A (not so really) cuddly weekend

Liam woke up Friday morning with a bit of a cold. Runny nose, watery eyes, the usual stuff kiddos get from playing with other kids and being at the park everyday. I thought nothing of it until I myself started feeling bad too. Oh man. I never get sick. So as the day progressed I passed it all off on allergies but didn't really feel like doing much. So after Liam's super short nap (he couldn't breath from his stuffy and/or runny nose) we went and rented some Disney movies. I know...I need to buy them. But Disney movies are expensive! So...we rented Finding Nemo and Toy Story and got a bag of popcorn. On our way back home, I had visions of us cuddled up on the couch, watching Nemo, eating popcorn and possibly falling asleep. We got to the house, popped our popcorn and settled on the couch with juice, popcorn and blankie. Let me just say that Liam is EXACTLY like his daddy. He can not sit still for anything! Nevertheless, he LOVED Finding Nemo inbetween playing with toys, snacking on popcorn and jumping up and down on the couch. Pictures coming soon :)

More words.

Today's new words:

Car, Ellie and Yes.

What!? Every time I hear him say them, it's unbelievable to me that he is saying REAL words. What a big boy!

Things are kind of tough around here. The best way to explain it? I'm sad. Really sad. I miss my husband and a semi-normal life. I am sad for Liam, that he is missing out on time with his daddy. He was SO excited when Justin came home last week and we all had such a great week and weekend doing lots of fun things-going to the park, Hubers Orchard and spending time with Gramparents. Saying goodbye on Sunday was the hardest it has been yet, with me not being able to stop crying for at least 3 hours. And then the crying returns sometimes after Liam goes to bed. It was so wonderful to have Justin home, I just can't wait to be together in our new home.

Thankfully, I have great friends. One who willingly babysat Liam on Sunday night so I could go to the Rascal Flatts concert with another great friend who took me and cheered me up. I am thankful for the friends who willingly hang out at my house with me at night so I don't have to try to find a babysitter. I am thankful for my husband who is in North Carolina working hard for his family. I am thankful for all of the people who are praying for us and keeping their fingers crossed that our house sells quickly and that our family can be together soon. I am thankful for a supportive family. I am thankful for things like Skype that allow Justin, Liam and I to see each other in between visits. I am thankful for the friends that are housing Justin in Durham.

I know that the Lord has a plan. I was reminded of that a lot today. A good friend of mine had this quote on her facebook this week: "Ultimately our gift to the world around us is hope. Not blind hope that pretends everything is fine and refuses to acknowledge how things are. But the kind of hope that comes from staring pain and suffering right in the eyes, and refusing to believe that this is all there is." I'm glad I read that when I did. Spoke right to my heart.

Goodnight all...gotta get some good rest so I can keep up with my chatterbox child tomorrow!

New words.

Today as I was cleaning up from dinner (pizza, veggies and fruit..mom of the year right here folks haha!) I heard Liam in his room taking books off of his bookshelf. This is one of his many favorite things to do. All of his books are on the bottom shelf so he can reach them and he takes them off two or three at a time. He used to just dump them and then be on his way to something else or maybe flip through his favorites. But now, he flips through them and then hands them to me to read. So anyways, I put down what I was doing and went into his room. As I walked in, I heard him making a noise and couldn't figure out what it was. Then I realized he was reading this book called "Jungle Babies" and was on the snake page. Every time I read it I make a snake noise and poke at Liam and he was MAKING THE NOISE! I couldn't believe it! We have tried for months and months to get him to do a dog noise but he never does. So just to make sure, I re-read the book to him and asked him what it was and he made the hissing noise again. Ahhh...so awesome. This weekend he also started to say "na" for banana...as a matter of fact, he got so excited in the grocery store today when he saw them he was SCREAMING it. "Mama! Na! Na! Na!" Hahaha. I love it! And tonight when we were reading that same book, there is a monkey holding a banana and he pointed it out saying "na!"

It is so fun to be in this next stage of him talking and not just babbling anymore. Justin comes home tomorrow night for a short visit so I know that he will be shocked and amazed at how much Liam has changed. Liam was barely taking steps when Justin was home just three weeks ago and now he is almost running everywhere!

Where did my baby boy go??

Today was a day full of things that made me realize my baby boy is no longer a baby...

