Parker Michael ::8 Months::

8 months old. 8 MONTHS OLD. How is this possible Parker Michael? You've grown so much this month. You're pulling to stand, we've moved your mattress down now, you're crawling and trying to follow your sister wherever she goes. You celebrated your first Christmas this month, really enjoyed all the lights (like your momma does) and got a little more rotten. You're finally growing out of your cranky phase. Woo sweet boy those were a rough couple of months. I think it was a combination of three back to back ear infections, antibiotics, and being out of our routine. Even on the bad days your still brought us PLENTY of joy. You're belly laughing and daddy seems to get the very best laughs. We are so grateful you are ours and we love you so very much! 

You met your cousin Jesse for the first time! He's playing football for the Vols so we've spent many a Saturday cheering them on! 

8 Month Stats:

--17.5lbs

--2 ear infections this month. 

--On our last box of size 2 diapers.

--9 months 9-12 months clothes. 

--Crawling. Everywhere. I've caught you mid crawl off your changing pad. 

--No teefies yet, not surprising your sister didn't get any until she was 13 months.

--Still doing purree baby foods. We should probably step our game up. Momma may be in denial. 

Her mommy babysat your mommy, your mommy babysat her, and now she's babysitting you and your sister. You'll learn early what a great support system you two have. Leena is so special to us! 

Bless you sweet child. Your sister thinks you're her personal dress up doll. 

Parker :: 7 months ::

7 months old! Another month with our sweet boy has flown right by us. All in one month you celebrated your first Halloween and your first Thanksgiving. You were by far the cutest little pumpkin and mommy is already coordinating matching Halloween costumes for you and your sister in the future. Speaking of your sister, you couldn't be more obsessed with her and are eager to start following her around. You whip your head in whatever direction she's zooming past you in. She's giving you a little bit more of her time and "affection". She does not like it when you cry, or spit up. She tells you it's ok brother don't be sad. Then when you spit up she comes running saying "oh no, brother spilled, he spilled". It's pretty precious. You battled through 2 ear infections this month and a pretty nasty upper respiratory infection. You. Were. Pitiful. You fell asleep sitting up in my lap while steam showering. Still not sleeping all that great. I make a couple of visits to your room before putting you in bed with me. Before I became a mommy bed sharing was NEVER going to happen. Clearly, the need for sleep and sanity is laughing at my pre-mommy self.

-15lbs
-Still alternating between breastmilk/formula bottles. Nursing in the morning and at night.
-In 6-9 month clothes size 2 diapers
-Loving all the foods. Bananas, pears, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, squash, oatmeal, peaches.
-Sitting with support. You like to tip to the side still.
-Scooting all around. You have no problems getting where you need to go!

You make momma tired, real tired sweet thing but I wouldn't trade you for the world. It's such an honor being your mommy. I'm totally obsessed with you. Love your open mouth kisses, the sweet middle of the night snuggles, and your face grabs. You just love knowing momma is right there. I'll always be there sweet baby!

Snuggles with Daddy watching the Cowboys play!

Sick. So sick. 

102 fever. 

Best sugars ever!

Playing with cousin Aubbie!

Sorry brother bear...Sister got ahold of your head. 

Parker Michael ::6 Months::

You're a whole entire half of a year old! Oh sweet boy, you're giving us a run for our money. You absolutely adore your sister and she gets the biggest grins out of you. You watch her every move and are so ready to try and keep up with her, I can already tell. Our prayer is that a special relationship forms between the two of you. A sibling bond is like no other and we can't wait to watch you learn to love one another! Speaking of your sister, she seems to really be coming around. She is still known to chuck something your way every now and then but I will say it seems to be getting better. She enjoys putting stickers on you, headbands, bows, and you just take it all in stride.

Six Month Highlights:

• 14lbs 8oz
• 26.5 inches long
• First ear infection 
• Alternating 5 oz of breastmilk and 5oz of formula every 3 hours. Working towards 6-7 ounce bottles.
• Loving Bananas, sweet potatoes, squash, oatmeal, green beans.
• Obsessed with faces and touching them. You fall asleep by touching my face/holding it often.
• Pulling my hair while nursing. 
• Stomach sleeper
• Sitting supported.
• Size 2 diapers 6/9 month clothing
• Constantly eating feet
• "Stoner stare" at your hands
• Napping inconsistently. A morning nap....maybe? Sleeping in the afternoons anywhere from 1-3 1/2 hours.
• Bedtime at 7, you end with momma in the bed at some point during the night. Momma. Needs. Sleep. You just aren't the best sleeper. I don't know if it's just a couple of month phase..but we're hoping that it will pass. We got lucky with your sissy who is a great night time sleeper! 
• 
  

First Ear Infection--10/27

Cousins, getting ready to decorate for Grana's surprise party! 10.21.16

She loves coming to get you when you wake up. 

