Such a BIG BOY!

Well, it's official! We have a big boy! Talent has been acting like he wanted to be in a big boy. So, yesterday, we made his crib into a toddler bed. He was super excited. We bought him new bedding. We are waiting on his quilt to get here but since we have the sheet set we went ahead and put them on. He was so excited about the new sheets and couldn't wait to get into bed. We started with nap time so if it was a disaster we could change back to a crib. He only got up once. I took him back to bed an told him to take his nap. He laid back down and closed his eyes. He slept for about an hour in his new bed.

Last night we expected more of a fight. He didn't get up once. He laid there and went to sleep. He didn't even get out of bed this morning when he woke up. He waited till I came to get him. He really surprised me. He is in there now for his nap an I haven't heard a peep out of him. He really loves this big boy bed. I'm so impressed. I can't believe he has done so well. I'm sure it won't always be this easy but I figured the first few days would be the hardest. I am truly blessed with an amazing kid.

Appreciation.

This weekend was a long weekend at our house. Talent had been diagnosed with an inner ear infection on Friday, Seth woke up Saturday with a sore throat & congestion, and I was diagnosed with pneumonia on Sunday. Needless to say, we have all been feeling pretty crummy. Yesterday, in an effort to keep T entertained and also do as little as possible because I'm exhausted, I got out art supplies. I had markers, crayons, stickers, and stamps galore. I asked Talent if he wanted to make something for his Daddy. He said yes and got so excited at the sight of all of my art supplies. I got him some paper and a box to use as a table. He sat in the floor in the living room and colored pieces of paper for a long time. Then he decided his paper needed stickers. He picked stickers that said "good job" and "way to go" and more encouraging things. So we decided to make a little picture to show his Daddy we appreciate all that he does. Talent even had me trace his hand onto the paper. He was very excited to be doing arts and crafts with me. It was a nice way to show Seth we thought about him and that we appreciate all of his hard work. I tell ya, that Daddy sure gets some sweet presents! I try and get Talent to do nice things for Seth so that he sees he is appreciated and loved so much. We miss him when he isn't with us.

Our Sweet Boy....

I just wanted to take a minute tonight and say how thankful I am for my sweet boy. I've been watching all of the changes that he's making lately and it just blows me away. He's growing and learning so much. He's getting big. I can look around this house and see all of these memories in pictures of him from the day we brought him home, to his first birthday, and then now. He has changed so much. He's learning and doing so many new things. I'm so thankful for all of the happiness he brings into our home. All of the funny things he does that makes us laugh. Just tonight after we put him in bed, Seth and I were in the living room watching a baseball game on tv and Seth muted it for a minute. We both sat here and listened to this crazy child of ours chatter away to his stuffed animals in bed. We both laughed because this is something he does often. He's just a silly kid. He does all kinds of crazy things. He brings so much life to this house. I'm just thankful that he's ours and that he is here to bring all of this happiness and joy to our lives. He's just so wonderful and we are just so blessed.

Happy Birthday, Talent!

Today my sweet baby turned TWO! I planned some fun things for him today. He woke up at 6, which is much earlier than normal, so I went and got him and brought him to bed with me. We stayed in bed until about 6:45. I finally whispered, "Talent, do you know what today is?" to which he kind of giggled. I said, "It's your happy birthday day!" and I started singing the birthday song that they sing on the Sprout channel that he watches. He got excited and started to tackle me. I turned on my bedside lamp and gave him a drink of my water. Then we turned on his favorite show and he was ready to start the day.

We got up and got around and were at the donut shop by 7:15. I usually just go through the drive through because it's a lot easier with him than going inside that early in the morning. But, since this was a special day, we went in. To be honest, I don't think I've ever taken him inside before. He was so amazed at the donut shop. He kept saying, "Oooooh, Momma!" and pointing to the donuts behind the glass. He was so excited. It was one of the cutest things I've ever seen! After we got our donuts, I drove across the street and bought him a small sprite. I don't usually give him things like that but, again, today was a special day. Then we headed home. We ate our donuts in the living room on the sofa and watched Sprout together. It was a fun start to our day.

