"And the fun continues..."

     Getting used to having two kiddos has been interesting. On one hand the logistics of it all haven't been as bad as I thought they would be. Nap times have worked out ok...usually Ace naps in his little sheep seat while I put Cooper down, then we leave the room. Cooper still likes Ace, which is a big help; I was worried that the new was going to wear off. And Dalton has been able to take Cooper with him quite a few times, either for a little while or the entire morning. That's been good for Cooper and myself. The only awkward thing has been trying to feed Ace while keeping Cooper occupied and happy. I have to admit Cooper's watched more TV lately than I would like, but you do what you have to to make it through the crazy times. At least he watches mostly educational shows.

    The hardest part of this, for me, has been emotional. I swing back and forth from feeling bad for Cooper because he has to wait for my attention, and feeling like all I do with Ace is feed him and set him down. I'm finding a balance though, which I think is the key. I have to make time for both boys individually without making myself crazy. When I start thinking too much about it all and getting myself worked up, I remember my childhood and realize how horrible being an only child would have been. My brother was my best friend growing up. I hope that these guys are as close as we were, then it will be all worth it.
   Cooper has been watching Ace and I closely though, because he's started to imitate a few things. He'll get his horsey and put him in Ace's swing. Then, very carefully with both hands in proper form, he'll get horsey out and carry him around. He also puts a blanket around horsey before carrying him sometimes. Yesterday he wanted to put his puppy dog into the Snugli backpack carrier that I use for Ace. I shoudl have snapped a pic of him with it on and puppy inside. It's really sweet and shows just how much he observes and takes in.

One of the not so good imitations.. wanting to use the baby toys.

    As I said, I'm glad to have my two little guys, but I'm not going to lie, I'm ready for Ace to get out of this newborn stage and into one that's a little less fragile and a little more interactive. Dalton and I both like kiddos better once they pass the six month old mark. Ace is getting cuter by the day though, and he's starting to smile and coo. It's so precious. He's also been rolling over from belly to back...way early!

     The title of this post comes from a quote by Dalton. We definitely want to have more kids, but after having Ace, Dalton is trying to talk me into having the next one farther apart than Cooper and Ace are. I, on the other hand, see pregnant women and miss being pregnant. Don't misunderstand me though...I don't want to have another one for a couple of years! When things get crazy, Dalton says this phrase and I just laugh. Something about the way he says it just cracks me up. I'll give you a few scenarios:

     1. We were at the drive in with Garrett and Ace was crying. Dalton picked him up and everything was great. Then we heard Ace fill up his diaper..well apparently he overfilled it because Dalton found evidence on his shirt. "He pooped on me....and the fun continues."

   2. Cooper was throwing a fit at home (about what I can't remember because he does this often) and I was dealing with Ace so Dalton had to handle him. "And the fun continues."

   3. It was dinner time, Dalton, Cooper and I had just sat down to dinner while Ace was sleeping in his room. We finished our prayer, picked up our forks and Ace started crying. "And the fun continues."

   4. We're finally asleep at 3 a.m. when a little person appears at the side of the bed saying 'Dada.' Dalton gets up to take him back to bed "and the fun continues."

   You get the idea. But don't worry or let Dalton's comments mislead you; he's loving having his two boys and he's adjusting well. He hasn't started working extra late to avoid coming home or anything, so I think we're doing ok.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above." James 1:17

 

Weekend with Garrett

    Last weekend Garrett came to visit us. We were super excited for him to come and stay. He was supposed to come Friday night but got held up, so he came Saturday morning. We didn't expect him to get here until lunch, so when he showed up at 10 we were caught off guard...but pleasantly surprised.
    He came in and met Ace and held him for just a minute. I had to snap the picture quickly before he gave Ace back to me. Garrett says he likes kids over 2 and up. I understand...and was the same way before my own kids came along.

Uncle Garrett and Ace Garrett

     We had lunch and then Garrett showed us the gift he made for the boys. It's a handsome little cedar picnic table..just the perfect size for Cooper. It was a GREAT gift and we'll use it a lot. Cooper is already using it to escape from Gus when he gets too playful.

