rainy days

i love rainy days! but sometimes i get a little bummed out when we had some fun plans for walking and park playing; however-these two cuties don't seem to mind the rain, after all who cares when you have toys and a brother to play with?!

this toddler nap was an accident...! rainy days do send that cuddle up and sleep vibe though ;)

let me get a close up for you...although this 'accidental' nap is putting a major dent in the his usual afternoon nap, i shouldn't complain too much. I don't remember the last time he fell asleep in my arms. he reserves those rare lap naps  for when nani is up visiting.

a magic carpet ride always adds a spark of fun

      
                                      

 you don't even want to know...land before time again (say what?! yeah, rainy and sick days make me cave...and cuddle...cave and cuddle...)

here's hoping everyone has a happy Wednesday! half way through the week!

tuesday tidbits

it feels so good to be back in the swing of things with my boys! happy laughter, playtime fun, and walks to the park; i'm feeling like a good mama again. there's nothing like a little bend in the road to cause some upheaval and then makes me almost forget what happy days are like with my boys. it is good to have the hard days so that I can appreciate these good days :) playtime, park, and a video of the boys at lunch. just some moments from our day. I finally caught caleb cracking lucas up on camera! I was on the phone with dave in the kitchen and I overheard laughter coming from the boys. I grabbed my phone really quickly and took this video. We put Lucas on our lap while we eat so that he is part of all the action, but while I'm getting the food ready he happily plays next to Caleb in the bouncer or is in the ergo with me. These two boys. They just crack me up. In the video Caleb is saying to Lucas "laugh lucas!" and then Lucas starts laughing.

lunch time laughter

pretend train play

park time fun with friends

a better week

starts today. cooking, cleaning, washing, folding, baking, weeding, napping, and playing with my cuties. two boys who feel better is a good thing :)

Happy 6 Months Lucas!

Dear Lucas-
you are six months old! we celebrated by taking you to the beach and dipping your little toes in the warm sand as we watched the waves splash and roll in front of us. you are such a sweet and happy baby. you are so easy going and love your hands and toes. you watch your hand and move it around slowly as if studying each feature and movement. you love your big brother. watching him keeps you entertained for a long time. you coo and giggle. you are very ticklish and love to laugh at little things. you are the perfect fit in our family. you balance out your big brother and the two of you make us so happy. here is what you are up to this month:
you had your first nasty cold. croup and double ear infection in one week :(
you sleep about 12-14 hours at night, you wake up to nurse 2 or 3 times and take two or three naps everyday. usually a short morning (50 minutes to an hour) and a long afternoon (2-3 hours). you go to bed usually by 6pm. Still swaddled, so we'll be working on that shortly....once you feel all better.
still haven't started solids yet. you aren't so interested yet, but we'll start soon.
you love laying on your back and playing with your toes, sitting up and holding toys, and laying on your tummy.
we love you so much little man. you are such a joy and blessing in our lives!

true bliss

is this.

never mind the packing. the driving. the been up since 6:30am toddler and still snotty nose kiddos. never mind the tired feeling from two weeks of sick kids, and the lack of sleep around here. never mind the fussy toddler who only napped 30 minutes today and the awake and crying baby tonight. never mind the major tantrum thrown on our way home from the toddler. never mind the spur of the moment, mama can't take being in the house with sick kids one more minute moment she had in the shower. never mind all that-

because this two hour escape today was- pure bliss. 

TGIF

tucked around the corner

awaiting quietly, is spring :)

