Fawn's (HALF) Birthday.

I know in today's day and time parents are (rightly) criticized for too much praise of children and spoiling of children.  So some of you may be horrified that we celebrate half birthdays around here.  It's not a family tradition passed down from either side, just something I wanted to do for Fawn because his birthday is so close to Christmas -- so certainly something we will also do for Small Fry.

Buck thinks I'm crazy.  But, he also acknowledges that it's nice for me to get to do something fun and special for Fawn.  I think most fathers of little boys fall into Buck's mold -- they are the bearers of all things awesome and fun.  I can't compete with four wheelers and fishing, and I don't want to try.  Nothing will be more beneficial to Fawn and Small Fry's development than a strong bond with an amazing male role model -- their dad!  And us moms, we are the guardians of the mundane and the keepers of the little hearts.  It's a job I wouldn't change for any other, but it's easy to at times feel like the "un-fun" parent.  The one brushing teeth, combing hair, scrubbing behind ears.  The one double checking school bags, re-filling endless sippy cups, packing pint-sized lunches.  So Buck indulges me in my opportunities to make my boys feel special and dote on them.  Half birthdays are one of those.

Not only is it fun for me and Fawn, but it's been great in terms of spreading out new toys -- and being able to give toys that are now of interest that weren't six months ago.  We are not big gift givers at Christmas (we abide by the three gifts for three wise men rule).  And, we keep things very light for Fawn's January birthday.  Don't get me wrong...Fawn is not hurting for toys or for spoiling from us and his plethora of extended family.  But, it's nice to have a "reason" (even if it is basically a fake reason invented by me) to get Fawn a couple things that he is currently expressing interest in.

This year it was extra special because Small Fry was here -- not only was it great to see Fawn's excitement over his present from Small Fry but it also was a small way of showing Fawn (and not just telling him) that he is still so very important to us even though his baby brother requires more hands-on care.

Buck was worried he would miss the nighttime activities, so we did gifts and cinnamon rolls at breakfast.



So excited to be three and a half!



A popgun from daddy -- early present from the deer show at the BJCC.

PlayDoh Fun Factory from mommy.  (Am I the only one who remembers this toy?  Buck insists he's never seen one.  My brother and I sure loved ours.)

Posing with his new superhero (Phil Canteen -- a superhero army man) -- from Small Fry.  Fawn was so excited to receive this toy that he literally tackled Small Fry in his Bumbo seat to give him a hug.  Melt my heart.

All smiles with his "3.5" cookie cake -- complete with the recycled tool decorations from Father's Day.  Buck was thankfully able to stop by home post-work and pre-evening work function to sing happy birthday and eat some cookie cake.  Made Fawn's day!

Make a wish.

(By the way, we don't ALWAYS wear pajamas...just most of the time.  I'm only kind of kidding.  We did leave the house for a large chunk of the day to enjoy the beautiful Alabama sunshine at the swimming pool -- I promise!)

Our happy, loving, hilarious three and a half year old.  We love you sweet boy!



Fawn's Friday Funnies.

This week's edition is subtitled: Fawn on Christianity.

Fawn loves to sing with me and knows most of the words of the hymns I sing to him at night.  But he gets some very important words wrong.  His version of "Amazing Grace" includes: "...that saved a wrench like me."  As in a tool.  Apparently we need to introduce the concept of sinful nature.

He is starting to grasp some theological concepts, though.  Like God is big and in control of everything.  We were playing in Fawn's playroom and he found a Lego loose and out of its designated bin.  He looked at me and said: "I guess that's where God wanted that Lego.  He's in charge."

And, Fawn loves to say the blessing...like really say it and not just sing our standards.  His current version goes something like this:  "Dear God, Thank you for today.  Thank you for all of our many blessings.  Thank you for the goodness and the polite and the stuff.  Amen." 

Lazy Saturday Morning.

Three of us were up before the sun, while the fourth got his much needed beauty behavior sleep.  It was only an hour or so, but such a special time to dote on Small Fry.  While Fawn is the best distraction there is and the light of Small Fry's world, quiet snuggles in bed provided an extra dose of bonding with our baby.

He was so excited to have us to himself...and the feelings were mutual.

Buck loves to rub Small Fry's fuzzy head.

