good-son family journey

Wordless Wednesday ;

2012-01-25T09:37:00.000-05:00

And the Winner Is.....

2012-01-18T20:01:00.002-05:00

Kristy Evans. Please email me with in the next 48 hours to redeem the MyMemories.com software!!

Congrats.

Trampoline Fun

2012-01-16T13:51:00.000-05:00

It's always a good time when we get to go to JuJu & PaPa's house & the first place that we always have to head to is the trampoline. B LOVES to jump & run on it & would probably sleep out there if I let him!! This is one of the few times that Colton has actually been on it but he loves it too & it was funny to watch his facial expressions as B ran around him & made him bounce.

Brayden included him in the fun & ran over to Colton, sat down, gently knocked him down,

& then tried to get him up & when he couldn't he took his hat off,

helped him roll over & tried to get him back up that way. It was so sweet to see B playing with his baby brother & including him in the fun & games. Of course it didn't last long but it melted my heart to see him act so lovingly with Colton.

They are the center of my world & my heart is so full because of them both!!

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8 Months Old ;

2012-01-14T14:16:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I feel like this ~~little~~ big guy is getting bigger by the day. He is a true "hoss" in his 12 - 18 month clothes. I swear some days when I walk into his room in the morning I really think that he grew over night!! On that note; he is sleeping through the night & has been for quite a long time now. He was sick for New Year's Eve & the beginning of the year so we had a few long nights of sleeping in the recliner with him (so he could breathe) but all is back to normal now. He comes by his size in part because the boy LOVES food & his new found love is the Gerber flavored ~~styrofoam~~ puffs. He sees the container & goes nuts............he sits in the highchair & cries & whines if he doesn't get at least a few.

He is eating 2nd foods 3 times a day & we haven't found anything that he doesn't enjoy as of yet. He drinks from a sippy cup (& bangs it on the high chair too) with his 3 meals a day & also gets a 4 oz. bottle with those meals PLUS gets a 4 oz bottle as a morning & afternoon snack & a 6 oz. bottle before bed. I feel like all I do is feed my poor starving kid. I also think that he is going to be taller than B.

We are still cloth diapering & loving it. He is wearing a size 2 shoe but I might have to move up to a 3 due to the fact that his feet are chubby. He hates socks & just like B takes them off right after I put them on. He is a better napping & is actually taking about a 2 hour afternoon nap as well as 2 cat naps (one in the morning & one in the early evening). He is getting up on his hands & knees more more but just sits there & smiles at me as if to ask "now what mom?". He says "dada" really well but only growls at me; it is so cute!! He has so many facial expressions & I am going to have another post for that!

He is a very happy little guy & even though I think a tooth is coming in & he is bothered by it he still smiles, laughs & growls at us all. He & B are becoming friends & I can't wait for him to be a bit more mobile so that they can begin to play together!!

Did I mention he was sick as a dog; what a way to start 2012...........

Go here to enter my giveaway.........

Second Child Syndrome

2012-01-11T09:52:00.000-05:00

This is a completely random post............

I have heard of middle child syndrome but I was wondering if there is second child syndrome too. B is at school today & I was just feeding Colton his bottle, in his room, in the glider & he seemed so peaceful & happy & went right to sleep when I laid him down. This is something that I don't get to do that often or at all because I can't leave B unattended & so I wonder if he was wondering why we don't do that more often. He kept looking up at me so I wonder if he want to do this & tell me that we need to do this more often!!

I know that he doesn't know that I did that all the time with B BUT I did. I had the time to just rock & love on B each & everyday & I feel like I don't have that with Colton ever. Lance's hours are so crazy that I don't even get to do it at bedtime so I am really going to have to make find the time with Colton because soon he will 2 & not want momma to do it!!

