Layla says...

Lately, my nightly routine with Layla involves the two of us planting ourselves in my bed and going over site word flash cards right before bedtime.  After studying, she says "Cuddle time!" and we curl up under the covers and cuddle while she talks my ear off.  It's absolutely precious!  The hubby is usually putting Hudson down for the night at this time so it's nice for just Layla and I to have a some time with each other.  Well, this past week she has said a few things that have really touched my heart and proved to me, once again how thoughtful she is!  She REALLY, DEEPLY, thinks about things.  Things that I wouldn't think a six year old would put thought into...

                              Layla and her Daddy at the Father-Daughter Dance

Here are some examples:
1.  Right before bedtime, I tell Layla "Goodnight, I love you!"  She answers, "I love you more!"  I respond, "Well, I love you more than all the stars."  She responds, "You know how big God is Mommy?  I love you more than that!"..... and she wins!
2.  After putting her baby brother to bed, I find Layla bouncing on my bed.  She stops and says to me "Mommy, I think I will have a baby when I grow up.  I want a girl."  This shocks me honestly, because until this moment, she has always said she will not have any babys!  She plops down on the bed and says "What should I name her?"  I answer "How about Jessica?" and laugh.  She smiles and responds, "Yes, that way anytime I miss you, I can kiss her."  ... and then I melt.
3.  During our nightly cuddle time last night Layla says "I don't want to grow up."  This is nothing new, she has always said this to us.  "Everyone wants to be bigger.  I don't.  I want to stay little, this works just fine for me.".... again, I am just speechless.

              Layla and I, sooo long ago.  Seems like just yesterday.
She just turned the big 6 in March and I feel like I am raising a teenager already!  Oh, where has my little girl gone?

The Breakfast Table Project

Before

Here she is... a beauty right?  Tee-Hee!  This horrible picture was taken with my camera phone.  I snapped it right before I paid the lady at the flea market $29.99!  To most, this would seem like a ghastly price for an old, chipped up, scratched up, dated table.  But to me, "Ahhhh" I see potential!  I've got big plans for her! 

We chose a floor plan for our new house that happened to have a bay window off the kitchen.  It is a small area and right away I decided I wanted a small round table to mimic the shape of that area.  A modern round table wouldn't do for my taste so I set out searching for something small, with detailed legs. 

My plans:  I will sand the entire piece and try to take the scratches off the top of the table and give it a new stain.  I'm hoping to find one that has a bit of gray in it.  Then I'll replace the old cream colored paint on the legs with white.  I'm hoping to try some of Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint  in maybe grain sack, or maybe shutter gray, I dunno!  If you haven't heard of Milk Paint you should check this out!  Marian, the developer of this paint line, is very talented!  I follow her blog on a daily basis!  Her blog is amazing and so is her work!

http://www.missmustardseedsmilkpaint.com/about/

Any who!  In the mean time I am on a search for four great chairs to go around the round!  I'm hunting for some all wood chairs that do not require padding/fabric(padding/fabric= messy, yuck due to two young children who just might spill food and drink on them!)  Maybe some old bistro chairs?  I'm hoping for another great deal!

This past weekend I worked on sanding the top of the table... and that is all!  Hopefully, I can find some time to get back out there soon and get 'er done before the move in day!

I'll keep ya'll posted!  ;)

The story of the tubes...

Sweet baby in his little hospital gown and aggravating hospital band!

Little man had tubes put in his ears on Wednesday.  Everything went well.  We had to be at the surgery center super early that day and he did great!  Well, he did great until the nurse put a hospital band around his ankle and Daddy pointed it out!   Then we had a big 'ole fit because he couldn't take it off!  Oh well, he looked so sweet in his little baby hospital gown and Oh how I cringed when they took him from my arms and swooped him off for the procedure.  What seemed like hours, only took a total of 15 minutes from the time we sat down in the waiting room until the time they called us to the recovery room.  The Doc said that there was a LOT of puss in his ears which really eased my worries. (I have been going back and forth with myself on whether Hudson really needed tubes, and hearing those words was a confirmation!) It was hard seeing our baby so drowsy/drunk looking!  He cried until they placed him in my arms and I quickly placed a milk bottle in his mouth!  He sucked the bottle down too quickly...and cried again.  The nurse had some concern over how his heart rate had elevated and called the anesthesiologist.  I gave him some juice which calmed him down which in turn, brought his heart rate down and the anesthesiologist realized that he had just been really upset. We were then released. 

