Success!

You know what that means.

Mr. Noah tinkled in his little potty for

the very first time tonight! Yay!

Noah sat down on it so naturally,

like a king on his little throne.

I had no expectations, so after about five

minutes of sitting on the potty, I said,

"Okay, let's get in the bath!"

Um. Negative.

Noah wanted to sit on his potty.

So, I let him.

Then, all of a sudden we heard a little tune.

Noah looked up at me with the funniest expression

on his face like, "Is my potty playing music??"

I couldn't believe my ears.

Did Noah really just use his little potty?

He sure did!

And I was so proud of him!

But I have to be honest here...

When it comes to potty training,

I have no idea what I'm doing.

And especially with a boy. Oh my!

Advice? I'm all ears.

My Stubborn Child

Noah and I had a hard night tonight.

The little guy was bound & determined not to go to sleep when I

laid him down this evening. Actually, over the past couple of days it's been

a constant struggle getting Noah to lay down and stay in bed until he falls asleep.

Oh, the joys of stubborn toddlers.

Let's just say Noah's little hiney got a few spankings

tonight {as much as I hate giving them!},

and he finally gave up and fell asleep.

Or so I thought.

Not long ago, I walked into our room and guess who I

found so sweetly snuggled up in our bed?

Why do they have to be so stinkin'

cute when they're sleeping?!

Melt my heart.

Being a Mommy is Hard

I'm tired. Really tired.

This past week has been a tough one. Toddlerhood has proven to be quite challenging and exhausting. We have definitely, without a doubt, hit the terrible twos, and I am learning how difficult it is being a parent. I've been impatient and raised my voice more than I'd like to admit. I'm learning how important it is to be consistent in discipline, but I struggle with it everyday. I find myself dwelling over these things and not stopping to pray about them. Raising a child is a huge responsibility. I am responsible to teach him right from wrong and to be a good example for him to follow. Responsible to show Noah love, patience, and kindness. Responsible to guide and train him in way he should go. So often I fail at these things and feel inadequate as a mother. I'm learning being a mother is hard work and requires a whole lot of patience. But being a mother is also one of the greatest blessings in life. As hard as it has been lately, I thank God for these hardships and lessons. He is teaching me patience. Oh, is he teaching me patience.

Tomorrow is a new day.

The post "Fueling Moments" {<--- click link to read} by Kelle Hampton of Enjoying the Small Things has so resonated with me this evening. Some days it seems hard to find the fuel. But truly, those "filler" days are full of fuel-- we just have to challenge ourselves to search a little harder for it.

Getting some rest tonight; tomorrow I am gonna find me some fuel.

p.s. Is anyone else having trouble getting their links to change colors?

Helloooo Terrible Twos

Temper tantrums-- check
Frequent mood changes-- check
Testing the limits-- oh boy! definitely a check

Helloooo Terrible Twos!
Not sure I'm ready for this.

Mother's Day Out

Today is Noah's first day to go to Mother's Day Out. I'm so thankful for the one available spot we were able to grab {yippy!}; I know it will be a good thing for the both of us. But I'm a little sad this day has come... I'm not sure I'm ready for Noah to go to "school" just yet. I'm gonna miss the little guy... :(


image source here

Raising a Reader

Tips to Get Your Child off to a Good Reading Start:

1. Read to Your Baby: It’s never too early to introduce your child to books. “Read” board books to your infant, put cloth books in the crib, and float plastic books in the tub. Your kids will grow up with the idea that books are an integral part of their lives.

2. Make Time For Books: Set aside a specific time to read to your child everyday. Naptime and bedtime are obvious opportunities, but some busy families find that a story over breakfast or while lounging in the tub works best for them.

3. Keep Books Available: Make it easy to read. Keep a sack of books in the car to divert kids while you’re running errands and on the nightstand to amuse early risers. Pack a variety of books when traveling.

4. Be a Reading Role Model: Show your kids that you value reading. Let them see that you are reading for pleasure, and tell them how much you enjoy reading with them. Take them along on trips to the library and bookstore.

5. Make Your Own Books: Preschoolers can dictate their own stories and then add illustrations. Other ideas? Make a holiday book that shows your family traditions, a birthday book recording party memories, or a travel diary about the family vacation.

6. Read Anything and Everything: On the road, encourage your child to read the Stop, Yield, and Walk signs. In the grocery store, ask the kids to find the juice or cereal they want. Learning to differentiate among packages and to recognize common road signs is a great beginning step in learning to read.