Go here to enter the MyMemories giveaway

29 Months Old ;

2012-01-10T06:09:00.003-05:00

I feel like I haven't posted about the 1st Good-son guy in quite a while so let me catch you up on him. I have always said that he is an amazing little guy but HE IS AN AMAZING LITTLE GUY. He is so sweet & cuddly. He has the best belly laugh in the world. He has a ton of energy which has gotten this momma back to her pre-pregnancy weight & then a few. He fills my heart with joy & laughter...............until he doesn't! He has the worst temperament in the world sometimes (thanks Lance). He will throw the monster truck he is rolling on the TV stand or wall then I ask him to only roll it on the floor. He will throw himself onto the floor if he hears the word "no" throwing the biggest tantrum I have ever seen. He will shoot you the look of death just because sometimes BUT he will also now say things that I have been waiting to here since the day he was born............luv u being my favorite!!

In a nutshell speech therapy is going very well & B is making great strides. Don't get me wrong we have a long way to go but we are getting there & that is what matters. I feel like we have had to turn his world upside down & confuse him without telling him why BUT it has all been worth it. His speech is progressing & it is changing him & us each & everyday. Some days we struggle more than others but again it is all worth it & hearing his little voice brightens my day & melts my heart. Not to mention it takes a huge weight off of my shoulders!!

I have felt for so long that this is my fault; that B is not talking because of something I did wrong. I still think that way sometimes but there are other times that I think that he just wasn't ready to talk yet. He was talking some before Colton's arrival & then he just stopped so maybe he just needed some time & some extra loving. Maybe it shocked him more than we will ever know & he honestly just was upset about having a brother. I guess I will never know the rhyme or reason for it; all I do know is what we are doing now is working & soon enough I will be pulling my hair out from all the "whys" & how comes" that kids ask. I couldn't be more secure in our decision to intervene early. I don't think that we could have found a better place to take him (Helping Hands Pediatric Therapy) or found a better therapist in Ms. Lisa because we are just learning so many different & fun ways to learn & teach the Brayden & Colton too.

Brayden is a rock star & in my heart of hearts I know he will do great things. I hope that he won't remember the struggles that he is going through right now a year from now & only remembers that we love him & always will. I want him to grow up knowing that his family will always have his back & look out for him even when he doesn't think he wants us too..............& some days he really does look at me like I am a nut job for making him do some things but again it is worth it!!

Enough serious stuff; here are just a few updates on B:

He is wearing 3T clothes

He is in a size 8 shoe

He LOVES to color & write with "his" pen

He is really into Thomas the Train at the moment

He is also really into daddy (probably because momma is really mean)

He loves to wrestle (probably why he prefers daddy because momma doesn't do it right)

He still loves to be outside whenever possible

He still won't eat veggies BUT I am still putting them on the plate

He has not peed in the potty since the "poop incident" BUT I am still putting him in it all day every day

His new favorite toy in his iXL his Grams & Puddy got him for Christmas (carries it everywhere)

He is the best 2 year old that I know & I love his to pieces!!!!

Please go here & enter my Giveaway.........

My Memories Review & Giveaway

2012-01-09T11:17:00.005-05:00

When I was contacted by Liz at My Memories to review their My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbooking Software I couldn't have been more excited. When I went to their website MyMemories.com I found out that they have the "#1 rated scrapbooking software" & it great for seasoned scrapbookers or for newbies too. I have a love for scrapbooking & have been getting into doing it the "traditional" way however have never tried it digitally & I have to say I am impressed with this software. Like anything else that you down/upload to your computer you will have to navigate through & play around with it all just to get a feel for it (not to mention to see all of the wonderful options there are) but once you do you will be impressed by the projects that you start, finish & share.

I downloaded the software which was super easy & then just sat at the computer to play around with it & again I was impressed. There are so many pre made kits, paper choices, embellishments & other things that are included when you download MyMemories Suite 3 BUT there are so many more wonderful things that can be added too. These best part is that some of them are FREE & the ones that aren't are very affordable.

When I was playing around I found these Christmas gift tags that I want to use for next year..........I'm bummed I didn't have them for this Christmas too though. I am going to have to get specific pictures for each specific tag throughout the year but I think that they will add something special to the gifts next year. What do you think??

You can download the software by going to MyMemories.com & when you do please enter this code: STMMMS30199 & you will receive a $10 discount on the software & then you will also receive a $10 coupon for the MyMemories store............that a pretty great deal!! I love the software & plan to use it for projects that I will keep & cherish but I plan to also create beautiful gifts with it too.

