SAYLOR TIME

Thanksgiving...(in January)

2012-01-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

(So horrible at blogging…so horrible. Again, I have a million excuses and lots of them are vaild…need more hours in the day…or less time wasted on the internet (I should place my bets on the latter). Also, sorry for the lack of pictures…I really only took six pictures.)

Well, if it eventually hits the blog, then it did happen…even if it happened months prior! So, we had another Alaska adventure…this time for Thanksgiving. It was a great time…for most of us, maybe not Judah. Judah did not enjoy the cold…well, he didn’t enjoy his outfit for the cold. He was Ralphie from A Christmas Story…he would take like three steps and then fall flat on his face…it was awesome. He was also teething and came back from Alaska with a brand new molar…that was fun…for us all. Overall, it was so much fun!

Hugh really surprised us. He is a total desert rat (just like his Mama)…he would wear footie jammies year round if we let him. So, when he was excited to get in the snow, we were shocked. He enjoyed playing outside (mind you, it was freezing…like even cold for Alaska standards…the night we got there it was -18…get back), he went skiing, and he went tubing. He did awesome. I know if Judah was a little older, he would have enjoyed it as much as Hubey. Hugh’s highlight was lots of cousin time and sleeping in the bottom bunk of Clay Clay’s bed. He drove Clay Clay crazy with his excessive talking and singing…no big surprise there. He was going to bed late, but he was actually sleeping past eight…he became a new child! He even continued it when we got home, but we see his true colors shining through again…which honestly works better for me. Judah still gets up at 7, so I would prefer both my boys up at the same time. He went to his first movie…like a dinner theater movie…fantastic (the food…Hugh did fine as well for his first movie that was not animated). We saw a new “fun” side of Hubey…a serious case of the terrible threes. We learned a lot and realized we have A LOT to work on with him. We are thankful for God’s grace in parenting. Aunt April became his hero with the wallet she got for him (he tried to steal Kara’s wallet…she wasn’t down with that)…it is his favorite thing. He carries it with him EVERYWHERE and he offers to help pay for things like when I tell him I don’t have any cash for pizza at Costco, he is more than willing to throw his cash on the table. Hugh is a creature of habit…he gets hooked on a few things and that is all he needs…the kid still has birthday gifts he hasn’t opened.

Besides being miserable in his outfit, Judah enjoyed his trip…especially Abby the cat. He LOVED Abby…not sure the feeling was mutual, but she was very patient with him. We should name this next baby Abby…Judah would have his name down pat. He would wake up asking and looking for Abby…so funny. He truly loved the cat…and no, we will not be getting one. He LOVED getting to watch videos non-stop (I am sure everyone else wanted to pull their hair out...you can only handle nursery rhymes so many times.). He also loved playing with his cousins…his cousins were very sweet to him. He thoroughly enjoyed the stairs at the house and has really mastered flying down stairs now. He also enjoyed a forward facing car seat…a whole new world for him…and it was taken from him immediately upon arriving home. He also may be known to enjoy a little margarita (let’s just say this boy hasn’t met a liquor he doesn’t like…totally Jake’s kid)…you can’t blame the kid, they are tasty…and after the days with Judah and the teeth, margaritas were needed by ALL. We realized that Judah is not the best traveler…and we will not be getting on another plane until he is MUCH older. When a child is screaming on a plane, it feels like hours when it is really only twenty minutes…but it is the longest twenty minutes of your life. Oh, and you don’t lose your sense of smell in seven minutes with vomit…that smell keeps on coming back…every second. Yep, he even vomited on the flight home…best travel friend ever. You’ll have to ask Jake about it…Hugh and I were in first class. However, I did switch with Jake after I heard the flight attendant say, “The baby in row eight just threw up.” As much as I didn’t want to claim the baby in row eight, I knew he was mine. So, I snuggled my sweet, smelly boy while he buried himself into me…yes, he may have smelled terrible, but I would do it again a million times over. Judah is a sweet snuggle baby and I LOVE it…vomit and all. Judah has pretty much been sick since we came home…combo of teeth, cold sores or a random mouth virus…let’s just say he is MISERABLE. He won’t eat and won’t sleep…it has been a long week…hoping we get back to normal soon. (I wrote this post in early December…Judah is better, but STILL teething. Yes, I would take a newborn with a full set of teeth than go through teething again. And yes, I know how creepy it would be to have a newborn with a full set of teeth.)

We (Jake and I) had a great time as well. I was homebound a lot with Judah, which was fine…hard to adjust to the cold (yes, I am a total baby). I am sure I gained like fifteen pounds… no joke. I did enjoy a little tubing…shocking my husband allowed me to get on a tube in my condition (being pregnant). It was great being in only ONE place for Thanksgiving and not having to drive – we definitely missed all of our AZ family, but it was so fun to spend Thanksgiving with my brother and his family. They were so gracious to let us take over their house for ten days! They made an incredible spread for Thanksgiving…everything was awesome. I also became the girl who enjoyed wearing leggings and boots…who would have thought (not me in 2006 when one of my friends was convincing me leggings were coming back in style and I made fun of her…oh, yes I did…there are so many things I can add to that list…oh, so many). Jake enjoyed lots of work-outs with April (she is a machine) and getting beat by April and her friends in a turkey trot. He also enjoyed a day of skiing…and getting schooled on the slopes by his six year-old nephew.

Thanks to our AK family for a wonderful trip!

Odds and Ends...

2011-12-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

So, has it really been over a month since my last post? Yep, it sure has. Life is busy...as always. And I am sure life will just get busier come March...or hopefully, February 29th! Yes, I would love to have a leap year baby...I think it would be fun...my husband disagrees.

So, there has been a lot that has happened in the last month. Hubey had his birthday party...which looked the same as the year before and the year before...I am not creative. God has blessed me with boys...I don't need to be creative...they don't care about the details...they care about the candy. So, he wanted a "letters" b-day party (I gave him a series of other "typical" party ideas for a three year-old boy...Hubey is not typical...he is typical with his behavior and the terrible threes have arrived...oh.my.word have they arrived...will save for another post)...I did have grand ideas with cupcakes, but he wanted a cake and not cupcakes...so scratch my idea and he saved me some time...good for me. So, we just put a "H" on his cake, which I didn't get any pictures of...oh, well. I am terrible at taking pictures. He enjoyed the party...how could he not?!? There was a pinata! He has the same passion for pinatas as I do (I did have them at my parties until I was twelve...did I mention what a cool child I was...doubtful). It was a good time!

The boys enjoyed Halloween...Hubey more so than Judah. Hubey was so thrilled to run up to every door to say, "Trick or Treat"...it was a highlight. He was a puppy...again. Hey, if it ain't broke...don't fix it. He'll be sad when his puppy costume no longer fits next year and Judah is the puppy! Judah was a monkey this year...so cute! His highlight of the night was being pushed in his tricycle and if you tried to take him out, he would scream bloody murder! We hit about fifteen houses, which provided a lot of candy...for me. I have eaten every piece of chocolate from the bowl...seriously, every.single.piece. I love Halloween...my kids get dressed in costumes and bring me free candy...I wish everyday was Halloween.

Overall, the boys are good...terrible threes for Hugh and Judah is a our little tornado who enjoys pushing buttons. Judah makes us laugh...he is the kid that will run past his brother and slap him and keep on running (not like Hugh would go after him...at least not yet). Judah can also be the sweetest little baby ever since he is such a cuddler...I LOVE IT! He also likes to pat your back when you pat his...so cute. I was going to put their stats in the blog, but it has been a month since their appointments...but I'll guess...Judah was around 24lbs. and 31in. and Hugh was around 32lbs. and 38in. - I figure I am close and it is good enough.

I am twenty-seven weeks and little boy Saylor looks great. We are certain we have a first name for our boy...Samuel...and of course, I will be calling him Sammy. Hubey calls him Lucas and he is certain that will be his name...sorry buddy, it isn't going to happen. Lucas is a favorite of mine, but we think Sammy is a good fit for our newest son...the goal is to just have one syllable names for our sons...Hugh, Jude, and Sam! I still get sick about four times a week...either right after breakfast or before I go to sleep at night. Like I have said before, it would not be a pregnancy for me unless I got sick. Honestly, my gut tells me I will be getting sick this entire pregnancy since I had an easy start...ah, sigh. It is so crazy to me that some women never get sick during pregnancy...what a foreign concept. No, once again...there will be no belly pictures...I don't document belly pictures. I have the joy of seeing my belly everyday. I really popped out the last couple of weeks...yippee! I can already see my "friends" (stretchmarks) coming back to play...yippee! I eat terrible all the time and it doesn't bother me (I know, I am a terrible mother)...pregnancy is hard enough (at least for me), so I don't put any additional stress about trying to stick to the pregnancy food list that I should be eating. I also eat soft cheeses, sushi, and I am sure a million other things that are one the "do not" eat list...oh well. Our little guy is active and moving all around, so he is all good...and I bet he likes soft cheeses and all the taboo items!

Lastly, we are officially mini-van owners. Yep, we made the plunge and cruise in our van with pride. I love mini-vans...always have loved them...how can you not? I don't care if there is a stigma associated with them...the stigma is true...I am a mom with young children...no big shock there. Hugh loves the van since he has his own air vent and Judah will love that as well this summer since he practically melted in our car this past summer.

Our Alaska adventure post will be coming in the next week...good times had by all!

Happy Birthday Hubey Monkey!

2011-10-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

Three?!? Really, it has already been three years?!? A little hard to believe at times, and then at times it feels like ten years! Our sweet Hugh "Hubey" William is three years old today.

You, our sweet boy, add so much joy to our lives. The joy started from the moment we found out I was pregnant. We knew you would change our lives forever, but I don't think we knew how much change one child could really bring. You can bring the change...you brought it from day one and you bring it everyday!

It is hard to look back and remember the last year (it was much easier when I was blogging every week)...I can barely remember last week. You have grown so much this past year...more in personality than weight (about three pounds this year isn't much...wish I could say the same for my weight gain).

You have shown us what an incredible big brother you are - you adore Judah. He is your best bud. You are such a big helper - you want to help all the time (I wish I could be a more relaxed mom and let you help more...that is a goal of mine for your third year). I am looking forward to you helping with the new baby - since you still tend to enjoy waking in the night, you can take the middle of the night feeding. You are going to be a terrific big brother to this new brother as well. You already love talking to my belly.

We learned that God is always in control (we already knew this, but the constant reminder is always needed for us) and that you are His child and He has entrusted us to raise you. We saw you be so strong during your first surgery (and hopefully, your last) this past year. God is continuing to show us that He is in control with your recent RAD diagnosis. You make life interesting...we would rather you keep things boring.

You are a tender hearted child and tears can come very easily for you. God is tempering my heart to not just dismiss your tears...He is teaching me a lot about compassion and patience. Thank you my sweet boy for being patient with me as we figure each other out. You are so verbal, but as your teacher said to me today, you are a one on one talker. Big groups are hard for you - you are normally seen on the edge of a group or doing your own thing. I love that you care about others and choose a more peaceful route most times (however, I do wish at times that you would stand up for yourself rather than back down). You are not one to follow the crowd and we love it...it may just be because you are three, but we'll take it for you. We pray you always follow the Lord and not others.

You continue to love to learn...I just wish I wasn't so lazy and would teach you more. You know your letters, letter sounds (thank you LeapFrog), colors, shapes, numbers (1-20), many Bible verses, and so much more...we got lots to work on this year and you are so excited. You still do a lot of "baby" talk...however, at times I think you are actually making up your own language since you'll repeat a lot of the same phrases...just so you know, it drives me CRAZY...like really crazy and I ask you to stop constantly. We love that you love to learn and pray this never ends. You still love to read anything and could sit for hours with books. We love to sit the Lord plant seeds in your heart to desire to read stories from His word and to learn verses. We pray these verses are written on your heart.

You are a great eater (you wouldn't know by the weight gain). You'll try lots of different foods, but you still mostly finish to enjoy a treat. It works for us and you get lots of treats. You are a sugar baby...a baby after my own heart. You LOVE candy! And we still give you treats for using the potty...yep, that will last forever...no joke.

You are a child on the go and would like to go somewhere everyday. Sorry buddy, but Mama likes to stay home...in her pjs ALL day! The grocery store is even a great place to go for you...unless Daddy is doing yard work or washing the cars...you LOVE your special time with Daddy and wouldn't trade it for the world. You are still Daddy's boy, but you are very sweet to me as well. You still LOVE your Grammas and Papas, your aunts and uncles, and your cousins...especially Logan...you love Logan. I love that you love your family so much.

You are crazy energy all the time...and still think sleep is overrated. You can read a clock...at least you know the number seven! I am sure napping is going out the window this year and that is sad...just plain sad. So, now you'll just have "rest" time for a VERY long time.

It has been such a great year with so many firsts - you can swim (yay! one of the most exciting things for us to watch as a parent), your first time in a wedding (you looked so handsome in your "burrito"), riding a bike (you still prefer your trike...you are FAST), your first kill (a nice, soft duck...we were so proud), using vasoline as hair gel, getting the BEST haircut ever, and the list goes on. You make us laugh and pull out our hair everyday. You say the funniest things and we so look forward to seeing your personality grow more and more. We look forward to your fourth year of life!

Oh, boy! Oh, boy! OH, BOY!!!

2011-10-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

Yep, we are in for three boys come early March! My gut told me boy...and it was a boy (my gut told me girl on Judah...and it was a boy...we make boys). A girl would have been lots of fun, but we are very excited for another sweet and fun boy. I love third boys...shoot, I married one. And one day (like thirty-five years from now), there will be a girl just like me looking for our third boy. We haven't fully decided yet on the name, but I think we are close...we'll see. So, how did we announce...well, my sister-in-law gave me a great idea. We took our sealed "sex" envelope to a baker and she made cake pops for us.

Blue or pink cake to reveal our third baby.

Well, we had to spice it up a little...we told her all white and one blue if we were having a boy, or all blue and one pink for a girl. So, we knew as soon as we bit into the cake pop and saw the white that we were having a boy...but our guests did not...they had to go around and find the colored cake pop...and my sister found the blue one.

God has blessed us with exactly what we need...soon to be three beautiful boys. We have big prayers for these brothers and pray God will do big things in their lives. Our prayer for our boys is that they will be the best of friends...encouraging one another, spurring one another in righteousness, and of course, driving one another crazy because that is what brothers do!

Updates...

2011-10-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

Clearly, I have been on a blogging hiatus. Work has been kicking my tail coupled with chasing after two tornadoes, dirtying my house, eating take-out, and having to eat every treat (you know, for the baby)…it takes a lot out of a girl. So, blogging gets moved to the back burner…as does cleaning my house and cooking real meals (Jake loves our “left-over” nights on the weekly meal plan…a little hard to have when there was nothing left-over from a meal that was never cooked…oops). Actually, I tried to type up a post on the pregnancy like a month ago and then I started watching Friday Night Lights on Netflix…and I got distracted, oh well. So, now I am back…with one big post with “what is new with the Saylors”…

Hugh is going to be three in a week…hard to believe we’ll have a three year-old. He continues to be his own deal…does not follow his peers or conform to others, who knows…maybe that is in the future? This is truly a child who walks to the beat of his own drum. He talks, talks, and talks…all the time. He is kind and has such a soft, tender heart…the Lord is teaching me a lot about a tender hearted child. His brother is still his best-friend and he looks forward to another little brother (yep, I know this baby is a boy…just like I knew Judah was a girl, but I REALLY am certain this time)…Jake thinks I am brainwashing him to be on Team Brother, but I am not – you ask him what the baby is and he’ll say brother. However, if you go into further detail and say, “Do you think the baby is a baby brother like Judah or baby sister like Evie?” and then he’ll say, “A baby sister like Evie…two Evies, I want two Evies.” I can guarantee you there will not be two Evies. He was recently diagnosed with reactive airway disease (RAD), so we are figuring that out…it could end up not being a big deal or it could be…time will tell, but we don’t worry about it – it is what it is and it comes as no surprise that Hugh was diagnosed with it…he will be the kid to get it all.

Judah is crazy as ever…walking everywhere and quickly on his way to running! He is always trying to repeat what we say and we are working on animal sounds…he’ll have some down one day and act like he has never heard the sounds next day…oh well. It is so fun to watch his personality come out more and more each day…our boys are SO different. Watching Judah at the splash pad makes me laugh out loud and others as well…he is so crazy…he likes to get sprayed directly in the face and then just runs around like it is the best thing ever. He lives to play outside and could live in the water. He is fun and has so much fire in him – he makes us laugh and smile everyday. Thankful to say Judah LOVES milk and he survives on it so it is a good thing he loves it! He has no idea that he is going to be a big brother and I am sure won’t know until about a year after the baby comes. Judah is still our baby…shoot, I still give him bottles and rock him every chance I get. It is crazy to think we are moving him to Hugh’s room in two months…my baby in a big boy bed?!?! Still hard to believe this sweet baby boy is going to be a big brother in less than five months!

So, I have been feeling fine…still get sick every once in a while (it is not a pregnancy for me unless vomiting is involved), but no big deal. I started writing this post like a month ago when I was still feeling gross and not wanting to eat…well, that has changed…REALLY changed. I could eat all day now…and I do. I could seriously sit and eat an entire bag of mint oreos in one sitting…and there shouldn’t be judgment if I have. Seriously, mint oreos are one of the best things ever and so are bagels with cream cheese and egg burritos. Honestly, this time around I didn’t really have any food aversions…I could touch chicken and I could eat eggs everyday. Yes, this pregnancy has been different than my first two…but clearly what I learned from Judah’s pregnancy is that all pregnancies are different…and different pregnancies don’t mean girls. I haven’t been as sick this time around (Jake would disagree), but I also only stopped pumping a month before we got pregnant so my hormones were already all sorts of jack-y. I am totally on Team Boy this time around…and Jake is playing for Team Girl and the deal is if this baby is a girl, Jake can name her. We would be thrilled with a boy or a girl…we pray for a healthy baby. I see my life with three boys right now, but I am sure I could also see myself with two boys and a girl (I would have so many wonderful fashion tips to teach her…1. A hair tie is always needed. 2. Flip flops can be worn with every outfit. 3. College t-shirts are the best…period. 4. Yoga pants are awesome. 5. Running shorts with built-in underwear…need I say more?…like I said, lots to teach her…at least she would have fashionable aunts that would be able to help her out). And we don’t find out the sex of our babies…that is our thing. Well, it was our thing until Jake decided he REALLY wanted to know this time (like a ten year-old girl REALLY wants to meet Justin Bieber)…so, we’ll find out…on Wednesday (and I’ll be fine with it…I am totally good not knowing). But in our dramatic fashion (because I need a more dramatic announcement), we will get the sex in a sealed envelope…and will open it over the weekend in a dramatic fashion…just wait for it.

So wait for the next update…next week…promise…it won’t be another month. And it will be the big announcement…think blue!

With Age...

2011-09-12T20:29:00.001-07:00

Comes responsibility. And now that this guy is one, we thought he needed some responsibility...as a BIG BROTHER!

Yep, adding a little more chaos to the mix in early March! And what did this guy do when he heard the news?!?

Got up and walked away! (Yay for Judah and the walking!)

We Have a Swimmer!!!

2011-08-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

So, after a few days of screaming fits...like full blown screaming fits...he would get put in time-out and we would have to leave...it clicked.

And we have a swimmer...and a safe swimmer. He prefers to float any chance he gets. When asked by his swim teacher, "When we are in trouble (in the water), what should we do?" He responded with "pray"...so sweet. Water does not come easy to this child...there is lots of fear, which results in lots of tears.

He doesn't use his arms (but he has even come along way with trying to use his arms...he has the coordination of a blind monkey...sadly, he looks like his Mama), but he has some good kickers.

We practiced his jumps with him (jumping out of his bed to the floor)...he has more work to do, but he has come SO far (he would stand at the fence thinking he could jump from there, which normally led to being pulled into the pool). It is so crazy to me how things will just click with kids. We are so proud that he overcame his fear! And we are so thankful to God for meeting us in all the little things in life as well!

Happy Birthday Judah Bear!

2011-08-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

365 days, fifty-two weeks, twelve months, one year…a little hard to believe that time has passed, but it has and I knew we would be here one day. Unfortunately, I have a terrible memory…hence the weekly posts, but I have so many fond memories looking back…

My sweet, sweet boy…oh, how we prayed for you and how others prayed for you. God brought us through a valley to bring us up a hill…to see His glory. Our God is so good…in plenty and in want, we pray sweet boy that in God’s grace, He shows you His incredible goodness and faithfulness. He is oh so faithful…even in my faithlessness. As you’ll learn, Mama is a little bit crazy (but a lot good…remember that part)…I remember seeing Dr. M and wanting to know why I wasn’t getting pregnant and I remember him saying after taking blood, “Just watch, you’ll be pregnant and you can quit worrying about it.” Sure enough, I was pregnant. We were so excited…scared, but so excited. You were good to me from the beginning…you helped me lose ten pounds in less than two months (you were better than the swine flu). Yep, I was sick as a dog…you just waited to chase food out of me any chance you got…so, I swore you were a girl. I mean I knew you were a girl with everything in me. I had dreams about you being a girl and I was stressed out about you being a girl (yep, insert crazy Mama here)…you see, we had bunk beds and you would be sharing a room at some point and I would try to think of ways to make the room more girly…it would stress me out. My labor with you was great (long night, but not too bad) – two pushes and you were out. Your Dada, two of your wonderful aunts (who got no sleep…Mama had them come to the hospital a little too early…Aunt Cindy was asked to sit down during the labor…too funny), and the Mr. Purple Peanut got to welcome you into this world…along with our midwife and several nurses…it isn’t a party unless there are lots of peeps. And your Dada let me know you were ALL BOY…yep, ALL BOY! I was thrilled…God had blessed us with exactly what we needed…a beautiful, healthy boy! (I could stop stressing out about the room…yep, crazy Mama.) It is crazy to look back and see God’s blessing (you) upon us. You are so sweet and we love you and you have taught us so much…

We learned that babies can be textbook and sleep like twenty-two hours a day (praise the Lord!). We learned that babies can go right back to sleep in the night…you just need to leave them there and walk out. We learned that I am a quitter…and I will always be for sanity. We learned that I can pump a ridiculous amount of milk…put Shamrock to shame. We learned that newborns can overeat…like six times the size of their stomach overeat and gain two pounds in ten days (yep, an overachiever in family…we’ve been waiting for one). We learned that I can go even longer between showers…insert happy husband here. We learned that not all babies like pacifiers…no matter how many times your try…over and over and over… We learned that we HATE Dr. Brown bottles, but we are so sucked in...sigh. We learned there is no such thing as a “miracle” blanket, but there is such thing as a “miracle” swing…hello six hour naps! We learned that babies can fall out of their “miracle” swings…and amazing Mamas may not notice…sigh. We learned that “miracle” swings cause flat heads which lead to awesome helmets. We learned that even when a baby screams when he is on his tummy, it is still a good idea to leave him there. We learned that we could think of lots of inappropriate sayings for the awesome helmet and very few church appropriate sayings…we’ll lose our twelve-year-old boy minds soon enough. We learned that something may seem like it is going to be horrible, but babies are so resilient and nothing seems to bother them. We learned that Judah can totally rock a helmet…such a handsome guy. We learned that sometimes babies lose their rockstar sleep habits…sigh. We learned that sleep training is about as much fun as shoving knives into your eyes. We learned that sleep training will end, but it does feel like an eternity.

