Merry Christmas!

Timothy: Six Months

Weight: 17 lbs 13 oz

Height: 27.7 in

Head Circumference: 17.4 in

In comparison to other babies in the United States, he is really tall (about 90th percentile) and just over average in weight and head circumference.  I think his kissable cheeks make him look a little chunkier than he really is.  

Timmy is still his happy little round self.  He is rolling over more often now and can sit briefly on his own.  We all love that he can ride in the backpack now.  Like Brian, he is so happy in it.  This means I can get more done around the house and do more with Brian.  In fact, I bundled both kids up today and Brian and I were able to play in the snow while Timmy enjoyed watching from his perch on my back. Timmy has also become extremely grabby and has to have something to hang on to and to chew on constantly.

Unfortunately he still wakes up several times a night.  I'm working on that habit.  I don't know why it is so hard with him.  I find myself in his room feeding him before I'm even fully awake.  He's six months old and he does not need that nighttime nourishment.  Feel free to keep reminding me of this please.  I wish someone were there to remind me at 3:00 in the morning when Timmy is screaming like he is in serious danger.  Yes, Mark is there in bed next to me, but he has learned to tune out any crying completely and I find it weird waking him up just for some moral support.  He always has a busy day ahead of him so I want him to get his sleep if he can.  So, here I am with a six month old who still eats once or twice during the night.  So fun.  Really his cuteness makes up for the nighttime wakings.  I know I say it every time, but I could kiss those cheeks all day long.  Wouldn't you if you got to spend your days with him?

Giving Thanks

We had a very nice Thanksgiving.  I love the time we get to be with family and of course I love the food.  On Thursday we went to Mark's parents for a huge dinner with way too much delicious food and fun with the Hsiaos.  It was a very nice afternoon.

Then on Friday we had another Thanksgiving dinner with some of my sisters.  Because my parents are on a mission and Melanie and her husband have no other family around they wanted to get together to celebrate Thanksgiving.  We had it at my house and I made my first ever turkey.  It turned out juicy and delicious and the rest of the dinner was fabulous thanks to Mandy and Melanie.  Grandma Joyce was able to come as well.  We stuffed ourselves and had a grand time playing together.

Brian went straight for the marshmallows.  How they got placed right in front of him I have no idea.  He loved sitting by Grandma Joycie and made her proud by eating an entire huge slice of her pumpkin pie.  

Yum yum yum.  I love Thanksgiving dinner. . .

. . .but I love the people we share it with even more.

Gratitude

Brian has been learning what being thankful means and how to express gratitude to Heavenly Father in his prayers.  I love listening to him pray at night and I can't help but smile while he says things he is thankful for.  Here are a few things he has been grateful for: Doggie, Blankie, lights, blessings, family, toys, things he does during the day etc.  

There are so many things I am grateful for I cannot even attempt to list them all.  However, there are two that I want to write about.

1) My Little Family

I am so blessed to have Mark as my husband and to be sealed to him in the temple.  I am grateful that he is my companion and that he and I can work together to raise our children and to reach that final goal of returning to Heavenly Father.  I think about Mark and our darling little boys and I seriously could boil over with gratitude. I think about them and I know that this is God's plan for me.  I know that we are in the right place and that if we continue working and trying to be better and to build the Kingdom we can share this joy for Eternity.  I only hope I can teach my children what they need to know to gain their own testimonies of the Gospel.   

 

 2) Our House

Two years ago we moved into this house. . our house.  I love it more now than I did then.  I love everything about it.  I love the neighborhood.  I love the front yard and I love the backyard even more.  I love the layout and the kitchen and the bathrooms and that my boys get their own rooms for now.  I love that we can rent the basement and that my sister is in the position to be living here.  I think everyday how lucky we are to have found this house.  Really it wasn't luck.  I truly feel that we were meant to buy this house and that we were meant to be here right now.  Out of all the times in my life when I have felt God's hand in what I did and when, I felt it strongest when we found this house.  I am grateful grateful grateful to live here. 

