Precious Little Time

My boys are so precious. They are cute, cuddly, funny, and active. I know that one day way too soon they will not be calling me to march down the hallway or read one more book or dance ring around the rosie with them. They are starting to play together, which is so much fun to watch. I am so glad they are forming the bonds of brotherhood at such a young age. I hope that those bonds continue to bind them closer together as they get older. I hope that they will consider each other true friends throughout their lives.

We took Ethan to the pediatric cardiologist in Dallas yesterday. Thankfully, the doctor fully expects that the VSD will close by itself within the next year or two. We will have to go back in 6 months for a follow-up visit. Being told your child has a heart defect makes you stop and think about how precious life is, and especially how precious your little miracles are. I hope my boys will one day grow to understand that a parent's love is unconditional and eternal, just as the love of our heavenly Father is.

Motherhood

It is almost 4am and my precious 6 month old is awake. He has been up since a little after 2:30am, so I am starting to get tired. Yet, as I sat in his room just now gently rocking him, I couldn't help but savor the experience. There is no pleasure in life quite like rocking a baby to sleep in the quiet early morning hours. A joy that is indescribable fills my heart whenever I look at either of my two boys. God has given me so much. Motherhood is such an incredible blessing.

4th of July

We had a great 4th of July. We went to RiverBlast on the Red River. that has become kind of a tradition for us. Isaac loved all the fireworks, and seeing the B-52 fly-over, but I think his favorite thing was being so close to the trains and watching them pass. Ethan watched the fireworks for a while, and then fell asleep. I was surprised he slept through it as loud as they were! Of course once we got home the boys were wide awake and it was after 1am before they went to sleep, but we all had fun.

He's Growing Up

Isaac was at my parents' house today and it was time to go, but he wanted to ride on the 4 wheeler with my dad. As he rides by, he says "Bye Mommy, See you tomorrow!".

This Old House

A word to the wise: NEVER buy an older house. Our house was built in 1979. We were 1 year old. We bought this house because we love the layout, but there is so much work that needs to be done. We spent the first 2 years fixing plumbing problems...ech. Almost everything in our house (carpet, appliances, etc.) is almost as old as we are. Of course, Kevin and I thought it would be fun to update the house ourselves. It has been fun, but it has also been very expensive! We are slowly redecorating, one room at a time. Ethan's room is still bare, but we have put down a wood floor, painted the walls, and it now looks like this.

We desperately need to put new carpet down in the living room, but that will have to wait a while as we just replaced the roof and the air conditioning unit.

We are seriously considering selling if we can make enough of a profit to buy a mobile home, put it on my parents' land, and then put a lot of money into savings each month. In about 5-6 years, we will have enough to build our own home. Of course, that kills any plan of me being a SAHM in the next 2 years. I know God has a plan for us, and I am listening intently to Him and asking Him to guide us in each decision we make.

This house already holds so many memories though. We brought both of our sons home to this house. It is huge - there is so much space. The layout really fits our lifestyle. So, I will continue to pray and weigh all of the pros and cons of moving. This would be a major lifestyle change for us. Are we ready for that? I'm not sure, but it makes life exciting!

My Brave Boy

I just have to brag a little about how brave Isaac was when we had a bad storm night before last. He asked Kevin what the storm was, and he told him it was thunder and that it was ok. So, Isaac went to bed, but we could hear him every once in a while reassuring himself "thunder ok". It was so cute - he says ok like Buckwheat (O-tay!) - and he never once cried or yelled for us.

Ethan's 2 month checkup

I took Ethan to the doctor today for his 2 month checkup. He is growing great! He weighs 12 lb. 8.5 oz. and is 23 inches long! He got 3 shots and an oral vaccine for rotavirus. I don't understand why they have to overload babies with vaccinations so young. I seriously considered declining a couple of the vaccines, or at least postponing then. He's not in daycare, he stays with his Meme, but he does have an older brother who goes to daycare/preschool, so I guess he is exposed that way. He's not feeling very well now (I wouldn't be either!). So, I'm trying to figure out what I am diong for the rest of my spring break. I was invited to a Pampered Chef party tonight, but I think I am going to skip it. Kevin doesn't think he has anything going on with the band tonight, so it may just be a night at home watching the new Grey's Anatomy. Ethan sounds like he is starting to wake up. I better check on him.

Spring Break!

Spring Break began for me at 3:19 PM CST today.

Spring Break. Normally when you hear this phrase you immediately think of college students on the beach soaking up the sun. Spring Break means something a lot different to me now than it used to. When I was in grade school, spring break was simply a break from school. We would go visit family, or maybe make a trip to Galveston. In high school, spring break became more time to spend with friends, but also a short family vacation - camping in Arkansas, going to see the Alamo, visiting the state capital. In college, spring break meant I either went home, or took a trip with friends to the beach or to Disney World.

Fast forward a few years. I am now a mother to two young boys. One of my students asked me today what I was doing for spring break. I told him I was planning on sleeping and playing with my babies. "You would think that would be fun" was his response. It's true. Fun for me now is playing race cars with my 2 year old or gazing into the eyes of my 2 month old. Instead of soaking up the sun, I am soaking up the cute phrases, first smiles, and the laughter of my children. Spring break has never meant more to me than it means this year. It means I get to spend precious time with my children.