One of Each, Please

Why settle for one or the other when you can have both?  I'm pretty sure that's what Owen thinks, anyway.
Ever since he was in utero, Owen has loved sucking on his hands/fingers.  However, we've tried to instill in him, "Paci's taste better than fingers!" While we sneak a paci in past those fingers.  Lately, though, he's been going hard and strong after those fingers during his waking hours.  And we're okay with that, because at night he takes his paci just fine to fall asleep. 

This past week, however, he's discovered a new trick.  I'll let the pictures do the talking.

He likes to take his paci out and then try to put it back in... he did it successfully for the first time last night, but usually he ends up like this:

 

Paci-less.
Wherein he looks at me with that sweet face and I'll pop the paci back in.  On this day though (Wednesday, August 18) I heard the paci fall out of his mouth but he didn't fuss too much so I let him be.  But when I looked over to check on him a few minutes later... this is what I found:

Our sweet boy has figured out how to suck his thumb!  I first saw him do it while he was along with me on a photoshoot Monday... but he couldn't keep it in to soothe himself for long.  Well, it seems he's figured it out :)  He will only go for his thumb when he's sleeping and lost his paci, he still prefers the paci to fall asleep with.  If the paci falls out before he's all the way asleep he will go to the thumb.  Once he's all the way asleep though, he prefers to sleep sans-paci or thumb.  

::sigh:: our sweet boy is growing up.  During the day, though - it's fingers all the way.  He doesn't seem to have a preference, though he does seem to try his darndest to get all 10 in his mouth at once...

I just can't HIDE it!!!

... I'm SO excited! 
We're going on our first vacation as a family of three!  We've decided it was time we get the heck outta dodge!  It's been SOOOooooo long since we've gotten away - since we first found out I was pregnant... TOO long!  We're bustin' at the seams to get out of the city and get away from the distractions of life and work and get some high quality family time.  So we're taking a little mini-vacation to the mountains - just the three of us! 
I found this little cabin for super duper cheap (you wouldn't believe me if I told you)...

 

It's a one bedroom real-log cabin with a full kitchen and all the amenities of home in the quaint little town of Todd, NC... about 20-30 minutes north of Boone, NC.   It sits on a 24 acre lot with plenty of room for exploring nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains - with a view like this:

There's a trail behind the cabin that leads to the top of the mountain... a fire pit for s'mores, a charcoal grill, a babbling brooke runs through the property... :::sigh:::.  *love*

So I'm pretty dang excited about this!  So ready to get away and reconnect as a family with each other and with God.  We're not planning anything, aside from an excursion to Grandfather Mountain on our way home, and it will be so nice to just relax and get away for a while.  I'm so excited for Owen's first trip to the mountains!  Stay tuned... pictures to come after the trip! 

Lately....

Lately....
...Owen has been sitting up stronger and stronger!

... Owen has been being more purposefull with his movements.  Like when we lay in bed in the morning and snuggle he has to be touching me - usually my arm.  He'll just lay his hand on my arm or stroke my arm until he falls asleep.  ::sigh::: bestillmyheart  Or when we snuggle on the couch watching TV or reading stories, he likes to play with my fingers until he falls asleep.  It's so sweet.

... He has been reaching for and grabbing his feet!  It's SO adorable to watch - I have yet to capture it on camera though becauseI finally caught it on camera - he usually does it in the early morning when we're laying in bed.

... Owen can easily grab toys and things you put in front of him!  He can't always hold on to them for too long, but he does great at grabbing them.  He almost always tries to put whatever it is straight in his mouth, but he hasn't quite gotten the coordination down yet, usually his hands end up there first, causing him to drop whatever he was holding - but he doesn't mind - he loves those fingers!!

... He got to try out his Jumperoo!  It's like a cross between a Johnny Jumper and an Exersaucer - daddy put it together for him last weekend and he LOVES it.  He grabs at the toys and watches the lights light up... and now that he's been in it a few times he's getting really good at jumping!

... his drool has been pouring out like a faucet... if you look closely enough in this photo you can see his spit-bubble-goatee and the discoloration on his shirt from all the drool. :)  Bibs don't do much, they just get soaking wet and soak through to the shirt.

and lately...
... he still loves standing up!  It's amazing to me at three months old how strong his little legs are.  He will stand for a really long time and does a great job at balancing too!

