A Funfilled FALL day

Today was a great day! Even though it was freezing this morning, we decided to go to the Pumpkin Patch - aka Gallrein Farms. We really shouldn't have gone - the boys and myself have all been a little under the weather...BUT, we always go to the Pumpkin Patch and I just couldn't let this last chance before Halloween get by. Even though it was freezing, we bundled up and had a great time. Jacob found us the perfect pumpkin and Jonathan had a ball touching all the pumpkins in the patch. Then, tonight, we went to a "monster bash" - a party one of Jacob and Jonathan's little friends threw in Louisville. The boys wore their Tigger and Pooh costumes and looked oh.so.cute!!! They got to play with cool toys and paint a pumpkin. So much fun! My hubby is a trooper - the only man there. (sorry honey, I really thought some other dads would come too!) I love weekends! If only we had week long weekends. :-)

quote from the Doctor's office

Yesterday at the doctor's office, Jacob said the funniest thing. The doctor was teasing him a little and telling him how big he is. She asked him if we was driving yet. As serious as can be, he said," But I don't have my license, silly." So cute! Love this little person!

my new project

Thanks to my friend Tiff (proud momma of Sir Tucker!!!!!), I was motivated to create a window treatment. No, I don't own a sewing machine, though I sure wish I did!!! I made a cornice for my bathroom. Well, so I can't really take all the credit - I had the vision and my daddy had the tools and the man power to use the staple gun on all that fabric. Me and my daddy make a pretty tough combo - what can I say - once a daddy's girl, always a daddy's girl!!! It looks FABULOUS!!! I really like it and think it adds some pizazz to our little room!

This exact time three years ago, I was...

eating the yummiest Wick's pizza ever!! Why in the world do I remember what I was eating three years ago??? BECAUSE IT WAS THE DAY I GAVE BIRTH to my sweet sweet baby boy, Jacob William Stover. A day I'll never forget from start to finish. At about 9:00 pm, my sweet sis in law, Kelly, drove to Wicks and brought us the best tasting pizza ever. I was starving. Jacob was born at 6:33 pm and I had been in labor since 8:30 THE NIGHT BEFORE. That's right folks, 22 hours of labor (and no food, which is why I was hungry!). Crazy times. Sweet times. Scary times. Joy. Terror. Tears of joy. Tears of pain. Exhaustion. Pure and absolute love for another being in one split second. The whole nine yards.

I can't believe that my baby is already 3. We've had quite the celebration week - a nice fun party with all our family on Sunday and a quiet night at home today (well, not really quiet since we bought him a drum for his b-day) to celebrate just the four of us. Jacob woke up this morning and said "i don't want another birthday. I'll just stay two forever." Sweet boy!!! Happy Happy Birthday big boy. I love you so much!

I never knew that being a mom would make me so emotional. I just can't get over how much I love my boys and how much I pray for them every single day that they would choose to love the Lord with all their heart, mind soul and strength. What a great reminder of the Father's love for me.

Bye Bye Mr. Mullet - I sure will miss you!!!

Here's a couple of shots of our day: Before, During and after the cut:

Today was a big day for Mr. Jonathan...I totally took the plunge and got him his first big boy haircut. You see, he had a mullet - an all out mullet. Little on top and long in the back. Very Billy Ray Cyrus of him, I know. But Jonathan's little mullet, you see had a few curls. And curls =girly, I suppose. We kept getting comments like "oh she's so pretty. How old is your daughter...??" REALLY - do you not SEE those sports balls all over his shirt??? And don't you know that if I had me a girl, she'd be all decked out in frills and bows and everything she wore would be monogrammed. I digress. Anyway, we took the big boy to Kid O Cuts in Middletown - fun place. A little pricey, but special for the first time! Jonathan got to sit in a little car shaped cutting chair and watch Mickey while sweet Cathie worked on his new look. He didn't scream, but he just sort of whimpered the whole time. He really doesn't like water on his head, so when she took the water bottle and started spraying, I knew we could be in trouble. But he made it and now looks so big and grown up. An added bonus - he got his first ever sucker. Suckers + 16 month old + big blue van = sticky mess. Man he loved that sucker!! I was so proud of myself...I didn't even cry. Now I feel all nostalgic. I can't believe my boys are getting so big. Amazing!

Did he really do that???