My Memories is offering one of my readers their #1 rated My Memories Suite software & here is how to enter!

**Required Entry: Visit MyMemories.com & tell me what your favorite digital scrapbook kit is in your comment. (1 entry)

**Extra Entries: please make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry

1. Become a follower of mine (1 entry)

2. LIKE MyMemories on Facebook (1 entry)

3. Follow MyMemories on twitter (1 entry)

The giveaway begins today, January 9th, & will end next Monday, January 16th. Once the winner is selected they will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Good Luck!!

A Small Vent for My Sanity..........

2012-01-05T12:52:00.000-05:00

For the past 2 weeks I have been stuck in the house & feel like I am going to have a breakdown of some sort any minute. Brayden managed to catch a pretty bad cold right before Christmas & it kicked into overdrive the day after Christmas & Colton managed to catch it & his kicked into overdrive on new years eve. we had no plans for new years eve (just sushi & a movie here at the house) but this isn't the way I wanted to start the new year either.

I am very thankful that we enjoy a fabulous Christmas & both boys were healthy but I need them both to get over this cold & be 100% again like YESTERDAY. This may sound horrible but I am tired of snotty noses, crying, whining, runny poops because of medicine, sleepless nights BUT mainly I miss my happy go lucky little guys. Their smiles have been few & far between & when we have a bad/long day that always makes it better so without it I feel like I am in hell..................oh yeah & did I mention I have now managed to catch the cold too??

I took Colton to the doctor & of course they told me that he "just had a cold" & "we would have to let it run it's course"............this was after 3 nights of ~~sleeping~~ holding Colton in the recliner while he semi sleep so I just had a breakdown once we got back into the car. I guess a part of me want him to have something that required antibiotics so that there would be a light at the end of the tunnel but alas in there eyes he was "fine". Both of the boys have had severely bad coughs & runny noses & have had many a restless night which means momma has too.

I am tired & grumpy & just want my children to return to their happy healthy selves ASAP!!!!!

Happy New Year........

2012-01-01T18:36:00.000-05:00

Our New Year's Eve was spent at home; B has been under the weather & Colton has just caught the cold & has a yucky cough. That meant I was (literally) up all night with Colton trying to console him. Then Brayden woke up for some reason at 5:30am screaming & didn't get into a better mood until after an early nap. But before that happened Lance slipped down our steps (thankfully he's alright) & put a hole on the drywall.............can we get a New Years Day re-do????? PLEASE?????

It was fun before all of the late night craziness started though..............

Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T06:03:00.001-05:00

Christmas was so much fun this year; unlike last year Brayden was into opening gifts so seeing the excitement on his face was the best part. We hung around the house on Christmas eve while Lance was working & I talked to B a lot about Santa & presents but also the meaning of Christmas. I'm not really sure he understood but I tried.

Brayden was being so sweet to his brother & even give him a kiss; Colton was shocked!!

Than night the boys got to open one gift. In my family my dad always let us open the "out of town" gifts from my Grandparents (his parents) so I am going to keep that tradition with B & C.

They both loved their gifts & played with them until bed! We set out cookies, milk for Santa & carrots for the reindeer in the gingerbread choo-choo that I made. I liked this idea better than just a plate PLUS since it's so cute maybe Santa would be extra nice to the boys..........maybe??

Christmas morning was here; I got up 1st & showered (Christmas photos will be around forever) & made sure that everything was ready for the boys & then waited.........

We separated the presents between upstairs & downstairs so that B wouldn't get too overwhelmed.

Colton was pretty excited & was up at 4:30am...........I guess he was excited!!

He checked everything out & then we waited while & then woke daddy up so that I could get started on packing us up for JuJu's house (there is a lot to pack with 2 kids for a whole day out).

B was up around 6:30am & when he came out he saw his drums & got really excited.

Daddy & Colton watched as he rocked out...........

After a bit we had B look at the tree downstairs to see that there was more & off we went............

He was so excited & looked at everything one by one.