 Cooper is patiently waiting

 A perfect fit

Chilling with Uncle Garrett

 Checking out the construction job

     Then he got out another gift; this one is for Cooper's birthday. We tried to convince him to wait until May but he insisted. (I think he's afraid we're going to back out of visiting him for Coop's birthday, but we are going down there for sure.) It's a cute little fishing pole and tackle box. I had to go feed Ace about this time so I didn't get a lot of pics, but Dalton managed to snap one. I was watching out the window though and wish I could have gotten a picture of Uncle Garrett helping Cooper learn to push the button to cast and reel it in. I was surprised that Cooper could reel it in so well after only a short lesson. Now we have to hide the pole until fishing time for safety reasons. : )

Garrett's helping Cooper reel it in

     A little while later the boys all went fishing (well, not Ace of course) and I got things cleaned up around the house. They came back with no fish, but I think they had a good time anyway. They all got to paddle up the creek in the boat, which I wish I had a picture of.
     Before Garrett came I was trying to think of something fun for us all to do. We are limited with a newborn, but when I heard that Hunger Games was showing at the drive in I knew it was meant to be. I didn't know what Garrett would think of the idea, but he seemed excited to go..he'd never been to one before, which I hadn't realized. We all went to Potter's Pizza to eat, then dropped Cooper at Mere Mere and Popsey's and headed to the drive in.

The movie-goers (not my most flattering pic I know)

     The movie was great! I am so glad that I got to finish it on the big screen. And Garrett and Dalton had a good time too. They even both liked the movie, which was a big plus for me. Ace did pretty good too. When we went to pick up Cooper after the movie we expected him to be asleep but he came bounding out of the house. He was so cute. Of course he was asleep by the time we left the driveway.
     Sunday morning Garrett hung around for a little while and then headed back home. We really enjoyed his visit and can't wait to go fishing on the river with him next month.

 Ready for football...Garrett put baseballs in his shirt

Playing catch

"The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth." Psalm 145:18

Happy Easter!

     Well, we survived our first week solo (without Mom here to help), and it really went pretty smooth. Of course it helped that Dalton took Cooper with him to work two mornings. The most challenging part was nap time for Cooper, because Ace seems to wake up just before it's time for Cooper to go down. Still, there weren't any major problems. We'll see how it all goes when I take them both with me to the store or to run errands...that's when the challenges will begin. : )

     This weekend was Easter weekend and we were blessed to spend it with family. Saturday Dalton's aunts came to visit, along with Auntie M, Mere Mere and Popsey. The weather was beautiful so we all enjoyed burgers on the patio while we visited. It was so nice to see Aunt Kim and Aunt Rita, and to have visitors at the house.

 Cooper and Aunt Rita reading together

 Aunt Kim brought racing turtles from Cuba...so neat!

 One of the turtles

 Cooper's getting the wagon ride of his life. Hold on tight!

Pulling is much easier than pushing 

Aww, sweet big brother. Or is he just finding ways to stay close to the center of attention. : )

     Sunday morning we got up and dressed and headed to church. This was our first outing as a complete family of four, and it went really well. We made it to church on time, enjoyed a great celebration of Christ's resurrection with our church family, and then headed to Aunt Ellen's for Easter lunch and egg hunting.

 Ready for church, Bible in hand. Made me tear up it's so precious. : )

 Happy first Easter Ace!

 "Now explain this egg hunting thing again?"

The cousins are ready to hunt!

     Cooper got to hunt eggs with his cousins this year and he really enjoyed it. At first he just ran through the eggs and then would pick up one, but didn't get the concept. Then he shook one, figured out something was in the eggs, and that really got him motivated. He would pick up an egg and let out a hooray, then take it to his basket and go for another one. He found a spot with several eggs, which made him really excited. There were plenty of people on hand to help him hunt too, so he was sure to be successful. It was great fun!