Then Buck got a little crazy.

So excited.

Love this chubby boy.

Small Fry's Baptism.

Last Sunday, we were blessed to share in Small Fry's baptism.  It was a joyous day celebrated by our family. 

The boys demonstrated almost angelic behavior defying my fears of Small Fry spitting up all over our pastor or having a major diaper blowout in Buck's family's heirloom gown or Fawn having a bathroom accident or saying something totally inappropriate at the front of the church. 

I know I worried about really insignificant things too much (including my boys' behavior and bodily fluids!) when all that really mattered is the spiritual significance of the event: God marking His child and sealing him with His covenant.  Baptism is certainly a reminder that "my" children are not my own, but God's.  He has entrusted me to care for them, which is truly a blessing.  But, they are His children.  And, praise God they are!  I cannot imagine parenting in this fallen world without the security of the promises of Christ and His grace and salvation for Small Fry and Fawn.  In entrusting Buck and me with His children, Baptism reminds us that as parents we are to set a godly example for our children -- to teach them God's word and to pray with them and for them.  What an awesome responsibility -- one that we certainly fall short of but also strive for.

Small Fry is truly a blessing from above.  We are so honored that God chose us to parent this precious little one.



The actual Baptism.  Small Fry wasn't fazed by the water.

After Small Fry was baptized, Buck walked him around the sanctuary with Fawn and I following behind (hand-in-hand) while the congregation sang "Jesus Loves Me."  This is a new tradition at our church and I tear up every time I see it.  Another one of my insignificant worries was that I would sob during this part.  I held it together -- barely.  I didn't make eye contact with friends and mentors in the congregation because I knew I would lose it and I couldn't really sing the words myself.  But, my heart swelled with joy as I heard my favorite three-year old's voice singing every word as he held my hand.  It was so special!



A family moment when the Baptism was over.

The four of us headed home -- Small Fry was on the brink.  I think a bit overwhelmed.  Plus he was soaking wet and tired.  Fawn was eagerly anticipating the receipt of his prize for good behavior -- plus, we just wanted to make him feel special when the whole day was really centered around Small Fry.  I quickly nursed Small Fry and put him down for a catnap, while Buck started getting ready for the brunch.  Fawn was perfectly content with his new Spiderman.

We were so proud of our big boy!

We pulled off a lovely brunch, if I do say so myself, with the help of our village.  My mom painted a beautiful sign that will soon hang in Small Fry's nursery:





My mother-in-law graciously offered to arrange all of the flowers -- they were lovely.  My house looked like a garden!

My sister-in-law helped me with set-up on Saturday.  I even got out the glue gun to make a sweet burlap cross for the front door (I'm thinking of re-painting the polka dots in red and green for Christmas):

As for the menu, we kept it simple: mimosas and cranberry lemonade to drink; breakfast casserole; salad; and sweet goodies (cinnamon rolls, mini coffee cakes, and donut holes).  It was a wonderful meal of fellowship and celebration which we were honored to share with our amazing families.

So blessed to be his mommy.

My prayer is that Buck and I faithfully fulfill our Christian duty as parents in the years to come and that Small Fry grows to know and love Christ, to accept His grace, and to be hopeful in Christ's promises.  We love you sweet boy and are so thankful for you!

Water Balloon Fun.

A bag of water balloons = an afternoon of boyish fun. 

Let the games begin.

What are these crazy guys doing?

Little hands, hard at work.

Dad pitches in too.

Going after Buck.

Gotcha!

Month Five Update.

Five months!  How can this precious angel have been with us for five months?  I sound like a broken record as I continue to say how fast it's flying by...but it is.  And, here's the proof:

Look who is sitting pretty!  Yep, our big man is sitting unassisted and loving every minute of being a happily-seated baby.  Way to go Small Fry-- we know you'll be moving and grooving in no time.

We started the month with a road trip with my parents to Rolla, Missouri.  My dad's mom, my grandmother, passed away in January.  We had a memorial service for her here in Birmingham in January, but she wanted her ashes buried in Rolla next to my grandfather.  I definitely intend on writing about my grandmother and our trip -- long, long overdue.  But for now, as I reflect on Small Fry's fifth month I have to say that he was quite the road warrior.  We spent more than twenty hours in the car over a three-day period and he was so cooperative and such a trooper.  Plus, now he's been to four more states -- Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri.  Quite a seasoned traveler for five months old!