Colton joined in the fun too & LOVES his taggie monster

While the boys played Lance got ready & I finished packing up the car & off we went to JuJu & PaPa's house.

We let the boys stay in their Christmas pj's until it as time for everyone to get there; they looked cute & it will be a whole year until I get to torture them again so I wanted to enjoy it.

Brayden & Colton played together.............well Brayden took over Colton's toys & Colton thought he was playing. We have some work to do on sharing!!

I actually remembered to have a picture of the 4 of us taken.........

It was cold & raining but we had a fire anyway; B enjoyed helping PaPa with it all day.

It was finally time for gifts & B was ready & excited.

This is his wooooo face; his cousins got him a monster truck that he LOVES!!

It was a fun filled & very tiring day but the boys had a blast & I can't wait until next year!!!

New Hats......

2011-12-29T13:52:00.000-05:00

The boys received hew hats for Christmas; this was not one of their favorite gifts but it is one of mine. Don't they just look adorable???

I ordered them from Ambernee Crochet; go check her out here!!

Merry Christmas from Our Family to Yours

2011-12-25T09:32:00.000-05:00

Wonder of Wonders Christmas Card

Create from the Heart: photo Christmas cards from Shutterfly .

View the entire collection of cards.

Wordless Wednesday ;

2011-12-21T11:13:00.000-05:00

7 Months Old ;

2011-12-19T10:08:00.002-05:00

Colton celebrated being 7 months old on the 3rd of December but I just can't seem to get caught up so I am just now getting this post up. I take the pictures but finding the time to upload them & look at them is the hard part. Colton & Brayden have both been under the weather with a cold which in turn caused their stomachs to churn & turn NOT TO MENTION Lance had a small surgical procedure last week when the boys were sick so I have had to care for 2 sick children & 1 ~~whiny~~ sick hubby too so I am exhausted but thankfully everyone is almost 100% better & life can resume to the normal crazy busy.

Colton is sitting up like a champ these days. His balance is getting better & better & he is actually enjoying it now. He still rolls around to get to stuff that he wants but I am hoping that his crawling will be coming up soon. He will get his butt up in the air but then gets frustrated when he can get his upper body up too & vice versa too. It is funny to watch but I don't think he thinks so.

He eats 3 food meals a day with a bottle & also has a bottle for a snack in between each meal; my boy loves his food & starts clicking his tongue when he is starting to get hungry. He is a little 3 hour timer!! He love the Gerber puffs & I just bought the yogurt melts so we'll see how he likes them later today. He loves his sippy cup but it ends up on the floor more than it does in his mouth; his coordination is better but still not perfected.

He is wearing 12-18 month clothes & is just a big, solid little guy. I think that he is going to be bigger than Brayden & that one day in the near future he is going to be able to take B.

They are getting along so well & B will try to help with Colton now too. He will try to help give him a bottle & when he is rolling around on the floor B will try to pick him up for me; of course this is only because B knows that we can't leave & do anything else if Colton doesn't come too but I'll take what I can get these days.

We are loving cloths diapers but when Colton's belly was messed up I purchased disposables because of the mess issue Colton was creating so he is wearing a size 3 pamper. His screaming has become babbling & he is using the "da" sound but I don't think he is saying "da-da" for Lance just yet. BUT if you ask Lance he is. I think that Colton is just so used to hearing me repeat things to B due to his speech therapy that Colton is just getting a jump start so I don't do it to him!

Colton loves to sit by the Christmas tree & play with the limbs & we are all excited to see how the boys do this year with Santa coming..........

Life is good & Lance & I are enjoying the boys so much. Both of them are balls to the walls from the time they get up to the time they pass out so life is fun.........

A Love For Water

2011-12-16T06:02:00.000-05:00

Both boys get so excited every night when I ask them if they are ready to go upstairs for a bath; Brayden starts taking his clothes of right when he walks into our bathroom & Colton just starts smiling & screaming.........they love the water so much!!

My Favorite Days......

2011-12-15T06:53:00.000-05:00

are the days when we do nothing at all............

Our Turkey Day........

