Quick

I feel like I have not been keeping up well and don't want to sit down and think about all the updates I need to make so here are the few that come to mind that I want to document.

MILEY
-has FINALLY learned how to get from her belly to sitting! This was MUCH needed as she used to get trapped on her belly all the time!

-is getting closer by the day to crawling, which brings excitement and fear all in one. She will finally be able to get places and not just get mad but then a whole new world starts.

-this past Wednesday started actually opening her mouth for me to feed her with a spoon! A HUGE break through! She is OBSESSED with pizza crust and gnawing on them.

-I don't think I mentioned it before but Miley has 2 sweet baby teeth now! She got them at the beginning of September! She is not a happy teether :(

TOMMI
-is by far the funniest little girl in the world! She is getting so creative!

-she is super smart and picks up on everything! It is awesome!

-started gymnastics class last week and is definitely a natural born athlete.

-I need to write down things she says more just b/c sometimes they are so random she doesn't even know what she is talking about. EXAMPLE...this week Tommi and her Uncle Chase were talking and she told him she was gonna write something down for him. So he gave her paper and a pen, she scribbled something and then when he asked her what it said she said "Once, two...when you grow up, you never have a chance..." WHAT?!? This kid is nuts!

-she is such a little girl now not a toddler at all! It is bitter sweet!

sisters...

I grew up smack dab between 2 brothers. So when I was young the closest thing I had to a sister was my best friend. Then as we got older we grew apart a bit so my mom became the closest thing I had and she still is the closest thing I have. She is my built in best friend and our bond has only become stronger as I have had my girls and have matured. We fought and made up like sisters would do through my teens and early twenties (ok that sounds REALLY weird to say but I guess I am in my late twenties now so it is true) Anyway, I could not be more thankful for this bond with my mom. She is a special woman...she is someone who even in her 50's seeks adventure and is youthful at heart. I am proud to say she is training for a marathon right now...how hardcore awesome is that?!? I laugh at her b/c she has got a screw loose even doing this but secretly (I guess not so much anymore) I admire her amazing spirit and fight to do this! So even through the years I have had the opportunity to watch my mom grow in many ways too. Which is SO cool!

So this post was not supposed to be about my mom but I'm leaving the tangent b/c I will love reading it later. 

Back to growing up with brothers...I loved them dearly. With my older bro we had a love/hate thing going on. I swore he thought I was the most annoying pain in the butt possible. I drove him nuts and he hurt my feelings. It was a vicious cycle. But honestly I knew deep down he had my back like no other. He was my big brother and would take his "job" seriously if needed. He could mess me with all he wanted but no one else could. Being only 2 years younger and so polar opposite it made things tough. Now we most definitely fight less (if at all) and that big bro/little sis love is there no matter what. He is not one to give out compliments but told me not long ago that I was a good mom. Compliment of a life time...actually I have always said one thing I want to do is make my big brother proud...well check that box! Yay!

Now that little brother...wow where to begin. He was by far my sanity growing up. I honestly can say I have no idea how I would have made it through with out him. He is the worlds sweetest person and was ALWAYS there for me. Just to listen. He has such a gentle soul and is wise beyond his years in many things. We had all out fights but they were over as quick as they began. He stood in as a sister when needed also haha poor kid! This kid is just amazing. I still to this day adore him beyond my own understanding. Even with his gentle soul he has my back like no other also. He may be gentle but DO NOT mess with him or his family...he has a mean bite also :)

My brothers have a special bond with each other also. They were each others best man and are super close to this day. Sometimes I am jealous of this b/c no matter how close I am to them I can not be as close as they are....b/c well it just isn't like that with a bro and a sis. They are still 2 of my best friends and always will be. I have NO doubt who will have my back for life!  I am not sad about this...God knew all too well what he was doing not give my parents 2 daughters. I was enough to handle :)

Seeing the bond my brothers have and knowing first hand the bond of siblings, I am SO excited to watch my girls grow up as SISTERS. I hope they one day have a bond like my brothers do. They will have a built in best friend.

It is amazing how God knows just what we need....I needed 2 brothers to keep me sane and love me deeper then anyone else on this earth (minus my parents). 

In the end I was not given a "true" sister but I was blessed with MANY stand ins...friends, my mom, my brothers, and now my girls! As their mom I will be able to be a part of their bond....which I am SUPER excited about!

So this was more of a get my thoughts off/random vent. But I like to do that :)

More?

So I have been asked a million times..."Do you think you will have more (kids)?" So here is my answer in a vent/thoughts.

If I think about my family I think there is no doubt I want another child. I don't feel like my 2 girls make my family "complete" BUT then again I look at my girls and think they are perfect why mess with that. I mean I have 2 perfect and healthy kids. 

