Precious Preggo Moments

Robbie Mac, almost 19 months now, is warming up to the idea of having a baby sister arrive soon!  We're teaching him how to "be gentle."  We're reserving the word "baby" for true little babies, because now he's a "big boy."  He knows exactly where Reese is (he points to my tummy) and he likes giving her kisses.  He even likes going into her room to play...even though there are no toys on hand and he's surrounded by purple, lime, and pink ;)

At one point, I was looking through a bag of fun girly hair-bows that a friend passed down for Reese, and Robbie decided to spread them all over her floor.  All I could do was laugh...and soak in the moment.  Since they will only be 21 months apart and my attention is about to become split (or diverted, from Robbie's perspective), I'm trying to make the most of every moment that I have with my son before my daughter makes her debut.  He's such a Momma's Boy that I know we will continue to bond, even when Reese is here.  My life-balancing-act will become a tad more challenging...but bring it on!  Life is about to get even sweeter.  And I can't wait to watch it unfold!

 

 

 

 

Girly Girl!

I'm expecting our second baby in 3 months and I was over-joyed to find out that my son would become a big brother to a little GIRL! Don't get me wrong- I love boys and would've been over-joyed either way. And honestly, I suddenly became more nervous about raising a girl than a boy. Mainly because of the way our society idolizes sex and makes girls feel like they have a standard of beauty and size to measure up to. When I recently started decorating her nursery (so fun!) I wanted to find a way to instill God's Word and His everlasting love. So the theme of her room will be:

Love and Beauty

I've attached some pictures of things I've bought and made for the room. Can't wait to get it all put together!! More pics to come...

 

 

Glimpse of Heaven

Babies.  A glimpse of heaven in the real world.  (Reminds me of a song I used to jam out to.)

Kids sure do bring JOY to those around them.  As their mother, sometimes we get busy rolling through the daily routines.  Sometimes their screams in the grocery store make you want to drop the full basket of items at the door as you run for the car.  Sometimes their terrible-two-moments at home (when no other adult is around to witness this devil-ish behavior!) make you wonder how mothers have been staying sane for centuries.  But when they put on that smile, that giggle, that cutesy thing they just learned yesterday.....we get a glimpse of Heaven. 

When I say "heaven" what I actually mean is this:  a visual picture of God's amazing love for us.  As Thanksgiving and Christmas draw near, stop and thank the Lord for giving you a glimpse of heaven.  Thank Him for the gift and honor of being a mom.  And pray for the women out there who are enduring vicious cycles of fertility treatments or adoption processes.  They would give anything for the gift of motherhood. 

You are blessed to be a mom.

The Imperfect Mom

As I lay in bed this morning, my mind on over-drive and unable to shutdown, I just started thinking to myself, "I need an outlet!" 

Do you ever have those moments?  The little stresses all come together and make you want to run...you dream of booking a one-hour massage, thinking that will give you the fix you need.  Just one hour by myself, in a quiet room, with no possibility of disturbance, to relax.  (I mean, really, I can't even use the bathroom without my 16-month old following me in there!) 

At first, I was going to title this blog post "Outlet your Inlets" or "Outlet Shopping."  I was going to write all about taking time for yourself to rejuvenate....because you can't take care of your kids if you're not taking care of yourself....something we've all heard before.  Then I came across a small devotional book for Moms that I inherited and found a chapter that seemed to be calling my name.  It was titled, "The Imperfect Mom."

You see, I tend to get to that point of over-stressed whenever I start thinking about all my imperfections.  It's then that I start thinking of ways to "better" myself.  And that leads to more stress because then I have this long to-do list of items that I think will make things "better."

Allow me to share this prayer with you, from Richard Exley's Straight from the Heart for Mom.

"Lord, Thank You for giving me an imperfect mom,
for using her to teach me that love is more important than perfection,
that kids are more important than things,
and that it is more important to do things with your children
rather than just for them.
Bless my children, Lord.
Fulfill Your purposes in their lives
in spite of my parental blunders."


I hope that you find as much encouragement from this prayer as I did. 

By the way, I found my outlet without having to look far.  I simply got out of bed earlier than normal so that I could have some quiet, alone time to think and pray and write.  (Because writing/journaling happens to be a pretty darn good outlet for me.)  If you don't have one already, find an outlet for yourself.  And pat yourself on the back for being the best mom you can be.  Nobody is perfect.

Free & Fun Activities

As the weather turns nicer, we can FiNaLlY take nice long walks around the neighborhood and go to the park more often!! Walking is great exercise for me, it helps me de-stress, and Robbie loves the stroller ride. Park time is still quite interesting...he's not big enough to climb and slide without me hovering and helping, but he sure thinks he is! I love his adventurous spirit :)

We also love visiting the public library. We're fortunate to live right down the street from our city's new, state-of-the-art facility. The children's area is awesome!! Robbie is at the age where he can enjoy the interactive features, and he already loves for me to sit and read with him.

Check it out!!

New Mom, Crazy Mom?

This is an article I wrote awhile back when my son turned ONE.  You can view the article at:
http://ktuttle625.blogspot.com/2012/06/new-mom-crazy-mom.html

Batters Up!

We love Texas Rangers Baseball! (and sports in general) So naturally we can't wait for our little man to be big enough to join some type of organized little league team....be it soccer, t-ball, or whatever his wish. Daddy taught him to swing a bat last weekend, and ever since he has been totally fascinated by this fun game. He can already kick and throw a ball but sometimes he gets easy entertainment by watching mommy and daddy throw the ball across the living room to each other. It's like keep-away but he doesn't try to grab it from us yet. He just watches in amazement and laughs as we become little kids again with our antics. I know one day I will be the cliche mom yelling, "Take the ball outside! No practicing in the house!" but for now, it's 100% approved :)

It's never too early to teach your babies whatever you feel the urge to teach them. At this age when their brains are little sponges, give them every opportunity to soak up the knowledge! Physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual knowledge.

The saying is true:
Knowledge is power.