Once breakfast was finished I had to start getting myself really ready. I had only straightened my hair to go to the donut shop. I'm lucky enough I can still get by without wearing make up if I really want to. So I got Talent all set up and I went to get my make up on. He was running back and forth from the room he was playing in to the room I was getting ready in. Telling me big stories. Usually I just put him in his room and gate him in. But, today I didn't see the harm in letting him play as long as I could hear him. And, I could. He was playing with his zebra ride on toy and that is one of the LOUDEST toys know to man kind. It has bumpy wheels that even make noise on our thick carpet. He was having a ball.

We left the house to head out to meet some friends for lunch but before we went there we had to stop at the pharmacy. All of the girls there just gushed over him. And since we were picking up his allergy meds they saw it was his birthday. They gave him a bowl to pick a sucker and a balloon from. He ended up with two suckers and a green balloon. He was so excited. He didn't want to leave his new friends. He likes pretty girls.....I know, I know, I'm already in trouble there. We left for Duncan and met my friend, Misty, and her daughter at El Palacio's for lunch. Katelyn and Talent hit it off! They had so much fun at lunch. Katelyn was a doll! She's 6 and was so sweet with my baby! They even brought Talent a present for his birthday, which was very sweet.

We ended up both needing a nap after all of the morning festivities. So when lunch was over we headed home for a nap. When we got up it was time to go outside and play. It was actually a decent day out today. So out we went. We chased Talent's dog all over the place. We hollered at the cows. We took a ride in the wagon around the yard. We played in the sand. We just had a good time.

I tried very hard to make today a special day for Talent. My Mom always made our birthdays seem like they were the most important day in the world. And I hope I am able to do that for Talent. My husband thinks it's silly to love your birthday like I do. But, I think it's the one day of the year that you truly DON'T have to share with someone else. It's yours. You were born that day. It's a day just for you. It's not like Mother's Day that you have to share with all the other mom's in the world. Or Valentine's or Christmas where everyone is getting things. It's just your day, where you get to be treated special. I want to do that for Talent. It's important to me that he grow up feeling and knowing that his birthday is a big deal. If for no other reason, he made me a Mommy that day. He changed my life in so many wonderful ways. That alone is a reason to celebrate. He is the reason. So, I want to celebrate his life.....his birth.....him. Always.

Each night we have a routine before bed. I take him to his room and gather all of his herd (he sleeps with a pig, chicken, dog, & a dragon) and we turn out the lights, turn on his noisy fan, and we get snuggled up in the rocking chair. I usually recite "Goodnight Moon" and then we talk a minute. I tell him I love him and thank you for being good. I then say his "night night prayers" and we rock for a few minutes and I ask if he's ready to go to bed. He usually tells me yes and I have him give me a kiss and put him in his bed. Tonight, I mixed it up a little bit. Instead of starting with his story, I talked to him for a bit. I told him how happy being his mommy makes me. I explained to him that I prayed for him for a long time. That when he finally came along, I was so happy. I told him that I love him so very, very much. I let him know that I am so proud of him for being such a sweet and loving little boy. I told him how much he means to me. And I told him that today was a special day because he was a very special boy to his Daddy and me. That we both were so happy that he was ours and that we loved him so much more than he could ever understand. Now, I realize he's only two and most of this didn't probably sink in. But, I feel like it is so important for him to hear these things. Even if it's now when he's two. He needs to hear it.....often. I tell him every single day that I love him. Probably a hundred thousand times through out the day. But, I know in my heart, he will never question that I love him. He will always know. Because I tell him. That's so important for a child. My Momma & Daddy told us all the time that they loved us. I never once had any doubts. I want to make sure my child knows he's loved.

Looking back on the last two years, I think Seth & I have done a dang good job with Talent. Considering he is our first child and Seth had never really been around kids before. Talent with all of his allergies has been a bit of a challenge for me at times. The allergy thing kind of threw me off. I never thought about him being allergic to things. I feared him having the disease I had at 18 months old, Kawasaki Disease. I even feared him having bad vision, bad hearing, or even asthma. But allergies never even crossed my mind. I was never allergic to anything. So learning how to read food labels and find the allergens in things, it's been a challenge. But, I'm learning. Figuring out how to handle certain situations like Easter Egg hunts and Halloween. Those things can get really tricky. People think you are crazy and over protective. But, I'm learning, that those people don't have a kid with serious allergies. And their opinions don't matter. I'm learning how to shrug those things off.