I have a really funny story and I just know that words will NOT due the situation justice, but I'll do my best. Today, we had a special visitor at our house from First Steps. I've been a little concerned about Jonathan's communication skills, so we looked into First Steps - totally recommend it by the way if you're even curious!!! The evaluator was great and Jonathan took right to her. He does seem to have a slight communication delay, not a receptive delay...he understands everything we say, he just doesn't vocalize it the same way... Anyway, so the evaluator was here, playing fun games with Jonathan and near the end, Jonathan had ventured away from the living room and came out fully decorated with some of mommy's underwear. That's right friends...he got into my panty drawer. My "pretties" as we say here. It was hilarious and very embarrassing!!! He had some around his neck and about 5 pair in each hand and was so happy to show our new friend his treasures. She was great and just glazed over it, but I had to pry those suckers out of his hands. Billy was in the kitchen and was enjoying the whole thing a little too much - he thought it was hilarious. And it was. But also VERY embarrassing!!! :-)

Favorite Time of Day

Here's a few shots of my favorite time of day with my family. My favorite time of day by far (on work days anyway...) is right after dinner with my boys. We have so much fun. Usually, all four of us pile up on our bed and sing songs, read books, watch tv or just play. The boys love our bed for some reason. Jonathan loves to jump and fall on his bottom. He just laughs and laughs! It's always been somewhat of a bonding time for us and I just love it. I often smile and tell Billy that these are the simple moments I want to remember forever. Nothing spectacular like a vacation or trip to the zoo. Nothing that costs any money. Just plain uninterrupted family time. Now, I don't know what our future will look like when the boys get bigger, but I sure hope we never ever stop having family time after dinner.

* the picture of Jonathan is just a bonus...such a cutie patootie. This shot was taken last weekend at Chuck E. Cheese. Fun times!!!

Quote of the Day

Tonight after dinner, Jacob got into a little trouble for pushing his brother down. When put into Time-Out, Jacob said, "I'm too busy for time-out." Mommy and Daddy could hardly keep in the laughs when Jacob said this. You never know what that guy is going to say :)

what every girl needs...

(picture has nothing to do with post, but it sure is cute!!! Love these boys!!!)

This weekend, I've had the opportunity for a little girl time and it has been oh so fun! I wasn't gone the whole weekend or anything like that, but I did get some precious moments with some of my favorite people on the planet. Friday afternoon, Rachie and Walkee came for a visit. We had a great time catching up and watching our boys play. Ya'll should have seen it - the three boys were flat out busting a move to some "wiggles" on CD. Hilarious. Sweet. And I got some video for bribery that might need to rear its ugly head when they're teenagers. :-) Then, Saturday morning, I got to hang out with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Jamie...so good to have friends who even though you're not together often, when you are, it's just like you're never apart! Jamie's cooking me a niece or nephew and I can't wait to meet them!!! Then, Saturday afternoon during the big UK/UL football game, (C-A-T-S!!!!) Rachie and Walkee came back over - my boys were napping, so we really got to chat and I got some extra sweet snuggles from Walkee!!! What a blessing. To top it off, today, we had a baby shower for another sweet friend of mine, Tiffany, mom-to-be of Tucker...a.k.a. Jacob and Jonathan's bud! Enjoyed all the fellowship and the car ride (though it wasn't long enough) with Katie - and I got a sneak peak at her new house - LOVE IT!!!!!

So, the weekend's got me thinking about what a girl needs - here's my conclusions:

* every girl needs friends who can come over and REALLY overlook the mess in your house - even when their son eats crumbs off your floor :-) You know you're soul sisters when...

* every girl needs time at Panera and the mall with a good friend

* every girl needs someone to confide in

* every girl (at least every momma) needs other mommas to share (confess) the mishaps of mommyhood and be reassured that you didn't really scar your kid for life when you___ fill in the blank there. You name it, I've done it...

* every girl needs to be able to go shopping for baby gifts every once and a while

* every girl needs (DRUMROLL PLEASE) a wonderful husband who didn't even blink an eye when he found out I had plans a couple of times this weekend and took on the superdad role, which is no stretch for him.. Hon, I love you so much and am honored to be your wife!

What about ya'll - any other thoughts on what a girl needs???

what now??

