Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Cole....

Happy Second Birthday To You!

 I am starting to realize that you aren't so much my baby anymore are you?

Lucky for me, you will always be my baby. When I close my eyes and think back of this past year my sweet boy I see your silly grin. Oh that dimple. I hear your laughter. I hear you yelling at the top of your lungs MOMMA! I see you running and figuring out how to jump with both feet. I can see you drop your right shoulder and dance like it's no ones business. I can see you raise both your hands up and at the top of your lunges yell YEAH whenever someone says it's almost your birthday. I see your sweet eyes as they light up when your brothers walk in a room. Can I just tell you they adore you. 

You have brought so much joy to this family. You are the craziest of them all but you 

are the one who is the biggest mommas boy. You bow your sweet little head to pray before you eat. It melts my heart. You melt my heart. You love pizza and anything that has to do with throwing/kicking/hitting/bouncing any type of ball.

You are obsessed with bubble baths. You and I have our own language. You can talk for 5 minutes straight and I know everything your saying. It's great because it's our secret language no one else can understand it like I can. Everytime before bed what do I always whisper in your ear. Who's mommy favorite little boy. You have the same smirk every night. You point to yourself and then wrap your little arms around my neck and squeeze me as tight as you can. 

You are my baby.

You are my snuggle bug.

You are my lover of crazy.

You are my loud one.

You know no fear.

You are joy. 

You make my heart smile.

You are a perfect gift from above.


 I love you with every ounce of my being. 

Happy Birthday My Sweet Baby Cole!

*Thanks to Nikki James Photography for capturing some of my favorite moments with my boys!

A Unpredictable World.

Toddlerhood {N}

There are many things happening in our castle. One of the many worlds we have entered in again is Toddlerhood. Which can I tell you, it's intense. You would think because he is my third I would be used to the intensity of tears, joy, excitement, and laughter that abound. I am not. It is exhausting at times {not in a bad way}. The things that he finds funny are seriously HI- lariously funny. Like turning his head and running at full force not having a clue at what he might run into, or dancing and spinning his little body is ways I have never seen. He has me literally in tears. He has the kinda laugh that when he gets going his little eyes go Chinese and he gets this enormous grin on his face. Did I mention the belly laugh? The kid cracks himself up. Which in turn makes anyone and everyone around him belly laugh. When he's happy, he's really really happy.

Yes, he has found that if loudness comes from his mouth {aka yells at the top of his lungs} his brothers laugh uncontrollably. So, the pure shrieks of joy have begun. It is ear piercing and makes me CRAZY but he thinks it's the best thing ever. He has endless curiosity and no fear right now. Really? Why is he not scared of climbing on the play microwave and balancing his little body on it. No fear. He claps for himself as I almost have a heart attack and as I watch Coach W laugh at this kid. Our kid. 

In this world of toddlerhood the word 'NO' can make the little guy crazy. For example, you may not climb in the dishwasher while mommy is emptying it or better yet no you may not 'steal' the remote control and press every button known to man. On a side note- the kid is a genius. He found the remote {he has radar on that thing} and DVR'd one of the Basketball playoff games. I am pretty sure he was trying to score 'favorite kid' points with his dad. {Don't tell the other boys but I think it worked}.

Toddlerhood is ever changing, intense, unpredictable and pretty much exhausting but there is nothing like it. It refines you as a mom. Yes, there are MANY days I want to join in on his tantrums and fling my body on the ground and scream like a crazy person{seriously, how great would that be?} but I wouldn't change this time for anything. I wouldn't change a thing about my Cole. He is crazy loud, ever so snuggly, hilarious and just plain perfect. I am forever thankful that I am his momma. 

Today, I don't want to forget.

The way I feel when I look at you my sweet little boy. 

As I peeked in your room tonight I didn't want you to see me

but I had to see what was going on. You see, I could hear the sounds of a giggle

that was only your giggle. As I peek in your room, I see you on your knees laughing 

and then slamming that little body down on your belly. 

Then you would laugh to the point of squeeling and then repeat.

 Almost as if you were practicing

for when you are big enough to take your brothers down. 

I was holding my breath as I peeked through the slightly opened door. 

You make me hold my breath so I don't laugh. 

