Hank is 10 months old

Little man, you are rapidly approaching your first birthday and to say time is flying by is an understatement.

You now officially have 3 teeth and tooth number 4 is likely making an appearance.

You are pulling up, but no steps yet.

You are wearing a 12 month in clothing and size 3 diaper.

Your favorite foods are mac and cheese baby food, but you are beginning to enjoy little bites of table food like bread and cookies-thatta boy!!

You LOVE your momma and like to be in her arms as much as possible.  My heart swells, but my back throbs.

You also love the bathtub and splash and play for as long as we'll allow.

Your favorite toy would probably be anything you can chew.  Specifically you like Sophie the giraffe, rubber duckies in the bathtub, and little people.

Your favorite thing to do is crawl...you still army crawl everywhere at lightning fast speed! You pull up and climb and find ways to get into things you shouldn't! You keep mommy on her toes.

You're still so fond of your big sister and give her your biggest smiles.

You are a good sleeper but now wake me sometime between 4 and 7 for a quick nursing session.  You fall back asleep until around 9:30.

You take a nap some mornings for 45 minutes or so and a long afternoon nap for 2 hours.

You love to take stroller rides.

Hanky-boo, we love you to the moon and back!!

D for Discipline

We just got back into town after a quick little shopping trip to Cincinnati. I'm really blessed with great traveling kiddos as they really didn't mind the 3+ hour trip at all.  They both watch Mickey or whatever on their ipads and usually I pack a snack for Carsyn.  We stopped for lunch each day to let the kids stretch and roam.  I'm a firm believer that no child is perfect, (even though we all know every child is perfect in their mother's eyes ;).  While some kids are great travellers others loathe the car seat.  While some kids are great sleepers others are horrible. My nephew could sleep through Armageddon and my daughter wakes with a slamming door. I think my kids don't mind the car seat because they've always traveled 45 minutes to work with me so they got used to it from the get go. 

Carsyn has always been a great little shopper too.  She was content to sit in her stroller and seldom get out until she was almost 2!  Since then she's really not liked to stroll much at all.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not chucking the donkey anytime soon, its just she prefers to walk 60% of the time.  I guess that's "normal".   I don't want anyone to read this and think sarcastically "oh, poor Jen, Carsyn's interfering with her shopping!" Umm....if that's not the epitome of shallow I don't know what is.  She's actually really good at not touching things and just walks around squealing "oh, look at the pretty dresses!"  But, sometimes walking at a snail's pace is a little frustrating and I'm all "get in your stroller already!!"

Before we went in the mall Carsyn requested her picture be taken in front of the pretty flowers. I'm thinking its going to be a great day..And I guess it was. So, we're shopping and Hank is content in the stroller and Carsyn is roaming around the Lilly store when she sees the beach ball display in the front window.  I'm paying for my items and she keeps bringing me beach balls from the front.  The ladies behind the counter are nice but I'm asking her to put them back and don't touch and its not working.  The ladies in the store are now starting to tell me some are tied together and that could be dangerous so I'm thinking I"m going to have to break her heart.  I march to the front and she's amidst 10 balls having the time of her life.  After coaxing, begging, and bribing I have to drag her out by her little arm and she does the floor flop. Please tell me you know what the floor flop is?  I sit in the floor with her and tell her the balls are decorations and we don't touch and mommy needs her to be a good girl and ride in her stroller sometimes and mommy takes her on trips so she can have fun and mommy needs to look at things sometimes and then she'll give Carsyn time to look at things she likes....etc. until she gets it.  She sniffles and wipes her tears when I show her a new dress.  She asks take a picture for daddy and I say how about in front of the beach balls and all is well with the world again.

I talked with Rosie a lot about discipline on this trip and we both agreed.  Sometimes your kid is going to have to cry.  You can't worry about what other people are thinking.  You have to be the adult.  Is it fair to strap a 2 year old in a stroller and expect them to sit there contently for 4 hours? No.  Is it fair to insist they ride in their stroller for an hour and then be rewarded with a small gift from or trip to the Disney store for doing so? I think so.

I've smacked Carsyn's tail a few times and just felt horrible for it.  And it was in response to her hitting me-totally justified.  It actually worked and she hasn't offered to hit again.  When I ask her not to do something sometimes her immediate response is no and she reaches her little hand to hit and I say "we don't hit people in this house..remember mommy said she'd never whip your tail as long as you don't hit."  And she remembers.  Does that mean whipping her was necessary?  Not sure. 

Time out does not work at all.  Girl is tormented by being left alone.  Let's chalk it up to my fear of abandonment.  As of right now my discipline system is completely reward based.

