The White Stuff

It's official. Nathan has entered that age where everything he does is cute. 

When I walked in to the room, the whole table was dancing - 

with the exception of Hayden, who was crying he was laughing so hard. 

I think we can all agree that he 

got his groove {and his love for Oreos} from his Mamma! 

Dear Nathan,

You are two years old today.

The craziest part about this is that I want to simultaneously say 'how is that even possible?' and  'it seems like you've been a part of this family forever'.

You are the most easy going baby big boy in the world!

Take note: I said easy GOING, not EASY.

Big Difference.

You are totally go-with-the-flow and always up for the whatever adventure the day holds - looking up at us with those big blue eyes waiting to be drug along to the next sporting event of one of your older brothers.

Nap times are flexible. Eating times are flexible. You potty trained yourself. You can be held by anyone.

Sounds easy enough, right?

Not so fast.

You have single-handedly turned the baby safety industry on it's head. Baby Proofing Executives everywhere need to go back to their drawing board and figure out new ways to keep you out of stuff.

"Pffff, plugs and doorknobs? That's all you've got?" you scoff!

"Boring!"

"How about you try to baby-proof the top of a kitchen table? Or the knife compartment in the dish washer? Then we can talk about safety!"

Sure, the spankings you get sting for a minute - but the adrenaline rush you must get from dumping out a brand-new bowl of dog food into the water bowl - or filling up a pitcher of water and pouring it in my closet - or getting toilet paper wet in the potty and throwing it onto the walls and ceiling- must make it all worth it.

So to celebrate this year, we did what we've done the past two years - we all got deathly sick. Around here, we prefer to stay well for 11 months out of the year - and then knock out ALL OF THE illnesses in one single month. And that month just so happens to be your birth month.

Happy Birthday Buddy! Pass The Germs!

This year, it was just like when you were born on that cold February day two years ago. Hayden had just gotten over strep, and Blake was diagnosed with RSV and the flu and a terrible rash....because Davis doesn't wash his hands enough. OBVIOUSLY.

The day before you were born, I just felt off so I went to the hospital to get checked out.

In hindsight, I think it was more of me just wanting a break from all the sickness in the house - than so-called mother's intuition.  But God was watching over you - even before you had graced us with your presence. He introduced us four weeks early because UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, my water had broken.

See, stuff like that happens when you are busy doing life. Your water breaks and you have absolutely NO IDEA.

Your whole birth was such a blur. In fact, I was in such a state of delirium that at one point a nurse came into give me medicine and asked me to verify my name and birthday and I literally had to cheat and look at my wristband for the answer.

True story.

I guess if I'm being honest, it would be fair to admit that your whole first year was a blur. When you turned one, I realized I had forgotten to order your birth certificate. You know, you're the fourth kid - so small details like a BIRTH CERTIFICATE tend to get overlooked.

But no worries. We got it ordered. You are official now.

Happy 2nd Birthday Buster Brown! I love the way you give bear hugs. I love how you have the best manners in the family. I love how you jump up and down in your crib - always so excited to start your day. I love that you love my cooking and are the first to the dinner table. I love how much you adore your big brothers. I love that God finally decided to use some of my genes in the making of Baby #4.

I love you more than words can describe!

Love,
Mom-Mom

{The Blogs I Never Posted} Dog Food

So, there's something that's been bothering me for a while now. 

It's my "Draft" Section on my blog. 

Somehow I have 60 "draft" blogs that I started at some point in the last 8 years - but I guess got sidetracked in the middle of- how does that happen?- and never hit post. 

(Holy Moly! I've been blogging for 8 years!)

Most of them are just titles, although some of them have been started - and some even have a picture included. As I scan through the titles on these drafts, some of them very well could be Blogging Gold - if I could only remember the story behind them. 

Anyway, I figure I have two options to solve this problem: 

I could go through and delete all of them; 

 or I could go through and attempt to finish and post them. 

