My place to brag about my kids! What parent doesn't want to do that? Even when they act like terrors, at the end of the day, we still think they are the most beautiful things we've ever seen, and are filled with love for them. Their accomplishments, no matter how small or uninteresting to others turns us parents into stammering, sappy kids in a candy store. So I'll start with Thomas. The first born, and the one placed on this earth not just to bless my life, but to test my patience, push my buttons, make me want to have temper tantrums and kick and scream, and wonder if this parenting thing is really for me, or if God made a mistake trusting me with this little life. Actually, I'm pretty sure Thomas' God given temperament is God's sense of humor, and also his way of teaching me that I need to parent Thomas the way God parents me. I look at that kid and I see myself and it drives me bananas! He's mouthy, hard headed, stubborn and has to have the last word. I just cannot imagine where he gets that from! :) But then I think, I wonder how often I can be like that with God. I'm stubborn and want my own way, and hard headed and don't always get it-what he wants me to do. And I want God to show me grace and forgiveness and understanding, so I really feel as if God is using my son as my lesson. And my goodness is it a hard lesson to master! I'm pretty sure I fail daily. I'm not afraid to admit that half the time I have no idea what I'm doing, or how to react and I end up losing my temper and do it wrong. I'm glad that God isn't that way with me. Or with him!
I know my relationship with Thomas is different with than with my other kids because it was just him and I for so long, and I know guilt plays a big role in how I treat him or interact with him, because I know I did not give him the start in life he deserved because I was not married and his biological father wanted nothing to do with him. But even so, I know I was blessed far beyond what I deserved. God brought people into our lives to love on us and support us, starting before he was born. We lived in California and still attended the church I was saved in with people I consider to be family more so than any blood related family I have. They supported us and loved us from the moment they knew I was going to have him, to his baby shower, and the day he was born (and days before), his circumcision, and after. The Children's Pastor's wife took me to the hospital when I went into labor and stayed through the whole birth. I think she saw a whole other side she may not have wanted to see! And not just while giving birth, but when my water broke and I slipped and fell in it and my gown flew open. It was an accidental mooning:) I also had one of my best friends and my mom (even though she was high) there to encourage me during the whole birth giving process. God showed his love for me and my son through many of them, and I still feel blessed to know them and have them as friends even though I am so far away now. Then when we moved up here, and we lived with a couple who I now cannot imagine not being a part of our family. They helped me raise Thomas until I got married, and continue to be the best grandparents to all of my children. In fact, Thomas likes them better! Grandmas get the good job-they don't have to be the bad guy! Grandma was there when Jaksyn was born (I gave birth in her night gown, since I stayed with them during the heat wave in their air conditioning and had to borrow a night shirt), and she was there when Tirzah was born (this time in a hospital gown:). I love them like parents and they treat me like a daughter, and Thomas, Jaksyn and Tirzah are their grandkids and they love them like that. It's so amazing to me that when we lack in family, God provides even though he should be the only one we need, we still need people with skin:)
But even in the family we have, Thomas still needed a dad, and I needed a husband and companion, and God provide again! Stephen came into our lives when Thomas was under two, and not talking yet, so it wasn't a hard transition for him, and now he doesn't remember a time without him and he is his dad and that's all he knows! He has been a great dad and there for Thomas since we were still dating. When Thomas was in the hospital with C Difficile and Rotavirus, with dehydrating diarrhea and losing weight, Stephen drove across the bridge every day to see us. He brought me food and offered to do my laundry as I had to be up there the whole time Thomas was. Thomas leaked massive diarrhea all over Stephen's leg, and he still came back the next day. (Though I later found out that he drove home pantsless!) Then when he was out of the hospital as he was no longer contagious, but still had an upset stomach, he puked his insides out all over Stephen again. I say he just wanted to break him in right! With all the chaos and all my baggage, and the fact that I had a little boy, he still married me. What a good man! What a good dad! Anyways, that's all for now. More on Thomas to come, I am sure-he is not a boring child, and coming up next are Jaksyn and Tirzah. Stay tuned or run for your life!
Ok, so it's been awhile since my last blog. I'm really terrible at follow through. I'm sort of a sporadic journalist, and I probably have 6 different diaries with maybe a few pages filled out in each. There are no Anne Frank-like novels based off my writings in the future:)
So, I've written about Thomas, and now onto my beautiful Jaksyn! Man, I love that kid! He is sooo much like Stephen, which if you know Stephen, means he is a total clown, and I just find him hilarious! He is 21 months old, and I already have visions of him in Kindergarten in a corner with the dunce cap on! He does things just for the reaction and for the laugh. He dances, he runs into walls, he makes hilarious faces. While he is not free entertainment (whoever said kids are free entertainment, has never had kids. Or, never bought a pack of diapers. Seriously, something that gets pooped in should not cost that much. It's just crappy to make money off of poop:) Andyways, while the entertainment is not free, I do get a show from the privacy of my own home. He is our big eater-Thomas eats like a bird and Jaksyn came out of the womb eating. He never lost weight after birth like most babies-he gained two ounces! Surprisingly he is quite trim, despite the deceiving round face that makes people think he is chubby. He's got those round cheeks and face like Stephen, and I have actually had people say he is huge. Hmm, nice observation, but he is under the 50 percentile in both weight and height, just average, and the boy has Thomas' waist, which means I get to scour for jeans in sizes 12 and 18 months with an adjustable waist band to cinch them in. I wish he'd put on a little chub-baby clothes are made for fat babies, and finding a fit for the boys can be a challenge. But he still eats like a horse, tho I supposes not eating a bunch of crap helps, and he's quite active. Speaking of crap-why does it come as such a surprise that I do not feed my not yet two year old candy? It's as if people think he is deprived of sweets. I give them treats, they are just usually made at home, and he doesn't have all of his teeth. It's just funny that people actually ask why he can't have candy. I'm a choking paranoid mom, and I like cavity free non obese children. Which doesn't mean they never get it, but come on! That said, it's nice that sweets are just an occasional treat, because it's a bigger deal to them. Example-Jaksyn's first birthday. That is some of the best cake eating, frosting mess making I have EVER seen. It was epic! See FB for photos! When I need a pick me up after a bad day, pulling up those images is just the thing. Man did he do a good job!
So between Thomas and Jaksyn, the hard headed gene has reared it's ugly head, and I get a taste of myself on a daily basis. Jaksyn isn't quite as defiant or strong willed as Thomas, but the boy is determined and pretty hard headed. Buttons in out house are not safe. It's as if he cannot stand to walk by a button and not push it. He knows he'll get in trouble, and you can see to angel/devil shoulder jaksyn's debating, but the naughty prevails. Our desktop computer has suffered a terrible death, I'm sure because Jaksyn would wait till we are out of the room and turn it off and on. Or come up while one of us is on it, and with that "I can't help myself' look on his face, turn it off mid email or FB post. He does the same to the XBox, TV phones, remotes, ect. For his birthday we need to get him a giant button that says " DO NOT PUSH." He would just be in heaven! Actually, I am at a loss as to what to get him for his birthday. Thomas has passed down an overabundance of things so thinking of something that does not add to the chaos of toys and things taking up space we don't have is proving a bit challenging. So I think I have decided that rather than more toys for birthdays with the exception of a bike for Thomas and possibly a baby pool or sand table for Jaksyn, that tickets or passes to the Seattle Children's Museum or Theature would be an awesome idea! I love our zoo pass, so a family pass to another kid friendly place would be super fun!
