Jack @ 28 Months

i stopped doing month to month posts for Jack when he hit 2 years old. but i still want to do random updates so i can remember all the sweet & funny things he is doing at age 2! warning: this post is long b/c i haven't updated about him in awhile!

Jack,

you are the sweetest little 2 year old. you are so very loving with all of us. but, you have definitely hit the "terrible twos" i would not say that you are a terrible 2 year old. but i would say you have some fits that can be labeled as terrible! ha!

you have definitely asserted more independence. you want to feed yourself, bathe yourself, fix your toys, fix your bed, put on your shoes & help with Jovie. you don't like when something doesn't go quite your way & you let out a loud "uhhh" or grunt noise. you ask for things repeatedly, until we acknowledge that we hear you. you call my name 50,000 times per day. and you have learned to call me from your bed when you want to get up. but i must say, i love hearing you say "momma" or as you pronounce it "nunna". i have always dreamed of hearing my children call me momma, and so i don't mind listening to it so much! you love to jump, run, climb & crawl all over everything. you are 100% boy. and we love that!

we are working hard on your speech. and you are doing a great job. i honestly don't stress out about how you pronounce words or the fact that you substitute syllables for certain words. i know you will get it, in your time. but we do try and teach you new words so that we can better communicate with you. here is a list of words you can say right now:

momma, dada, sissy, car, truck, cup, spoon, juice, milk, bath tub, turn, sit, seat, chair, no, yes, bed, night night, lovie, ouch, hurt, hand, foot, eyes, hair, mouth, head, cheek, red, purple, green, blue, yellow, please, love you, help, ball, dump truck, fire truck, woody, buzz, baby, pig, horsey, dog, cat, bus, jenna, mamie, granddad, poppa, tripp, lolli, katie, josh, reid, hayden, church, hot dog, ipad, phone, shirt, pants, shoes, socks, soap, water, snack, lunch, cheese, eggs, pancakes, bacon, cereal bar, vacuum. i know there are several more but these seem to be the ones you say the most.

you haven't put very many sentences together but you try so hard. for example, you say: "momma's hair" or "sissy's buzz" or "where's dada" or "jack take woody". we are helping you and you are learning so much. you do very well at repeating words we say. you mix up your d & b sounds. for example, you call buzz lightyear, duzz. you do the same thing with the m & n sound. you call me nunna instead of momma. and for the word helicopter, bicycle or peanut butter, you say the syllables. but we are so proud of your determination. you work so hard to tell us what you want or need & we have figured out your little language pretty well.

we have recently started working on counting. you can count to 3 by yourself. and you can count to 10, if you are repeating us as we count. you love it when we praise you for your efforts. we have noticed that you very much want to please us. you are great with colors, for the most part. and you know many letters of the alphabet. we are working on the more difficult letters like: z, x, y, w, q. but you are doing pretty well.

you are a very smart boy. even if you can't fully communicate what you are thinking, you can always show us, or do it yourself. you have learned how to work the dishwasher, turn the faucet from hot to cold, turn on & work the vacuum, use the tv remote, use the ipad & iphone, open the computers, turn on lamps & fans, and put up dishes. you like to help out around the house, a lot. you love to help fold clothes, unload & reload the dishwasher, clean up a room, dust, vacuum, brush your teeth, change Jovie's diaper, get me socks & shoes, find diapers & wipes & brush your hair. you have even started attempting putting a bow in Jovie's hair, which we think is so funny!

your personality is adorable. i would describe you as: determined, easily frustrated, a little obsessive, loving, quick to apologize, tender hearted, silly, curious, stubborn, talkative, playful & friendly. you respond so well to discipline, most of the time. you have learned to say "sorry" when you have done something wrong and you follow that with a kiss and a hug. you hate feeling embarrassed or being scolded in public. you have become clingy to me in social settings & when you notice that Jovie is also being clingy!

you love Jovie. dada & i are SO thankful that the two of you are so close in age. you are best friends. you are constantly competing with each other & you do fight. but, you are always looking for her, trying to impress her, make her laugh or sticking by her. you are concerned for her & you hate when she is really upset. you can't wait for her to get up from her naps & you kiss her goodnight before bed. you adore her. and she adores you. seeing the 2 of you play together just blesses my heart. you are a wonderful big brother and such a blessing for Jovie.