There must be a good story behind each of these titles if I took the time to type it out "so I wouldn't forget" and so, to just delete these memories feels so wrong... since they clearly no longer reside in my head. 

So, every Friday, I am going to attempt to finish one of my drafts. 

Hopefully, I will remember some of the stories - or at the very least, maybe it will prompt me to tell a new, more recent story....so without further adieu: 

***

Dog Food

This is Blake eating dog food. 

Or maybe it's Nathan. 

I'm not 100% sure. 

I am pretty sure it is Blake, but it's hard to say 

because the dog food eating phase was relatively short for Blake. 

Nathan, on the other hand, PREFERS dog food.

LOVES it! 

He often feeds Angel his pancakes and eggs in the morning 

and then heads to the bathroom to grab a handful of Pedigree (small breed) Dog Food. 

He's a smart boy though.

He knows eating dog food is frowned upon, 

(warranting a spanking even)

so when he gets caught in the act, he pretends like he was just giving a handful to Angel. 

And of course, Angel goes along with this charade to stay in his good graces. 

The Littlest Boy and The Biggest Spoon

You know who gets his first bowl of cereal with 

EXTRA milk 

and a ginormous serving spoon?

The littlest boy.

The one with three older brothers at his beck and call. 

{There's no wrong way to eat a bowl of cereal!}

An Attempt at a Metaphor

Davis: Wow Nathan! You walked like TEN MILES for an ANT. 

Hayden: Davis, that makes no sense at all. 

Davis: Yes it does. If Nathan were an ant, he would have walked what felt like ten miles

Hayden: But he's NOT an ant Davis! He's a BOY! 

Leg Warmers On Boys

My Kids Facebook Stream

If My Kids Were On Facebook

Have you guys seen this or this? I can't take credit for the idea, but as soon as I saw it I knew I had to incorporate it into my blog because my kiddos have a lot to say.

This will be a new segment I am introducing on my blog that will allow me to poke fun at the nuances on my facebook stream AND let you all in on the craziness going on around the Lyle house.

Obviously, they are not going to be allowed to use Facebook until they turn 30 and can also prove they know the difference between their, there and they're...but I am sure this is exactly what their feed would look like.

MORE TO COME!

Some Days

I look forward to checking the mail.

Some days I walk back up the driveway extra slow, and linger as I sift through the junk mail / bills / and cards full of box tops (thank you Grandma Lyle!).

Those days...this is what I find when I arrive at the front door.

It feels good to be missed.

{I'll miss being missed one day.}

Sitting Up Without {Falling}

Sitting up today...

arguing with me about wearing collared shirts tomorrow.

{Black and White}

{Size}

 

This was the growth guessing game that was written
on the dry erase board for Nathan's birth.

 

It's become a tradition to guess the
weight, height. and time of birth during the labor process

to help pass the time, and bring into play
my favorite thing ever - a competition.

 

Not to gloat, but I totally ROCKED my guesses,
coming in at FIRST PLACE!

 

Nathan was born at 7:01pm, weighing 6 lbs 2 ounces,
 and was 19 inches long.
 

Granted, I could have stalled my  "pushing" to secure the win,
but note that I was right on the money on the weight
and only 1/4 of an inch off on the height.

 

That's less than a CENTIMETER people!

 

I think you could say, by the fourth time around,

I was pretty good at making these sorts of predictions.

{Tiny} Boy

This boy caused me to get another "Needs Improvement" stamp today.

I'll spare you the details but just know that it involved poop and Hobby Lobby.

That sentence doesn't really do it justice.

Poop Everywhere!

Inside his outfit.
Outside his outfit.
From his shoulder blades to his toes.
On my hands.
On my yet to be purchased scrapbook paper.
On the carseat.
On my Diet Coke.
EVERYWHERE!

Well look at that. I guess I didn't spare you the details after all.

But, you know how all kids have a Diaper Incident that will forever be remembered.