Selfishly I want just one more pregnancy. I LOVE being pregnant...not that my pregnancies are perfect b/c I most definitely have my pain and yuckyness. But I just love the movements, the belly, the thoughts of a sweet baby, I actually even like labor and giving birth...weird I know. There is something about questioning when I will go into labor and how it will be, etc. Then the feeling after they are born when you are on cloud nine b/c you just did one of the coolest things EVER! I even love the attention I get while pregnant...hey I'm just being honest.

I question myself all the time...do I just want to try one more time for the possibility of a boy? If that is the case I don't want to have another one just to see if it is a boy. B/c if I have a 3rd girl will I be disappointed? I mean THREE girls sounds like alot!

I also question...will I ever feel my family is "complete"? I mean what if I have my 3rd and most definitely final child and I don't feel that completeness?

If I ask TJ he ways says "It is up to you." I know he always imagined us having 3 kids.

According to MY plans if I choose to have another child. We will get pregnant when Miley turns 2 and have an October 2014 baby. Then I will be 29 and like I have always said will be done having babies by 30. And my silly sports obsessed husband will not have a new baby in the middle of a season. Which brings up another point...I'm NOT having another baby if he plays as much ball as he does right now. So maybe he can take a little break for a year-ish (from travel ball) and we can get through the baby stage so it will be easier to manage at games. I think a 7 y/o, 4 y/o, and 18 month old sounds manageable. haha wow that is quite a thought.

BUT then I have to think of Gods plan. Which by the way is SO much better. Does He want me to have another baby? If so, when? 

Then also a new factor has come up...MONEY. I mean it has always been there but I never realized how expensive it is to have kids involved in things till I just priced how much it is for Tommi to take gymnastics. I want all my kids to be involved in something...sports, instrument, etc. So can we afford 3 kids doing that?

So I guess I have at least another year and 4 months (I do not want my kids any closer than Tommi and Miley) to think, pray, discuss, and see what is up.

Sleeping..

So Miley is a crappy sleeper to say the least. She nurses to sleep which can take forever! Then sleeps about a 2 hour stretch sometimes shorter in her bed then is in my bed waking up what seems like hourly nursing back to sleep (and sometimes really is)

I have felt helpless but at the same time if she needed me then I want to be there. She will not be little forever so I kinda let her just do what she wants.

Well I finally got sick of it and on Wednesday evening (9/5) I tried to nurse her to sleep with no success so then I rocked her and finally got her out. But as soon as I got back to our room to put her down she woke up. So out of frustration I laid her down and walked out and let her cry. It only lasted a half hour (ish) and then she was out.

She woke up the next morning with a fever and runny nose and we were going to my parents for a few days so I thought "ok that was a fluke and who knows when I can do that again"

Well we returned Sunday and that night I nursed her to sleep and laid her in her bed and only 15 minutes later she was awake. So I went in checked on her and let her cry. That lasted all of 20 minutes and when she woke up 2 hours later I let her cry again and that lasted all of 5 minutes!

Tonight I took the plunge and nursed her till she took a break and I knew she was done "eating" and from there on out was just gonna nurse to try to sleep. So I snuggled her up, gave her her passy, and put her in her bed AWAKE. She cried maybe 30 seconds...I was totally in shock but went back to check on her after 20 minutes and sure enough she was out.

Now none of the middle of the night wake ups have changed but hoping that is our next step if her being able to put herself back to sleep doesn't stop the wake up calls.

She is in my room so I assume since she can smell me she will not go back to sleep on her own. But we are making baby steps and this one was actually a giant leap for me b/c that means I am not stuck on the couch nursing for an hour plus, only hoping and praying she goes to sleep soon!

And I figured out today her fever on Thursday, crankiness, and runny nose are all b/c she has 2 tiny nubs coming through her gums. I am happy it was teeth b/c I really didn't want her getting sick...Tommi was always so healthy and I pray Miley is the same way!

I am a bit shocked she did so well when she is not feeling up to par plus she has MAJOR seperation anxiety but it didn't affect her going to sleep....HIP HIP HOORAY!!!! Happy mommy dance!

A mess

Tommi is a mess. We went to Target this morning and when picking out an outfit Tommi most definitely was in a fun mood...here is what she came up with....

She worked it too! She got plenty of looks and LOTS of smiles! I hope she NEVER loses her love of fun and sometimes outrageous clothes!!!

Also while riding home we were listening to the radio and we heard the song..."Everything gets hotter when the sun goes down". I heard Tommi laugh and then say "Mom everything does not get hotter when the sun goes down...it gets darker!" I could only laugh! I love her!