Today was a strange, tough day for us...this morning when I dropped off the boys at the sitter's, she told me that she and her husband had been praying for a while and have decided to stop doing child care...I was totally shocked and taken aback and of course, being the emotional lady that I am, I cried. And I felt like crying most of the day and I did shed some tears numerous times throughout the day. Ms. Mary and the whole Wisley family have been just that to us - family. No other way to describe it. The boys love love love it over there and we have just felt like they are so safe and happy there. Ms. Mary was sad and said she had so many mixed emotions - their family has a lot going on, a new grandbaby on the way who will live in Florida, family all over the place... So I'm trying to be a big girl and understand, but selfishly, I just don't like it one bit!!!! I don't want to go through the trauma of finding new childcare. I don't want my boys to have another transition. I don't want them to miss their friends... But, I know that God is good and will honor this if we honor Him. In the grand scheme of things we have so much to be grateful for!!!
Once again, God reminded me how blessed I am to be married to Billy - he was an amazing man of God today and a total pillar of strength for miss emotional me. I love that man and I love that he is the eternal optimist. Thanks, honey!!!!
To top it off, almost 50 people at our agency got laid off today. Thankfully, Billy and I still have our jobs. We do have so much for which to be grateful!!

Just praying that God would prepare our hearts and boys for change and that the perfect opportunity for child care would find us...our boys mean the world to us and we want the best option for child care when we have to work!!!

Dear Jacob,

Dear Sweet Sweet Jacob,

My big big boy... I love you so much! I can't believe you're almost three. Time is absolutely flying. I just ordered your 3rd birthday party invites - unbelievable. Being your mommy is so much fun. You are very creative and very very sweet! You are very smart! I know I say that a lot, but it's really true. Everyone says "I can't believe he's still 2 - he speaks so clearly and knows all his ___ " (colors, numbers, letters, animals...). You are learning so many new things all the time! I love watching your little brain work! You've also been working on memorizing some Bible Verses and you love to repeat after me. The cutest thing you say is the way you say Philippians - when you say it, it sounds like "flimikias." You have started to do the funniest thing - you follow your brother around and do everything he does -literally. Every sound, every step, every single thing he does. And he loves it!!!! He loves the attention you give him. You are best friends and that makes your daddy and mommy so proud! You continue to be a very very painfully picky eater (I know...apple doesn't fall far from the tree) - but sometimes you just skip dinner all together - you say "I don't want nuffin for eat. I fine" hmmmm...any advise here young man??? I suppose you'll eat when you're hungry. You are really into books right now and are even starting to recognize a few words! You could literally sit with us and read 100 books at a time. You "read" Brown Bear Brown Bear" all the time and it is priceless!!! You have a new renewed interest in Mickey Mouse - something you share with your brother. So cute!!!!

You are also quite the little helper these days - you love helping mommy do special tasks - like cooking, dusting, helping with the laundry... just a great helper. I love that!

Jacob, I'm very very proud of your behavior lately. You have been working so hard to be respectful and to follow the rules. You are still working on saying "please and thank you" but you really do a great job! You are a good listener and mommy and daddy really thank you for that. You're being a great example to your little brother.

I feel so happy and blessed to be your mommy. You are so funny right now and really bring joy to my life. I love talking to you on the phone when I'm not here and I love talking to you at nite nite time. We're gearing up for potty training and would appreciate your full cooperation (hey a little begging never hurts, huh???).

Love you forever!!!! Mommy

Dear Jonathan,

Dear Sweet Jonathan - you continue to be the joy of my life. You are growing too fast though!!!! It seems like the 'baby' stage is long gone. You are a full fledged toddler - I suppose you really have been a toddler for a while, but hey, I'm in denial. You are a very curious young man. Here's a few facts I've learned about you lately:

*you are a bottomless pit...I'm so proud of the way you eat!!! Keep it up, buddy! You out eat the rest of the family by a mile. Your favorite food right now is grapes - sometimes you stuff so many in your mouth that you look like a chipmunk.

*you LOVE Mickey Mouse - you flap your arms and turn around in circles when he's coming on TV. Nothing makes you smile more than Mickey these days!

* You are the apple of your brother's eye - he adores you and follows you around all the time! It's really sweet and I can tell you love his attention

* you are starting to enjoy books and being read to - you grab a book and come plop down right in my lap

* you are getting four teeth right now and I don't think you like it very much - good news is I can see all of them now, so hopefully your discomfort will end soon!

* taking you out to eat is oh not so fun for mommy and daddy - you are a little wiggle worm and have some utter dislike for highchairs. :-) (unless it's a LOUD place like Gatti Land - you can eat the house down on the salad bar!!!)

* you are a very big helper!!! You always are the first to help put your toys away and love racing mommy to put all the books away. Thanks for that!

* you are deciding to wait a while before you start to talk...no words from you yet, but I have a feeling when you do find your voice, it'll be non stop for you!