This was Nathan's Diaper Incident...and he might have even out-pooped his brothers as far as his inopportune timing went.

See, isn't this blog riveting these days?

Yesterday was a detailed account of my trip to Walmart. Today is all about poop. Check back tomorrow and I will give you a minute by minute account of how I do laundry and have never once sorted clothes into groups.

At the very least this blog should make you feel better about your own parenting skills.

{Oops}

So, as it turns out, you should never go to Walmart during naptime.

Not even if your new, naive, stay at home logic tells you

 that it will "wear him out" and he will take a really good nap when he gets home.

Not even if you think chicken nuggets and a fancy Suburban

of shopping carts will win him over.

Don't be fooled by the picture above.

Less than five minutes before that picture was taken, Blake was

literally flopping on the ground behind the cart. I could have buckled him

in but I knew that he would not like that and he when he doesn't like something,

he will let the world know.

So I stopped and regrouped.

Just then, Elmo happened to call on my iphone and

so I let Blake take the call.

I got everything under control but  this lady must

have been following behind me for the whole dragging incident

because just as I got him sitting in the seat and happy, she walked by me

and said "Bless Your Heart."

Read that sentence again.

She didn't just think "Bless Your Heart."

or mumble "Bless Your Heart."

She wheeled her cart up next to me.

Stopped.

Looked me in the eyes.

And Said "Bless Your Heart" with a subtle tilt of her head

and knowing nod.

I am sure she was trying to make me feel better. I guess?

But I couldn't help but take it as a big, fat,

"Needs Improvement"

stamp on my goals I posted the other day.

To make matters worse, I ran into an old co-worker while I was there. 

I was erroneously assuming that everyone I know works, therefore no one would

recognize me at Walmart. I was wearing black yoga pants, hair in a messy bun,

no make up and looking like the definition of a worn out mom.

Oops.

Rock On

Nathan is a super sweet baby and thankfully it was a pretty easy transition a couple of weeks ago when I started back to work. He has the same teachers Blake had just a short time ago, so we have a great rapport with each other and I know that they spoil him rotten during the day.

And now that Blake is walking in by himself, the whole drop off and pick up is pretty uneventful, especially if you

overlook that one day when I accidentally dropped Blake off without shoes.

(In my defense, he loves to take his shoes off 5 minutes before we leave.) 

  

***

Over the weekend, Nathan turned eight weeks old.

With the risk of sounding trite, Time Flies!

As far as I am concerned, 8 weeks isn't a huge milestone, but I think it means we can start counting his life in months instead of weeks now.

That may not sound like a big deal, but it requires a lot less thought and calculating, which is nice when I am facing lack of sleep.

***

Speaking of lack of sleep, I have another funny

Jeff's-hallucinating-in-his-sleep-deprived-state story.

(See here for the first one)

Last night was "my night" with Nathan, if you will.

It was a decent night.

He slept for about 6 hours straight.

Unfortunately, he started his beauty sleep at 8pm, and I didn't start mine until 11pm, so once again I didn't take full advantage of his sleeping habits.

I don't know if it was a burp or Nathan's grunting but sometime during the feeding Jeff half way woke up, turned to face me and acknowledged that we were both awake.

I mentioned how slow Nathan was eating, and that's when Jeff piped up that he had an idea for the nights.

"What is it?" I said as I bounced the baby

on my shoulder hoping for another big burp.

He paused for longer than normal and I

anxiously awaited his impending idea.

Was he going to say we should feed him more?

Feed him earlier?

Feed him later?

Add rice to his bottle?

Sleep in separate rooms?

"What was his idea?" I thought.

Thirty seconds or so passed, before he started again.

"We just need to find someone that offers guitar lessons to babies during the night. I already found one person that teaches both acoustic and electric guitar."

***

Clearly, there is not a lot of restful sleep going on around here.

And while I welcome all ideas on the subject, I think an infant learning to play an electric guitar in the middle of the night might be worse than a hungry infant. 

But I'm just guessing.