I try not to dwell on his sleep patterns or lack there of but, well, he sleeps for two hours spurts at the max day and night. That's it. But we are hanging in there. At this point I realize he is waking out of habit or out of teeth growing pain but there is no solution. We are here for him. 


He can seriously cover some ground rolling and get to whatever it is he needs. He mimics us when we click our tongues and babbles, "Dada dada dadada," all day long. The moment his diaper comes off his hand heads south and stays there until he is dressed again. Boys. Congrats on that major discovery, Jude.

He is getting sweeter by the minute and his grin absolutely makes our world a better place.

Happy seventh months sweet boy.

Stating the Obvious

Finally, as promised, George with Jude in ERGO.

On that note, I just have to go ahead and state the obvious. I can think of nothing on this Earth more attractive than a good Dad. I am sure so many Mothers, Grandmothers, Great-grandmothers, etc. out there can agree. It does it for me.

And this brings to my mind a quote I mulled over many times during our Indiana summer. My Mom had it taped to her bathroom mirror, there for the taking. I read over and over, seeing more and more in it each time I took it in.

"A good man leaves and inheritance to his children's children"

(Proverbs 13:22)

We couldn't ask for anything more.

And no, this is not going to become a religious blog, but I did have to ask Elsa to borrow her Bible so I could look this verse up. Thanks for sharing Elsa.

Play

A few days ago I reorganized and changed up the kids play area a bit. As you know, their "playroom" is in what is supposed to be our dining room but the space works much better as a playroom, for now. Honestly, they just bring whatever is occupying them for the moment to play with next to us anyway, so we're just going with the flow. 

I also find they look at books so much more when the books are placed out in the hub of our family hangout space. And I am happy anytime my kids have a book in hand. Because who really wants to have to retreat the isolation of a bedroom to take in a few books? (Me, me!)

So after the change up, they woke up and got right to playing with such Christmas morning vigor. Giving such concentration to things that have been around forever. I guess the change in location, different groupings, or the discovery of that missing piece somehow made their things shiny and new again. 

For us, an organized play area is key. Because from watching these little ones day in and day out, it seems to me that play and learning are one and the same. I want to provide them with a clutter free learning environment so they can play, and thus learn, to their fullest potential.

I couldn't help but snap these photos, so early in the morning (one still with no clothes), as they were so intensely playing, because it was really one of the first moments all three of them were fully engaged in play together. They were doing it peacefully without mauling one sibling, which usually happens to poor Jude, or finding the others toy the absolute best thing ever invented, must have it right now or I will loose all control and act completely uncivilized.

They were each doing their own thing, deep in their own thoughts. Though this only lasted a few moments, I hope there will be many more mornings like this to come with these three. Because how awesome would it be to have two other siblings, so close in age, to navigate and discover this world with? 

Must rearrange and reorganize more often (and find a more gender neutral rug).