Hide 'n' Seek, The Beach & My Big Boy!

Here are a few snapshots of our sweet "Baby J"...who turns 2 in just two days! He's really not such a baby anymore!!! *sniff, sniff!*

One of his favorite things to do lately is hide & seek...here he is, peeking out from behind some curtains I made to conceal all of Aaron's medical books...turns out it's a great hiding spot, and one of Monkey's favorites!

My sweet sister, Gloria, came in town for spring break, and we were able to go to the beach with her while she was visiting...it was a bit chilly, but as you can see, it did not stop Johnathan from having lots of fun feeding the seagulls!

He went through 3 bags of chips feeding those birds, and had the time of his life!

What wholesome fun!

Feeding the birds from his bucket!

I {LoVe} this picture...and what you don't see in it is me, crouched down under all those flapping and pooping birds, trying to get a good shot! I think I got it!

The boy's got an arm!

My sweetie pie!

Sitting down for a snack...feeding birds is hard work!

Sweet little sandy boy!

Precious, precious face!

We went to a Easter picnic over the weekend, and here is Johnathan in the big club house...what a big boy!!!

Ladies first!

My little dare-devil!

{26} Weeks...and looking every bit of it! Ha!

These were taken Sunday, week 26 of my pregnancy with sweet baby brother! Isn't Johnathan precious?!! He is already lovin' on his little brother, and really does seem to enjoy when I tell him that "his baby" is in there, growing and getting ready to meet him.
I can't wait to see my two boys together!

Here is my belly in all its 26 week glory!!! Haha...actually...scroll down, and then you'll see more of my belly beautifulness!

Belly {LoVe}

If you're thinking to yourself..."my goodness, I hope that she didn't actually go out in public like that!"...well, I did...to the beach...but with a t-shirt on top! At least I was NOT wearing a bikini...I have seen that on some preggo women, but unless you have a fantastically slim figure with just a baby bump it looks pretty disturbing! Just sayin'!

More pictures to come of Johnathan during our day at the beach...but right now I am going to take a nap!!!

*Grace*

You Are the {LOVE} of My Life

As of yesterday, March 22nd, 2010, I have spent 7 amazing years with the {LOVE} of my life. And I am still so very much in love!

I love you, Aaron!

Love, Grace

You Know You're a Mommy to a {Boy}Toddler When...

...You find yourself actually looking for bugs because you know that your little boy thinks that they're fascinating.

...You clap for yourself when you go #2 in the toilet because you're about to start some serious potty training and your son is watching and you want him to think that going poo in the toilet is cool! ;)

...You rarely wear perfume, but are almost always scented by smudges of oatmeal, or PB&J or whatever your son just had to eat when he decided during his meal that he needed a big hug so that he could get it all over you!

...Your days revolve around throwing and catching balls, playing baseball & basketball and generally involve some sort of sport activity at practically all times.

...You like the way your little boy smells when he wakes up from a good nap...a bit sweaty and like clean cotton...a wonderful little boy smell!

...You feel like a queen because you have a little prince who thinks that you're his world!

...You point out all the different colors of the cars that you see going by while you're stopped at a red light because your son is very much into "cahs" and wants you to draw them or play with them with him at home on a regular basis.

...You have to wrangle your little booger just to get him to bathe now...yes, all boy for sure! ;)

...You realize that the "prized possession" that your son just broke is just a material thing, and that almost everything can be patched up with super glue or duct tape.

...You enjoy sitting and watching his little movies with him if only to have a bit of snuggling time with your very active little guy.

...You melt when he wants you to kiss his owie to make it better...and are secretly pleased that your "big boy" still needs you to help comfort him.

...You make his favorite breakfast a few mornings in a row just so you can hear him laugh with excitement when he sees what he's getting to eat!

...You enjoy seeing him get a bit messy outside while playing with dirt, sticks and other naturally occurring stuff in the yard...all very boyish things that make you feel happy inside because you have a little boy who enjoys the outdoors and exploring the world around him.

...You are entirely worn out at the end of the day and look forward to going to sleep because you know that tomorrow will bring about a day just as wonderful as the one you just had...and all because you're the mommy to a little, precious, and nothin'-but-boy toddler!

Happy Weekend!
*Grace*

Why We Call Him Monkey

Earlier today I was talking to my sweet Mema, and during the course of our conversation she asked a question about Johnathan..."Why do you call him Monkey?"...and for those of you who might have wondered the same thing, here is how his nick name came about...

...see those sweet little fuzzy shoulders and back???
Yep, that's what started the nick name Monkey!

He reminded me of a little baby monkey, all furry and snuggled up, and even though his fuzz is all gone now the name Monkey sure isn't! In fact, the other day Johnathan saw a picture of himself and said "Monkey!" Looks like we're going to have to work on him with that one! We're trying to get him to say Johnathan, but Monkey seems to fit in a bit easier with his vocabulary at the moment, so Monkey it is!

So, sweet Mema, that's why his name, I mean nick name, is Monkey! I love you!