 

... he's wearing size 3-6mos or 6mos. clothes!  That outfit above is size 6mos, and so is this one below.  :)

 

... he's been doing better with tummy time.  He used to HATE it.  Like 2.5 seconds and he'd be screaming mad.  He does much better now and is doing good and getting his head up and kicking his feet.  He still only lasts a few minutes (hence no pictures), but we're making progress!

... oh and I almost forgot!  LATELY - he's been sleeping in his crib!  We had him in a bassinet - but he outgrew that in like 3 weeks... so then we put him in a pack & play right next to our bed since I was still getting up quite a bit to feed him.  Well, for about two weeks now he's been sleeping in his room, in the crib.  The first few nights were rough - like up every hour rough.  But he's getting used to it and it gets better each night.  I usually only get up 3 or 4 times - twice to flip him back to his side if he rolls over and wakes up, or to put the paci back in, and once or twice for feeding. 

So that's what's been happening lately!  We are loving parenthood and loving watching our little O grow and change every day!

 

Twins.... and all that that entails

I have always wanted twins.  I just think it would be so neat to have twins and watch them grow up and interact with each other.  Yea, it would be challenging, especially in the early days, as a parent, but I think it would totally be worth it.  Well, I'm very excited because - well, wait.  Let me start at the beginning.

So a year ago while I was in Ghana I was doing some serious questioning and answering with God.  The biggest questions I had for him: "Why do I feel like I'm done teaching, when I've known my entire life that I wanted to be a teacher? " and " Why do I feel like I'm not where I'm going to end up, when I thought for sure I'd retire at this school?"  While, I haven't gotten a complete answer (well, I shouldn't say that...) I haven't heard a complete answer from God yet, He's definitely been giving me glimpses of my/our family's future.  (And I pretty much love that, by the way)  I really felt God calling me to be a missionary, overseas, full time.  When I felt God telling me this, I wasn't at all surprised.  I've always loved, loved, loved missions.  But I was a little hesitant in believing it was His plan for me, and not just my wishfull thinking.  So when I got home from Ghana I told Bill and his reply was, "Yea, I got that from Him a long time ago."  Sooooo... turns out it is God telling me that we're going to be missionaries.  :)  (How I love it when stuff like this happens - when Bill & I hear the same thing from God on separate occasions/timelines and then put it together- it's just so awesome!)
So anyway, that was partially an answer to my Big Question (about teaching) - that's why I didn't 'feel it' anymore in the classroom.  I was feeling a disconnect, unsettled... it was God getting me ready for the Next Big Thing.  Let me tell you just how hard it was to go back to school the following fall.  Knowing that it wasn't my 'end result' but still having to trudge through the daily grind was so. stinkin'. hard.  BUT, I knew God knew what He was doing, so I tried my darndest to slap a smile on my face and prepare myself for the school year, knowing that it was where I was supposed to be for now. When we found out we were pregnant right before school started, we were so excited... and I was excited doubly because that meant I got maternity leave for the last third of the school year :)  As the pregnancy progressed the new question was: "Go back to school, or stay home with the baby?"  This was an answer that was resoundingly clear - I was not supposed to go back to school.  I knew without a doubt that this was my transitioning point, a good, smooth transition from my season in the classroom, to this new (and very exciting) season of parenthood.  But I also knew that my income paid the mortgage, plus a few other 'big' bills we had.  So I knew I couldn't just stay at home.  I knew that come August, I would need a job. 
So I fell totally in love with our little one and we got into our routine and I (surprisingly) LOVE being a stay at home mom!  I never thought I would like it, I always thought I'd go stir crazy and want to work, but I don't!  I could stay home and play with this little boy all. day. long.  BUT.  That won't pay the bills.  So a couple months ago (when I realized August was quickly approaching and I had NO idea what I wasn't going to do for a job) I started job hunting.  One word: ICK. 
I got on a mommy networking site and prowled the postings every day for jobs that would work for me.  Nannying, work from home online, anything that I thought I could do.  I e-mailed about a couple of the nanny positions - to no avail.  I checked into working online from home and we just don't have the system to support it.  So then I was on Facebook and saw a friend from church post about this Homeschool Academy that's new in our area.  I checked it out just to see what it was all about and saw they were hiring.  It's basically an a la carte option for parents that homeschool their kids.  There are classes throughout the week that parents can put their kids in if, for example, they don't feel comfortable teaching their 5th grader history, they can sign her up for a history class that meets twice a week for an hour.  Anyway, so I e-mailed the founder and asked about the job.  I was sure to let her know I was NOT looking for a full-time teaching position (that's what I just got out of!) but that I was looking for a job that could be flexible with my need to take care of my little one.  She e-mailed me back and asked to meet with me.  At the meeting she pretty much handed me a teaching position on a silver platter.  It was the perfect job.  Part time (two days a week, 8 hours total).  Awesome pay, I mean really awesome.  Literally 8 minutes away from my house.  Teaching in a small classroom (max of 10 kids).  Heck, she even told me I could bring Owen along if I couldn't find childcare and that I could put him in the childcare there or just have him in the classroom with me.  This job offer was GOOD.  With a capital G!  So why couldn't I take it right then and there?  Why couldn't I find someone that could watch Owen while I worked?  Even when I stepped outside my comfort zone and asked two people I had never met to watch him? (don't worry, they were recommended by a friend).  I just didn't feel a peace about this job.  I wasn't too keen on having to teach again, lesson plans, pacing guides, this was what I just got out of.  It was probably the hardest thing I had to do, but I told her I couldn't take the position.  OHMYGOSH did I just turn down a job that paid THAT well for only working part time!??!?!  What in the world was I thinking!?  So I told God, (and He probably laughed when He heard me) "Okay, if I'm not supposed to do this, then I'm gonna go ahead and just let YOU find me a job that is better, because I'm not sure I can find another job that's better than the one I just turned down."
And that was it.  I stopped prowling the message boards looking for jobs.  I stopped stressing out about it.  I just rested in the peace that told me God had our backs.  I mean, He's never let us down before - gosh, He has gone above and BEYOND this summer in providing for us - it's UNREAL!
So one Sunday in church Pastor Troy was preaching about wisdom when he said something that made perfect sense - "Just because it's GOOD, doesn't mean it's GOD.  We've got to have the wisdom (and ask for the wisdom) to know the difference."  That was it.  That teaching job was GOOD, but it wasn't GOD, and that's why I didn't feel a peace about it, that's why I couldn't take the job. 

