My, How Time Flies

Wow! It's been over a year. Much has changed:

:: I'm no longer pregnant (or blogging in my underwear. So sorry about that!).
:: Baby Sister Sophia Noelle was born.
:: Big Brother Noah is almost four.

And much has stayed the same. We're working. And playing! And we're busy.

But not too busy to blog...anymore. More coming soon!

Maternity Dilemma

It's hot. I'm 23 weeks along. Very few of my clothes fit, and the idea of maternity wear thrills me not at all. (Plus, it's neatly packed away & the whole closet conversion process will take me hours.)

So it's come to this: I'm blogging in my underwear.

I promise I will put clothes on by the time Noah gets up from his nap. And there are no pictures attached to this post, thankfully!

Best Friend

Dave returned late last night from being gone all week for work. Noah is so excited to have him back home!

Tonight, as we were eating dinner Noah told me, "I love Daddy so much!" He then put his arms around Dave, gave him a tight squeeze and added, "He's my best friend."

Wow. He's never said anything like that before, about anybody! So cool.

Lessons

Please excuse the long post - this is as much for me as anyone else...

This parenting thing can be really, really hard. Sometimes, it's "I'm so tired, I just can't deal with this today." Other times, it's "this is going to take every ounce of my energy, every ounce of my determination & every ounce of my stick-to-it-ness-or-my-son-is-never-going-to-learn." It's been one of those days.

It started out fine, until I finished my shower & came downstairs to find Noah, emptying an entire container of dog food all over the kitchen floor, his little table & out the patio door. Argh.

Me: "What are you doing, Littles?"
Noah: Quite proud of himself, "Feeding Lucy."

Still proud of his accomplishments, marveling at his mess & not yet realizing what this might mean

At this point, I'm still calm. Granted, he had good intentions. But this throws a wrench into my plans for the day. Wanted to run some errands & hit a few stores before taking Noah to the toy store as promised. Didn't really want to spend time on my hands & knees cleaning up gritty dog food.

I descended the stairs & did my best to engage Noah in the task. He wasn't at all interested, grabbed a toy & went in the other room.

Me: "You made this mess, so you need to come clean it up."
Noah: "You made the mess, you clean it up."

Oh, goodness.

So there I am, sitting in the middle of hundreds of pieces of dog food, making my choice. Go easy: clean it up & get us on our way? Or go tough: enact the lesson, engage in the battle of wills & hopefully emerge on the other side a better mother & son?

I set my jaw & chose to go tough.

The protest commences - he's realized that I'm not going to give in

The ensuing 2 hours included:
- a nice, rational talk
- a stubborn boy dead set against cleaning up
- an even more stubborn mother certain that he would 'finish the job', even if it meant withholding all food, toys & movies for the rest of the day
- a LOT of Noah tears
- even more Noah whining
- a quick break to hug & regain composure
- a little lesson on big-boy breathing techniques (to ease the crying)
- and an enormous amount of coaching: "You can do this." "You made this mess, you need to clean it up." "Keep on going." "It doesn't matter if you don't want to - you need to finish the job."

Frustrated, crying, lying prostrate & trying to avoid picking up the last 6 pieces

And yes - 2 hours later, he finally picked up the last piece and put it back.

Completely exhausted, we ascended the stairs for his nap. We talked again about how necessary it was that he finish what he started, that he help out & clean up after himself. And I made sure he knew how proud of him I was.

I think we both learned a lesson. Not an easy one, that's for sure.

And I think it's time for my nap.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAVE!

Dave's birthday is today!

"Happy Birthday, Daddy!"

And what a day it's been! Noah decided to be 'super big boy' all of a sudden, and ate an entire bowl of hamburger & rice with a spoon (ok, a spork).

We have been trying for weeks to get him to use a spoon completely on his own, but he hates the mess (yes, he's my child). But he decided today was the day & went for it. He had a few casualties, but kept going.

And then he asked to wash his hands. I'm so proud of him! (It's the little things!)

Here's my boy, quite proud of his accomplishments.

(Note the Hans Solo Return of the Jedi shirt - got it at a garage sale last week. It's an original from 1983! Love.)

My great success of the day was surprising Dave with a big cookie delivery at the training he's conducting in Wenatchee. He's actually out of town today, and birthdays are big celebrations in our house - so I had to get creative. It took some energy & research, but was totally worth it!

(Props to Jodi at Jeepers Bagels. If you're ever in Wenatchee, support them!)

Think Pink

Here she is...our beautiful baby girl at 19.5 weeks!

More pictures and the beautiful hydrangea we bought after the ultrasound & a most fabulous lunch at Goldy's, our fav breakfast spot.

p.s. - my apologies to all who were waiting so long for this news. i promise i wasn't trying to be elusive (though i can't say the same for my husband)! i just wanted to get this post together & didn't have a moment to do it until now...

Zwei

But let's be honest. The biggest piece of news in our world lately is...

