9 Months

Ashton Nowell- where has the time gone?  I am not ready to admit that you are only months away from being a one year old!   This past month has been rough for you with your tube surgery and two episodes of a hand, foot and mouth type illness.  We are praying that all of that is behind us and that we will all be able to enjoy the end of summer!  This is what you have been up to lately.

*you are a little peanut.  At your appt, you weighed 16 lbs, 12 oz - only 7%.  Height was 27 - which is also 7%. 

*you wear size 9 month Carters and 6-9 month in most everything else.  Although, your jean shorts are 3-6 month size!

*you still enjoy putting everything you can into your mouth.

*you stand up on everything.  You can even sit and stand without holding onto anything, but you really haven't dared to walk around things yet.  I am just fine with that!

* you babble a lot and when I went to get you out of bed the other morning, you saw your bottle and said, "ba ba".  Still no momma though.

*you bounce up and down when you hear music and you started putting your hands up in the air when we say,"so big".

*you love splashing in your pool, eating sand and crawling into the water at the beach.

*your sleeping patterns at night leave a lot to be desired!  You have been so sick lately that you are all thrown off.  You go from sleeping through the night to being up two or three times. 

*when you are not sick, you love to eat.  You are working on more table foods like little peas and carrots, crackers, blueberries.  Mostly though you are still eating baby food.  2 fruits, a veggie, a meat and 2 servings of cereal a day.  You love jello and ice cream!

* you drink 4 bottles of 6/7 ounces a day.

*you love your brother even though he hits you every time I look away and yanks "his" toys out of your hands whenever possible. Your face just lights up when you see him and it warms my heart every time I witness that look.

*just like Grant, you torment Jasper the cat.  I think he is happy to be living at mom mom and pop pops house and far away from you two!

*you are still extremely ticklish and laugh so hard when we touch you under your arms.

*you really are a happy, content, chill baby with a big smile on your face all the time.

*you are a wiggle worm.  It is like a wrestling match every time we try to get you dressed or change your diaper.  I am thinking I should submit a video to Huggies for their Slip On diaper commercial!

You are our little love and we love you so much!

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Ahhhh..... can you hear that relief???  So happy to have that week over and done with!

2.  The shower was emotionally draining, but fun and I am so glad that I went.  Our activity was to write advice to the girls and then my aunt typed them up and put them inside old books that were read by the momma/dada to be's when they were young.  Of course, we had to read them aloud to the girls and that is where it got emotional.  Everyone wrote such beautiful words that I think I shed tears for about an hour and then I got to mine.  I knew it wasn't going to be pretty when I started tearing up with the first sentence!  I got to the middle and pretty much lost it and became a blubbery mess!  This is what I wrote.  I can't take credit for all of it.  I was lacking inspiration so I googled it and found this and knew that I could not write anything better.

Soon, your life will change forever. You’ll sleep less. You’ll work harder. Your house will never be as clean. Your body will never be the same!

You can say goodbye to soaking in a warm bath; fixing your hair (like, really fixing it); going to the bathroom without an audience; and taking a drink without crumbs floating around in it. Say hello to temper tantrums, potty-training accidents, and the question that will linger in your mind for the next two decades: “Am I doing this right?”

You will never again read or watch a tragic story about a child, real or fiction, without wanting to cry and throw up at the same time. Somehow it hits even harder once you have one of your own.

And you will never stop asking God, in His infinite mercy, to spare your child from any type of sickness or harm.

The very best advice I can give you is to treasure every moment of these years, no matter how challenging they might sometimes seem. Don’t let the day-to-day grind overshadow the enjoyment of this fleeting season of your life. Don’t let dirty bathrooms and unfolded laundry prevent you from soaking up the deliciousness of a baby who will change in the blink of an eye.

Take time to savor the sound of their giggles. The way they smell after a bath. The way it feels when their tiny hands are wrapped inside yours. The way you breathe in unison when they fall asleep on your chest. The way your heart skips a beat when they say, “I love you, Mommy” for no reason at all. What better things in your life will you have to think back on when you are old? These moments are what life is all about.

