Jovie Claire @ 5 Months

oh my sweet girl, you are 5 months old already. you are no longer a newborn, you're a busy little baby! i can't believe how much i love you. i am so thankful the Lord knew how much we needed you in our family. you are a bundle of joy & a blessing to us.

you have definitely given me a run for my money the past couple of weeks! nap time has been quite the battle in our household. you do so great at night time. you put yourself to sleep & you will sleep for the whole night & then wake up in a great mood. but during the day, you just fight it so hard. some people have told me that you may be a baby that just doesn't nap. but i know that is not the case for you. if you don't get a good nap during the day then you are 100% miserable by about 6:30 pm. you will doze in & out all day long. you will sleep great if i hold you or nurse you to sleep. but i am determined to teach you. Jack learned it & it was the best thing for him. we think it might be a combination of things that are giving you a hard time. so, we're putting you back on your prevacid. we're just praying the Lord will allow your body to get some rest. you need it so much.

even though you struggle with naps, you are still a great baby. the ugly reflux is still lurking around but it has gotten better, on most levels. but we are thankful for the improvements. you are almost sitting up completely by yourself. its so adorable. you roll everywhere!!! its so funny b/c i can leave the room (for just a quick moment) and come back to find you have rolled across the floor. sometimes you will be under the pack n play or one of the side tables! you do a lot more rolling than Jack ever did! you are grasping & grabbing at anything you can. you try to pull your bottle & our cups to your mouth all the time! you are a very observant baby. we laugh all the time b/c you will just stare someone down! but you are always quick to give a big smile! we all love that dimple on your right cheek. you are also very vocal, you love to coo & talk to Jack, us or your toys. its so sweet. you love to play with your rattles, your pacis, diapers & your lovie. we have started putting you in the johnny jump up & the jumperoo & you really enjoy both of them. i'm so thankful that you are easily entertained!

bath time is still your favorite time of day. you & Jack now take baths together & you both have so much fun. you do so great in your car seat & out in public. we are grateful that you are such a content baby.

you eat 6 times per day, sometimes 7 when you hit growth spurt. you are still nursing & sometimes i'll give you a bottle of formula to top you off or if i know we'll be out running around. i must say that i love nursing you. mornings are my favorite. you will wake up around 6:30 to nurse. i put you in bed with me, you nurse & then we both go back to sleep until about 8:30 or 9 am. brother usually wakes up around then & i have to get up with him. you stay asleep, most of the time. you definitely sleep in your own bed, but i love those 2 hours each morning when i know you will be snuggled up next to me. so sweet. i'm trying to soak it in b/c i know you are growing so fast! you go to bed each night between 8-9 pm. you are an excellent night time sleeper, Praise the Lord!

you are still a petite girl. everyone always comments on your size. you weigh about 12 1/2 lbs. you wear a size 3 month in clothing & can still fit into a lot of your size newborn stuff. you are in a size 2 diaper. i love how little you are, its so sweet.

Jovie Claire. you are the most wonderful baby girl. you are always happy, smiling & chewing on your fingers! we are so proud of you. we absolutely love being your parents. we are so excited about watching you grow up. you are an absolute blessing to our family. i can't even begin to describe how much i love you. i'm trying so hard to remember each day & enjoy each moment. there are hard days but the good days & sweet times far outweigh them. i hope you always know how much we enjoy you. i pray you never think we feel obligated or weighed down by you. you are a joy.

Happy 5 months, my little jellybean. i love you more than you will ever know.

Jack @ 20 Months

little Jackabee, you are now 20 months old. i can hardly believe that in 4 short months you will be 2 years old. you are growing way too fast for me. i love that you are still my little toddler & i don't want you to be a big boy just yet. i am trying so hard to savor every day with you! you are just the sweetest & cutest little boy, ever. we are having so much fun with you & sometimes we are sad for you to go to bed at night! we just want to keep you up & play all the time.

i'm amazed at how much you learn each month. you are so smart. you have now learned how to pull doors closed using the door handles (thank goodness you can't quite open them yet!), drink from a cup with a straw (you've just never cared anything about it until now!), turn the water on & off at the faucet & you are attempting to put your shoes on yourself. it is quite adorable.

you understand pretty much every word we say. we can say things like:

"Jack, lets change your diaper" and you will run to the changing table & get a diaper

"Jack, do you have a dirty diaper?!" and you will say "yuck" if you are dirty

"Jack, can you put the hat on your head?" and you do it.

"Jack, are you ready for a bath/shower?" and you run right back to the bathroom.

