Weeble-Wobble Levi

Here's the cupcake sitting up! OK, ok, it's a little weeble-wobbley, but it's still sitting up, nevertheless. I had to get him set up with my legs around him first, then I took away my legs from him & he was able to sit up a little bit on his own before tipping over. I got this all on my camera, so here we go. I'll narrate it for you:

He starts out in between my feet:


TA-DA!!

Hey, hey, hey! Look at me! I'm sittin up by myself!

Ruh-Roh! I'm getting a little shaky...

Hello...someone...anyone...help please...

Oh, here I go, I'm a goner...

...and...on my belly again! This is my favorite position anyway...


Thought y'all might like that play-by-play. Lincoln thought it was hilarious. We had a big time cheering L-Train on. Lincoln kept saying, "Yea, L-Train! Good job L-Train!" That's Lincoln's nickname for Levi, BTW. So cute.
Talk to you guys soon.

things are looking up

Thanks to the people who posted comments on my last post. I got a lot of good advice! We have quickly realized that ignoring Lincoln's meltdown phrases, "I can't want to!", "No shoes!", "No talking!" is the way to go. He says these things & then immediately looks at me, wondering what sort of reaction I will have. So when I don't say anything or react to it, he goes on about his business. It's a slippery slope, I tell ya. When is it too much, when is it not enough? Who knows? But I do know that every day is a new day. It's a comforting & peaceful feeling knowing that the morning brings new things. If the day sucks, then I just look ahead to the next day to try something else with it. So it's a new day & a new idea.

Levi is doing wonderfully, sleeping & eating like a champ. He sat up on his own for approximately 5 seconds yesterday. He started laughing & then fell over. Mmm, I wonder where he gets that from? (me)

Lincoln is doing great too. Today is the last day of his swim lessons this week & then next week we'll start again. He is loving it & also loving his teacher, Ryan. I think it's very helpful for him to have a male teacher, too. He has been doing better every single day with learning how to swim!

That's all for now, friends. Hope y'all have a good weekend & I'll try to post new pics of the boys soon.
xoxo

a hard place

I believe Lincoln is realizing that Levi is here to stay. The past 2 weeks have been sort of a train wreck. I don't know if it's because Lincoln is nearly 3 1/2 years old, or if he is wanting Levi to go back to the hospital...but whatever it is, it's a hard place around our home. He is always wanting to do the very opposite of what I say. Do you want lunch? No lunch! Do you want a movie? No movie! We have been reacting to his outbursts of "No!" with time-outs & occasional spankings. However, I am beginning to think that ignoring it may be the best course of action at this point. I think Lincoln is seeing Levi's personality come alive, seeing Levi laugh, & seeing me & Ben smile because of these developments. This, I believe, is making Lincoln feel jealous & somewhat lesser of a son. It is so emotionally draining for me to be consistent with every sort of disciplinary action I take with him. If I don't follow through with something I say, then he picks up on it & remembers it. This causes a lot of pressure on me as a mom. The good thing in this situation is the fact that Lincoln is not being mean or harmful to Levi in any way. He still loves on him, still plays with him, & still loves being around him & talking to him. It is me & Ben that he is being defiant with. Please pray for me that I will not lose it during my days with Lincoln, that I will take each moment as it comes, & that I will know how to handle this phase.
I read this psalm today & thought of the difficult place I'm in. Maybe it will help you too, if you are in a hard place:

"Hear my voice when I call, O Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
You have been my helper."
--Psalm 27:7-10

Better days to come,
xoxo

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Birthday, America! Those were Lincoln's words the entire day of the 4th. He carried a balloon around with the American flag on it, singing the Happy Birthday song. What a cutie. We had a parade around our neighborhood in McKay's Mill where all the kiddos decorated their bikes, scooters, power wheels, & rode around the neighborhood behind the local fire engine. Unfortunately, it rained the entire time but it was fun nevertheless! Lincoln thought the fire truck was super cool as the ladder went all the way up. Levi squealed the entire way through the parade, feeling the rain drip down on him & seeing all the people. We grilled out later that afternoon & then had some friends over to the house. Here are some pictures of our 4th:

Getting ready to leave for the parade in the hood:


Here Lincoln is with Ben, excited for the parade to begin...he also has his vote in for the new Sheriff (see political sticker).


