Birthday Celebration

Today is this cuties birthday!  Happy Birthday Hayden!!!

She turns 1 today and over the weekend we got to celebrate with her....

 Such a fun day and birthday to celebrate.  Collier had a great time playing with his cousin's and his cousin's cousin's (did you follow?).  He didn't slow down the entire time and I knew he would fall fast asleep on the way back to Papoo's house but to my surprise he didn't fall asleep until I finally laid him down around 9:15.  

Have a special and fun birthday today Baby Hayden, we love you!

Toddler Fits

It happens.  No matter how sweet he is, it just happens.  It has become part of our every day life.  And over the past few weeks it has even changed in how he expresses his disapproval.  Anything from complete meltdown and huge heart breaking tears, to stomping and crying, to hitting and even yelling very loudly.  It is a hard thing to learn that you don't ALWAYS get your way.  It is also hard as a mom to know how to discipline in the middle of these toddler fits, meltdowns, tantrums...whatever you want to call them.  I need to go and pull out my 'parenting by the book' book and refresh my mind on handling these fits.

As hard as these fits can be and especially on days that they happen more frequently, there is the other side of his personality that is revealing itself that is totally sweet and also very funny.  He is very matter of fact in his tone and in communicating.  Justin and I laugh about how he will say 'yeah' to a question that we've asked as if he is saying isn't that clear and did you even have to ask.    After a week away from Nammie (Mom was in Chicago all of last week) he decided last night that he wanted to go to see Nammie and Pops.  Problem was that he had already had a bath, PJ's on and it was nearing 8pm.  Here was our conversation:

Me: How are you going to get there
CH: car
Me: who is going to drive you?
CH: you dawive me?
Me: I've got to clean up the kitchen and then I need to go night night.
[He walks to Justin]
CH: dawive
JH: What?
CH: You dawive
JH: what?
CH: [with his hands at 10 and 2 does the stearing wheel motion]
JH: oh you want me to drive you?
CH: yeah
JH: where are we going?
CH: Nammie and Pops
JH:  No, we all need to go night night and you are going to Nammie's tomorrow

Way to funny.  He can be so sweet and so loving.  And then in the snap of a finger he can become a little monster in throwing a complete fit.  Its all part of this process of growing and learning!  And I know that he is doing both!  Just praying that God will help me and Justin be the parent's that Collier needs us to be and that we are pleasing to Him all along the way.

Hold Me

Ok. I have a new favorite song, check it out! I can't get enough of it

I love to hear it and sing with it.  It makes me turn up my radio!  Love it!  I had no idea who Jamie Grace was before I heard this song, but love love love it!
Don't you just want to dance around?  or give some one a hug?  Did I mention that I love it?

First Day

Yesterday was Collier's first day of 'school'...I was so excited and only a little nervous when he started getting mad at Mella for making his peanut butter sandwich.  He told her 'I not want that' and then ran to the me and told me 'I not go there'.   But we did go there and he did pretty good with being dropped off.  I was worried about the whole potty thing being in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people and so we talked about it a good bit and once we arrived the teachers assured me that they would check with him through the day and it would be fine.  I asked him if he needed to go potty and he said yes and so his teacher took him which made my exit much easier.  At one point his little lips both turned down low but he was strong and didn't shed a tear....that is until about 12:30 and he lost it and didn't really recover from that point.  When Mella picked him up he cried even harder.  We all decided that it was because he was so tired.  He is used to a morning nap and to go cold turkey on this change is a hard adjustment.  He will get through it and it will get better but was a tough first day.  Up until about 12:30 they said he did great and played great.  No accidents and he went potty twice, so I was very happy with that.

Mrs. Lindsey, one of his teachers

After Mella got him in the car it only took about 3 minutes before he was fast asleep.  Bad part was once they got home he wouldn't go back to sleep and never went back down.  Long day for the little man but he finally fell fast asleep around 8:30.  My sweet little boy is just growing up.

Mowing Dass

At the mention of the possibility of mowing the grass, Collier gets excited and demands to get out and cut with Daddy.  He will cut by himself but loves it MOST OF ALL when he gets to cut with Daddy.  Yesterday afternoon when Collier got home, he was thrilled to see Daddy 'cut dass' and he immediately joined him.  It is the cutest thing ever to watch him try and keep up with Justin.  He cried his heart out when Daddy was done and made him come inside.  Good news for him, is that Daddy will be cutting the back yard in the next few days plus Mommy need to vacuum and our little man will be happy doing either!

Routine

Or maybe lack of routine would better define our past 10 days.  But we are now trying to get back into a routine.   We had a weekend at the lake with Justin's Mom and Step Dad and they so graciously took our little man to their house for a few days and Justin and I headed to the beach for a few days to work!  I had a conference that just happened to also be in Justin's territory and so we took advantage of time together and knocking out a little work and play in the process.  It was great fun and relaxing.  We then picked up Collier and went back to the lake and stayed through the weekend.  It was a fun 10 days but I am so glad to be home and in my very own bed.  Saturday my sinus' decided to go crazy and I haven't been the same sense...I am not sure if it is sinus' or a cold but I am much better today, thank the Lord. Now my house just needs a little attention and we should be in good shape.  Collier told me we needed to vacuum the mess in the kitchen last night as I was getting dinner ready. S.A.D when a two year old informs me that our house is so messy that we need to vacuum. He is indeed correct, but this Momma is just not up for vacuuming just yet.  He loves it so much I should have just let him do it, but I was just too tired to even pull it out.  Instead he went outside to 'mow dass'.  Please Lord, let his desire to help and do stay with him through his teenage years, amen!

Next week, Collier will start preschool two days a week.  Is it preschool or is it mothers day out?  Either way, I am so excited for him and just know that once he gets used to it (past the first few weeks) he is going to love it.  We go and meet his teachers on Friday.  I can't wait.  He needs the structure and socialization.  I think it is going to be sooo good for him in so many ways.  I am a bit of a nervous wreck because I want him to do good and enjoy it but have no idea how he is going to react.  I keep telling myself he'll do great, but then when he breaks out in one of his toddler or bossy fits I just hold my breath and pray that he will not act that way at school!  He is certainly one who know what he wants and isn't afraid to let you know.  Although, according to Mrs. Pam and Mr. Charles he didn't do that at all while he was at their house last week [or they are just being nice and not telling me] but if in fact he didn't, that may help in my head case that he'll do fine and that he just does it mostly to us.  Which is fine too, I would rather him do it at home rather than with others :) I'll certainly update once he gets started!!

M&M's are GOOOD!

New Gator Hat...Aunt Jeanie and Uncle Ken this one is for you!

Sweet Time

Please let me back track for a minute.  We have been out of town and on the go, but I certainly want to share [and document] my sweet time with my little man three weeks ago.  We were headed to Dothan for a wedding (a fun wedding, where I learned I had a few followers - Hello Andrew's Family).  Justin was golfing with the guys on Friday afternoon so I dropped him off and CH and I headed to the lake...I had left my rings down there the weekend before and I was feeling naked without them, I was so close and took advantage of the time I had with just Collier and Brinkley.  It was beautiful and sweet to have just one on one time with my sweet baby.  Just the two of us to swim and chill for just a little while.  That is rare and treasured so very much!! Time I am so very thankful for!

 it was actually the three of us!  

bright momma

snack and glasses (this is how he normally wears his glasses)

We then headed back to Dothan were we got to catch up with Popoo and Nunny for the rest of the weekend.  We also stole a little bit of time with Chris and family.