21 month Jayden update

Jayden is 21 months old!! I cannot believe he will be 2 in three months. Crazy crazy! Time to start party planning.

What's he up to these days?
*running around like a crazy person all the time
*he is talking talking talking. I cannot even begin to count the words he now says. Some fun new ones are: good job, couch, cow, there you are, bible, apple juice (a-jew), ride, drive, and walk
*still going to bed early every night...7 at the latest. will sleep until between 6 and 7. SOMETIMES 7:15 or 7:30, when Mommy and Daddy get really lucky. :)
*lately his naps have been at least 2.5 hours. sometimes longer. i've been working really hard at wearing him out in the morning so he's nice and tired.
*he now has 14 teeth. he cut his top two eye teeth in the last week or so and the bottom ones are on their way.
*he is growing out of his 18 month sized pajamas and we're moving into 2T. he seems to have grown like four inches in the last couple months. we'll see at his 2 year check up.
*still strutting around in his cloth diapers. but he's still in size 4 in disposables when he does wear them.
*we are also seeing more defiance. he now uses the word "no" in defiance sometimes. we have started time outs and he has responded well. he has a little rug he sits on and he knows he has to stay on it for his minute.
*still chowing down with the best of them. he LOVES to eat. his favorites right now are blueberries (still!), peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bananas, pasta, and all things sweet (when we let him!).

Jayden is such a joy. He is happy most of the time, quite the charmer, and sweet as can be. He loves his little brother and gets very worried when he cries. When I take Jayden out during Eli's nap, we don't get a block from home before Jayden starts crying and saying, "Li-li, Li-li." I'm not sure if he misses him or he's worried I left him at home or what. When we were at Trader Joe's the other day I was holding Jayden and Eli was in the cart. The checker moved the cart in order to put the bags in and Jayden freaked out. I think he thought the checker was taking him. So sweet. Jayden fills our life with laughter. He is quite the character, loves to make jokes, loves to laugh, and loves to be with people. While this age is challenging with the boundary testing and growing defiance, it is also filled with more moments of joy and love than I ever thought possible!!

We spent some time outside on his 21 month birthday...




We have a screen thing that hangs in front of the door to keep the bugs out when we want fresh air. Jayden wanted to play "boo" not realizing I could see him the whole time!


P.S. we don't actually let him drink soda. a couple mini cans of dr. pepper were on the porch (on their way to or from the garage, I'm not sure) and he was enjoying pretending he was drinking them.

our big boy...chilling

When Jayden wakes up from his nap, most days he asks for "Ra Ra" (a.k.a. Mister Rogers). He also can wake up kinda cranky and sad so he will sit on the recliner, snuggle with his "nigh nigh" (a.k.a. his lovie), and watch his buddy Fred Rogers teach him about life and all it entails.

He sniffs his lovie, which we think is so funny.


I just think he looks like such a big boy in this one. Can you believe he'll be 2 in three months (stay tuned for his 21 month update later today)?

Not ME Mondays!!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Last night after definitely NOT swearing to be in bed early, I did NOT watch the Oscars, while NOT folding laundry, NOT blogging, and NOT talking to my sister in law on the phone. I NEVER EVER multi-task and never stay up way too late doing way too many things.

Dan and I most certainly did NOT stay up WAY too late watching episodes of Private Practice and Grey's Anatomy, some of which we most definitely did NOT buy off iTunes after NOT forgetting to DVR them. Nope, not us!! We are NOT addicted to Grey's Anatomy.

I have NOT been grabbing the boys' clean clothes out of the laundry basket I most definitely have NOT left in the hallway all week, and I most definitely have NOT resolved to put them away everyday.

I almost certainly did NOT email Dan while he was most certainly NOT doing homework to definitely NOT ask him for help on this Not Me Monday blog entry. Nope! I NEVER interrupt him while he is studying.

I definitely do NOT think Jayden is the cutest little boy in the world, so I definitely have NOT let him continue playing with the dog that came with me to my parents house when I was adopted. I certainly would NEVER risk the damaging of a priceless nostalgic piece of my childhood for the sake of Jayden's enjoyment!

Finally, I most certainly have NOT already been scheming today how I can NOT obtain some sort of tasty chocolate treat that I most definitely have NOT been thinking about since Saturday. Nope, not ME!!

side by side

So we keep hearing how much people think Eli looks like Jayden did as a baby. Here's a comparison. Votes please!!

Same age, same toy.
Eli is the top one.

It won't be like this for long....