You love to be worn, I can get so much more done this way. 

You and your fearless leader, Captain Crazy Pants and you with a bowl on your head. (I blame her).

You slept through our trip to the horse farm and stables. 

You precious boy are so very loved. Brother bear, Parks, P, we hope you know how you make our family whole! We praise God for you every. single. day. 

Love you!

Parker is 5 months!

5 months old sweet boy, almost a whole half of a year. This has been our most challenging month yet. Apparently you forgot what it meant to sleep at night...I spent many a night on your bedroom floor and then would eventually give in and put you in the bed beside me. You slept. I slept. We called it a win win for a few too many nights in a row. We'll get through this. This season will pass. You've also been going through some sort of a funk...teething maybe? Your sister never showed any real teething symptoms and we were grateful. But now we don't really know what to expect. So I'm just going to blame it on teeth. ;)

• You're 13lbs 11oz at your last weight check, you're starting to gain the weight! Starting out slow like your sister but catching up!
• Size 2 diapers. 6 months in most clothing, 3-6 months in some. You're long and skinny! 
• Still alternating breastmilk and formula. 
• Not nursing as often during the day, doing mostly pumped bottles. You definitely prefer bottle to breast!
• You love your plush giraffe. 
• Stomach sleeper
• Rolling all around
• :Finding your voice" and making all sorts of noises, from high pitch squeals, screams, and nosies that have startled me. 
• If I'm in the same room as you but can't be seen, you're not happy. I don't have to be right there with you, but in your sight. 
• Daddy still gets the biggest and best smiles

Celebrating your sisters birthday with Mickey ears. Although I do believe this picture was taken a few weeks after her birthday. 

Caroline Vance 2 years old.

2 years old. I don't think anyone can prepare me for your birthday. Signifying that you're yet another year older, I think each year when September 25th rolls around, a little part of me will cringe inside because you're slowly moving away from my dark haired dark eyed baby girl and growing up right in front of us. I know this year you'll grow a lot, you'll lose your baby face, your vocabulary will expand tremendously, you'll make new friends, and become more independent. Don't get us wrong baby girl, we LOVE watching you grow. You're smart, too smart for your own good, curious, always in to something, constantly asking "what's that?"

Things We Want to Remember:

• The conversations you have with yourself. It's HILARIOUS. You'll grab your shoes, say Caroline shoes, outside--look at me--and then you'll say ok outside. Before I can even have a chance to respond. 
• You're pretty obsessed with DaDa these days and have a meltdown each morning he leaves as the garage door is going down. I quickly divert your attention by getting your help with brother's diaper change. 
• You insist on reading minimum 3 stories each night. And remind us if we do any less. 
• We sing Twinkle Twinkle, Jesus Loves Me, and Que Sera Sera each night at bedtime and you're really dramatic during Twinkle Twinkle and Jesus Loves Me.--especially during the STRONG part. 
• You enjoy throwing your cups and forks at dinner oh and also screaming (like shouting), which then results in a 1 minute time out in the corner. 
• You love Sofia the First, Chuggington, Thomas the Train, Little Mermaid, Frozen, and Beauty and the Beast. 
• You pretend to eat the cookies in every book. It cracks us up every. single. time. You take a big bite. 
• You love playing "night nights, good morning" game. 
• You're starting to love Play-School. On the way home you say momma I like school. 
• You like saying "_____ watch this" and proceed to make an animal noise
• You love "peek-a-boo" and love being scared. Popping up behind you and saying "BOO" never gets old.
• You were scared of shadows for a couple of weeks and would refuse to cross the threshold of the baby gate and stairs and had to be carried upstairs. 
• Pancakes. Hands down most very favorite food. You request them every. single. morning. One morning you scaled the oven while I was breaking them up. 

You're truly such a blessing, Caroline. You bring joy to everyone you meet. You're a ball of energy and full of sass. You're tender hearted like your momma (we have video to prove it). Thank you for making our dreams come true and making us parents! We love you and your brother so very much!

#twoundertwochronicles

#twoundertwochronicles.

A lot of people have asked how are we doing? How are you surviving? How's two under two going? Have you lost it completely yet? How's Caroline doing with Parker?

In short:

• Good.
• JESUS. Grace. Mercy. 
• Good.
• Somedays.
• Hasn't killed him yet.