2011-12-10T16:27:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving was full of yummy food, family, & of course the kids had to play ball outside too. It was a great time but it really made me miss my side of the family & really realize that we won't see them AGAIN this year for Christmas. Before I married Lance there were Christmas' that I missed & I was OK with it (I guess) but now that the boys are here I really hate that they don't get their Christmas with their Grams, Puddy & Aunt Mammie..........

Colton meeting his 2nd cousin Peyton; they are only 2 weeks apart & Colton is twice her size.

Brayden stayed outside most of the afternoon playing ball with the big kids; he thinks he is their size! He did a great job running after them & even throwing the ball a few times.

I know this is really late but as I said before I am behind & just trying to play catch up. I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was as good as ours was!!

Still Trying For That Christmas Photo......

2011-12-10T15:23:00.002-05:00

Outside Fun Times

2011-12-09T14:44:00.000-05:00

The weather has been so crazy here lately; last week it was between 60 & 70 degrees & now it is 50 during the day & in the 30's over night. Since it was nice we took full advantage of the weather & spent as much time outside as we could..........the boys couldn't have had more fun & of course I took advantage of some photo opportunities!

Just Gimmie That Wink.........

2011-12-08T21:01:00.000-05:00

Brayden has been trying to wink for a while now & he is getting so close!!

Fallen Behind Yet Again.........

2011-12-08T20:43:00.000-05:00

Where in the hell does the time go; I feel like yesterday was just November 1st & we were just starting to get ready for the holidays BUT Thanksgiving has past & Christmas is creeping up pretty fast!! Oh wait I have a 2 year old & a now 7 month old............that is where my time goes :) We have been keeping very busy & I am going to do my best to post in the order of things happening but I might get jumbled up here & there.

I have been trying since we put up the downstairs tree to get a great Christmas photo of the boys together BUT in the weeks that I have been trying I haven't been successful. Brayden doesn't want to sit still at all & when I try to make him (Christmas pj's or not he is on the run 24/7) this is what I get; LOTS OF TEARS.

So I bribed him with his new found favorite candy; a Kit Kat & he calms down but he chocolate gets everywhere but at this point I don't care & just try to get at least one good one.

They don't completely suck but they won't be on our Christmas card either.........they will be good to look back at one day. Colton is good at "posing" for momma though.

I am dreading B's reaction to Santa but I have been reading him tons & tons about him & am hoping that we get a good photo BUT if we don't again it will be a good photo to look back at!

Wordless Wednesday ;

2011-12-07T11:01:00.000-05:00

Starting Family Traditions!

Our Advent Choo-Choo & Athens the Elf

Wordless Wednesday ;

2011-11-30T11:51:00.000-05:00

; Happy Thanksgiving ;

2011-11-24T08:14:00.000-05:00

From our family to you & yours.............Happy Thanksgiving!!

So Excited.........

2011-11-19T20:43:00.001-05:00

We already have almost all of our Christmas decorations up this year & we actually did a tree upstairs & a new one downstairs...........I can't wait to put all the finishing touches on the house this week & share it with y'all.

The "Fun Bus"

2011-11-19T12:55:00.000-05:00

Last weekend our next door neighbors celebrated their daughters 3rd birthday & Brayden was invited to enjoy a fun filled afternoon with her on the Fun Bus...........too bad he was afraid to get on the darn thing :(

All he would so is stand next to it & point at it.........

thankfully they had their trampoline out & also some golf clubs cause we all know B loves golf!!

They also had a little slide out & B enjoyed that too while all the other little people were on the bus having a blast.

BUT then it happened; they opened the back of the bus & attached a slide & suddenly B had no fear & on the bus he went.

He saw what everyone else had seen for the last hour & had a blast for about 5 minutes........

I hate that he missed out on 95% of the fun & only got to play for a few minutes but I bet the next time he sees a big green bus he'll jump right on it to play!!