Celebrate each milestone, but don’t look too far ahead. Tomorrow’s progress will find you soon enough.

Your actions – everything you do and say from here on out – whether you choose to curse or encourage, help or hinder – will all play a huge role in the kind of person this child turns out to be.
God has entrusted you with this little life that you will soon hold in your arms. Strive to be the best mom you can be and never take a minute of their life for granted.














3.  I lost it after this sentence.... And you will never stop asking God, in His infinite mercy, to spare your child from any type of sickness or harm.  I tried to compose myself, but I could hear everyone else crying around me and then my aunt whispered in my ear," we remember."  I was overcome with emotion and was so thankful to be surrounded by a family, that wasn't even my blood, but loved me and cared for me so much.


4.  After the shower, we headed out to the mall and Ikea for some retail therapy!  I never go to the mall and the closest Ikea is a couple hours away so it was a fun treat and I may have gone a little over my budget, but it was retail therapy so it was ok, right???


5.  Daddy survived the weekend alone with the boys.  The house was even clean when I got home!  Guess that means I should go away more often.  Who is up for a girls weekend?

6..  My mom is in the hospital with diverticulitis.  She is in a ton of pain.  Can you please say a prayer for relief from her pain and patience for her since she is ready to be home and out of the hospital.

7.  Ashton had his 9 month appt last week.  Apparently, Jason and I just make little babies!  He is only 7th % for weight and height (16 lbs, 12 oz and 27 in).  The dr is not concerned at all since he has always been that size and Grant has always been on the small side as well.

8.  Grant's funny for the week.  After cutting his claws fingernails he looked at me and asked, "how am I going to scratch people now mom?"  Hmmmm... I guess he really was scratching me on purpose all those time he said it was an accident. 

9.  We have a new nickname for Ashton... virus.  His nose stopped running on Friday and he woke up with a 103 temp on Monday.  It just doesn't seem possible that a baby can be this sick all.the.time.

10.  Blessing:  a rainy day.  It has been so hot and humid here.  To say I am sick of it is a gross understatement!  It is too hot for Ashton to be out for more than a couple minutes and Grant will fight me to be outside every second of the day no matter how hot it is.  A break from that routine is so welcome!

 Our day in pictures...

 We spent the day as a family at our favorite beach about 45 minutes away. 

 Then we came home and had our little birthday "celebration" with a cookie cake and balloon launch.

It was a sad day, but we find hope in the fact that one day we will see our girls again.  Thank you to everyone who said prayers for us and sent us your love and kind words.  They were all felt and deeply appreciated.

 

Precious Child

Karen Taylor Good

In my dreams, you are alive and well
Precious child, precious child
In my mind, I see you clear as a bell
Precious child, precious child
In my soul, there is a hole
That can never be filled
But in my heart, there is hope
'Cause you are with me still

In my heart, you live on
Always there never gone
Precious child, you left too soon
Tho' it may be true that we're apart
You will live forever... in my heart

In my plans, I was the first to leave
Precious child, precious child
But in this world, I was left here to grieve
Precious child, my precious child
In my soul, there is a hole
That can never be filled
But in my heart there is hope
And you are with me still

In my heart you live on
Always there, never gone
Precious child, you left too soon,
Tho' it may be true that we're apart
You will live forever... in my heart

God knows I want to hold you,
See you, touch you
And maybe there's a heaven
And someday I will again
Please know you are not forgotten until then

In my heart you live on
Always there never gone
Precious child, you left too soon
Tho' it may be true that we're apart
You will live forever... in my heart

Brooke and Alexcyn - It seems unreal that it has already been 4 years since we held you in our arms for the first time.  We miss you so much it hurts. We would go to the ends of the earth and back just to get to hold you in our arms one more time.  We love you so much ~ mommy and daddy.

