It's a mixed blessing

Will has recently been paying more attention to TV. In Sunday School they play a DVD and there he met Barney. He LOVES Barney now. He asks to "watch Barney" all the time and says "Barney gone?" when the TV is off. He says "we're a happy" and "big hug" from the I Love You song. He can also say "Baby Bop". I never have been a Barney fan but the big purple (magenta? fuschia?) guy is growing on me. And since Will is usually non-stop all day long except for his nap, it is nice to have something to catch his attention for 20 or 30 minutes. But I don't want him to turn into a TV zombie. So for now, it's a mixed blessing.

It snowed! (again!)

Ok, so it snowed over a week ago and I'm just now blogging about it. It was beautiful. Really a treat, but this is the third time it has snowed (I think - or maybe the 4th?) this winter and I am so over the snow. I enjoy 60 degree winter days, so lots of cold weather and pretty fluffy stuff that becomes slushy stuff just isn't my thing.

I think we got about 3 inches at our house which is probably the most we have gotten at one time in over 10 years (that I can remember). I came home from work early and Will was getting ready to go down for a nap, so I bundled Reed up and took him out for a minute. (Good thing I only spent about $6 for this little snowsuit because I think we have used it 3 times).

Our house on February 12, 2010:

Look at all that snow! In February! In Mississippi! Who'd a thunk it?

We have lots of pine trees in our yard and I have a strong dislike for them. But I have to admit, covered in snow they are quite beautiful!

This is one of our neighbor's trees.

And here's our Lucy Bear. Hi Ms. Bear! Or Lu, as Will calls her.

I can't imagine snow on the belly feels good. She's so silly.

I didn't have a yardstick to put in it and show you how deep it was, but it came up about halfway on the back of my shox. Very scientific, eh?

I never got to take Will out to play. Brad got called out to work right before he woke up, then Reed woke up right before we were going outside. Don't feel bad for him, though. He thought it was rain so he didn't realize what he was missing.

After a cold, snowy day we bathed our boys and put them in some matching snowman pjs, courtesy of Children's Place clearance. $4 for the set!

And we laid low the rest of the weekend except for a lunch outing with Brad's parents. Doesn't Reed look nice and snuggly warm?

Hmmm...

This was the #1 pick for Reed. Honestly, I'm not loving it. It's cute, but not quite right.

Back to the drawing board...

I am stressing over nothing

I am stressing over nothing. Next month (see not next week, next MONTH) I am taking the boys for a picture session with Mary Moment Photography/Kim Smith Photography. It's not even a big session. It's a mini session. I haven't had Reed's picture taken professionally yet and I figured it would be best to start out small. I love the look of these ladies' work and hope to be able to produce similar photos one day.

Anyway, the sessions are being done here:

Well maybe not exactly in that spot, but in that outdoor shopping area. Lots of pretty neutrals and lots of sunlight.

I am stressing over what to dress the boys in. I know they will look cute in anything but I want to find just the right outfits since I can only choose one. Most days we just go with Target clothes or whatever I found at Gymboree or Children's Place or Baby Gap on clearance. Or whatever was handed down to us. But pictures are different.

I just can't decide. I want something cute and non-fussy but non-slouchy. Something simple that will let their natural cuteness shine through. And something coordinated but not too matchy matchy. So far, this is what I have come up with.


For Reed, a chambray one piece that the sleeves or legs can be rolled up on. It is a little darker in person.


And if he wore that, Will would wear these (on sale for $14.99 now!) with a navy polo.


OR...

Will could wear this:
Or this:

With these:

And oh my goodness how cute are these?!?

And then maybe put Reed in this? Or does it go with Will's outfit?

I also thought this was cute for Reed and maybe I could do brown shorts and the white oxford for Will:

I like this for Reed, too, and it's only $8! But I am thinking maybe the stripes will be too bold? What do you think?

Or I could do jeans and solid polos for both boys. Ack! Too many choices! Please help! Leave your opinion in the comments. I only have a month left!

4 Month Stats

Reed went for his four month checkup today. His stats were:

14lbs 6oz
25 inches
16.5 inch head circ.

He was 50th percentile in all three measurements! Yay big man! Dr. Rogers was very pleased with his development. Aside from not rolling over yet, he is right on track with other 4 month olds. Dr. Rogers wasn't worried about his eyes (blocked tear ducts) and said they should clear up on their own but if they don't by 9 months, he will refer us to an opthamologist.

He did fairly well getting his shots and I have dosed him up on Tylenol. He has been napping in my arms most of the afternoon. Will's Poppy came and picked him up so I could dote on Reed. I took Will to the appointment with me and he cried when Dr. Rogers talked to him. So his 2 year check up should be a blast in April.

4 Months

Reed,

You are 4 months old today! Maybe it is because I am working, but this past month went by way too fast. You are getting so big and showing so much personality! I have a hard time catching it on camera, though, because as soon as you see one you stop cooing and smiling.