{Not many people can make me feel the way you do}

As I watch you then stand up on your little blue elephant sheets and I see you act like you are blowing something. I can't quite figure out what you are doing.... UNTIL.... I realize your fan is blowing your mobile that is hanging from the ceiling. You sweet little boy don't realize it's the wind from the fan. So, you keep puckering those sweet little lips and pushing those little cheeks out. You clap your hands together. 

You are so proud.  You're laughing. 

I can't hold it in. I start laughing. I walk in and you reach up... 

as I lean down to pick you up I can't help but hold you and smile.

You make me smile. You make me laugh. 

You make me proud to be your mommy.

Patiently. Waiting. Praying. Anxious. {all over a Penis} PART DEUX

My blonde hair, blue-eyed love with Wii controller in hand shouts,"Hey, Captain Whiny Pants go play with sompin."

This little guy has been let's just say a tad bit on the needy side the past couple of days. Maybe because he knows that tomorrow he is having surgery on his "instrument" {as the Urologist called it}. I have heard it called many things but an instrument. Okay?! Remember this post? Well, tomorrow is surgery day. I have to say I was at total peace with it after we went back last week but now... I am getting a little anxious. {sigh} I know. I know. It will be fine. I know it's a ten minute procedure. I know that he has cut over 300 little penis parts this year {ouch}. BUT... I also know that my sweet baby is little, he doesn't understand why he will have an IV. Why all of these strangers will be around him. Why he will be in a little gown and out of his favorite feety pajamas. One day, I know he will be happy that we did this. One day, he wont look at me with tears as they take him into the surgery room. {sigh} I don't know if I can do this. I have no choice. So, I will do it. I will pray. I will pray and then I will pray some more. and I will tell the doctor if he hurts my sweet baby I will cut his penis off 

So, for tonight and tomorrow I will cling to this verse. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." 
~ Phillipians 4:6

To My Sweet One Year Old.

Good Morning my sweet baby. Can you believe it? You are ONE today! A year ago, I can remember those last moments before you entered this crazy world. I looked at your daddy and said, "He is coming now." You and I buddy we did a good job. You were here in a split second. My sweet baby. 

Can you believe you are one year old? I can't. It has gone so fast. Too fast. I have been amazed to see the way you have learned how to maneuver in this crazy world. You are doing just what God designed your sweet little body and mind to do. You have learned so many things. How to roll over, sit up, army crawl {with crazy speed}, laugh, hold your sippy, take your brothers toys, hold a football, walk and to melt my heart.

 You have made your spot in this family... your family. You have made this year a year full of hugs, kisses, lullabies, giggles and love. You have filled my heart with a love that is only for you. You have made me a softer mommy by the your sweetness and gentleness.  

 This year it was moving, crawling and walking that Jesus taught you how to do but soon it will be patience, character, loving mercy and walking humbly before our awesome God. My sweet baby you have so much ahead of you. So much to look forward to. So much to learn. This, for you my sweet boy, is only the beginning.

Happy 1st Birthday!

All My Love,

Mom

linked to Things I Love Thursday

Tomorrow you will be ONE.

Happy Early Birthday My Sweet Baby Boy!

For more Fabulous Wordless Wednesday photos, visit 5MinutesforMom.com and Wordless Wednesday.

Patiently. Waiting. Praying. Anxious. {all over a Penis}

{Sigh}


Yes, you heard me right. I can't sleep/I feel uneasy/ I feel anxious/ ... all because of a penis. No, don't worry. I am not pregnant. If I was, I have to be honest would I be devastated? No. Who knows, maybe I will have 4 or 5  sweet little men running around or maybe I will just be thankful, hopefully, joyful and content with the three that I have. Time will tell!


We are on our way to take My Sweet Cole to Children's to meet with a specialist. The last time we were at Children's we had to stay overnight with my sweet angel. He was so sick. I was so frustrated. I didn't want him to stay. I wanted him to be at home with me not in a hospital crib with oxygen on him and a IV sticking out of his little baby arm. The one thing I can't get out of my head is how many sick kids there were. You know, I think we I take it for granted. How often do we actually take time to be thankful for the healthy children we have been so richly blessed with? I know I don't do it enough. 