7. Play with Letters: Magnetic letters allow children to spell their name on the refrigerator. Letter blocks combine stacking and spelling for double the fun.

8. Read it Again and Again: Parents may get tired of reading the same favorite book over and over, but repetition is an important developmental step in learning to read. As they repeat the familiar refrains with you, children begin to associate the words they say with the words on the page. Soon they will be recognizing and reading the words on their own.
source

"No."

Me: "Noah, do you want to go to Walmart with Mommy?"

Noah: "No."
Me: "Well, sorry mister, you have to come with me {as I try not to burst out laughing}."

Mommy Learning Experience of the Day: Only ask yes/no questions if you will genuinely accept a "no" answer.

Oh the joys of hearing the word "no" a hundred times a day.

so proud

Guess who's been sleeping in his
big boy bed the past four nights?!



Noah has done so well with
the transition to his toddler bed.

I think he was ready.

As much as it saddened me to
say goodbye to his crib, it has been
an exciting new adventure watching
Noah enjoy his "big boy bed."

And so far, so good.
When he goes down
at bedtime or nap time,
he only tries to climb out
of bed maybe once or twice
and that's it!

I really can't believe how
easy it has been. I never would
have thought it could be that easy.

Noah, we are so very proud of you!
I still can't believe you are now
sleeping in your toddler bed.
You are just getting to be such a big boy!

Here is a short little video of
sweet Noah taking a nap.



Thank you to each and every one of you
who took the time to leave a comment
with advice for us. We really appreciated
your input, and it definitely helped us make
the decision to pull out the toddler bed.

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!

Calling All Parents

Okay, you experienced parents out there,
I {we} need some advice.

Our little Noah has literally
turned into a little monkey.

A monkey I tell ya.

Guess who woke me & Josh up
the day before yesterday?

Yep, you're right.
Mr. Monkey.

He wasn't calling us from his bedroom.
Oh no, he was standing in our bedroom
talking to us non-stop.

And, if it is possible to master the art of
climbing out of your crib, Noah has mastered it.



I cannot believe how fast he
can climb out of his crib.
I'm quite impressed.

So, what's the problemo you ask?

We cannot keep our little ape in his crib.

He thinks it's pretty fun.
And really, I don't blame him.
I probably would do the same thing.

But, it has kind of gotten tricky
around here knowing how to handle this.

Is it time to pull out the big boy bed?

We need advice--
any advice you can give us
is much appreciated!

Ewww!! Yuck!!

I'm sure we've all heard that at one time or another from our little tots.

Noah isn't too picky when it comes to foods {yet}. He is pretty good about taking at least one bite of something new. But just because he takes a bite, doesn't mean he swallows it. 99% of the time, if he doesn't like something, it comes right back out.

Sound familiar?

The other night Noah wanted to try an olive. I was pretty sure he was not going to like it, but I got one for him anyway. It was so funny. Almost as soon as he put it in his mouth, he spit that sucker out. I don't blame him. Olives are nasty.

Anyway, he obviously isn't going to like every fruit and vegetable I give to him, but sometimes I feel like he is spitting everything out. Unless of course it is mac & cheese.

Well, the other day, I came across an article which talked about fun ways to get your "picky little eater" to eat healthy foods {especially fruits and vegetables}. So, I thought I would share it with you. I don't know about you, but I need all the help and advice I can get when it comes to getting my child to eat healthy foods.

Got your pen and paper ready?

-------------------

1. Let your child pick out fruits and veggies at the grocery store.

2. Ask your little one to help in the kitchen by stirring batter and adding spices.

3. Use cookie cutters to make cucumber stars and apple hearts.

4. Dunk fruits and veggie in sauces or dips.

5. Minimize distractions and maximize conversation by leaving the TV off during mealtimes.

6. Sneak in nutrition with shredded carrots and zucchini in casseroles and spaghetti sauce.

7. Top cereal with fruit slices instead of sugar.

8. Let your child help add the ingredients for fresh fruit smoothies.

9. Kids often will copy what they see. Make sure your child sees older siblings, cousins, friends, and you (yes, you) eating a variety of foods.

10. Forget the clean-plate club and encourage your child to take a bite of everything on the plate. The more often your child tries it, the more likely he or she will be to eat it willingly.

Hope some of these ideas help!

via

Mommy's Prayer

I lift up my eyes to the hills--
where does my help come from?



My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip-- he who
watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you--
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm--
he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and
going both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121

I pray little Noah you always keep
your eyes fixed on Jesus.

