Baby Jackson!

Earlier this week, we took a little visit to see the newest addition to the extended family-- Baby Jackson Kane, born on February 15th.  He's such a perfect little baby, with amazingly good skin tone.  Just check him out compared to my pasty little girl below!

 

Leah really liked giving him some love, but was quick to be done with it too. 

Isaac is excited about the baby.  Or just excited to have his picture taken.  Or just excited to do the high-five.

W-A-L-K-I-N-G!!!

A few days ago, Isaac looked at the calendar and realized that he was about to turn 1.  And he said, "Well, I better get to that walking business!" So, off he went.

I forgot how hilarious and adorable those wobbly beginner walker steps are.  It's just so cute to hear little feet coming up behind me, only to turn around and see him smiling at me with his hands up in the air. 

Budding Musicians

Has anyone else noticed that all of our videos end in the same way, with Leah breaking away from the scene to come and see the picture?  :)

Mommy Musings

Maybe it’s all of the babies being born lately, or maybe it’s the fact that it’s pretty much what I do, but I’ve been thinking a lot about being a mom these days. It’s interesting to me that someone such as myself, could go from being somewhat indifferent to having children to where I am now-- absolutely head over heels in love, in a my world could never be this complete without them sort of way. And it’s not that I didn’t want kids, it’s just that I was always more focused on my “career”… ha! (This may have had something to do with the ridiculously exorbitant amount of money that UD charged my parents for me to go there. We won’t even begin to touch upon the idea that I’m thinking of going back to school one day for something entirely different than my current degree.) Kids were always such a later thing… something that I could tackle after I justified spending that ridiculously exorbitant amount of my parents’ money on my education. (I always like to joke that my tuition is similar to a dowry, for without paying it, I never would have met and married Jared. But I digress…)

What’s funny, is that it’s taken me up until this past week to realize how having a baby, or two, or three really changes you. (Duh.) There are the obvious differences—like how a few months prior you may have been thinking about going out to happy hour with friends, and now you’re thinking about how to fix your baby’s constipation (that’s right—because when you have kids, their pooping issues are a very normal topic of conversation). Or how you don’t have rings under your eyes because you stayed up late watching a movie with your hubby, but because after you fell asleep on the couch during the first five minutes of the movie you were watching with your hubby, your 2 year old then proceeded to wake you up over and over and over again.

I mean changes you on a deeper, more of a complete identity change level. I am not the same person that I was before I had kids. And for some reason it took me two and a half years to figure out just how different I am from who I was pre-Leah and Isaac. I’m not special in this regard—I imagine any mom would say the same.

I was at a women’s bible study a few weeks ago, and since there were a few new people there (myself included), everybody went around the table and introduced themselves and told everybody a little bit about themselves. I’m not even sure if anyone even noticed it, but each of the women there described who they were as a person by telling us about their kids—how many they had, what their ages were, whether they were boys or girls, etc. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I do it myself. I define myself by Leah and Isaac. Or should I say, Leah and Isaac define me. Their moods define my moods. Their smiles create my smiles. And likewise, their tears can cause my tears. (Although not always, but mainly because I just don’t think it’s worth crying over the fact that Isaac ripped the page in your book. Or that you were just told no for trying to stand up in the tub for then tenth time in ten seconds.) I even wear a necklace that has their names on it, so on the off-chance that I’m out somewhere without them, people will still know that I have two sweet little babies that I hold very close to my heart.

So I’ve made this very slow revelation and I realized that all of those things that get shifted, pushed to the backburner, or completely disappear—don’t make me sad at all. It’s just what moms DO for their kiddos. Careers get chucked to the wayside, despite the education, costs, and hours at the office put into them. Nights out with friends become fewer and farther between. You agree to have something giant come out of something very small, and on the chance that it doesn’t work accordingly, you willingly go into surgery to have your teensy little baby arrive safely. And you basically accept the fact that your body will never, ever look as good as it did before you had kids. (After just having weaned my second child, I can truly attest to this fact. I am pretty sure that 4 years ago, my abdomen was not equal in size to my chest. What. The. Heck.) Have I mentioned that up until a few weeks ago, I have either been pregnant or nursing since November 2007?

I should note here that I am not trying to negate what Dad’s do. Jared is an amazing Daddy to our kids, and I know plenty of other amazing Dads that do just as much, if not more for their children. I’m just thinking out loud from the perspective I know best.

This isn’t supposed to be a Moms Are Amazing blog post and I apologize if it’s all come out that way. But it was meant to be more of an Aren’t Kids Amazing kind of post? Isn’t the love they instill in your heart one of the most incredible feelings ever? It’s because of that love, that we moms and dads can give up the “fun things” we used to do, can have our lives turned topsy-turvy without even batting an eye. Without even realizing it for two and a half years. Now that's something, isn't it?

Video-bonanza!

In honor of Houston's Snowpocalypse Winter Storm 2011 (From what I understand you must say that in the most dramatic voice possible), I thought I would post this video of our most recent snow storm. (Which at this point, was probably about 2 weeks ago... maybe more. I have no concept of time anymore.) And, correct me if I'm wrong, Houston, but I'm pretty sure this classifies a wee bit more as a Snowpocalypse, no?

