Transitions

So looking forward to spending New Years with friends. this is usually the post where people reflect on the past year, listing all the things they did and things they will most likely do in the next... so here goes:

I would call this past year a tremendous transitional year! Mati Claire transitioned from 2 days a week Mother's Day Out to a 5-day week Preschool...at a different school. Had to make all new friends and teachers. Began ballet. She also transitioned from crib to 'big girl bed' and was potty trained the week of her birthday. But the biggest transition was becoming a big sister. She's really had a huge year. No wonder she's grumpy most of the time. ;) I kid - gotta love the terrible 3's though.

We welcomed baby Mattox in March. It was a rough start, but we have survived. Things are really great as far as schedules and 'getting to know' him. if that makes any sense. He has transitioned from my serious-fussy baby into a little ham-cheeseball. He sleeps all night (yes 12 hours!) and is slowly getting weaned. Poor thing isn't enjoying that change. I am accepting the fact that he is growing up - I have completely planned his first birthday party already. I wish he could stay about 6 months old forever.

I am moving from the nursing old mom back to my 'real self'. I can't wait to get back in the gym (nursing and exercise doesn't work for me) and get back in my favorite jeans. We didn't get to go anywhere this year - so we made several vacation plans next year!!!!!!!!! I also went from thinking I could never love another child as much as the first, to absolutely proving myself wrong. Went from thinking that I was completely happy with 1 child to thinking I want about a dozen now. I also found a reignition of my faith. This was huge for me this year. Transitioned from a routine 'lets get this over with' church going Christian - to an 'on fire'- inspired - God fearing - and God loving Christian. Just when I thought I didn't have time to do anything else except care for a newborn, God has made alot of changes in me.

Matt's year hasn't really changed that much only if you can add more work to it. If that was even possible...he found a way. He works A. LOT. But he is becoming a DEACON this weekend. I am so proud of him...(and who would have ever thunk it ;) ???) He is the best person I have ever met and is truly my better half.

So! Happy New Year to everyone! We have a fun-filled year planned already. But I can not start it until this house is cleaned up...

Twu wuv

I Y this little boy.

wuv...twu wuv.

We had an awesome Christmas! Won't bore you with all the details, but a good time was had by all! Luckily we left TN when we did or we would have been snowed in!

If the shoe fits...

MC wore her pj's to school to watch The Polar Express. This is a picture I snagged from a friend on FB...i missed her Christmas party and visit with Santa. :( bah-humbug

This put a smile on my face today. My DVD player is not working at the moment, so I'm missing Clark W. Griswold. Matt is the only person I've ever known that ACTUALLY has a cousin Eddie. Obviously, not like this one.

I hope everyone has a VERY Merry Christmas! Won't be posting again before then. Be safe, be healthy, be happy, and remember the real true reason for Christmas. God bless!

You Never Know

I had a big prayer answered this past weekend. It's trivial, but it was a nuisance nonetheless. As a mom, you want your child to be absolutely perfect (and they are). We had taken Mattox to the eye doctor at 6 months to check on his tear duct. Well, I believe it has FINALLY opened on its own at 9 months!!!! He was going to have surgery at 1 year if it hadn't opened, and we were not looking forward to putting him through that. I haven't had to clean it out in 1 week! Like I said, most people would say 'oh whatever--that was no big deal', but it was such a pain to fight with him to keep it clean multiple times a day. In the big scheme of things, no, its not a big deal. But all the same, a prayer answered. It wasn't in my timing, but God's timing. He was teaching me a lesson on patience.