Happy Mother's Day

I love you my sweet Noah.
You make my heart happy.



You, my precious child, are my pride and joy.
The reason I celebrate this day.

"Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him."
Psalm 127:3

Noah, you are indeed a gift from the Lord.

-------------

Happy Mother's Day!
Hope it is a very special day for all of you.

Meet the Parents...with Swagger

Apparently these videos have been out for quite some time, so many of you may have seen them already. I just saw them for the first time a couple of days ago. I guess I've been hiding under a rock or something. Anyway, they are just too good to not pass along to all of you parents out there.



I just can't stop laughing. Oh my. But this next one has to be my favorite. Brace yourself. It is funnnnny!



Ohh mmmm geeeee. I love it.



Oh and P.S., we are in 2nd place for the "Awesomest Overall Blog" right now {darn!}, so every vote counts! We aren't too far behind, but we are gonna need a lot more votes to get ahead. If you haven't noticed already I have a pretty button you can click at the top right corner of the blog, which will take you directly to the voting page. Please click and vote {one vote per computer} if you haven't already. Voting ends on Monday May 10th. Thank you again and again! We appreciate your support.

Kansas City Part 1

Kansas City is gorgeous. I fell in love with the place. If Texas didn't hold my heart in its hands, I would move there in an instant. Instead I'll just be a frequent visitor of the beautiful city and enjoy it that way. I'm sure Abby and Bibi wouldn't mind sharing a bed with me. Right Abs?

About a week or two ago, Noah and I flew for a short visit to Kansas City to do a little wedding planning with my sister Abby. And my momma came too! The only person missing from our fun trip was our littlest sis, Megan. I guess school kind of is a priority over vacation right now. Missed ya Megan!

The morning we left, Josh drove me and the little guy to the airport. We got there a little early, so we had breakfast at Chili's there. Yeah, I know. Weird. I didn't know Chili's served breakfast, but I guess the one at the airport does. Anyway, we finished eating, gave Daddy a kiss, and were on our way. Of course I was a little nervous about flying alone with Noah, because you just never know with a toddler. The last time we flew, Josh was with us, and Noah was so good. He sat between us in his own seat and barely made a peep. And not one tear fell. It was a wonderful, easy trip.

So I had nothing to worry about, right? Wrong!

I stood in line waiting to board the plane repeating in my head, "Everything will be fine. Just breathe. It will be ok." The whole time I was sweating bullets, partly because I was nervous about flying solo with the little one, but mainly because I was trying to hold both my bag and a chunky little monkey at the same time. I'm sure I was a site to see. Ah, the joys of flying with children. I'm sure many of you have some fun stories to tell.

Finally, they called for boarding. Yay! I was relieved and just ready to find a seat at this point. We gave the overly-smiley flight attendant our ticket and headed towards the plane to board. Noah was doing good up to this point, and I was starting to relax a bit. Maybe this flight would be easy.

That's where I was wrong.

As soon as we stepped foot on the plane Noah starts bawling. There wasn't a face in the plane who wasn't looking our way. Some faces were sympathetic as they said, "Aww poor baby" and others, well, you can imagine their faces. They were just thrilled. They were the people who don't have kids. Josh used to be one of those people before we had Noah. I used to tell him all the time, "You just wait, some day you will understand."

So, I walked ran down the aisle as fast as I could to find a seat. Some guy in front of me was walking as slow as he possibly could. I seriously almost knocked him down. I mean come on man, I have a screaming toddler in my arms. Can we get to our seats before Christmas?

We finally got to an empty seat. Three empty seats! Thank the Lord. But Noah didn't want his own seat this time, so he remained in my lap. I sat there holding Noah praying he would calm down and also praying no one would sit next to me. It was actually pretty funny watching people hurry by our row of seats, like we had the plague or something. Not many people want to brave sitting next to a parent with a child--especially one that is crying. The people passing by us started getting less and less, and I thought we were good to go. I would be able to stretch out and not have to worry about Noah pulling off the wig of an old lady sitting next to us.

Of course, as soon as I started dreaming about how wonderful a seat to ourselves would be, I hear in a deep voice, "Do you mind if I sit here?" I looked up, a bit surprised, to see a tall, McDreamy-looking guy {sorry Josh} in a nice suit about to sit down next to us. There were plenty of other seats around us. Why was he sitting down next to us? I mean did he not see the crying child on my lap? I'm sure the look on my face was priceless as I said, "Sure." Come to find out he had a daughter about the same age as Noah. He was a parent himself. He understood how difficult it can be to travel with a little one. At this point, Noah was still crying. He quickly turned his phone on to show Noah a picture of his little girl, thinking that might help. Nope. Noah started crying even harder. We exchanged a few words and then nothing was said the rest of the flight.