 

Family Pictures

We had our friend Audrey at Remember The Moments Photography take some family pictures for us.  I am so happy about all of them, but of course the pictures of the kids are my favorite.  Here are just a few of them. Thank you Audrey!

Words About The Week

At the first of this month I had all the good intention of doing a gratitude post everyday like my cousin Rochelle does every year.  Instead, the following things have been on my mind and taking my time.

 

Torturous sleep depriving time change 

Why do we have daylight savings again? Because right now it just feels like someone decided to torture anyone with small children who have a hard time with schedule changes.

Sickness

Brian has learned the word sickness and said the following four times today "You got my sickness Mommy?"  my answer was "Yep, I got your sickness."  Brian and Timmy have been sick for over a week. A few of their symptoms include: high fever, throwing up, diarrhea, the nastiest looking throat I have ever seen (I thought it was strep, but the tests were negative), and some of the craziest behavior I have ever experienced from Brian.  Finally today the symptoms are down to congestion, runny nose, cough and a bit of grumpiness.  Nothing compared to the rest of the week.  It made for one of the hardest weeks of the year and the coming week will probably be only slightly easier because both Mark and I feel it coming on. . .headache, soar throat, stomach issues, etc.

Cleanup, laundry, cleanup and laundry

Brian threw up probably about ten to fifteen times this week.  The first half of those times were anywhere and everywhere he was at the time.  I could say that cleaning up over and over again after sick kids is my least favorite part of being a mother. Luckily Brian finally learned how to carry a bowl around with him everywhere and to actually use that bowl.

Worry, worry, and worry some more

I am a worrier by nature.  My family used to call me a "worry wart" when I was a child. When my kids are added to the mix, I know that my worrying can get out of control.  I couldn't help it.  I worried a lot this week.  I worried when the tiniest bit of water Brian drank would make him throw up again.  I worried when Timmy was awake all night long for reasons I could not figure out.  I worried when neither of my kids would eat anything.  I worried when I looked in Brian's throat and saw things I should not even describe.  I worried to the point of calling my basement renters upstairs to help when Brian literally went ballistic and threw himself out his crib and landed on his head.  I worried that he was watching way too much TV and that he would become a couch potato. I worried that things would never be normal again and I worried that I was seriously going crazy with sleep deprivation and worry.  Too much worrying, it's time to stop.

Irritable, grumpy and maybe a little crazy

Timmy was harder this week.  He cried a lot more than usual and he woke up frequently at night  and one night he was awake most of the night.  He refused to eat any solids and cried sometimes when he nursed.  However, he was a piece of cake compared to Brian.  Being sick and exhausted made Brian what I would call crazy.  I don't even know how to describe it.  It was a week long temper tantrum with bouts of whining dispersed throughout.  Well, I have to admit there were a lot of times when he was very good and calm and happy.  Those times were usually when he was asleep, or watching TV, or with his Dad.  It just felt like a week long temper tantrum because when he was out of control he was really out of control.  On Sunday while Mark was at meetings it got to the point where Brian was running around screaming, crying, falling, hitting, kicking, and staggering like he was dizzy and in delirium.  I tried holding him and talking to him and sitting on the bed with him and then just watching him without saying anything.  It went on for hours and I knew the one thing he needed was to sleep.  So I put him in his bed and as I walked out the door I turned to see him catapult himself out of his crib and land on his head on the floor.  He was fine, and it wasn't until my brother-in-law and sister came up to my rescue that I realized I was fine too.  The experience sort of stunned the craziness out of him because he calmed down a bit and eventually decided he wanted to sleep.

Happiness and gratitude

Yes there was some happiness and gratitude during this week too.  Mark had a good quarterly review at work and I am so grateful for his job and that he likes what he does.  I am grateful that I can stay home to take care of my kids especially when they are sick.  I'm grateful that it was no more than just a virus and that there is an end to the sickness.  Yesterday and today both kids have been almost back to their old selves.  I am grateful to have my sister and her husband in our basement to call on if I really need it.  I am grateful for so much more and hopefully I can write about some of those things this month to counter this post full of complaints.