*Grace*

Monkey in a Cage & Playing Hide 'n' Seek

Last week our dog, BoBo, started acting up when we'd leave him home alone...he made a huge mess in the bathroom, and made me extremely furious as I tried to clean up the destruction that he had caused. I thought it was a one-time fluke...like maybe someone knocked on the door and set him off (he is very "protective" and goes crazy, barking like a rabid dog, if anyone knocks or rings the doorbell). However, when it happened 3 times in a row, especially after I posted a sign on the front door that says "No Soliciting, Please, Do NOT Knock or Ring Doorbell *Very Angry Dog Inside*", I knew that something had to be done. So a trip to our local Wal-Mart was in order to get Bo a kennel to stay in while we're away. When I brought it home and after Aaron set it up, Johnathan decided that he wanted to try it out before we put it in BoBo's room.

What a cute little Monkey!

Of course no Monkey cage is complete without a ball!

Sweet Monkey!

Looks like Monkey wants out of his cage!

Hello, sweet Monkey boy!

What a smart Monkey...trying to escape!

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A couple of days ago I was playing hide 'n' seek with Johnathan. I hid for a while expecting him to come look for me...but after a minute or so I figured that he was the one who was the "hider", so I went to go seek him, and look where I found him...

...he had climbed into this basket on top of the table behind our couch, and had snuggled down deep with his stuffed animals! What a good hider! Way to go, buddy!!! I love you!

On the Mend...and the Biggest Strawberry I Have Ever Seen!

Well, it seems as if things are on the mend here on the home front. Johnathan has had a good night's rest the past two nights, thanks be to God, and thanks to the awesome effectiveness of his new cough meds. During the last week his appetite had been really low, probably due to his sore ear (makes swallowing harder) and also to his sore throat from all of his coughing. This morning, however, the old Johnathan was back...eating a whole banana, one and a half Belgian waffles w/ syrup, a strawberry...a very huge strawberry (see pics below)...and about 1/3 of my breakfast burrito that Aaron brought me! Oh, and a glass of jugo (juice) too! He is a big eater, and that was one of the biggest clues that he was not feeling well...during the middle of the week he actually skipped dinner one night, completely skipped it, which was a big warning sign me to me that things were not right. I guess he's making up for it today though, because he was ravenous at breakfast, and only stopped eating because I stopped giving food to him...I didn't want his belly to pop! ;)

Needless to say, I am quite thankful that thing are normalizing around here. Right now the house is peaceful...both of my boys are sleeping...Johnathan is still catching up on his sleep from being sick, and Aaron just got off of a 24 hour shift...a very crazy 24 hour shift with 20 admissions to the hospital! He is on ICU right now, and I can't even begin to explain how rough having to admit and follow 20 patients in intensive care is...crazy! He was so exhausted when he got home, but now the soft crescendo and decrescendo of his snoring is a peaceful and soothing sound because I know that he is getting some much needed rest.

In the midst of all of last week's craziness, I was able to complete a few projects that I am happy about. I will be posting them soon on my other blog, which you can check out by going here! For now though, this mama is going to go and catch up on some R&R while my boys sleep!

Blessings!
*Grace*

"I Don't Want My Children to be Happy"

I found this post from a friend who had found it from the author, I guess. It has really impacted me, and I wanted to put it here so that I can refer back to it, and so that I can share it with all of you. For the original post and the blog where it was written, go here.

I have read this post about 10 times, and each time I read it I am inspired to be a better mother to my children...the right kind of mother to them.

Be prepared to be inspired!

*Grace*

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Dear Shepherd, Sissy, Maggie and Ikey,

Recently we were told by people whom we love and respect why they oppose our plans to adopt. One of the reasons given was that we would not be able to pay for your college education.

It's true.

You all have college funds - college funds which recently took a terrible hit - but "they" say that by the time you're 18, college will cost anywhere between $200,000 to half a million dollars each. You might as well know now, we won't be covering that. I'm telling you now, babies.

The people said that the day would come when you would look at us with resentment because you had to apply for school loans while many of your friends got a free ride from their parents.

Maybe you will. Maybe you'll resent us. I really hope not. But maybe I should tell y'all now why your dad and I have decided to do what we are doing.

I know you're going to think I am going off topic (I do that a lot) but several years I saw a story on a TV show about how the latest trend was for parents to give their daughters boob jobs for high school graduation (I don't know what they gave their sons.) When interviewing one of the moms, she said, "I just want my daughter to be happy." And as I tossed a throw pillow at the television, this really huge thought occurred to me: I don't want my children to be happy.

My goal as your mom is not your happiness, sugars. In fact, I spend at least half my day making you unhappy. If I had a nickle for every tear that falls in this home on a daily basis, we wouldn't need to worry about college tuition at all.