Seth is learning so much too. To be honest, I've never loved him more. Our relationship has changed so much in the last two years. I've always heard having a child changes a marriage. And the people that say this would be right. But, I can see how it could change it for the good or the bad. Having a baby is very stressful. But, it's also a very wonderful experience. I have loved Seth for nearly 10 years. He's had my heart for a very long time. Seth is a very hard person to get to know. He's quiet and doesn't talk until he gets comfortable with someone. And getting him to that point is a long quiet journey. Just ask my friend, Elizabeth. We've been friends for over 15 years and he is just now talking to her. She was in the delivery room while I was in labor. Anyway, back to what I was getting at. I remember the exact moment Seth & my relationship changed. Talent wasn't even here yet. But, he would be very soon. They were trying to decide whether or not to give me more Pitocin or to do the C-section. The nurses and doctor left the room and I fell apart. I had not shed one tear in the near 22 hours I had been in labor. Seth jumped up and asked me if I needed my Mom. I said no that I just wanted him to stay with me. He sat by the bed and held my hand and stroked my head until I calmed down. He was so sweet. I knew then that this man was in this for the long haul. That he had been up for almost 36 hours and hadn't slept at all and he still would do anything and everything he could to make me be okay. I was his first priority. Then when we were alone after Talent got here, Seth held Talent for the first time. The look in his eyes said so much. You could see how in love he was with this tiny little baby boy. My heart was so full. To this day Seth still amazes me with how great he is with Talent. This is a man that said he never wanted kids. Now he is playing with Talent, wrestling with him, helping me with dinner time, giving him baths, and even helping out at night when Talent is sick. Seth even goes and gets Talent when he wakes up really early and brings him to bed with us. He's just such a great Daddy. Talent is a very lucky little boy to have someone so wonderful to look up to and learn from. His Daddy is an amazing man. And I know if Talent turns out to be even half as wonderful as Seth, we've done a pretty good job. Because my husband is pretty amazing. I love that he loves our son as much as he does. And I really love that he wants to play and have fun with Talent. He wants to be able to take him fishing and camping and all kinds of other boy things. I know right now is my time to be the cool one. But, it's not going to last much longer. Daddy has all the fun boy stuff that Talent is going to want to go and do and before long, Momma is going to be left in the dust. It's okay, I think it will be a great thing for my husband.

Today has been a fun filled day. Full of emotions. Full of memories. Each year this day is more and more special to me. I look back and remember all of the wonderful things about this day. The people I was able to share it with. My parents, grandparents, my in-laws, my best friends, and a few days later...my brother and his wife. It was one of the best days of my life. It's a day full of memories that I know I will cherish for the rest of my life. I'm glad I was able to make some memories with Talent today. I look forward to making more memories with him in the coming years. I know this post was all over the place. But tonight, my head is all over the place. Remembering all of the wonderful things about this day two years ago. Thinking about all of the fun today. April 12th is just a great day.

Happy birthday, Talent Espn Reynolds! You are one very loved little boy! One day I hope you realize just how special this day is. And I hope you will be able to look at all of the pictures I have forced you to take on your birthday and remember all of the fun things we have done to celebrate! I love you, "Shakey"!

Two years ago.....

Two years ago at this moment I was laying in a hospital bed crying. The doctor had just come in and was telling me they were going to give me one more dose of Pitocin to see if they could get Talent to come on out without doing a cesarean. I had been in that hospital bed since 3:30 am. I was tired, hungry, and thirsty. I hadn't had anything to drink since they had admitted me. I hadn't had anything to eat since the day before at dinner. And I had only been asleep a few hours before my water broke and I had to go to the hospital. I was worn smooth out. The doctor came back in and told me that she was going to check me and if my uterus was still not cooperating they were going to call the surgical team back in and go ahead with the C-section. At that point I was beyond ready for a C-section. I never thought I would want one but, I was just exhausted. They started kicking people out of my room. They started getting things for Seth to wear into the OR. They took all of my jewelry off. They had the guy that did my epidural come in and check on me. He was going to have to give me more meds. Finally, we were getting somewhere. They wheeled me back to the OR, I was suddenly numb from the neck down. And I was still so sick....nine long months of morning sickness, and I was sick the whole time I was in labor, including the C-section.

