Roll over, roll over...

She did it! She rolled over! It was hilarious. JW witnessed the first time, but I saw the recurrence. She has a really hard time getting over her left arm, so she's still a beginner, but I think she will get better. After she rolls, she's stuck with her arms by her side and face in the ground, it's a pretty funny sight. She really tired herself out from all the rolling...she actually fell asleep so soundly I was able to put her in her pack'n'play. I better hurry and enjoy a few hours/minutes of sleep without my babe attached! Good night!

Luke 18:16

"But Jesus called the children to Him and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.'"

Jackon is obsessed with the Bible. Praise the Lord! He has two of the same, "The Baby Bible Storybook for Boys," they are blue, and each page is a brief synopsis of a Bible story with a fun illustration to go with it. One is an older edition with slightly out of date pictures and a kitty cat placed strategically in random scenes, like in the manger of Jesus, who knew? The other is the newer edition, but it has packing tape all over it because of how many times it has been broken from overuse and slightly too enthusiastic page-turning. He also has an ABC Bible Verse Book that features great pictures of kids doing the right thing, like sharing, reading the Bible, eating their veggies, etc. Jackson's fave page is the one of the little boy reading the Bible under his covers during a thunderstorm; Jackson likes the picture of the lightning. And Jackson also likes to "steal" mine and JW's mini paperback Bible, just to hold it. One morning, he asked me to read it to him, and I tried to convince him that it wouldn't be as interesting as his story Bibles, but he wouldn't be convinced, so I started reading out of Proverbs. When I tried to stop, even though he seemed not to be paying any attention to me, he immediately asked me to keep going. I think God was trying to tell me something! There is a mini Gideon bible that he has slept with. And when he won't go to sleep at night, it's usually because he is reading his bible to himself aloud. How can I argue with that?

The title of this post is in reference to the last page of his bible storybook. There is a picture of Jesus surrounded by all the children, and this verse. One morning, Jackson started saying, "hinder them." I thought he was saying "hit 'em," because he says that a lot. But then he pointed to the page, and I realized what he was saying. How cute! He's learning the Scriptures already, praise God!

All Good Things Must Come To An End...

Sigh. I go back to work tomorrow. I'm sad, but happy. Being a mom is very ambiguous. It will be good to be back in a routine. It will be very sad to leave my family. But J.W. can get to nurture the little ones in new ways, and I have faith that we will grow as a family, somehow.

Jackson is asleep right now, on an air mattress in his room, with the light on, surrounded by books. He was reading to himself up there for about an hour out of his toddler bible. How can I get mad about that? Praise God for him. Bedtime isn't so bad, he eventually falls asleep, and sleeps in pretty well after some early morning awakenings. Naps are a different story, as in, nonexistent. The other day, he did sleep, but he had climbed underneath his gate (it was raised so he wouldn't climb OVER it) and fell asleep on the floor just outside his room. WHY? Yesterday, I took him for a run and he fell asleep in the stroller, and he stayed asleep for awhile after we parked it inside the house. Without a nap, the little guy struggles, and we grapple for patience. I pray that eventually he will regain the all precious nap. I took it for granted before that he went down so easily.

Savannah has been sleeping most of the day today. She finally will take the bottle, which is an answer to prayer, and she sleeps AWESOME at night. Although we'll probably have an all-nighter tonight since she slept all day. With babies and toddlers, things NEVER stay the same, so never get comfortable. I'm trying to enjoy each and every moment, however, because I know when they're older, I'll be wishing for the "simpler" days of today. If only I remember how hard these days were too... Live for today!

Well, wish me luck tomorrow, I'm off to save lives, I hope...

2 months old!

This entry is also a little late, things have been really hectic in the Ruff household. I just spent a week in Denver at a conference. I took Savannah with me, and we had a great mother-daughter time. We were inseparable, and I'm finding out now that it might not be the greatest thing, since now Savannah is adamantly rejecting the bottle again. Bummer.