Here he is, enjoying his Power Wheels decorated with American flag fans...what a hoot.





We hope your July 4th was just as festive & fun as ours was. We had a blast being a family of four & doing the all-American thing. Parades & grilling out...how much more American can you get?!?
until we talk again...

5 months old

Here's our sweet Levi at 5 months:





And here's one of Linc. I just love this picture; what a heartbreaker:


I hope you guys are having a good season. We are having a great summer so far. Lots of pool time & play dates.
Have a safe 4th of July!
xoxo

Things I'm bringing back to cool

So I've been thinking about the slang that we kids use today. I'm using the term 'kids' loosely here, as I still think of myself as in the age neighborhood of 20-22. I'm not too crazy about the slang, gotta be honest. So I've decided to bring back some of the phrases I used to say in the 90's....or maybe even the 80's for that matter. I joined forces with my friend Todd (he is not a blogger, so this link will take you straight to his website...BTW, if you need any legal consultation, he's your man) & we have come up with a list of rad phrases that we don't hear so much anymore. We are bringing these words back to cool, my friends. No longer be embarrassed to shout out, "Talk to the hand!" because in my book, 'it's all good.'

Here they are:
1. Not!
2. Psych
3. LYLAS (love you like a sis)
4. Don't have a cow.
5. Sweet
6. Rad
7. Take a chill-pill!
8. That's whack!
9. She's all that and a bag of chips
10. Don't EVEN!
11. Kickin' it
12. Nix
13. Broad (that one is Todd's, but let's be honest. That's before our time.)
14. Nice bun
15. Top shelf
16. Jonesin'
17. Bitchin'

And the best one of the group in my opinion (kudos to T):
18. Just save it!

These eighteen phrases are just the tip of the iceberg. We could add on for days. So go ahead, make your own lists of phrases & sayings you want to bring back to cool.
Or comment on this post & tell me about them. This game is totally boss.

let the battle begin

The jealousy set in hard this afternoon. To give some back story: We went to The Little Cottage Co. at The Factory today to get Levi his own night-night. I was not informed that today was its 40% OFF Day. The entire shop was filled with frantic moms of little girls, running around with piles & piles of smocked dresses, gathering all their arms could carry. Considering that each smocked dress costs around $100, I'd be acting like a crazy person too. But I was thanking Jesus Almighty in that moment that I have two boys & don't have to worry about dresses, bows & Mary Janes. Seriously...there I was, standing in line for a $10 stuffed animal, & the woman in front of me had 3 huge piles of clothes that rang up to $412. I almost had heart failure right then & there.

I had prepared Lincoln for this moment...when Levi got his very own night-night & it would belong to Levi alone. We ended up choosing a yellow duck because it looked nothing like Lincoln's. I unwrapped it & set it next to Levi & he immediately smiled & grabbed onto it. If any of you have felt these things, they are so incredibly soft & warm. He loved it & has been hanging onto it since the purchase. Lincoln has been eyeing it like a crook. We were all on the floor playing this afternoon, & Lincoln walked over with his dog night-night, wanting to 'trade'. I explained to him as best I could that Levi has his own duck night-night & that Lincoln has his own, too. Nothing was going to be traded & each boy was to be happy with what they have. He asked if he could pat the duck. He rubbed the tag & started sucking his thumb...a sure sign that he intends to have that duck be his. He looked longingly at the duck & said, "Lincoln hold it on the couch? Lincoln cuddle it & pat the duck on the couch?" I said no. I could see the jealousy start to set in, but he was okay with the decision. I mean, come on. He has 4 already. I think tomorrow will have the night-night struggle, but for now, he is content to allow Levi to have the duck. Whew.

Here are some photos of the situation:

There's Mitch, our nephew, who is in town for the week:

Here he is, trying to initiate the trade:

And here's me and Levi. How cute is he?


In other news, Lindsay & Liam came over the other day to play with us. It was, as always, so much fun. It's going to get even better the older the boys get. They are one day apart & are so cute to watch. Here are some of them 'playing' together.

"Liam, let me explain to you how things work around here..."


"Momma, we really don't have time for this right now. Liam & I are in a very important meeting. I guess I can pose for one picture..."