Speech Therapy & the Word "NO"

2011-11-17T05:54:00.000-05:00

In case anyone still reads my blog I thought I would explain why my posts have become short, sweet, boring & loaded with photos............I am slowly but shirley getting caught up on the happenings in the Goodson household but it is taking some time due to the fact that we have started speech therapy with B & it is quite a change for him & us 24/7. We have been going to his therapist for 5 weeks now, we go twice a week & each session is 30 minutes long but that is only the beginning of what we have been doing. In each session we work on & I learn new ways to challenge & try to initiate B into talking & I have to do these things day in & out & honestly it has not been easy. I (Lance too when he is home but with work he's not here all that often when the boys are awake) have been having to change most of B's daily doings with a quickness. I have had to tell our 2 year old boy that after doing said thing for 2 whole years that he can no longer do it & that he now needs to do it this way & B isn't liking the huge overhaul at all. I can understand where he is coming from since things that he has done for the last 24 months of his life are now changing in an instant; BUT things have to change for his sake & one day he will realize that I hope!! The main things that we are working on & learning how to focus, wait, listen to direction & not scream bloody murder when he doesn't get his way..........not too hard right??

In a nutshell we made life easy for B so he never had a need to talk so he just didn't & now that we have started learning the error of our ways & he is hearing "no" a lot more, getting put in the timeout stool & has to at least try to say a word before getting what is is asking for. I know I should be thankful that the only "issue" he has is the fact the he is hard headed & stubborn (& I really am.......REALLY) since we thought that maybe is the reason he wasn't talking was because he was autistic or something like that BUT this is the hardest thing I have had to do as a mother & most days I feel like a failure.

I feel like this is all my fault & I created this problem & now B is the one suffering for it. I spoiled him so it is my fault is my basic feeling each & everyday that he looks at me crying & trying to understand why everything has suddenly changed. I have been told that most children are spoiled but it has no effect or doesn't delay their daily learning BUT B is different he thinks about things in a different way & processes things to his advantage so free play has now become structured & Mickey Mouse, Sesame Street & the Movers have become a thing of the past for the most part. Structure, Structure, Structure is the way of the Goodson household these days & although it is very hard for B to adjust I see so many positive changes in him & he is starting to talk more too.

My life & every one & thing in it is a blessing. I hate to admit it but some days I forget that & have to remind myself just how lucky I am to have such an amazingly awesome family. On the nights (after a very LONG day) when I am feeling defeated & guilty for what I feel is my fault I have started to stare at their monitors & look at their sweet little faces dreaming away & realize I am lucky & we are blessed & this too shall pass & soon enough B will be talking so much that I (& hopefully he) won't even remember just how hard this part of his life was!

Fall Family Photos

2011-11-14T12:38:00.001-05:00

Now I have to pick out 1 or more pictures for our Christmas card...........it's going to be hard this year!!!

6 Months Old ;

2011-11-14T11:28:00.000-05:00

I'll start with Colton's stats; he had his 6 month check up on the 9th & I have to say he did very well throughout the whole appointment (unlike his brother who was there to only get his flu shot & was a complete disaster the WHOLE time). Colton got 4 shots plus his oral vaccination. He weighed in at 19.4 lbs. (75%), height 28 (95%), & head measured at 17.5 (75%) so my assumption was right.............he's a big boy!!

He is solely in 12 month clothing & wears a size 2 shoe. He is sitting up & rolls to get where he wants to go. He was sticking his booty in the air like he was going to try to start crawling but now that he has figured out that he can just roll there the crawling attempts seemed to have stopped. He is eating 3 meals a day & LOVES food; he will not miss a meal & if I am late getting it to him he lets me know that he is very upset by that fact.

He was sleeping like a champ until the time change & now is up at the crack of dawn but still sleeping through the night so hopefully with time he will get back on track (I am actually praying that both boys readjust this week). Colton seems to have teething symptoms but there are no signs of a tooth so I am not sure; B never had swollen gums or anything either but there would be 4 teeth in his mouth in a week so I guess only time will tell.

Colton is a happy & loving little boy that laughs & coyly smiles at everyone. He is such an amazingly happy little guy & other than the early mornings we have been having is PERFECT!!! We are blessed with joy, laughter, tears, crying, smiles, & love by both our boys & are just in heaven watching them grow & change.