I love you so much Jonathan - you are a very sweet boy and we are so proud of you. You are the best little sleeper and eater. You are so fun right now! I pray that you keep your spunky personality and that you will learn to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.

Love,

Mommy

Helpful Hints

Parenting is a journey...no one ever perfects it...you learn as you go...let God be your parenting guide...you will probably mess up once or twice and feel guilty, but God has perfectly orchestrated you to be parents.... Anyone ever told you those little wise proverbs about parenting? People along the way have told me these and many other little tidbits about being a parent. Okay, so here's my truth to these: If parenting is a journey, every day feels like a marathon without proper training...you learn as you go, sometimes minute by minute and you almost always second guess yourself...you mess up once or twice every hour and FEEL OH SO GUILTY (and if your neurotic like me, you wonder if you are seriously messing with your children's' futures)...if God has orchestrated me to be a parent, then why do I feel so inadequate...

Parenting is sure stretching me, that's for sure. Now, as a caveat, I love it. I really do. And I'm learning a lot. Here's some helpful hints I've gleaned along the way:

1. If there's a family outing planned right at naptime - skip it. Every time!!!!! Especially if your little guy has an ear infection and is cutting two teeth. (sorry Tay - we sure made your birthday lunch memorable today!!!!!) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAYLOR!!!!

2. If you hear your husband whispering into the monitor at night "bring the flashlight," it's probably best to get the flashlight and go upstairs as quickly as possible...the culprit for the flashlight?? a potential poopie diaper from a sleeping toddler.

3. Don't let your toddler go birthday shopping if you want to keep everything a secret! :-) I'm milking this one for all it's worth this week!!!!!!

4. Don't ever ever ever give your toddler the syrup bottle when everyone's eyes are shut saying the prayer. (we had breakfast for dinner tonight - a fun tradition for us!)

5. Don't go to the ballpark with out baby wipes - a bunch of baby wipes. For that matter, don't leave the house without wipes - always a recipe for disaster.

6. To get anywhere on time, plan to tell yourself that the start time is actually 15 minutes before the real start time. Why oh why does getting out the door take so long?

7. Never leave your 15 month old alone with a container of puffs (you know those fruity little treats from Gerber???) oh - and if you do this, make sure you have a vacuum handy!!!!!

8. And of course, the best for last...cherish every moment and laugh all you can or YOU.WILL.GO.CRAZY!!!! Be thankful for the blessings of children.

Here's a couple of pics that totally show the personalities of my sweet boys. OH and it's important to note that all these lessons come from the last three days. Never a dull moment in the Stover house!!!

God always keeps his promises

Don't know if anyone else saw it last night, but after the storm, if you stepped outside you saw what I saw... a breathtaking rainbow that literally stretched the entire length of the sky. It was a great reminder for me that God sent a rainbow to Noah to remind him that He would never leave him or forsake him. The same promise rings true today and I'm so thankful. I got to show Jacob the rainbow and was able to tell him the story of Noah again - what a great teachable moment. The pictures don't do it justice, but here's a glimpse of God's glory!!!

what we've been up to...

The past couple of weekends have been quite eventful and very "social" for us. Last weekend was birthday palooza (Billy's sister on the 14th, my mom on the 15th and my mother in law on the 16th). This weekend, we've been visiting with an old friend of Billy's family - Dennis, from Denmark and his lovely friend, Tina. Dennis was a foreign exchange student who lived with the Stovers 20 years ago. It's been a lot of fun. Here's a few shots from our very busy weekends...

lessons from my kiddos

Well, I know I posted a few months ago about lessons I learn from my kids - well, at that time, I wasn't sure I actually learned anything from my kids, but boy was I wrong. Not only do I learn from my kids, but I also continue to learn more and more about who they are and who they will become and I.love.it. It scares me a lot, but I love watching them grow and bloom. Today I learned two very distinct lessons from my kids - one very profound and one not so profound, but oh so very important.

Episode 1: We went to the park today - it was a perfect day and I love taking the boys to the park. We went for a nice long walk and then played on the playground. When we got there this little boy ran up to Jacob and said "hi, I'm Aaron." Well, my little sometimes shy guy proved that all wrong - he was completely taken with his new little friend and proceeded to follow him around like crazy for an hour or so. Jacob was quite conversational and it was really cute...what's so profound about this, you ask??? Well, it got me thinking about who Jacob will become one day. I believe he is going to be somewhat of a follower. Not that that's a bad thing at all. In fact, I think being a leader is sometimes much much harder than a follower, but being a follower means one thing. You follow the example of someone else. Well, this realization has had me whispering a new prayer today for my little man - that God would place amazing people in his life that are worthy of following. So many people have bad motives and any one person can have so much influence. I pray that even as a little boy, God would place sweet little friends in his life that are good listeners and that obey their parents. And as an elementary school boy, friends that are learning about Jesus and that like school and listen to their teachers. And as a middle school boy and high school young man and a college guy, friends and mentors that lead him toward Jesus and teach him that it's okay to do the right thing - even if it's not the popular thing!!!!