Isaac hit 11 months on Thursday. He then decided to kick it in high gear with his list of accomplishments. On Friday morning, we woke up to a new tooth (#4!), started standing up without holding on to anything, and even made some weeble-wobbley attempts at a forward motion. I don't even think I can classify it as walking because his body was on a forward slant for all 4 steps and if the couch weren't there, he'd have landed flat on his face. But still, suddenly the motivation is there. The most adorable part? When he stands by himself, he throws his hands in the air and laughs. He's just so proud. And big sister Leah cheers him on saying, "Mommy! Look at Isaac! He's standing like a big boy!" She, too, is proud of little Isaac. (Of course, she also says the same thing when he scoots into the room on his behind-- "Mommy! Look at Isaac! He came into the kitchen like a big boy!!" Just imagine if all big boys boot-scooted around on their behinds to get from place to place.)

Growing up with a big sister, Isaac has learned to be comfortable with pink. Just check him out pushing this super pink, super girly "shopping cart", as Leah calls it. Isn't he the jolliest little cart pusher ever?

This wooden pillar has provided hours of Peek-a-Boo entertainment for Isaac. It's his favorite game by far, and though he loves to play with me, he's happiest when Leah plays with him.

Happy Birthday Opa

My Dad's birthday was this past Sunday, the 23rd. I wanted to get a picture of the kids to put on the front of the card. I thought it would be a quick, easy task. I am retarded. (And also not politically correct, apparently.)

The picture was already going to be subpar because Isaac's pinkeye had returned for the second time in 2 weeks. But time was of the essence because I had to get the card in the mail to try and make it relatively close to my Dad's actual birthday. So out came the warm washcloth to wipe up as much of the "eye boodies", as Leah calls them, as possible. Then both kids were dressed in something other than their pajamas, and (here comes the big accomplishment), their hair was brushed. That's right-- this was serious. For some reason, I thought it would be super easy after that. Stand them next to each other, give Leah a sign to hold, and *click*, picture taken. (This is where we go back to paragraph 1-- I am retarded.) It's alarming how near impossible it is to get two people to look in the same direction long enough to take a picture, without having somebody inadvertently giving you the stinkeye. Laurie, I have even further respect for the work that you do.

Take 1: Wait, what are we doing?

Take 2: This is what happened when I asked Leah to smile. I don't even know what that is.

Take 3: Cute picture, but the photographer cut off Leah's head! (Again, back to paragraph 1...)

Take 4: Only smiles from Isaac, with his squinty little eye-boodied eyes...

Take 5: A different tactic...

Take 6: Isaac loses interest.

Take 7: Leah loses interest. Sign lays abandoned on the floor.

Take 8: Isaac comes back for a second look (but only because I strategically placed interesting toys around it).

So there you have it, Dad. Two cute kids, eight attempts, one card. Happy 63rd birthday!

Have you ever had one of those days where things are not going very smoothly at home and you're just not feeling particularly fond of your children at that moment?? Let's be honest, being a [stay at home] mom is awesome. But there are some days where it's just downright tiring, draining, exhausting (yes, I realize I am reiterating myself, but that's part of the point), and well, ... HARD. Usually those days are prefaced with a sleepless night caused by one, or both, of the kids, thus making everybody start off on the wrong foot. Insert temper tantrums, hair pulling (done by Isaac, usually unintentionally), pushing (done by Leah, usually intentionally), dog chasing (done by Leah, definitely intentionally), cat chasing (done by Isaac, also intentionally, albeit slow moving) and gasp!, worst of all, an empty coffeepot.

Then I get the camera out and randomly take some pictures and somehow manage to capture such cute little faces on camera, that the aggravation just sort of melts away. Perhaps it's seeing their sweet little mugs on the camera screen as opposed to while they're clawing at my legs that gives me a different perspective. (Even though they are most likely clawing at my legs while I am looking at the camera screen.) Or perhaps, for that particular day anyway, it's one of the rare moments where they are smiling, laughing, making funny faces, and miraculously, I've caught it on camera. Either way, some how it gives me an opportunity to step back for a second. It's a reminder for me of how sweet, wonderful, and hilarious these two little stinkers really are.

I'm not sure if you remember, but a little over a year ago my heart was captured by Layla Grace. I followed her blog daily and, as Jared would say, probably got a little obsessed, about this girl that we didn't even know. It was just so heartbreaking that, like a train wreck, I couldn't tear myself away. I can clearly remember sitting in the recliner in our living room, holding my then-newborn baby Isaac, and reading that two year old Layla had passed away. It was horrible. Though I felt incredibly sad for this little girl, I couldn't even begin to explain how much sorrow I felt for her family. Having a daughter of similar age, it made me sick to think of being in their shoes. Though it's been almost a year since her passing, I still think of Layla regularly. The reason I bring all of this up is because I owe Layla a big thank you. Her story (and sadly, many others' as well) is what reminds me that not all parents have their sweet little babies around to throw temper tantrums, pull hair, chase dogs, wake them up in the middle of the night, etc... so thank you, Layla. Thank you for the extra patience, compassion, and love for my children that you have instilled in me. And thank you for reminding me of how incredibly blessed I am to be able to spend so much time with them each and every day.