for posterity's sake

i thought it was time, for the scrapbooking nature of this blog, to record some of the things that have recently caused us to say "we need to write this down!." so, risking that most of your will not care much at all about this post, if i dont write it on here i am bound to forget it! {this has become our "baby book" or "photo album" of sorts...sad but true!}

bennett is full of bennett sayings and wordings.  his speech is so funny and its the first thing strangers/caretakers comment on when they have spent some time with him.  "he is so funny"..."the way he talks just cracks me up!"..."with his complete sentences and long string of thoughts."

its really just the way he answers questions.  for instance, if you say "bennett did you have a good day yesterday?" his answer is: "yes i DID have a VERY good day yesterday."  not just "yes" or "yes i did."  its something so special to him and it cracks me {and apparently everyone else} up.  a few other things we hear ALL THE TIME:

"is it time to go to a-sleep?"
"is it time to go to a bed?"
"big boys dont drink water right now mommy.  big boys drink juice."
"but big boys dont eat all their carrots."
"hey emory its your big brother! your big brother is here to see you." {every time he comes up to her, in a high pitched voice}
"look at her smiling at me mommy!"
"awwww look at that smile!" {but of course the word "look" sounds more like "yook"}
"yook at her mommy! yyyooooooooook."
"awww i know sweet girl. its ok. iiiii know."
"waa.  waa.  emory stop crying right NOW!" {when we are in the car and emory is, uh, crying...usually when we are on our way to school in the morning.  she would rather be sleeping and bennett would rather be listening to "[his] songs"}
"look i made a cool airplane" {with legos, or grapes, or play-dough, or whatever he can get his hands on}
"your favorite boy is not going to eat the rest of his dinner right now."
when asked what he was thankful for at his thanksgiving feast at school: "alligators" {do what? huh? and he actually sat there and thought about it before he answered...with an "ummmm...hmmmmmm...alligators."}

"mommy do NOT be happy right NOW" {when he is in a mood...he wants others to be in the same mood he is in.  i have a hard time with this bc it always makes me smirk, but then get stern with him for talking to me like that, and then back to smirking bc he is SO like his daddy ;) }
in response to: what are you doing bennett? "oh nothin.  just messin with my daddy."
"mommy we do not say 'yeah' we say 'yes' or 'yes mam' or 'no mam'." {man kids keep you honest dont they?}
"i am going to go there with allllllll my fam-i-ly.  with mommy and daddy and emory and doc and pop and mimi and annie and la and rachel and hollis and big un and aunt becky and michael and david." {while we were all driving golf carts late thanksgiving afternoon, and we were "going to go" on the golf course. and he said the names in that order}

emory is:

• eating every three hours...we experimented with a four hour {or so} time frame {due to her cues...i thought she was way too young but she was pushing for it, and it IS all up to her - right?} the day before thanksgiving.  BIG mistake.  while she was right, and she CAN go four hours between feedings {thanks to her big ole tummy}, she still needs to eat six times a day....as she displayed when she did NOT sleep through the night like she has been the past couple weeks.  honestly, between the two of us, we probably got 3.5 hours of combined sleep.  and thanksgiving day the poor dear was whiny, reflux-y, and POOPED.  she was a good sport, though, as it gets LOUD at our gatherings and her naps werent quite the peaceful sleepy times shes used to.  lets just say we are back to every 3 hours or so and miss pretty is happy

• taking mylanta 2x day, and i am off dairy.  and guess what? IT ACTUALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE! i could never say that with bennett.  emory is one of the gassiest children i have ever come across {sorry sweetie but its true}, but the day i stopped drinking milk/eating cheese/yogurt/etc, her gas miraculously lessened/almost stopped.  victory is miiiine.  and hers. :)

• taking some naps on her tummy now.  we also got rid of the beloved boppy pillow today.  i had to make the call bc my daughters perfectly round little head was/is starting to, um, cone like bennetts did.  really just develop a little bit of a flat spot on the back.  and i have a fear of flat spots.

• really turning her head to see things/respond to noises.  and when she hears bennett enter the room she is craning her neck until she spots him.  she loves her big brother, even though, and in spite of the fact that, he continues to wake her up and disturb her slumber.  already he could do no wrong in her eyes :)

• had her first taste of something other than what she SHOULD be tasting...daddy gave her some french silk pie yesterday.  well, you know, a wee tiny smidge on part of his fork.  but STILL.  geez i cant turn my head, can i?

as for me, stephen was gone for the entire week last week {sunday to saturday} and i am still alive.  barely.  the first third was insane and i spent the night at my parents and cried some and screamed some and passed out at night.  the middle third was hectic but manageable, as i had turned into a zombie-mommy, running like a machine and not thinking about much 'cept baby stuff.  the last third, well by the last third of the week i had it.  well oiled machine.  still a battery powered zombie-mommy, but no tears and no hair pulling.  to say we were happy to see daddy is an understatement.  its nice having a partner in this child-rearing adventure.

at mimi and doc's "camp" with daddy and daddys friend preston.  insisting this is how you use "noc-lars"

and since it is the season of thanks, i want to state for the record just how thankful i am of these two muffins of mine. well, one butter bean and one lady bug.

my days are so full, and its way too easy to just pass out at the end of it without pausing for a second to show my thanks and gratitude.  its a conscious effort of mine to frequently stop in the midst of the organized chaos {as stephen called it after returning home from his trip} and reflect upon the precious souls that have been graciously gifted to us by a gracious and loving Father.

a dear friend tragically lost her son two months ago at 8 weeks due to SIDS, and it hasnt been lost on me that emory was 8 weeks this past tuesday.  one of the things this friend told me at her sons funeral was to never take my babies for granted.  it was something so simple, so common sense, yet so profound and gut wrenching.  it passed over me at the moment as nothing more than what it was.  but ever since emory was born those words have been at the forefront of my days.

i think about how tiny emory is, how innocent and simple and pure.  life is so busy, and with each child it just gets busier and busier.  its easy to overlook all the fabulous routine seconds of her as i am so consumed with parenting him.

sitting with my dad {doc} on thanksgiving

but because of this friend, because of those simple words she spoke between tears, i have been reminded in the midst of my self-absorbed self-pity fests to sit in the quiet, in the midst of the screaming, and shout praises for her strong healthy lungs, for his strong healthy will, for his beautiful mouth asking me question after precocious question, for her little fingers holding tightly to mine as she continues to fight sleep, for his dirty little dirt-playing hands and grubby little barefoot toes tromping around my clean house, for her soft gurgle-y reflux-y breath at night while she sleeps, and for every.single.day i get to sit here and write about it.

this is a blessed life, no matter how you look at it, and i am so very thankful.

ive got a roof over my head, shoes on my feet, and a loving family to share it all with.

God is Great.

Amen!

and one more thing making this merry season even merrier: we will be having a wedding some time next year! {im pushing for spring}.  my sister rachel and brother-to-be hollis got engaged on wednesday....and we are BEYOND thrilled!  welcome to the fam hollis...theres no turning back now! but, then again, you knew what you were getting into :)  love you kids!

oh yeah, and im also thankful for my auburn tigers! war eagle! {by the hair of our chinny chin chin}