These came recently and I'm so excited to see if they work.  We're going to start with little things like pick up toys and get out of the tub when mommy asks.   For rewards I'm thinking movie nights and ice cream dates.

So, what works for you?  Dish.

Sunday Funday

Our Sundays usually involve a chaotic whirlwind morning of shoe matching, hair slicking, and paci finding before we run out the door to be five minute late for church. Again.

It doesn't help that Carsyn now requests her picture be taken on the porch every time we leave the house.

And no I can't trick her because she asks to see it as soon as I tell her I took one.

Church is a whole other adventure as Hank climbs up one side of me and down the other while gnawing like a beaver on every single item I fish out of my bag.

Luckily I've found the secret to keeping Carsyn semi-behaved is goldfish and her friend Kyria.




Aren't they the cutest?

Carsyn runs into church searching for Kyria and when she sees that pretty little red head her eyes light up.  I couldn't help but take a pic as they scrambled to pick up their fish after dropping them in the floor this morning.

But on Sunday afternoons we slow down.  We get back in our pjs and take long naps. We play barbies and put together puzzles and crawl and climb.

Hank says Happy Sunday friends!

I'm off to hope for sunshine and browse some magazines that have been collecting dust.

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday and good riddance to the longest. week. ever.

Here are my favorites of the week:

Warm weather and playing outside..

The roads are officially dangerous folks..Carsyn's learning to drive.  Be afraid.

I tried out 2 pinterest recipes this week...and they were both delicious!

Funfetti Dip 

Bourbon Crock Pot Chicken

I made 2 lbs of chicken and this was all that was left!
Seriously, go make these right now!

Finally broke out my Lilly buttercup shorts this week.  LOVE them.  I bet you can find them on sale somewhere right now.  I know you can find this zinnia sweater on sale.  Its super comfy and has a cute little bow in the back!  Side note: Be proud that I visited the local Lilly store this week and they were having an awesome sale and I didn't buy a thing.  It was hard, but their Summer releases are to die for.

I did pick up the Naked flushed palette though.  Isn't she lovely?  I'll let you know if its a must have.

Of course these 2 are always included in my favorite things..

Just tell me why Carsyn acts like a teenager and Hank looks like a toddler?!?

Getting you through the week..

Is it a bad sign that I need a mid week pick me up?

Is this not shaping up to be the longest week ever or am I lingering in a post Mother's Day funk?

Here's what's getting me through the week because

a) Eric Church is the MAN

b) I like to pretend I'm Joanna Cotten

c) Nelly is AWESOME


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You're welcome.

And if you don't enjoy those YouTubes I'm not sure we can be friends.

Mother's Day

 Mother's Day is such a wonderful holiday.

I love that we celebrate mothers.

I love buying a little something for my mom and MIL that they normally wouldn't pick up for themselves.  (Carsyn loves the fact we celebrate with chocolate cupcakes.)



I love seeing my sister and catching up on girl chat and stories of our kid's latest shenanigans.



I love dressing my family (including baby dolls) in coordinating outfits.  And forcing my hubby to take pictures.

(Even if he captures our goofy expressions and cheese faces with a little too much enthusiasm.)

I love spending time with my MIL & SIL who spoil me with sweet gifts and kind words.

As parents I like to think its enough to love our children with all of our heart.  I can do that.  But I struggle with making sure Carsyn and Hank are aware of the Lord's blessings daily.  While studying my Bible tonight I came across this:

Proverbs 14:26

New International Version (NIV)

²⁶ Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,
    and for their children it will be a refuge.

As a mother my greatest gift to Carsyn and Hank is giving them a home of faith.  How do you do it?

Long Days..

 The saying the days are long, but the years are short keeps floating around in my mind lately.

It just really hits home.

My baby boy is rapidly approaching his first birthday and 2 short months after that my baby girl will be three.

They each amaze me every day and show me the meaning of true, selfless love.

I lose my patience, I long for a few minutes of peace, but I also laugh sometimes til I cry.  I pick up the phone and call my mom or W and say guess what so and so just did!

Every day is long, but every day is a gift.

Carsyn loves music and dancing and twirls around the house constantly. Hank is usually crawling behind at a blink of your eye pace.  Their love for one another humbles me.  It surpasses anything I could imagine.  Carsyn is already looking out for Hank and Hank is just happier when his big sister is around.

The days are busy and spent changing diapers, cleaning spilled yogurt, humming lullabyes, coercing naps, and bartering toys.  They're exhausting.  They're never dull.  They're sometimes never-ending. But I know one day I'd trade a year for one of these days.

Happy Derby Day!