Distracted

It's hard to grab your toes when you can't stop looking at your ring finger!

Can-Can

I absolutely love to get her dressed up to go out. My little doll. That's right - I said it - she is my little doll baby.

Not sure how I feel about the Moulin Rouge moves, though!

Everybody's First Splinter

That's about as much of a smile as we could get out of this little guy after the operation - and I do mean operation. And, yes, he looks completely worn out from the crying and drooling. Poor little guy.

I had put off this day as long as I possibly could. Let those suckers work their own way out, I say. Just check every day and make sure they are not getting red.

But when he showed me this one, my mommy conscience just would not let me leave it inside his body. I wish I had thought to take a "before" pic. Truly huge and gross.

To make matters worse, the tip broke off the first time I unearthed it, so we had to wait until after bath time and start again. With a very unwilling participant. He was very brave and held fairly still, but it broke my heart to hear him keep crying and saying, "I don't want to, Mommy. Please don't do it!"

But Bryan held him still, and I just keep sticking the needle in further and further to pull out the wood. We were trying to pump him up as it got close to sticking out - we were so excited, because we knew it was almost out! Needless to say, we could NOT get him on board with the excitement, so we just finished the job.

A little ointment, a band-aid, a few hugs and kisses, and the healing could begin.

We have told him many times not to play with the mulch at the park, but I think he is going to remember a little better next time.

An incredible glimpse into my Father's heart - why He tells me to avoid something, what He must be thinking when he sees the result of my deciding not to avoid it, how He holds me even as He is digging out the wood, how it hurts to hear my protesting cries, the excitement He feels as He gets close to uprooting my sin, and - finally - the hugs and kisses as He sends me on my way to healing.

Now, for the next lesson...

Unconventional

I do the things the conventional way. Call me the oldest child, type A, rule follower - whatever you wish. You may also want to throw in "doesn't think outside the box". Add a love for neatness, and you have me down. I do like to try out every which intended way a thing can work, though. I remember when I was a kid wanting to follow every path as far as it would lead (but no further), and I was bummed about backtracking when a path ended. I still only really like to hike loops trails or from point A to point B with a pick-up car.

I am hoping not to impose this way of experiencing life on my kids, and last week at the park, I really had to bite my tongue when Lee decided to climb up the spiral steps, and slide out of the playset on his belly. This included a set of stairs, a bridge, another set of stairs, and a little throwing of mulch into the air at the end.

Make your own rules, son.

Served Late

It probably comes as no surprise that breakfast is served late these days around this house. The other day I came out from dressing KW, and I found that Lee had already prepared a breakfast for himself and Minnie, and he was heartily eating it!

Valentine Plate

I was reminded last year of a tradition my mom had for us. Each Valentine's morning, her valentines for us were placed under our overturned breakfast plates. How special they made us feel.

I loved watching Lee's delight at being allowed to eat the chocolate sucker Toddy sent to him before he ate his breakfast!

First Outfit, Compared

Last Sunday, KW wore her first outfit to church for the last time. Let's just say that she would have been showing some serious midriff had she been without her undershirt!

Here's a couple of cute bouncy seat poses when we returned home:

And one when we arrived home from the hospital, for comparison:

Look at her, with the shirt up around the ears and the sleeves rolled up!

We Broke Out!

During the recent snow storm, there was more news coverage than you could ever wish for - or need - about people and how they were dealing with the snow. My favorite guy was at a restaurant talking about how they had been stuck in the house for two days and really had to get out for a meal. Really? REALLY?! I'll see you your cabin fever and I'll raise you two months plus a two-and-a-half year old! Oh, and I'll throw in 1150 square feet while I'm at it!

Needless to say, we took advantage of the nice Saturday and fed the ducks this past weekend. One goose was especially friendly, and Lee liked her, because he couldn't throw the food enough to attract the other birds. At one point, he yelled,

"Goose, Goooooooose!"

"Come here [to] me, and eat"

"This foooooood!"

I know all those punctuation marks are incorrect, but it looked weird if I left them off.

And, lest you think we left KW out of all the fun - no worries - she was there, too!

One Quarter

That just sounds more fun than "three months old". I wasn't feeling inspired for a three-month old photo of KW, since we were - quite literally - at the bottom of the laundry barrel last week. So I decided to take several shots of her throughout the morning.