you have recently taken special interest in certain toys. you still love cars & trucks. but you have discovered Toy Story & you are hooked. borderline obsessed. you have a woody doll & a buzz light year. you notice them in stores & toy aisles. you ask to watch the movie, all the time. you get so excited when we turn it on in the house or the car. you & Jovie are ALWAYS fighting over the woody doll. you come to me & say "jack's turn?!" it has been difficult for you to learn to share, but you are getting a little better. we love seeing you love something & take interest in it!

you are a picky little eater. especially at dinner. you eat a great breakfast & lunch. but at dinner, we have to force you take eat 1/2 your food. its like you refuse to even try it. so funny, but are determined to win! ha! we have started saying things like "take 4 more bites & you can be done" and that system seems to work pretty well now. your favorite foods are: cereal bars, waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, chips, hot dog, mandarin oranges, strawberries, grapes, apples, peanut butter, chicken nuggets & pasta. getting you to eat vegetables is really difficult. most of the time, we have to hide them in your food. and you have become picky about textures of foods.

sweet Jack. you are such a joy. i love putting you in bed each night & praying over you. i can't believe how much & how quickly you are growing. each day with you is hilarious & busy. my favorite time of day is night time with you. after Jovie goes to bed, we snuggle on the couch, under the blankets, play with your toys or talk. you are so affectionate. you have learned to give kisses and make the "muah" sound when you do. i have never regretted being a stay at home mom for you & Jovie. i can't believe that every day i get to be home with you, taking care of you, loving on you & playing with you. i feel so honored to have the responsibility of teaching you, molding your little mind, showing you how to behave & loving on you. i pray, every day, that you will be a man after God's own heart. that you will be a servant for His kingdom, that you will be a patient, gentle godly man. and until then, i pray that i will be the godly momma that you need.

happy 28 months to my precious boy. you are a blessing and i love you so much.

Jovie @ 13 Months

my sweet girl. you are 13 months old today! you have officially graduated from infant to toddler. gracious. not sure if i was ready for that!

you weigh around 23 lbs. you wear a size 4 diaper. you are in 12 month clothing, some things you wear are 12-18 months. you are in a size 3 or 4 shoe. you have a ton of hair & really cute chunky legs! you are such a cute little girl.

at 13 months of age, here are a few little fun facts about you:

1. you are SO very busy. everyone comments on how busy you are all the time!

2. you are a GREAT eater. i honestly can't think of one food that you don't like! ha! you clean your plate & ask for more at most meals! i love this about you.

3. your very favorite food ever is green beans. you would eat cups and cups of them if we let you.

4. your favorite fruit is oranges. you almost love them as much as you love green beans.

5. you prefer milk to juice, every time.

6. you have gone from walking to running through the house. your little stumpy legs go as fast as they can & you grunt or giggle each step of the way!

7. you have learned how to throw fits. you hang your head & throw your body to the ground, flailing it about. its really hysterical. of course, we discipline you but we secretly turn our heads & laugh at the same time!

8. you are dramatic. really dramatic.

9. you love Jack. you love the toys he loves. you copy his actions & follow him through the house.

10. you think dada is hilarious. he can get you to laugh at anything he does.

11. you are a momma's girl. through and through. it is so obvious to everyone. and i love it.

12. you can say: dada, momma & uh-oh. you say them pretty clear & on command.

13. you take 2 naps a day and sleep around 12 hours at night.

14. you love the car seat, as long as we are playing Toy Story on the dvd player

15. you love Toy Story. you and Jack are mesmerized by it.

16. we got Jack a Woody doll, b/c he loves Toy Story. well, it has become a source of competition in our home. y'all fight over it all day long! you love it b/c he loves it.

Jovie. you are such a joy. i always talk about how you make me want to have more little girls. you are loving, affectionate & silly. you have a sensitive spirit but you can definitely hold your own. you have brought so much laughter into our home. i absolutely love being your momma. taking care of you is such a blessing, never a burden. i pray, each day, that you will grow into a woman that fears God, loves people & serves Jesus.

happy 13 months, my sweet love. i love you so much.