We learned that playing in pee won’t kill you…and getting peed on won’t kill you either (I should know because I get peed on almost everyday)…Judah has a thing for pee, what can I say…it could be worse. We learned that Judah has a passion for milk (a gross amount of milk). We learned that Mama continues in her crazy with the extensive research on organic vs. non-organic milk (still researching). We have learned that Judah has some fire in him, and I pray that passion grows for God’s Kingdom in mighty ways….I pray God gives me the patience to cultivate that in him. I learned that Judah likes to break necklaces…even my necklace from my wedding…insert sad face. We learned Judah has some of the best facial expressions and is over the top excited when Dada gets home from work (Mama plays a distant second). We have learned that you can pound on EVERYTHING and with EVERYTHING. We learned that food is overrated in Judah’s world, and man can live alone on milk, ice cream, and cheese puffs. We learned that Judah was able to grasp the “you are so dumb” look from a young age…I am so proud. We learned that stuffed animals can truly be violated and it ain't pretty. We learned that Judah is one happy guy and is willing to get in the thick of things. It took some time, but we learned Judah does like people and actually likes to play with others…but his best-friends are his Dada and Hubey. We learned Judah can be quite the scrapper and is willing to fight for what he decides is his. We have learned that he loves the water and we pray (pray, pray, pray) this continues. We have learned that he has the sweetest smiles and the best laughs. I have learned I could rock this boy to sleep for hours each night…and still do sometimes (yes, I do and proud of it…there is NOTHING like a sleeping baby in your arms). We have learned that God is so faithful, so incredibly faithful. We have learned that God could not have blessed us with a better fourth member of our family…we love you Judah Bear!

My baby, my sweet baby…I tear up every time I think about you growing up…of course, I see some hussy stealing you away from me (no she didn’t)! We prayed, prayed, prayed for you…and I went crazy waiting for you. You, my sweet boy, make me a better mother…you and your brother make me want to be a better mother. You have shown me my incredible selfishness, and I praise God for sanctification. I pray I will be a better mom to you everyday…be patient with me. I pray God shows you His incredible grace and grabs a hold of you from a young age. You are an amazing little boy and I cannot wait for all the world to know it. We love you…more than you’ll ever know. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

And that, is a wrap.

Pandapalooza!

2011-08-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

Yep, it was Pandapalooza this past weekend for Judah's b-day party. Judah loves his panda bear, so I thought I would run with the theme...I did as much as I could think to do and thought it turned out really cute. I didn't go crazy...I don't even know how, but I did MY best and I did it for our son. Okay, moving on...of course, I didn't get any pictures of the set-up...oh well. Good I always take mental pictures.

It was so fun celebrating Judah with our family. He had a great time and is such a sweet boy. He just gets right into the middle of it all, I love it.

As you know, summer b-day parties stress me out, but we found a great indoor place and the kids could run wild. The people at the place were great and so laid back, which was nice...we had some wild party goers. It was more of a snacks and cupcakes kind of party...I had WAY too many snacks...my husband is always right.

Judah was not into his special panda cake...not one bit. Actually, I think it frightened him...I guess eating your best buddy would be scary. However, he did enjoy his cupcake.

I think everyone had fun...how can you not with kids running wild, cupcakes being destroyed, and a bounce house?!? If that isn't a party, I don't know what is!

Looking forward to a special b-day dinner with Judah Bear tomorrow!

Bearzo on the brink of 1

2011-08-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe it’s time for the guest blogging session again. I knew this day was coming, but it always seemed so far off. Side note – your mom would want me to apologize for being a day late on your post. She would say that since I knew this day was coming for so long, that I should have been prepared to post on the regular Mondays. While I have no intention of apologizing, I will assure you my love for you is no less because I’m a day late posting this blog :) The fact that you have been part of our lives for nearly 365 days boggles my mind – some days seemed like they wouldn’t end quickly enough but looking back over the year as a whole it seems like it was only a moment. Time is a funny thing.

Speaking of time, here are some of my favorite times about you Judah, a.k.a. Bearzo:

Hearing your mom was pregnant with you - as when your mom told me she was pregnant with Hugh, I failed in being as excited as I should. I really was excited, but just didn’t want to get my hopes up yet again. Again, a lack of trust in God in this area – still a point I’m working on. Regardless of my big, fat failure, the outcome was you and for that I am most grateful (if you hadn’t figured it out, this last sentence is the favorite memory here).

Doctor visits – your mom will tell you I didn’t come to any and that I went to all of her appointments when she was pregnant with Hugh. There is truth to this statement, but don’t read anything into it. I made many of the appointments and I was there when it really counted on Aug. 23. It ranks as one of the best days of my life. Unlike Hugh, you were kind to your mom and came out in only a few pushes. You stole my heart right from the start. You should ask your mom about the purple peanut – her friend in the delivery room. Your aunts Cindy and Melissa can also recount stories. That was also a fond memory.

Band – this has dual meaning. First, you were my little helmet boy. I hated that you had to wear that band to reshape your noggin, but you were such a champ and never complained. You looked quite handsome in it and your head now is stunningly round-ish instead of flat-ish (I hope you thank us later). Second, I picked up the guitar when you were just a few months old. From the start, you were my biggest fan – you’d sit there and listen spellbound as I butchered the chords. You drove me crazy later when you were mobile and I couldn’t keep you from crawling over to me and pounding on the guitar. I think you have a future as a drummer. I hope we can one day jam together.

TV fanatic – we were so crazy about not letting Hugh watch TV. I’m sorry to say that we’ve shamelessly allowed you to rot your brain in front of the TV early on. You were hooked the first time you saw TV. One of my favorite images is you standing up against the coffee table staring mesmerized at Baby Einstein, the horrid Nursery Rhymes DVD (which spawned a family favorite - Judah the Dancing Bear). I also love when you just chill in my lap and watch a “bideo.”

Excited faces for Dada – as your mom has mentioned in the last 50 weeks of blogging, you have a bit of a fondness for me. I won’t lie – I love it. You give me the greatest excited face when you see me, whether in the morning, when I get home from work, after being watched by someone else. Your excited face looks like Hubey’s patience face – it’s priceless and warms me every time I see it.

Late night feedings – quite possibly my favorite times were the late night feedings (except the one terrible night where you wanted to pull an all-nighter together – I didn’t enjoy that night much). I don’t remember your brother liking to chill on my chest after I fed him late at night. You, however, were a little cuddle buddy. I loved it.

Adventurous spirit – you are so bold and willing to just go after anything or get into the middle of everything. Whether playing right alongside with the big kids or wanting to dive right into the pool, you just go and think later. Being more the protective one, this makes the hairs on my arms stand up – we’ll both have to work on it, but it’s wonderful.

Shower time – like your brother, I’ve given you nearly all of your baths thus far in your year of life. I’m convinced the fact that I took you into the shower to bathe you on like day 3 of your life is the reason why you became our little water baby – this is a good thing. I apologize for the fact that Hubey has peed on you now twice in the shower – I tried to prevent it, but just wasn’t fast enough. It hasn’t deterred you from the water, so that’s a good thing.

I know there were more special times, but I’ve already written more for you than I did for Hugh – I hope this helps counter any middle child feelings you might have in the future – so in the spirit of fairness, I’m going to wrap up. As I was thinking about writing this blog, I was reminded of a specific memory. I was in New York one summer and was on the ferry coming back to the city after visiting the Statue of Liberty. While sitting there taking in the sites and watching passengers, a father and son caught my attention. The boy couldn’t have been much older than 5. His father was standing and holding onto a rail and the boy was hugging his dad’s leg watching the scenery float by. The son looked just like his father – hair, face, eyes – a little piece of his dad. They just enjoyed the ride and had fun together. As I sat there, in that moment, I became excited about having children one day. I knew I wanted to be a father. Now as a father, what I realize is that moment the father and son shared was probably bookended by a crazy morning and crazy evening full of waking up early, running in circles, toys everywhere, “I can’t find it,” spilled juice, “how do you ask nicely,” messy hands on the back of the couch, “don’t take that from your brother,” back talk, discipline, crying, “I’m not tired,” and much more. Ah, children. Back to my story – that ferry ride memory reminds me that I am so thankful God has blessed me to be the father of you and Hugh. You little boy-os can certainly drive me crazy, but you are a big part of why my cup overflows. I love you Judah Bear. Happy first birthday, son.

Still Not Walking...

2011-08-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

Yep, still no walking for Judah in week fifty! I could say he is still super close, which he is, but it doesn't matter because he has been super close the last two weeks and still cannot commit. He is non-committal...like his Dada...just ask Jake the story of the ring and non-proposal. He does continue to stand independently and has actually gotten to a standing position a few times unassisted. Honestly, I think I want it too bad for him...all done with the crawling. He seems a little more daring lately, so we'll see what this week brings!

So, what else did week fifty bring for Judah? Well, it brought lots of time with the AK Johnsons and other fun cousins and friends; however, you wouldn't know it since I have yet to snap a single picture. I get supa lazy with the camera at times since my children are normally never camera ready and they won't perform for the camera...oh well. It has been very fun the last two weeks to have so much family in town! He has started to pretend talk on the phone - he'll put the phone up to his ear and say "hi"...you would think he sees me do this all the time, but I am rarely on the phone...it would be more fitting for him to learn to pretend text or pretend send calls to voicemail. It is very cute. He started to "tease" his brother...he'll take something very endearing to his brother (like his prized letters), pop it in his mouth and then take off crawling. And he likes to look back to see his brother in total horror. Ah, the joys of a younger sibling. He also loves to knock down anything Hubey is building, which again provides for much angst for the big brother and much delight for the little brother. I guess it is payback for Hubey's torture to Judah over the last couple of months! I forgot to mention last week that Judah now has four teeth...woot, woot! He seems to be eating a little better, and we think Italian is his favorite food. We have made the transition to whole milk and he LIKES it! Yay! That is so huge for us because Hugh hated it (and still does...he says it is too thick, he drinks skim milk...yes, our doctor has explained all the benefits of the fatty milk...oh, well). And this is so great for the budget...formula is such a budget killer! I did try to transition to a sippy cup this week for his milk, which was a major fail. The sippy cups drown him...trying to find one that works...seriously thinking about spending $15 on one sippy cup...no joke. So, bottles for now. However, he looks like he might be getting a rash and I will be SUPER sad if this boy to allergic to cow's milk...he already seems to have some type of reaction to eggs...maybe he has something against farms? He continues to love to get into EVERYTHING and will keep us on our toes for sure. He gives you this look like, "did you really just tell me no? because I don't think you meant it..."...oh, I mean it...yes, I do. Even though he can be crazy and wild, he is super fun and we love all of his mischievous and sweet ways! He can always make us smile!

So, week fifty has been a little tough for me...hurt my back...most likely from falling while roller skating. Yep, roller skating...I bust out my white skates and my high knee socks and get to it...kidding. However, I do have fond memories of skating and took my AK niece and nephew...they loved it (and why wouldn't they? it is awesome). My back will heal and it is good for Judah to have to stand up for me pick him up out of his crib...and I only drop him like six inches when I lay him down in his crib...he is falling onto a mattress...no big deal. Thanks to you all for your prayers and watch for our "special" guest blogger next week!

Yay for Uncle Jared and Aunt Julie!

2011-08-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

Ugh, late again in week forty-nine! So sorry to my sweet boy…Big Surf really took it out of me and I was wiped last night. I woke up in a total panic last night and realized the blog would have to wait until today…oh well. Life will go on and Judah will continue to love his mother, and this will not be my last failure and will surely not be my biggest failure. Week forty-nine has been a big week…Uncle Jared married Aunt Julie! We are so excited for them! Judah enjoyed the wedding (from the Crying Room…he wasn’t crying, but he needed his own space to express his excitement) and sadly (not really), was booted for the reception. I love my son, but after a very LONG night before the wedding the thought of bringing him to the reception was painful…seriously painful. He did great at the rehearsal dinner, but Judah is not wedding ready and I will be the first to admit that. It will not be the last wedding he attends…God is preparing a great girl for him as I type this blog…in another forty years!

So, what else did week forty-nine bring for Judah? Well, he got to meet the rest of his family…TN Saylors and AK Johnsons! This has been a long time coming and he was very excited to meet new aunts, an uncle, and cousins…so much family to love on him, he is blessed. He really enjoyed being watched by Daniel (the oldest cousin on Jake’s side)…Daniel will be a fantastic baby-sitter one day! He continues to stand independently for longer periods of time and almost looks like he wants to take some steps…go Judah…take the steps already…say goodbye to crawling! As I stated before, he enjoyed a busy wedding filled week - he rocked the rehearsal dinner and was quite the ham. Lots of people loved on him and he was all over it, which is so not Judah. He really seems to be coming out of his shell a little more – he will go to people, smile at them…growing up, I guess. I think he prefers men over women…not sure why…I am sure I will need years of therapy to figure it all out. Two of his wonderful aunts gave him an early birthday gift…a drum set…he loves it…and so do we (with everything we have in us…we love that drum set). One day, when he is a famous drummer, I will thank those aunts for the wonderful gift. He has started doing the Indian thing (I know, so not PC) where he hits his hand against his mouth…so proud of himself. He has started this fake laugh thing and it is so funny because it is almost like he is mocking people and their “funny” jokes…ah, makes me laugh every time. He totally cracks himself up when he does it, and I love that so much too. I love seeing more of his personality come out. He will be our little joker. This kid pees on me EVERY time after a shower or bath...he waits for it every time and then laughs...too funny, but it also gets in his mouth at times...that is what you get...mess with the bull and you get the horns. He continues to “appreciate” all the love from his brother, but has really realized that we respond quicker to the “love” (torture) if he starts crying…smart baby. Hugh is very good with him, but he is a big brother…enough said. Still not the greatest eater, but he does love fruit and I think he may have eaten a watermelon rind this week…oops. He’ll be our fruit baby. He is such a sweet little guy who always has the best kisses, hugs, and smiles…so blessed!

Hard to believe he is going to be one in a few weeks. It is absolutely crazy how fast time can really go. I don’t want to miss this sweet time with him when he still wants us to hold him and love on him…Hugh told Jake the other day to go away so he could play alone with his cousins…sad day. Judah can be our baby forever! God has blessed us so much – all praise and glory to Him!

Getting Closer...

2011-07-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Walking is starting to look a lot more promising in week forty-eight! He has been doing a lot more independent standing, taken a few steps (as he is falling...into Jake of course), and will walk all the time pushing things or holding hands. However, he is still really not into it. I know most people look at their babies and think they don't want them to start walking, but mobile is mobile in my book...and crawling is great, but it gets old fast. It is so much easier to let a child down and wander when s/he is walking rather than crawling...so, bring on the walking! Wish I could find something to motivate him...like a glass of wine or a nap, oh wait...those are my motivators. Hmmm...will keep thinking.

So, what else did week forty-eight bring for Judah? Well, it didn't bring another tooth...looks like that will happen in week forty-nine. However, he may not have a thumb if he continues gnawing on it like he has been...and that would be sad. He likes pizza and fruit snacks! That is my boy (no really, that is my boy...if I would have said he likes something healthy than that would not be my boy). He continues to drink A LOT of formula and if he continues down this path with milk, he will be drinking a gallon of milk every other day...makes me vomit in my mouth a little bit. His Dada came back home and all was right with the world again...seriously, Judah is a HUGE Dada's boy...and the world is not in correct order when Jake is not around. However, Jake is starting to realize he created quite the "special friend", who will crawl after him everywhere and demand to be held...you made your bed, now lie in it. He pulled down the oven door on top of himself at my mom's house...that is scary...luckily it wasn't turned on. Hoping that doesn't happen again and envision it will if we don't really put "no touch" into full gear. He totally understands the phrase, but totally touches things just to spite me...ah, my little depraved son...he is in desperate need of the gospel. He continues to love his pirate face in like every.single.picture. He continues to love toys and his coordination surprises me all the time. I really believe music (the drums) is his love...he will play on anything and keeps a decent beat (again, he gets that from me...you should hear me sing...ah-mazing). He continues to be quite the mimic...I see that driving Hubey crazy one day. I use to mimic my brothers when I was little (and little means anything under thirty)...it would drive them crazy, but it was so worth it...especially with Clayton because he wouldn't retaliate...I was totally not that annoying younger sibling. Judah is such a sweetheart - he always gives me a big hug and huge smile when I get him in the mornings...he knows how to start my day. He has the sweetest expressions and smiles...we cannot get enough of this little guy!

Thanks for the prayers...hard to believe he is eleven months old and we are less than a month away. Seriously, it goes by so fast...especially with your second one. Now, I just need to start actually doing things for his party...not just thinking about them or searching on Pinterest (which can become addicting)!

Slowly, but Surely...

2011-07-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Forty-seven weeks? Really, already forty-seven weeks? It is crazy that in five weeks, our sweet little boy is going to be fifty-two weeks or a year old…whatever (and I’ll be done with the weekly posts, which will be nice. It may sound crazy (or lazy), but the weekly post can be draining at times…I love it, but I don’t always love it while in it.). Hard to believe that almost a year has gone by. Judah has been such an amazing blessing to this family…just what we needed. I see this little guy pushing limits and desiring to explore, but don’t all boys?!? He’ll keep parenting interesting and me on my toes…God knows exactly what I need…and exactly what Hugh needed. When Judah starts walking, things will get very interesting over here. As I watch him play right now, it is crazy to see how much he has changed…he becomes more of a little boy every day. He is still my baby for sure, but he doesn’t want to be a lot of the time. Don’t get me wrong, this kid loves some good hold time, but he loves his independence. What a blessing!

So, what did week forty-seven bring for Judah? Another tooth! Woot, woot…three teeth for this champ. I knew those teeth were coming with the early waking, but he's still getting up early…sigh…maybe another tooth is coming. I assumed this other top tooth would come as well (Hugh’s teeth always came in pairs), but nope…just one lone soldier up top. Not that that soldier has much work to do since Judah doesn’t really eat. Maybe more teeth will bring more eating? I swear he mimics a lot of what I say – no one else experiences this, but I swear he does it…special thing just for me. He really does want to speak and I think he’ll be a loud talker/screamer. He continues to be quite the speed crawler and is cruising on everything, but no signs of walking. He loves to play with toys and actually has really good hand/eye coordination, which does not come from me…you should see me do step aerobics. It is crazy because you would think I have really good hand/eye coordination because I am such an amazing dancer. He puts up with A LOT from his brother…he is tough and a trooper. He is doing awesome with his signs and think we’ll introduce “please” and “thank you” soon. He will actually sit and listen to about three pages of a book…that is a big step for him. He continues to love the water…and any water…even water in toilets…toilets that have pee in them…didn’t think that would happen twice…oh well, worse things could happen for sure. We are desperately trying to break the “Judee” and the “Judees” nickname, but we are failing…that is all Hugh will call him…and unfortunately, I do at times as well…it just sticks. He has learned to open cabinets…oh, joy. My children are born with a list of things in their heads to drive me crazy…cabinets are on that list. And he still does the pirate face in like every picture. Peek-a-boo is still a big favorite for him and I love to see him have so much fun with it. He loves to jump around, wrestle, get tickled, laugh, and just have fun…what a sweet, sweet boy!

I have been flying solo with parenting (Jake will be home soon) and I have realized once again that my single parenting skills are truly lacking…I am thankful for my husband…I am a better parent when he is around. I tend to lack patience and lose my patience at an alarming rate (and it NEVER seems too early for naps or bedtime). I am normally found seeking forgiveness from my children. It is sad that my standards of them are much higher than of myself. Praise God for His grace…think He has been showering His grace on the Saylor house!

One Hundred Thirty Plus...

2011-07-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

So, I started this post when Hugh was two and a half...or one hundred and thirty weeks as we like to roll in this house. And then...I got lazy, I roll a lot like that in this house as well...it must be the house. Anyway, it has been too long since I last posted about Hugh...he says something funny everyday. He brings so much joy (and hair pulling frustration) to our lives everyday...I wouldn't trade the joy (and sanctification) for anything!...(however, there are some days when I wish I had an "off" button for the whining!)

Hugh is a GREAT talker, and is still super shy so not sure many people know it, but I forget he is in his twos at times because he is such a great talker. He says so many funny things...

He pronounces his "sm" blends as "f"...and of course I make him say, "I am a very smart boy" or "I am a big smarty pants"...so, it sounds more like, "I am a very fart boy" or "I am a big farty pants"...honestly, it provides me lots of entertainment and it never gets old. Oh, and smack is a good one as well..."Fack it"...again, so much entertainment.

He will normally tell people to drive safe.

He says "I don't know" all the time...curses on me because I taught it to him because he use to "na na" and it drove me crazy...oh, the "I don't know" drives me crazy as well.

He is going to be in his first wedding and is going to wear a tuxedo, or a burrito as he likes to call it. He will look handsome.

He is getting better, but you would frequently hear him ask, "Mama, do you have a wiener?" It is a big deal figuring that out. Can't quite say he has his girl vs. boy down yet...Jake is a girl, but wait, Jake is a girl...so maybe he has that one down...ha, ha.

He always says, "What do you say to me?" or when we are going to see someone he'll say, "What do you think they'll say to me, Mama?" He has to know.

He has been potty trained since he was two...started at twenty-two months...we did the three day method...clearly it worked in sixty days. You know what though, we would do it all over again - we are BIG supporters of the potty training before two. I know everyone has their opinion on this and what I believe is you do what is best for you and your family, and for this family...the earlier the better. And yes, we still give treats for poop in the potty...we have trained him well. He'll sometimes say, "Mama, I'll do it myself." when I take him to the potty...I am proud of him and enjoy my time cleaning up the pee. How hard is it to aim into a very large hole?!? I ask Jake the same question. The other day he slipped into the potty, so he'll now say, "Mama, don't let me fall into the potty." Another reminder he gives me when taking him to the potty, "Mama, you can't eat poop or pee."...thanks, Buddy...I needed that reminder.

He knows all his ABCs now and about 90% of the lowercase letters. We sing about the letter sounds but he has NO idea how it all works. We gave up on shapes...my patience fuse only runs so long, but he got his numbers! Wow, I didn't know if it was going to happen, but it did! He still loves to read, but also has quite the love for TV and asks for videos quite often. Ratatouille is his favorite movie, but he also enjoys Baby Einstein and singing videos. His favorite song is still "Holy, Holy, Holy" and we love to hear him sing it.

He loves to play with his brother, and is great with him...but can also be a total nightmare to him as well. I hear myself saying MANY times a day, "Hugh, just leave Judah alone. Do not touch your brother." Judah does a much better job of independent play. The word independent is not in Hugh's dictionary. Never was and I doubt it ever will be.