On the boppy

Excellent legs!

Playing cars with Lee

Baby Care 101

Lee gave me a little lesson on giving a baby a bath last week.

First, you need your bucket of cleaning supplies and a sponge.

Then, you give her a good spray down with the bottle of cleaner.

Then, wash her tummy.

Let the water out, and you're all done!

Wrinkles

The other day I managed not only to wash and dry two loads of laundry, I ironed everything before B made it home. This was nothing short of a housekeeping miracle! Of course, I had to serve breakfast for dinner, and we didn't eat until 7:20, but that is beside the point.

The chore is certainly not my strong suit, and I find men's clothing is quite unforgiving. KW sat with me while I ironed, and as I explained what I was doing, I mentioned to her that I always seem to iron wrinkles into the shirts, even as I am trying to iron them out!

How is it that the same heat that ironed a wrinkle into a shirt is unable to iron it out? The wrinkle has not been allowed to cool, so presumably it should not be set yet. But try as I might I can not get those wrinkles out. The best I can do is to smooth them out a little, and dull the edges. The only thing that is going to get that wrinkle out is to wash that shirt again.

Isn't sin like that, too? I say the words I wish I could take back, I compromise a principle just once, I take the easy way out. And, even if I go back with the same heat and energy - even if I go back four or five extra times - I really can't undo what's been done. The burning, itching wound may heal, but the thin silvery scar will always be there. That is, until it is washed clean by the unseen hands of the One who loves us.

This is why we can sing, "You have new mercies for me everyday, Your love never fails."

The Happy Warden

Looks like today there were multiple offenders. I have no idea why. I asked him, but he was tight-lipped about it.

Highly Efficient Scrapbook Plan

I have this grand idea to make both Lee's and Katie Wilkes' scrapbooks at the same time. I plan to create one layout, then just copy it with boyish or girlish paper in the other child's book. I kid you not - I look through Lee's photos each month to try to make sure I get some similar shots of KW, so I don't have to think too hard to make the books different! In my head, this is going to make the scrapping process way fast. More on that later, though... I am still finishing up our honeymoon right now!

I have this wonderful photo shoot I did of Lee when he was tiny. I had brought him into the bed one morning because his pajamas had gotten dirty, and he was swaddled horribly, but I wanted him to let me sleep longer, anyway. It worked, and I got some ultra-cute pictures of him.

My dilemma was that I had no way of knowing if I would ever capture similar pictures of KW. Thanks to a stuffy nose, I got a good set of photos this past weekend. Some are blurry, but I couldn't help but share.

Incidentally, the trick would have worked and bought us some time, but Lee wouldn't allow it!

One Touch

The pregnancy was heavy and hard. The baby came fast and furious. With two little ones at home, I barely kept my head above water. Lee and I had not spent every day together for over a year and a half. In many ways, we had to get to know each other again. Often, Bryan and I devised a game plan and executed it perfectly. What teamwork! But, there has not been much time for looking into the eyes that once swept me away.

One evening, as I turned the corner into the kitchen, and Bryan was coming from the kids' room to our bedroom, he reached over and touched my shoulder. Briefly. I turned and looked at him, and said, "Thank you for touching me!"

One touch. This is where it began. We were here before these two precious ones.

This week marks the end of my self-appointed maternity leave. What, you might ask, does this mean for a stay-at-home-wife-and-mom? Well, for this lady, it means I will get up and take a shower before my kids rise.

Baby steps, right? (Pun intended.)

Sous Chef

I have had a new helper in the kitchen the past few days. While I am very excited about his interest, I am going to need to modify the way I do a few things for us to get dinner on the table in a timely manner. We also are going to have to learn about knives, and why only grown-ups touch them! ALso, I should probably help him pour things until he has great timing and tumping skills. But, all in all, a fun night!

Shelling edamame

Self-appointed job of cleaning butter off the wrapper (and licking the fingers, of course!)

Artsy?

Most of you know, Bryan and I are not artsy. But, Lee, he might be. He helped B wash the car on Sunday, and he insisted on wearing this hat, even though it was in the 60's outside, and totally unnecessary. The style not only looks artsy, but what is the definition of artsy clothing, if it is not outerwear worn when there is absolutely no reason to wear it? :)