twelve months, twelve things

I can't believe how fast the past year has gone. Exactly one year ago today, I was in the middle of the most difficult, joyful, exciting, anxiety-provoking, life-changing, mind-altering experience of my life. Can't even begin to express in words the joy this little man has brought into life.



one: he has the cutest little crawl he does. when he doesn't feel like he's going fast enough, he brings one leg out to the side and does a sort of crab crawl.

two: loves all foods including, to my demise, celery YUCK! So happy he's a good eater

three: consistently sleeping through the night

four: he's such a ladies man...tween girls cannot get enough of this little handsome man

five: has a new way to say he's hungry. opens his mouth and smacks his lips together and makes a little mwah mwah noise

six: took his first steps a few days ago but still prefers crawling/cruising...if he's anything like his uncle, he will skip walking and head straight for running. God, help us!

seven: loves the sounds of his voice, especially his screaming voice. Cracks him up.

eight: prefers being outside to inside

nine: had a fantastic birthday party. We haven't really let him have much sugar but he did get his own cupcake and wasn't sure what to think of it. He very delicately separated the frosted top from the bottom, took a few bites very gently and then realized he loved it and started slamming it in his mouth. Yes, we have it on video. :)

ten: thinks everything is a phone and puts it up to his ear and makes a sound of "hello"

eleven: is starting to bite and thinks it's hilarious...not so much for mommy or daddy (or anyone else being bitten for that matter!).

twelve: is the love his mommy's, daddy's, grandma's, grandpa's, uncle's, aunt's, etc, etc...life

eleven months, eleven things

1. Has four teeth on top, two teeth on bottom.

2. Saying lots of words: baba (bottle), ba (bye), hi, Izzy, Mama, Dada, GiGi (not sure what that means)

3. Loves to dance and will boo up and down while he's sitting or standing

4. Favorite game is peek-a-boo

5. New love of swimming

6. Is a little foodie! Fresh fruit and veggies are preferred over canned or frozen. And, don't try to pull one over on him cause it ain't happenin'!

7. Waves like Ms. America...only cute for awhile little one.

8. Will soon be a millionaire. Grandma W gives him a dollar everytime she calls him dollboy (her fav nickname)...

9. Cab give the sweetest kisses and the most violent kisses...it's up to you of you want to chance it! I certainly do.

10. Has no idea how big he's getting.

11. Close to walking. Has a little push walker and has mastered it. Jason thinks it'll be a while but Mama thinks it'll be sooner!

my life at a PRTF

So, I work in a PRTF. For those of you unaware, PRTF stands for Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility. This isn't summer camp, people. This is for youth with serious mental and behavioral problems. There is nothing I dislike about my job. Ok, ok, the paperwork is NOT fun, but the reward is much better than the notsofun stuff. Today, a teen left us. He had been at this placement for nine months. That's six months longer than most kids stay. He had serious problems, of which I will not divulge for many reasons (confidentiality being the biggest reason). Today we celebrated his success. He is now a kid who understands where his problems lie, where they stem from, how they could hold him back, and what he needs to do to take control of his life. Not only that, he can VERBALIZE it!! This morning, just hours before he left, he accepted Christ. On campus, there is a chapel and a pastor who has chapel service on a weekly basis. A lot of the kids go just to get out of the cottage. This kid started opening his ears to the Word and started to change...coincidence??...I THINK NOT!! I did not know of his salvation until he was driving away when my co-worker said, "He was saved this morning and read the sinner's prayer outloud...twice." I lost it. I had held it together pretty well until then. Many people ask, "How can you work with THOSE kids?", "Don't you get afraid that they will hurt you (cause they do hurt people at times...badly)?", "Couldn't you get more money somewhere else?"...THOSE kids are MY kids...wouldn't trade them for the world. God, thank you so much for these kids and the change they are making in MY life. Thank you for bringing me to this place of hurt and giving me an opportunity to learn from THEM. Most days I feel like I shouldn't get paid to do this work. It is more of a blessing than I ever imagined and can't wait to see what happens next.

something worth fighting for

This morning, Will woke up at 4:30, ready to start the day. I love watching him in the mornings and learn a LOT from all the little things he does. For instance, he was determined to climb to the window and look outside. I, however, was motivated for him to go back to sleep so, as he crawled, I grabbed his sweet little waist and pulled him back into my arms. And the fight continued. Climb-grab-pull, climb-grab-pull, climb-grab-pull. It continued for a short while until, you guessed it, he won. As he laid his chin on the pillow and just stared outside, I was reminded of God's love for me and His fight for me. As much as I pull away from Him at times, He lovingly grabs me around my not-so-sweet and not-so-little waist and pulls me back into His arms. I fight it at times but, in the end, I know He is there for me, fighting for me. "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." Exodus 14:14. What a wonderful reminder.

ten months, ten things

Oh, this little boy makes me so happy. Can't imagine life without him and thank God EVERYDAY for the joy he brings to the lives of everyone who knows him...especially mama :)

10. He's got this new cheesy smile that's slightly cockeyed and 100% ADORABLE. I love it!

9. Loves bathtime without the baby bathtub. I lean him up against the tub and he watches as it fills. The second I start dumping the toys in, I'd better be ready to put him in as he is immediately reaching for the water. Little water baby for sure!