He loves to ride his trike and rides a two wheeler (with training wheels); however, he prefers his trike because he is much faster. He is starting to enjoy building tracks for his trains (shoot me in the eye...seriously...because we all know that means Mama builds them over and over and over...). He loves to "cook" and has quite an imagination. He likes to build towers and then knock them down (so boy). And, he likes to pretend like he is shooting things...this is something boys are born with, they are not taught to play pretend guns...crazy to me.

His surgery back in January went great. And we are thankful we did it when we did since it would most likely need to be corrected at some point in his life...the younger, the better. He'll talk about it sometimes...he has an incredible memory...shoot, he is already reminding me of things.

One of his favorite activities is to be naked - any excuse to get naked and this kid is there...one would think we are such free spirits over here.

He has an obsession with pajamas and he prefers the fleece, footed pajamas...in July...in Arizona. He starts asking in the morning about what pajamas he is going to wear to bed. It is a BIG deal. And, getting him out of his pajamas...an even BIGGER deal. Every time he puts on t-shirts or shorts, he asks if he can roll them down...my cold boy.

We were at the Children's Museum (Hugh's favorite place) and we were in the gift shop. Of course, he was running wild and touching everything. So, I stopped him and told him that we can "touch with our eyes"...he is in a very literal stage and the next thing I saw was him trying to "touch" with his eyes...so funny.

He loves his cousins...especially Logan. He talks about him ALL THE TIME. In his mind, they do everything together.

He is a great eater, but eats for treats. This kid could live on fruit snacks and soda...and McD's fries and hamburgers. Wow, once you write it out you realize how bad it truly sounds...we do squeeze in some healthy items...sometimes.

He LOVES his Bible stories and Bible verses. He loves to memorize Scriptures. We pray God writes them on his heart because we know head knowledge is useless. We pray God gives us the grace to parent him everyday. And we pray most of all that God would show Hugh His grace and save him.

He is a sweet boy, but has his moments. He whines, complains, desires to have his way A LOT, and is defiant...he may not look like me, but he sure acts like me...sigh. Again, thankful for God's grace...it is the only thing that saves. I am thankful to know my parenting can't save him.

We love him so much! What a fun age!

My Sweet Baby

2011-07-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe my baby is forty-six weeks! He is just my baby. And a baby that was so tired he slept in my arms at McD’s after the Children’s Museum (yes, I said McD’s…that is how we roll our big unhealthy train…woot, woot). I LOVE a sleeping baby in my arms…very few things are sweeter to me. AND he NEVER sleeps in my arms any more…sad. So, today was such a special treat for me. And it didn’t stop me from eating my fries (or ice cream…sigh). Judah had a great time at the Museum this morning…gave him a little more freedom and he was all over it. The Museum is wonderful, one of our favorite places to go, but it also is one of those places that is bound and determined to get even your most healthy child sick…so, I am a little skeptical of letting my baby crawl all over the filthy, dirty floor…call me crazy…wait, call me Jake because that is who I sound like right now. Anyway, loved my special “baby” moment with Judah…cherish every single one.

So, what else did week forty-six week bring for Judah? He has become quite the game player with peek-a-boo…so cute when they figure things out. And he is a little delayed with his peek-a-boo game, but he is still a game player…don’t hate the player, hate the game…but you can’t really hate peek-a-boo or any other games he plays…and I digress. He also responds to “so big”…where he’ll raise his arms in the air, but again…he plays his way…raises one arm. That is my boy. He likes to wave “hi” and gives great kisses (normally, just for Mama…he knows what’s up). He is doing great with his signs (however, at times he throws all of his signs out at once…thinking one of these has GOT to work), and has continued to enjoy his times in his chair until he signs “all done”…yep, his fave part of the day. He continues to mimic and will throw his cup on the ground and say “uh-oh”…my fave part of the day when he does like eight billion times in a row (and yes, I am going to start outsmarting the game player and not giving it back). He will also mimic “hi” and I think he calls me “Nana”…whatever, works for me. We put away the high chair and moved him up to the booster chair…feels like he is more a part of the family rather than the baby in the corner and we all know…nobody puts baby in the corner. Another baby item put away…yay. He is still loving the crawl, and has not showed any love for walking. He loves to stand and the best is when he pulls to a stand by using my pants and pulls them down…awesome. He continues to love to pound and was having a serious jam session with Jake and Hugh this past weekend. He can play with the drum and xylophones for quite some time without getting bored. He continues to give the best smiles, but saves his biggest grins for Dada. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say again…Judah + Jake = Big Love…and no, not that kind of “big love”. He continues to love the pool and bath…water baby. He is starting to do a weird picture face (like a pirate face), and the sad thing is I think he is trying to mimic my smile...and if I look like that when I smile then I have got some BIG problems (and I was TERRIBLE this week with pictures...oh, well). He has been getting up too early the last week…I am guessing teeth (good a guess as any…and I would think he would need more than two teeth…one would think). Eating is still at the bottom of his list of things he would like to do and what a smart mother would do is probably cut the milk intake, but oh, no…not this mama…my baby wants to drink milk, then drink milk…the days of eating will be plenty in the future…and cheese puffs, booty, and fruit (yes, he loves fruit) are good enough. Judah is such a sweet boy, and our family is so blessed to have him…we cannot imagine our life without him!

Thanks to you all for your prayers. We are truly blessed living under the grace of God everyday. I realize everyday (through my sinful heart) that God has shown so much grace to us and I pray that we show that same grace to our sweet boys!

Freedom!

2011-07-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

Judah celebrated his first Freedom day in week forty-five! And no fireworks! None of us saw fireworks, I know...we are so unAmerican. You know what, it isn't about the fireworks and (let me get on my soapbox) we should not be allowed to light off fireworks in Arizona! Over 550,000 acres burned and are still burning! Yes, I am all about rights for the people, but seriously...fireworks?!? Okay, enough about my political rants...this post is about Judah. Anyway, the holiday is about our freedom - thank you to servicemen and women who fought for our freedom and continue to do so everyday AND thank you to their families! Judah continues to love his own freedom...more and more everyday. Fortunately, we were able to get out of Phoenix (the hottest place on earth) and go to Flag...so nice. Judah enjoyed another road trip (not really...no freedom in a five point harness) and he enjoyed his time in wilderness. Lots of fun - thank you Uncle Jared!

So, what else did week forty-five bring for Judah? Well, it brought his first sunburn and some incredible mom guilt. Who knew that you could get sunburned on a sky ride in Flag? Well, super white (me) and whitey (Judah) can...bad. He looked like a raccoon (his whole face didn't get burned, because we did try to put sunblock on him...clearly, we failed), and his head is so burned...like with blisters and everything...so, so sad. I felt so terrible (and still feel terrible every time I look at him)! He doesn't seem to notice, but I have learned my lesson and will become a walking PSA for sunscreen. We also had one of those super fun moments when we had to pull over to change Judah because he was stankin' up the whole car. He went in with clothes and came out wearing a diaper...we do it up real classy. He continues to love to pound on EVERYTHING. Some of his toys have already been his sweet victims. He has a love for music just like Hugh, but drummer will not be in his future. He continues to be a TOTAL Dada's boy, but he will say "mama"...when he is tired, hungry, or mad...to be so needed...melts my heart a little bit. He had a few moments of being an only child this past week and he wears "only child" very well. He has learned that to be heard in this family (above his big brother) he needs to be loud and he has that down VERY well. Dinner makes for an interesting time with Judah yelling and pounding on his tray. He likes to be heard, what can I say?!? Yep, will deal with the behavior later. He continues to be a speed crawler and shows NO desire in walking...that is okay, BUT I would like a walker by fifteen months...just saying. Oh, and the birthday party is booked...woot, woot. Ah, the planner in me is happy. He continues to not enjoy his solids, but is starting to live on the motto, "Man can live on milk alone." And I love that I have baby who likes milk. So, this baby can (and does) live on milk alone...oh, and booty and cheese puffs! He continues to be such a sweet, sweet boy...and he really does smile...he just needs to get to know you!

Happy Fourth of July to All!

Ten Months!

2011-06-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

(Clearly, I am struggling with a title...it is late.) Wow...week forty-four! It is hard to believe that Judah has been with us for forty-four weeks...ten months! Crazy to think there are only two months left of his first year! So glad he is on the outside this summer rather than the inside...it is so hot! Ugh, the heat...still haven't 100% figured out the party for him (and yes, I still know it is two months away)...but I've got some options, which is great! It will be here before we know it!

So, what else did week forty-four bring for Judah? Well, to be honest, it wasn't a huge week for him. (It wasn't a big week for any of us, which is nice. However, this week "Wally" is coming to town (he is the weight loss wonder...aka "the treadmill")...so, next week is going to be a HUGE week.) He - back to Judah, not talking about Wally here - still continues to be very weary of solid food, but he likes noodles (the blue box), watermelon, and ice cream...seems to be hitting all the major food groups, so we are good (and he still loves Cheetos...the puffs kind). He has also been loving his milk (aka nasty formula) this last week...since we bumped him up to the level three nipple...woot woot! Yes, it took ten months to get there...he likes a slow flow...he was on a preemie nipple for over two months! My boys and their issues...all from Jake. It will be great to have a child who loves milk and it will be even better to switch to whole milk! He continues to love the pool (thanks to Uncle Troy and Aunt Melissa for their kindness)...and he still believes he can swim. He continues to be a speed crawler (people comment how fast he is...must be an impressive skill) and still pulls up on everything. I have seen him stand a few more times, but he'll immediately drops down once he realizes what he is doing. He is getting better with his signs - will sign "all done" now (well, sometimes...ask Jake about that one). We'll keep working on them. We didn't find him playing in any toilets this week...score one for us, but he peed in his mouth...fail (you know, a girl would NEVER do that...boys...and their toys). He has started doing this new super excited face...normally for Jake when he comes home from work. Seriously, Jake has hung the moon in this boy's life. He LOVES himself some Dada. However, I did hear "Mama" this week, but it was clearly a slip for Judah and he went right back to his Dada ways. He enjoyed some time in the sprinklers (or frinklersong as Hubey calls them)...this kid loves water (I think Hugh was hiding). He is enjoying time at the Children's Museum (now that I'll let the bear loose)...I see us there a lot this summer because it is so hot! It is hard to remember October through April when it is this hot outside! He continues to find lots of things to entertain himself...and he can always be entertained by his brother (even if that means crying). He TOTALLY knows the word "no" and likes to push the limits...fantastic (luckily, I always have my mommy's "helper" who lets me know EVERY time Judah is doing what he should not be doing). He is doing great - sleeping (thanks to some trashy aluminum foil) great, happy boy, and sweet, sweet, sweet! So in LOVE!

We are so thankful for God's grace in our lives everyday!

Same Story, Different Week

2011-06-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

Same old, same old for Judah in week forty-three. As I learned with Hugh, not every week can be a grocery cart experience kind of week…not even for Judah. Some weeks are a repeat of the week before…and here we are, on repeat. And you know what, we don’t need excitement every week. (And, as I type this post, I am super tired…so, we’ll see how much I can even remember (awesome)).

So, what else did week forty-three bring for Judah? Well, as I stated above, I am super tired and can barely remember my kid’s names…ugh. Well, Judah continues to be his aggressive self and we hear ourselves say “gentle Judah” MANY times throughout the day. Seriously, he is that kid that you can sweetly be looking into his eyes and then he slaps you across the face. Sort of catches people off guard (no joke). Again, we are working on it. He is a little mimic and will mimic certain things we say and do (like when I say “uh-oh” – he’ll try to say it back)…it is very cute. Just a reminder that our kids are always watching (great, just what I needed). Guess who we found playing in the toilet this week? A toilet with pee… JAKE! I tell him time and time again how disgusting that is, but fun is fun to him. And kidding…Judah, we found Judah playing in the toilet…like a moth to a flame (if I found Jake playing in the toilet, we would have some big problems on our hands). So gross. Well, at least urine is sterile (at least that is what I tell myself). So, keeping the toilet seats down. If playing in the toilet and a little pee is the worst of it, then no big deal. He has stood independently a few times, honestly – he has great balance. However, he acts like his legs are falling off when you try to have him stand, or try to get him to walk with you…awesome. He got to celebrate his first Father’s Day, and I personally think the boys could have done a better job to celebrate their Dada (will need to work on that for next year). I think I have a plan for his first year party…yep, I am a planner – not trying to hide it. Honestly, his party has stressed me out a little bit. Summer birthdays in AZ are tough when you don’t have a pool (or an ice rink), but I think we’ll get something figured out (and you know what…it all doesn’t matter one single bit…clearly, this is something I have needed to learn). I think we are finally done with baby food and not a day too soon (maybe the spitting will stop…doubtful). Not quite sure what we have figured out to feed him, but we are working on it…right now, it consists of a lot of booty (the pirate’s kind), veggie sticks, and Cheetos (yep, that MOTY award is coming, but you know what, I like Cheetos too…they are good and that is truth). He got to enjoy some time with cousins (well, not quite cousins…but close enough)…he enjoyed having a playmate that was just his speed. He continues to perfect his crawl to speed crawling. His trash can fascination continues to grow and we have added dishwasher to his list – he can hear the dishwasher opening from a mile away and races his tail over EVERY.TIME. to pull out knives and other fun toys. He also loves to play with the kitchen toys and the tupperware cabinet. He continues to have an extreme love of water and we are waiting for his gills to grow in (he approaches water like he has gills already…trying to drive his Mama to an early grave). He still loves everything loud - the louder, the better. He is living in a land of constant “no”…he knows the word rather well…and could completely care less…ugh. Years to work on this…thank God! Praise God for our healthy and happy little boy!

And to bed…at like nine. And, who knows how I can be so tired when I spent the morning relaxing at the spa (yep, I have a wonderful husband...happy mama's day to me)?!?

Happy Dada's Day!

2011-06-18T23:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to the best Dada there is! Jake, you are a one of a kind Dad and your boys adore (have a serious obsession with) you!

I hope you know each and every day what you mean to this family - as an incredible father and husband!

Our boys are so blessed to have you!

I love you AND an extra special Father's Day gift for you...seven years of marriage! Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband and bestest friend!

I pray God blesses you this year and continues to grow you more into the image of Him!

Brothers...

2011-06-14T23:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a pic of Hugh right around the same age as Judah...

And the pic of Judah (yes, deja vu since you just saw it in the last post)...

The funny thing is, they don't really look alike and neither one looks like me...maybe the milk lady's kids?!? Need to talk with Jake about that one. Oh, wait...I have the baby weight and stretch marks to prove I carried these boys. Are my Johnson genes really that weak?!? Still think they are cute...even if they are all Saylor!

Cruisin'...

2011-06-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

Sleeping late in week forty-two (too bad it isn't week forty-eight then it would have rhymed, which I of course would have loved...oh well) for Judah! And I am sure I am going to get the blog curse now since I just wrote that...we shall see. Honestly, we just put up the "classy" (totally not white trash) foil on Judah's window yesterday, but first day was a success. Since we have the blackout shades on the window already, it makes it like a tomb in there (not so much of a tomb that he sleeps like his cousin, Evie, but sleeping until seven is a success in this house for sure). And I am sure some of you are thinking, "seriously, you need foil when you already have the blackout shades?" and yes, we do. And it makes it so our HOA doesn't trip out on us. Woot woot. Now, all we need to do is start a meth lab...kidding (my proof reader is absent, so I get total creative license...watch out!). So, we are praying for late sleeping in the Saylor house (and by late, I mean past six)!

So, what else did week forty-two bring for Judah? Well, it has brought cruising! Yep, he can officially "cruise". He is slow, but he is trying...A for effort. He is still not enjoying the walking while we hold his hands so I am holding to no early walking in this house. I have been known to be wrong...clearly, Judah is a boy and 90210 was not best show ever created (no wait, it was the best show...best show eva!...oh, and when I state 90210, I am talking about Dylan and Brenda 90210...not the new years...but I have been known to catch an episode or two...and I digress), but I don't think I'll be wrong. He continues to love to pull himself and pound away - could be one of his most favorite things to do. He still has an incredible love for his panda bear - LOVES this thing. He also LOVES balloons...passion for them. He continues to do great with his independent play (not that we really do independent play - sure I will regret this later...nope, never brought "rage in the cage" back out...another one of my amazing ideas...Jake, the treadmill will be different...I promise), but when he is done...he is done. Good to know. He continues to tolerate his older brother - I am sure he is thinking, "Enough with the 'love is kind, love is gentle' bit - discipline this kid already." Hugh is normally great with him, but he can go all "Hubey" on him and gets wild...Judah doesn't so much care for it and I don't blame him. We are trying to teach him to give kisses and he'll do it every once in a while...mostly for Jake (big shock there). He continues to be a little snuggle bear and I LOVE it, like really love it...so sweet to snuggle with him. This kid is one happy camper in the Ergo (as long as I am moving...that is a sticking point) and I love it. He continues to get more and more verbal everyday and has been making this high pitch noise when he sucks air in - too funny. We still need to work on signing with him...he'll get there. He is back on his hunger strike - this kid drives me crazy. We tried dropping the bottle and moving him to a sippy cup for his milk...big FAIL, and then I just reminded myself that he won't be five with his bottle at kindergarten so we are all good and won't be trying that transition any time soon. And when the doctor gives me the "bottle" speech, I'll just smile and nod and ask, "So, when I leave orange soda in the bottle with him in the crib, that is a bad thing?" He continues to LOVE the water and he really (and I mean really) thinks he can swim...newsflash my friend, you CANNOT swim. He goes wild for the pool. AND he enjoys splash parks - that is pure crazy in Hugh's world. Ah, my boys and their differences...love it. Judah is doing great - cannot believe he is ten weeks away from being one year old...how did that happen?!?

Thanks to you all for your prayers. We need them...every last one. I also need prayers to just relax at times and enjoy the moment I am in...even if my house is dirty and dinner isn't ready. And as I read this week, I need to enjoy every teachable moment with my children...every.single.moment...even when my ears are bleeding because of the whining. From Ginger Plowman in reference to James 1:2-4, "We should be joyful and thankful every time that we are provided with an opportunity to point our children to their need for Jesus by training them in His Word. If we could view all of their sinful behaviors as precious opportunities to teach them then we would be far more righteous in our training." Ah, so true...and thank God for His grace that sustains me. Without Him, I would be a lost cause.

Reading...

2011-06-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

Look! My baby can read! He loves his books...and he appears to be a "speed reader" just like me! I promise a post on Hugh is coming soon...who would have thought that blogging more than once a week would be so difficult!

Arrived

2011-06-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

Now it is really week forty-one for Judah! I had to go back and change my previous post because I totally posted week forty as week forty-one - totally skipped (maybe on purpose?!?) a week of Judah's life (so much for my proofreader - he is totally getting fired...consider yourself on notice my friend). Okay, back to week forty-one...honestly, it is late and details of the week are escaping me...ugh. And the "Arrived" title? Hugh and Judah will play together in the playroom...alone...arrived my friends, arrived. Oh, how I so look forward to seeing this relationship grow! Sad to say Judah still seems to have a slight cold (not contagious by any means...I know what some of you are thinking since we were at church on Sunday)...just a constant running nose, which he loathes having wiped...seriously, he will cry and cry and cry about it! However, he is having a better week - sleeping later...however, we are still going to go ahead and make his room a "crack" room and put foil in the windows...oh yeah, that is how we roll! Hoping the trailing effects of the cold are long gone this next week!

So, what else did week forty-one bring? Well, he still isn't really cruising - he'll sidestep a little bit, but nothing much. And, he won't really walk when you hold his hands anymore...no big deal, just not his thing. He has also started to adapt his crawl - still hates hitting his knees so he has been bear crawling a lot more or dragging one leg as he tucks it under. He still continues to be very fast. Still loves pulling himself up on everything and finds no object as an obstacle for him. He gets into everything - and of course, I let him get into way more than I ever did Hugh. I mean just the other day he was playing with knives...silly boy (kidding...just kidding). You can find him several times during the day pulling out every DVD we own with a big smile. He understands the word "No", but he definitely doesn't love it (shocking) and will give an annoyed expression to me. He continues to be a total blanket and stuffed animal lover - like HUGE. My boys love themselves some soft snuggles (as in Hugh sleeps with over twenty friends every night). He is beside himself when you pull out a certain panda bear - it is so cute and he had the best giggle attack with it the other night...almost had it on camera, but that darned red light gets him every time. Honestly, I love their love for stuffed animals - there is something so childlike with it and innocent, very sweet to me (and of course I'll be able to use it against them when they're older). He is becoming more and more vocal - and we need to work on his signs more (I cannot handle a child who screams at me for things...nails on a chalkboard for me). He is back to his hunger strike...and why not? I just bought a bunch of baby food...ugh. I'll say it again - children and eating is the thorn in my side. We still have late night feedings for him...dream feeds (or maybe just time for us to wake him so we can snuggle him...love it...and yes, we still rock him to sleep at night (when he allows it)...I know Babywise would be so disappointed with us). We have seen him "embrace" some dog qualities - licking the trash can, playing in the toilet, chewing on shoes, putting EVERYTHING in his mouth, and my personal favorite...carrying things in his mouth while crawling. Gotta love the dog phase. We see him changing everyday - he wants to do more, be bigger like his brother...sad, but happy all at the same time. We feel so blessed by this little one!

Please continue to pray for more healing for this boy! He is so sweet and we continue to pray more people will see it...we're breaking down walls one stone at a time (I made that up all by myself)!

Back on Track

2011-05-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

Judah is back on in week forty…at least I thought he was. After a very tough week, it seemed like Judah is getting better…but of course now, it seems like he has gotten or cold or allergies or whatever to provide to my insanity. Ugh! Children being sick are hard, but I know it is nothing in the grand scheme of things and we have so much to be thankful for – praise God! So, we pray for additional healing for Judah (and Hugh and Jake…yep, a house full of sickies and some a lot more whiney than others (Jake…kidding))! So, with being sick means the greatest sleeping…tis’ our season…right?!? Anyway, we are getting back on track in this house…yes, we are!

