Say What?

I'm attempting to right down all the funny things Olivia says. However she's at the age where just about everything is funny, so it's hard to keep track of it all. That being said, here are a few of the funny things she's said recently.
"I say my verse in the microwave."
"Hap-birthday! To Lupe!" (Luke)
"I grew underwear."
Today I was looking at a book with Ronan and Olivia wanted it. So when I was done I gave it to her. A couple of seconds later she handed it back. "It's ok. He can have it. I get 'nother one on my birthday."

When A Home Becomes A House And A House Becomes A Home

If you close your eyes, everything is the same as it was a week ago. All the furniture is back in the house. The echo in the rooms is gone. Everything just the way you liked it. Then you open your eyes and your eyes well up with tears. There are so many memories here. This is the home you brought your babies home to. You take a deep breath. You remember what is important. You still have your husband and kids. You will make new memories - some good and some bad. You have a new place to live in - brand new. How cool is that? You have so. many. blessings. So you smile through your tears and look forward to the future. Knowing that the Lord is going to help you make your new house a home. Now, time to go clean the old house. :)

Growing up

(This was written about a month ago and I left it as a draft thinking I would add more to it later, but I never did.)
Well the last 2 Fridays we've had Doctor visits. Olivia's on the 4th and Ronan's on the 11th. They're both healthy, growing well, and advanced for their age. Stuff I know, but it's always good to hear a professional opinion. :)
Olivia - 2 1/2 years:
Weight - 23lbs, 6oz (2%)
Height - 34.25 in (15%)
Yeah... she's never been a very chunky kid. But she is growing. Hmmm, might have a little of "like mother, like daughter" going on here. The Dr. jokingly showed me her BMI (I don't remember what it was), and said he doesn't think we'll have to worry about that.
She knows her colors most of the time, can count to 14, and loves to sing her ABC's. She doesn't recognize all her letters yet, but it's not something I really help her work on. She loves to build stuff with her mega blocks and has even made an airplane all by herself. I was impressed! 

Ronan - almost 4 months (16 weeks):
Weight - 12lbs, 10oz (20%)
Height - 25.5 in (75%)
Head Circumference - 41.5 cm (30%)
His weight dropped percentage - wise, but he eats til he's stuffed and he's very active. He does 360 circles, stomach crunches, and scoots around on his back til he comes off his blanket on the floor. Then he cries cause he wants back on his blanket. He rolled from his stomach to his back at 2 months, but it was on the bed and the bed was sloped toward me. At 3 months he rolled over again on the floor, twice in one day, but now that he knows he can do it, I guess he feels like he doesn't really need to anymore. He wants so bad to be able to sit up on his own (hence the stomach crunches), and can't stand it if he can't see and be a part of whatever is going on. Most of the time he is very happy and gives you dimpled smiles that just melt your heart. ;)

"I am not my kids' god. He is their God." This thought is very overwhelming. It's hard to imagine that anyone could love my kids more than I do. It's also humbling, because as much as I love them, He does love them more, and he loves me the same way he loves them. I've been trying to love with open hands. Loving and protecting my family with every ounce of my being and yet leaving them in God's hands. This is so hard for me to do. To give them to God and trust that he'll do what's best for them. And when it's not what I would want it to be, trust that He'll give me strength and courage to accept it. Most of the time I tell the Lord I'm leaving them in His hands, but I'm still clinging to them, not wanting to let go. No one wants anything bad to happen to their family. For me the fear can be paralyzing. I hate leaving Olivia at someone else's house. I pray the whole time I'm away from her that we'll all be together at the end of the day, happy and healthy. I pray every day that God will keep Ryan safe while he's at work. I still check on Olivia every night before I go to bed to make sure she's still breathing and now I check on Ronan, too. And I thank Him so much for keeping us safe and well. And although the tears stream down my cheeks as I say "I give them to you, Lord, with open hands", I remember that they were His before they were ever mine. They are precious gifts from Him. I love my family so much.

Olivia

My goodness, this child is too funny. Every day it seems she is doing something that makes me smile or laugh. This was today when she was listening to VegiTales. I missed the very beginning when she was really bee-bopping her head to the music.

Don't ask me where she got the idea that this is a bra, but she loves to wear one. ;)

 The other day I was helping her get dressed...
"What's this? Oooh, underwear!"
"Actually, Olivia, it's called a diaper cover."
"Oh! Haha! A diaper cover? Thanks, Mom, you're the best!"
This was accompanied by a huge hug. Melted my heart. made me laugh, too, when I was trying to figure out where she'd heard "you're the best". Probably Mickey Mouse. Can't you hear it - "Thanks, Minnie, you're the best!" But she's said it several times since then and every time my heart melts a little.

