Sick Baby...Sort Of

You know you've puked one too many times when your toddler does this...

Wordless Wednesday

Big shoes to fill...

Baby's First Pictures

"For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb...My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. " Psalm 139:13, 15-16

Last Tuesday we were able to see our little Baby X for the first time. It's a squirmy little thing, much like it's big brother. Everything looks great with the baby and we're expecting another healthy pregnancy.

It just amazes me to see our precious little ones heart beating, and to make out it's little hands and feet. You might have a hard time making anything out of these pictures, but I see a perfect miracle...a beautiful life growing inside me, formed by the hands of our Creator.

Much like when I saw the first ultrasound pictures of Brady, I feel more than ever an overwhelming desire to nurture and care for this child. As I read the words of Psalm 139 I feel a great responsibility to raise our children to know and to believe that those words are true. I want them to understand that although there will never be anyone else on this earth who could love them as we do, they have a Creator who loves them even more. He loves them so much in fact that He not only created them, but that He has already written their story. He wrote it knowing before they ever came to be, exactly what they would need.

I need to remember that. I became a mom and all of a sudden I started this senseless worrying. I mean well. I believe that I worry out of love. But, I need to remember that whatever tomorrow holds, for our children, for us, that He loves us. I need to remember that I don't have to worry about tomorrow, because He has already written that page. All I have to do is read it and follow His will, His wise counsel, His plan.

So, stay tuned for more of the story. There will be many more posts and pictures from this precious chapter.

Beautiful Baby--Inside and Out

So.......
I've been meaning to do a post about Brady and all of the remarkable things he's doing and saying now that he's 18 months, but I've had such a hard time with this pregnancy since his 1/2 birthday, that I'm just now getting around to it.

He really is a remarkable little creature and a complete ball of fun! He's talking up a storm now and physically we can't keep up with the little monkey! He's NEVER still and true to his genetics, he hears a tune and those little buns go to dancing! Occasionally, he just feels the need to dance, so he'll go to the iPod dock, point and say, "Dan-Dan"!

Physically, he's changing so quickly. He's now 27 pounds, 28 on a good day, and 33 inches tall. The poor little guy is getting lots and lots of teeth too! When he first hit 18 months, he had only 6 teeth. In the last two weeks, he's cut 4 and it looks like a few more might be trying to make their way in. You'd think all that teething would make him mean and cranky, but not our little Brady. He's taking it like a champ! Without the use of drugs I should add... (Okay...he had a few days when he continuously pitched fits, but only a few!)

He's loves to be outdoors and around animals and quickly picks up the sounds they make. He knows the sounds of a bird, cow, dog, tiger and tank...yes I know it's not an animal, but the little ,"boom, boom!", he lets out is just precious! We are after all an Army family, so he might as well learn the sounds of gunnery early! (See attached video.)

His vocabulary is rapidly expanding. It seems almost daily that he begins repeating new words. He is VERY vocal. Especially for a little boy...I say that's what you get when you surround your child with a bunch of chatty women for the first 14 months of his life! Most of the time he just walks around chatting me up in his own little language.

The other day he stubbed his toe on one of his toys. When I called him over to me and ask what happened he proceeded to go on and on pointing at his toys and pleading his case. Of course I didn't understand one word, but it was the cutest thing!

A few words in his repertoire are...
*Da-Da
*Ba-Ba or Ma-Ma (Used interchangeably)
*Hi
*Bye-Bye (Used also as a substitute for Night-Night)
*Jee-Jus (Jesus)
*Juice
*Tees (Keys)
*Shoos (Shoes)
*Peace (Please)
*Tay-Tou (Thank You)
*Dan-Dan (Dance, Dance)
*Bears (Gummy Bears or Teddy Grahams or his favorite stuffed animal, Oatmeal Bear)
*Cheese (Goldfish Crackers or Cheese)
*Baby
*Fries
*Dis-Dut (Biscuit)
*Yes
*Pisa (Pizza)
*Bite
*Baff Time (Bath Time)
I know there are a few that I'm forgetting, but these are the ones he says most frequently and with little or no prompting.

And, perhaps my favorite thing of all...he's our little cuddle bug!! He loves to hug and give kisses and to curl up with us on the couch. He has the most loving little heart. Don't get me wrong...he's spirited, and there are moments when he certainly tries our patience, but at his core he has a beautiful soul. He's our beautiful baby inside and out.


**Forgive the pudding face and flying spit! I've tried for days to get him to make all of the sounds in one video, and this was the first time I was successful. Not willing to risk another crying fit because I wouldn't hand over the camera, I didn't dare try again!