At 12:58 am, I heard the first sound of my child. I shed a few tears. It was one of the most amazing sounds I've ever heard in my life. You know, you carry this life inside of your own body for nine months. You protect it from the world around you. You feel it's every move. You dream about finally seeing it. You don't know what you reaction will be. I never dreamed I would cry. I just was so overcome with happiness that he was finally here. I could finally hold him in my arms. Finally I could kiss his little face. It was overwhelming. Seth was able to go with them when they took him to be cleaned up and foot printed and hand printed and all of that stuff. He took some pictures of him. Our parents got to see him through the glass. Meanwhile, I was still being put back together. I thank God for the anesthesiologist. I was so sick and he was so kind. He wiped my face, held a bucket, and my hair. He was just the kindest man. After I was all stitched up, they took me to my room.

My Mom, Mammaw,  & Mother in Law were waiting in the room with Seth. It took them a while to bring Talent to me. But when they finally did, my heart was just overflowing. He was beautiful. He was perfect. I had carried this child for nine long months inside my body. And to be able to finally hold him in my arms was a feeling I can't quite describe. Still to this day, nothing makes my heart feel quite like holding that boy does.

Two years has seemed to fly by. Talent has grown and changed so much. I'm so proud of him. He is the silliest and most fun little boy. He's stubborn and so strong willed. At times that makes me a little crazy. But, one of these days I know I will be thankful that he has those qualities. It's what kept me out of trouble when I was a teenager. I am hoping it does the same for him. He is just the most amazing thing.

Being a mom for the last two years has been a wild ride. There have been trips to the doctor for fevers that were higher than I was comfortable with, ear infections, tubes put in his ears, allergy testing, allergy scares resulting in hives or trouble breathing, RSV, bumps & bruises, and so much more. He's made me laugh with his crazy antics. Reminded me that not everything is so serious. Taught me so much about myself. Talent is a great kid. I'm so proud to be his Mom. The last two years have been some of the best years of my life. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for him. I know he's a smart boy. I think he has a great future ahead.

Talent asked me to draw him a "rawr" & a "ruff ruff" so I did!

Newborn Talent. Can't believe how much he's grown!

Look at this big boy!

He tried to take his Daddy's chair!

Having a bowl of "pop pop" with Daddy and watching some sports.

Talent & Mommy. Gosh I love this boy.

A lion, a dog, a monkey, no it's TALENT!!!

You know what I love? I love silly days. I love time spent with my sweet little family. I love listening to this sweet little boy laughing. I love waking up in the morning to the sound of a little boy yelling, "Mom!"....and I love his little smoochy kisses before bed at night.

Last night Talent was fighting going to bed. He started crying so I went in there to check on him. He had gone to the bathroom so I was changing him. While he was on the changing table he started making all kinds of animal sounds. I have taught him all kinds of silly animal sounds. He started growling to make a lion sound. Then he starts making a monkey sound at the top of his lungs. Next it was a dog barking......I was trying so hard to keep from laughing. I noticed that he was looking at the door. Seth had come in behind me. He was laughing. It's hard not to laugh when your kid is doing something so silly to keep from going to bed. I got him all changed and then we started tickling him. We laughed together and had a little fun. Finally it was time for the lights to go off. I told Talent goodnight. I gave him his kisses and hugs and put him back in bed. He finally went to sleep.

This sweet child will turn 2 next Friday. I can't believe the last two years have gone by as quickly as they have. I have enjoyed the last two years so much. Teaching him new things. Watching him grow. Seeing him learn things. He is so smart. I am always amazed at the things he picks up. He knows some of his body parts. He can show you his eyes, ears, nose, mouth, toes, peepee, butt, and tummy. He doesn't always do it on command, but he knows what and where they are. He can also show you where yours are. He has a book with all kinds of pictures of items in it. He can point out a lot of the things in it if you ask him to. He knows where the dirty clothes go. I have him take his dirty clothes to the hamper every time we take off clothes. He also knows which drawer his socks go in.