only after a cold, dark, winter; can we appreciate the true beauty of spring! that is how i feel every year. i don't enjoy the cold so much. and i really don't like when it gets dark early. february is my least favorite month. but even though i dislike the winter, i feel as though i appreciate spring all the more because of it. the warmth fills my body to the bones, the sweet scents of flowers in bloom fill my nose, sunlight lingers just a little bit longer each day; all giving me hope for what is to come!
it has been a hard, hard week. i think since lucas has been born, i'd say it has been the hardest. having for the first time, two sick boys, really sick boys, has had my heart so heavy. dave has been amazing. helping me out so much, he never ceases to amaze me with his patience and giving heart. i am so blessed! we have been spending most of the day inside recovering and haven't been doing our daily walks. it has been pretty cold. but today for the first time in what seems like forever! but really, only a couple days, we walked and we played outside. and boy did that feel good! warm sunshine, happy coos, and busy feet. both boys are starting to feel better. caleb's cold/turned bad bad allergies is being helped with breathing treatments and hopefully some allergy medicine once our insurance goes through. it has been rough. but these hard days, just like winter, make me appreciate the good days, the spring time. it makes me think of the rainbow after the storm :) We are challenged and given tough stuff, but if He brings us to it; He will bring us through it! All this sickness is making me a little weepy and a little emotional! As you can see here :)
Anway :) we are just so happy that tucked around the corner is spring!

almost half way

through your first year

dear lucas. i love watching you grow every day, but it is okay with me if you don't do it quite so fast! i can't believe you are almost half way to one! that is not allowed. but seeing as i don't have much of a say... i just want you to know this...

 may you always keep that sweet and happy smile. those chunky checks and easy going nature. you are a joy to be around! may you always know how much you are loved.

back to the dr. we go

3rd time in 8 days. fun times. we're having to do breathing treatments with caleb for his cough (we have done them before. he has a nebulizer and medicine from a previous coughing spell a few months ago that got really bad). i had to call the dr. this afternoon (after hours, on her personal phone) because it got so bad after his nap today. he basically starts coughing non-stop and holding his chest. it hurts my heart. she's seeing him tomorrow morning and as of now he's doing okay sleeping so hopefully he'll sleep okay tonight. have i mentioned how much i hate it when my babies are sick? i hate it. it has been a tough week i tell ya. tough, tough! feels like one thing after the next. i know it could be worse. i am just so grateful for a wonderful doctor and medicine. hoping both boys will be on the mend soon.

back in the land of the living

sort of. my mama instincts were right-again. back to the Dr we went after my poor baby cried all morning-and this baby does not cry i tell ya. turns out croup wasn't enough...double ear infection had to follow. caleb's only two days into this nasty cold that is making its way around town. literally. have i mentioned how much i hate it when my babies are sick? i hate it. a completely helpless and vulnerable and total lack of control feeling sweeps over my entire being and completely depletes every ounce of energy so that i have to go into survival mode and be okay for them-and trust in Him. to get through it. I am humbled. I never thought I'd be such a wimp when it comes to sickness, that is until these two little boys stole my heart. so now up is more medicine, but my happy baby boy is back!
on a final note. ever try getting thick, disgusting, bad smelling medicine down a 6 month old's mouth? no easy task. not at all. the face he makes while the gross stuff goes down? kinda priceless.
and from all this, once again I am so grateful for our very sweet, very good, and very patient and knowledgeable doctor as well as modern medicine!

what a monday morning looks like with two sick kiddos...

the sun isn't up yet. barely 5:30am and the sweet babe who has been up every two hours coughing and snotty is awake; and must have called over to big brother in the other room who also is also coughing and snotty. time to wake up! like-2 hrs earlier than normal. sweet hubby takes the babe, mama takes the toddler and back to sleep we try and go. the next two hours are restless sleep what with drip drip drips and coughs that hurt a mama's heart. blessed by a hubby who wakes up in the night to put babies back to sleep and comes home for lunch to help his weepy wife. so blessed.

the lion king and land before time are watched under a red blanket of warm bodies. a fussy baby who won't nurse or sleep, and a tired toddler. mama is trying to stay strong.

a skype session with auntie helps.

dad home for lunch, mama gets to take a nap.

back to the dr. we go this afternoon for my poor baby who is still coughing, cranky, and sniffly.

the good from all this?

caleb climbing up on the bed to be with lucas who started crying,  i started to run over to prevent any breakage...and then stopping. as i watched the two of them together. caleb helping his little brother. lucas smiling up at his real life hero. 

sick days aren't fun I tell ya. but from the bad, there always lies good.

love. sweet brotherly love. the unity of family. a marriage of grace and goodness.

love remains good.

here's hoping for good naps this afternoon.

