Little faces this mother loves dearly

Vale Carter

My sweet baby is growing so fast!  

Vale's baby progress:

Vale likes to be moving all the time.  #1 preference would be to be held, #2 in his swing, #3 bouncy seat and #4 when the car is moving in his car seat.

He's just started reacting a lot to us for a long period of time.  He like to smile.

He looks like he's trying to talk to us and tell us something very important sometimes and it's adorable.

He mimics the sound of 'hi' quite frequently.

He's not as gassy as Connor was but want to have someone in the room at all times or be able to see me.  So he likes to sit up on the counter and watch me cook.

He HATES his bumbo so far... you put him in it and after about 4 minutes he's screaming.

He's not much of a thumb sucker but does like his NUK paci and keeps it in quite well.

He's a little cubby baby and it's so cute!

He moves his arms and legs around all the time (about the same amount).

He's already about to move to size 2 diapers.  We're finishing up the 1's we have and then it's on to 2's!

Connor James

I told him to show me his teeth and this is what I got!  HAHA

I just wanna grab his little face and give him a hug kiss!

So new things in January about Connor:

He is now paci and bottle free!! The paci is for the baby and he helps make sure he has it.

He is talking so much for freely and communicating very well.  He likes to tell mommy to 'go get it' when he wants something... sigh... 

He still wears size 12 pants but has moved up to 18 months in shirts.

We measured him and he's now 32" tall.

He loves to play with other children and we are working on sharing at home.  He's actually doing very well and gets excited when he gets an 'opportunity' to share.

He loves to play with baby Vale, even though Vale doesn't really play back... Connor will give him toys to just sit on his chest or will show him how a toy works.

He eats almost anything you put in front of him, with few exceptions.

He's doing well with potty training but it's going slow because mommy is not as consistent as she should be.

When you don't respond to him called for mommy or daddy he yells 'baaaabe!  Hey babe!' :)

He likes going down the slide and climbs on everything!

He climbed INTO his high chair, up the side, the other day.  Guess he was hungry...

He will sit and read (look at the pictures) by himself for an hour.

He likes to be the center of attention in a crowd.

He sings all the time.  His favorite right now is 'The B.I.B.L.E.'

He's scared of the vaccuum and the garbage disposal.

That's prob not everything but most of the updates... :)

We love them dearly and are soooo blessed to have them in our lives.

Video of baby Vale

At about 57 seconds he tries to say 'hi' back :) too cute!

Connor and Vale 'Playing'

Not the greatest video but it's cute :)

Our little home happenings...

Here is a little of what goes on around our house...

Connor loves to read with daddy!

 One of Connor's favorite things to do is eat!

One of Vale's favorite things to do is sleep! :)

 Connor loves to play at the park on the swings

and he loves to climb on EVERYTHING!

(I found him the other day in his high chair and I had not put him there... he'd scaled the side of it and gotten in himself!!!! AH!)

My sweet baby Vale love to watch everything that's going on... such a darling little baby!

(he looks so much more chubby in pictures than he does in real life!)

Connor is putting together sentences now... little ones like 'mommy go get it' or 'I'm sorry' or the best one 'I love you'.  He says that last one, unprompted, all the time with a big hug and a kiss... it's amazing.  He said to me for the first time the other day, just out of the blue, 'I love daddy' :)  That makes a mommy's heart happy!  He is pretty much like any male, obsessed with food and football.  He calls anything that is sweet and cake-like, 'copy cake' (that's him trying to say coffee cake) and he asks for it all the time!

Vale has just started smiling back in reaction to us making ga ga and goo goo faces at him :)  He seems to be a very pensive child, and although very happy seems quite serious sometimes (unlike Connor who never seemed or seems to take anything seriously).

Update on my little men!

Well the boys are getting big, BOTH of them!

Little Vale is huge... :)  He's almost 13lbs now.

He has beautiful blue eyes!!  I really hope they stay that way!

 He's such a little peanut!

My sweet little Connor is getting so big!  He talks in little sentences now and definitely this he knows what's going on with everyone all the time! :)

 We've been potty training and he is hilarious!  He loves to just sit on the toilet and read magazines!

He tells me when he needs to go peepee on the potty which is good!  He hasn't done 'number 2' yet but we're getting there!

 Connor loves to play!  We got him a little tool set for Christmas and he loves it!!  When jimmy does home repairs he tells Connor to go get his hammer and he loves it!

