Not so super, mom!

I think when it comes to taking care of my boys, I am a little bit like Clark Kent and Superman.  I want to believe I am all Super and not so much Clark but in reality, it's just not so.  Aden is puny, it started last night; he has a nasty cough, low fever, and is very grumpy!  This is my boy that smiles ALL the time; that is nearly perfect all of the time.  I'm sort of at a loss for what to do with him, and I feel like all I've done today is hold him.  (I'm totally ok with the extra cuddling though!)
When Carson was a baby and up until he was about two and half, he would spike HUGE fevers.  104-106 degree fevers were pretty common place around here.  I knew the drill, I could take care of him in my sleep...alternating Tylenol and Motrin, humidifier, light weight clothes, staying hydrated, luke warm baths, keeping things disinfected, etc.  I don't know if it's just been while and I'm nervous; or if I wasn't as tough as I am in my memories!  :) My friends call me sometimes with advice for what to do with their sick babies and I'm very much Superman....Tara to the rescue!  But now that my own baby boy is the slightest bit sickly, the flowing cape behind me is gone and I'm just awkward Clark Kent, pushing my glasses back up on my nose.  Maybe it's because Aden is SO normal that I've forgotten how to do sick.  Maybe I'm not as tough as I think I am.  Maybe I overreact.  Maybe I've gotten wimpy since Carson has gotten healthier.  I don't know what it is, but I'm torn.  Superman (mom) is dying to come out but Clark is keeping him inside. I am hoping that this is just a little cold or sinus infection, and he will start feeling better over the next couple of days.  Mommy (super or not) is tired, she jumps every time he coughs, she hates that he doesn't feel well, and she wants him to go back to being "normal."  I think I like the image of the red cape with the giant "S" on it flowing behind me but let's face it.....the world just may not be ready for that yet! :)  (or maybe I'm just not ready!)

Wipe Out!!

Carson is on steroids....I have never experienced this personally, but they make him act like he is on speed!!  He has SO much energy, he never stops talking, and he can't seem to be still EVER!!   The steroids are for a cough he has had for several days; they help with inflammation in his airway.  So many times in the past several days I have just wanted to look at him and say "SHUTUP!!!"  I, of course, haven't said it, and if I did it would be in a loving, kind way.  :)  Two nights ago he was doing a breathing treatment and I could hear him talking up a storm; I looked at him and he was turned around backwards in the recliner, having a very animated conversation with the quilt hanging over the back of it.  Usually, during breathing treatments, he just sits there, either playing on his leapster or watching something on tv.  

The steroids also make him hungry, I can't tell you how many times this week he has told me that he is "starving."   He'll say, "Mommy, look, see my tummy?" (while lifting up his shirt and pointing) "my stomach is starving, it needs food in it."  I think the amount of food intake this week is preparing me for his teenage years!  

You really can't have a week of Carson on steroids without a really, stinkin' funny story, so here it is....

Do you ever watch Wipe Out?  You know how when the contestant is running and then jumps on that big red thing and then they go flying off into the water below?  Well, Carson had a similar experience with our couch this week.  Remember, I said he is a ball of energy and he moves non stop? Well, he was running to jump up on the couch and it was like the couch just catapulted him off.  He literally, bounced off the couch and went flying through the air.  He landed flat on his back in the middle of the living room floor and all I could do was sit there and stare at him.  After a few seconds he cut his eyes over at me, waiting to see how I was going to react.  It was taking everything in me not to bust out laughing, but I was a good mommy and asked him if he was ok and then told him maybe he should just sit down and rest for a little while.  While he rested, I went in the bedroom, called Brad, and laughed so hard I cried!  You may not think it's as hilarious as I think it is, it might be one of those "you had to be there" experiences...but let me tell you, it was funny!!  

(And don't worry, he's fine!!) :)

I love my son, I hate him having to take the steroids, but they do make him get better more quickly.  I just really hate the side effects; thankfully tomorrow is his last dose!  At least it makes for funny stories!!

Valentine's Day...blah, blah, blah

If you know me at all, you know this is not my favorite holiday.  I really could skip February 14 all together and be completely ok with it.  Except for it's my Granny's birthday and no February 14 would mean no Granny, and we can't have that....so HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANNY!!!