So, what else did week forty bring? Well, it brought some early rising…like it should be illegal to get up that early kind of rising…5:30 in the morning is WAY too early. So, we are trying some “tough” love, but it is hard – it was SO much easier getting Hugh to a 7AM wake-up…hoping Judah gets on the 7AM train very soon. We have early risers in this house – there is no other way around it…not trying to play like we don’t. Our kids like to get up early…period. And yes, I know people say we’ll miss this when they are older, but I am not really sure I’ll really miss this…just being honest. A few 9AM Saturdays would not be a bad thing…just sayin’. He also had his nine month well visit – 19lbs. 3oz. (around 25%) and around 28in. (around 50%)…so, right around the same weight as Hugh, but two inches shorter. They said he looks great, but thought he should have a few more words…really, he is nine months?!? Give me a break. AND, I always love it when it comes from a resident with no kids. So, not worried about it…his word is “da da” and he is not adding any other any time soon. He is becoming quite the speed crawler and he normally likes to crawl with something in one of his hands because it makes him go faster. Papa got him to enjoy walking while holding his hands – he gets very excited about it. His favorite things to do are to clap, click his tongue (that is his party trick – mine is sticking my whole fist in my mouth…clearly he gets genius from me), bang on everything (a possible drummer??? too bad he will NEVER own a drum set), balloons (can keep him entertained for a solid hour when he has nothing else), and kicking – he kicks with some serious force. He enjoyed his first time in a big pool – LOVED it! He was kicking all around and splashing – he thought he could swim. He also didn’t mind the cold – Hugh on the other hand was freezing. He is a total water baby. He will now stand up in the crib – doesn’t do it very often…normally, he just sits and waits for us…sweet boy. I think he is losing his love for milk (knew it couldn’t be a true love affair in this house); however, he is eating a ton of baby food. He continues to have a love for any type of booty – loves himself the Cheetos booty (and yes, we are so healthy in this house). He is still pulling himself up on everything, but not really cruising just yet. He loves to watch Jake (from the window) when Jake is outside. He loves when people sing to him and it will normally calm him down (especially my ah-mazing voice). He follows in his brother’s footsteps and loves blankets and stuffed animals – already has a few faves. He continues to be a very solemn child with most people, and we wish people could see the side we see…so smiley and happy. Seriously, this kid has the biggest smiles, but he doesn’t give them out. He continues to sign “more” and will use it correctly occasionally – he needs to learn “all done”. He continues to love playing with Hugh and they will now play together for at least fifteen minutes with no tears. He has a lot to say and it is so sweet to watch him get so serious about what he has to say. He is such a sweet baby…he is such a blessing to us!

So, here is to hoping to a healthy week…we are making progress, but need some additional work. Thanks to you all for your prayers!

Recovering

2011-05-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

Judah is still recovering in week thirty-nine. Yes, still recovering. This sickness has really rocked this little one, which is so sad...for all of us. It has been a tough week. When Judah is sick...we all feel it. I feel so bad for him - I HATE seeing him sick. However, I think he turned a corner this weekend and is really getting better. He has been on antibiotics since last Tuesday, and I think they are helping. He hasn't really slept well for the past week plus, but I think he seemed a little more on schedule today...here is to hoping...like really hoping with everything I can cross!

So, what else did week thirty-nine bring for Judah? Besides more clean-up (and oh so much clean-up...more than we would ever like to see), it brought more crawling and pulling himself up on everything. Took a hard spill in bathtub (because of his constant need to pull himself up on EVERYTHING) - the spill happened on Dada's watch...that never happens...EVERYTHING happens on my watch...everything (feeling a little vindicated right now...is that wrong?!?). He still isn't really cruising...don't think he has figured out that his feet are supposed to move when he stands. He locks his knees a lot of the time and is just so proud to be able to stand. Also, if you try to walk with him, he turns to jello and will normally start crying...now that is my Saylor boy...no early walking in this house. He has started eating baby food again - yay for Judah! He needed to start eating something. I will never be able to figure out my children and their eating...I call this time period the "dark days"...because they drive me crazy! Praise God for answered prayers on the eating again! He has been signing "more"...but not sure he knows what it means. Still saying "dada" all the time...and no "mama"...whatever, I wasn't the one who had to carry him for thirty-nine weeks, lose my body shape (oh wait, that happened years ago), breastfeed, eat tons of junk to support my milk fat (that was a huge sacrifice), and the list goes on...no, I am not bitter (bitter party of one)...don't worry about me. He likes to be right on Hugh's side for all playing...I think it is sweet, but Hugh would disagree. He still gets tackled by Hugh all the time and it still not enjoying it (honestly, the problem is, I encourage the rough housing...guess I should stop that). We have been taking him for rides in his tricycle (has the seat belt) and he LOVES it! He continues to love the swings at the park and going for walks. He is definitely his Dada's best-friend and gets SO excited to see Jake...highlight of his day (probably for both of them!). He is a cuddler and we LOVE it...there is nothing better than a baby cuddling into you while they are sleeping. He is so ticklish and loves to laugh (still mostly at us only). He is a sweet, sweet boy - hoping for a full recovery in week forty!

Thank you all for your prayers! We cannot believe this little boy is nine months old (today)! Need to start thinking about that one year birthday party (and of course, we all know that I have already starting thinking about it)...honestly, the summer birthday in Arizona stresses me out a little bit. I know it will all come together...still have three more months!

Breaking Through...

2011-05-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

Two teeth in week thirty-eight for Judah! Yep, he finally has some teeth! I still can’t really see them, but I can definitely feel them. Not only has Judah had the blessing of getting some teeth, but he started the week off with a cold. By mid-week he was sick, sick, sick…lots of v&d up in this house. You are always reminded of how much you love your children when they blanket you in vomit…several times. And the sickness spread to entire household over the weekend…fantastic. Always thankful for an incredible husband when I am sick (seriously, Jake is an AMAZING husband). Also, I think it is wrong that moms get sick – kind of think we should get “byes” until our children are five years or older. It is hard to be a mom when you are sick (well, at least it is for me…honestly, I just want to focus on me when I am sick). Glad the majority of us are back to healthy…except poor Judah. It has hit him the hardest and he is still sick, but hoping he is on the mend because Judah does not enjoy being sick…not one little bit, but he has been quite the trooper this past week. Praying for a healthy boy soon!

So, what else did week thirty-eight bring for Judah? Well, it brought his first time celebrating his Dada’s b-day…unfortunately, he (Judah) was sick. Best birthday week ever for Jake…just ask him. Judah is Jake’s biggest fan right now…LOVES his Dada and he says “dada” all the time. And when I try to get him to say “mama”…all he does is say “dada” louder and louder with a big smile. I think I remember Hugh doing this same thing. He still loves his Mama, but that very special bond with Dada is forming. He has been super cuddly this past week and even fell asleep on Jake…so sweet (these moments are few and far between now). He continues to love to pull himself up on everything, and has started to cruise a little bit…get back, my baby is leaving the nest…well, not quite and he would prefer to leave the nest on my hip right now, but still…what happened to my baby?!? Jake swore he was standing on his own tonight (and he was if leaning against a couch on your belly is considered as independent standing nowadays). Did a little bit of Halloween in May (he is our baby and we can do what we want...and he loved it...at least that is what we are telling ourselves). He continues to love being loud and pounds on everything much to his brother’s dismay (Hugh is not a big fan of loud noises). You should see the joy he gets from pounding on things…pure joy. He is still crawling everywhere, but still doesn’t enjoy tile or other hard surfaces…poor buddy. Hugh continues to come up with new nicknames – the new one is Judies (hoping that one doesn’t stick). He is still not eating solids well…barely anything, but he is trying and gets an “A” for effort. He is starting to snub formula, which is a bummer for him because that is going to need to be his favorite drink in about another week. Hopefully, he gets his tail on the formula train because it is departing whether he likes it or not. He is still super serious and people pretty much need to dance on their heads to get this kid to crack a smile. You should see the looks he gives people…like “you are so dumb”…makes me laugh. I guess you just really need to be entertaining to get his attention, but he is super smiley and silly with us. He has an obsession with the computer (think he probably learned that one from me…awesome…we are working on it (on me that is)). He is curious and wants to play…Hugh is adjusting. He continues to be such a sweet, sweet boy. We are so blessed to have him in our family!

We are praying for a full recovery this week for Judah Bear. He doesn’t wear “sick” very well and I don’t blame him (I don’t either). Thank you for your prayers!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-05-09T21:53:00.001-07:00

We have our hands full with Judah in week thirty-seven! He has really grasped the crawling thing and is all over the place now…and he is fast! And pulling himself up on everything he can…awesome. I really feel like he feels like he has this crawling thing mastered and he is ready to move on. We’ll see, but I guess mobile is mobile…once you go mobile there is no going back. I would be surprised if he is an early walker, but he definitely has the desire. He is still not loving the tile and will tend to drag one leg. His little knees get bright red – I feel bad for him. Also, the crawling is reminding me how clean my floor is…spotless. He continues to enjoy a little more independence, and I am all for it (as long as I can still see him).

So, what else did week thirty-seven bring? Well, it brought that independence – crawled himself into the playroom and played by himself…ALL.BY.HIMSELF! Hugh still wouldn’t do that (kidding, but he REALLY prefers a playmate). He still loves to have someone around as well, but crawling to play by himself really surprised me…what happened to my baby?!? He is all done with the baby food – short lived in the Saylor house. So, at least he is drinking more milk since he isn’t really eating much – we give whatever we are eating, but he has no teeth (yep, still no teeth!). We realize we give him whatever – normally it goes like this, “Can I give him nuts yet? No. Okay…dang, just him pesto…it has nuts.” Oops…so not careful with the food. We just go with the fact that we don’t have food allergies so our kids won’t either…I know, the logic is great. Cannot wait for this food/eating stage to pass. Good news is – he is willing to try things. He is saying some sounds…and of course it is “dada” – and he actually uses it in the correct context. It is official, I have lost another one…I need a puppy…a puppy would stay with me (who am I kidding? a puppy would leave me too!). But I couldn’t have lost him to a better person – the best Dada in the world…Jake is truly adored by his boys, and it is very sweet to watch. Judah has a very sweet nature – he can get so excited over things and it is so sweet. He also does not enjoy being tormented by his big brother – we are working on that (with Hugh). He is tough, but loses his patience quickly – this also happens when he wants something Hugh has and has no problem beating on Hugh to get it (we are working on this one with Judah). He continues to love to make A LOT of noise and will bang on anything he can. He seems to have a love of the trash can like his big brother…oh joy. Honestly, I can’t blame him – he can see himself in it and he can bang on it…good times. He celebrated his first Mother’s Day (did a very good job – spa day for me…definitely trumped his brother from last year…you can ask Jake about it). He continues to love music. He continues to have the sweetest smiles when I get him from the crib – melts my heart. Life is so carefree and sweet at this age – wish it could stay this way forever. I think we are close to putting away the rest of the “baby” toys…crazy how fast this time goes! Can’t say it enough – love, love, love this boy – he makes such a great number four in our family!

I have been convicted lately that my boys don’t get my best – I can focus on other things rather than stopping to play with them or give them my 100% focus. I truly desire for this to change and will be praying that God helps me in this struggle. My boys deserve my time – they deserve the training, they deserve my all. This time is so short – I pray I enjoy every moment and don’t wish for the time to pass, or not focus my heart where it should be. Hope you all are well!

Party Time!

2011-05-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time celebrating Papa Mike's retirement! Troy and Melissa opened their home for the large gathering and it was a great time. Of course, we missed Clayton, April, Kara, and Clay!

No, we didn't get any surprise pictures (as you can see from the terrible quality from the first picture) because some of my dad's friends walked up when he did...what part of "Shhh!!! It's a Surprise!" don't people understand...clearly my dad's friends. Also, do you get it, "Shhh!!! It's a Surprise!"? (Jake and I are so mature...and we laugh every time we see it.)

Jake was our camera man - Michelle was home with a sick boy and Melissa's camera broke...so enough said with the pics...Jake gets burned out...quickly. He didn't even get any of me singing Katy Perry's, Firework...sad day because I was SO awesome! Also, we didn't get any pics of Hugh and Evie hittin' the margs...yep, they were filling their water bottles up...not sure how much they drank, but they sure smelled like some serious drunkards...and where were the parents...singing karaoke...duh (kidding...but not sure where we were)...ah, good times!

Happy Retirement Papa! Now get to work! Lots of love!

On the Move...

2011-05-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

And Judah is “officially” crawling in week thirty-six…and it is a good solid crawl (I know, that is only important to me). He happened to beat his brother out on this milestone (actually, Hugh’s post at week thirty-six has the same title; however, Judah is actually crawling and Hugh was still figuring it all out). However, you can tell that he does enjoy crawling as much as his brother did. He’ll try to stand multiple times while crawling the length of a room – seriously, it looks like he is trying to stand…maybe an early walker? Doubtful in the Saylor house. He also dislikes crawling on the tile – I am assuming it hurts his knees (Hugh didn’t develop kneecaps until he started walking – seriously, we use to look at him crawling and it would hurt us.). I think he'll grow to like it more and more and he is getting much faster at it. Oh, joy! I tried many times to get a video of it, but he gets very camera shy and starts to get very dramatic (guess that is a second born trait…just kidding). I posted the video anyway, but he really does crawl better than the video shows. So, we have a baby on the go now…which results in me letting him down wherever and Jake taking Valium to deal with the disgustingness of it all (I look at it as more of a part of life…Jake, not so much). Go Judah!

So, what else happened in week thirty-six? Well, the good crawling was a big deal this week. He is continuing to enjoy more and more freedom, which means we are enjoying more and more stress. Honestly, he hasn’t really gotten into too many things (and here comes the blog curse) and Hugh manages to successfully talk him out of all the things he really wants (since Hugh really wants them). I see a little more exploring starting to happen in the next few weeks…yippee! He has started spitting – honestly, I was getting prideful (in my head) that he wasn’t a spitter and I was so proud…oh, yes, he is a spitter and he thinks it is SO funny…I do not. (To be honest, I provoke the spitting…I tend to “sneak” bites in…let’s just say he is not a fan…guess I get what I deserve.) Can’t say it enough times…cannot wait until we are past this eating stage. Seriously, baby food is the worst stage ever (at least it is for me…honestly, all the eating stages the first year for me are bad). We continue to try new foods – he likes cheese puffs (we have gone over this before – we are a chemical, preservative, food dye loving kind of family…and we like to start our kids young). He still doesn’t have any teeth, but I swear they are right there (didn’t I swear that two weeks ago? Need to stop swearing!). He had egg this week and it looked like he was having a reaction to it, which would be a bummer…eggs are a staple in the Saylor household. He continues to become more and more vocal – love hearing his sweet voice. He also loves to pound on his tray and anything else – drummer in the future…I think not, but he does love music. We haven’t been as disciplined with working on the signing with him (need to get on it…the first born gets the best parenting). Also, if you say, “Yay, Judah!” – he will normally start clapping…so cute! He got to enjoy his Papa’s retirement party and my amazing singing voice (I am REALLY good at karaoke…who knew?!?). He is starting to look so much older to me (you know when you have those moments when you look at your kids and they look bigger/older – had one of those moments this morning). He is still loving sitting up in his crib and always has a big smile for whoever gets him (normally, it is me…and I LOVE it!). And I was a wonderful mother again this week…Judah fell out of the water table…head first onto the pavers (and yes, I was right there). Yes, we put him in the water table to play – I am sure there is a picture on the box with a baby sitting in the water table with a big red “X” (similar to the picture you find on large plastic bins). We put him in the water table to play because he isn’t able to stand and walk around the table yet and we want him to enjoy his birthday present. Yes, I am justifying it. So, it sounded bad (heads hitting concrete is never a good sound), but he cried for a minute and was fine (which of course then made me panic more, but he really was fine). And I put him right back into the water table…wow, truly get a MOTY award for that. Thankful to God for protecting our little boy – he needs it! He is a sweet boy and we are so blessed by him!

We hope you all are doing well – thank you for your prayers!

Hoppy Easter!

2011-04-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

Eight months and Hoppy Easter in week thirty-five! He got to celebrate his first Easter…unfortunately, he was sleeping during the Easter egg hunt and missed out on all the egg-stravaganza (like that?). We also shopped too late and the tie wearing tradition ended…so sad, I would have LOVED to have seen both my boys in some cute ties! Oh well, there will many more Easters and many more times to torture my boys with ties (for sure…they are lucky I don’t make them dress up as the Easter bunny). And we did dress them matchy matchy, which is cute for boys (at least I tell myself that…everyone else will need to remind them of that when I am still making them do it in their teens). We pray that Judah (and Hugh) will learn the true meaning of Easter – not the bunnies and chicks, but the sacrifice that was made in Christ crucified and the GOOD news that Christ is risen and we are alive in Him!

So, what did week thirty-five bring? Well, I think it brought less “needy” of me…there are still some needy moments, but he is enjoying his new independence. However, he still loves some Mama time and has enjoyed the hip hold in the Ergo (have I mentioned how much I love the Ergo?!?...best gift ever!)…however, the hip hold does not love me and it looks like a gang of piglets fighting in a pillowcase when I put the Ergo on (unfortunately, the Ergo is very unforgiving across my muffin top with all those straps)…oh well, what am I going to do?...workout….doubtful. We lowered his crib mattress since we found him sitting up. He actually fell asleep sitting up one day and napped the whole time that way…guess he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to sit up again?!? He loves being able to sit up now – always has the biggest smiles when I come in to get him…so sweet. He has the sweetest smiles when he wakes up, I love it. (And yes, he does sleep much better now…I just know that our kids will have a rough period of transition…check, got that one down in the baby book.) And Judah is so close to crawling (I know, I know…I keep saying that every week, but he gets closer and closer). Honestly, I would say he is crawling…he will crawl and then land on his belly, get back up and crawl and then land on his belly…and the cycle continues. He gets everywhere now…I believe the “discipline” stage will be starting very soon…the world of “no touch” is getting oh so close for Judah. However, I know he is enjoying his new found freedom, which I think is great. It is crazy to see how much a little one can change in eight short months – God’s creation is beyond amazing. I have noticed that he doesn’t mind playing alone some times and his cries during playing are normally because his big brother is driving him crazy (Hugh truly loves Judah…and sometimes his “love” is truly annoying to Judah)…we are working on this. This kid is just waiting to get into EVERYTHING…I see us locking up the rest of our cabinets. Judah loved being around cousins and family – he loves to be with others, just takes him a little time to warm up (but he doesn’t cry with others, which is such a great thing). He is still hating on the solids and wants to be big – he got to try pancakes, french fries, banana, pear, peas, and lots of other goodies…still not 100% ready, but getting closer…I will be so ready for this. He actually has been doing great with his pincher grab...gets better every day. He still loves his straw cup, but we are in no way ready to transfer milk. This “ugh” eating phase is just a season and it too shall pass. Hugh has given him a new nickname…Jude Dude…I am sure this one will stick. He is desperately trying to pull himself up on things – like the water table (he LOVES it) and would prefer to stand than sit (can I stop time just for a little bit?!?). Judah is happy guy and we love him to pieces – we are so blessed!

We pray you all had an egg-mazing (wow, even better) Easter! And just for purposes of recording (because I have been very good about not going into my woes of breastfeeding/pumping), this well has dried up…dang dried up. Thank you all for your prayers!

Continuing...

2011-04-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

And we continue into week thirty-four. I cannot believe we are already at week thirty-four and Judah will eight months by the week’s end! Eight months?!? How does that happen?!? There are times (especially when I look at him next to Hugh) that he looks like such a baby to me (and he is my baby), but when I look at him next to a newborn, he is SO huge and I cannot believe that he once was that small. And I seriously cannot remember that he was that small…no really, I can’t…I can barely remember what I ate for breakfast this morning. However, I do love each new stage and wouldn’t go back (I do love the little babies, but the lack of sleep is not good for me…not good at all). Judah is still needy – he “needy” to be held all the time, but under his conditions – he prefers constant movement…oh joy. God is tempering my heart to Judah’s neediness and I appreciate this time with him (I truly do). I know he won’t “needy” me forever!

So, what else did week thirty-four bring? Well, it continues to bring his constant desire to be mobile…so close. He can get back to a sitting position from lying down as long as he was sitting when he started…make sense? He gets frustrated and will do push-ups (he looks better doing them than I do and he doesn’t do the “girl” kind…like Jake does (kidding)). He still moves backwards and gets where he wants to go, but he knows that he would have a lot more speed if he was crawling. He even pulled himself up to a standing position on one of his toys today (I believe it is a one time deal rather than a new thing…at least that is what I am telling myself). So, I see our lives drastically changing in the next month. We started him on yogurt – jury is still out. He still really wants to eat what we are eating – and we continue to give him a few things…and we have learned he has a sensitive gag reflex like his brother and his mother…oh joy. Cannot wait until the baby food stage is over…not a favorite stage for me. He continues to do well with his straw drinking and will actually hold it himself. No, our babies never hold their own bottles…we want to keep them babies (truth – they would throw their bottles and NEVER eat, so we hold the bottle for Judah…I mean if he was holding his own bottle then he wouldn’t be able to scratch me, pull my hair, pinch my fat (even in places I didn’t know I had fat…which I have realized is now everywhere…bummer)…and we wouldn’t want that would we?!? We do teach them to hold their cups, just not the bottles. We cannot even get him to take a level three nipple…our children and there inept bottle skills. He gets super excited to see Jake now and will cry if he leaves the room (yep, another child slowly being lured to the “Dada” side…it was bound to happen). I love that my boys love their Dada (honestly, I do…it melts my heart and want them to have the best relationship!). He loves the water table - just sitting in it and doesn't mind being freezing cold (so unlike Hugh). He tried a little faux hawk on him this week - this boy needs some help in the hair department...has an interesting halo of fuzz. He enjoyed new childcare this week since his Gramma Anne fell and broke her elbow (we pray she heals quickly) and are thankful for Jake’s cousin, Evy, who is watching them for the next month. He enjoyed a birthday party for his cousins this past weekend and looks forward to the day that he can play with them all. He loves to suck on his toes and I will find him that way a lot in the car seat – gross, but he likes it…whatever. He has learned how to clap and does it all the time now. It is very cute. He loves to learn new things. He is such a sweet boy and honestly, he is a good baby…just a little needy. We love his sweet smiles and his infectious laugh…LOVE LOVE LOVE this boy!

Thankful my power is through Christ to do all things…need to always remember that in everything I do (especially with my boys). God will make me into the mother He has designed me to be…I just need to trust in Him (easier to type than to do)…thankful for His faithfulness. Thanks to you all for your prayers! So looking forward to our first Easter with Judah and continuing to teach our boys why Easter is so incredibly special – He is Risen! Happy Easter to you all!

Truth

2011-04-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

I discovered the “truth” in week thirty-three! And what is that “truth”? Well, first off, I totally spaced doing my blog last night – I had been thinking about it all day and then woke up this morning and realized I didn’t post it…yes, already forgetting about my second born son…feel like a bad mama (or a bad mammajamma…whatever). I have a good excuse as to why I spaced it, but at the end of the day…it is just an excuse. Okay, moving on…back to the “truth”. And the “truth” is (as my sister-in-law so kindly pointed out to me (and I was starting to figure it out on my own))…we left Judah and he wants us to remember that the next time we think of leaving him, we better do a double take. He doesn’t want us to leave him – got it. He even cried in the church nursery – he never does that! So, I am sure he is “teething” (because aren’t all babies teething?!?), but I think he doesn’t want us to leave him. Okay Judah, we got it – check…now let’s move on and get back to being my super happy guy!