Happiness is fleeting, sweet babies. That means it doesn't last. It's a quick feeling that comes from a funny movie or a heart shaped lollipop or a really good birthday present. It's great. I love to be happy. But happiness is a reaction that is based on our surroundings. And our surroundings are so very rarely under our control. Even when - especially when - we think they are. So no, I absolutely don't want you to spend your life chasing something that has so little to do with your own abilities. You'll just be constantly frustrated.

There are two things I desire for you, precious loves. There are two things that I spend most of my time as a mother trying cultivate in you. Happiness ain't one of them. (This means, sorry, no boob jobs for you.)

The first is, I want you to be content. Being content is so much different from being happy. Being content is not based on your surroundings. Being content comes from within. Contentment is a spirit of gratitude. It's the choice you make to either be thankful for the things you do have, or to whine about the things you don't have.

As you know, because I've told you lots of times, Paul talked about being content. Paul said that he had "learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." And Paul was in some rotten situations, kiddos, really rotten.

How could Paul be content whether he was in prison or if his life was literally a shipwreck? Because Paul was constantly seeking to be in the will of God instead of his own, was constantly sacrificing his own comfort for the sake of the gospel, and was constantly being confirmed, strengthened, and blessed by God because of his obedience. He was given a supernatural power - that means something kind of like magic, God magic - to do things that most other humans could not do. And guess what? The bible tells us (in Ephesians 1) that God will give you the exact same power! If you want it!

Which leads me to my second desire for y'all.

I don't want you to be happy. I want you to be holy. That means, I want you to seek that God-power to make you content. I want you to want the Kingdom of God more than your own kingdom. And that's hard, babies, that is so hard. And that usually means passing up a lot of what the world considers happiness. But it means that you will achieve blessings directly from God that most of the world never dreams of because they are too occupied with the achieving the perfect birthday present!

This means you may be poor, 'in want' as Paul said, and that's okay. It will never, ever be okay with the world for you to be poor. So you'll be up against the world. But not your dad and me, loves, because it was never our goal for you to be wealthy - at least not in the way that the world considers wealthy.

Darlings, we love you so much. You will never even grasp how much we love you until you have children of your own, and then you'll get it, and then you'll apologize for the ways you treated us ;) But our goal is not to please you. Our goal is to please our Heavenly Father. And nowhere in the bible does the Lord command that we save our money to send our kids to college.

But the Lord does command us to care for the orphan around fifty times. He does tell us to care for the poor around 300 times. He does tell us that when we care for the neediest, we are caring for Jesus Himself. And in chapter six of the book of Matthew, He tells us to seek His kingdom first, and let Him worry about the rest, like college tuition. Because it's all His anyway.

They said that one day y'all would resent us for using 'your' college money to go and get your sister out of an orphanage in Ethiopia and bring her home to you.

But I know my babies. Even at your tender ages, I know your hearts, and I have already seen you weep for the least of these. I know the prayers I offer up to God that He and not the world would shape the desires of your hearts. I am trusting Him to answer those prayers.

So, sugarbears - I just don't believe those people.

Love,
Mommy

The Get Well Get Sick Tug of War

Well, it seems as if all of my get well wishes could not prevent my poor baby from getting sick...yet again! In the last month Johnathan has gone from having a double ear infection, to having RSV with a single ear infection in the left ear...and then just this past week when I thought all was well he started running a fever again and now has another single ear infection in the left ear with a cold and a nasty cough that started up last night...I bet he coughed every 15-20 minutes throughout the whole night, poor guy...and poor mommy...I am tired! ;) So, once again we're heading to his pediatrician...the pediatrician who we just saw earlier in the week and who I told "hope we don't see you 'til Johnathan's two year check-up!" Hopefully Monkey will get some relief from his cough, it is so hard to hear him coughing and to know that his little throat is hurting. He did not eat at all last night at dinner...a very first in his whole life...and this morning he is being extremely finicky with his breakfast and will not drink anything...not even the nice warm tea I made to help soothe his throat...oh, well, hopefully if he gets really thirsty he'll go ahead and take a few swallows.

In Belly Baby news, I had my check-up yesterday and there really isn't too much to report. Everything is going great, and my doctor is pleased with how things are progressing. I am going to have a C-section...Aaron and I discussed the option of possibly doing a VBAC...but after talking things over with my doctor yesterday, and finding out that he doesn't do VBACs we're going on with the C-section...which is just fine with me! I'll have my surgery scheduled sometime in the week proceeding my due date of June 27th...so expect baby boy Aldape to be born sometime the week of the 20th of June! There was a bit of an eyebrow raise from my doctor concerning my weight gain...too many dang Doritos!...so I have to be careful about what I eat now...which I should have been doing earlier, but it is so hard to resist those pregnancy cravings!!!

Even with my sweet boy being a bit on the sick side, this week has been good. My grandmother came into town and I was able to spend some time with her, which was really nice. I also got to hang out a lot with my precious baby since he stayed home from "school" this week...this has been both fun and tiring! He is becoming an early riser, and 7:00am is "sleeping in" now, and nap times are getting shorter, usually an hour or so, which makes the days long, but good!

Hope that all of you have a great weekend!

*Grace*