*We played at the park for over an hour this morning, going from the swings to the jungle gym and slides. He climbed all up and down everything on his own and needed just a little bit of help on the slides. He doesn't quite understand he needs to pick his feet up yet so his shoes don't stick.
*He walks EVERYWHERE. All of a sudden a few weeks ago, he just started walking everywhere. I don't even think I have his first real steps on video it happened so fast. Bad Mom right here.
*We went to the waterpark at the YMCA this afternoon with his best girl Olivia and her Momma. He still wanted to do the butt-in-the-air crawling on his hands and feet until I showed him he could walk in the water too. So then, holding my hand (insert heart sigh), he walked everywhere. And even learned how to crawl up a big netted thing up to the slides. So crazy.
*He uses a fork. I know, weird. But he really likes using it and is pretty good at it!
*He stole my Chick-fil-a milkshake tonight. I didn't let him drink a ton but when I did take it away he had the saddest face I have ever seen. Big pouty lip and everything. When I gave it back so he could have another sip (come on, what Mom can resist THAT face??) he laughed his bleating lamp laugh and smiled a big toothy grin! Basically, he was calling me a sucker.
*He does the movements from the book "From Head to Toe"...he especially likes the gorilla thumping on his chest.

Liam does millions of cool things everyday that make my heart melt...like when we say our prayers every night and he lays his head on my shoulder and then gives me a kiss. Seriously. Heart melting just thinking about it :)

Missing my guys

I am missing this guy a lot...

And this one...

At least I have Liam to keep me busy. Ellie stays under the bed 75% of the day and she does not like to cuddle on the couch like Toby does, so she is no help. I am continually praying that we get to be with Justin soon...being here alone is no fun but I am thankful for wonderful friends that keep me company.

Sweet puppies

Lately Justin and I have had a lot of conversations about these two cute little pups:

Ellie and Toby. My little four legged children. Ellie is the white and gold Shih Tzu who is 5 years old and Toby is the Yorkie/Chihuahua mix who is 4. Both are amazing, sweet dogs but we just aren't sure what needs to happen next. Since Liam has gotten older and is now extremely mobile, Ellie has anxiety according to our vet. She shakes a lot when she is nervous which is mostly when Liam comes near. She spends her days sleeping under our bed or sleeping in her bed in our bedroom. She rarely comes out now, unless Liam is sleeping or if he has snacks. She loves goldfish so she readily comes to hang out when it's snacktime! Toby on the other hand has become so much better with Liam but he will still show his teeth to him when Liam gets too close in certain situations. Other times, Toby chases Liam around, licks him and plays with him.

We are at a point right now that we just don't know what to do. We wonder if both dogs would be better off in new homes with older kids or to an older couple? I had a conversation with a good friend tonight who went through the same situation. Her and her husband had two awesome dogs but once the kids were born, they had to change something. They know where one of their dogs went but the other one they aren't sure. Both dogs are so dear to Justin and I but Ellie would be the hardest to give up. Thinking about it makes my eyes swell up with tears....oh man. What a tough decision. I know having kids doesn't mean you can't have pets but I feel so bad for my dogs...I can't handle walking them both with Liam by myself, I don't have as much time for them now and I just feel like they aren't enjoying their little puppy lives like they should be. What are your thoughts? Have you been through this situation before? Leave a comment for me :)

Neighborhood tattletale?

So here is a fun fact about me: I keep all metro service phone numbers in my phone. And I use them...often. It comes in really handy that I have them actually. Once, I was driving down Frankfort Ave. and saw a homeless man wearing a heavy camo jacket, no shirt, pants and no shoes with his little friend hanging out, peeing on the sidewalk...and people were WALKING RIGHT BY HIM!!! Ew. I don't really want to see that. So I called the police. In our old apartment, our downstairs neighbor left his dog alone way too much. And the dog barked...way too much. Once, he went on spring break and left the dog with someone who NEVER came to feed him or let him out. So I called metro animal services. And then I let the neighbor have it when he got back...not in a mean way. In a pretend, playing dumb kind of way but it got the point across that I was disgusted with his actions towards his pet.

I am sure there have been many more instances that I have called, I know there have been. Like today. For about three weeks now, Justin and I have been calling the city about our backyard neighbors. They are across the ally from us and I honestly had no idea what was going on until Justin showed me how to open the back gate (it's like a fortress! haha). I walked outside and was so upset at what our alley looked like. We believe that they have abandonded their house and apparently before they did, took every ounce of crap from their house and put it in the alley. SICK. So that's being taken care of now...or they will get many more calls from me :) THEN...baby boy and I were coming home tonight from dinner at my inlaws and there was our neighbors puppy running around everyones yard. So to make a long story short, I knocked on the door a few times and stuck the pup in our yard. Now, he is a beagle puppy and the thing about beagles is that they can squeeze through anywhere! So after calling metro animal services and finding a way to keep him in the yard, an hour later the owners came home and I brought the dog back. Meanwhile, it was thirty minutes past Liam's bedtime, Toby was trying to attack the poor puppy and Ellie went and hid under the bed like usual. Oy vey. Momma is cleaning up for a showing we have tomorrow (fingers crossed!!) and off to bed. I am wiped!