So nearly two weeks after saying 'no' to what I thought was the perfect job, I get a Facebook message from one of my teacher friends, saying she knows someone that needs childcare for her little boy.  I met with the lady (whom I had never met before, it was only through a friend of a friend that we knew each other) and her boy on the 4th of July.  We talked for about an hour and at the end of the hour it was decided that I'd take care of her little one 5 days a week while she went to work... as a teacher in CMS.  I knew that not only was this GOOD, but it was GOD.  Why else would a stranger trust me to watch her little one?  Why else would I even have met this lady?  Why else would she live only 10 minutes away from us?  Why else would she be a teacher herself?  Why else would her little boy be only 1 week older than Owen?  Why else would I make almost the same amount of money I would have made at that 'perfect' job I turned down... all while being able to stay home with my Owen all day?  I'm pretty sure no one could have orchestrated that... no one but God!

So I'm excited to say... by the end of August I will know what it's like to have TWINS! Our little boys are only five days apart and I'm so excited to see them interact and grow up with each other!  How awesome is it that I've gotten all this one on one time with Owen the first (will be) four months, but that now he gets to have a best buddy, a play mate?  I'm excited that he will have someone to play with, so when we do have another child, the transition should be easier for him.  And who knows... maybe this is God preparing us for the Next. Big. Thing.  Whatever His plan is, I'm game.  His is the only plan that I want to follow and I'm excited to see where this new chapter in our lives will lead us. 

Oh, and because no post is complete without a picture... he's a recent one of my cutie pie. :)

some things

Here are some things that have been going on lately:
Owen had his first 4th of July! We dressed him up in a cute little outfit we got from a friend at church - it was perfect for the holiday!

After church was nap time....

Then we packed up and headed to the US National Whitewater Center for the 4th of July festivities. We've been to the USNWC before for Whitewater rafting and other such fun - we LOVE the place! And I must say walking through the entrance again made me want to hop on one of those boats so bad! Here's a couple photos from our last trip.

Anyway, we got there around 7, so we just walked around with Owen in the stroller and hung out while we waited for the sun to go down and the fireworks to start. 

     

 We did a change into PJ's for Owen as it got later so it'd be an easy transfer to bed when we got home, and afterward I was sitting on those rocks holding him and he fell asleep.  :)  So sweet, with all the bajillion people around, the live band and everything, he was knocked out.