"Jack, are you ready for a bite or a drink?" and you run to your high chair or the refrigerator

"Jack where is sissy or Jovie or baby (we have many words for her) and you run right to her

"Jack, lets go get Lola" and you run right to her kennel

"Jack, are you ready to go bye bye or get in the car?" and you run to the door

if i tell you dada is coming home soon, you run to the door. and whenever he walks in the door you say "HEY DADA" in the cutest voice. you also say "Hey Dada" when you see me, granddaddy, lolli, Jovie or pretty much anyone else. we've determined its your general greeting for everyone. but you do say it especially excited for your daddy. i love it. you have also started saying the word "HOT" and you know exactly when to use it. its amazing. you say it when we go outside, if the oven or stop top is on. if we hand you warm food, if hot water is running or when you walk around barefoot outside.

you are really starting to try & figure out how things work. you are very curious & into everything! recently, you have started trying to "help" me do everything. you want to help unload the dishwasher, fold clothes, push the vacuum, change Jovie, put my shoes on, shut doors for us, put up dishes & buckle seat belts. i love watching you learn. we are working on teaching you: colors, saying "i love you" & "Jesus", & holding up 1 finger when we ask you how old you are. i have no doubt that you will learn those things soon. you catch on pretty quickly. smarty pants.

you go to bed between 8 & 9 p.m., just depending on whatever we have going on. and you wake up between 8 & 9 a.m. you nap from about 1:00-3:30 pm each day. you are such a great sleeper & you wake up so happy. you take your lovie, puppy & blanket to bed with you each night. you are still in a size 4 diaper, size 5 shoe & size 18 months clothes. however, you can still wear a few things that are size 12 months. you weigh 24 lbs. you are still a pretty good eater but lately you have hit a picky stage. you want to eat chicken nuggets, cereal bars & chocolate milk for every meal! you still love to spin bowls. actually, you try to spin everything. its hilarious.

we are really looking forward to the rest of this year with you. we are moving in 5 weeks & you will begin the transition to a big boy bed. not quite sure i'm ready for that yet! in the fall, i'm going to start a motherwise bible study that will meet each tuesday morning. i'm excited about learning & you being able to play with some kids your age each week. we are taking 3 trips in the next 3 months & we are so excited to travel with you!

you are the most fun little boy. we are having a blast being your parents. and even though you must be disciplined each day, its so worth it. we can tell that you are learning & overall, you are pretty obedient. you have such a neat relationship with me & daddy. you give kisses to everyone & everything, especially Jovie. you are the sweetest big brother. we are so proud of you. you are truly the light of our lives & we never take you for granted. we love you SO very much.

happy 20 months my love. you are such a blessing.

Frustation

i am having a rough day. make that weeks. everyday is a constant battle to get Jovie to nap. i have tried everything. i have nursed her to sleep, rocked her to sleep, held her for naps, patted her back while she was laying down, given her a lovie, given her a blanket, tried keeping her on a strict schedule, propped her up, laid her on her back, laid her on her tummy, let her cry it out, let her really cry it out & driven her around in the car. i can. not. win. i'm telling you, its SO incredibly frustrating.

i know she is only 5 months old & that these things are usually only temporary. but right now, it feels eternal. please, just let me vent. if you have kids, you probably understand in some way how this can be so hard. if you don't have kids, just keep on living, you will most likely face this at some point. having a child is an enormous blessing, but sometimes the little things, like nap time, can give you a head full of gray hair, high blood pressure & a desperate need to pig out on an entire tub of chocolate ice cream. (which i haven't done yet, but only b/c i'm out of ice cream!)

its so strange. Jovie does AMAZING at night. i can lay her down completely awake & she will fall asleep on her own, sleep 10+ hours & wake up smiling & cooing. but during the day, it is a down right battle of epic proportions. i try laying her down when i notice that she is drowsy or fussy b/c she is tired. and i know that she honestly wants to sleep. but she fights it. hard core. i let her fuss (going in her room every 10 minutes to give a paci or pat her back) for 45 minutes & she is content to just scream. sometimes, she will fall asleep. only to wake 30-45 minutes later. again, screaming her head off. and sometimes, but rarely, she will sleep 2+ hours. what in the world?! i know she is exhausted. and usually after a good round of blood curdling screams, she'll spit up so much its ridiculous. and then nap time is officially over. i hate hearing her fuss like that. its heartbreaking. but i don't know what else to do. her reflux has been the thorn in my flesh. it has made EVERYTHING so hard. the cry it out (CIO) method worked so well for Jack. it took him 5 days & then he put himself to sleep every time, no problem. its so funny how some things work for 1 baby but not the next. story of my life.