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Apparently there is a helium shortage right now.  I have heard that no place in town can fill up balloons.  I am desperately trying to find someone with a helium tank so we can still do our balloon launch for the girls birthday.

2.  I hate this week.  I hate the anticipation of July 16-21.  I hate the memories.  I am usually pretty good at stuffing them, but this week the really bad ones just haunt me.  I was talking to a friend that lost her boys the same time of year as we did.  We both decided that it would be great if we could just hide under a blanket this week. 

3.  I have mixed feelings about spending the 21st at a baby shower in a different city.  Being away from the only things that make me feel whole (my boys) on the day that we lost our baby Alexcyn is tearing me apart. 

4.  On to happier things... the other day we sat down at the table to eat a quick sandwich and just dug in.  Grant looked at us and said, "can we pray?"  Just warmed my heart to hear him say that.  Definitely made us feel really naughty for skipping it!

5.  Ashton has a runny nose AGAIN.  Enough said.

6. It really is cruel punishment that I have to wait 24 hours to eat these yummy pickles I made with cucumbers from the garden!

Recipe can be found here.


7,  Picture promised of Ashton's first day at the beach.  This pic is the first time he touched the sand- he wasn't sure about it at first, but  he quickly decided it was really fun to eat it and tried to consume the entire beach.

8.  The funniest thing Grant has said this week was during a temper tantrum because he did not want to leave his new friend E's house, "I want Jason!" He then screamed that over and over for about 5 minutes.  Good thing he couldn't tell that I was laughing the whole time!


9.  Saddest thing Grant said as he was throwing a temper tantrum because he did not want to leave grandmas house, "I don't like you mommy."  It broke my heart.  But, I know it is only the first of many times I will hear that come out of his mouth.  And yes, he definitely has an issue leaving people's houses these days!

10.  Blessing of the week: Friends and family that remember.

kitchen and bath

I have finally gotten down to taking a few pics of the house for all the family and friends that have been asking.  I will start with the kitchen and the bath since those were the most presentable today! 

The Kitchen

I wish I had before pictures to show you because you would probably not believe it.  The cabinets were white and the crazy hardware was black.  The floor was a nasty maroon/brown color and the countertops were  off white with dirty butcher block - yuck!  I LOVE the way it turned out with the shabby chic green cabinets, new "tile" floor and "marble" countertops.

Don't pay too much attention to the desk area.  Organizing that is on the list of to do's for the day.  We will see if the kids let me sleep long enough to get that done!  My two favorite parts of the desk area are the awesome Hitchcock chair and the fabric covered cork board courtesy of  Pinterest.  We picked the chair up from Jason's childhood mentor. It was a family heirloom that was passed down through the family.  Since Mr W considers Jason a son, he was thrilled that we fell in love with the chair and wanted to take it home with us.  Amazingly enough, it is actually very comfy.

Kitchen Pros:  LOTS of space compared to our old kitchen.  I actually have drawers and cabinets.  Jason even built shelves in the coat closet (yes, the only coat closet in the whole house) for a little pantry for me.

Kitchen Cons:  The washer and dryer are in the kitchen.  I do love not having to go into a dingy basement to do laundry, but having our kitchen double as a laundry room has proven to be a challenge since neither Jason or I are really good at keeping up with our laundry piles!


The Bath

Not much to say here.  This is still the smallest bathroom I have experienced.  New vanity and floors.  And, I love my new shower curtain!  It reminds me of a spa and helps me to relax about the bathroom.  Still waiting on the plumbing issues in the shower to be fixed though.  Good thing it has been so warm out and hot showers are not really something I desire at the moment :)

Stay tuned for the dining and living room...

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Wow, that week went fast.  We had a great time at my parents house.  We floated in the pool A.LOT.  Unfortunately when it is 106 outside, the pool feels more like bathwater than a refreshing escape.