Episode 2: Not nearly so profound (but important nonetheless)... the lesson I learned from/for Jonathan today - always always always leave the bathroom door shut! Jonathan decided to go into the bathroom today (I guess while I was fixing lunch) and took everything that was in the bathroom trashcan and put it in the toilet. Fun times, let me tell you. Well, after a floor full of water, quite a battle with the plunger and 10 soaking wet towels later, it's all fine. Lesson learned - 15 month old little boys are curious little fellows. When things are quiet in the house, probably a sign that mommy should go see what's happening and not just be grateful for the peace. :-)

I love the way being a mommy stretches me and makes me rely on Jesus - I tell you one thing - I cannot imagine trying to be a mommy without the power and strength of the Lord!

Summertime Cuties!

Summertime is one of my favorite times of the year! Spring is actually my favorite - new life with all the new flowers and trees budding... I love me some flowers. That's for sure! Here's a few shots of my sweeties after church last week in my flower garden!

"I'm the King of the Bees, I don't like RULES"

Okay, so that's the quote of the day from yours truly, Mr. Jacob. Where in the world he got that, I'll never know.... BUT today during "nap" time (the term is used lightly in our house) Jacob told his daddy "I'm the King of the Bees, I don't like rules." Just like that. Matter of fact. No emotion. Nothing. I happened to be downstairs and I witnessed the conversation courtesy of the old faithful baby monitor. I don't know how Billy kept a straight face, because I was cracking up. Billy said to him, "what did you say?" Jacob repeated it again and then Daddy said "where'd you learn that?" Without skipping a beat, Jacob said "Vacation Bible School." HMMMMM... now that's an imagination. I happen to know what the exact curriculum from VBS was, since we were teachers too, and I can assure you that NOT liking the rules and king of the bees were not included in the week's curriculum.

Always an adventure at the stover house....

"the doctor people glued my forehead together"

Well, today was one of those days that you just absolutely dread as a mother...I got the call from the babysitter... you know, the one that starts with "everything's okay, BUT...." And then your heart stops beating and you feel like you might just toss your lunch, which happened to be a tasty cheeseburger from McDonalds (I digress...).

Well, here's the whole story. Today at Ms. Mary's, Jacob had a little mishap with the kitchen counter and got a pretty yucky gash on his forehead. He was running from the living room to the kitchen and I guess forgot the corner of the kitchen counter was there. Right at forehead level. Poor little guy! Ms. Mary was a trooper - she managed to get him calm, clean up the mess - why do foreheads bleed so much???, and she even got a butterfly band aid on it. She called us to let us know what had happened and thought we should come see it just to make sure we didn't think it needed stiches. STITCHES????? I screamed in my mind??? My little guy might need stiches???? Holy moly, you might as well as said he'd severed his leg or something like that. (dramatic, I know, but seriously? This is my little man we're talking about!).

The other part of the story... I was all over the place today. Started out the work day by driving to Lexington for a conference. Then had a meeting in Louisville destined to start at noon...I was almost downtown Louisville when I got the call and decided to turn right around and head to check on my little guy. In the meantime, I called the pediatrician to see if stiches were in fact needed, could we do it at the office or would it necessitate a trip to the ER. FORTUNATELY, my pediatricians' office said they could do it if needed. So I trucked back to Shelbyville and went to rescue my little man.

Unfortunately, it was naptime for both my critters, so by the time I got there, they were both in near-meltdown stage. Jonathan was crying and Jacob was screaming NOT to take off his bandaid...but. I. Had. To!!!!! I had to take a look. It is just a little gash, but a gash none the less and was still bleeding pretty bad when I got there (about an hour post incident). So, after a phone call to Daddy, we decided to go ahead and take him to the doctor.