So, what else did week thirty-three bring? Judah is desperately trying to get mobile (my worst nightmare…honestly, I am in no way trying to hurry my kids to get mobile and I laugh when moms brag about their kids and how they are crawling or walking so early…that is not for me!). He can get up on his knees, but he tries to go backwards rather than forwards…he’ll scoot backwards and gets where he wants. We’ll keep working on form (yes, I'm big on form when it comes to crawling – feel free to ask me about it) and I am sure he’ll be crazy mobile before we know it (sad). He is also getting over the baby food stage – he does not enjoy baby food…not really even rice cereal any longer. We’ll bust out the yogurt this next week and see if he enjoys it. He has been enjoying his puffs and his Pirate’s Booty (yep, just like his older brother, he enjoys himself some Booty…can I get a woot woot!!). I wish we could start some more finger foods…maybe we can (if I wasn’t so lazy I would look into it). He has had a better week…still needy (and for some reason I don’t do well with needy babies…but I am getting much better and Judah LOVES me and it is so nice to be loved by your little ones…and I know I’ll miss this all one day (at least that is what I tell myself)). He has mastered (I use that term loosely) the straw (yes, another thing we are big on in the Saylor house…when you spend lots of coin on a speech therapist for your child and the first thing she tells you is no traditional sippy cup…we listen…and yes, we still do use sippy cups, but we introduce them later…everybody has their things). He peed on a seat at PCH (shhh!!!...don’t tell them) while waiting with his big brother in the ER (Hugh was fine). He enjoys standing, but normally cries if you try to walk with him. He reaches for me now…I love that – love the reaching (oh, and he sort of reaches for Jake…you see, I cherish these moments with my babies when they slightly prefer me…it is VERY short lived and I know Judah will be a Daddy’s boy soon enough). He continues to very vocal, but normally it is just for us. He is a stoic baby around others – he really examines people before he warms up to them…I didn’t think that would be his personality, but it seems to be playing out that way right now…but then again, he is only seven months old. He still is crazy – reaches and pulls for everything and is non-stop the majority of the time (I see my “interesting” future when he is officially mobile). He is our sweet boy – love him so much (and maybe he’ll forgive us this next week for leaving him)!

Cannot believe we are less than twenty weeks until a full year – crazy! Life is fun…even when it is crazy. God is faithful to us all the time and He is so patient and loving with us…I just wish I had a small percentage of that same patience and love…I pray for it each day. Thank you all for your prayers.

Don't Leave Me

2011-04-04T22:24:00.000-07:00

The theme of week thirty-two has been "don't leave me or I will burst into tears"...yes, it has been one of those weeks for Judah. Honestly, I think he is teething (yes, I know this is something that I will continue to say and he still won't get teeth until nine months). I swear I feel some tooth bumps coming in...I swear...anything to convince me of his off week. So, yes - it has been a tough week for Judah. He is sad, not eating well, wants to be held a lot, and can burst into tears with a roar (just ask Jake). I am sure I would have a tough week if I had teeth coming...I know how I get with a toothache. We love this sweet boy - tough week or not.

So, what else did week thirty-two bring? Well, with the teething (that is what I am telling myself and I am allowed to tell myself anything I want for my sanity) brought one of his worst eating weeks ever. Seriously, it is like feeding an octopus - this kid is all over the place...you hear a lot in this house "Judah is wild."...from all of us. He is just busy, busy, busy...and he is scrappy...like fourteen year-old girl scrappy...pulls hair, scratches, bites, pinches...and he does this all while trying to drink a bottle. It makes for some interesting eating experiences...eating is just not his thing and that is okay (telling myself as I am rocking in a corner). He is also got peed on...in the shower...and in the face (yuck)...Jake can be so mean (kidding...it was Hubey and it was an accident...I think). He continues to have an obsession with things that light up...especially cell phones. He gets very upset when you take one away from him. He got pulled over for speeding (bad Judah)...luckily, he just got a warning (which was shocking since it was a motorcycle cop)...and yes, he knows to slow down in the future and no, he doesn't need any lectures on speeding and its dangers. He continues to love to sing while Jake plays the guitar (need to get this on video...one of those memories that I never want to forget...and since I can barely remember what I had for breakfast, I need to get it on video). He got to spend hours in the Ergo on my back while I did chores (yep, that kind of week)...and now I know what it feels like to have a monkey on my back. He is really trying to get on his knees more, but no such luck (I'll say it again...darned Johnson belly). He totally gets what he wants - still not quite sure exact method, but they work. Even with a hard week, he still laughs all the time - he does this wheezing laugh and it is so funny. He gets so excited - makes us laugh. He is a sweet baby - cute as can be and we love him! On a happy note - we gave Judah an early birthday gift...he (as in his older brother) really seems to enjoy the water/sand (only water at the Saylor house...have you met Jake?!?) table...Judah does seem to like - he just sits in it...he loves the water!

Overall, a tough week - I don't think it helps that I have been crazy busy with things and I think you notice your kid's moods more when you are busy (especially when they are not the moods you are so desiring)...something about my sinful nature and focusing on self and my agenda. I said to Jake a few times this past week that I haven't been the best mom. Ugh, so hard to do it all.

Thanks to you all for prayers - I know we need them!

All Alone

2011-03-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

Judah was all alone in week thirty-one. Well, not alone - he did have supervision, but it was the first time he was away from his Mama and his brother for more than a few hours. Yep, Jake and I had a weekend alone (sans children) and it was glorious (no, I am not one of those moms that missed my children every waking minute)...we missed the boys and were so excited to get back to them, but it was REALLY nice to get away for a weekend. We are thankful for wonderful grandparents who graciously watched our boys and very thankful for an amazing friends that let us use their place in California for the weekend. Judah did great while we were away - lots of laughs, smiles, and sleep (cannot say the same for his brother). So, the pics are a little lame this week...oh, well. (And, for all I know he could have started talking and walking while we were gone, but now won't do it...we'll never know...we will always wonder...that is what we get for leaving our kids...we'll deal.) Overall, it was a great week.

So, what else did week thirty-one bring? Besides the life of an only child for half a week, Judah continues to really love his brother and would never want to be an only child (I'll just tell myself that...he'll never have a choice). He seems to want to start to move and he can get what he wants when he wants it...with a combination of rolling, scooting, waving his arms, etc. (basically, whatever he can do to get a little movement). If it works, great. I see the desire he has to get to his knees, but it always results in a belly flop (that darned Johnson belly - I tell you, that Johnson belly is a curse). It is only a matter of time before he will be all over the place and it makes me sad...really sad. He continues to become more purposeful in his playtime - he'll play alone well...at times, and at other times...not so much (he likes an eye on Judah...he gets that from Hugh). He LOVES to play outside and can sit in the grass for hours just playing and enjoying the outside. We haven't been as diligent with the signs with him - really need to get on that this week...don't need a screamer on our hands to communicate with us. I am really trying to be more diligent with reading to him as well...we read to him, but he gets wild...so, at times I back off...need to be faithful to read to him (as you can tell, this is really important to me...it is my thing). And yes, Judah gets wild - waving arms and legs with a big open mouth wild. He loves to laugh - and his cousin, Logan, can really get him to laugh. He is at such a fun age right now and we love to see him having so much fun with everything. He has been eating his solids like a rockstar now and likes anything that is orange, which is great. Unfortunately, he is terrible with his milk, which is no big shock...can never get both perfectly and you know what?...that is ok! He is doing great - healthy, sweet, happy...we love this boy!

Thank you all for prayers. Excited to be back and be refreshed for another week! God has blessed us with so much and we want to focus on His incredible blessings!

Happy Days

2011-03-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe our little guy is thirty weeks…thirty weeks?!? He’ll be seven months this week, which is so crazy to me. Yes, I know babies get older everyday, but it is hard to embrace at times because I get younger everyday. This stage is so much fun – figuring things out, so happy all the time – love it. Yep, he is still healthy (praise God!) so he is still happy…he is such a happy baby. We love seeing how much Judah changes everyday – we are so blessed by this little boy!

So, what else did week thirty bring? Well, again – not a big week in the book of weeks…but a happy week and for that, we are grateful. He did ride in a grocery cart for the first time – big time. I have come to realize he is a little like Goldilocks with his milk – too hot is not good, too cold is not good…it needs to be just right or he is tight lipped…ugh. I have also come to realize (I realize this every week because I need to realize it over and over and over again) that our kids eat when they want…not because I want them to or a book says they should (why do I struggle with THIS so much!?!). It is constant learning for me. We are still sleep training – he is doing so much better and I continue to learn that you cannot make a baby sleep just because you will it to happen (I need some super powers – I would be so awesome with some super powers.). He is doing so much better with his solid feedings – he definitely likes vegetables (still LOVES rice cereal) and is not a fan of fruits. SO different than Hubey…we’ll see what the future holds for us…ugh, one more thing I cannot control (yes, I pray about it and know God is working on my heart each and everyday…it is a process). As I have mentioned before, he does the funniest bobble head thing – I tried hard to get on camera, but he wasn’t having it. The things I never want to forget about these stages! He LOVES to listen to Jake play the guitar and actually starts singing (think howling at the moon) while Jake is playing, it is so sweet. He is starting to cry a little when he is left in a room (nobody puts baby in the corner) and he still gets mad when you take anything away from him. Hubey is still his favorite and he puts up with a lot from him (since Hugh thinks it is funny to sit on him every chance he gets…why is that funny?!?...Judah doesn’t actually care). Jake thinks crawling will be coming soon (we’ll see) – not sure I am ready for mobile Judah – he is going to go crazy when he gets mobile – he already tries to get into everything. He is so fun – love this little boy!

We are so blessed. Some days are crazy, but everyday is a blessing (I need that reminder each day as well). Thank you all for your prayers.

Healthy Baby = Happy Baby

2011-03-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

Our happy baby is back in week twenty-nine! He is so back! Loving life once again now that he is healthy. And, we are all much happier because he is happy…and yes, I know my mood shouldn’t be contingent based on the mood of my children…easier said than done. I just love it when Judah is happy because he is so happy – he has a nickname of Jolly Judah for a reason…because he is so jolly (duh). Praise God he is healthy once again and pray (pray, pray, pray) that sickness will not enter this house again during this season. We hope everyone is healthy as well!

So, what else did week twenty-nine bring? Well, besides lots of happy…not sure what else. This hasn’t been a big, crazy week…no highchair adventures or moving up a diaper size. He is getting back to eating a little more solids – fruits and veggies. Still doesn’t eat a whole lot – we have determined we aren’t meant to have the cute, chunky babies. He still continues to be the MOST distracted eater (well, Hugh was equally as bad). I realize that I set these kids up for it – I cater to the behavior (one of the many things I cater to…oh, well). He has been introduced to the world of biter biscuits and he likes them…big shock there…have no flavor and taste like paper, sign Judah up! He does this new thing where he shakes his head all around and starts laughing – it is very fun and so cute. I took both boys on a regular grocery shopping trip (insert – “oh wow, you are so awesome” here) and we did fantastic…Judah was in the Ergo and it was great (love the Ergo…have I mentioned that before?). It was a big week of outgoings…the zoo, the grocery store, the library – we so crazy. He is doing awesome in the double stroller now. Also, he is starting to roll outside of the crib now. He is still throwing himself to his belly when he wants something and continues to tolerate belly time. Still think crawling is a long way out. I almost forgot the big news – he moved to a big boy car seat and he loves it! Seriously loves it! You can hear him get all excited (heavy breathing) when we are driving. And Hubey LOVES having him in the big boy car seat as well…it is a win all around. Judah is still enthralled with Hubey – he just loves him. I do love the no helmet thing – I love rocking my babies to sleep and now I can snuggle his sweet head (and yes, I have read Babywise and eight thousand other books on sleeping…and yes, I will still be rocking my babies to sleep because they are my babies). I have started busting out the baby signs again – oh yeah, bringing the goodies back. It has been a great HEALTHY week! Love, love, love to see the smiles and hear the giggles of our sweet Judah again!

So, overall it was a great week – would much rather have the low-key, healthy week than the crazy, sick week. Seriously, Judah is such a happy guy (and even happier to be done with his meds). I continue to learn that I cannot control everything and I am also learning that I cannot latch onto everything I read – I swear, I can get pulled in a million directions (except the organic, non-vaccinating direction…that will not happen). I need to stop reading so many things, or I am going to start to go crazy (well, I am already crazy, but you all know that you can get crazier…Charlie Sheen, need I say more?). We are thankful for your prayers and for our ever faithful God – He is so good to us when we are so undeserving. I pray each and everyday that I can show my kids the same love, patience, and grace that God shows me everyday!

Graduated

2011-03-07T20:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, Judah is an official graduate of the band! His misshapen head days are behind us now – all round and pretty from now on. He was supposed to wear it one more week, but his head has grown so much that the band was now putting pressure on his head – poor buddy. So, all done with the band. Sad that we didn’t get to show off his latest bling all that much, but SO glad to be all done with the band. Honestly, it wasn’t that big of a deal. I’ve had to remember now that he isn’t wearing his protective gear anymore – clipped a few corners a little too close (and yep, that was his head…not his helmet…ouch). God was so faithful to our little guy – continued growth, milestones reached, still slept, etc. Now onto the next thing for Judah!

So, what else did week twenty-eight bring for Judah? Well, it brought more sickness – double ear infection. They were actually concerned that he was getting something more serious since he was running a high fever (almost 104), but once he actually started taking the antibiotic, he started getting better. The antibiotic is a heavy duty one (not your typical amoxicillin) – and it smells like a pina colada (where do I sign-up?). Judah is not down with the pina colada (so sad) and actually had full vomit sessions the first four days of taking it. Let’s just say it was horrible (and our couch, carpet, my jeans, and Fuddruckers will never be the same). So, after a call to the triage nurse on Sunday, we got it all worked out and he is doing SO much better. And, I didn’t have to go back to the pediatrician again (save my sanity…because seriously, if I had to go back to the doctor again I was going to pop out my eyes). I am really hoping he’ll be back to 100% soon. Judah is tough (way tougher than Hubey), but when he is miserable, he is MISERABLE. We are still sleep training (too hard to do when little ones are sick…will get back on the train soon). All we want Judah to learn is that we wake up happy in the Saylor house…end of story.period. (Oh, and that waking up before 7AM is a crime.) We are getting use to seeing his head all the time now – it is a little weird. He is getting use to it as well – he likes to hit himself in the head…funny boy. Also noticed that he has a bit of an Eddie Munster hairline (awesome)…things you don’t notice when your kid wears a helmet. He’ll grow into it. And, this baby TOTALLY looks like Jake with my eyes. Seriously, this boy is all Jake. I know most people don’t see this (because of the eyes), but it is so true. He is back to really only tolerating rice cereal again – trying to get him to take anything else is murder. We’ll get back on the fruits and veggies train this week. He is starting to tolerate tummy time a little more – especially to get a toy he wants. Judah is very dramatic when he doesn’t get something he wants (totally reminds me of Jake). He has flipped himself to his belly a few times to sleep…he doesn’t like it and will normally cry until you come to roll him over (this morning, I didn’t do it and he figured it out himself – good boy). He is enjoying the double stroller now (I knew I would eventually love this stroller.). He loves to eat paper just like a goat. I swear he is teething, but I know I’ll be swearing this for the next three months until he actually gets teeth. This was a big week, besides getting his band off, he also sat in a restaurant high chair (covered, of course, those things are nast-y…big time (and yes, I am becoming Jake)) and swung in a swing at the park. Like I said, BIG week. He is still such a sweet boy, but he needs to be healthy again! Hoping for a healthy and happy baby this week (didn’t I put this request in last week? what happened?)!

Thank you all for your prayers. It has been a rough sick season in the Saylor house (yes, I know I am preaching to the choir). Praying for us and you all to be healthy again and put this sick season to bed already. The highlight of my week was being vomited on at Fuddruckers – it will go down in my favorite’s book (probably won’t go down in the favorite’s books of the people that were sitting around us)!

SICK

2011-02-28T21:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, sickness was the theme for Judah in week twenty-seven. He got a cold, which led to pink eye…viral pink eye. In case you all are wondering, there are several types of pink eye and viral is the most common in children. I was convinced it was bacterial pink eye, but I needed six hours of wasted time, sixty dollars, two trips to the pediatrician, three doctors, and a trip to the Wal-Mart pharmacy with two VERY tired children to finally convince me that it is indeed viral pink eye, of which we are still fighting. Next time…listen to the doctor the first time who has the MD and not my inner voice with the MOTY award. Yes, week twenty-seven will go down as a very special week in my book of weeks (one that left all three of us crying at the doctor’s office…it was that awesome).

So, what else did week twenty-seven bring? Well, besides some nasty VIRAL pink eye (and all other sorts of sick) it brought lots of smiles, giggles, and cuddles. Judah has been needing some more cuddle time due to being sick and still sleep training (yes, STILL sleep training – poke me in the eye already…ALL DONE with the sleep training) – I love to cuddle this sweet boy, so it works great for us. I love to put him in the Ergo and he loves to be in it. We are starting to see his “true” nature – crying when something gets taken from him, taking what isn’t his, etc. It is crazy how early this all starts. He is trying to work on some fine motor skills, but usually just slaps at everything still. He is playing a lot more – and he loves to play…especially with Hubey. And normally, if you cannot find Judah…just look under Hubey. Yes, Hubey likes to lay on top of Judah and normally, Judah is all smiles (he only weighs about ten more pounds than Judah). Judah had his six month visit – around 17lbs. (50%), 25.5in. (25%), and his head in the 75%. He needs to grow into his head…he’ll get there. He had to get a lot of shots and he did great – cried for less than a minute (I would cry longer than that). He only has two more weeks in the band – awesome news! His head looks great. When playing, he now will throw himself on his belly trying to grab a toy…but eventually I find him with his head buried into the ground defeated (just roll over already). It is sad. I am trying to limit the time in front of the tv, which is hard to do with the tv marathon we are having right now – I actually found him today laying on his back, over the Boppy, watching tv (which would have been upside down for him). He loves tv – you wouldn’t take a puppy from the boy, why should we take away the tv? Still don’t think being mobile is in his near future, which is fine by me – he has the rest of his life to be mobile. He has been trying more foods and liking them (back to my original theory that waiting until six months for solids is not a bad thing); however, nothing is quite as terrific as a big ol’ bowl of rice cereal. This kid hearts himself some rice cereal…with a passion. He is changing so much and I get sad to think that six months has already flown by…I am going to miss these days. Love this sweet boy – he is so lovable with those chunky cheeks!

This has been a tougher week – a sick Mama with two sick boys is never a good combo. I am very lucky to have an AH-MA-ZING husband who takes care of everything when I am sick. God is faithful and He sustains me…He also convicts my heart when it is so needed. Hoping to a healthier week and a happier heart (for me).

Oh, and we blinged that band again…cuz that is just how we roll. And yes, we think it is funny and no, we don’t really care what everyone else thinks about it. And yes, in about twenty plus years, Judah will think it is funny as well (it is all about how you present it).

(Judah was all done with pictures - all Business tonight.)

Cryin', Cryin', Cryin'...

2011-02-21T18:44:00.000-08:00

If Judah’s week twenty-six had a theme it would be “Cryin’”…seriously. He has not been a happy camper this past week…he tries to be, but doesn’t normally succeed. He is TIRED! And, he doesn’t understand that he is tired, but I know he is (Mama always knows best). And yes, still working on the sleep training…I see this in our future for the next month (at least)…I looked back on Hugh’s blog and it was like six weeks of sleep training. Ugh! So, the bad naps create an unhappy baby who latches onto Mama (all day) for dear life…he has a monkey latch now, where he’ll swing his back leg up to latch around my back…thank goodness for my muffin top or he wouldn’t be able to do that. As if you couldn’t tell…I HATE the sleep training at the Saylor house. I know it will be short lived (well, I pray (I mean really pray) it is), but it is hard to see through that when you are in it. So, I pray for grace and patience each day for myself and we get through this short season.

So, what else did week twenty-six bring? Well, besides a lot of crabby (A LOT of crabby)…it brought lots of smiles and giggles. He wants to be happy. We continued in the sleep training (ugh) – this week has been especially bad because he has been getting up in the fours…yikes. And yes, I feed him – I know, I know, but if I feed him he will go back to sleep and more importantly, so will we…it is worth it right now, but feel free to judge me when I am still doing it three months from now. It brought a few days away from Dada (Jake went to visit a friend…and yes, the boys and I survived…shocking, I know.). It brought his continued love of rice cereal – this kid loves rice cereal. Nothing else even comes close…however, he did enjoy some bites of ice cream with a big smile. We keep trying to push some other foods – in between rice cereal bites. I think this shows our future with a picky eater who will like bland foods and sugar (because who doesn’t love sugar?!?). Still not doing a lot of rolling, but as I stated last week…we have checked this milestone off the list because he has done it once…and that is what counts. He is doing much better with sitting up, but we still put the Boppy around him to support the falls. Since he is loving the sitting up, he is loving the toys…the community toys (or Hubey’s toys in Hubey’s world)…still working on sharing/happy hearts. Still loathes tummy time so crawling is not in the near future. He likes music and will even let me sing to him now (upgraded from humming) and he likes to sit and listen to Jake play the guitar. He got lots of cousin time this week and he loves his cousins – they are very sweet with “her” (that is Logan’s name for Judah). Overall, it was more a “down” week with the crabbiness, but he is still such a sweet, little boy…we love, love, love him!

I struggle with not having perfect control over everything in my life – I have always known it is a struggle for me and I pray about it…a lot. I want to control our children’s eating, sleeping, attitudes, etc. And, I know I have no control…such a HUGE struggle for me and it affects my attitude, which is so sad. Letting go is hard for me, but I will continue to work on it. I also have seen what an ugly heart I can have with my husband going away for the weekend. I really wanted him to enjoy his trip, but also wanted him to feel guilty about leaving and to realize what an incredible martyr I was for staying with the boys (my OWN children for four days) and caring for them…wow, typing it out makes me even feel like a better wife…totally. Someone once told me she was a better mother when her husband was home – so true. God is revealing the true depravity of my heart everyday and it is ugly…like really ugly. This life isn’t all about me…sigh. I thank God for his patience and grace with me…I sure need it. I have also realized that a little coffee with a lot of cream is not a bad thing (I have NEVER been a coffee drinker)…just another vice to add to my long list.

Thank you all for your prayers! We hope you all are doing well!

Milestone Maker

2011-02-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

Another milestone reached for Judah in week twenty-five…yes, he is a roller. Well, I don’t know if you can say “roller”…he has rolled, but only twice and both times in the crib…so, not sure if the “roller” label can really be applied, but we’ll go ahead and slap this one on Judah (and just in time before the six month appointment). He always tries really hard to roll when we are watching him, but he just can’t do it…not sure why he can do it in the crib. And the first time he rolled over to his tummy, I nearly had a heart attack. He had been crying in the crib during some “sleep training” and then he got really quiet, so I checked the monitor and he flipped to his tummy and was sleeping. I seriously thought I was going to have a heart attack. But, he was fine…and so was I. I think we can also say he is officially sitting up…so, another big milestone! He still falls from time to time (good thing he wears a helmet), but is a lot more stable. So, big week!

