First Day of Kindergarten

Well, we did it...we survived the first day of kindergarten! Mommy made it through with very little tears, and I was the only one in the family that cried at all! Tucker absolutely had a great day! I went in to work early, and Patrick dropped off Carter & Presley so he could take Tucker in on his own. As soon as we got there we saw our sweet friends and that got Tucker even more excited. Patrick took him to his room and he settled right in.

I was lucky to see him quite a few times in the hall, (so I got in extra hugs and kisses!), and I was also able to have lunch with him while my kids were at recess. Every time I saw him in the halls or in the building he seemed to be in a good mood. I gathered this about his day...
--His friend from the babysitter, Liam, sits at his table
--The girl next to him is named Alex, like his favorite character from "Wizards of Waverly Place"
--He puts his red folder in the yellow basket in the morning and takes it out at the end of the day
--In art they read a book called "Incredible Ned" about a boy who thinks things to life
--He was able to do "even the hard stuff"
--Mrs. Linthicum has a rug that has animals that are letters; the T is a tiger
--Mrs. Linthicum taught him not to "shout at Mommy if I see you in the hall" and that he can "give me a finger wave" (I'm pretty sure Mommy needed this lesson too!)
--At recess he played lots of things
--He played with the Color Tiles & Teddy Bear counters math tubs
--He forgot he had a snack but thankfully had some left over lunch (Mommy had packed the snack safely in his backpack, just FYI1)
--The soap in the bathroom was easy to pump
--Mrs. Linthicum is "great"
--Naptime was awesome because it was really short (probably because it's not really naptime!)
--He got a sticker on his tens-frame
--He got a smiley face in his folder
--He had "the best day" and he "loves this school!"

Can you ask for anything more??! What a precious gift to not only Tucker, but to Patrick and I to know he had so much fun in such a huge new environment. It is also so special for him to be at school with me because my sweet colleagues shower him with extra love and attention.

I have to include one more thing...my sweet friend Hollie works at our school (Carter's namesake) and her two boys Christian (4th grade) and Colby (3rd grade) are there too. Tucker knows Christian and Colby and thinks they are just the coolest kids ever. Well, it was the two of them that Tucker first saw at Boals this morning and he was so excited. After school Christian found Tucker right away and asked him all about his day, and the sweetest thing was that Christian responded genuinely and enthusiastically to Tucker, which made Tucker feel so important. Christian asked Tucker how his day was and Tucker said, "It was awesome! You should be in kindergarten too!" Christian was so cute to say, "You're right -- I remember really liking kindergarten." It was just precious to see him take Tucker under his wing like that.

So all in all, I'd say we had a great first day! Only 176 more to go...

From Birth to 5 Years in a Flash

Believe it or not, our Tucker Bear is starting his first day of school tomorrow morning. It is amazing how these days have been long, but the years have flown by. Where has the time gone? One minute he's Carter's age, and the next he's off to school.

I feel like the luckiest woman in the world being mom to this little boy. As each day passes I am overwhelmed by my love for him and for what a precious, precious treasure he is to me. How could I be so lucky?

If you're reading this blog, please take a minute to say a quick prayer for Tucker and the world that awaits him. I am so looking forward to seeing who he will become, and soaking up every minute of the ride.

My sweet, sweet Tucker Bear,
Tomorrow you start the beginning of the rest of your life. Each day will bring new adventures, new joys, new friends, and new experiences. Not all of them will be great, but you can make all of them what you will, and I know you will make them great. I am so proud to be your mommy. From the moment I found out you were coming I have loved you. Regardless of what the calendar says, you will always be my little boy. I will always want to hold you and kiss you, I'll always want to bind up your wounds and your brokenheart. I'll always want to laugh with you, and sit with you, and simply be in your presence. You are my heart walking around outside my body.

I pray tonight, my sweet boy, that you would dress each day in the full armor of our mighty God. I pray, in the name of Jesus, the Helmet of Salvation securely fastened on your head. I pray that you safely live by your Breastplate of Righteousness. I pray you hold firmly your Shield of Faith, and that you tighten each day your Belt of Truth. Be protected and prepared by the Sword of the Spirit, and walk in peace my Son with your feet always in the Gospel. In the name of Jesus I pray a hedge of protection around you. I ask our Father in Heaven to allow compassion and kindness always to greet you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, my Tucker Bear. There is no one like you. You're the one whom Jesus loves!!

Tonight I sit with tearful eyes and a full heart, so happy to have been a part of yesterday, and looking forward to tomorrow. Sleep well, my firstborn, and I'll see you at school in the morning!

All my love,
Mommy

Two Months Old

Today my Carter is two months old. (This picture is old but I love it! I'll be updating with current pictures soon.) We've had him for eight weeks and five days, and each one has been treasured. It's amazing the difference in the way you feel with your third child versus your first. Not in the love of course, I could never love either of my children more than the other, no not in the love but in the ease of self. I am so relaxed taking care of Carter. I remember with Tucker, and even some with Presley, how I would stress out when they would cry. The few minutes between them waking up, changing their diapers, and getting them fed would send my nerves through the roof as I listened to them scream. But with Carter, I'm able to just take it in stride, speak soothingly to him, and get done what needs to get done. With my third it's like I've realized I've done this all before (and not half bad, if I might add!) and I know what I'm doing. It's freed me to enjoy Carter all the more.

At two months old Carter weighs exactly 12lbs, so he has doubled his 5lb 14oz birth weight, and then some. Yesterday I put him in an outfit that says "3-6 months" and the next time I buy diapers I am bumping him up from size 1s to size 2s. He is growing so well! I can't believe my little NICU baby is doing so well. He is a great sleeper, sleeping in three to four hour cycles during the day and some five hour stretches at night. (I think if I let him cry a little more at night he may just fall back asleep...I'm thinking of trying it.) He eats really well, clearly, and he's started having a little more wake time between his naps.

Presley and Tucker are just enamored with him. Presley likes to "hold" him whenever he wakes up. She insists on sitting on the floor and we kinda put him in front of her and she'll wrap him in a hug...for about three seconds; then she's ready to move on her way! But she's gotta get her Carter-snuggle in before she's off :o) Tucker always hugs and kisses him whenever he first wakes up and is just as loving as he ever was with Baby Girl.

In two more weeks I'll go back to work and Presley and Carter will go to our fabulous babysitter. (I swear, if it couldn't be me at home with the kids, Melinda's is the absolute best place to be. I LOVE her! And she loves my kids. And her kids love my kids. I am SO blessed to have her.) I am so thankful that God allowed Carter to come as early as he did so I would be able to be at home with him that much longer. If he had come at 38 weeks as was planned I would be going back to work when he was only 8 weeks old, instead of 11 like he will be now. What a HUGE blessing. (For those of you that are wondering, yes, I could technically take maternity leave until about Thanksgiving time actually, but my Tucker Bear is starting Kindergarten in two weeks, and I just can't miss it! He's coming to school with me this year.)

We love you Carter Jackson! You are such a huge blessing to each of us.