another one bites the dust

just as one is starting to feel better, the other one gets sick. oh the joys. help came in the form of my mama this weekend and I am thankful for that! Hubby and I got almost an entire day to ourselves with nursing breaks for the little one. A long walk to downtown for lunch. An afternoon movie on a rainy Saturday. A margarita and enchillada dinner for two at a restraraunt in san juan. I'll hold on to that day for the rest of the week. We opted for church without the boys this am. Didn't want to spread the germ love. Lucas is still coughing up a storm (not croupy anymore, but full of mucus) Caleb is flushed and feverish. Not fun I tell ya. So lots of snuggles with two. And I'm so thankful for all the help this weekend. And praying for the week that I have enough love and comfort to give my sweet sickies this week. (I was pretty close to going down south with my mom this afternoon so I could be around helping hands this week in the day, but didn't want to leave the hubs...)

so here are my sickies. smiling through the sniffles...

up for the week will be vicks, vapor, and snuggles. lots and lots of tlc. maybe some chicken soup too.

thanks for all the help mom!

praying my sweet boys get better soon!

also just as i was having myself a little pity party about my sick babes, my dear friend sent me this video link. i've been a little extra weepy, i do admit, so the flood gates of tears kinda gathered as i watched this. it is a beautiful reminder for all mothers of the amazing gift our Heavenly Father has given us when he blesses us with these sweet little ones! And a great reminder that through Him we will find strength and courage, love and patience, to bestow on His precious little ones. Thanks Michelle!

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/mormon-messages?lang=eng&id=2010-06-13-motherhood-an-eternal-partnership-with-god#2010-06-13-motherhood-an-eternal-partnership-with-god

sick baby

with the croup :( sad to say I can now recognize the cough in an instant after going through it with Caleb twice now. Which means we've been doing a lot of this. Cuddles, snuggles, vicks, blankets on the couch, short walks in the fresh air, nursing and holding, and praying for my sweetness to feel better soon.

our week

has had ups and downs. as usual. (I know it is only Wednesday, but it feels like it should be Friday!)
watching these two play together is an up :)

this happy little boy of mine, definitely an up.

the sniffles and cough that started yesterday with lucas, not so fun for mama. He's smiling through it all, but it causes me to worry just a little bit more than I'd like to say.

the way Caleb takes care of Lucas, an up. His tantrums, my challenge this week. My patience is being tested as well. Running is helping. I opened up my study for bible study tonight. The fruit of the spirit is peace for this week. God certainly knows what is on our hearts doesn't he?

After a long day with a toddler who needed to be playing outside, but alas the wind and cold would not allow, and a baby who had been coughing and sneezing and drippy all day; I took my littlest one into the rocking chair and we rocked, and we hummed, and we snuggled. Because a big part of my peace is holding, and breathing in these sweet baby breathes and these sweet baby scents, these days pass so quickly. My tantrumy toddler will soon be a teenager and I'll be longing for just one more hug. Praying for more peace this week. Peace with a sick baby and a cooped up toddler.

Share the love :)

One of my favorite blogs is coming out with a book! Here is the trailer :) I am so excited about it and can't wait to read it.

http://www.kellehampton.com/2012/02/bloom.html


My other 'new' favorite blog http://www.aholyexperience.com/ also has a book out http://onethousandgifts.com/the-book that I am currently reading and it is really enriching. I really enjoy these womens' writting style and outlook on life. I feel inspired everytime I read their blog. They put to words many times, the things I am feeling. I thought I would share the love!

Happy Valentines Day!

Sweet Sleep

Lucas, you love your hands. You stare at them, you suck on them, and they keep you busy all day long. Sometimes you go right to sleep just sucking on that pointer finger. Just like Auntie Laura when she was a baby. (I know they say it isn't good to suck on your fingers) but I like the fact that you are self-soothing yourself and can put yourself to sleep just sucking on that finger. You are such a sweet and easy going baby and we love you so very much!
Happy Monday :)
My favorite moment of the day. I was sitting in the rocking chair with Lucas helping him go to sleep and Caleb came over and started rubbing Lucas' back to help him fall asleep. These little moments shared between these brothers really make everything worth it!