So, what did week twenty-five bring for Judah? Well, clearly it was a big week with the rolling and the official sitter label. It was also a week of continued sleep training and lets just say we’ll be continuing this training into next week. Our boys have a hard time giving up the swing for the crib during nap time, but we know we’ll get through it. Some days are better than other days. We are mixing up the schedule a bit and adding a third solid feeding in during the day. He still hearts rice cereal and still hasn’t really found anything he enjoys quite as much…not even sweet potatoes…crazy boy. I realize he likes it when I hum to him while he is eating…don’t think his ear is trained enough to truly appreciate my singing voice…we’ll get there. He is starting to grow crazy hair…and he looks like a clown (good thing he wears a helmet). He goes for weekly appointments for his band and everything looks good…almost five weeks down. I really wish he didn’t wear the band – I miss snuggling him…the band makes it hard…very sad. He is starting to enjoy the double stroller now that he can sit-up…finally. He still loves the time in the Ergo and I LOVE it too! Seriously, I could do an infomercial for the Ergo because I heart it that much! Moving on… Hugh and Judah now play together (well as much as an almost six month old can play), but I love it! I have been waiting for this day. I have also noticed that Hugh wants EVERY toy Judah is playing with…Judah can be a little aggressive…so, things could get interesting in the near future…maybe a little WWF in the Saylor house. Hugh normally seems to give in to his little brother (except for always wanting his toys) – so sweet to him. He still doesn’t really enjoy tummy time, which means being mobile is not in the near future…no complaints here. He loves stuffed animals and goes after them like a wild dog…lock up your stuffed sheep, lock up your stuffed puppies…Judah’s going crazy wild on them all (seriously, all the stuffed animals have all been seriously violated up in da Saylor house). He is still crazy active and cannot sit still to save his life – wild baby. He loves to laugh and smile all the time. We LOVE this boy…big time!

We hope all are doing well! We appreciate your prayers and continue to pray for you all. Oh, and as you’ll see there is no mention of a Happy V Day for Judah…maybe one day (when he like forty) he’ll have a sweet lady to celebrate with…for now, it is me…and I am one sweet lady. Happy V Day to all!

Moving On...

2011-02-07T20:28:00.000-08:00

Another road trip for Judah in week twenty-four. Yes, we took a mini vacation – you know, the kind where your kids cry in the car – can’t sleep in a new location – wake up throughout the night – your husband sleeps on the couch kind of vacation…what happened to sleep in – relax – do whatever I want vacations?!? Oh, I remember…we had children. Sorry, I digress. Yes, we went to Flagstaff for the weekend to visit Uncle Jared – besides the usual drama when traveling with small children, it was a great weekend…but would have enjoyed another Sunday to relax from the weekend…you know what I am saying? A vacation from a vacation? Overall, the boys did great and we had lots of fun!

So, what did week twenty-four bring? Well, it brought first sight of snow for Judah, and that was it…not first touch, or first taste,…just first sight. We have Phoenix babies…need I say more…total wimps in the cold. We are sleep training…again. The tenure in the swing has officially been retired. It is time…lots of signs (falling out of the swing, the swing crying because Judah is so heavy, constant battery changes, etc.) have been pointing me to this, but I didn’t want to see them. So, we figured with the trip to Flag (where we would be sans swing) would be a good time to start the training. Rough…always a rough transition in the Saylor house, but we are praying about it and know God is SO faithful and we know Judah will be napping in his crib before we know it and this will all be a distant memory (a girl can hope). He had his first sleep in the tent – we decided to bring the tent rather than bring the pack-n-play to Flag. Well, that equaled a big FAIL in Judah’s book. Seriously, who doesn’t like to be in a small, enclosed space and all zipped up? Judah doesn’t, that is who. Lesson learned. He had his first visit to the fire station and his first ride on a fire truck – lucky boy. I found my trained monkey – Podee…the hands free bottle…love it. And, I am sure you are thinking, why doesn’t he hold his own bottle at almost six months…well, we don’t breed babies that hold their own bottles…no judgment necessary. He got to see Uncle Clayton again – lots of love (except for the moment when Uncle Clayton made Judah burst into tears because he was poking fun at Judah for he likes to suck on his top lip...it is funny). He tried squash this week – loves it. Yes, I am introducing foods slowly – nothing to do with being worried about allergies or anything like that (those worries don’t ever cross my mind)…just lazy (I think before I start solid feeding I think how fun and cool it will be…and then once I am doing it, I remember that it is more work which at times equals no fun). Still no rolling for Judah – he tries, but cannot commit. He is trying to sit-up, but I explain to him that there is a “right way” to doing things, which means learning to roll needs to come before learning to sit. Maybe (probably) he’ll want to do things his way – big shock. He normally falls within a minute of sitting – good thing he wears a helmet. He still grabs at EVERYTHING – seriously, this kid wants everything (including everything on your face)…I am getting a glimpse into my future…I have a feeling this little boy is going to give me a run for my money. Hey, I need someone to keep me on my toes. He is still struggling with his bottles (ah, my Saylor boys and their disdain for milk) and I told Jake the other night that I feel like I am feeding an octopus. Do you think they make feeding straight jackets for babies? If they do, sign Judah up…seriously. He is still so ticklish, and of course I torture him every chance I get. He is still so sweet – lots of smiles and giggles.

And finally, the “bling”…well, not really bling…just stickers, but they look great. This is design one and we’ll bring out design two in a few weeks…you know, everybody needs options, even babies.

Thanks for all your prayers!

Another Cold

2011-01-31T19:51:00.000-08:00

Judah has another cold in week twenty-three…this season needs to end already. I was fairly certain he had another ear infection, but then he slept all night last night…so, we decided to save ourselves the co-pay, a lot of car time, and the likelihood of leaving with an even worse infection…and skip the doctor. Hopefully, we won’t regret that decision tomorrow. So, this has been a “sick” week…tough time eating and sleeping…we know the drill. But Judah has still been super happy…lots of smiles. He doesn’t seem to mind the interrupted sleep throughout the night…like his Mama and Dada. So, here is to hoping this cold passes and that this season passes even sooner!

So, what did week twenty-three bring for Judah? Well, fortunately for us, he still doesn’t mind the band. And nope, still haven’t “blinged” it out – still waiting on the order to come...this week…promise. He is really trying to roll over from his back to his tummy…too bad he has a left arm. He would totally have it down if it wasn’t for that darned left arm. However, he truly enjoys that left arm to grab at EVERYTHING…and pull everything…includes Jake’s chest wig. He tried carrots this week and he likes them, but not as much as he enjoys the rice cereal…still don’t get that one. He acts like he wants everything we are eating, but hasn’t really enjoyed anything we have let him try…like dairy, honey, or peanut butter…kidding, we know the rules. I do think he enjoys the rice cereal more than milk…the blood, sweat, and tears I put into that milk and my boys have no love…whatever, I am over it. Judah is more serious than Hugh and won’t just bust into smile because someone looks at him – they need to work at it a little more to get a smile from him. But when he does stare at you and smile…it is worth it. He has the best stare and smile…melts my heart every time. So, we have decided we need to start the transition from the swing to the bed for naps…not looking forward to it, but it is needed. Why? Yes, he fell out of the swing…and no, I didn’t notice right away. I heard him cry out, but he does that at times…so, I thought nothing of it. Then I checked the monitor and the swing was all white – being the smart mother I am, I thought he must have fully covered himself from head to toe with the back of his blanket (he would have had to flip this blanket over and pull it over his head and then straighten it out to pull over his feet…not completely out of the realm of possibility for a five and a half month old?!?). So, I thought nothing of it. And then I heard the swing start to sound like it was dying, which is never a good thing because he’ll wake up when the swing dies. So, I check the monitor again and I see movement under the swing. This time I realize that there is NO baby in the swing and I run back and find him on the ground…under the swing and grabbing at the swing.

Yep, he was having a great time. I hear myself say many times throughout the day, “Sure glad he has a helmet.” So, he was safe…but we think it is time to move him out of the swing…this weekend we will start…oh joy. He seems to really enjoy the Ergo now and I love it too – SO much better than the Bjorn – seriously, there is no comparison in my opinion. He has also started pulling on the toys on his play mat and his mobile – crazy to think we’ll already be putting toys away. He drools all the time and is a biter (he gets that from Jake), but no teeth – think we still have a few more months on teeth. He is a sweet baby – lots of love for our Judah Bear!

Overall, it was another great week…at least for Judah. Not so much for Hugh’s hair…luckily, we don’t find our worth in our hair. AND he’ll be a shoe-in for Lloyd in another Dumb and Dumber film.

Thanks for all your prayers!

Still Going...

2011-01-24T20:41:00.000-08:00

Week twenty-two and officially five months old! We cannot believe it has already been five months!?! Almost time to get ready to celebrate a half birthday. It is seriously crazy how fast the time goes by – I swear my days are measured by pumping sessions and my weeks by blogging. It has been a long time since I felt like my days dragged, which is a good thing. This last week was a bit crazy – Hugh had his surgery (thank you for your prayers – he is healing) and we watched A LOT of bideos (as Hugh calls them). So, Judah also got to watch A LOT of bideos – yes, I am fully aware that I am failing as a mom with letting him watch TV. He loves it – I cannot help that, but I am really trying to curb the love. So, this week wasn’t too eventful for Judah – not every week can be exciting.

So, what did week twenty-two bring for Judah? Well, he is still doing fine with the helmet – no bling yet, but the order was placed today…so bling (aka “stickers”) are coming. He continues to be very vocal and loves to growl…very loudly. His new thing is, he likes to snuggle into you and bite your shoulder (that is a total Jake thing – watch out). Nothing new developmentally to report – no rolling yet…I think the helmet makes him like a cat with a sock over its head (if you don’t know what I am talking about, try it – it is funny). He continues to be very purposeful with his playing and grabs at everything…everything. And he has daggers for fingernails and they hurt like the dickens…and yes, I know we can fix that…darn laziness, but they grow so quickly. He could be the most distracted eater ever. Seriously, a kid can sneeze down the street and he needs to stop eating to check it out. Why can’t I just have babies that like to gulp down their milk?!? Is that too much to ask?!? He is still enjoying his solid feedings with rice cereal still being the fave. He tried avocado and the jury is still out on that one. He also tried Gerber bananas and prefers that to fresh bananas – what can I say; he prefers a little preservative in his food. We are a preservative family – not going to deny it…we are a non-organic, gluten loaded, heavy dairy, sugar overload, additive loving family…yes we are and proud of it. At stated above, he loves himself some TV – whatever…as long as some crazy characters are signing and dancing on the TV…he is watching it and loving it. He sat in the highchair – way better than the Bumbo for eating. He is starting to wear six to nine months clothes and we always think it will be so huge on him and then he fits into just fine. I have been thinking about breaking the swing naps…I think about it everyday and then when it is naptime – my sanity kicks in (we all know I am not trying to win mother of the year) and I put him in the swing. And during nap, I hear the swing crying to me…”Judah too heavy, Judah too heavy”…oh well swing, buck up and do your job…until Judah really does break your motor.

He is starting to enjoy being read to a little more – we are a reading family, get on the bus Judah. He is still so ticklish and it is cute to hear him squeal in anticipation of being tickled – I look at it as torture, but he looks at it as pure enjoyment. He still LOVES to be held…by anyone (need to find a trained monkey). Still doesn’t like to take a pacifier…yes, it has been five months and I am still trying…I am no quitter. However, he’ll suck his thumb at times and it is so cute. BUT, I still hear myself saying many times, “Life would be easier if this boy took a pacifier.” He is a sweet boy – super cute and animated…we are so excited to see his personality come out a little more each day. God has truly blessed us!

We thank you all for your continued prayers. God is very faithful to us. I am reminded of His incredible grace in our lives as well. He saved us while we were still sinners – nothing else needs to be said. Our God is awesome and we pray our boys know the incredible love of our Lord and Saviour! We pray you all know it!

Helmet Head

2011-01-17T19:51:00.000-08:00

Judah is officially rolling with his helmet head in week twenty-one. Yep, officially a helmet head…well, a band head. And he looks good sporting it – it doesn’t matter what he rolls with…he is cute with anything…even a big, white band wrapped around his head. Honestly, it hasn’t bothered him at all, which has been a huge answer to prayer. He takes his new look in stride and we look forward to when he has a nice, round head and doesn’t have to sport the band. We still haven’t officially “blinged” the band, but we have some ideas and should have something in the next week or so…and, it will be church appropriate. We are thankful that we are able to do this for Judah, and that it will be done in a short period of time. God is so faithful to our family!

So, what did week twenty-one bring? Well, obviously…it brought his fancy band. And with the fancy band brought “fat pirate”…my new nickname for him. You see, the band pushes the fat on his forehead down and makes him have a serious face, well, when he smiles – his nose gets all scrunched up and one eye kind of closes…hence, “fat pirate”. Ah, love my “fat pirate”. They say the band will not affect his development, but I swear he would have rolled over today if he didn’t have the band…oh well, I am sure it is all in my head. Judah gets so sweaty in the band – so sad…it stinks, and he stinks…poor buddy. Glad he isn’t wearing this in the summer – it would be miserable. We now bathe him everyday – sort of a requirement with the band…and we should bathe him everyday since we bathe our firstborn everyday. He wears his band for twenty-three hours a day – the one hour break is for bath time. He is a total water baby, which is great. People have been saying that he looks like me (maybe, I look like a fat pirate)...I think it is the eyes. We are so curious to see who he'll like...maybe those Johnson genes came to the party this time. He seems to be sleeping well again, which is so great for me (yes, this is a me focus…a sane Mama makes for happy children). He tried bananas this week…not a huge fan (which is fine with me…I think bananas are nasty, but I do like banana baby food…go figure). He loves the rice cereal…that I cannot understand. I think I would prefer bananas over rice cereal. We are going to keep introducing new foods…so fun to have a baby that actually likes to eat them…such a different experience this time around. He is still completely enthralled with his brother – no one makes him light up like Hubey does every time. He is still enjoying his mat time and hasn’t started ripping down the toys just yet. He likes the jumper toy, but I think Hubey likes it more. He loves TV and I feel like a terrible mom for letting him watch it, but it is pretty cute to see him and Hubey sitting on the couch and watching a video…don’t worry, it is not all the time. He is quite the talker and likes to be heard. He is getting too big and I cannot believe he is going to be five months next week...seriously, how did that happen?!? He is still so super sweet and easy going for the most part. We love our Judah Bear!

Thank you to all for your prayers. We have seen God answer so many of them this past week. We know God is faithful to us even we are not faithful to Him…it is sad, but very true. Honestly, I have already gotten so use to Judah wearing the band, that is a little weird to see him without it on…the band has become part of the family!

On the Road...

2011-01-10T20:45:00.000-08:00

To recovery in week twenty for Judah. Or, at least we hope he is…he has been on amoxicillin for the last week and he has been sleeping better…so, seems better to me. You see, as long as a baby is sleeping…then he is well enough for me. And, I would really like to not go back to PCH – we are already there every week…I told Jake I should get a parking space. Sickness for little ones is tough since they cannot communicate (and yes, I know there are those magic people out there who can interpret a baby’s cry…I am not one of them…crying is crying in this house). So, we are hoping for a healthy Saylor family – it has been too long…way too long.

So, what did week twenty bring? Well, it brought his fitting for his band, which he gets on Friday. In the past, they use to use plaster over the child’s head for the fitting – sounds absolutely horrible to me…luckily now, they have a 3D image machine that does it all for you now…gotta love technology. He did have to have a stocking cap pulled over his head and he was cool with it…so cool with it that they said (I assume they were joking) it seemed like he had done this before…no, we don’t normally put stocking caps over our babies' heads except when we do our training for them to rob a bank, which doesn’t come until they can walk. Kidding, of course. He did great and now we are just really trying to figure out some “funny” things for the band – have struggled with finding a saying that is church appropriate (“You know what they say about big heads…” – you see, not church appropriate). I thought about a BUSINESS sticker in the front and a PARTY sticker in the back (you know, business in the front, party in the back – the mullet statement – I would have really bedazzled the PARTY sticker). So, any ideas would be appreciated. I need to decide by this weekend. I actually think the band will provide him protection – Hubey started throwing his Magneatos at Judah’s head today…the band will provide great coverage. I have seen him sucking his thumb while sleeping – now, I don’t want a third grader sucking his thumb, but right now – it is so cute, I love it. We busted out his super cool jumparoo – he digs it…and so does Hubey. What is the draw with the baby toys? He is doing much better with his rice cereal this week – I think he actually likes it. We’ll start to introduce some other goodies in a couple of weeks. We are still working hard on his stretches to help with the torticollis, but he really hates them. He is doing better sleeping, but still not back to normal – hoping we see 100% back to normal this week. He is still grabbing at everything – including people, especially Hubey. He is still a super wiggle worm and I have really noticed that I need to be careful with the Bumbo on elevated surfaces (and yes, I have read the warning that the Bumbo should never be on an elevated surface – got it) – he likes to arch his back to try to get out (glad that band is coming). Honestly, I think he will be getting too big for the Bumbo soon, sadly – his brother still fits in it. He is trying to sit-up and still needs to learn to roll to his tummy. He is still absolutely enamored with his big brother and luckily, the feeling is 100% mutual. He is doing great – lots of giggles, a smile that melts your heart, and overall such a sweet, sweet disposition.

We are really hoping the band doesn’t cause any developmental delays (they say it shouldn’t) or any sleeping problems (for my sanity – seriously). And I really need to have a happy heart about driving to PCH every week…glad we have memberships to the Children’s Museum and Zoo. We know God is faithful through all things – we see it all the time. So, we just need to trust in Him. We thank everyone for their prayers!

And...

2011-01-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

And how could I forget my first son? And I didn’t…just lost track of time because it goes so fast (the weeks and months, not the hours at times). And this post will now be about our first son, Hugh or Hubey as we so affectionately call him. And he is two and sometimes we see some terrible twos come out and we like it better when he is a sweet two rather than a terrible two. And he is sweet…the majority of time. And he is healthy…finally. And he loves to talk, but you would never know it…he is SO shy! And he likes to be coy…around strangers because he won’t speak to them (we are working on this). And he is smart (I know every parent says this…as they should)…six letters shy of knowing all the letters of the alphabet and he can count to ten and he still knows all of his colors and knows his animals and is starting to learn his shapes. And yes, I am bragging – he is our son and we are so proud of him. And he loves to learn, but when he is done – he is done. And I have to learn not to push because I am a pusher (of education that is). And he still appreciates a constant playmate – we are both patiently waiting for Judah to become that playmate. And he loves Judah – with everything in him, he loves his little brother. And I love that he loves him. And I love that one day they will be great friends. And if you ask him who his best friend is, he’ll say Judah.

And he still loves to sing and to watch people sing – dvds and on YouTube. And he likes to watch tv (didn’t think that was ever going to happen), but he’ll really only sit and watch the singing dvd. And Twinkle, Twinkle and Holy, Holy, Holy are his favorite songs. And blue is his favorite color, which he says in the cutest way. And he loves to be silly and talk in a silly voice. And we love that he is so silly. And he makes us laugh. And he likes to get out of bed. And that doesn’t make us laugh. And when he gets out of bed at like six in the morning, he always come running in with a popsicle and exclaiming, “I get a popsicle for going poop in the potty!” And that makes us laugh. And he'll probably still be getting potty treats when he is twelve. And he likes to be a big help around the house. And we hope that he still is when he is twelve. And he can whine. And it makes my ears bleed. And I know I whine too. And he loves to play with Judah’s toys. And I don’t know why. And he has started to say “why”. And that will drive me to an early grave. And he loves to go bye-bye. And most of the time we stay at home. And he would always prefer to go bye-bye. And I am sure he’ll love homeschooling when he never goes bye-bye. And he asked me to marry him tonight. And it took a little prodding from me, but I think it is legit. And no, I don’t really want to marry him – I am already married. And sometimes he likes to put vasoline in his hair. And he can name almost all of his family members. And he loves to talk about all of his cousins. And most older girls to him are Kara (his cousin) – but they aren’t really. And almost all babies are Judah…even the ones with big head bows. And those babies aren’t Judah – we don’t roll that way at the Saylor house. And he would eat treats all day if we'd let him. And he’ll drink milk…brown milk, which is still milk in this house (had to eat my words with that one). And he has started eating vegetables. And no, the world did not end much to my surprise. And he’ll eat almost anything to get to the treat. And yes, we are teaching him that dessert comes with every meal. And why not? And we are thankful he is eating and God has made all of that a distant memory.

And he loves to hear his Bible stories and learn verses and we love it. And we pray with everything in us that God will radically change this little one’s heart (and Judah too). And we pray that he will do awesome works for God’s Kingdom one day. And we pray he knows the amazing love of God from a young age. And we pray that he realizes life is truly not living away from God. And we pray that God spares him great heartache in his life. And we love this boy with a fierce love. And we want to protect him from everything. And he needs surgery. And we don’t like it, but we know it is best for him. And it makes my heart ache. And I know God is in control. And we pray God’s hand is always on this little boy of ours. And we thank God everyday for blessing us with our wonderful son.

And I am sure my husband is having a nervous breakdown from my incredible grammar skills. And I will end it now!

Rough Week

2011-01-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe it is already 2011…but it is, it really is…and Judah has celebrated week nineteen for the New Year! Yep, Judah has officially been with our family (outside of the womb) for nineteen weeks! Crazy how fast time flies, but it really does…not every moment because clearly this has been a long, rough week…but it is all worth it…even the VERY long weeks! Why such a rough week? More sickness in the Saylor house…Judah has a cold, which has now become an ear infection and it is lingering and he is not sleeping at night very well (like crying out four to five times a night). So, makes for a rough week. It feels like sickness has been in our house since Thanksgiving…no joke; however, it should be noted that I (being the stronger sex) have not gotten sick at all (and no, I am not worried about the blog curse). So, here is hoping to healthier and more restful week.

So, what did week nineteen bring? Well, it brought the New Year and it ended the year with a cold, as stated above. My boys and their colds…like their best-friends that never leave. So, he has been sleeping really poorly and it is getting draining. It has been so nice having Jake home these last two weeks and I am going to be VERY sad to see him go back to work. The boys have also loved having Jake home and now they are going to be stuck with boring Mama…oh, well...such is life. So, with Judah’s cold has brought the nose sucker, which he HATES with everything in him. He also HATES getting his nose wiped, which we are doing all the time – he makes the process into a contact sport. He had his appointment to get his head checked out and he suffers from moderate plagiocephaly and torticollis. We have decided to go with a band that he will wear from eight to ten weeks. He’ll be fitted within the next month. We decided that we cannot know he has a jack-y head and not do anything about it – that would be wrong for us to do to him. So, we are going to fix his jack-y head and when he asks why he has to go to ASU (because this band is pricey), we’ll tell him that at least you don’t have a jack-y head! He’ll have to wear it for twenty-three hours a day, which is such a bummer…but it will go by fast and he won’t even remember any of this…and it will give him some added protection from his big brother. Should have focused more on tummy time, but we don’t really know if we could have prevented this condition or not…so, we just focus on what we can do about it now. Now to thinking how to decorate it…or bling it...cannot leave it just white so we’ll see. He tried rice cereal (Jake won this battle)…can’t tell if he really likes it or not (who would?!?). I think he is too congested right now to really figure out the whole rice cereal thing – so, we’ll try more once he is feeling better. He seems to love his amoxicillin, and I don’t blame him – still have fond memories of taking that pink goodness as a child. He loves having a “cuddle” by his face (cuddle = soft blanket) – just like his big brother. He grabs at EVERYTHING – pens, glasses, food, you name it and he is grabbing it. He wants everything we have and gets frustrated when he cannot get what he wants. He is still trying to roll to his tummy from his back. He totally lights up every time Hubey is around – he loves his big brother! Jake can really get him going on total giggle fits – so cute. He really wants to sit-up, but he is not there yet – he is working on those tummy muscles (I should be too…working on my tummy muscles that is…I can already sit-up). We cannot wait to see what his personality is going to be like. He is sweet – lots of smiles and laughs. Hopefully, he’ll turn back to his normal happy, sleeping self soon…very soon!