I remember being so couped up in the room.  I needed to get out. I decided to just walk. I ended up on the floor where all of the precious children who are battling cancer were at. I can remember wanting to curl up in the fetal position and just bawl my eyes out. My heart ached for these sweet children who are so sick. I wanted to make it all better. I wanted to give them something that would make them happy and take away the pain. I wanted them to be able to feel like a kid, if only for a few minutes. I remember feeling so convicted. I prayed and asked the Lord to forgive me for being so selfish. I didn't want to be at the darn hospital. I didn't want MY little boy to be laying in the hospital bed with an IV. Here's the thing, my sweet Cole was going home the next morning. He would be fine. He would be laughing, crawling, walking in no time. However, I bet if I go back up on that same floor today, there will be some of those same sweet angles still fighting that terrible disease. Shame on us  me for not being more thankful.


My smiley little man and his penis will soon meet the Urologist in Cincinnati. I am sure he will be great and my sweet baby will be fine. Nothing major but he will have to have surgery on his penis. {when he gets older he is so going to kill me for writing about this} We still aren't sure what happened. If it was a bad circumcision or if it just didn't heal 100% correct. Anyway to spare you the details he will have to be put under and have his baby penis worked on. Thankfully today we just chat with the surgeon to find out all the details before we schedule his surgery.


{sigh}


Since my dad went to be with Jesus almost a year ago I get very anxious when I go to hospitals. They never bothered me before. I don't know if it's because his death was so unexpected and I spent so much time sitting, waiting, praying, crying, questioning and pleading or if in the back of mind I am scared I will lose someone close to me again. What I do know is this....


"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." 
~ Phillipians 4:6


So today I will keep this verse in the forefront of my mind. As you go about your day I challenge you to do the same. Be thankful for the ones around you, this life is way too short not to love more, dance more, sing more, laugh more and pray more. 

My Sweet Baby

I can't believe

in two months you will be ONE. Look at you!

You have a happiness about you that is captivating

 and a smile that is simply contagious.

  You're on the move, all the time.

You LOVE to bang things together.

The louder the better.

{which is another reason God put YOU in our family}

You are pulling up on everything, and putting every little 

thing on the floor in that sweet, drooling mouth of yours.

You love to crawl into the middle of the floor and

slowly stand to hear the applause from your biggest fans {us}.

   

 

You are sweet beyond measure

 and one of the three joy's of my life.

Happy Birthday...

Can you hear that? That sweet giggle? 

It's the sound that melts my heart and make me realize that I am blessed far beyond what I deserve.

Happy Nine Months to you my sweet, sweet baby.

You Love...

Look at you my little love.  I can't help but LOVE every single 

roll on your sweet little body. Oh my, do you see the drool? 

These pictures capture just how funny you are.  You have

figured out you can make your own faces and you had me

crying I was laughing so hard at you.   

My sweet little boy, You are just a few days shy of 8 months. Here are some of the loves in

your sweet little life right now....

--- you LOVE to put your little face on the vents just so you can gasp from all the cold air---

--- you LOVE to sit and watch your brother play the Wii ---

--- you LOVE to smile ---
--- you LOVE  your two brothers around you. They make you laugh like noone else--- 
--- you LOVE to laugh --- 

--- you LOVE to eat ---

--- you LOVE cheerios ---

--- you LOVE to make silly faces ---

--- you LOVE your momma ---
 You, my sweet baby are the clingiest of all. You can spot me from across the room and the look on your face is priceless. You are NEVER more than a foot away from me.

--- you LOVE to army crawl that little body of yours right over to me---
--- you LOVE me holding you --- 
--- you LOVE the water ---

--- you LOVE soccer balls, actually you LOVE all things that are shaped like a ball---

--- you LOVE for me to put my hand of your little cheek while I rock you to sleep---

--- you LOVE to watch me dance ---
 I am guessing because I look so funny doing it but you belly laugh everytime.  

-- you LOVE to crawl to the kitchen and look at yourself in the mirror --

-- you LOVE when I come in your room to get you up from your naps --

-- you LOVE to be naked and show off that cute dimpled booty --

-- you LOVE your paci --
-- you LOVE to make noises --

-- you LOVE to be by the fireplace and put your little hands on the tile -- 
-- you LOVE to just be with the family; you are so easy going, sweet, lovable, squeezable and most of all happy--

While you were growing in my belly I can remember thinking.... Who will you look?  Will you have a dimple like your brothers?  Will you be laid back?  Will you be a snuggler?  Will you have blonde hair or brown hair?  You are far more than I could of ever dreamed.  You are still so small and have no idea what this crazy world is like.  Thankfully, I can protect you for right now. So, that I will do. I will love you and squeeze you for as long as I possibly can.