Luckily he woke up before the fireworks started.  I didn't get any pics of the fireworks, or of his expressions watching them because I was too busy holding his head to my chest and covering his ear with my other hand :)  But he LOVED them!  The noise didn't bother him at all - he never even flinched!  He was doing such a great job following and tracking the fireworks in the sky... his eyes would get real big for the bigger brighter ones, it was very cute to watch!

So overall we had a great 4th of July - even though we did the festivities on the 3rd :)

Other things:
Owen has been reaching for and grabbing things lately!  It takes a LOT of concentration and sometimes a little help from us to actually grab something hard - like the rattle in the picture - but he's doing really great at grabbing on to softer things like his blanket or puppy dog!

He's also really into sitting up these days.  He can't sit up on his own yet of course, but he loves sitting up while we hold his back or by leaning into the corner of the couch.  He's just getting to be such a big boy!

He's been doing great with his head control lately too.  He has a hard time looking up still, but he does great at holding it steady straight forward!

 

Standing up is one of his 'likes' too.  We are so amazed at how strong his legs are!  When we hold him up so he can stand, we're only balancing him, he's holding up all his weight (all 14 pounds!) on his own!

He's becoming a mover and a shaker!  When he's laying down on his back his arms and legs are going a million miles a minute!  Notice the blur that is his hand in this photo!  It's so cute to watch... and is the cause of many towels sopping wet during bath time :)  The past few baths he's been drenching us pretty good with all his splashing!

He's also learning to fistbump :)  He holds his fist out a lot so we've been teaching him how to fist bump then blow it up... he doesn't get the blow it up part yet  :)   

Sometimes he puts both of them up and it looks like he's driving a motorcycle so we make the sound effects for him and he smiles :)

Drool has been pouring out of the little one's mouth lately too!  Not quite as bad as a teething child, but his salivary glads are maturing and causing lots of spit bubbles and drool bombs! :)  Can you see them in these pics?

  

And the last thing, that I can think of to mention, is the war we have going on.  It's the Paci VS the Fingers.  Sometimes the paci wins... but sometimes the fingers do.  He's become pretty adamant at times about sucking on his fingers.  He can get 'em in there now and he just goes to town... drool pouring everywhere and very loud sucking noises to boot.  

Sometimes if we swap out the paci for the fingers he's okay with it, but if he's not tired, and he's just sucking to suck - he usually prefers his fingers. Oh, and now that I'm thinking about it (it kind of goes hand-in-hand) he's been snuggling things lately when he sucks his fingers (or has his paci) like a blanket, or his puppy dog.  It's so flippin' cute!

 

Whew, yea, that was a lot.  This little one is growing and changing by the minute!  I am so blessed that I get to stay home with him all day to see these little things and to capture them on camera!  I love being a momma!

Packing for Africa and an Empty Box

A year ago this is what my bed looked like:
I was surrounded by Ziploc baggies, dryer sheets and clothing.  Little pieces of paper were fluttering around in the breeze of the fan and I was trying my darnedest to remember to put the cap on the Sharpie after I used it every time so I didn't color on my bedspread.  The scent of lavender in the air was pleasant as I sorted and organized my outfits for the upcoming trip - putting each one into its own bag with a dryer sheet to keep it fresh-smelling.  What I didn't know was that when I returned from Africa I would rebuke those dryer sheets.  I didn't know that I'd leave my (mostly) unpacked suitcase laying open on the sofa in our room for over a month just so I could smell Africa every time I walked by it. 
I didn't know that I would come back missing a vital organ: my heart. 
It's been (almost exactly) a year since my trek to Ghana, West Africa.  (You can start reading day 1 of my journey if you haven't read it yet, then follow the sidebar links to the other days)  I knew going into this journey that it would change my life, but I didn't know the effect would be so long-lasting.  I mean, I had hoped it would be, but (and those of you that have been on short-term missions know) I figured it would wear off after a few months. I felt inside-out-upside-down-turned-around when I came back and I have to say, I still get those feelings a year later.  I can't keep my mind off of Africa. 
I can't stop thinking about Father's House. 

I can't get these sweet little faces out of my head.

