Thankful Thoughts...

I feel so scattered lately so here are a few things I want to remember about the boys at this age plus a few random thoughts from my head...

• Colton is talking up a storm and some days I realize that we're having "real" conversations. It's amazing that you can converse with someone who just two years ago couldn't do anything for himself!He is getting pretty good about listening and responding instead of just repeating what we say. Lately, he's taken to saying, "Where we going, Mommy?" He also started telling us "Happy Birthday" out of the blue. Jack's birthday was over a month ago so I wonder if someone at school has recently had one. Just today, he said, "Ask me a question, Mommy!"
• He loves to sing - not sure about tune yet but I love his sweet little voice! Loves to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle", "Wheels on the Bus" and "Jesus Loves Me" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider." He's pretty particular about what song we sing and will quickly let me know if he doesn't like a song. He also knows all of the ABC song and has started pointing out letters and numbers - granted they are not the correct letters or numbers, but it's a start!
• At night over the past few months, he's started asking for Mommy to sing. I usually sing a made up song to the tune of "Lullaby and Goodnight". I need to write down the words because he calls it the night night song and Daddy had to sing it tonight. When he's done with that, he tells us to "Go" then we turn on his nighttime music.
• Finally, toothbrushing is not a battle. He actually reminds me now. I used to have to hold him down and brush quickly. Now, he starts brushing and then hands it over to me and says, "Mommy do it. I not cry!"  It helped to get him some little Dixie cups and a stool by the sink. He really enjoys swishing and spitting.
• So I don't think I would necessarily call it the terrible twos around here - but more like EXTREME twos... We are constantly up and down. The 30 minute commute home from daycare has been interesting. The time change threw him off because the sun is in his eyes for a few minutes each way - He DOES NOT LIKE THAT! I have figured out I can put my arm across the passenger seat in just the right spot to block the sun, but if I forget - he will let out the most piercing scream to remind me. He has sunglasses but he has to be in the right mood to wear them.
• Colton had strep a few weeks ago and needed to take an antibiotic. The first two doses were a disaster. He refused to take it and spit it back out. Well, we learned a very important lesson about Colton that day and about child psychology. We made a really big deal about the medicine and practiced giving "medicine" to Daddy and Lovey. Then we talked about being brave and not crying. Lo and behold he took it like a champ.
• Colton has begun shushing us. We are trying to nip this in the bud, but it's hard not to laugh.
• I'm missing the T and #4 keys off my computer. While I was cooking one day, Colton found my open laptop and a plastic spoon. When I walked around the corner, I witnessed him popping the keys off with the spoon. Never a dull moment!
• Loves to watch Baby E------ and calls it the puppet movie. He also was introduced to Nemo and Jungle Book and really enjoys them too. Still loves Praise Baby and Sesame Street.
• Colton has also begun saying, "It was an accident, Mommy!" and he will walk up on a mess that he made and say in his most surprised voice, "Look at that! Who made this mess?" What a trip!
• One day, Colton was getting ready for a nap and he saw that the window shade was up. He told me to "turn the window off, Mommy!"
• Goodness - this boy keeps us on our toes, but we love every ounce of his sweet, dramatic and curious ways!

Caden...

• is pure love and has got to be the happiest, most content baby! He is the bright spot out of my long days and I love picking him up in the afternoon and getting one of his drooly, gummy grins!
• loves to watch Colton's antics. It's almost as they are already cohorts and Caden laughs when Colton gets in trouble.
• is a great sleeper - not so big on naps unless we are at home but I'll take the night sleeping  any day! Of course we haven't started teething yet, so it could all change.
• had a banner weekend two weeks ago. We finally moved him out of our room and into his own room and crib. Poor kid has been in the bassinet forever! He was so quiet that we really didn't mind having him in our room - but had started waking up at 5 am just to talk and we decided it was time to make the move. He did great with the swich. Also that weekend, we started rice cereal and he did great. You would have thought he had always been eating off a spoon.
• Going to try oatmeal this week and then move on to veggies.
• very good  in the car. Loves to watch Brother while we're on the way to school and then usually snoozes all the way home!
• Daddy helps out a ton with Caden in the morning and gives him his bottle while I get ready and then wake up Colton.
• Not rolling over yet, but he will get to his side and then just kind of stops... very like his personality. He is just such a chill baby!
• The ladies at school call him "President Caden" because he is so friendly and will let anyone hold him. I suspect he has several visitors throughout the day - and I barely get him out of the carseat in the mornings before he is scooped up and loved on by Ms. Alice. I'm so thankful they love him so much at his school.
• Caden came with me to my school program this past week and he was a hit! One of the parents there made the comment that "those were some quality cheeks"! Love those chubby jaws!
• Grabbing toys with gusto and gets so proud of himself when he grabs on to something dangling in front of him.
• loves his daddy!
• loves his bath.
• still being swaddled but with one arm out. Bedtime is usally around 7 and he wakes between 6 and 6:30...
• Naps on the weekend between 1.5-2.5 hours at 9 am and 1 pm... School naps are usually only about 45 min to an hour...

Have I mentioned how thankful I am for my boys?!!! Thank you, God for these angel boys and please help us to raise them in your ways! I'm not going to lie - it has been an incredible adjustment going back to work full time and trying to balance family, work, housework, etc. My job has changed a lot and seems much more demanding than I remember it being - but this is where we are for now and I know that we will survive. There have been some really exhausting days and days when I've felt like running back in time and telling myself to really consider if moving AND going back FT were the wisest decisions as we were preparing to add Caden to our family... but we must press on and make the most of it. As Jack says, this is just a season...Thankfully, I really do have light at the end of the tunnel (unlike most regular jobs) and my favorite season of SUMMER is just 6 months away. I have this pep talk with myself regularly and it usally works :) as does just a little peek in on my sleeping angel boys! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!