There's a country song playing on the radio lately that just makes me cry. Plain and simple. Those who know me, know I'm a sap. I'm sentimental, emotional, and one time a Cotton commercial made me cry. So introduce children into my already tear filled life...well, let the tears flow!! Here are the lyrics...

He didnt have to wake up
He'd been up all nite
Lay'n there in bed listen'n
To his new born baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says
It gonna be OK

It wont be like this for long
One day soon we'll look back laugh'n
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby just hold on
It wont be like this for long

Four years later bout four thirty
She's crawling in there bed
And when he drops her off at preschool
She's clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says what can I do
She says now dont you worry
This will only last a week or two

It wont be like this for long
One day soon we'll drop her off
And she wont even know your gone
This phase is gonna fly by
If you can just hold on
It wont be like this for long

One day soon she'll be a teenager
And at times you'll think she hates him
Then he'll walk her down the isle
And he'll raise her vale
But right now she up and cry'n
And the truth is that he dont mind
As he kisses her good night
And she says her prayers
He lays down there beside her
Till her eyes are finally closed
And just watch'n her it breaks his heart
Cause he already knows
It wont be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
Yeah this phase is gonna fly by
He's try'n to hold on
It wont be like this for long
It wont be like this for long

I find myself in a constant battle between wishing the time away until the boys are older, I'm more free to do things, I'm not a slave to Eli's eating schedule, to their nap schedules, etc and wishing I could just freeze time, or slow it down so this phase when they're little, when they sit on my lap, when they are small enough to carry on my hip, when they are still napping, when they are just SO STINKING ADORABLE isn't over so soon. I want to just make a mental picture of the adorable, precious things they are doing.

-Jayden has a favorite screwdriver. Instead of it sounding like screwdriver when he asks for it, it comes out sounding just like "stride rite."

-When Eli is sad and I go to pick him up, he lays his head on my shoulder and wraps his chubby little arm around my neck and "hugs" me.

-Jayden loves loves loves guitars. He talks about them all the time. After the worship leader at church today let him play with his, he told us all about it all the way home.

-When I went to get Eli from his crib this morning he flapped his arms with such excitement over me being there I literally think he could have taken off and flown.

-Sometimes when Jayden wakes up from his naps, he needs to be held for like 20 minutes. We sit on the couch, me holding him, his head on my shoulder, and have a snugglefest. Oh, to be able to freeze time. My active, crazy, running toddler doesn't sit still very much anymore. These moments are priceless and to be cherished.

-Eli gets all sorts of excited about little, insignificant things these days. A piece of paper on the floor he can crawl to and try to eat (until Mommy takes it away!), his spoon to play with after he eats, Jayden just existing near him. He gets a big grin on his face and then flaps his arms and bounces up and down. The pure unbridled innocent joy is almost more than I can take...

ADOPTION!

Adoption is something that is super super super close to my heart. I am adopted, as is one of my brothers. Dan and I have definite plans to adopt some time in the future. We're not sure how that will play out, whether it will be domestic or international or both. I think adoption is incredible!! I love the fact that I'm adopted, I love that my biological mom chose life and not death for me. I love that my parents were not defeated by their infertility, but instead chose to give a home to my brother, only to get blessed with a biological son at the same time, my brother Matthew. God is good, and I know that adoption is something that pleases His heart.

On that note, please go check out this blog and consider entering their raffle drawing to help support their adoption process!!!

our little climber

"I WILL get over this gate...I swear it!!"

Eli's new facial expressions

Eli suddenly is making all sorts of new faces. Here are a couple examples.




A side note...Eli is not normally "worn" but this particular day he was super clingy and I had to clean and get stuff done. But the whole time he had this kind of pouty look on his face. It was really funny.

silliness

introducing... "Not Me Monday!"

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

When Eli woke up from his nap yesterday while I was watching the newest episode of Without a Trace on the DVR, I most certainly did NOT leave him in his Pack N Play, where he was playing happily, while I watched until the next commercial break. That would be horribly neglectful and I would NEVER do that.

At some point this weekend, while I was most definitely NOT on my computer, I assure you that I did not assume Jayden was just throwing one his toddler tantrums and somewhat ignore his crying only to discover his tiny finger was stuck in the door of the kitchen cupboard. I NEVER ignore my toddler's crying. NEVER.

I definitely have NOT let Jayden watch episode after episode after epsiode of Mr. Rogers these past few days to keep him entertained while it rains and make it easier for me to catch up on emails, blog surf, and sip my coffee...err, get stuff done. I never use the TV to entertain my children. NOPE.