...due October 18, 2010

(What about that post title? German translation = "two")

The Story...

Well, you already know the beginning of Baby Zwei's story. Not too tough to figure that out. (Kids, go ask your parents. Expect a sit down.)

I found out first - expected such a thing was true, but waited plenty of time to make sure. Told Dave through his Valentine's Day gift (a baby outfit, paci & bottle drying rack - long story). My boys got me a beautiful orchid (still as gorgeous today as it was almost 4 mos. ago). I was 5 weeks along at that point, and Baby was the size of a poppyseed.


Incidentally, I think my blog hiatus began about then, too - when I started sleeping instead of posting. (And all of you who gave me hell now feel really bad, right?!)

We told our families at Week 9. The plan: for Noah to share our joyous news by sporting a "Big Brother" shirt & yelling "SURPRISE!"

The reality: at the Jones farm, he demanded to go down for a nap moments before lunch, when our plan was to be staged. So we showed them the shirt instead. We at least got him in it for the Redmans, though it was our first morning at DisneyWorld & he was grumpy, so he ended up bursting into tears when everyone saw his shirt & got excited. It was classic!

Ah, the best laid plans...

My pregnancy has been uneventful (thank you, Lord) & has flown by. It's pretty textbook 2nd child: no pictures, a tardy blog mention, & very little to-do thus far. The one outside my tummy currently demands far more attention than the one inside!

But we are having fun introducing Baby to Noah. Noah has decided he has a baby in his tummy, too, and is already preparing to teach 'Mommy's Baby' how to sleep & play trains. We think he'll be quite the Big Brother.

At this post, I am days shy of 20 weeks (halfway done). We just had the big ultrasound yesterday, but I'll leave you hanging with the "pink or blue?!" question for another day...

April/May

Yikes! Am I really 5 months behind on posting?! Yes. So here is your April/May 2010 update...

April: For Easter Sunday, Noah wore one of Dave's old outfits: a fabulously 70s vest/pants outfit just perfect for spring. He loved it & was adorable!

My boys, all ready for church!

May: Noah, sporting his favorite T (I promise, again, that he has chosen this favorite all on his own) & Thomas backpack...and striking quite the JCPenney model pose in the 2nd pic!

Quarterly Report

So it's been awhile. Long enough, in fact, that I'm going to condense a string of posts into

Noah's Quarterly Report: January - March, 2010.

January: We snuggled; watched movies; made brownies (licked the bowl!); read books (can't believe how lanky this boy is!); & made 'Engineer Saucy Noma' (translation: a train-driving Frosty the Snowman)...
February: We played; watched more movies (I promise we don't watch that much TV); enjoyed a 'new to us' recliner; & Noah got me flowers one day for absolutely no reason. I love that kid!

Also in February: my Mom made matching BSU tuques for Dave & Noah, which set off a whole morning of silliness...

And Dave cut Noah's hair for the 1st time (along with Uncle Mike's. That's why Noah wanted to do it in the 1st place - to be like T-Bone!)

March: We played trains. Here, & at Papi/Yaya's house. And built tunnels. And put Daddy in Lucy's cage. And went to Walt Disney World, but that's the subject of another post (I've got to organize pictures before that one will happen)!

All in all, it was a great Quarter. We are sincerely looking forward to summer (Dave/Noah are itching for warmer weather so they can live outside!). I continue to be amazed at just how big our little man is getting...

Soon and Very Soon...

You are going to get a post out of me.

But not now.

(I have updated the background, fixed the font colors & readied the pictures. But I'm tired. So as much as it pains me to leave this unfinished, you'll just have to wait a bit more. It won't be long!)

"I Love You, Mommy"

This morning, as I picked up my beautiful boy to carry him downstairs for breakfast, he spontaneously declared, "I love you, Mommy."

Wow.

That's the first time he's ever said that, just out of the blue.

He tells me he loves me a lot - but usually it's prompted. Or even forced. But never has he done it on his own volition, so out of context like that.

And I know that years from now, him telling me that won't seem like a big deal. But today, it was almost earth-shatteringly amazing.

Happy New Year...

...a little late. But I hope all of you are enjoying the first days of a brand new decade.

Dave & I recently sat down to do our 2009 Year In Review. Here are the highlights in chronological order:

1. Housing Solutions Manager
Last January, I was promoted at work. I now manage a dept & NHS' housing counseling activities (including the Foreclosure Prevention Program). It's been interesting, challenging & really stressful, but very rewarding.

2. Family Ambassadors for the Special Olympics World Winter Games
In February, we served as ambassadors to a floor hockey athlete & his family from AZ. Seeing the events & being with the people was truly inspiring.

3. Dave Jones, Camp Speaker
In March, Dave was the speaker for the ABYC Junior/Senior High Winter Camp at Cathedral Pines. I grew up at that camp, but hadn't been up there in 10 years. It was amazing to enjoy God's creation, hear Dave share & connect with the youth.