To make a long story short {well I guess that's not really true since I've just about written a novel}, Noah calmed down almost as soon as we got into the air. And he was so good for most of the flight.

Anyway, we finally arrived in Kansas City. Noah was calm and happy, and I was finally starting to relax a little myself. I guess the guy next to us thought it was safe to chat so he striked up a conversation and we started talking about things our kiddos are into, like to eat, etc. You know, things only parents talk about.

In all seriousness, I was so thankful for his kindness and understanding that day. I was stressed. Deep down I was wishing I had some help. God provided exactly what I needed: a parent who could relate with me. God is so good.

Well, looks like I will have to continue our trip to Kansas City another day. And I promise that post will have lots & lots of pictures!

Have a fabulous day, my friends!



p.s. Happy birthday to my sweet Nana! I love you so much and hope you have a wonderful birthday! We are looking forward to seeing you and Roger this Saturday.

I Have an Excuse

Becoming a parent is life altering; once that first little baby pops out everything changes. When I look back at the 2007 Josh, I'm amazed at how different he is from the 2010 Josh. The 2007 Josh had an Xbox 360 that he used to play video games like Guitar Hero and Call of Duty. The 2010 Josh has a PlayStation 3 that plays more Baby Einstein than it does Madden 2010. The 2007 Josh had a grocery shopping list that included items like...wait, what am I saying? The 2007 Josh didn't have a shopping list, he went to the store and got whatever he wanted. On the other hand, if the 2010 Josh leaves home without a shopping list, it means going back to Walmart an hour later to pick up the forgotten baby wipes. The 2007 Josh was cool, like a ninja. The 2010 Josh has become a diaper-changing ninja.

Don't misunderstand; the change is not bad. The 2010 Josh has a son to hug, laugh, and wrestle with. The 2007 Josh only had a pug that shook the building with his nighttime snoring. Sorry, Einstein. It's true. The positives of being a parent outweigh the negatives like this guy outweighs Courtney from Survivor. I wouldn't trade being a parent for anything.

One of the hidden benefits of being a parent is being able to unashamedly watch Veggie Tales. I have always secretly loved Veggie Tales. Who doesn't? It's hilarious, and like all good cartoons, it's silly enough to appeal to kids but witty enough to engage parents. Oh yeah, it's got a good message too. Still, before I was a parent, I could never just sit down and watching Veggie Tales by myself. It just didn't feel right.

Well my friends, it feels just fine now. I have an excuse to watch Veggie Tales. His name is Noah. And while Noah laughs because the French Peas are acting silly, I laugh because the French Peas are the Veggie Tales version of the French Guards in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Veggie Tales is on the television quite often in the Bonjour Home, and it's great.

Well, it's great until you get busted for enjoying Silly Songs with Larry a little too much. Let me explain. Lately, the Veggie Tales episode of choice has been The Ballad of Little Joe. I love it because the silly song in the middle of the episode is called BellyButton. Again, Noah laughs because there are four vegetables jumping around singing, but I love it because it's four vegetables making fun of the Backstreet Boys. It's a catchy tune, and after you've heard it for the billionth time, it gets stuck in your head.

Let me reiterate: the 2007 Josh had Make War stuck in his head all day; the 2010 Josh is humming BellyButton at work.

Yes, I was humming BellyButton at work the other day, and yes, I got busted. As I was humming one of my friends said, "I'm sorry, but that song sounds exactly like BellyButton." Notice she started off by saying, "I'm sorry," as if the thought of me humming a Veggie Tales song would be offensive. For a minute it was. I was so embarrassed; I'd been busted humming a song named BellyButton. But then I realized that she knew the song too. It's like we both belonged to some secret parents' club where it's ok to know Veggie Tales songs. Sure, we might enjoy Veggie Tales, but we can always blame it on our kids if we need to.

Of course, I can't leave you without the music video for BellyButton. For those of you who aren't parents and are over the age of 10: before you watch the music video, go lock your door, close the blinds, turn the lights off, and turn the volume down to where it's barely audible. You can't risk getting caught. For those of you who are parents: grab your kids and enjoy. You have an excuse.