The boys are starting to get closer because B is coming around to loving his brother & no longer ignores him 24/7!! He really loves him, gives him kisses & hugs daily, tries to feed him his bottle & even tries to pick him up off the floor so that he can play too!!

Day Light Saving Week from Hell

2011-11-12T13:39:00.002-05:00

My boys were both on the best schedule & I was beginning to feel like we were all getting into the perfect routine since Colton's birth & then it happened...........time changed & my boys took it seriously. We kept them up in the hopes that they wouldn't be too effected by it & get up at 6 & 6:30am instead of their regular 7 & 7:30am times. NOPE........they decided to get up at 4:30 & 5am & have been on that schedule (or very close to it) for the past week & I am at my wits end on what to do to get things back to normal.

I am struggling to keep the baby up at night but am doing it & B is happily staying up but he is the on getting up between 4:30 & 5am; he is tired too but refuses to go back to bed so this makes for a very long day with a somewhat unhappy little guy. Plus he has a little cold so that isn't helping his mood either. Colton seems to maybe be getting back into the groove of his sleep schedule because this morning he didn't get up until 6 so maybe tomorrow will get better & the day after that will be even better.

I am tired & irritated & am at a loss.........I am struggling with both boys in the mornings & evenings so if anyone has any suggestions on how to return them to their regularly scheduled sleeping patterns I would greatly appreciate it!! All that being said; I did have the best day with them yesterday & still want to eat their adorable little face off.......even being as tired as I seem to be they are the best little guys a momma could ask for!!

On the up side we did Colton's 6 month photo shoot & our family photos last week & here is a sneak peek of the amazing photos CK Photography captured.

Wordless Wednesday ;

2011-11-09T08:46:00.000-05:00

It Has Returned..........

2011-11-05T06:38:00.000-04:00

The duck tub is back & blown up in the Goodson household; Colton is sitting up (not perfectly but pretty well) so I decided to get it ready yesterday for last nights bath. Colton seemed to really enjoy his bath but that was probably because he could grab his feet & hold them the entire time.

I was unsure if B would remember it but he did & as you can see he was was excited to see it!!

I was hoping that I could get B to sit in the tub & take a bath too but he was too busy entertaining his brother to even think about that.

Colton just watch B as he played the duck head like a drum & sang a little song......

It was the cutest moment the boys have had since the day Colton was born; B has been taking his time warming up to his baby brother but we are slowly watch them become friends!

Colton couldn't take his eyes off B.

I was a special night for me; I love watching them interact with each other in such a touching way. We have to work on B being a tad bit more gentle around Colton but things are looking up & getting better with these little guys & it couldn't have come at a better time. Things have been a bit stressful so seeing this a moment like this between my two favorite boys made all that disappear!!

WOW

2011-11-04T06:57:00.000-04:00

Brayden in January 2010

Colton in November 2011

Wordless Wednesday ;

2011-11-02T18:21:00.000-04:00

Oh how I LOVE these boys............

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T06:20:00.000-04:00

I'd say this year was almost perfect; Lance had to work & couldn't be home with us so it wasn't 100% perfect but it was close. B still wouldn't actually go up to the houses but he happily wore his costume & walked around the neighborhood so he did very well & Colton was a trooper. He didn't seem to mind the big ol' dog costume that I made him wear & just watched everything going on around him.

B started out his neighborhood tour on his tricycle; he happily climbed on & off we went to see the trick or treaters.

We tried to bribe him with a Kit Kat to walk up to a house or 2 but he wanted no part of it so I didn't force the issue.........he did get the Kit Kat though.

We tried for a photo of the boys together & this is what we got because after about 5 seconds......

this happened..........oh well there is always next year.

B then decided that he wanted to take the wagon out for a spin (it'll be great when they can both ride in it next year) & we toured some more of the neighborhood. Sadly the kids didn't get started until a bit late so we only got to see half of the costumes.

We ended the night just hanging at the house handing out candy; B was in awe of the kids that were coming up to the house. He would follow them in & out of the door way each & every time.

He was the cutest pirate I have ever seen & we had a wonderful time! We hope that y'all had as much fun as we did too!!!

Happy Halloween ;

2011-10-31T14:08:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone has a fun & safe night Trick or Treating.......I know we will!!!

where are you????