Connor loves his brother!  Vale was on the couch and Connor wanted to lay next to him!

 :) Vale loves him back he just doesn't know it yet... :)

 Look at those little lips... I just wanna kiss him!

I love my boys!  I am so blessed!

Some mommy rambelings

As I step over little plastic army men, various in sundry pieces of a pirate ship and what seems like hundreds of little boy shoes, I find myself, instead of being stressed, loving being a mommy!  Granted my house isn't spotless, I have dozens of 'projects' that haven't been gotten to and there is lots of organization that needs to be done but the people are fed, loved, happy and clean (most of the time).

I've been thinking more lately of what kind of mother I want to be and what my job is as a mom.  As in all things in life I think mothering is about balance.  I don't want to be that mother who takes her kid everywhere and they are attached to her always because we can't bare to be separated but I also don't want to be that mother who's child is running wild because she has no idea where he is or how to control him.  I want to be a mother who is involved and keyed in to the needs (physically, emotionally and spiritually) of her children.  I believe every child is different and needs to be treated as such.  I want wisdom to know when to loosen or pull back on the reigns; to know when to be quiet and listen or when to pull something out of him; when to push him to try harder or just move on.  I pray for this wisdom daily (literally...).

I want obedient children and the only way to obtain that, I am convinced, is consistent and frequent discipline.  THAT IS HARD!  My son needs to be corrected EVERY TIME he disobeys mommy and that is a lot.  I don't buy into that thinking that they are so young, they don't understand; my son does.  Even if he doesn't fully understand the wicked and selfish motives of yelling 'NO!' at me when I tell him to do something, he WILL understand that that behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated in our household.  I have to be consistent.  He needs to know that there are consequences to his actions and when I tell him that if he throws his toy one more time I'll take it away, when he throws it one more time it needs to go away.  I don't believe in idol threats or counting to 5... you're either going to obey or you're not.  But that also puts weight on me not to threaten things I don't intend to follow through with or expect him to understand things above his comprehension level.  I can't threaten to turn the car around and go home when we have an appointment we have to be at.  My consistency is my responsibility and will earn my child's respect.  When he knows what is expected of him, it will be easier for him to obey.

I want to be the kind of mother who's boys love and respect her.  I don't want to be their best friend right now because that's not what they need; they need a mommy.  I want my boys to grow up to be independent yet feel a responsibility to take care of their mom.  It is so cute that Connor comes and offers his hand to me when he wants me to get up (he's helping me up).  It's a small gesture but so sweet and indicative of a mindset.  They are too young right now to know what they are doing but they see how their daddy treats me and want to do the same.  Connor tells me he loves me all the time and gives me kisses many times a day.  I want it to say this way!  Not necessarily him kissing me all day when he's 17 years old but I mean the affectionate mindset and tender respect.  I haven't messed that up yet and I don't want to!  I want to be worthy of their respect, admiration and love.

On the other hand, I don't want to just be the happy, kissy mommy who never instills discipline and obedience in her children either.  I don't want to be so focused on them 'liking' me and being fun that I neglect my job as a mother.

What is my job as a mother you might ask.  I think my job as a mother of two boys is to raise them to:

• know what the Bible says
• see a genuine faith and love for the Lord in my life
• understand the importance of obedience and personal discipline
• respect women and treat them honorably
• be polite, well mannered and cleanly
• realize the bond of family and value of loyalty
• be a man of integrity who does what's right no matter what he wants or how he feels
• desire and know how to be a good husband to their wife someday

That is not a small list!  I want to teach these things with gentleness, sweetness and if necessary, firmness.  You know the saying iron fist in a velvet glove... :)  But most of all I want to teach these things by example.  I want them to see Christ in me everyday.  I want them to see me be obedient to my husband and be disciplined in my personal tasks.  I want to model to them how a woman should be treated and be polite and courteous to all people.  They need to see me value family and be loyal to those around me.  They need to know that mommy has integrity and when she says she's going to do something, she does it.  They need to see me being a good wife to my wonderful husband to know what to look for in a spouse.  This is a big job placed on my shoulders!

I need to remind myself regularly what it is that I am trying to do (in raising my boys).  I get so caught up in the day to day cleaning, cooking and daily routine that I forget what my purpose is and should be.  I am so blessed and want to do my best to be faithful with the tasks that that Lord has given me to do.

Just thought I'd share that to keep me accountable. :)

Have a wonderful week!

Connor knows hes one! :-)

Vale and his rock star hair!