Jovie really is a good baby. when she is awake, she is so happy & content. she can entertain herself or watch Jack all day. she is great in the car & out in public. but when nap time comes, she is miserable. and i just can't understand. i'm trying SO very hard to have a good positive & thankful attitude. i know i am so blessed with 2 healthy babies when others are struggling to have a child. i am thankful for these times b/c the Lord is constantly teaching me & pruning me to be more like Him. but i'm telling you, i am at wit's end. i need the Lord to help me. i need Jovie to nap. she needs it so desperately. she gets bags under her eyes & she dozes off & on all day long as she is playing or being held. i just don't know what else to do!!

any suggestions, tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. please please please, pray for Jovie to begin napping well & pray for me to have the patience of Job as she is learning. i love my girl & i want her to have peaceful days where she isn't 100% exhausted.

i'm off to soothe my screaming baby & search for some chocolate.......

Jovie tries Rice Cereal

at Jovie Claire's 4 month appt (May 26) Dr Bubba gave us the go ahead to try rice cereal. i was actually pretty excited. i've been hoping it would help with her reflux. but it is a little sad knowing that she is already old enough to start eating foods. i love this baby stage!

a couple of days after her appt, i got all the goods together to whip up some rice cereal. (i know i'm almost a month late posting this but i was actually hoping i would get some better pictures of her eating it, but my ghetto camera is just terrible.) Jovie wasn't too sure about the cereal. she didn't love it, but she sure didn't hate it. she mad some cute little faces & i could tell she was trying to figure out the consistency of it. i used about 1/2 the box of rice cereal & now she is eating oatmeal. i add a little sprinkle of cinnamon & she really seems to like it. i love to watch her try to eat it, she is just the cutest girl, ever!

here a couple pics of her first taste of rice cereal:

this was the face she made as soon as i put it in her mouth for the first time!! hilarious!

not too sure about it! but she's the cutest girl i know!

my sweet girl is growing up!! i can't believe she'll be eating fruits & veggies in july!! quit growing so fast Jovie! i love you!

Father's Day

we had a fun Father's Day as a family. we spent it with family, which is always the most fun. we had a really yummy lunch with Ben's family & a really delish dinner with my family. that's usually how it goes for our holidays. but i'm not complaining! i am so thankful for all the time that we get to spend with them. what a blessing.

i always talk so much about my kids on this blog. but Ben is definitely the unsung hero of our family. i'm not kidding, i'd be in a loony bin without him. He is the most sane, balanced & strong person i know. His faith & walk with the Lord is rock solid. He is a prayer warrior & has the most generous gentle heart of any person i know. He is absolutely the best dad the Lord could've given Jack & Jovie. period. He is so patient & sweet with them. He is slow to anger & quick to play every time he's with them. i'm so thankful for how much he loves them. i really could go on & on about how wonderful Ben is as a father, but there just isn't enough time in the day!!! I am so blessed & so thankful for my husband. watching him with our children makes me love him so much more than ever. Jack & Jovie Claire are crazy about him. Happy Father's Day my love!!

i also wanted to acknowledge my dad & father-in-law. they are so deserving of a special day. my daddy is the sweetest man alive. if you know him, you love him. he is the kindest & most gentle man i know. i absolutely love him to pieces. he is so fun, super silly & so strong in his faith. i am incredibly proud of him. he has a great attitude despite the many hardships he has faced. he is hands down, the hardest working man. he is full of integrity & dignity. Jack & Jovie love hi so much! i couldn't have asked for a better daddy & i am so thrilled my kids get to grow up with him as their Poppa!! Ben's dad, Jimmie, is amazing. over the past 9 years that Ben & I have been together, he has become like a 2nd dad to me. He is so wise & so generous. he is such a strong leader for so many people. he gives so much of himself to others. he is a great godly example to ben. he is so respectful & graceful. my kids just adore him & he is the sweetest grandaddy to them!!! Happy Father's Day to my 2 favorite men (besides Ben!!!).

i wish i had pictures of our day with these guys. but alas, my stupid camera is broken. but i definitely didn't want the week to go by without me acknowledging how much i am thankful for Ben, my daddy & my father-in-law. they are such a blessing. i am SO proud for my children to be related to each of them. thank you Lord for surrounding me with godly men in my family.

Happy Father's Day!!!

Memorial Day

ok. so i'm slightly behind posting about our Memorial Day. oh well. better late than never. that seems to be a motto way too popular with me lately!

we had a super fun Memorial Day. we had lunch with Ben's parents. his brother, Tripp & his fiancee, Cris & her 2 boys cooked out with us too. it was really yummy & a lot of fun. after lunch, we headed home to pick up a few things & then we headed straight to my parents house. my dad boiled crawfish with corn & potatoes. and my brother-in-law, Ryan, grilled up some deer meat. i am NOT a fan or crawfish or deer meat. so i brought along my trusty ole Alabama BBQ chicken & Ryan grilled it up for me. it was delish. we spent the evening relaxing & enjoying our family.