My apathy toward Valentine's Day does not mean I am anti-love, anti-gifts, anti-celebrating the ones I love; I have just never understood the need to have one day completely devoted to flowers, candy hearts, cheesy gifts, and gaggy pink clothes! I by no means want to offend anyone, so if you are offended, please accept my sincerest apology! :)  I love romance, chick flicks, presents, and of course my husband and kids! I love love! :) I just think Valentine's Day is a little overrated.  From junior high to today, I have NEVER worn red on Valentine's Day....both my boys did today though and they looked absolutely adorable!

My Little Valentines

This morning, I told Carson "Happy Valentine's Day" and as we sat and talked about what Valentine's Day means he looked up at me and said "but Mommy, I love you everyday!!"   Talk about melting this mommy's heart!!  So even my little 3 year old understands that we don't need one specific day to tell each other how much we love each other!
Brad and I have never really "gone all out" for Valentine's Day, we love to spend time together and we don't need extravagant gifts to show each other our love.  I would rather have a cute shirt or something for my house than flowers and candy, or a card with something special and sweet written in it.  We do take advantage of the rare opportunities when we can go out on a date, and this weekend was one of those occasions!  Grown up conversation, no diaper bag, lipstick, and my husband....and it wasn't even Valentine's Day!

Tonight, I plan on cooking dinner for my family, giving Brad, Carson, and Aden their Valentine's gifts and having a pretty ordinary night at home.  So Happy Valentine's Day to you crazy people who love this holiday! (Shannon) I hope you are all having a tremendous day with the people you love.  I have spent all day with the 2 little boys I love most in the world and tonight I get to spend time with the man I love most in the world.  I am truly blessed with my little family and love them dearly, Valentine's Day or not!!

Trust and Obey

"When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His word,
What a glory He sheds on our way.
When we do His goodwill, He abides with us still;
And to all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way,
To be happy in Jesus.
But to trust and obey..."

(I might have messed up the verse a little)
Any good, lifelong Southern Baptist should know the song above and should have been humming right along; if you don't know that song, it's a hymn, it's about trust.
TRUST...not my favorite word in the dictionary, neither is OBEY but that's a whole other subject for a whole other post.
So back to trust, I'm not very good at trusting; I'm a skeptic, I see the negative before the positive, I tend to keep my guard up a lot.  I could give you an entire back story on reasons why I don't trust, reasons I should maybe be in therapy, and reasons I'm a cynical person; but I wont, I would rather not blame my past for my present attitudes and behaviors, I'd rather just change them!
Poor Brad! Imagine what he went through when we were dating and in the first year or so of our marriage!!  I want to be more trusting, and a more positive person, and I am working toward that.  But I am a work in progress.  As another catchy church song from my childhood goes..."He's still working on me, to make me what I ought to be...."
Clearly my lack of trust in people, can only lead you to assume that I sometimes have a lack of trust in God.  Seriously?? The One who knew me before I was born, who in His sovereignty had a plan mapped out for my life, who allows me to take each breath I take; I have trouble trusting Him.  Now no one reading this should be staring at your computer screen with a super-spiritual look on your face, acting like you are shocked by this.  We all struggle with it...it's called flesh!!  But God is teaching me, in ways I may not like very much, to "trust and obey." In every decision I make, in all the plans Brad and I make about our home, our children, our finances, etc.  I am commanded to trust God.  I'm not sure why we so often think our plans are better than His, or why we don't "include" Him in the decisions we are making.  Praying over a situation, lifting it up before God, and allowing Him to give you the answer He desire for your life...that's how it should happen.  I'll be the first to admit, that's not always how it works in my life; the day-to-day mundane choices and decisions I make should be brought before God and whatever answer He gives, I should accept and move in that direction.  Several verses from the Bible have been flooding my brain today, as I have been praying about and thinking about things in my life where I need to trust God and give things over to Him.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication, WITH THANKSGIVING, let your requests be made known to God" Phil. 4:6

"As for God, His way is perfect, the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.  For who is God, except the Lord?  And who is the rock except our God? God is my strength and power.  And he makes my way perfect" 2 Samuel 22:31 - 33

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.." Proverb 3:5

There were more, but you get the idea! Trust....a big, scary word and so hard to actually do.  So if you think about it, pray for me to put my trust in God.  That I will be obedient to His will and plan for my life and that I will learn to lean on Him and not my own strength.