My drowsy boy on the car ride home

As soon as we got in the truck he stopped crying and after a few bites of a "feel better" doughnut we arrived home where Mommy and Hudson cuddled up in the bed and took a 3 hour nap :)  We were good as new when we awoke!

Hudson after waking up from his nap (good as new!)

He smothered me with kisses!  It was soooo sweet!  I swear after nap, he began speaking better and the next day he took his 1st step!  The day following that, he took two steps!  The doc said that his ears being in the state that they were in could possibly mess with his speech (which he had slowed down on) and walking (equilibrium).  We are still tackling sleeping through the night but I know it may take some time until he is100% again. 

 If I had to do it again, I would still make the same choice.  I can really see a difference so I'm sure my little lamb can too!

Tubes and Teaching

After a long awaited ENT appointment, we learned today that little lamb will need tubes in his ears :(  I had hoped for a less invasive treatment (says the anesthesia freaky mommy), but knew deep down that he would most likely need them.  Poor guy has had a 2 month straight battle with a double ear infection that would NOT go away!  We've been on every antibiotic (including shots) and still revealed sick ears at the ENT's office this morning.  The doc said that the procedure lasts all of about 10 minutes and is usually harder on parents that the child!  Imagine that!  This is the first time we've ever had to put a child through a procedure and it is NO fun to even think about!  The date is set.  So, we shall worry away until the the tubes are in and our little man is well again...
On another note, Big sister Layla is doing great in school!  She can recognize OVER 100 words required to pass to the first grade!   She has exceeded!  She can now read short stories, spell some words by memory, count/write to over 100 now!  My favorite thing with her lately is watching her play school.  She sets all of her baby dolls around a table and gives them each a paper (with their name on it)  and a pencil.  She "teaches" them, reads to them, grades them, and gives them stickers!  She is a mini Mrs. Blalock!  It is hilarious!  Love that girl! The other day my grandma saw something with writing on it and assumed that I had wrote it, come to find out it was Layla's penmanship!  It is really impressive!  Kindergarten is flying by so quickly and I am beyond amazed at what they cram into 5 year old's heads these days!  I believe I learned my ABC's, 123's, and colors at her age!  sheesh!  I have also realized that I have become a hoarder of all of her school work!  I just can't part with any of it!  I know I'll have to slim down my stack at some point.  Another day...

P.S.  My lovely blog friend is having a Favorite Things Friday Giveaway!  Stop by her page and enter,  I know I am!

http://www.theglamlifehousewife.com/

Hudson James is 1!

Today, is the day....

My little sweet, cuddly, lamb turns 1!  I cannot express into words how quickly this year has gone by!  Where has the time gone?!  I've said it before and I'll say it again, and again...
You truly have no idea how fast time can fly by until you've become a parent!  It's true!

Little sweetheart, this is what you've been up to:
Your first word: Mama!
second: Dada!
third:  Layla!
fourth: Bye, Bye!
fifth: Duck, duck!
sixth: Eye!
You like to point at everything just like your sister did.  You have 10 teeth and are currently cutting another one :/  You are not walking quite yet, but sometimes you will stand holding onto nothing at all.  You like to be stable so you walk around tables and such holding onto whatever you can.  You pat puppies and are so gentle. You love your doggie sister Gracie!  You sleep in your crib now but do not always sleep through the night.  You are both the most cuddliest child and the strongest child I have ever seen.
You are a Mama's Boy and I eat it up!  I call you my little lamb because when you were a newborn you made sweet little noises that sounded like a lamb.  You love the color red and a red solo cup makes you very excited!  You love rubber duckies and sweet tea! (shame on Daddy!) You eat almost everything!  Some of your favorite foods include a lunchmeat sandwich, BBQ, and homemade mac n cheese!  You love milk and drink from a sippy cup now.  You just weaned from nursing!  Your favorite toy is a little baby piano that is in your room at daycare.  Your favorite teacher is Ms. Dee!  You love to be rocked and sang to.  Lullabies I sing to you:  "Godspeed" by the Dixie Chicks, "Beautiful Boy" by John Lennon, "You Are My Sunshine" and more. Oh, and did I mention...
I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE ONE?!!!!

I Love You!
Mommy

The Beginning...

I have had a blog for over a year now that I had big plans for.  I wanted it to be a place to document all of MY crafts and the crafts that I do with my daughter.
Well, a year later I look back and realize that I have only posted a handful of entries that all include nothing more than stories about my pregnancies/children/family and life!  Not one included a creative topic at all!  That is when I decided to begin a Family blog.  One where I can keep some sort of a journal of things that happen in our everyday lives!  So, feel free to join the journey with our Party of 4!

Jess