You make all kinds of funny faces and your eyes are so big! They are a very pretty shade of blue and remind me of Will's.

You sit up so well now if you are supported. I bet it won't be long before you can sit on your own! You love to sit in my lap facing outward or stand with my hands supporting you. You don't like to cuddle when you are awake anymore, but seem to enjoy napping in my arms when we have the chance. You pretty much nap all throughout the day and take shorter ones in the evenings. You seem to sleep solidly once you are asleep. Like right this minute, you are napping in my arms and your brother is screaming because I won't let him play with the computer. You haven't even flinched and his mouth is about 6 inches from your ear.

You are sleeping through the night! You will sleep anywhere from 6 to 10 hours at night. It makes it so much easier on me to not have to get up with you now that I am working again. You usually eat about 6 times a day. I am still nursing you when I am with you and occasionally give you a bottle. You take anywhere from 3 to 4 oz at a time. We stopped using the Playtex nursers and started using Dr. Brown's bottles. Your tummy seems much happier now. I think we will wait until you are about 6 months old before we start giving you solid food. I don't think you're quite ready yet.

I still take you to Sunday School and the worship service with me because I'm not ready for you to go to the nursery yet. So far, we have only had to leave the service twice because you were crying. Lately you have been awake for most of it and don't make a sound. I think you like the music and all the people and looking at the stained glass windows.

You love being put on your playmat and being in your bouncer. You laugh and coo and smile. Look how big you look in your bouncy seat now! You were so tiny in it a few months ago. You also love chewing on your fists these days but you will take a pacifier as well.

I caught one of you cooing!

I am not sure how much you weigh, but I would guess between 13 and 14 lbs. We go to Dr. Rogers tomorrow for a checkup and shots. I am really interested to see what your percentiles are since last time you were in 5th and 10th. You are so long! You remind me of Will with your length but you are more lean. In fact, I think he stretched out some of the pjs he handed down to you and they look baggy but fit int he length. You still wear a lot of 0 to 3 month clothes and all of your pjs are 3-6 month. You wear a size 1-2 diaper and will probably be in size 2's very soon. I bet you will have grown out of all of your 0-3 month clothes soon! You hair is coming in thicker now and I can't tell if it is more brown or more red. I am excited to see you grow and learn more about you!

22 Months

Will, you are 22 months old today! See the bear you are holding? Can you believe it is the same one I started taking your pictures with when you were a week old? Back then, you were barely bigger than it. Now look at you! Your face is a little red in this because you had been throwing fits since I got you out of the bathtub. You do that sometimes. I am hoping it is because you are almost two and it is a normal toddler thing. It will be pretty embarrassing if you still fling yourself on the ground and kick and scream when you're 20.

You LOVE to be read to! Your favorite book these days is "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?" You can say all of the creatures' names except for "children".

I got you tickled by asking you to say 'cheese' (which you did!).

The pjs you are wearing (which you did NOT want me to put on you) are hand me downs and both feet now have holes in them. I think maybe its time to say bye bye to this set.

After we got through reading, Nana came by and she read to you some more! You like your Nana pretty well. You love all of your grandparents, actually.

When you hear a loud truck outside, you often run to the door to see if it is Poppy's truck. You ask me about daddy (when he isn't home) and Gigi and Poppy and Nana and Pop everyday, at least once a day.

You have been fighting naptime a lot lately and I'm not sure if you are wanting to give up your nap entirely or what. You are one cranky boy in the evenings if you don't get one, though, so I am advocating we keep trying them.

You are paying more attention to TV these days. You clap for some shows like "The Price is Right" (which you have been doing for several months) and "The King of Queens". You started watching "Barney" at church and you either call him "Barney" or "Gorney". You seem to really like him, though! You also seem to like Clifford and Elmo. I have yet to see you watch any show for more than 5 minutes though. I am thankful you aren't a TV zombie but sometimes it would be nice to have you occupied for a few minutes.

Lately you have really enjoyed the dogs' water bowl and putting all sorts of things in it. You also like to pull a chair up to the counter and watch me cook or just to see what is up there. The other day, you grabbed and then peeled a banana all by yourself! Daddy folded part of the kitchen table down and pushed it against the window to give us more walking room and now you climb up on it and stand in the window to watch the dogs. We try to keep you from doing these things, but you are so fast and so sneaky! Just last week you pulled my camera off the counter, dropped it and broke my lens and I was standing 2 feet from you.

You are so funny and sweet. You become very concerned when Reed cries and if you can reach him, you try to put a pacifier in his mouth. Speaking of pacifiers (bas), Poppy told you your ba was 'yuck' one day and now you say ba yuck. You still want it, but you want us to agree that it is yuck. Hopefully you will kick the ba habit soon.