All in all, we are doing really well. We've gotten into a groove so to speak and are learning how to keep the chaos to a minimal. Caroline is slowly warming up to Parker, he's recognizing her and his face instantly lights up. He adores her and I keep praying that she will adore him too instead of throwing things at him, diving across my lap while I'm nursing him, and giving him "BUMPS" aka fist bumps to the head. She does love seeing him each morning and says, "awww heyyy Park's, hey brubba" and she's quick to alert me when he starts screaming. Yes, Caroline I can hear your brother screaming momma is just trying to pee. 

#twoundertwo Isn't as crazy as I thought it was going to be. Don't get me wrong I find myself running out of arms and hands often (seriously why don't moms have multiple extremities?) However, we're getting out by ourselves just the 3 of us -of course it's much easier when Daddy is around- one of my biggest fears was the capability of making a Target run with just me and the minis. I'm happy to report we've made several successful trips to the motherland and even no man's land (Wal-Mart). We've been able to have lunch dates in Winston with daddy and have made it to play dates, story time, and music time. Mixed in though are the many days of entirely TOO much screen time for C, pajamas until after lunch, moments of me wondering if I did indeed brush my teeth that morning, realizing that yes, yes I did, and heavily debating a nap while the minis are asleep or squeezing a pump/workout session in. Let's be serious, a quick power nap wins more days than not. But I will say I'm pretty proud of myself for getting a work out almost every day even if it's just busting the bus (double stroller) out for a walk. Sanity people. Sanity.Exercise=endorphins=less stressed momma. It's a win win for all--just ask Derik. 

I can almost guarantee that chaos ensued immediately after this. Yes we read Llama Llama Holiday drama in September. 

We have friends on our walks!

We by no means have it altogether and I will not dare say it is all perfectly balanced. My dream BFF Jen Hatmaker says it best, "Balance is like a unicorn; we've heard about it, everyone talks about it, and makes airbrushed t-shirts celebrating it, it seems super rad but we haven't actually seen one". So by no means are we balancing it all out perfectly, but we're making it work. It's definitely not what I expected. I never expected peeling my toddler off her brother while he's in the swing. Yes, this would mean she crawls in the swing with him with a valiant attempt to steal his paci. But I also didn't imagine the times where she holds his hand while he's crying, rubs his face and says "aw Parks is so sweet" "I lub him". These moments my heart could explode until a tiny million pieces.

This has been one of the most challenging, exhausting seasons of our lives. I want to remember the chaos. Especially, the day a few weeks ago I was pumping only to find a toddler had gone awfully quiet. I quickly unattached myself from the milking machine and found said quiet toddler chilling on the DINING ROOM TABLE. Seriously Caroline? What the heck? For the love of
"Pete! I would love to know a toddler's thought process. Like, what makes you think it's a good idea to pull a drawer out and stand it, or scale the oven while I break up your pancakes. OR the day I ended up with 3 different bodily fluids that were not my own on my hands all during ONE diaper change.Thanks, Parker, thanks a lot. 

Before P was born I really focused in on the saying "the days are long, but the years are short". I don't think I've heard anything more true during this particular season of life. I try to remember that each time I get frustrated with C for doing toddler things, or each time Parker wakes me up at night. I try to remember to not take this time for granted because I know how all to fleeting it really is. HOWEVER comma--I say this out loud often thanks to my wonderful HS english teacher--I do find myself feeling frustrated, exhausted, the world's worst mother/wife often. But then I remember the beauty of grace. It's amazing how my tiny children show my grace daily. In the form of hugs, kisses, pats on the back--all from the toddler--after I've had to sit her in a one minute time out for the millionth time that day. Grace from my husband when he thanks for all I do for our family, when really I have a hard time seeing it. Grace from our heavenly Father when I come to Him for quiet time with a distracted mind and heart that should be fully focusing on Him.

Long story short this season is beautiful, it's sweet, it's incredibly difficult, exhausting, emotional, wonderful...I could go on and on.

We are beyond grateful to be doing this thing called life with our people. Our VILLAGE. We truly have such an amazing village of people alongside of us helping to raise our children, we don't think we can ever express the immense amount of gratitude we have to our village. So here's to you, the ones that have listened to our crazy, dropped everything to bring us a meal, came to just sit with me for my own sweet sanity, held our newborn and entertained our toddler while I napped or showered. Those who have sent texts at 3 in the morning knowing that chances are I'd more than likely be awake and needed an encouraging word or three. My sweet momma friends who are in the trenches with me, lifting me up on a daily basis even with their own heavy load. We thank you, I thank you! We don't say it enough how much we appreciate YOU!

#twoundertwochronicles will be coming to an end September 25th, then we'll have a crazy 2 year old and sweet baby boy. I guess I'll then have to come up with a new hashtag?