Thanks to you all for your prayers. Hoping 2011 is a wonderful year for you all and for our family as well. It is starting out a little different than we would have hoped, but we know God is good and always in control. We are thankful for His love and pray our focus will be on Him for 2011!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T19:25:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas for Judah in week eighteen! We had a wonderful Christmas celebrating with family and friends…except for the fact that Jake was SUPER sick. He is getting better now, but unfortunately, had to miss some of the Christmas extravaganza. And of course (as luck would have it…our family can thank us later), both boys now have fevers…who knows!?! We think Hugh’s is related to teething (yeah for the two year molars) and not sure with Judah…just running a little hot. Hopefully, we will all be healthy soon! Judah got to experience his first Christmas Festivus! Honestly, he slept for the majority of the fun – it was nice to be able to lay him down wherever and he would sleep…for night-time, he rocks the sleeping! And, we didn’t really get him anything since he is only four months old…don’t worry; we haven’t scarred him for life or anything. We are so thankful that Judah is part of our family and was able to spend Christmas with us! He is the best present our family was given this year!

So, what did week eighteen bring? Well, obviously…it brought his first Christmas! As stated above, he slept thru the majority of the festivities. He napped so much better this past week…praise God! Yes, he is still in the swing…and yes, we are okay with it…and yes, we know what all the books say about it. He does so much better when he gets a good nap…so, we’ll break the swing naps later. He is starting to grab a lot more at things and is really starting to enjoy toys. Unfortunately for him, his big brother tends to like every toy that he is playing with…such a shock. He likes to pull hair…hard…glad I got mine cut, but he’ll still pull it whenever he gets the chance. He also does this really sweet thing where he grabs the top of your shirt when you are holding him…so sweet. He still tries to eat his hands every chance he gets and sucks his thumb a lot…I know it can be a bad habit, but it is so cute. I get a little nervous for when he has teeth…I honestly think he may bite one of his fingers off. Also, he will take a Nuk – the Nuk brand, not the Soothie, but it is rare…but he’ll do it when he is really tired and just wants to sleep, but he won’t wake up when the nuk drops…which is wonderful (we always had to play the drop and replace game with Hubey). He LOVES his milk (finally someone who appreciates my hard work…my brutally painful, hard work!)…he actually starts kicking his legs and waving his arms when he sees his bottle and if you take away his bottle before he is done…he gets MAD. Just such a huge change for us – Hubey NEVER got excited – he HATED it. We love that he is an eater and is such an efficient eater…so nice. Nope, still haven’t started rice cereal…don’t think he needs it yet (even though some people think he is starving all the time), but Jake wants to start him on it…so, I see it happening very soon. He had his four month appointment – he weighs 15lbs. 2oz. (50%) and is 24.5in. (75%)…almost a pound more than Hubey at this age (he weighed more than a pound less than Hubey at birth) and about an inch shorter than Hubey…so, short and round…and jolly…just like Santa Claus. We are glad he is so healthy and such a good eater! He did well with his shots – not too much crying, but lots of complaining for the rest of the day…and a fever. Hopefully, he’ll feel better tomorrow. He also received a referral to be examined for plagiocephaly, which is a head shape deformity. Normally, they can be corrected by a band that he would wear for around twelve weeks…we don’t love the idea, but know God is in control over all things. We are familiar with the condition and the band since one of our nephews was diagnosed with this condition and had to wear the band. We realized when it rains it pours…this for Judah and surgery for Hubey for a hernia…like we stated above, God is in control and is so faithful to our family! Overall, Judah is doing great and he is the best Christmas gift!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We pray everyone knows the true gift of Christmas, which is salvation in Jesus Christ. All the toys and stuff fade into nothing, but the love of our Saviour is eternal!

(FYI…taking pics of your baby after a long day and shots in a Santa suit is never a good idea.)

Waiting...

2010-12-20T19:40:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been better this week…the napping that is…in week seventeen, not 100%...and some days are better than other days…for sure. And yes, possibly I busted out the swing again…a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Some people would say I lost the last two weeks of sleep training by bringing the swing back out…oh, well…that is how we roll and we are okay with it. I am still just trying to figure it all out. I appreciate the lots of wisdom that I have been given the last week and the resources I have looked at…very appreciative of it all. I realized God knows when my little guy needs to sleep for my sanity…on crazy, busy days when I have a million things going on (and lots of people over)…he sleeps…praise God! I also realized that I would have nothing to write about on my blog if I didn’t have some diatribe…not eating with Hubey and now it is not sleeping with Judah. Got to have something to write about…always. Thanks to you all for the prayers – we appreciate them!

So, what did week seventeen bring? Well, it brought his first sleepover with his cousins…not sure if he really noticed all the craziness, but I know he has lots of love for his crazy cousins. They are all very sweet with him. He is really starting to notice when we are eating and drinking – starting to reach and grab for it…just the other day, he grabbed a tamale right off my plate…love my spicy baby. However, I still think we are going to wait another couple of months before we start the solids. We’ll see what the doctor recommends, but I am leaning towards the delay. He is starting to play more…well, as much playing that one can do while lying on their backs all day. He has started reaching for whatever he can when he is sitting in his Bumbo...on the counter (shame on us, I know). He loves to just stare at people until they look at him…so cute. We are actually starting to think he may have blue eyes (fingers crossed). He seems fine with tummy time now and normally will always roll over to his back. He is trying so hard to roll to his tummy…I think it is a few weeks out. He still has a love affair with his hands (glad to see he still has all ten fingers) and I hear myself say several times a day that life would be easier if he would just take a pacifier…not going to happen…ever…sad day. He drools…all day…think it has to do with the hands always in the mouth. He still spits up a lot, but he also eats a lot...he is appreciative of all my hard work with pumping (someone should be). Obviously, we are still trying to work on the best schedule for him…we’ll get there and I know that…so, I wait patiently (sometimes). Aside from his napping still not being the greatest, he is sweet…so sweet. I could seriously cuddle and love on this little boy all day…he makes it so easy. He has these cheeks that are so great – love the chubby cheeks! We have been so blessed by this little boy!

And what did week seventeen bring for me? My worst day ever. I broke one of the tubes on my pump…while pumping in the car…at church. It was fantastic. You see, for us EP’s (Exclusive Pumpers…yes, we have a name…google it), a tube breaking is tragic…positively tragic. Luckily, Babies-R-Us was right around the corner. Oh, they don’t sell Medela tubing…it can only be ordered from Medela…freaking out at this point. So, we race home to get my other pump (you see, our kids were still at church while we ran home…yep, we were that couple that drops their kids off at church for free childcare and then goes to run errands…we are thinking about doing it again…AND we needed to race back because Hugh was having a performance in his class and what type of parents would we have been if we missed it?!? Horrible ones!!!), but really don’t know if the other pump will work. Well, it did…so Mr. Pump #1 is back and badder than ever. However, new tubing is coming for Mr. Pump #2 (aka Super Pumper). So, all this to say that the crisis was adverted, but I kept saying to Jake that it was my worst day ever (obviously, it wasn’t)…oh, and we made it to Hugh’s performance…he was ah-mazing. Oh, and now I have so many pumps I don’t know what to do with myself. We are thankful for your prayers and so thankful for God’s grace in our lives!

More of the Same...

2010-12-13T18:58:00.000-08:00

Yep, more of the same…still crying during every nap at week sixteen. He had a couple of good days and we were hoping (and hoping) he was going to turn a corner, but he hasn’t…and he is still crying during every nap. It is sad and me (being the person that has to have a reason for everything) is determined to fix the problem. Looks like week seventeen could be a week of serious sleep training (have some ideas). Yes, I know he is not even four months yet, but this just doesn’t seem right to us (emphasis on “us”…may seem right to everyone else, but now us). So, we will work on the nap training…with lots of love. He is a great night sleeper still, which is a huge praise…just got to work on the naps. Besides the non-napping baby, Judah is great – sweet, sweet, sweet. We love this little boy so much and cannot imagine our family without him!

So, what did week sixteen bring? Well, obviously it continued to bring no solid naps…all cat naps (as stated above, we are working on getting past this). We have decided to eliminate the swing during naps because of the sleep training…that swing has been a good friend to us all (love our neighbors for letting us use it). He is really trying to move – he turns himself all over the place and wants to roll from his back to stomach so bad (think the first time he did it a couple of months ago was a fluke (or his big “helpful” brother did it for him) because it has never happened again). Not sure why he wants to roll over so badly since he doesn’t really enjoy his tummy time. Honestly, I think he just wants to be able to do more…sitting up would be great for him, but we still have a couple of months before we see any consistent sitting up. He does love the Bumbo though…change of scenery for him…one can only stare at ceilings for so long even if there is a moving fan. He is really trying to grab at objects more and it's only a matter of time before he starts going after the “community” toys (in Hubey’s world, those would be HIS toys)…Hugh may not think Judah is so great after that! He took his first bath with his big brother…think we have a definite shower baby on our hands, didn’t really love the bath like his big brother. We cannot believe we could have a rice cereal eater next week…not sure if we are going to start him yet, but we could if wanted…well, technically we could have already started him (because he is our baby and we can do what we want with him). He does stare at our food while we are eating…maybe it is a sign?!? He HATES his Prevacid…sigh…but we’ll keep giving it to him. I really started feeling this week like he wasn’t really wanting to be a “baby” anymore…clearly, he is still a baby, but you can already see him fighting for some independence (like is his brilliant choice not to nap). We have pretty much completely given up on the pacifier…guess he is not a Johnson baby (no oral fixation)…but he does LOVE his hands. I give him daily lessons on trying to figure out sucking on his thumb…as in I try to place it in his mouth for him…no, I don’t suck my thumb. He is such a wiggle worm…definitely don’t have a chill baby…so sad, why doesn’t the stork ever drop off a chill baby at our house? Why do we have to get all the “active” babies? Kidding, we love our active babies…but a chill baby would be nice…for sure. He is getting big and it is all happening too fast; this baby stage goes by so quickly. So, here is hoping to a more restful week…hoped for last week, but it didn’t get delivered…will not stop hoping (and praying)!

Thanks to you all for your prayers. I know God has calmed my heart this last week with patience and grace for a non-napping child. I still have a VERY long way to go and I continue to realize that I need to trust in God first before anything else. I am a firm believer that outside resources can always help, but just need to make sure my heart is always in the right place. God knows exactly what I need and when I need it…and what I need is to trust in Him. I am thankful for His incredible patience and grace…I wish I just had an ounce of it!

Nap Hater

2010-12-06T19:37:00.000-08:00

Here we are, week fifteen! Can you believe it?!? Week fifteen! And yes, our fifteen week old has become a TOTAL nap hater! A sad, but true statement over here in the Saylor house...sad, but true. Judah has decided he is way over naps and there is no convincing him…no convincing at all, sad…but true. He is still sleeping good at night (but will also cry out about forty minutes into sleeping), but naps are MISERABLE for us all. Where did my napping baby go?!? And where do I find him?!? I am trying really hard to be patient while waiting for this non-napping season to pass (it better pass), but it is HARD…really, really HARD. I think we were so spoiled on the front end with Judah – he was the BEST sleeper…and now, he isn’t…we were spoiled, so spoiled. So, we continue to pray for God’s wisdom and trust in Him, but it is hard sometimes…so hard. BUT, the week wasn’t miserable…we love our little guy and he is so sweet…just not napping. Ah, this too shall pass.

So, what did week fifteen bring? Well, besides the non-napping baby…it brought lots of smiles and more giggles! Judah is a happy guy even when he is not napping. He is getting better at playing on his mat and he loves to play in his bouncer and bat at the toys. He goes all crazy on them…pretty funny. Since he is a nap hater right now, we have tried to switch up his sleeping habits…so, we kicked his swaddle (we have committed to this one) and stopped the napping (or screaming…since there is no napping) in the swing (haven’t fully committed to this one yet…I would be more than willing to keep the swing naps if he would nap!). I am going a little crazy trying to figure out the “ideal” schedule…not sure if it exists, but I am searching to find it (and when I find it, I should document it…that would be the smart thing to do). I just don’t know what a schedule looks like for an almost four month old. (And yes, I know this is our second child, but Hugh never really had a great schedule.) Sometimes, these “seasons” can feel really long…really long, but I know they are so short. He continues to LOVE his older brother…even when he is laying on top of him. Hugh never gets old to Judah and I LOVE it. I’ll take all the sweetness now…not sure how it will all look in six months! We visited the doctor earlier in the week to figure out the screaming during naps and they have switched him to Prevacid – we’ll need to wait a week to see if this works for him. I really just wanted to bump up the Zantac dose, but the doctor we saw wasn’t having it. So, we switched meds…praying it helps. BUT really trying to put more of focus on God than a drug or doctor. We know God is faithful…we really don’t know that about anything else. We found out he is almost fourteen pounds…big boy! Looks like he is going to outgrow his brother by his four month appointment…we keep telling Hugh to watch out, Judah is going to be bigger than him! He LOVES himself the TV…awesome. We never let Hugh watch TV and now we have an addict on our hands with Judah…successful parenting at it’s best. We are finding out he is not a pacifier baby – still trying to figure out his thumbs, but would rather pass on any pacifiers (I have tried all kinds)…sad day, but at least I won’t have another two-year-old asking for his nukie all day long (yep, over a month later and Hugh still has very fond memories). Judah loves singing – he appreciates my amazing vocals. He is figuring life out…at fifteen weeks, there is a lot to figure out. (We hope he figures out naps.)

So, I am learning to be patient and not forget how INCREDIBLY blessed we are…even in a house of a non-napping infant and a non-stop sick two-year-old (yes, Hugh has been sick for over two weeks!). Sometimes, I can lose sight of the fact that God is so good to us…even when we are lost in the desert. We have so much to be thankful for – that is what I want to focus on…not on my agenda. My agenda may look really good (to me), but it isn’t always God’s plan (shocker). So, I stop and turn to focus on Christ and know that He will make my paths straight.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-29T20:37:00.000-08:00

Week fourteen equals Happy Thanksgiving! Well, not really…in our lives, week fourteen equaled tough week! Judah did not celebrate his first Thanksgiving due to his big brother being sick…there was no happy for us on Thanksgiving…so, it was an ordinary Thursday for us. Hopefully, he won’t be scarred for life over this (I may be a little scarred…missing my first Thanksgiving that I can remember…I appreciate all the sympathy)…we all know I don’t need another thing to come up in future years of therapy. And to add insult to injury, both boys now have colds. Ah, the joys of parenting…so awesome at times. So, we are trying to get back to normal…hoping for it after a very LONG week!

So, what did week fourteen week? Well, it brought a tough and long week…already stated above, but needed to be stated again. Our rockstar sleeper left us this week…he now starts screaming about thirty minutes into EVERY.SINGLE.NAP! Seriously, what happened?!? It is really hard to listen to him scream and not know what the problem is…we are venturing to the doctor for some answers (maybe an increase in meds or try a different med). So, we are still trying to figure out the best schedule for him…I think we just have children that resist the Babywise method…ah, sigh. And we have children who just don’t wake up hungry…so strange. He is starting to resist eating, which puts us into panic mode…and then we realize we just need to relax and trust in God. We know this little guy doesn’t have the same issues that Hugh had, but it is hard some times not to jump to those conclusions. And we need to realize that sometimes we won’t be able to figure everything out…and that is okay (still working on that one). He is still happy with lots of smiles and giggles…sometimes, I think the peaceful naps are more for me than for him. Sometimes, it feels like these types of weeks really (REALLY) drag, but I know they don’t go by any slower than the week before…just sure feels like it. He can move himself ALL over the crib even in a swaddle…guess it is time to toss out all the pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals out of the crib…yes, as you all know I seem to have no fear of letting my boys sleep with a million things in their cribs plus a crib bumper (I wouldn’t want them to be lonely at night), but if they don’t get enough ounces during the day…I freak out. Judah seems like he wants to sit-up, what he doesn’t understand is that he needs to embrace tummy time to be able to do this…yep, still hates tummy time…I am surprised he doesn’t have a flat head. He loves to stare at his mobile and has been getting some quality crib time lately due to the lack of naps. He is still super ticklish and I love it…I am sure I border on torturing him…I birthed him, so I can do what I want with him. He is slowly starting to open his hands more…thought for sure he would keep his fists forever…he has started reaching for toys. We busted out the Bumbo this week…ah, yeah. Not sure if he is a big fan, but Hugh was all over it…remembering all the good times fo’ sure. He got to experience his first tree decorating experience…super exciting. I think he is starting to look a lot different than Hugh, the crazy thing is…he looks more and more like Jake (with my eyes)…I thought Hugh was Jake’s mini-me…looks like Judah is going to steal that one from Hugh. Glad I find my husband attractive, or I don’t know what I would think of my boys…kidding! Hopefully, we’ll be able to break his terrible sleeping patterns right now and get back on track next week…we’ll see.

So, I know these weeks happen…but they are tough! Makes me want to check out of being a mom at times and just run. I thankful God provides the grace and patience we need everyday…it is just a matter of me seeking Him first in all things (doesn’t happen all the time). So, here is hoping for a better week…but knowing and trusting God will have me right where He wants me to be!

Thanks to you all for your prayers!

Survival

2010-11-22T19:07:00.000-08:00

We all survived, and so now we are at week thirteen. Yes, the boys seemed to not notice my return to work, which I am thankful for…makes the transition a little easier. And did I survive? Well, obviously since I am typing the week thirteen post. It seemed easier this time around to return to work…not because I love Judah any less than Hugh, but I know the drill this time around. I missed my boys terribly, but knew they were in good hands, which helped to breathe a little easier. I seriously don’t know how working moms (outside the home…because we all know we ALL work!) do it…it is a lot and my heart goes out to them. Almost had a major crisis at work…I forgot my pump. This may not seem like a big deal, but it would be like going to work and forgetting to put your pants on…seriously. You know you can survive without your pants, but you’ll be uncomfortable and will really want your pants all day. I would rather have forgotten my pants…some people (namely my husband) say I have nice legs. Luckily, Jake was home with the boys that day and he drove our third child to me…crisis adverted. I did not make that mistake twice. Overall, the return to work was fine, but I still need to find a job where I get paid to stay at home.

So, what did week thirteen bring? Well, it brought Judah’s longest time away from Mama…and he did fine. He still had lots of smiles for whoever was watching him. He loves to be loved…sweet boy. He has been rolling over from his stomach to his back…oh wait, no he hasn’t…I found out this week that Hugh “helps” with this roll because he believes his brother needs a little “tummy time” Judah just rolls with it (ha, ha…get it…I know, cheesy). We continue to try to get him on a better schedule – bed by 8ish, but he keeps getting up at around 6ish…we would really prefer he pushes this to 7ish…I know, I know…he is only three months. He still naps well and is a good eater. It is so foreign to us to have a baby that can drink six ounces of milk in less than fifteen minutes. We use to spend hours trying to get Hugh to drink six ounces. He continues to become more and more alert and loves to stare at people…especially Hubey. He is fascinated with his big brother…and I love it. Best-friends for sure. I am trying to make sure I read to this one as much as I did with Hugh…it is hard…your first one gets all the time. We have started bringing out some toys for Judah…too bad he still keeps his hands very tight. He still enjoys his shower time (when he gets one)…this kid will love to get his face wet in the pool! He still has smiles all the time and is giggling more and more…we love it and love this boy! I cannot believe he’ll be three months next week…time doesn’t stop, not even for a minute and these babies become little boys and there is no going back…I need to enjoy every moment I have…and praise God for every moment.

Thanks to you all for your prayers. I am still trying to figure out how to get everything done and do it all with less sleep…it hasn’t worked out yet. I did, however, start some of the Insanity workouts…my version is the sane version…not a lot of jumping…the girls don’t like it. I still need to figure out the whole working out thing and fitting it all in…ah, the joys of being a mom and trying to do it all. I thank God for where He has me and we thank Him for how He always provides for us. Ah, onto another week!

Unreal

2010-11-15T20:18:00.001-08:00

Twelve weeks…unreal. The fact that it has been twelve weeks is unreal…absolutely unreal. You know what else is unreal; the fact that I will be returning to work tomorrow…yep, that is definitely unreal. I am a little bit shocked that it has been twelve weeks, and yes, I knew this day would come…it just always comes too fast. It came too fast with Hubey and it has come too fast with Judah. I am going to miss my boys like crazy this week – we have such a good thing going, but it is time…it has been twelve weeks. I need to live in Europe where they get like a year off or something crazy like that…yep, I need to live in Europe…and we would totally move there the first opportunity Jake gets! So, I must accept my unreal reality and go back to work…tomorrow.

So, what did week twelve bring for Judah? It was a big week…it brought giggles! And he giggled for me first…I know, I cannot believe it either! (I should mention that Jake really got a giggle fest out of him, but he did giggle for me first!) I love baby giggles…they are the sweetest. Did I mention he giggled for me first? Yay for me! Okay, moving on…moving on. He also rolled from his back to his stomach, but it was a total fluke since it hasn’t happened again. No worries – we are in no hurry to start any big milestones. He found his thumb! He definitely wants to be an official thumb sucker…looks like he’ll be there soon enough. He is officially out of his zero to three month clothes…so sad, and he actually looks like he already fills out his three to six month clothes! My baby needs to stop growing! We went back to the zoo again…and yep, still not a big fan. I think it is the stroller, which I know he’ll love one day…hopefully, soon. He enjoyed more cousin birthday parties and he continued to show his unwillingness to sleep anywhere but in a swing, his crib, or someone’s arms. We love all the cousin birthday parties, but it is hard to see them getting older knowing that my boys will be getting older as well…reality, harsh reality. His Papa noticed his slanted head (just like his Papa to pick out his flaws)…he is still cute, slanted head and all. He still seems to be fairly easy going except when he doesn’t want to be doing something…like hanging out in the stroller at the zoo. He still loves his shower time…when he sees the shower, which is about once a week (I know…sad). He is sweet with his rosy, sweet cheeks…like Santa Clause…I love those sweet cheeks. He has lots of smiles and loves to stare at you until you pick him up. He loves to be loved, and we love to love him. We are so thankful for this little guy!

