January: The month that feels like one long Monday

We have hit the last few days of January and I am so glad! It is seriously one of the hardest months for me because of the dreary, cold, and snowy days.  So to be almost into February is a blessing. 

I decided to do a family update each month, focusing on the kids and also the things we did together.  I also want to show my progress on my goals for the year.

"Let's play blocks"

Brecken:  This kid is hilarious.  He has a large vocabulary and can communicate basically anything he wants (which makes life a lot easier).  As a two year old, he is throwing some lovely tantrums over the smallest things, as to be expected.  He got Duplo blocks for Christmas and is obsessed with building cars, trucks, etc.  He also loves letters and numbers.  He can identify all his letters and numbers 1-20.  Colors, shapes, Mickey Mouse, and Toy Story are basically his other favorites.  He has some crazy facial expressions and his personality is big and bold.  I love this stage with him!

Those. Eyes.

Elizabeth:  I can't believe in just a few weeks we will have a 6 month old girl! Lizzie is the sweetest, happiest baby.  She rolls all over the place and is starting to sit up a little more on her own.  She reaches and holds toys really well -- then places them instantly in her mouth.  Her naps are still kind of inconsistent, anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours and she takes 2-3 a day.  For the most part she is great at night, but we still have had a few bumps along the way.  She adores Brecken, loves Baby Einstein, stares at lights, and laughs when her daddy throws her up in the air.  It is seriously killing me how fast she is growing up. 

I love their bond! 

We created a family bucket list in December and we have checked a few things off in January.  Brecken and Brandon built a little snowman on the back deck. We took the kids to the Bounce and Slide place one Friday and had so much fun.  Then we also had a semi-warm day and went for some Yogurtland frozen yogurt.  Brandon, Brecken, and I also went sledding in the backyard.  Most importantly is we spent as much time together as we could when Brandon wasn't working.  Both these babies love their Daddy!

My goals for the year were to create more projects using my Cricut (mostly to decorate our home) and to use my camera more.  All the pictures of our family above are from my camera.  I have read a lot about my particular camera and have just signed up for an online beginners class for photography.  It is a go at your own pace kind of thing, so I am sure it will take me a while. 

Below are a few (of the many) projects I created with the Cricut this month:

1.  I monogrammed my water bottle because I'm from North Carolina and if something doesn't move then you monogram it!

2.  I repurposed an old chalk board with some vinyl for Valentine's Day.

3.  I used some vinyl to create a fun wood sign to keep up during January. This particular idea came from Cricut Design Space. 

  

Balance

I was so nervous about the transition of going from one to two kids. It was hard for me to imagine being able to hold that much love for another child. When Lizzie was born, I realized how easy it was to love her and Brecken. 

Being completely honest, the hardest part of this whole transition is finding balance. When Brecken was born I had to learn to balance being a mom and a wife. This time it was finding a balance between a newborn and an almost two year old. Lizzie was completely dependent on me, and yet here was sweet Brecken needing me too. I remember several times being in tears because I felt like I wasn’t giving him what he needed. It is true that with two kids, your once oldest and only child will have to share some of the attention they previously got all of, but they aren’t neglected either.  

When she was first born, I had a lot of help from my Mom and that gave Brecken someone to play with when I was busy with Lizzie.  When it was just the three of us, he unfortunately was entertained by TV a lot.  Lizzie went through a stage of having to be held for naps, so she was in my arms for a lot of the day.  We played as much as we could, but it was a lot of hit and miss.  I am still figuring it all out, but as Lizzie is getting older it is getting somewhat easier.  

Brecken and I get to have special time together when she naps in the mornings. That is his uninterrupted time. Lately it consists of about three things: playing blocks, playing with letters & numbers, or playing with tractors.  They both usually nap around the same time in the afternoon so that is my (short, yet much needed) alone time. The rest of the day is sort of like juggling and many times I drop the ball. We are learning together. Thankfully they won’t remember all the times I mess up at this stage. What I am seeing now that I couldn’t see in the beginning is the love they have for each other. Brecken loves Lizzie and she adores him.  We will see how that goes once she can start grabbing his toys! We just take it one day at a time. 

Mommy Style Monday: Resolutions

My friend and former co-worker Madeline and her friend Kiana started Mommy Style Monday and I decided to hop on board.  This month the topic is focused on talents, more specifically, talents I want to work on during 2018.  I really had to think about this because I wanted to be intentional and genuine in my efforts.  I have two kids (2 year old and 4 month old) that don't necessarily give me much time to myself.  So, I have chosen two talents I would like to learn/develop/improve on this year.

1.  Creativity.  I taught Elementary School for 4 years and I seriously always struggled with the creative side of teaching.  I have never been crafty or artistic.  Last Christmas, I received a Cricut Air 2.  There are so many things you can do/make with paper, vinyl, fabrics, and even leather.  The only thing I am really comfortable doing on it is making cards.  So, I am going to try to add to my repertoire by creating projects for my house throughout the year.  I'm starting with vinyl and wood and will expand as I get more comfortable.  I have already ordered some vinyl and picked a few projects for winter and Valentine's Day.  My goal is to be able to do one project a month.  I'm sure some will work out and others will be total fails.  That's how we grow, right?!

2.  Photography.  I have an awesome camera that I got for my birthday about two years ago.  I have only used it a handful of times because I don't really feel comfortable with it.  Once I read up on it and watch some tutorials, I want to use my camera more frequently.  My plan is to take some pictures of my family throughout the year. 

As you can see, I haven't jumped into the deep end by any means. I feel like I sometimes set high expectations of myself, already knowing that I won't have the time or means to get them done with my crazy life.  This year I am keeping it simple and hoping to utilize what I already have here at home.  

If you have any fun projects, tips, or ideas on how I can better improve in these two areas, I would love to hear them! 

If you’re interested in joining in on Mommy Style Monday sign up on Kiana or Madeline’s blogs or click  HERE!

Check out these fabulous blogs:

Kiana at Glitter&Donuts

Madeline at CaseyLand

Monica at It's All About