somehow, i only got pictures at my parent's house. i didn't take a single one at Ben's parents. probably b/c our camera is completely broken & so i've only been able to take pictures with my iphone for the past 2 months. not fun. but money is ridiculously tight right now. so the iphone is the best i can do for now. i'm trying to take as many pics as i can with it, but 1/2 of them don't turn out super great. whatever. hopefully, we'll be able to get a new camera before the end of the summer.

we had a really fun & really relaxing Memorial Day. holidays with family are the best. we look forward to them!

here a few pics from our day:

the crawfish. if you ask me, this could not look more disgusting!

the sausage, corn & potatoes that my dad boiled with the crawfish. corn & potatoes=yumm. sausage=not yumm. not a fan of sausage, in any form.

the men. doing some grilling. of some deer meat. of which i am also, not a fan!! i promise i'm not picky!! (ok, so the deer meat wasn't so bad!)

Katie ate up some crawfish. i am ashamed to say that both my sisters have gone to the dark side.

Lindsay sucking that crawfish right out of the shell. gross.

Jack LOVES to play with his Uncle Tommy

and Jovie LOVES to play with her Lolli

Jack "helping" us unload the dishwasher

Jack loved Poppa's homemade strawberry ice cream!

and of course Poppa & Lolli let him eat as much as he wanted!!

we had a great day. Happy Memorial Day!

Lazy Summer Days?!

(i started this post back on June 4th. and i'm just now finishing it & adding pictures. pitiful, i know. but i have been SO busy. i mean not just "we have a lot going on" busy but "slow down, right now, or i'll scream" busy. so, any time i get to sit down for longer than 5 minutes, blogging just isn't top priority!)

i only wish that we were enjoying those lazy hazy days of summer. so far, we have had a super busy summer. whenever i think things might slow down for us, it seems that they only pick up. crazy. we have so much going on right now. in the next 6 weeks, we have 5 family birthdays, 2 trips, 3 wedding showers, 2 weddings, a wedding reception, father's day & on top of that, we're moving & working on our church plant, reVision. and then its fall, which is also turning out to be booked. i just might get a few gray hairs this year!

in the midst of our craziness, we have managed to have a few "down" days as a family. we've taken Jack swimming & to the splash park several times & he LOVES it. Jovie actually got in the pool for the first time this month & she did great. she splashed & "talked" the entire time! we've had some days of just relaxing at home or taking walks in the park. i appreciate these times so much. they make all the stress so worth it.

i'm pretty tired, so instead of doing anymore rambling, i'll just leave you with some pics of my way too adorable children. they are the best. really, the best. enjoy the cuteness.

what we've been up to so far, this summer:

family date night for pizza & Muddy's.

testing out the new family toy, our double stroller!

playing with dada's golf clubs. Jack looks tiny!!

chasing geese & playing at the park

a few trips to see Dr Bubba for check ups & strep throat with scarlet fever. (ugh)

drinking lemonade from a water gun thanks to dada!

making new friends

a little sun bathing & swimming

eating on the back porch

community bath time. makes the job quicker for me & they LOVE it!

playing on the floor in the bathroom while mommy steals a much needed hot shower

mornings at the splash park

all of this craziness has left my children doing this:

sleep, babies, sleep.

i still have so much to blog about: memorial day, our play date with Annabelle, Jovie's first taste of rice cereal & our new adventure: reVision church (our church plant!) but for now, i will go to bed. is it fall yet?!

Beg

i have a few posts, written & ready to be posted. i'll post those soon. but for now, this has really been on my heart.

earlier today, i listened to the song, Beg by Shane & Shane. i've heard it several times before but for some reason tonight it just really resonated with me. the Lord definitely used it to show me how complacent i can become. if you haven't heard it, look it up on itunes. its amazing & so true to how so many christians live day to day life. so sad. may we beg the Lord to break us & make us, always, dependent on Him. He is life.

Beg

so here i am one more day of not loving Him the way He asks

in fact my heart is singing praises to the things that make me feel alright

so i'm sinking fast like a stone hear should,

and on the way down,

i've done what i could to try and try to turn this stone to flesh

i'm haunted by my God

who has the right to ask me what by the nature of my rebellion i cannot give

i beg for you to move

i beg for you to move

i beg for you to breakthrough

so here i am. got my deeds for the day

all my cute little words about how i am saved

am i saved?

could i love you with my mouth like a church kid should?

at the end of the day, my words get burned as wood

oh, but i was good.

i'm haunted by my God

who has the right to ask me what by the nature of my rebellion i cannot give

i beg for you to move

i beg for you to move

i beg for you to breakthrough

thank you Lord, for your endless patience with my stone heart. thank you for how you are moving in my life. help me to never get caught up in being a "good christian" but instead, give me the strength & direction to walk with you daily & serve you with a pure heart. you alone are my sustaining grace. i am so blessed & so thankful.