And with work quickly approaching…how do I feel? I am okay…I don’t love leaving my boys, but I know they’ll be with people who love them…we have had to scramble a bit to find childcare over the next couple of weeks since my mom is gone, but we have found people and everyone will survive. I feel the heavy weight on my heart, but I know how sweet it is to come home to my boys after work (and I am so thankful I am only part-time). And I haven’t even bothered to try on my work clothes…we’ll see how tomorrow morning goes…my tears may start there, but at least I can always throw back on my belly band…right?!? I wish my muffin top would go away, but that would require working out, which doesn’t happen…ever. Sad, but true. I NEED to start working out and say bye to my muffin top…I should probably also stop eating all my treats, but at least my muffin top thanks me. Forget working out…I should just pick up some Spanx…seriously, I think I may look into Spanx. So, back to showering and back to work!

Thanks to you all for prayers – they are always appreciated!

Happy Guy

2010-11-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

Eleven weeks…solid into the double digits. And we cannot believe we are already at eleven weeks (I know, I know…I say the same thing every week…it is partly because I am really amazed and because I don’t know what else to say…give me a break). I have a feeling the next couple months will fly by due to the holidays and he’ll be four months (or eighteen weeks) before we know it! We are loving little Judah – he has such a sweet temperament. He seems to be fairly easy going …most of time…he is a baby and will always have his moments. We have no complaints (not that we would anyways, but it does tend to be my nature…sadly). We are thankful for both of our boys!

So, what did week eleven bring for Judah? It brought another trip to the zoo and this time he slept for a lot of the visit so he was much happier. He still became all done with the stroller and I didn’t even try the Ergo since I was already sweating like a monkey on her way to a science experiment. Overall, the trip was a success…we are a zoo family, so he is going to have to love the zoo. He has decided he can sleep other places…as long as a swing and sound machine are provided…check and check. He has started to get a little cradle cap (yucky…there are some seriously scary pics on the internet…we are not there yet)…so, we oiled him up (like a stuffed pig) with a little EVOO and that took care of that…I personally think Jake caused this…you can ask him about it. He enjoyed another birthday party for a cousin and his first train ride…don’t think he really noticed. He also saw a local tv celebrity, who happened to be wearing a flowery (trendy) shirt, track pants, and wedge heels…really, track pants with that outfit?!? Really? Okay, sorry…that has nothing to do with Judah, but really…track pants?!? He still does not enjoy his tummy time…clearly, he will not be a championship crawler like his big brother was…maybe he’ll walk sooner. He enjoyed his first full facial lick from a dog...he'll stick with women. He LOVES his hands...I think he desperately wants to be a thumb sucker...sweet (I am sure I won't think that when he is six and still doing it...can't really throw his thumbs in the trash). He still enjoys his half swaddle and loves himself some sleep. He prefers to be carried looking out…sad, no more cuddle time…why do they lose the cuddle time so quickly?!? He is a happy guy with lots of smiles for anybody who will look at him (sometimes I just find him staring at me waiting for me to look at him and when I do, he gives me the biggest smile…so sweet); however, he still gets crabby when we throw off his sleep schedule (like right now…as he is crying in the car since we woke him up…awesome). We have also found out that sometimes he doesn’t appreciate his brother’s loud voice or amazing singing voice in the car…shocker. Overall, no complaints for week eleven…he is for the most part a happy guy (with still some moments...he is just a baby). Crazy to think that next week is twelve weeks!

God is faithful…and we see it everyday and in every aspect of our lives. He has blessed us so much and we are so undeserving. We thank God for our very healthy boys. We hope everyone is doing well…thank you all for your prayers!

All Things New...

2010-11-01T15:19:00.000-07:00

(Yes, another blog post...it must be a record...yes, definitely a record!)

Week ten...how did we already get to week ten?!? I feel like we got here WAY too fast! I cannot believe our little guy is already ten weeks old...almost twenty-five percent of his first year is done...crazy! We love this little guy SO much! And Hugh created a new nickname for his sweet brother...Judah Buddha (and he'll pat his belly)...awesome, and yes, it is sticking. It makes us laugh...yes, we are that mature. This was a busy week for Judah with lots of firsts, but then again at ten weeks almost everything would be considered a "first". God has blessed our family so much and we never want to take a second of it for granted (however, we do all the time).

So, what did week ten bring? Well, he experienced his first big round of shots...lucky him. He was a champ...at first. He didn't even cry with the first shot, but the second one did him in...big time. He was fine after about five minutes, but he was spittin' mad. He weighed 11lbs. 12oz. (50%) and was almost 23in. (50%) (Hugh was 26lbs. 8oz. (25%) and almost 36in. (90%)...sorry Judah for the Hugh reference in your blog post, but I know I would forget if I didn't document somewhere)...he is getting big, but is smaller than Hugh at this age...we'll see what four months looks like. He is very healthy and happy. It brought his first trip to the zoo with cousins. I, of course, got terrible pictures and lets just say that the zoo is not on Judah's favorite list yet. He wasn't loving the whole stroller or Ergo experience...shocking to me...who wouldn't want to be sausaged into a tight carrier next to their Mama while they both sweat like hot pigs?!? Also, I realized (after said zoo trip) that he was running a fever all morning due to the shots the day before...yes, I am an amazing mother...simply amazing. Overall, the trip was fine and he survived...did I mention we are going back to the zoo this week? Should be a good time. We have learned that Judah loves to sleep. In a swing. The cradle swing. In a room. His dark room. In a house. His said house. He is PICKY where he sleeps and does not enjoy skipping naps...so different than Hubey. I love that fact that he sleeps, but sometimes would not mind a child who could be a bit more flexible...I am reminded that he is ten weeks and we will keep working on him being flexible...I can control it (or at least I am telling myself that). He still continues to sleep a lot and we normally have to wake him up at night since he doesn't wake up from his naps...no complaints here, none at all...maybe he'll be like our niece and sleep like twenty hours a day...until he is two years old (yes, she seriously does this...she is amazing). Hugh loves him so much and Judah feels the same (except when Hugh sits on him, which happened today...no love and Hugh kept saying, "I wanna sit Judah." ah, no...bad idea). Judah was fussing this week and Hugh went to tickle him...so sweet (where was I? Well, I choose not to comfort my children when I am watching tv...that is why I have older children...duh. Kidding...I was with our third child...Da Pump.) I love to see them together...I really love it. Judah experienced his first Halloween...he was one cute puppy. He spent the night trick-or-treating with his big boy cousins...sleeping on his jacket in my arms. I was shocked he didn't enjoy wearing a Halloween costume that was designed for children living in Alaska...seriously, so hot (but Hugh loved wearing his). He has started rolling from stomach to back...it only happens sometimes, so I wouldn't say it is a done deal thing yet...and yes, he still hates being on his stomach. We took out the sleep positioner in his crib (yes, the ones that got recalled due to suffocation last month...we weren't worried about it...Jake is all about relaxie Daddy this time) because he is getting too big (sad). He sleeps with his arms wide...so cute. Overall, it was a busy week, but lots of fun...as always. We love Judah...Buddha!

It is crazy to see how different our little guys are, which we are thankful for...God makes us all different. Hugh's ten week post was titled "Battle of the Bottle" and Judah's should be titled "Eat, Eat, Eat"...we are so thankful we have a good eater this time around and no feeding issues. Unfortunately, I have nothing to blog about now...which we are thankful for...I NEVER need to experience feeding issues with a baby again...NEVER. We are thankful for God's faithfulness and everything He helped us learn during Hugh's first year of life, but we are glad to be in this stage now with Judah. Our God is so faithful!

We hope everyone is doing well and enjoyed a wonderful Halloween (no, we don't think Halloween is evil...so, yes, we celebrate it...like I told my nephew last night, Halloween = candy...the more the better)!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:35:00.001-07:00

(Wow, I am an amazing blogger this month...seriously...no, seriously. I am quite amazed with myself.)

So, we went trick or treating with our cousins...it was a good time. Logan was Chewbacca...it actually doesn't get any better than that...seriously. I must say, we have some of the cutest puppies around (hot, sweaty puppies...but still cute...Hugh LOVED wearing his costume). I love (love, love, love) animal costumes...my kids will be wearing them until junior high (and since they'll be homeschooled, they will probably think wearing animal costumes until junior high is cool).

Last year, Jake and I dressed up as the swine flu...this year, I just look like I have the swine flu (and my husband is always camera ready). My witty (witty) husband said we dressed up as a young married couple walking their dog...did I tell you how witty my husband is?!?

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Happy Halloween!

Par-tay, Par-tay!

2010-10-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

So, we had a par-tay to celebrate Hugh turning two. The theme was balloons...his par-tay, his choice.

And decided it would be small to avoid the circus from last year, which was lots of fun...but a little crazy with seventy people.

It was fun. Hugh had a great time.

And there was a pinata...who doesn't love a pinata?!? They are always a good time and I had them at my birthday parties until I was thirteen (or some ridiculous old age for a pinata).

Jake was having "fun" and decided Eli needed to be spun around this year since he is so old...Melissa felt the same way about Jake.

There was a great cake, which I didn't get pictures of...and I didn't get pictures of him par-taying with his little bro...throwing back some juice boxes, but I got pictures of cousins...loving the pinata.

Overall, it was a good time...except for when I brought out the glow sticks...our son bit his and stuck it in his eye...good times. Clearly, he is not ready for a rave.

Oh, and he shares his b-day with his lovely Aunt Cindy...lucky him...there are only a few years between them.

(He was still upset after the said glow stick in the eye event.)

Thanks to everyone for celebrating with us (does that count for my thank you notes?...kidding)...it was fun.

Happy Morning

2010-10-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

Here we are…nine weeks! Our little Judah is nine weeks old! I think we have settled on a couple of nicknames for our guy…Judah Bear and Judah Judah (a name so nice you have to say it twice). Hubey gave us the Judah Judah one and it has stuck. The last nine weeks have seriously flown by. It is hard to believe that two months of his first year are already done. We love having Judah in our family – he is the perfect fit for us! God has blessed us so much and we are forever grateful to Him for His incredible blessings!

So, what did week nine bring for Judah? Well, it brought his big brother’s second birthday party and Judah, of course, loved it…who doesn’t love a piñata?!? Of course, a good mother would have taken some pictures of her two boys together on the big brother’s birthday…a good mother would have done that…that would not be me…sadly. He did fine at the party and loved lots of hold time from people other than Miss Swing. He enjoyed his first trip to the Children’s Museum…glad he enjoys the Ergo (which happens to be the BEST carrier out there, but Jake hates it) and doesn’t mind getting hit in the head a lot with a camera. He is still sleeping well and sleeps A LOT during the day…no complaints here, it is just so different than Hugh…so different than Hugh, who slept about nine hours a day…no joke. I absolutely love getting Judah in the morning…love it. He always has the biggest smiles on his face…like an all face smile and I LOVE it. We also think he has my eyes…probably not the blue color, but the squinty shape…which are the best shape to have…just ask my sister-in-law. He enjoyed some love from his cousin, Evie,...she is a little Mama to him...so sweet. He spent his first Sunday in the church nursery and did fine…dropping him off this time wasn’t too hard (it helped having his aunt and uncle in there to take him with open arms). He still doesn’t enjoy tummy time, but we continue to work on it. He likes to be tickled and it is so cute…I swear that giggles are just around the corner…and the first ones better be for me! Just kidding…well, not really. He is getting big…too big…and he won’t stop growing…so sad. He is really looking forward to his shots tomorrow…should be an awesome time. Week nine was great and we are looking forward to week ten!

Things are going well with us…really well. I even made it the grocery store this past week with the boys…twice. Honestly, it wasn’t too bad…however, they were two very short grocery trips…still not ready for the big trip. We love our family of four and continue to adjust very well. Hugh is so sweet with Judah…now he wants to hold him all the time…I see some bumps and bruises in Judah’s future. And Judah loves his big brother…big smiles for him…even after he gets kicked in the head. Thank you all for your prayers!

Happy Birthday Hubey!!!

2010-10-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

(Yes, one day late...sorry...it happens.)

Two years old…really?!? How did that happen?!? When did my baby get to be two years old?!? My dear, sweet boy – I know you are no longer my baby…but are now my big boy (but you’ll always be my baby…all my babies will always be my babies). Rewind more than two years ago…being pregnant with you was so awesome…except for getting sick A LOT. We wanted you so bad and God answered every one of our prayers. You, my handsome, precious son made me a Mama…a dream I had since I was a little girl (and was still asking for dolls into junior high…they had really cool dolls that would eat and some other fun things…yes, it was a closet fetish…playing with dolls in junior high was so not cool). I can say that all my dreams came true when you were born…I was officially a Mama…a very tired Mama after two HARD hours of pushing. Your stubborn side came early. But you know what, I wouldn’t trade any of that pain for anything (and I was in a lot of pain…for like six weeks…yep, still remember). Sometimes, I can still remember your first few weeks like it was yesterday and some days, it feels like it was an eternity ago.

You gave us a run for our money in the first year, but you have changed so much this past year. You went from a professional speed crawler to a crazy runner (I honestly didn’t know if you would ever give up crawling…you were awesome at it, but I guess you had to give it up when you finally got knee caps)…who happens to run into walls a lot because you are always focusing on what is next. You have a normal swallow…praise God! You went from being a mute (a baby) to being a full blown talker…and now you talk and sing ALL.THE.TIME. You say some pretty funny words…and you have two very awesome parents who love to hear you say certain words…so mature. You love to learn and pick up new things all the time…we think you are the smartest, little guy (we are biased). You love to sing ABCs (and know about 90% of your letters) and Happy Birthday – you will make up your own versions to the songs with the same tune…we love it. You are sweet and love to share with others…even your bubbles and balloons (or bayoons as you like to call them), which are your two most prized possessions. You love to be silly…running around in circles and rolling on the ground (Dada has the same moves). You love music and love to dance (don’t worry, I have been teaching you some awesome moves…you’ll be doing the Running Man and Roger Rabbit like a pro in no time).

You pronounce the majority or your Cs and Ks as Ts…cute now, but won’t be cute later. Your favorite foods are maccheese (how you say it), ketchup, pantakes (pancakes), and teets (treats)…clearly, no processed food in this house. You still love to read and could sit all day with books (sorry…Mama actually gets tired of reading…very sad). You are still a Daddy’s boy and would prefer to be at his heels all day…you love to run to the garage when he comes home from work…so sweet. You love your Gramma and Grandma something fierce…you ask for them all the time. You are a wonderful big brother…and we know you are waiting for the day to have a constant playmate (or slave…whatever). You love your nigh-night (blanket) and nukey (which we took away the night before you turned two…I know, I know…so harsh, but you bit all the tops off…no way to treat a lady, no way). You seem to think naps are overrated (which could have to do with the loss of the nukey)…fine by me, you’ll still get your special room time…EVERY.DAY. I love when you come to me and say, “Hold Mama” or “I wanta tiss”…melts my heart…every time. You love to be outside and in the dirt…but you don’t really enjoy the heat (smart boy). You love to run around with all your cousins and you look to Logan for lots of guidance…you two will be great friends. You love stuffed animals. You love puppies…you have lots of them…stuffed of course…your Dada swears we’ll get a real one some day…we’ll see. You know how to test our patience…we won’t even start to discuss potty training (or peeing on the couch). You love to help…with the dishes and the trash…and holding Judah’s nukey. You love to go “bu-bye” and will run at any opportunity to get out of this house. You are silly, sweet, funny, cute, lovable, kissable, huggable…we LOVE LOVE LOVE you!!!

Praise God for the gift of children…they truly are a blessing. We thank God for you everyday…I thank Him for using you to help in my sanctification. I have been humbled and God has brought me to my knees. I have so much to learn about being the Mama God has called me to be. I thank you for your patience and your sweet heart.

Happy Birthday Hubey!!! We love you so much and look forward to the next year…and all the craziness it will bring!

Good Times

2010-10-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

We had a good time...

at the Children's Museum...

with Uncle Clayton and the big boys.

I took lots of pictures...

and Judah got knocked in the head many times with the camera.

We love you Uncle Clayton and Clay Clay...thanks for visiting! We miss you already!

Road Trip

2010-10-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

Week eight and almost two months! Hard to believe we have an almost two month old and two year old! It has been a busy week…first road trip with Judah! My cousin got married in Pinetop this past weekend – she looked beautiful and the wedding was great…seriously, she has an amazing eye for putting things together. We are very similar in many ways and felt right at home with her lists and agendas…love the lists and detailed agendas (with time slots). We are excited to have Jarod in our family – he is a great guy…welcome Jarod! So, this post may be a little short since we are still enjoying time with family and I am writing this in the car. It has been a great week!

So, what did week eight bring for Judah? Well, as I stated above it brought his first road trip, which he did awesome. Very thankful for a baby who doesn’t mind his car seat (of course, as I write this he is screaming like a dying kitty in the car seat…you see, the difference between Hugh and Judah in the car seat is that Judah will give up the fight and Hugh never did…never). He actually did really well all around – slept great, which was a huge answer to prayer…the last time he did night sleeping away from the crib was a very AWESOME night…so awesome. Still is showing Mama some love with the longer stretches of sleep…the nice thing with this little guy is that I’ll feed him and put him right back to bed awake and he’ll fall back asleep (I know…we are so Babywise)…Hugh didn’t really enjoy that too much. He didn’t nap well…his best friend (the swing) didn’t join us on the trip, but he was a trooper. He did great for late nights and everyone commented on how handsome he is…and how much he looks like Jake…shocker. We’ll have another baby that will finally look like me and will look like the baby from that Seinfeld episode and people will say, “Oh, wow…you have a baby.”…awesome. You’ll see all the great pics of the boys with their super cute outfits on below…oh wait, no you won’t…why? Because picture taking is not on a Dad’s list of tasks when getting kids ready by himself…Mamas are much better at multi-tasking…much better. Thank you Jake for getting the boys dressed and keeping them alive…I know pictures would have been too much to ask for…love you. They did have some very cute outfits. He got to meet lots of family and friends…Uncle Clayton and Cousin Clay Clay were a highlight. Clay Clay is a very sweet boy and we are looking forward to more time with him this week. Judah is getting so strong and holds his head so well. He also enjoys standing and showing us his strong legs. He still does not enjoy tummy time. I feel like his nights are getting better, but we’ll see. His hair is growing back…faster than Hugh’s grew back…and definitely faster than Jake’s (we’re still waiting for that one). He is so sweet and lovable…with lots of smilers…we are in love and so blessed!

Oh, and I fit into my bridesmaid dress…the dress was very forgiving. Also, pumping in a bridesmaid dress equals awesome…for sure. Basically, I had to get naked to do it…loved it. Add it to pumping in the back of a car and an airport bathroom…on my all time favorite pumping experiences. Overall, it was a great weekend with lots of family time and it was so fun to be a part of Christa and Jarod’s wedding!

Week Seven

2010-10-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

(Sorry, my creative juices on titles is running low…very low.)

Week seven…here we are (I am not going to do my, “Oh, wow…crazy…already week seven” gig, but seriously…already week seven?!?)! I would say things are going well…honestly, still trying to figure Judah out. He is a sweet boy and we love him so much…and he still has his fussy periods…we are not sure if he is fussy just to be fussy or if he needs a higher dose of Zantac due to tummy issues. Babies are a constant guessing game…at least for me. And I think I am always constantly aware if he makes any noise when we are out or other people are over…don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable with a crying baby…I think I need to get over that one. Not sure why I worry about what others think when it comes to my kids (I am sure I am not the only one who struggles with this)…my focus should be on my heart and their hearts (by leading them to the gospel) and not be whether they are crying or wet their pants. I really want to enjoy this time, so I need to stop with the high pressure (for those of you who know me…know that high pressure and my name go hand in hand)…guess I need to bump up the prayer life because God is always faithful. Okay, enough about my insecurities about motherhood – my boys are going to look back on their one year blogs (yes, I really think they’ll read them one day) and think I needed therapy…then again, they’ll really know me at that point and will know I needed therapy (awesome). Overall, another great week…hoping time will stop soon (but very doubtful that it will).

So, what did week seven bring for Judah? Well, it brought more swing time…can a baby be in a swing too much? Will constant swinging create a baby that needs to be in a motion all the time…like a pirate baby or something? We are trying to create it (how cool would a pirate baby be?!?). Sometimes we feel a little guilty about all the swing time, but he seems to enjoy it and he’ll nap in there. Hubey napped in his swing until like six months (and we only broke him at this point because we went on vacation and we weren’t going to have a swing). He is also now enjoying his naps in his room…call him crazy, but he wasn’t enjoying the random screams from his brother any longer…crazy, I know. We think Judah is experiencing his first cold – he is so congested, but it could also be due to the reflux (again, babies are puzzles with missing pieces for me…trying to figure it out). He continues to love the shower…when he gets a shower – Hugh, we bathed every night…and this one bathes more like his Mama…a little dirt doesn’t hurt. He has been sleeping some longer stretches at night…sometimes…I have no expectations, which works out great. I no longer pump in the night (because his sleep isn’t so scheduled at night)…yeah for me and for the missiles I wake up with everyday now. We’ve been trying to enjoy more time outside (SO excited for the better weather…about time…good night, I thought the heat would NEVER end), but Judah is a little unsure of the double stroller…our walk the other night consisted of us holding the kids and pushing the double stroller…made a lot of sense for sure. I think he is going through a growth spurt…he seemed a lot hungrier the last few days (and is not pulling from his thigh reserves…wish he could pull from mine). We’ll find out how much he weighs in the next couple of weeks…I am guessing he will double his birth weight for sure. It is crazy, but at the two month mark is where we started noticing all the feeding issues with Hubey…no problems with Judah and praise God! However, it would be great if he could master the bottle without gulping and choking. He is giving more smiles and lots of coos...so sweet. He has a big zit on his cheek and I put some breast milk on it...you know, breast milk works just like Windex...takes care of everything (I know, very random). Definitely think the eyes are turning brown (I know, I know…I am a roller coaster on this whole eye color thing). He loves to get lots of love from his big brother and his big brother loves to give it, BUT gets very dramatic if his brother accidentally throws him an elbow or half-nelson. He still loves some snuggles and gives some great smiles. He is our sweet boy and we are blessed to have him. We constantly thank God for His incredible blessings on our family.

We are thankful God is faithful and patient when we are not. We are thankful God will forgive us and will reveal our sin to us. Life is too short to get caught up in all the silliness of it all…like crying babies and wet pants. I need my focus to be on what matters…like serving God and bringing Him glory. I think I have some work to do…clearly. We hope everyone is doing well and we continue to lift you all up in our prayers!

Wings Be Gone

2010-10-10T19:41:00.000-07:00

Yep, the wings have flown away...Hubey got his first haircut. My baby lost his curls and now looks like a big boy. A little sad, but know it was needed (Jake forced us to do this...he wanted to make sure everyone knew this). Jake and Papa took him - they said he did great...nothing a little gummy and a nukey can't help make a little easier.

So, he has become a victim of a national hair salon (aka chop shop...which will remain nameless...don't want to be sued for libel or anything...let's just say, only the best for our son)...with a crooked bang line and some straggler hairs. But you know what, he still looks handsome.

Don't you think?