This might be a little TMI, but it's funny none the less. We got her a little toddler seat to go on the toilet and so she's starting to go potty like a "big girl" some. The other day she was sitting there and said, "Oh, it's coming, it's coming! Hmmm. (toot) I pooped!" So very proud of herself. ;)

She still thinks of my stomach whenever she sees a balloon. It usually sounds like this...
"A bayoon (balloon)! Mama's tummy pop!"
"Mama's tummy popped?"
"Get Wonan (Ronan) out. Doctor."
"Mama went to the Doctor and he helped her get Ronan out of her tummy?"
"Yeah! It pop! My doctor?"
"You want to go to the doctor?"
"Yeah."

She still loves coloring and writing. You have to watch her though, because sometimes she makes a bit of a mess.

Luckily this was a dry eraser marker and came right off the table.

She loves to sing. A few of her favorites right now:
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
ABC song
Pop Goes the Weasel
Ring Around the Rosie
(These two are usually sung together, "Pop goes the rosies, ashies, ashies, we all fall down.")
Building Up the Temple
Zacchaeus
Deep and Wide
Yesterday she even played the piano very nicely while she sang "My Peace I Give Unto You".

Things she loves...

Looking at herself in the mirror.

Cats

Being a big sister.

SomethingTo Think About

Today I came across this. It really struck a cord with me. I haven't read very much of her blog, but what I have read makes me think that some how she is reading my thoughts and writing them down for me. I found it when I read this. I love reading things that I can relate to. But then who doesn't? ;)

"You're Gonna Miss This"

I think I've mentioned before about how I come up with all these good things to say when I'm busy. Well, yesterday was a busy day. Laura came over and helped me clean my house. It hasn't been this clean since my parents cleaned it for me. ;) She even brought her steamer over so she could get all the gunk off my kitchen floor that doesn't come off with normal mopping. I normally get down on my hands and knees a couple of times a year and scrub it really good, but the steamer is so much nicer. So anyway, while I was cleaning, I was reflecting. Reflecting on how busy life is right now. About no matter how hard you try, you can't get everything done in a day that you would like to. About my growing pile of clean laundry on the guest bed waiting to be folded/hung up. About the pile of laundry that still needs to be washed. About how incredibly blessed I am to have those piles of laundry (and the guest bed to put them on). ;) About not having as much time as I would like to spend with my kids to just enjoy them. About not having as much time with Ryan as we used to have. And the whole time I was thinking of this song. This song brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it, because it's so true. One of these days I want to get some of my pictures together and make a slide show with this song. I just want to treasure every minute of my day, because the days go by so fast. I have an almost 2-1/2 year old and a 2 month old! And it seems like it wasn't that long ago that Ryan was asking me if I wanted to start writing him. And I wished those days away. Always waiting for the next time I would see him. (And I'm not saying it should have been different.) But I wish I had focused more on enjoying my time with my family, because now I look back and kind of wish I could relive those days. Singing at the top of my lungs with Drew in the car, driving to work with Dad to fill in as "secretary" at Caffes-Steele (and Drew and I helping push the car down 95 when we ran out of gas on the way home ;)), eating lunch out with Mom while we were shopping, and going down to Molly's and giving her a bad time about how I always had to do her dishes when I was there. There are so many good memories of my childhood, teen years, and early 20's. There are bad memories, too, but mostly good ones. And then so many good memories of life with Ryan and starting our little family. Moving to a new part of the country and making new friends - friends that I can't imagine not having. Friends with kids the same ages as mine. Friends that help me feel so normal. ;) And yet I need to treasure the hard times, too, because those are the times that make us stronger and bring us closer to the Lord. Those are the ones I would rather just shove under the rug and not think about, but they are there. And they don't have to be completely bad memories if we let God work his will in us and shine through us even in those times. Because looking back on some of the hard times, I can actually smile. Not because I don't remember the tears and frustration, but because I can see how He helped me through it. Sometimes with a whisper, sometimes with an overwhelming since of peacefulness, sometimes through encouragement from someone close to me, and sometimes with a beautiful day. And so I want to live remembering the past, looking to the future, but focusing on today. Because I don't want to miss out on anything because I'm too focused on how I wish things could be.