Dear Chocolate Chip (17 months old)

Dear Chocolate Chip,

Every month I start and don't finish a letter to you. This month will be different though! Today my dear son, you completed your 17th month of life. How quickly it's flown by! It seems like almost every day there is something new that I'm excited to tell everyone about.

There are some things that I want to remember about this past month, like:

-We began attending the playgroup at the library and you love the toys there! The kids are cool, but you're still spending a lot of time doing your own thing.
-You aren't speaking yet, but your babble lots and every so often you get something out that sounds like a definite word! Mama isn't worried, because you definitely understand us an are communicating with sign language and grunts and yells and beautiful laughter. The doctor says that it's because of the English and Spanish that you're learning simultaneously.
-You have an amazing appetite! Dried blueberries, fresh bananas and broccoli are some of your favorites, but you also like rice, pasta, oatmeal creme pies and potato chips (I try to limit your junky snacking though.)
-Not so nice, but worth remembering is that you have started fighting back against Stella. You try to head butt sometimes but you also scratch and slap her. She definitely doesn't like it and is often heard telling you to "SOP!" Much to my displeasure, you've picked up her habit of biting, but I always remind you that, "Our mouths are for kissing, NOT for biting." an follow up by having you give her a kiss.
-I try not to let you watch tv often, but you LOVE "The Fresh Beat Band", "Jack's Big Music Show", "Yo Gabba Gabba", and "Sesame Street". You recognize the sound of the tv or computer turning on even from another room and you know when iTunes or Netflixis open!
-You love music and dancing too. I turn on Dance Central and your excitement can't be contained.
-You are growing so quickly that ive started putting size 18 and 24 months on you already. You are lean, so the 24 months look a little baggy, but you are so long that you need it!
-Last but not least, you love your daddy so much! Even though you spend all day with me, your most excitement veins when you hear your father coming into the house. You rub to the door and want to play before he can even get his coat off. And guess what? He loves it!

I look forward to all of the joy that you bring into my life every day. I love praying with and for you throughout each day. I know that someday I'll look back on this time with plenty of wonderful things to say.

I love you!

-Mommy

Tired

I feel drained. Mentally, emotionally, and physically, drained is the only way to describe me right now.

It has been an interesting few weeks in my marriage. I had a recent death in my extended family. I'm trying to figure out what God has next for me as far as my career goes. I haven't exercised in weeks (other than walking to and from work which I don't count). Put all of this together and you get burnout.

I pray that things get better quickly.

Game Night Quotes

"Thank God it's not a math game..."

"SPOONS!!!!"

"Boomerang"

"Hmmm, hmm, hmm..." "Based on that, I'd say Indiana Jones?"

"Hurry" "Curry!" "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!"


Thanks for the laughs everyone!

"Boring" Christianity

That Dude leaves for work around 5:30 in the morning. Usually I wake up just enough to groggily kiss him goodbye. Then, sometime between 5:30 and 6 ChocolateChip will let me know that it's time for some more "Mama Milk". Usually this is when I pull out my laptop and catch up on blogs/facebook/twitter/whatever project I've dreamed up and *needs* researching. This morning I was reading a post (click here to read the whole post) by Pete Wilson of Crosspoint Church in Tennessee which prompted me to comment the following:

Until very recently I defined myself through others' eyes (ok, who am I kidding, God is still working on this in me). Lately though, I've had an opportunity to understand some of the "boring" things that God has called me to do, like be a good mom/wife/daughter/sister/friend. And if I'm going to be completely honest, when I look at that list alone, I feel like I need a nap without ever flying off to some exotic place without bathrooms and limited electricity. It's not that there is anything WRONG with doing missions work. I would love to bring the message of Jesus to the nations someday. It's just that right here and now I'm specifically coming to terms with the reality that while some of my friends are going to South America on what seems like a quarterly basis, there is nothing wrong (and everything right) with me staying home and taking care of my little one.

Right now, I'm reminded that sometimes, especially when trying to fill some of the mentioned roles, I forget that one of my favorite scriptures is Colossians 3:23-24 "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ." How easy it is to be annoyed when my husband tells me that the baby needs a diaper change instead of doing it himself, or to feel unfulfilled when friends are posting pics from the latest church missions trip and I'm at home nursing my little one (on a side note, this is one reason that it's important to surround yourself with people in a similar place in life as you, but that's a post for another time.)

This really was the perfect way to begin my day. It has changed my entire perspective about our playdate this afternoon and my role as a mom and a nanny. I'm off to save the world (or maybe to change a diaper). Have a happy Tuesday!

Two teeth...

I just need to post to remind myself forever that I once had a baby boy with only two teeth (he's had only the bottom two for months now!) I just peeked in his mouth and noticed that he has FOUR white spots in his gums on the top!!

My baby is growing too quickly!

FICTION: Stay at Home Moms Have it Easy

Having been on both ends of this spectrum (well, kinda, since I'm technically NOT a stay at home mom since I do work as a nanny during the day) I must say that being "at home" with Chocolate Chip doesn't always make my life easier than it was for the few months that I went back to work after my maternity leave.

A few things that I thought would be easier (or didn't think about at all):

-I don't necessarily save money on breakfast and lunch since I'm so busy with the kids and sometimes I end up just running out and buying something, whereas when I worked in the office, I was MUCH better about making sure I'd bring lunch to work with me.



-There isn't "plenty" of time to clean up, especially since Chocolate Chip has now decided that the most interesting toys/books/etc are those that Mama has JUST put away on the shelf! Also, since I nanny until 7pm (or 7:30... or 8...) I barely have any time at all to clean at my house!

-Spending all day every day with Chocolate Chip really can wear me down, especially now that he requires SO MUCH attention as his curiosity has him doing things like climbing and putting rocks in his mouth...

-Money doesn't balance out just because I'm home and am able to cut certain things out of the budget. Somebody should have warned me about this, but I REALLY didn't cut out as much as I expected!

Would I make the same decision knowing all that I know? Absolutely! But I definitely see things differently now that I'm in this boat!