 Aunt Ellen trying to help Cooper

 He hit the jackpot in the rose bed

 Proud of his collection

Mere Mere and Popsey helped him find some eggs too

     Ace behaved wonderfully all day too. He was wide awake during church and then slept through most of lunch. Then he woke up to visit with the family before we had to leave. When we got home from our festivities we all had a nice nap and enjoyed our evening together.

     Now another week has begun and we are just enjoying everyday activities. The garden is growing, and the need for weeding has begun...this will help me get some form of outdoor exercise anyway. I've gotten some more lettuce from the garden, so it's salad time! And one of our strawberry plants is producing. Cooper brought me a strawberry and when I tried to take it from me he protested. He wanted to eat it. So I washed it off and handed it back to him and he proceeded to eat the entire thing. I snuck a nibble and it was pretty tart, but I guess that didn't matter to him. I think he likes getting to eat food he's picked himself.

‎"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" 1 Peter 1:3

Gardening Part 2

     Friday night Dad and Pearson arrived to spend the weekend and take Mom back home. We were excited for visitors, especially for Pearson to come so that Cooper would have a buddy to play with. Dalton  went into town for a birthday dinner with his family, so it was just Mom, the boys and I here when they arrived. Soon after they arrived I discovered that they had not traveled alone...

     Meet the newest member of our family! Gus the dog. He's 3/4 Great Pyrenees and 1/4 lab. He should be a great dog for the family.

 What you imagine the meeting to be like...

 The reality 

 Dad coaxing Cooper to pet Gus

 He's so soft!

     Cooper isn't too sure about him yet. He usually likes dogs from a distance, and not up close. But he's slowly getting used to him and likes to watch him play. In the last couple of days he's even played tug of war with him, using an old lead rope. I think they'll be good friends. Plus, Gus will help keep critters away from the house, including snakes...a big plus.

 Pearson gave Cooper a few climbing lessons

 Playing games on GG's phone

Cooper's turn

     It didn't take long for Cooper and Pearson to start playing together, and for the entire weekend Cooper followed Pearson around pushing trucks and trailers. It was cute to see how he interacted with an older buddy, he acted like such a big boy.

It took a little while for them to warm up to each other

Checking out the bass boat

     Saturday morning we had a big breakfast of eggs (of course) and sausage. Then we broke the news to the visitors that there was gardening to do. We had to take advantage of free help. : ) While Mom and I watched Pioneer Woman, Dad and Dalton readied the garden by making tilling and making rows. Then I went out to help plant while Mom supervised the boys.

 The boys feeding Sat morning

 Planning each row

 Enjoying the freshly tilled dirt

 Harvesting my lettuce 

     We planted tomatoes, green beans, peas, cantaloupe,  cucumber, okra, squash, zucchini, and strawberries (in a raised bed). It's always fun to plant the new little plants or seeds..almost as much fun as  picking the first produce from the plants.

All the guys in one shot!

This is Ace enjoying gardening

     While we planted, Pearson and Cooper played with play-doh, Cooper's tent and tunnel, and toy trucks. They also practiced hunting Easter eggs, courtesy of Rachel. Gus the dog was never far away and Cooper always had an eye on him. By the way Gus looks really cute in the yard...his white coat compliments the green grass very nicely. : ) Ace napped in the bouncer during all of the action. We were fortunate to have a nice day that wasn't windy.

 Where's Pearson?

Brothers : ) 

     After the garden work we all enjoyed the nice weather, then had lunch. Then it was naptime for most of us...including myself. How nice it was! That evening Mere Mere and Popsey came over to visit. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera out at the time so I don't have any pictures of them...funny Mom seemed to avoid the camera too. I'll get them all next time for sure. We visited outside and then had PW meatloaf for dinner.

 John Deere shirt in the John Deere tractor

     The next morning the travelers got their things together and headed out about 10:30. We were sad to see them go but anxious to start our new, normal life as a family of 4. So far it's been really nice and smooth...busy, but smooth. Of course I haven't made any trips to town with both boys, so we'll see how that goes when the time comes!

 Sweet baby feet!

 "The Lord is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all His works." Psalm 145:9