STILL 34!

I am still 34, for at least the next five hours or so!   Is it natural to be a woman and JUST not want to turn 35?  Why does the world seem to make such a big deal out of a woman turning 35 anyway!!!  I keep praying my eggs are good, goodness knows I am not done using them yet!!   By the way, I am super excited to spend my day tomorrow with my best buddy!!!  Joseph, you and your Daddy bring me so much sunshine!  Love you both so, so much!!!    Looking back, a year ago I would have never know that I would be parenting 3 at 35!!!  God bless all four of my guys :)  Yes, I claim the two older two whether they like it or not ;))   In the Love of Christ, Crystal   "I set before you life & death, blessings and curses; CHOOSE LIFE, so that you and your children will live!"  Deuteronomy 30:19

Creatively Vocal & Second Year

These past few days have been interesting . . .well, at least that is the kind way to describe it!   It turns out I really know very little about raising a child!  Not a big deal really, but for some reason I forgot that as they learn to begin using their voice, they do lots of shrieking, screaming, and other high-pitch sounds that make you want to find yourself a Heath Blizzard and a quiet closet to hide in!!!    He has always been very vocal and trying to imitate sounds but for the life of me, I really thought I was screwing him up in some significant way when all he wanted to do was shriek, holler, etc very loudly!!!  I had recently been teaching him to go "ahhh" with his mouth open to show me his mouth is empty or so that when he sees the doctor, they can look at his mouth & throat with little resistance.  Well, I always say the "ahhh" softly, but he loves to say it VERY LOUDLY!!!  I think he has the mechanics down now so I will lay off of that for awhile! Another thing that happened this past weekend, he bit his friend Malorie on the cheek!  We think he was kissing her, but got a bit carried away.  I was heartbroken, as was she!  She kept telling him "Come on . . . let's play but NO BITING"  Whew.  They say the terrible twos begin witht he second year of life, not when they turn "2".  I have a friend who says her kids are "terrifically two"!    I keep thinking that to myself!  On top of that, just the small act of me turning away from him these days sends him into crying mode, not just whining but full on tears and red face.  Once i turn around and he can see my face and hear my voice he is ok.  While I do love how attached he is, it is a bit draining when I am alone with him during the day and need to bring the hamper down the hall, cook lunch, etc.    I am not trying to complain, I am so grateful that these are the big issues in my life right now, but I am writing them in the hopes that someone can offer some encouragement that this is a stage, that I am not ruining my child in some unknown way, etc.     In the Love of Christ, Crystal   "I set before you life & death, blessings and curses; CHOOSE LIFE, so that you and your children will live!"  Deuteronomy 30:19

Little to Big

Yesterday we took a road trip to see some of our closest friends and we were able to meet Max for the first time! He was born on January 5 and so he was a little bitty 3 week 3 day old little one!! Be still my beating heart, he was just so tiny!!! So beautiful and just perfect, looked like he still belonged in his Mommy's tummy! I told Jessy that I really cannot remember Joseph being that small. EVER... It just seems impossible to me, so of course I took a trip down memory lane and just adored those first moments again by looking at all the gorgeous pictures of him! How a baby grows so fast, so quickly is beyond me! While I am loving this new stage of learning, growing, and independence (minus the new tantrums he has begun)I cannot believe that we are already at this stage. I know that I will blink and he will be 3 learning to potty in the big pot, be 8 and learning to multiply, be 16 asking for money to go somewhere, and I wonder will I remember these days any better than I remember those first few weeks? I will never, ever regret taking so many pictures of these moments! They will be a reminder of the love we shared, the lessons learned, and the moments that still make me close my eyes just to embrace all the love that is being bestowed on me! I find myself just enjoying those sweet moments when they just really want to cling to you . . .hold you tight, and rest their head softly on your shoulder. Even today, while attending a birthday party that he LOVED at Chuck E. Cheese (while I greatly hope he never asks for) he was holding my neck tight, resting his head on my shoulder and just watching the surroundings. I closed my eyes and just tried to burn that moment into my memory! Being a mom to Joseph still takes my breath away. Not every moment these days is ideal or peaceful, he is now showing his very creatively vocal side that I am not the slightest bit fond of, but the moments that are dripping with honey from the heavens - that stops me in my tracks and reminds me that this - THIS - is what I longed for, this is what I prayed for, and this is what I am not deserving of but am so grateful to GOD for!!! Joseph you are growing and I am trying to teach you how to do that in a loving way, I hope we enjoy so many more special moments together. Your very presence is changing me and not in the ways I imagined, but in much greater ways filled with holy glory!