Jackson has decided not to sleep any more, which has been very discouraging. We've tried many different approaches to this problem, but we're back to the old Ferber method, letting him cry in his room. Thankfully, since we've been on board with this approach, it has been a lot better, and he's actually sleeping in the chair in his room. Wierd, I know, but at least he's sleeping in his room, right? Who knows, this parenting thing is very confusing.

Before Denver, my sis came to visit us for a week, which was a great time. It was such a blessing being able to spend some QT with her. There's nothing like sisters.

So now we're all at home together as a family again, preparing for this Friday, when I go back to work. AHHHHH! I pray for everything to work itself out, and I know that it will.

Savannah, you are 2 MONTHS OLD! The time has flown by so fast. I have really enjoyed these last 10 weeks at home with you. You have changed so much since we first brought you home. You don't spit up as much, you are content to sit in your swing, in your bouncer, or on your playmat. You actually are sleeping thru the night, from about 11pm to 5am, in your Pack'n'Play, which has been a HUGE blessing. You LOVE to nurse, and you hate the bottle; that will have to change soon. You smile all the time, and you love to hold conversations with me, cooing and making the most precious sounds to my ears. You think your brother is hilarious, and you smile at him when he comes over. You are a good traveller and have already had your first airplane trip across the country! At your 2 month check-up, you weighed 12 lbs 12 oz and measured 23.5 inches long, both in the 90th percentile. You are just about to sneak into 6 month sized clothes, since the 3 month clothes are a bit snug on you. We love you so much, and you are such a blessing to our family.

2 and a half!

This post is a little late, but I wanted to post about Jackson being officially 2 and a half years old this month! 30 months, I can't even believe it. It's getting to the point where he is more of a little boy than a baby! These 2 and a half years with Jackson have been amazing, and I am really enjoying watching him grow and learn every day. Jackson, at 2 and a half:

-you wear a 2T still, but it seems that in the past week you are sprouting up, so now I will buy 3T from now on

-you wear size 5 diapers

-you will not potty train yet

-you are now in preschool 2 days a week

-you are a big brother!

-your fave breakfast is "mush," aka oatmeal; bananas; yogurt; milk

-you want chicken nuggets and ketchup every day for lunch

-you sometimes surprise me by trying out what I make for dinner, but often you only take 2 bites (my rule) and call it quits

-you snack on granola bars and fruit

-you still love playing outside, especially at the playground and on the tractors

-you still love dates with Mommy at Barnes and Noble or Starbucks

-there is nothing you CAN'T say, and your vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds; it's truly amazing what you understand and remember

-I love you Jackson, and I'm so proud of the little man you are becoming!

First Day of Preschool!

Today we had J's first day of preschool. I was really nervous because of his recent behavior, but it went great! A parent had to stay with him today, and it was only for an hour since it was for the first day. He had NO major meltdowns, and he actually listened and played nicely. It was very reassuring to see the other moms and dads say the same things to their kids that we say to Jackson; it helps to know we're not alone.

T Squared

That's what JW and I have started calling "temper tantrums." Jackson is going crazy. It's a real bummer. Not that I blame him, with a new baby sister, two-year-old urges, and changing weather. But it doesn't make it any easier. I feel like a broken record. The cool down chair...yeah, Jackson sings songs while he's on it. And today he started standing on it and turning the light on and off. He had his first major meltdown in public yesterday...at the Open House for his preschool, no less! At least we know that every other parent has gone thru the same, but it's still annoying. Today actually turned out to be a good day. The morning started out rocky, as he broke one of my things and had three time-outs in 6 minutes' time. But the afternoon was a lot better, and we had a fun evening with friends. "This too shall pass..." Meanwhile, Savannah is smiling a ton and she's super cute. I haven't been able to capture the moment on camera yet, but when I do I will be sure to post it. Tomorrow is a scrapbook day, and I'm super excited to create. It will be a girls day, just Savannah and me (she'll chill in the sling or the carseat hopefully most of the time, we'll see...)