Mini-Us

I was going to send a text to some of my family/friends with an update on life these days.  My text quickly turned into a book so I decided to blog instead.  It seems as if my time is limited and trying to keep up the blog is not a top priority.  (sorry folks)  Sweet Hubby has been on the road quite a bit lately.  He was only home 1 1/2 days this week and now he is headed off to the Lone Star State.  For their complete schedule click here.
Babbling Brook recently figured out how to get in and out of her bed.  The nightly games have begun.  The game of the week is, "Mommy, I want hug."  I am not near the sucker as Daddy is for this game.  I really don't know what she does between the time I put her to bed to when she falls asleep but I often find her socks and pajama pants on the floor beside her bed.  This afternoon she was completely naked.  We can hear her sing and recount her day as she drifts off to dreamland.  She has my energy 100%.  I know she is only 2 1/2 but I promise, she will turn 13 at her next birthday.  She is sassy and we think she even rolled her eyes at Sweet Hubby yesterday.  She has a softer side, too.  I love the way she takes your face in her hands to kiss you goodnight or goodbye.  She has such an innocence in her love, especially towards her daddy.  She misses him dearly when he is gone and is beside herself with giddiness when he is home.  It is amazing to watch her love for him. 
Calm Creek is 5 months already and will be on the move soon.  He can roll over from stomach to back and back to stomach.  His favorite thing to do is stand in your lap.  He is very much a mommy's boy (and I love it).  He is sleeping 8-9 hours at night and eating cereal 3x a day.  He is only in the 3% for weight but hopefully that will change soon.  His sister was small before she started foods too.  She did grow 2 inches over the summer but that only put her in the 10%tile for height.  What can I say, I grow small babies. 
Sweet Hubby and I are so thankful for our perfect mini versions of us.  Both of our babes bring us joy and teach us patience. 

Blessed and Thankful

I want to share with you our life on a daily/weekly basis.  I work 7am - 4pm M-F from home for a teleradiology company as their systems analyst.  It is a real 7am - 4pm job.  I don't have the choice of doing my work only when the kids are sleeping.  I have to answer the phone--even if it is mid-tantrum. 

Sweet Hubby is the lead singer for a Christian trio, Beyond the Ashes.  They are projected to sing about 235 dates this year.  This means, he is gone every weekend except for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  They usually leave out on Thursday night and get home in the wee hours of Monday morning.  Occasionally, they are gone for longer. 

Babbling Brook is a night owl.  She would stay up as late as possible if we would let her.  Her bedtime is 8pm.  Now that she is potty trained, she wakes up around 6:45am (used to be 7:45-8).  She is a busy, curious, babbling 2 year old going on 13.  She has a heart of gold.  I had my wisdom tooth out yesterday and she has asked several times, "Okay?"  She is very perceptive and independent.  It only took 2 weeks to potty train her and the only time she wears a diaper is at night.  We are so thankful for our little helper. 

Calm Creek, is just that, calm and laid back.  At 3 months, he decided he no longer wanted to be rocked to sleep.  It's a little bittersweet.  He is as determined to suck his thumb as I am for him not to.  I wonder if this is any indication of how independent and determined he will be?  He still wakes up for one feeding at night.  He is a joy and lights up our world.  He adores his big sister and watches her dance and be silly.  He loves it when you sing to him and believe it or not, is WAY MORE VOCAL than Babbling Brook was at this age! 

Sweet Hubby and I make a great team.  His schedule allows us to all be home during the week and raise our children.  We clean, mow, change diapers, do laundry, bathe children -- together.  None of it is one's job over the other.  I am blessed.  I, however, will probably always do the majority of the cooking.  Sweet Hubby will agree that I am the better cook. 

I often get asked, "how do you do it?"  Meaning:  How do I work 40 hours with 2 children at home and a husband that can sometimes be gone all week long?  I don't believe that I actually do it by myself.  My husband was called to minister to lost souls.  He was called to spread God's word.  Along with his calling, I was called too.  I know that if it weren't for God, my days would be full of stress, bitterness, resentment and so forth.  I know this, because I have seen this in others.  I am very blessed and very thankful to have a job, 2 beautiful children and a husband that is a true man of God.  Don't get me wrong, there are tough days and even tough weeks but I am still very thankful. 

My prayers go out to all of the military moms and dads with spouses overseas, to the single parents that never get a break, and to all parents in general.  We have been blessed and trusted by God to raise our children.  At the end of the day, can you say, "God, I did my very best today."  I know I can't.  I fail miserably at being a parent some days.  I go to bed asking God to forgive me and to give me strength and wisdom to do better tomorrow. 

God bless,
Doni

Our Calm Creek

Our baby boy arrived May 16, 2010 at 1:34pm. He weighed 6lbs 8oz and was 19 3/4 inches.  He is now 3 months and still as calm as he was the day he was born.  He is so sweet and cuddly.  Babbling Brook is quite fond of him and cannot give him enough kisses.

And, We're Back...

I know it's been way too long since my last post.  I haven't been busy surviving a flood, giving birth, traveling to Texas, raising 2 babes while Sweet Hubby was out of town 25 of 31 days, and now back working full time from home. No, not busy one bit.  :)  Can I just say that if you don't really know me - I am very sarcastic.  Think Chandler from Friends.  That's me, especially in awkward situations.  I don't like serious.  However, most say I'm more like Monica.  I guess I would be Chandler and Monica's daughter if they had children -- and if they were in fact REAL PEOPLE! 

anyway back to reality. 

We've been a little busy but not too busy to have a very eventful morning yesterday.  I am sitting at my desk, in our master bedroom, working.  Sweet Hubby entered the room with the vacuum cleaner, plugged it in, and "click," followed by a very loud, "beeeeeeeepppp."  He tripped a breaker which in turn shut down my workstation and cut off the alarm system that was still armed from the night before.  Great.  We run out to the garage and flip the breaker (or whatever it's called).  Phone rings, "this is your alarm company and we have received notice that there is a burglary."  I tried to explain what happened.  Then she asked for our passcode.  Not the code that turns off the alarm but the passcode that lets her know that we are all okay and there is not a burglar in the house and she doesn't have to call the cops.  If only, I could remember the passcode.  I give her one.  She calls back -- wrong code.  I give her another one.  Wrong again.  Meanwhile, I am digging through our filing cabinet trying to find the paper that I wrote it on.  Audra is freaked out over the excitement that she has an accident on the floor.  We are in the middle of potty training. 
FINALLY - I found the code!!  By this time, they have called 4 times and we were too late on giving them the correct code.  Authorities are on their way.  We clean up Audra's accident (we have wood floors thankfully), put some shorts on her, and greet the cops at the door.  Casey opens the door and tells them everything is okay.  Cop unsnaps his holster and is ready to draw his gun.  The cop asks for Casey's DL.  No problem except his DL has our old address.  I run and get mine which has our new address. 

Cops leave.  We laugh and vow to never plug the vacuum cleaner in our room while I am working.

The end. 

Oh and Calm Creek?  Sleeping through it all.