Back again

I began this blog with good intentions, but being a mother of two, a wife, and a teacher proved to take up much of my personal time. Now, I find myself awake at midnight - something that has come to be routine lately. I put Audrey down at 8, Colin goes to sleep by 9, and I usually fall asleep with him. Often, I wake up around 11 or 12, as is the case tonight. I found my old blog spot and decided to try to begin again.

My little people aren't so little any more. My oldest "baby" will be three next month and I marvel at how much he has changed and grown. I also have to remind myself, daily, that he is becoming his own little person. Just today I asked him to take his plate in from our dining room after lunch and he said, "no, thank you." It was a very polite response - something we have been working on for a long time. But, once again, parental teachings come back to haunt you at just the right moments. I told him that was not the appropriate time to use those words, and he just repeated them. When I tried again, his new response was, "I'm busy right now." I'm not sure where he picks these phrases up, but it is beginning to become hillarious. Just the other night, while Clayton was helping with the bedtime routine and after he had pottied, Colin said to his dad, "Jelly beans BEFORE brushing teeth. Are you kidding me!" He said this in response to Clayton asking him if he was ready to brush his teeth after he pottied. We are currently having to bribe him with Jelly Belly jelly beans to even get on the toilet. I couldn't help it at that moment, I laughed! To my surprise, I haven't hear the phrase "are you kidding me" since then. But, it was only last night.

Audrey is a dream come true. I love her brother beyond reason, but she is darling in her own right. She is full fledge WALKING now! Every time she does it I remind myself that I need to get the video camera, but then I get busy with something else. She wakes up happy, stays happy (unless tired or very hungry) and seemingly loves everyone she meets after an hour or so. She is talking much more than Colin did at her age, even though I talked to him more. I'm sure having an older sibling makes a big difference in lots of ways. We went to the circus for Father's Day last night and she was a real trooper. She got very tired at the end, after being so hot all the way through, but stayed happy all the while. I still remember the moment that I learned that she would be a girl. We went in for our ultrasound and the tech told us all about her health and growth. I wanted to hear that she was well and okay, but I was on pins and needles about her gender. I told myself that it really didn't matter if she was a boy or girl, but deep down I knew that I wanted her to be a girl really bad. So, after the tech told us about her health I reminded her that we DID want to know the gender. She had forgotten and said, it's a girl! I remember sucking in my breath and immediately tearing up. For a pregnant woman, I was very good at hiding my feelings and wasn't usually overly emotional, but at that moment a flood of emotion rushed through me. The realization that I had a daughter did not really hit me until a little later when I really allowed myself to believe it. But that moment will be mine forever. Even so, I didn't quite believe it so I asked the tech if she was certain. She showed me the girl parts to prove it and said she was giving us a good view. Needless to say, Audrey is a girl. The sweetest little thing ever, too. Quite the little lady.

Everyday I feel blessed to have both a son and a daughter who are healthy, intelligent, and beautiful. Add a wonderful husband and friend to the mix and what more could I really ask for?