Talent is just so quick to learn things. He wants to learn. But he's also very stubborn. I know he can say more things than he does. But he doesn't want to. So he doesn't. He does say all of the following: Mom, Momma, Red Red, No, Yay, Yeah, Hi, Hey, Uh Oh, Bye, Hello, Me, Gee Gee, DaDa, DaDee, Moo, Bur (bird), Dink (drink), Teet (teeth), Eat, Ow, Get, Cheese, and Please. Not all of those words are always clear. And I realize that I am with him ALL the time, so I hear him say these things on repeat. Seth thinks I'm crazy because I say he can say all of these things. BUT, I hear him say these things repeatedly. And every single time I hear him say these things they are in the right context. So I know he's saying them and using them the right ways. He does try to say Riley sometimes but it's hard to catch. And it sounds more like "Iley" than Riley. Unless you spend a significant amount of time with him, you won't hear him say many of these words. He does say them. But he doesn't say them all the time. But, he's speaking. He's getting there.

I can't believe how much my life has changed in the last two years. I love being a Momma. It's one of the best things I've ever done. It's not an easy job. But it is one of the most rewarding jobs. When Talent grabs my face with both hands and plants a great big kiss on my lips....oh it melts my heart. This job is by far one of the hardest I've ever had. Being in charge of another human life is challenging and scary at times. You have so much responsibility on your shoulders. So many people want to give you their two cents. There's so much out there that people think you should be doing differently. It's hard. I have to remind myself a lot of times that I know what I'm doing. Talent is happy and healthy. He's loved and taken care of. Whether people think I should do things differently or not, I AM doing a good job.

Early Celebrations & Easter!!!!

This weekend was a busy one in our family! We had Talent's birthday party a few weeks early. Seth & Dad work a crazy shift and it's hard to get them both off at the same time so we usually have to schedule T's party for a week or two early. So, this weekend we had his birthday party! I can't believe our baby is going to be 2!! Time has gone by SO fast!

Talent is really into Thomas the Train, so, we had a Thomas themed birthday party. He LOVED that his cake had trains on it. My awesome friend, Jennifer, made his cake. She did his cake last year too. My in-laws were gracious enough to let us have the party at their house. I was so thankful. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with our dogs if we had it here. But, my mother in law was so sweet to host for me. I didn't have a very big guest list. We just had our parents, my grandparents, Seth's brother, and my BFF and her family showed up to surprise me. It was a blast. Talent played with my BFF's kids. He got some really great outside toys. He got the coolest bike from my in-laws, a really great shirt from his Uncle Chase, a wagon, picnic table, and clothes from my parents & grandparents. And he got a chalkboard and chalk along with some books from the Astley's. He made out pretty good. Seth and I got him the newest Madagascar movie and some plastic golf clubs that came in a little golf caddy. He loved it all. We've read books, played with all of the outside toys, and played with chalk. It was a great party. We had a good time being with the people that love my baby boy and wanted to be there to celebrate his life with us.

On Sunday we all got dressed up and went to church for Easter Sunday. It was a good service. After church we came home and had pizza. Talent played with his chalkboard a little bit. Then he napped. Just before he got up I went outside and hid Easter eggs for him. When he got up I told him we were going to go hunt eggs and he clapped and said, "Yay!"...I'm certain he didn't know what I was saying. But, I brought him in the living room and put shoes and socks on. When he looked out the front door, he saw the eggs and was SO excited. I opened the door for him and out we went with his basket. I didn't even have to show him what to do! He grabbed the first egg and tossed it in his Elmo Easter basket and ushered me around until we found them all! He LOVED hunting eggs! Seth came out and watched and took pictures! It was a blast! We played outside for a while before we had to eat dinner and get ready for bed. It was a great end to our weekend.

Choo Choo! Look who's 2!!

Make a wish, baby!

Hunting eggs!

Checking out all his loot!!

Tackling his Daddy!