What I Eat

this whole "trying really hard to eat right, exercise & count calories" thing has been fun. can you believe i said that?! ha! i have actually really enjoyed it. i look forward to my weekly weigh in, so that i can see how much progress i've made. and i don't mind exercising anymore, its become a habit, just something else i do in my daily routine. that is the most shocking part to me!!

when i first started this journey, i thought it would be a stressful, monotonous process. i knew i would hate it, grow tired of it quickly & maybe it just wouldn't work for me. but, i was wrong. i am discovering that i can eat the things i love & crave. i have the freedom to eat whatever i want, but i need to have a healthy balance.

so, a couple people have asked me what sort of things i am eating. it does change from day to day. we do a lot of eating out with ben's family, eating pizza at small group every sunday night, or lunches with people from church. but, when i am home, i do have a few staples i like to keep around the house.

i want to do a post soon about what exactly it is i've been doing, day in & day out, to drop the weight, but for now, i'll stick with a few of my current fave food items. and as i keep going down this road, i plan on sharing more & more recipes & foods that i have found that are healthy, yummy & friendly to calorie counting.

a few food faves:

Breakfast:

i LOVE this bread. i usually have 2 slices. sometimes i add some fat free cream cheese to it. its yummy & only 160 calories! my kids & hubby really love it too. it has become a grocery staple at our house. it's not the cheapest bread, so i usually look for a coupon or buy it at Costco.

special K cereals are great. there are so many varieties & they are calorie friendly. red berries is my current fave. i can usually find coupons for this too.

i am definitely my mother's daughter. i have come to love coffee. i drink it about 4 mornings a week. but, it can get crazy with the calories. so, i found the sugar free creamers & i love them. only 15 calories per tablespoon. which is great. this flavor is yummy.

Lunch:

this is a sandwich round. my MIL introduced me to them. they are great. multi-grain & VERY calorie friendly. each round has 2 slices & it is a total of 100 calories! love. so, if i'm craving a good turkey sandwich, this is the way to go, for me. i get these at Costco too, but Kroger does have them.

several days a week, i eat a Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, or Healthy Choice frozen meal. don't get me wrong, some of them are terrible. really terrible. but i have found several that are pretty good. and its the perfect portion for lunch. i like this flavor a lot, but the Smart Ones version of it is even better. its really easy to find coupons for these, so when they are on sale, i use my coupons & stock up.

Dinner:

this is where i have the most variety. i have several recipes that i have learned how to make more calorie friendly. so, i'll share those soon. but when we're have what i call "simple supper" then i'll make myself & the hubs a yummy salad.

i like to fill my salad with lots of yummy veggies. i use, tomato, cucumber, red & green bell peppers & broccoli. i also toss in some cheese, croutons & salad finishers. (nuts, cranberries, apples, feta or blue cheese crumbles).

this is my favorite salad dressing. its not too heavy & it has a great flavor. but, it isn't the most calorie friendly. however, i usually have plenty of calories left at dinner time & so i can splurge on this dressing. its around 150-250 calories per serving, depending on how much you like to use. but, i think a little goes a long way. but, it is more calorie friendly than a ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Snacks:

it is important to snack during the day. it keeps your metabolism working & burning fat. but, you need to pick the right kind of snack. cake, doesn't count. unfortunately! ha!

i love cheese. so, string cheese is a good snack for me. most of them are around 80 calories per serving, which is great.

i love frozen fruit. so much. in fact, when i'm pregnant (i'm not, right now) i eat it by the pound! i usually buy a huge bag at Costco & it lasts me for a good long while. its a great snack option. i put a little in sandwich bags & pop it in the fridge at night so its thawed out the next morning. it's pretty calorie friendly & it tastes delish!