While at the store yesterday to pick up rolls for dinner at the last minute, I most certainly did NOT also purchase a container of Puffs for Jayden, only to let him consume the entire thing, completely ruining his dinner. I would NEVER let him eat anything but wholesome, organic, fresh food.

In the same shopping trip, I also most assuredly did NOT purchase a Three Musketeers bar and proceed to eat the entire thing on the 1.2 mile drive home. Definitely didn't do that. That is so unlike me.

I also for sure did not let Jayden stay up over an hour past his normal bedtime last night to show off his cuteness to my aunt and uncle who were in town from Virginia!

I most certainly did NOT stay in my pajamas the ENTIRE day on Friday, only to finally get dressed AFTER the boys were in bed so that I could go out and have some me time at Starbucks, reading and listening to my iPod.

During the aforementioned trip out, I also did NOT buy a pack of Milk Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers in addition to my coffee beverage. Nope, not ME!!!

family photos

We recently got a CD of all the pictures that were taken of us back in July (thanks, Erin!). Here are some of the best ones I hadn't posted yet.










The boys look DIFFERENT!!! Obviously Eli does but I couldn't believe the difference in Jayden. He has transformed from a baby to a little boy! :)

sweet baby

A word of warning: the following post is of an intense emotional nature and may make people cry....especially people like the grandmothers of my children and the father of my children....







There's something I don't talk about much, something I think about a lot, but don't talk about much. We lost a baby. Our sweet baby, the first baby we conceived, went to be with Jesus. I don't think I have ever written about this in a blog. But MckMama asked for people to leave comments about the babies they have lost, the babies they have given over into Jesus' arms. As I sat down to write it her comment box, I realized this subject matter deserved attention here as well.

Our baby would be three now. Its been almost four years since we said goodbye. May 1st will mark four years since our baby went to be with Jesus. I believe our baby was/is a girl. Dan and I named her. We are the only ones who know her name. It is our secret, what we call our baby...I miss her still. I think of heaven, and how I can't wait to meet her when we get there. I think of how different our lives would be if she had lived beyond those precious 8 weeks in my womb.

I wrestled long and hard with the why of the whole tragedy. I was angry at God. I railed at him, screamed at him, cried my eyes out. In the end, I realized He is God and I am not. I will not understand this side of heaven why we had to let our beautiful baby go.

People call Jayden our first. That's not true. He's our firstborn, not our first. We have told him, and told Eli, they have another sibling, one they will meet when they meet Jesus (hopefully decades and decades and decades from now). We will meet her then, too. In some ways, I can't wait to hold our sweet baby in my arms for the first time.

To be a mommy to a baby who has gone to be with Jesus...it is not something I would have ever chosen for himself. As MckMama said, I am one of them. I am a mommy to three. Two I can see. One that I miss everyday. One whose due date will be forever etched in my mind. I will count her would have been years for all my life. Which is truly the way it should be. I'm her mommy.

7 months!!

Eli is 7 months old today! I was reading another friend's blog today about how much quicker the time goes the 2nd time around and it is SO true! I feel like we brought Eli home from the hospital yesterday. Another friend once said, "Parenting is full of very long days and very short years." So true. Some days drag on and on and I feel like the boys will NEVER be in bed but in reality the time is flying by!

Here's what Eli is up to:
*sitting up like a champ. I don't even feel the need to put the Boppy behind him every time he's playing on the floor now
*getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth. just today he took his first "crawl" (when they start walking we call them steps, what do you call them when they just take one "step" with their hands and knees when they're learning to crawl?)
*as of a couple weeks ago, he is sleeping through the night. praise the Lord!!
*still breastfeeding. I am happy to have made it to 7 months. breastfeeding is not easy, and I am thankful that I have been able to make it this far with him. we had to start supplementing Jayden with formula at 7 months cause I was pregnant and it was killing my supply. I am glad we are not in that situation with Eli. :)
*as of today he is also on 3 meals of solids a day. he has loved everything so far for the most part. his faves have been sweet potatoes and carrots. he tried berries mixed with banana for the first time today and LOVED it.
*he is in 9 month clothing for the most part. he can still wear some 6 month pants but sleepers and onesies are all 9 month now. he's a big boy!
*he is IN LOVE with his pacifier. he fusses for it and lunges for it when he sees it. he didn't take one at all till he was almost 5 months old so it is amusing he has grown so attached so quickly.
*still no teeth and no sign of any. oh well. :)
*oh he is napping like a champ. one good morning nap, one good early afternoon nap, and a late afternoon snooze.
*he is quite a snuggly kid and LOVES to cuddle and be held. this is a big difference from his brother so its fun.