8. He loves the glider ottoman. I'll sit him on it, lay him on it...doesn't matter. He just moves back and forth rocking himself. (of course, I'm holding on to him, but he loves it just the same)

7. Can babies have six-pack abs? If so, I'm pretty sure he does. I've got a little baby model on my hands!!

6. He's really starting to explore all of his toys. I'll dump the basket out and he goes into explorer-mode. Taste, touch, sound...he'll find it!

5. We traveled to Tennessee last month and he did better than the adults. Nuf said.

4. Loves avocados and toast and turkey and cheese and mexican rice...the list could go on and on. BUT, he hates beans (except the refried variety :)

3. He has found Izzy's dog dish and is pretty sure it's a miniature bathtub.

2. He's super fast. Truly, I have to speed if I want to catch up with him. He almost always heads for the bathroom. Pretty sure he's checking to see if it's bathtime.

1. My new favorite thing he's doing: we have floor vents between the hallway and kitchen. He crawls on all fours everywhere in the house except over those. The second he comes to the vents, he bear crawls over them and it's adorable. I'll have to video it.

hmmm

I often don't blog because I don't have a specific topic, thought, trouble, etc. What I often find when I journal (which is NOT often, mind you), is that just the act of sitting down to type or write brings about many a thought. The writing becomes more authentic, more therapeutic, and often more "brutally honest", if you will. So, here I am, at the end of my lunch break, writing about...not sure yet.

What's on my mind...my son, my husband, weight watchers points, 9:00 pm tonight (when I get to sit and relax a bit...oh, how I look forward to 9:00 pm!!)

So, we had a bit of a scare this past week. We were pretty sure Will had an infant version of the measles. Yes, I said MEASLES! You know, like in 1890 when kids got measles all the time kind of measles. Didn't think it was possible but doc was pretty sure. Thankfully, the same symptoms that come with measles also come with your run-of-the-mill combination yeast-infection-ear-infection-teething-not-wanting- solid-foods-staying-up-until-9:00-because-he-doesn't-want-to-nap-until-4:00-pm kind of, er, "condition". Sigh. Daddy is staying home today. Doc said best thing we can do to get rid of the yeast infection is have a lot of nekked baby time. Yep. Bet Jason's glad he stayed home today :) NOT IT!! First person to call "NOT IT" doesn't have to change the poopy diaper...it's an awesome game that Jason and I play. Well, only awesome when I win :)

Nesting. Um, maybe it's sympathy nesting since my sister is preggers cause I am certainly NOT (not that I haven't thought about it a lot lately!). I totally want to move everything around in the house. Maybe the kitchen can be the dining room and the dining room can be the play/art room and the living room the bedroom and the bedroom...BREATHE! Oh, how fun change is. No, I really mean it. I love change...when I'm in charge and in complete control. Ahhh, and here it comes. The therapeutic and authentic and organic part of random blogging. What is it about control that...controls me? Why must I be in control of everything. Why not let God be in control. Oh, because I'm human and pretty sure I know best about everything. Maybe God has a plan in mind for me. Pretty sure that's what he meant when he says "For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not harm you...plans to give you hope and a future"...Jeremiah 29:11 (from memory so not exactly). I need to post this verse. How much more hope do I need? Promise to give me hope, a future, to prosper me, to not harm me! What an awesome God. Now, if I could only let go and let God!

nine months, nine things

1. In the matter of days, has gone from kind of crawling to fast crawling, pulling up on furniture, and cruising. I am SO not ready for this!

2. Went swimming and (mostly) loves it :)

3. Loves ice cream...not that he's ever had any.

4. First vacation...currently in Tennessee! He travels better than any adult I know!

5. Has three emerged teeth and three more coming soon.

6. Two words: ladies man.

7. Still loves mornings.

8. Waves with his hands and his feet.

9. Met a cat for the first time on vacation and is fascinated by her. Tenses his whole body and just squeels. Cuteness.