Dessert:

i don't have dessert every day. but, i do have it often. and the Weight Watcher's line of dessert is pretty much the only kind i ever have. Skinny Cow is good too. i love this flavor. it is only 60 calories per bar & it seriously tastes like home made strawberry ice cream. crazy crazy good.

when i need a chocolate fix, this is my go to dessert. man alive, this is good. after my kids go to bed, i sit on the couch with the hubs, watch TV and enjoy a little chocolate. perfect end to my day. i have also found coupons for the Weight Watchers desserts on coupons.com. i must admit that they aren't the cheapest thing to buy. BUT, its totally worth it to me. all of the flavors are great & it feels good to reward myself for working so hard during the day to eat right!

so, there we go. a few things i eat. to be honest, this process has NOT been a burden. i don't feel deprived of things that i love. and i definitely feel better. eating a ton of processed, fatty foods makes you feel gunky, funky and yuck. if we go out to eat & i'm craving pasta, i get it. but i watch my portions, try to pick the healthier pasta, ask for whole wheat noodles & then i come home & exercise to counter my calories. trust me: if i can do this then anyone, and i mean anyone can do it too!! hopefully, i've been a little helpful.

happy eating!

Baked Apples

i am a salty food kinda girl. i prefer french fries to cake, any day of the week. but, i do appreciate a good dessert. and now that i am eating better & counting calories, i really appreciate a healthy but yummy dessert recipe.

my sis, Katie, let me borrow her Biggest Loser Cookbook. and i've found some great recipes in there. but, the other day i was in Kroger & saw the Biggest Loser Dessert Cookbook. i skimmed through it & found this little gem. i took a picture of the recipe with my phone, bought the ingredients & dashed home to whip it up before some of my favorite girlies came over while our hubbies had a meeting (long conversation).

needless to say, this recipe is great. and my favorite part about it is that it makes your whole house smell yummy!!

Ingredients:

butter flavored cooking spray

2 large & crisp Granny Smith apples, peeled

3/4 cup 100% apple juice (not from concentrate)

2 tbsp coconut sugar (this was impossible to find in Kroger, so i just used regular sugar)

2 tsp unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp ground cinnamon

this was the ONLY apple juice i could find that was NOT from concentrate. even the organic was from concentrate. not that it really matters, it just makes it a healthier recipe.

Preheat oven to 425. spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

wash and peel the apples.

cut the apples in half, lengthwise & remove the cores. slice each half, lengthwise, into very thin slices.

lay the apples in the baking dish, close together. (mine were even overlapping)

in a bowl, mix together: apple juice, butter, sugar & cinnamon until well combined. (the sugar & cinnamon will dissolve completely)

pour 1/2 of the apple juice mixture evenly over the apples. reserve the remaining 1/2

bake for 30 minutes. pour the remaining apple juice mixture over the apples. bake 25-30 minutes longer, or until the apples are very tender & the glaze has caramelized over the top. (it should look almost burnt, dark brown but not blackened.)

it may not look like much but it is really yummy. next time, i will cook mine about 3 or 4 minutes less. but it still tasted great!!!!

this recipe would be great to serve as a side with dinner!

enjoy!

My Funny Valentine

its so funny how things change SO much when you have a baby. i mean, if you think about it, every aspect of your life changes. but i think every (loving) mother would agree that it definitely changes for the better. i mean, i wouldn't dare go back to my life before kids. not for one second of freedom, romantic get aways or sleep. marriage is just better when you add kids. trust me.

pre-baby i wasn't much of a Valentine's girl. i've never been the mushy touchy feely type. i do value feeling appreciated & loved but i don't need a gift every week or a dozen roses every other day to know that my husband loves me. nothing wrong with wanting those things. it's just not my love language. i would MUCH rather Ben express his love to me by acts of service. i mean, if he: cleans a dirty diaper, gives the kids a bath by himself, gets up early with them so i can sleep in, takes them to Target or the play ground just to give me some quiet time or does the laundry, that shows me that he loves me. because he wants to help me, care for me & share in this crazy journey of marriage & family. and let me just say: my hubs has done all these things & more. he is uh-mazing.

now that i have had 2 babies, been married 4 years, & been in ministry work for over 7 years, i appreciate acts of service even more. BUT that being said, i do appreciate the occasional rose bouquet, date night or happy. its just plain fun to get those things. but, what i really want for Valentine's Day is to be with my family. seriously. i just want a home cooked meal, my hubby & my kids. best night ever. a night in the house. loving on my family. greatest VDay gift, ever.

