Toddlers, Vacations, and Personal Growth

We have made it to October, which means that I missed the 1 year post for E and the 2 year post for AJ. I have no excuses, but life goes on and here we are; so let's get started.

E turned 1 year old last month and I am coming to grips with the 2 toddler thing. She is walking and jabbering and climbing and squealing! She is simply a happy kiddo whose only complaint is teething and exhaustion. I am so grateful for the way that she shows love and cuddles with me when she is sleepy. E also learns quickly and AJ is teaching her how to climb. Right now it's on my yoga block, strewn about boxes and their picnic table.

AJ is 2! I am floored by how quickly these stages are going. She tells me when she needs to poop (yeah, that's a big deal), she's in a twin bed now (which is going great at bed time - not so much with the afternoon nap), and she prefers cakes to cookies ;) She also likes pizza. AJ has such an independent spirit and loves to help PJ and I get things done. It is so humbling to see how much she knows and understands and exciting to grow as a mom teaching her how to serve others.

This weekend my mom is throwing them a Little Mermaid themed birthday party and I'm excited to take photos of the frosting all over their faces! The girls love all of their grandparents and it melts my heart to see their smiles and hear their squeals whenever they see any of them walk through the door. We all joke about how it's because, "toddlers know they can get away with a lot more when they have grands around," but I know that it is so much more than that. My girls have a beautiful bond with their grandparents and I see it in their eyes even when our parents are not around. AJ asks for them and they yearn to spend time together. It truly is precious.

As far as life goes, things have been going really well. I am at the gym 4-5 times a week. Team Training is 2-3 times and I like to swim laps on the weekends. It has been so awesome to feel the progress and see the numbers climb for personal bests. I feel more energetic and see how God is using my fitness goals to grow me in self-control, diligence, discipline and endurance. You can read more on my fitness blog, I won't take up too much space here on the family page.

PJ is doing great at work. I am so proud of his team, and I know he is too. In the past, vacation has been a headache to come back from because things have backed up and the technicians were overwhelmed without him there. Last week we were on official vacation, but he actually left work early on Friday and was gone from his store a total of 9 days. He went back to a great setup and there were no crises while he was out. I do not even remember him receiving a call but once while he was off.

God has been so faithful to soften my own heart and help me put things into perspective this week. I typically dread the end of vacation because that means I am back at home without help throughout the day and I do not get to have as much time to myself. I feel selfish for wanting so much time to myself, but that's where I'm at. The Lord has given me an extra measure of His patience and grace as AJ is bed training and having a difficult time harnessing the freedom during her only nap of the day. E has developed preferences for food and has not been eating as well as she was before; also, she is still using the bottle as a pacifier and takes 2 per day.

As much as I feel like she could probably go down to 1, I'm having trouble letting it go because the 1st is in the afternoon and I think it helps her sleep even though AJ delays that nap. Also, I am putting off potty training because I simply don't want to deal with it. I am being real, here. I know it has to happen, but I will likely wait until after Thanksgiving so PJ can help for her first week.

All that to say, I am so grateful for the Lord's constant provision and faithfulness to help us through every milestone. Thank you all who have been praying for us, I know that has been a HUGE impact for us. We are so grateful for the church family and our families He has surrounded us with.

Life Update - December '16

Someday, I'll go back to keeping a schedule and having consistency in writing. For now, though, we have consistent fluctuations in our home, so it is what it is!

AJ is doing great! She is 14 months now and on the move. She loves being tickled, her favorite game is Peek-a-Boo, and she adores her baby sister. E is already 2 months old getting more tummy time and squirming all over the place. She enjoys the lullaby on her baby play mat and watching the mobile. She is such a happy baby, and we cannot get enough of her smiles.

PJ and I had an awesome anniversary vacation together. We decided to stay in town and celebrate with Disney passes. As excited as I am for Thursday mornings at the parks with our little family, I am ecstatic for mommy-daughter dates with AJ in a few months when E is on solids and we can sneak away for a time to enjoy Fantasyland, Pirates, and Haunted Mansion together, as well as California Adventure's Monster's Inc, The Little Mermaid, Bug's Land, Cars Land and the Frozen show. Hubby and I are also looking forward to rare Fridays off to enjoy with one another and letting our littles stay with their grands!

Today PJ had to go back to work, it was tough, but he survived. There were just a couple of issues, but the smooth transition back was aided by an excellent team that kept ahead of the scripts. We are so grateful for his team, he because they all help him look good and the store is in an excellent position; me because when he is encouraged, I am encouraged. As much as I dislike his commute and the fact that trying to have lunch with him is a whole day event that is a rarity, he loves his team and neither of us can imagine him having to be at a new store with new coworkers.

Jessy is trying to find a rhythm for life, but there always seems to be something coming up. Prayerfully, the Christmas season will go smoothly, but we really feel that maybe this is not the best season to have an infant. If the Lord blesses us with more growth, we hope that number 3 comes sometime in the early summer so we can sleep more by the holiday season!

God is so incredibly gracious. Jessy is growing in patience and having the teaching of kindness on her tongue. PJ is still listening to sermons on his way to work. We are trying to do sermon application questions as our weekly study together. Our small group is working through Ephesians, also, so we work through that together to prepare for discussions. We are so proud of AJ and her ability to play with the big kids at group. Now, if we could just get her to be comfortable enough not to scream and fuss on Sunday mornings in the church nursery. Thank you, nursery workers, we love and appreciate you!

I think that's it, for now!

<3 Jessy

Life Update

So, this month is a busy one, and this first weekend is no exception! Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I am sitting here in bed composing this blog while my wonderful husband updates our budget before we go to sleep. I cannot help but consider how grateful I am for the servant's heart he has for our family. He spends his days at work, patiently dealing with difficult customers and learning his role as a manager (which is itself an ongoing learning experience), then he comes home to play with a joyful daughter that we both could not be more delighted to have, and after dinner he spends his evening encouraging me and making sure I am thriving as a Christian, as a wife and as a mommy.

Tomorrow, we will enjoy our church and then spend the afternoon with our family finding out the gender for baby number 2 so we can start calling them by name and tell AJ she will have a little brother or sister instead of having to keep saying "sibling" because it is driving us crazy! LOL We are so excited to find out! My mom finally found (on Etsy) a big sister onesie for 6-9mos size... I guess there is not enough of a market for mass producers to make them for kiddos under the age of 1 hehe. We will be posting a layout photo with her and our ultrasound photos for the reveal, so keep an eye out.

AJ is doing so well this week! She is adjusting nicely into a new schedule, playing hard, standing up all over the place, and eating lots of solids - well twice a day - (along with 4 bottles a day!). She is growing up right before my eyes and it is such an incredible blessing to sift through photos of her and see how much she has changed in such a short amount of time. I cannot wait to see how she grows into a little girl, but I already know these stages are going to pass by so fast, I don't want to rush through them. 

On the gluttony front, I am still struggling with food intake and staying healthy, but this past week I have walked A LOT and given myself every excuse to keep up with my steps goals. I know that real health starts in the kitchen on what I choose to put into my body, but this is a lifelong struggle, so changes and habits are not going to change overnight. However, I can tell you that because I have been walking, choices have been getting better and I feel a lot better throughout the day and the next when I have achieved my goals. 

As far as the pregnancy itself goes, I cannot complain. I am starting to notice more movement, so I'm not forgetting that I am pregnant anymore. LOL I love feeling #2 move around and cause flutters in my tummy. I am feeling really good and this has been an awesome week. I cannot wait to celebrate Mother's Day tomorrow and enjoy hubby's day off! 

Love, 

Jessy 

Numbers 6:24-25