Still learning, still trying, getting closer....

I have goals for my coupon craziness and I am no where near reaching them yet but I'm headed that way!  I feel like in the next several weeks I will be saving a lot more money then I am now.  It feels good to be getting closer to achieving a goal that I have set for myself!
Tonight, Brad and I went to Homeland for a few items that I knew were on sale and that we needed.  Here is my issue with coupons...most of them are for things I don't "need" or we don't use, or I don't have the extra money to stock up on a particular item.  I'm learning though, and figuring out what is worth the little bit of extra money right now so that I am saving even more later.  I am figuring out how to plan menus around coupons and sales, I am comparing prices and looking for the best deals!
Ok, so back to my Homeland trip, my total was just under $65 but with coupons and sales I only paid $34. I know this is A LOT more than other coupon-ers spend but I was pretty pumped.  It was 22 items so that means less than $2 an item!  I'm proud of myself and I'm still working toward a goal, so YAY ME!! :)

Not pictured: 2 lbs stew meat, 2 pack of baby food, and a
Dr. Pepper Brad needed to make it through the shopping trip!

Project 365

For the past couple of years, I have watched several of my friends and fellow bloggers post "pictures of the day" on facebook; and last year I attempted to do it too.  I didn't even last a month, I'll blame Carson...he was sick a lot, my pictures were boring, I didn't feel like doing it!
This year, since I am being all "new and improved," I decided to try again; a picture a day, every day, for an entire year.... I can do this!! And so far so good, I made it from January 1 to today with one picture (or more) each day!  Here's a few pics from the first month and here's to hoping I can keep it up!!

Aden turned 6 months old this month!

A picture of my blog...on my blog!

Comparing stats of my kiddos from their 6 month appts

Carson loves to write!

coupons and menu planning

Brad was out of town for a week and we were very excited when he got home!

Murphee Ward's first birthday!

The 4 Van Hauen men @ John's birthday dinner

Chelsea's getting married this year! 

Hannah Foote's first birthday party!

Our house went on the market this month

Cooper and Carson in the nursery at church

"Blizzard" 2011

Making cookies to keep busy during the snowstorm

Trying to get a good picture with the snow

Last picture of the month! 

Celebrate!

It's the first day of February.  This means it is only 21 days until I turn 29, the end of my 20's.  I love birthdays, everyone's, not just mine.  I think they are an awesome, wonderful time to celebrate someone's life.  I like to extend the celebrating for as long as possible.  I love birthday parties, I like planning them, throwing them, and just being a guest at them.  In the past two Saturdays I have been to two little girls' birthdays, who were both turning 1.  This Saturday I will be going to another birthday party for a little girl turning 3.  (Happy Birthday Murphee, Hannah, and Rylee) Birthday parties for kids are great! The excitement in their eyes, the joy in opening in the presents, the fun in watching them eat their birthday cake.  Carson loves to go to birthday parties too.  He was a big help to Murphee, who wasn't at all interested in opening her gifts, so he opened all of them for her.  Anytime there is a birthday in our family or one of our friends, Carson and I will call to sing to them and tell them "Happy Birthday."

Back before I had kids and became all "adult-y" I would celebrate my birthday with such gusto some people might say it was slightly obnoxious.  I had a birthday week...an entire week of all about me.  But don't worry, I wasn't completely selfish.  All of my friends had birthday weeks too. :)  In high school we would celebrate each day with food, silly socks, little gifts and goofing around.  When I moved back to Oklahoma from Georgia, my sweet friend Sara sent me a week's worth of gifts and I had strict instructions to only open them one day at a time.  

Well, now I'm getting older and somewhere along the way my birthdays stopped being such a big deal.  They sort of lost their thrill and the excitement isn't there anymore.  Maybe its having kids, maybe its just getting older....I don't really know what happened, but I don't like it one bit! :) So this year, my last year in my 20's, I will celebrate my birthday like I used! This month I will take time for me, I will paint my nails, I will go out with my friends, I will go on dates with my husband, I will do fun things with my kids, I will milk it for all it's worth!!

So Happy February everyone!!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I will!!

These girls can do some serious celebrating!