Today my son turned 2 years old.  It is unbelievable to me how quickly the time has passed.  Can he really be 2?  I remember the day he was born so clearly....

I woke early in the morning, over a week past the due date.  I had pain in my lower stomach.....contractions?  I could only hope that it was the beginning of labor.  After a call to the doctor, she told us to head to the hospital; it was time.  I tried to remain calm as I showered and got myself ready.  I was so anxious to meet this little person that I had been praying for for so many years now.  And now that it was finally time, I was feeling a little nervous. 

We arrived at the hospital around 6ish.  By 7am we were in the labor and delivery room, preparing for the birth of our son.  I had decided to give birth naturally.  And we had practice the Bradley method.  We soon settled into our relaxation techniques, and before I knew it, I was peacefully snoozing in between contractions.  Ofcourse the last few hours grew a bit more uncomfortable, but nothing I couldn't handle.  They checked my status, and I seemed to be stuck at 8cm.  They decided to break my water, and moments later, I thought I was dying the contractions were so strong.  I was so scared at that moment.  It was just minutes later and I was pushing.  I pushed for about an hour, and at 3:15pm he was born into this world, weighing in at 9lbs 5oz and 22in long. 

My heart raced, I could hardly believe he was here as the doctor held up the baby, and exclaimed, "it's a boy!"  As they laid him on my chest, no words would come.  He was here!  My son!  The miracle of it all is so astounding to me.  How can anyone not believe in our Lord and Father after being apart of such an amazing moment.  It still takes my breath away. 

The days that followed, were ofcourse, a rollercoaster.  I was so dearly in love with my son.  Scared at the responsibility that awaited me.  Tired beyond belief from caring for a baby who enjoyed crying through the night.  But I cherished the moments, where I would sit and rock with him and he would rest his little head on my shoulder.

And now my little son is 2.  He runs around the house, shouting "car" and "no".  He makes us laugh and cry.  He is determined and strong.  He is sweet and innocent.  My little boy is growing so fast, but I"ll never forget the moment he came into my life and made me a mother....his mother.

Happy Birthday to my sweet little boy!  I love you Cameron.

My Prayer

Cameron loves to hold his sister.  It's so sweet.  It melts my heart to see both of them together.  Their futures and hopefully, friendship flashes before my eyes.  I see the years whiz by as they play together, go to school together, fight together (but hopefully not too much of that one), hang out together, graduate high school,  help each other, support each other, be in each others weddings, become Aunts and Uncles to each others children.   

Oh my.

I just pray every day that the Lord gives me the strength and the wisdom to teach them exactly what they need, to become exactly the person that God wants them to be.  I want my children to change the world for Christ.

And I think they will.

Testing my Patience

Today has just been one of those days with my son.  Now let me start out by clarifying how much I love him.  He can be such a sweetie, but he also has a very quick temper and is extremely strong-willed.  Not a good combination.  All morning long he has been getting into trouble: throwing toys, hitting me or the dog, yelling, climbing on the chair and onto the counter, and just being an overall stinker in general.  I am so exhausted after constantly telling him "no", or sending him to time out, or giving a spanking.  I often begin to wonder on days like this, if I am doing this whole 'discipline' right?  Maybe I'm too strict for a toddler?  Maybe there's a better method that would work with him?  Maybe I'm not showing him in the right way who is 'boss'?  I am constantly second guessing myself.  Especially after he has had 2 or 3 spankings for getting out of his bed at naptime.  He knows he should stay in bed, but he quietly climbs out, watching to see if I'm coming back in room.  And when I do return he races back to his bed with this devious grin on his face.  Where did this child come from?  One time of that, and I would have never gotten back out of bed as a kid.  Maybe my son was switched at birth?  No that's not possible, he looks exactly like my husband.  I guess I carry on, and continue to pray that God will help show me what Cameron needs and what I should do in this area. And if you think of it....whisper a little prayer for me.

Meet my family

Well, I figure since you'll be hearing an awful lot about these characters, I should probably tell you a little bit about them. 

First, I would like you to meet my husband Nick.  He's the best!  And I am sure that I don't deserve him.  He is everything good, loving, kind, considerate, helpful.  And I feel so perfectly loved by him.  He scrubs toilets, loads the dishwasher, changes poopy diapers, gives kids baths, reads them stories, and gives piggy-back rides. He is my best friend and the love of my life.  I am so blessed to be his wife.

Next I would like you to meet my adorable and stubborn son, Cameron.   Cameron is almost 2 years old, and he keeps me on my toes.  From birth, he was always demanding, but would steal your heart with his smile.  Now we can see so much of his personality.  He will fight you until the very end if he thinks he is right (or sometimes just to drive me crazy, I am sure).  He always has a hug for you, and he loves all things cars, planes and trains. 

And last, but not least, my beautiful daughter Elissa.  She just turned 2 months old.   She is so easy going, and full of smiles right now.  But watch out for that bottom lip.  If you upset her, she'll stick it out a mile, begin to cry and break your heart. 

NOW let's do it!

It was about a year ago that I first attempted to set up this blog. But I really had no idea what I was doing, and quite frankly...felt a little silly. So I stopped. But now I'm ready to give it another go. Should be a good New Years resolution. I frequently find myself with a constant "narration" running through my head during the day. So many thoughts that I would love to share with others, or just jot down for me to look back on one day. Some are thoughtful, some are frivolous, and most will be about....my children. Because that is the most important thing that I am right now - a MOTHER. I just thought it would be so neat to share with myself, or whoever else is reading this, the daily happens in my home and my head. I have an 'almost' two year old (who has been in his terrible 2's for almost 8 months now), and a beautiful daughter,who is 2 months old today. My life is busy, and fun, and tiring, and now I'm going to share it.