2.  I hate to curse myself, but I think Ashton is finally on the mend.  He did not handle the heat well last week so we were inside a lot which was ok with me since I don't handle it well either! 

3.  Even though Ashton is better, he is still waking up in the middle of the night to eat.  It is time to start to let him cry it out.  This method never goes well in our house.

4.  This was in my Groupon email today.  It was just the laugh I needed this morning.   

Traveling by boat lets people enjoy the freedom of open water and avoid driving through dangerous backroads that have fallen to the cow uprising. Float on by with this Groupon. 

I have not heard about this cow uprising, but it sounds like a really serious issue!  :)

5.  Grant's need for speed scares me.  He went on "the boat"  aka the wave runner with Jason and asked to drive it.  J let him put his arms up on the steering wheel with his and then Grant threw a fit because he wanted to drive it by himself.  An all out temper tantrum because a two year old couldn't drive a wave runner by himself.  Oh the fun we have ahead of us!

6.  Ashton is finally getting a tooth!  It only took him 8 months.

7.  Grant loves fireworks so much that he insisted we open his window so he could hear them.  I assumed most kids were scared of the noise.  Again, his lack of fear scares the heck out of me...

8.  Hmmm... I am not doing so well on my photography assignment for the year.  Guess I better start snapping some pics.

9.  Grant got a scooter for pooping on the potty 8 times in a row.  He was so excited.  We were so excited.  He even told us while we were at my parents AND while we were at a restaruant.  That was a big deal for him. 2 days later, he pooped on the floor.  The scooter is resting until he can go on the potty.  One step forward, one step back.

10.  Blessing of the week:  2 good nights of sleep.  While we were at my parents, we put the boys to sleep at their house and then slept at the cottage all by ourselves.  I had forgotten how nice it is to wake up on your own and not to a screaming child.

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Grant told me his first joke.  It went something like this....
G:  "mommy? What did the drum say?"
Me:  "I don't know Grant, what did the drum say?"
G: "bang, bang, bang!!!!"  followed by a LOT of child laughter.

Not exactly the funniest joke I have ever heard, but I was definitely laughing watching him get such a kick out of his joke!

2.  Ashton has decided that 5:30 is a perfectly appropriate time to start the day.  ugh...  Last Wednesday, we were cuddling on the couch and I finally convinced him to go back to sleep when suddenly a bird came flying out of our chimney and into our living room.  Never a dull moment in our house!

3.  While Ashton has decided to get up early, Grant has decided that he doesn't need naps anymore.  I am not ready for him to not take a nap during the day.  Just not sure how to get him back to it.  The minute I mention nap, he goes into adrenaline mode and refuses to even stay in his room.

4.  Ashton went from having a temp to throwing up for two days to having diarrhea.  I am starting to wonder if there is going to be an end to this sickness drama. 

5.  We are starting to get things hung up on the walls and flowers planted outside. I have yet to get any pictures simply because there is still quite a mess.  I am working on it though so hang tight.

6.  I keep asking Grant what kind of birthday party he wants.  He started off with spiders.  Now he has moved to trucks.  Not fun construction trucks, but semi trucks.  I could think of a hundred fun things to do with construction trucks but not a single fun thing for semi trucks.  Any ideas???

7.  I can hardly believe that it is July.  This is the month I dread each year. I want so badly to be planning the best girly birthday party ever for 2 amazing little 4 year olds.

8. Last night we were cleaning up the dinner dishes and noticed that we didn't hear Ashton in the living room.  We found him crawling in his room.  His room is upstairs.  That means that little stinker climbed the stairs all by himself.  Time to invest in more baby gates!  And, blow out the wall from the kitchen and the living room so I can keep an eye on him at all times!

9.  Grant has finally been pooping on the potty!   He has an accident here and there, but for the most part he is telling us.  I am praying that this continues when we are away from home this next week. 

10. Blessing of the week:  a little time away.  The boys and I are escaping to my parents for the long holiday week  I am so thankful to have a couple days off!