this year was no exception. Ben & I didn't exchange gifts or get a date night, due to our lack of funds. but we did get to spend the day with our kids. the weather was gorgeous, my kids behaved & to top it off we got a last minute call from the in-laws to come over for a home made italian dinner (um, YES please!) we had a blast.

hubs & i do still want that date night. but we have to wait a couple more weeks. money just doesn't grow on trees, yet. i'm working on it.

here are a few pics from our sweet Valentine's Day:

this is what Jovie wore to church on sunday, the 13th. so cute. i found the shirt at old navy for $1.99 & my friend, Katherine, monogramed it for me! the skirt came from Once Upon A Child for $1 and the tights were from Auntie Britt. normally, i don't give out the price tag of our clothing but i was so excited about this cute & thrifty outfit for my girl!

i made Shannon's version of the Muddy's Tomboy cupcake. oh my word. delish. i only had 1 bite (literally) b/c i'm counting my calories. but they are incredible. thanks to shannon for the recipe! they were a hit at small group, so i made them again for Vday weekend!

we played outside, a ton. the weather was perfect!

my favorite little boy. and sweet little valentine.

getting Jovie to look at the camera, at the right time is nearly impossible! ha!

don't you just love her outfit? little girls are WAY too fun to dress. thanks to Britt for this adorable shirt she got for Jovie's birthday! we love it!

i just love her profile. i could just eat those little cheeks up.

i love my family. i do think its funny that my Valentine's Day has changed so much over the years. but its only gotten better!!

Grizzlies Game

we try, really hard, to have a family date night once a week. whether we sit at home, watch tv & eat dinner or go out, we try to make it a priority. we want our kids to know that, for us, spending time with them is so important & something we love to do. we want to invest in them. every chance we get. and i love our family nights. we have a blast. making memories with them is so much fun!

some people think that I (or we) am crazy for going & doing so much with a 1 yr old & 2 yr old. i get some crazy comments. but i'm not about to sit at home just b/c they are so busy & so close in age. they are a blast!

Ben's parents have season tickets to the Memphis Tigers & Memphis Grizzlies games. so, we are able to get tickets pretty often. we decided to take the kids to their 2nd Grizzlies game & we had so much fun. we have learned that we can only stay until half time b/c that is about the time they start getting bored & irritable. but, they do great the first half! so, we enjoy taking them!

they were great at this game. i brought plenty of snacks, juice & toys for them to keep them entertained! we had so much fun & we look forward to taking them again soon!

pics from their 2nd game:

Jack spent most of the game sitting with me or Ben. he wasn't to thrilled with the loud noises!

Jovie spent most of the game getting into whatever she could find in the diaper bag or on the floor! yuck!

miss priss. i was surprised with how well she did during the game!

for some reason i was thinking i had more pictures. oh well. we still had fun!

Snow, Snow, Snow

winter has been crazy around Memphis. we have had so much snow & ice. and i must admit, i love it. i love a good excuse to have a hot dinner in the crock pot & snuggle with my family in our home. its just fun. i am definitely not a hot weather girl. i get tired of the heat & humidity by june. so, i'm relishing in these cold days.

i am looking forward to Jack & Jovie being able to play outside come Spring. but for now, we are having fun playing in the snow!!

a few pics from our snow days:

at Kroger, preparing for the snow storm!

so pretty!

so many kids 0utside playing!

our van was covered!

sweet girl loved the snow

she wasn't afraid to dive right in there, but her little hands got cold, fast!

Jack really wanted to stay outside all day & play

we walked over to see our friends, Mac & Sara. they let Jack play in the back of their truck and he loved loved loved it!

he thought he was big stuff in that truck

so sad to come inside to warm up

we had such fun snow days this year! thankful for a real winter, hopefully to be followed by a lengthy spring!

Sweet, Sweet, Sweet

i am not so good with the picture taking. i'm really working on getting better. but even when i take a good amount of pictures, i'm terrible about uploading them. its one new year's resolution that i have not kept up very well.

i was able to get some cute pics of my kiddos a couple weeks ago, so i wanted to do a post about them! it is rare that i can get them both to sit still, smile & look at the camera. so these are like pure gold to me! most of the time, i just take what i can get! ha!

here are my cutie pie children:





love them. so much.