When we got there, Jacob was fine. Playing happily...until we went into the room. Moms, ya'll know exactly the kind of fear I'm talking about, I presume. It was ugly. The nurse was great and managed to listen to his heart and look at ears and all the routine stuff with no problems. When conversation turned to the little incident with the kitchen counter, it was entirely different. The doctor came in, and we held him down long enough for her to get off the bandage expertly applied by Ms. Mary and get it all cleaned up to see what we might need to do. Here's the options we were given: stitches (which of course involves a needle), glue, or some procedure that would require him to be velcroed to a table for 30 minutes....wait a minute. Did you say velcro my child to a table for 30 minutes??? I started to cry and the doctor said she would just see what was needed. Fortunately for all of us, she decided that the best course of action was the glue - quick and painless (except for the sensitive ears out there). Jacob flat out screamed at the top of his lungs, but fortunately, it really only lasted 30 seconds. Dr. Schuster was fabulous. Jacob was brave. Daddy was braver. Jonathan was oblivious to the whole thing. And mommy -well, mommy was nervous, but thankful for a strong husband and a great doctor and staff. And thankful that the doctor chose the glue!

Then, we piled in the car and headed home for an ice cream treat. I know it REALLY wasn't that major, and he is definitely going to be 100% fine. Still.... I'm just saying that when it's your own child, nothing is worse than seeing them hurt or scared. NOTHING. Heartwarming to think that God's love for me is even deeper that that which I felt today for Jacob. Heartwarming and Humbling all at the same time!!!!!

(oh - the title for this post was inspired by his conversation with Grammy and Mamaw on the way back home from the doctor... "i was running and the kitchen counter hit my head and it was bleeding and then we went to the doctor and the doctor people glued my forehead together.")

Dear boys,

Time for the monthly installment of the letters to my boys. They are such a joy right now - really enjoying each other!!!

Dear Jacob, You are a really funny kid - I know I've told you that before, but you really make me laugh. You have found a new favorite thing lately...Daddy found some random little show on Noggin (didn't even know we had that channel) called Jack's Big Music Show and YOU. LOVE. IT!!!!! It is all about music, which is your favorite thing. There's a song on it called "I'm gonna catch you" and you are so cute when it comes on. You grab your guitar and sing right along and do all the motions. We HAVE got to video tape it - it is just too precious!

Jacob, you are learning so much about Jesus right now too - you love to sing "Jesus" songs and always tell us what you learn in Sunday School. You got to go to your first VBS last month and let me tell you... you loved it!!!! You still sing the songs and talk about the things you did. What fun! You are also a very good big brother. You are very protective and don't like it at all when mommy or daddy have to say "no no no" to your little brother. You always want him around and are so patient with him when he messes up your puzzles or jumps (or mauls) on you. You have started calling him "daily dub," which is one of our silly little nicknames for him.

You also started drawing people last week - really cute - you put little legs and arms that aren't attached to the body, but it's really cute. I will cherish those first people drawings forever! (and I was the first person you drew - lucky me.) You tell me all the time "you're a cool mommy, mommy." and I. just. melt!!!! I love you little man! You are a GREAT little boy and I am so proud of you for working so hard to follow the rules and listen to mommy...we MIGHT, just MIGHT be getting close to over the terrible twos. :-) LOVE YOU FOREVER!!!!!!

Dear Jonathan,

Hi little buddy - I cannot believe you're already 14 months old. That is just unbelievable! You are growing so fast. It is evident to me now that you are tall enough to open every drawer in the kitchen and tall enough to reach the on and off button on the TV in the bedroom (not that you would ever do those things...) You are a very curious little guy and I love watching you explore. Your sweet babysitter, Ms. Mary, even says sometimes you just wander off and find something to entertain yourself. So funny! You are most definitely going to be a lefty - your left hand seems to get preference for eating with a spoon (YOUR NEWEST TRICK!!!!!) and throwing balls. Daddy says he'll have to get real creative when he teaches you how to play ball since he's a righty and you're a lefty. :-)

Jonathan, you are going through a bit of an "i need my mommy stage" and while it's sweet, it worries me a little bit. Especially at church. Don't worry little buddy - mommy will always come back for you when I leave you somewhere! Always! I want you to always feel safe and loved!

You continue to LOVE LOVE LOVE your big bro. He is definitely your hero. You two are really starting to play together and I just love to sit back and watch. Sometimes he leads and you follow, but honestly, he admires you just as much. He follows you too. You two have really enjoyed playing outside together lately - you love to find random water puddles and just splash away. You also LOVE it when I blow bubbles for you. Those shiny round bubbles just amaze you (me too if I'm honest here...).

Jonathan, we are so proud of you and love you so much! You are a miracle my little guy - pray that you see yourself that way to!

Much love to you both,

Mommy