      

My dear friend (and co-founder of Father's House) is heading back to Ghana in a few days and I thought about sending him with an empty box.  That way he'd have something to put my heart in when he found it there, and he could bring it back to me here in the States.  But I'm not giving him a box, even though I know he would totally take it if I asked him to.  I kind of love that my heart is in Africa.  I wouldn't feel right if it were anywhere else.  So I've tossed the empty box in the recycle bin and look forward to the day my husband gets to visit the place that stole my heart.  And I look forward to the day my son gets to meet the kids that will teach him how to play a mean game of futbal.  And I look forward to the day our family sets off on the journey together, following God's call for our lives. 
Until then, my bed looks like this:

 

And that makes my heart happy... even if it is all the way across the ocean.

As of Late...

As of late Peanut has taken to being a side sleeper.  I think it started with our morning snuggle time in our bed...

Right before I took this picture I was laying next to him on my side and he and rolled into me and wrapped his arms and legs around my arm... like a little koala.  It was adorable and so sweet!
Now he rolls onto his side on his own, or fuses and makes faces at me until I help him roll to his side, and then (usually) promptly falls asleep.  I realized this may be his new exclusive sleep style the other night when I lay him down in his pack-n-play for bedtime and he started crying - he never does that!  So I picked him up to snuggle a little more and he kept crying - very out of character for him!  So I put him back down and he was still crying, so I helped him roll over to his side and in one nanosecond he was out like a light... which wasn't actually out because we keep it on the dim setting all night so I can see what I'm doing when he wakes up to nurse.... but anyway...
Speaking of waking up - the past three nights he's been sleeping for longer stretches of time.  Usually between 6-7 hours for the first part of the night!  He wakes up a couple times in that block looking for his paci if it falls out, but once I give it back to him he goes right back to sleep.  So now he's going to bed around 9, falling asleep sometime before 10 and not waking up until somewhere between 3-5am.  Then he eats and goes back to sleep for a couple hours, wakes up to eat again around 6-7am and then gets snuggle time in bed with me until we both drift back asleep.  We usually get up for the day around 9am, get dressed and head downstairs. 
He still expects his swing time every day - and will fuss if he doesn't get it!  It's very cute and I love that he likes his swing so much.

He loves looking up at the little birdies as they go around the mobile... but eventually I will look over and find this:

... which will last anywhere from 2-4 hours. :)

Yesterday (the 23rd) I got him to giggle for the first time!  It was SO cute, one of those all-out-belly-laughs because I found his ticklish spot!  I love his little face when he smiles big or giggles - it's just SO cute!

He has also been going after his thumb more and more these days - very determinedly!

He still hasn't gotten it since I snapped this photo, but he will settle for his first finger or his fist for a little while until he gets frustrated and asks for paci.  We keep telling him Pacis taste better than fingers in hopes of him preferring the paci.  I'd rather him do a paci for lots of reasons: 1) Once he's more mobile and crawling who knows what will get on his hands - I'd rather he not be sticking those fingers in his mouth! 2) You can wean from a paci, but it's hard to take a thumb away (I should know, I sucked my thumb until I was 4!) 3) A paci is more ortho-friendly... whereas thumbsucking can cause issues with teeth.  Anyway, right now he seems to prefer a paci because he gets frustrated about his fingers, so we'll see how it goes. :)

We've been going to church regularly now and hanging out with friends and it's nice to get back into 'life'.  He does great at church, he usually stays in his stroller/carseat for most of the service and last week he even slept through the entire service!  If he does wake up during church it's because he's hungry, so I just give him his bottle and hold him for the rest of service.  He does a great job!
So far he's hung out with Josiah, Jaxon, Callie, Brooklyn and Tripp - and he seems to enjoy it :)  I know I certainly enjoy the mommy time with April, Charyl and Aimee!  We even went to his first-ever birthday party for little Addie, who just turned two.  He slept through almost the whole party.  :)
This is the only photo I've gotten of him actually 'playing' with a buddy - but this is Josiah, my best friend's 5 month old.

Yes, I'm aware that they don't look like they're three months apart in age, but they are. :)

So that's what's been going on with Peanut as of late.  As for the rest of us... we're doing well and settling into a routine.  I officially resigned from my teaching job, so that feels good.  I know without a doubt that God's plan is for me to stay home with O and watch him grow up rather than going back to work full time and it feels good to be following God's plan.  Yea, it's a little scary on paper, but we know that God's got it under control - He's never let us down before and we know He'll continue to provide!  I'd rather be paid in giggles and kisses anyway.  :)