Here are some pictures from today of our sweet boy!

sweet smiles



he has this look on his face a lot these days. he is obviously thinking very hard!


"I love my binky"


Playing with Stephanie

"who's that handsome guy?"

Eli is fascinated by this little mirror...he'll look at himself in the reflection and laugh hysterically.

Jay-Li's Organics or EJ's Organics?

So I got inspired by my friends Mary and Rebekah and started making my own baby food!! I absolutely love it! I have always known that I loved to do things with my hands. I like to put things together, I like to bake, I like to fix things, I like to play the piano...the list goes on and on. I decided to make Eli's baby food for a couple reasons. One, its a lot cheaper. Two, its better for him. Three, I always hated going out to the store to buy Jayden's baby food. Not sure why, but I did. Anyway, now that I've done it, I LOVE IT!!! I love it so much I want to start a business making organic baby food. We live in a relatively affluent part of Los Angeles (we are not affluent and neither are my parents really, with whom we live. But they bought a house in this neighborhood in the 70's when it was midde class..) and there are lots of families with working moms. But, also, because its L.A. there are lots of people who are drawn to organic or more natural lifestyles. So I thought to myself, "I bet I could sell my baby food to moms on the westside of L.A. who work and don't have time to make baby food but would love for their babies to have homemade stuff..." I was all amped up and said something to my mom who informed me you have to get all these permits and licenses and stuff. Stupid laws!!

Anyway, before I realized that I may need some serious capital to start up this business (any wealthy people reading this who want to invest in my idea, feel free...hee hee), I was coming up with names. My two favorite are in the subject of this post. Feel free to comment and let me know which one you like better. Ha ha.

writing

It occurred to me this weekend as I perused other peoples' blogs that I haven't been writing much in my blog entries lately. This, I think, is a result of not a lot of time, and also of exhaustion. So henceforth I resolve to be more wordy. If some of you have been secretly thankful I have shut my yapper of late on here, I'm sorry!! :)

We had a busy busy weekend this weekend!! Yesterday was Jacob and Mia's birthday party so we headed down to Huntington Beach with the boys to help celebrate! The boys did great. Eli flirted it up with another little baby there and Jayden enjoyed running around in the backyard and checking out the balloons and Elmo (a.k.a. "mel-mo"), who was there doing balloon animals and face painting. Thanks so much for inviting us, Jacob and Mia!! Happy birthday! We had a great time!!

Today Jayden and Mommy headed off to church while Daddy and Eli, who were both feeling a little under the weather, stayed home to rest. Jayden tripped and fell during Sunday school and started crying and didn't recover (he was fine but just didn't stop crying) so Mommy came to rescue him and realized he was not going to be able to cope with Mommy leaving again so we headed home a bit early. This afternoon we headed out for another party at Aunt Ann and Uncle Dave's. It was a celebration of the winter birthdays in our extended family, of which there are many. Jayden enjoyed himself thoroughly, although the main attraction was their stairs which kept Mommy and Daddy busy. Hee hee. Eli took a snooze when we got there and then enjoyed watching the action the rest of the evening. We cut out of the party a little early to get the boys to bed. They are now sleeping soundly in their cribs, exhausted from the weekend.

Eli will be 7 months old tomorrow so please check back tomorrow for updates on his development and hopefully some cute pictures!!!

cloth diapered booty!

mmm...thumb!!

Eli has taken to sucking his thumb when a pacifier is not readily available! Yikes!

"wain, wain" (a.k.a. RAIN)

Jayden enjoyed a trip outside in the "wain" today with Grandma Dottie.





Precious, precious, precious!! In all my days of anticipating having children one day, I knew that I was excited to share the experience with my mom. But I never knew the delight I would take in watching my mom love my children, who I love so desperately, with such passion as well!! It is the highlight of a lot of my days to watch her be a grandma to my boys, and to shower them with love and affection. I love you, Mom! Thanks for all your support!

my how you've grown...

rock on, dude!

Jayden got a belated Christmas present this past week from Stephen and Judy, our dear friends. He LOVES LOVES LOVES it!! Jayden is proving to be quite musical...

He looks like such a little boy in this picture. Absolutely no baby left at all whatsover...and in this picture, I don't even see much sign of my sweet 1 year old toddler.


Our silly, crazy boy and his guitar!

a man's work

Whatcha doing Boppa?

Can I help?

roar!!

We absolutely LOVE these pajamas. They say "Roar!" on the shirt and have dinosaurs all over them! Eli wore them for the first time the other night.

nakey cuteness

Eli is so wonderfully chubby.