"Well...that's about all the time I have. I've got other things to do. I've got to throw up on Mom, have diarrhea & then wake up at 5am. Time's a wastin."


Heh heh. Babies are so fun.

do the puppetmaster

If someone had asked me what I thought of Elijah Wood 2 weeks ago, I would've said, "He's that short shrub that plays in Lord of the Rings...Snore.." But if you ask me what I think of ole' Eli today, I'll say, "Totally smokin' dude that dances on Yo Gabba Gabba!" Our family eats, breathes, & sleeps Yo Gabba Gabba these days. Everyone that I have spoken to thinks it's the most ridiculous show there is. All I have to say to those people is this: bite me. Any show that can make Lincoln want to brush his teeth, clean up his toys, & eat healthy is a show that will be stored on our DVR. So Ben & I were surprised when we turned on the episode & saw Elijah Wood get up there & dance his Puppetmaster. It totally makes me like him more now. Lincoln loves it, & we all do the dance at least once a day in our family room. The quality of this video is pretty crummy, but you'll get the gist.
Go crazy,
xoxo

bound for the cape

Well, we are officially throw-up-free around this part of Williamson County. Apparently, Lincoln got just a 24-hour stomach bug & by noon the following day, he was back to his old self. I, on the other hand, was exhausted from staying up with him all night long cleaning up & doing load after load of laundry. It was totally worth it though. In the midst of his maddening nausea & in the middle of the long night, we were both sitting on the bathroom floor. He had his Thomas couch laid out with his pillow & night-nights, lying down so he could be right near the toilet if he got sick. I was sitting right there next to him, telling him I would fix the sick in his belly & that he would feel better the next day...all the while, patting his hot forehead with a wet cold washcloth, just like my mom used to do when I became ill. He looked at me & said, "Thank you, Momma...for cleaning my throw-up & washing my head." What a sweet champ. Into my heart he leaps.

Tomorrow, we are bound for Cape Girardeau, Missouri to celebrate Gigi's 80th Birthday Party! Gigi is Ben's grandmother & Levi's namesake. Her family name is McLain & that is Levi's middle name. Gigi & Levi got to meet for the first time last week & it was a momentous moment. Here they are upon greeting...I know, can you believe this woman is 80? She sure doesn't look it, does she?! Incredible!

Tomorrow will be a day filled with lots of memories, family & laughter. And only a 4-hour drive...not too bad.
Here are some more photos of the fam from last week's visit:

Flavor-Ices in the summer. Can you get any better than that?

Aunt Tara (Ben's sis) with Levi:

"Popsicle Picnic" (Ben coined this term)...Ben, Linc, & Cousin Wyatt in our backyard having a picnic with Flavor-ices:


I hope everyone's summer is going well. I'm already tired of the heat. Have I told y'all my distaste for summer? I would be the happiest girl in the world if the entire year was October. Best month ever.

Anyhoo, I'm sure I'll have lots of good pics after tomorrow's jaunt. And oh yes, let's not forget that we're going to Ben's ALL-TIME-FAVORITE-RESTAURANT tomorrow. It's called Wibb's (and I'm not speaking of the national BBQ chain here). And when I say 'restaurant', I'm really telling a lie. It's more like a shack in the middle of nowhere that maybe holds 20 people total with a big lady in the back cooking up pork. A restaurant it is not, but a gem it sure is. It's the ultimate barbecue joint & Ben loves it. He's so excited to go...he's like a kid on Christmas Eve. Seriously.

Have a great weekend.
Take a run through the sprinklers,
until next time.

I can predict things...

How's this for predictions & seeing the future? Last night I was feeding Levi & thought to myself, "Wow, Lincoln's 3 years old & has never had the stomach flu. That's amazing." Fast forward to this afternoon when I go pick him up from summer school. His teacher walks over & says, "Lincoln just threw up all over himself & is crying for you." I get out of the car & go see him...He's covered in throw up, crying hysterically because he has no idea what the hay-hay just happened & is complaining that his head hurts. Awesome. What's that? What's that you're saying?...Ben will help me when he gets home from work? Oh no friends, he's working late tonight...tonight is going to be so much fun.
Say a prayer for me that I don't get whatever this is....
Throw-Up Stinks,
xoxo