As for a sleep update, there's not one.  We're in a routine of constantly waking up in the middle of the night.  I get an "F" at teaching babies to sleep.  I will sing from the rafters when we have progress, but until then I am trying not to dwell on it -- sleep when I can and catch up on weekends when superdad is home to help.  This is such a short, sweet season of life...I'll sleep when they're in elementary school.

I was wrong about the teeth -- none have appeared despite a constant gush of baby drool and fingers in the mouth.  Come out, come out wherever you are.  It's amazing how long teething actually takes!  But, we need some teeth because Small Fry is very interested in food.  I'm trying my hardest to hold him off until the magic six-month mark, but do confess that he has had several bites of banana...and begs for more.

We really haven't been up to much this month besides swimming at my grandparents' house, which we do as often as possible.  We (shockingly) haven't been to the zoo, McWane or the Botanical Gardens.  So few days and so much sunshine.  I'm enjoying the laid back nature of this summer, and I think the boys are too.  Though I hope to add a little more action in the next month!

When I think of Small Fry, I think of a song I used to sing at summer camp -- I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.  He is such a joyful baby!  He showers us with smiles, giggles, coos, and laughter and seems to delight in our happiness reflected back at him.  His joy is infectious -- he is such a blessing to our family and we're so glad he's ours!

Month Five in Pictures.

Week 18.

Week 19.

Week 20.

 

Week 21.

Yes, We Bathe Him.

When Fawn was a baby, I took pictures of him in the bathtub constantly.  Bathtime was generally Buck's thing.  He took initial responsibility of bathing Fawn when we came home from the hospital and I was recovering from delivery.  In fact, while I assisted in one sponge bath with Fawn, I never was solely responsible for that endeavor.  So, I was usually hands free of baby and armed with my camera to capture fun bath photos.

With Small Fry, it's a whole different ballgame.  Small Fry is generally my responsibility in all areas -- including baths.  When Buck is home and we can divide and conquor, Fawn gravitates towards Buck.  So if there are two parents on duty we generally bathe the boys separately.  When I'm on my own, they bathe together...so clearly I'm not on picture taking duty.  I'm trying to make sure everyone gets clean and stays safe.

Last weekend, though, I finally got my camera out for Small Fry's bathtime (my big boys were at the farm checking on the new fishing pond).  Proof that we do bathe this child!

Chubby, sweet baby.

Snuggle bug.

Peekaboo puppy.

Baby kisses.

Happy Father's Day!

We celebrated Buck (our "Big Ole Man") for Father's Day this year in quiet fashion.  Poor Buck had to leave town on Sunday for work and spent a good chunk of his Saturday working too -- so it wasn't much of a holiday for him.  But, we spent Saturday morning at my grandparents' pool.  Fawn had to show his newly acquired swimming skills to Buck. 

While Buck was working in the afternoon, I took the boys to Publix to decorate a cookie cake for Buck.  The Publix in our neighborhood does this every year on the Saturday before Father's Day.  We decorated a cookie cake for Buck last year and had so much fun that we decided to do it again this year.  A fun (and yummy!) activity.  On Sunday, we had brunch at home before Buck had to leave town -- his favorite breakfast casserole (definitely one of the ways to his heart).

I had every intention of capturing the cookie cake in all of its glory, but a cookie cake never lasts long in this house and it looked like this when I got my camera out:

This year they had fun tool decorations for the cookie cakes.  Fawn was obsessed with the tools and wouldn't let us throw them away.

Buck, you really are the best.  You are the best husband to me and father to our children that I could ever ask for.  When we started dating all those years ago -- and even when we got engaged and married -- I know I didn't comprehend what it meant to be a good father.  I frankly didn't even know what qualities I should be looking for.  Lucky for me (and even luckier for Fawn and Small Fry), you possess everything it takes to be a phenomenal dad.  You are a wonderful leader of our house -- I know you will teach our boys how to lead their own houses one day.  You are a loyal, constant supporter.   You make all of us feel so valued and treasured.  And, you are so much fun!  You are a kid at heart yourself and you keep this household laughing and vibrant.  We love you!