He actually has had a big week! He is 9 months old! He started crawling Friday, and then he can sit up on his own as of Sunday. Tear duct opened. Man, I don't know what to do with myself I'm so excited. I was also going to start cutting down the breastfeeding, since I have a freezer full of it. But Mattox is obsessed. I wasn't blessed with being able to push a baby out but boy can I feed one. I didn't think cutting one feeding out (and substituting a bottle with breastmilk) would be that big of a deal. Yeah, Mattox isn't crazy about that idea. He handles a sippie cup pretty good, so I'm hoping to skip over the bottle phase completely. I give him a few every now and then to get him used to the idea of milk coming from somewhere else. But I have to get through the holidays first, then start tapering off in January. Some of yall might think I'm crazy for going this long... to each his own. I never knew I would have a baby as dedicated to it as I am. Don't worry, I'm sawing the cord... just not cutting it yet. I'm having a hard time with this because when he quits, or I quit, that means he doesn't "need" me like that anymore. That means he's growing up - and nope! not my baby boy! He will never grow up and never date! He's going to be one of those creepy old men who still lives with his mom when he's 40. heehee ;) I kid. this mommy is having a hard time letting go.

I never knew this bib would come to mean so much. We got it when I was pregnant with MC in Hawaii in 2006. If he could talk, that's what he would say:

Doesnt' he remind you of Jim Carrey in Dumb&Dumber here? Something about the hair.

MC has had a great time hanging out with her friend, Miss Sarah lately! She went to her first Christmas parade and loved it! Then she got to see the Nutcracker! oh, this mommy was in heaven.

We opted out of the ballet float in the parade this year. But Sarah is rockin' the Cindy LouWho hair!!! They were so cute!

oh how i love these two. let me count the ways...

Chris Tomlin

Love him! If you ever get the chance to see him in person - do it! I cried through most of it... very awesome night! I'll keep this short and sweet.



"And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?"

These are a few of my favorite things!

Christmas spirit! I know everyone says this, but I luuuuuuvvvvv Christmastime! I love the music, the lights, the excitement, decorating, buying gifts, giving gifts, and watching Christmas movies! (Don't care for the traffic or the crazy people but everything else makes it ok --heehee).

We will be out of town a good bit of December, so I'm reigning myself back in when it comes to decorating the house. There is so much stuff in the attic that I am not even getting out because its that much more stuff to put away later! Terrible, I know. But I got out the basics. I've already posted a pic of our new tree... this one will NOT fall over in the middle of the night. I collect Lenox ornaments and I finally got brave enough to put them on the tree. Out of Mattox's reach of course. He has become a force to be reckoned with now that he's in the walker.

I finally got the Elf on the shelf!!! I figured December 1st was a good day to start it since we start the advent calendar too. MC was SOOO excited over the advent calendar (each day filled with a Hershey kiss or piece of chocolate of some kind)... she couldn't get past the chocolate to really get excited about the Elf. So I spent HHOOUURRSS trying to read the book to her, and explain how it works. She didn't really care. Figures. Finally, I told her that Santa would not come see her if she did not name the elf. Her first choices: God, Jesus, Santa, and Elf. As creative as she is, I was a little shocked. Really? I told her there was only one God, one Jesus, and one Santa. and so she came up with Chocolate (remember she just ate some I let her try hot chocolate yesterday)... ok, that didn't work for me either. So I said "Coco"?? and she died out laughing. She thinks Coco is the funniest name in the world. So lets welcome Coco to the family!

My mantle is nothing to write home about this year, but here's a picture of my favorite things! First, the stockings. My grandmother made them. You can see mine is the longest because it has stretched out over the years. A few years ago, when my sister and I were pregnant, we asked her to make more for our kids. Matt didn't really have a stocking (that I know of) so I got her to make him one too! (Its a secret but I have 1 extra for later). I love these stockings.

Then my other favorite thing: the Christmas book. My mom gave me this a few years ago when I was pregnant with MC. Its wonderful. It has a story every couple of pages about how Christmas traditions came to be (like how/why we got Christmas trees, but the entire purpose is to fill the pre-form pages with your descriptions of Christmas dinner, Christmas Eve, Christmas morning, etc for that year. There is a space for that year's card and family picture. Love this. I already look back to the first year and read about what special presents we gave and how we celebrated at church. Again, can't wait for 20 years from now to look back at every year!

I know I know I know I keep posting pics of the kiddos, but who could resist this?? They can put you in the spirit everytime I look at them!