The past two Sundays we have taken you to church, you have cried a pitiful cry when we drop you off in your Sunday School room. You start saying "mama? mama? mama?" and each one sounds progressively more pitiful until you are crying saying it. It breaks my heart. I know you have a good time in there and you stop crying after a minute or so but I just want to run through the doors and scoop you up and take you with me. You never have been upset when I leave you so it is hard to see and hear you do this. So could you stop doing that, please? I would appreciate it. I actually cried the first time you did it and it is sort of embarrassing.

One last thing - your size. You are still a big boy! I think you weigh about 34lbs. You are wearing a few size 24 month things but mostly 2t and some 3t. You wear a size 8 shoe and size 6 diaper, though the 5's don't look much different than the 6's, so we might go back to those and save some money. I am looking forward to taking you back to Dr. Rogers in April to see what your stats are.

The Gibbses

The day after Christmas, the Gibbses (and Sharps) met up at my oldest brother's home to visit and try out each other's chili. (and yes, I realize it is February now, but I forgot to do this post during the holidays and then I started back to work and sort of forgot). We didn't have extended family there, but it was a houseful with my grandparents, parents, siblings and their families. Here we all are minus Chris, who was taking the picture.

And here we are in color!

These are all the cousins. Reed is being held by Hannah, the oldest cousin. She will be 11 this summer! So hard to believe. Seems like just the other day I went to the hospital to meet her. It was right after she was born that I decided I wanted to be a nurse. Anyway, Hannah and Emma are the only girls and Emma is holding their brother Alex. The three of them are Chris's children. Oliver is in the middle. He is my brother Sam's son and he looks SO much like him! But sometimes he make faces that remind me of his momma, Emily.

I think this is my favorite one from the day, just because of Alex's position and expression. He didn't want to pose. He and Will are about 20 months apart so it is fun to look at the two of them play and imagine Will and Reed playing together one day. The last 4 Gibbs/Sharp babies have been boys so it is TIME for a girl! Of course I was CONVINCED Reed was a girl and thought I would break the boy streak.

Here are all the siblings and spouses. My brother Joseph isn't married yet. (Ladies, leave a comment if you're interested! Ha!)

Just me and the boys, youngest to oldest (l-r)

I was busy fixing a plate for Will and getting him fed and forgot to take a picture of all the chili! I think we had three pots? It was a lot, but all good and neat to see how everyone cooks it. After dinner things got a little silly. See for yourself:

Then somebody ticked mom off and she got the wii gun after them. The woman has good aim, so don't tick her off! Just kidding. She was playing some game Joseph brought. See Brad in the background snuggling his baby? Oh so sweet.

So it was a fun Saturday. We don't have lots of traditions during the holidays, but we do enjoy seeing each other. We are hoping my grandparents will be moving closer soon so hopefully we can have more frequent get togethers. And maybe if we do I won't wait 7 weeks to tell you about it.

And then...

On Thursday, I got up at 5:00, got dressed, fed Reed and went to work.

And then...

I had to help with 2 bronchoscopies in the ICU. I don't like bronchs. I am not a fan of mucous. I got to skip lunch and leave work a little early.

And then...

I came home and Will was napping on the couch but I woke him up when I came in the front door. Reed was napping in his crib.

And then...

Will was being a total monkey and started slamming doors and Reed woke up. They were both whiney and fussy.

And then...

Will pushed a chair up to the kitchen counter while I was washing bottles and pointed to the bananas. He said "nana?", which depending on the circumstance either means a soft, yellow potassium rich fruit or my mother. This time he meant the former. I told him to hold on a minute and I would get him one.

And then...

I looked over and saw him peeling a banana which he had broken off from the bunch. Impressive. Didn't know he could do that.

And then...

I put Reed on his playmat and Will joined him. They were both happy.

And then...

Will tried to pick Reed's nose. You can't pick your brother, but you can pick his nose! Just kidding. He wasn't really picking his nose. I think he was saying "nose" or "baby" or "eye" and showing me.


And then...

I asked Will if he wanted to hold Reed. He nodded, so I put them in the chair.

Will got a big kick out of it. Reed didn't seem as thrilled.

And then...

Reed had enough, so I picked him up.

And then...

Picture time was over. I went to get something out of the microwave and had Reed in one hand and my camera in the other. So I set the camera down on the counter.

And then...

Two seconds later Will grabbed my camera and dropped it. The glass in my lens popped out on to the floor.

And then...

I had to take some very deep breaths and walk away because I was not a happy momma.

And then...

My mom came over and brought me some black bean and corn salsa. I could have taken a picture of it. But you know... the lens. I actually have more lenses but I was so sick over my favorite one being broken I don't even want to look at my camera right now.

And then...

My husband finally got home after a very long day of work. Seeing how stressed I was, he joked maybe we should just put the boys up for adoption. I agreed*. Then he KNEW it had been a bad day.

And then we put the kids to bed which was a tedious process but we managed. And we woke up and Friday was a brand new day and we didn't call the adoption agency.

*I am very thankful for my children and would never consider giving them up. It had been a

long week and I was a very tired momma!