4. NCAA Tournament
Also in March, we attended 2 full days of 1st & 2nd round games of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. We got a sitter, biked to BSU's campus & watched over 14 hours of great ball. Love it!

5. Growing the Family
Handsome little Riley Cash Jones was born in May, to Dave's brother RC & wife Jessica. And in June, the Jones family welcomed Ezra Miller into the fold, as Dave's younger sister Jessica got married!

6. Bend
One of Dave's favorite 2009 memories is of driving out of our subdivision in July, thinking we were headed downtown for a surprise dinner - only to find out that we were headed to Bend for the whole weekend. It was an amazing getaway, and included one of our most challenging but beautifully redemptive moments when we finally broke through our difficult cycle. And then we danced.

7. Noah's Second Birthday
July 26 was a wonderful celebration of another wonderful year with our special boy. We have so enjoyed hearing him develop his own voice, and always delight in watching our families enjoy him. He's growing so fast!

8. Marley & Lucy
We lost our beloved Marley in September, and brought home Lucy in October. We miss Mars every day, and enjoy watching Noah & Lucy grow up together.

9. Hood Reunion
In October, I escaped to Maryland for a long weekend retreat with 7 of my closest college girlfriends. 4 days of fabulous food, conversation & company = heaven.

10. Noah's 1st Train Ride
Dave & I had such fun taking Noah on the Pumpkin Liner up the Payette River in October!

11. Returning to Long Beach
In October & November, Dave got to spend 2 weekends catching up with folks & rekindling close friendships formed when we lived in CA almost 10 years ago.

12. Washed Anew
Dave had the incredible experience of baptizing his parents in November.

13. Sun Valley
In December, Dave & I got away for a pre-holiday weekend in Sun Valley. We slept in, devoured the breathtaking brunch at the Lodge, ice skated, attended the tree lighting festival, and enjoyed a dinner visit by the Sun Valley Carolers & Santa Claus. It was a magical time!

14. Christmas with Noah
We loved watching him marvel at the lights, sounds & joys of the season.

Here's wishing you a 2010 as full of joy as last year was for us.

Happy New Year!

Christmas!

We had a great Christmas with our families. So great, that I forgot to take pictures!

This was Noah's 3rd Christmas, and he really got it this year. We had so much fun decorating our house (inside & out), because he was so excited about it all. He especially loved "Daddy's house lights", the "tree lights", and my Nutcrackers & music boxes.

We started new traditions this year: attending a live nativity & driving around to look at Christmas lights (we did this one often!)

Noah loved the music of the season. His favorite CD is still the Chipmunks Christmas, and the 1st song he learned to sing was Frosty the Snowman. Since then, he's amassed quite a collection that he sings on a regular basis: Holly Jolly Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Jingle Bells, Joy to the World & Deck the Halls. One of my favorite memories is hearing him sing while playing, riding in the car or going to sleep.

This year we were blessed by quality time with some of our favorite people: Noah's grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins. It is such a joy for Dave & I to watch them enjoy Noah, and vice versa. He brings out the kid, and the best, in all of us.

Here are a few pictures of him from Christmas day: playing, opening presents & opening other people's presents...

Christmas Cookie Contest

Every year since I was little, my family made & decorated sugar cookies at Christmastime. As we got older, they got more elaborate. A few years ago, the 'kids' started a new tradition: The Cookie Decorating Contest. Each of us submits entries & Grandma is the judge. We have a great time & make some pretty cool (& interesting) cookies!

This year, Noah decided to get in on the cookie action. He had a great time using the sprinkles & pushing red hots into the cookies! (His very 1st cookie is on the bottom right.)

The entries.
(Emily: tree on L & candy cane; Dave: yellow "Star Bear"; Noah: tree on R & snowman; Mike: stocking & woodland scene, complete with 3D tree & rabbit; Heather: stomach & fish).

Grand Prize: Heather's fish. "Cutest": Noah's snowman.

Mommy Daddy's Bed

(Dec 13) Noah loves playing in our bed.

We've come up with all sorts of games:

"nap" (pretending like you're asleep for a matter of seconds)
"haboos" (running from the guest room & being thrown onto the bed)
"shaboos" (being thrown around while on the bed)
& "wallers" (a silly, frantic sort of squirming)

He loves it!

Little Nakeds, Part VII

My tough little dude on December 12, over a week after his first major injury.
(We moved the furniture to accommodate the Christmas tree & put the sofa table right in the middle of Noah's running path...ouch. He went full speed into the corner of that thing - boy, do head wounds bleed! But he was brave, and even got a milkshake from Sonic after getting glued back together at urgent care. He hasn't seemed to notice it since!)

Winter Morning Reading

(Dec. 4) My little reader, enjoying a sunny morning & his Christmas tree.
A happy little guy (despite the bandaid on his head...)

A Boy & His Dog

(December 1)

(December 1)

Helping Daddy put up the tree...

Our big boy.
I almost can't get over how long his legs are! Goodness, he is growing.