2011-10-30T06:10:00.000-04:00

Can you see B in this picture?? I know that you can pretty easily but he is still buried under all of the stuffed animals asleep. He has started to put all of the stuffed animals that are in his room on the floor (well almost all of them) in his bed with him at night & then proceed to fall asleep with them all; I of course go in & take them out & cover him up but geez kiddo how many "friends" do you need in there spending the night??

& then there's baby C snoozing; so precious & peaceful.

Potty Training

2011-10-25T13:15:00.000-04:00

It's going better than I thought it would when we first started & although B is still not using it very often he sits there every 2 hours & is using it more & more as the days go by. He actually likes to sit down & pee out of the potty if you must know. Even though it is quite annoying to watch him pull his pee pee out of the potty on purpose & do this I guess we are just one step closer to him doing it in the potty............RIGHT??

Corn Dawgs

2011-10-24T13:31:00.001-04:00

We took the boys to Corn Dawgs & it was a completely different experience than it was last year for sure. B was old enough to play things & boy did he........it was colder & very windy this year so we couldn't stay as long nor walk around & see everything like last year so I was a bit bummed but B & C had a blast & that is all that matters right??

He is a bit obsessed with rock..........not sure why

This is where we spent the majority of our time

& Colton watched his big brother very intently; he also borrowed his hat until I got back from the car with his......

Cute right??

Brayden realized that the jumping tube had sand all around it & quickly got off to inspect it for a while

Once he was tired of jumping we just let him lead up to the next destination

& of course he went to the car...... "nud, nuds" are one of his favorite things to play in & he loves to pretend to drive them too

We ended the day in the zip line swing & it was laughs & belly giggles the whole time.

It was such a fun day & I can't wait to go again next year; Colton will be old enough to enjoy it too & it will be neat to see both my boys running around & playing.

Here's the family last year.......

Kickball w/Daddy

2011-10-24T10:59:00.000-04:00

I am so happy that B loves to play outside & I know that his daddy is too; these are from a few weeks ago but are so adorable. B learned to play kickball with the neighborhood kids & daddy got to play too which was a treat itself!!

Wordless Wednesday ; Sleepy Time

2011-10-19T06:03:00.000-04:00

Fall Weather & Pumpkins

2011-10-18T04:41:00.000-04:00

The weather has been colder (in the mornings & evenings at least) so it was time to break out the winters hats for Colton...........I think he looks just adorable in a hat.

I picked up some small pumpkins at the store & really didn't think that B would care much about them but he was so excited to see them & thought they were so neat because they we his size.

He picked out the ones that he wanted to have for himself,

& then picked again............

& then picked again..........

& then really thought about it again before he finally picked which ones were just right for him.

& then he carried them around with him for the whole night. I had to pry them away from him before bed that night & he quickly look for them the next morning........I love that something so simple can bring so much joy & so many smiles to his little face.

Fake Smiles

2011-10-16T07:43:00.001-04:00

A few months ago B started hating when he would see the camera come out; he would look at me nor would he smile for me. I wasn't sure it if it was just because I had been taking so many pictures or if he was just being a typical 2 year old BUT thankfully he has come around to liking his picture being taken again.

When I say smile though this is what I get..........

I guess beggers can't be choosers right??

Family, Family, Family

2011-10-13T19:08:00.000-04:00

Two Sundays ago we went to JuJu & PaPa's to celebrate mine & Aunt Cindy's birthdays & it was fun to see everyone & to especially watch Brayden & Colton with their cousins & family! Brayden loves all of his cousins but he finds something very special about his cousin Max.

Uncle J & Colton

B playing in PaPa's garage; he goes in here & gets on the tractor every time we visit

This is the newest family member Lil' Cooper; he will be the youngest baby/cousin/family member from here on out!! Isn't he adorable??

& here are JuJu & PaPa trying to get all of the kids to pose for a picture...........hahahaha!! There are 7 kids under the age of 13 so I don't know if we'll have a "good" family photo for quite a while.

Colton always looks at Cooper like he is his lunch; they are only 2 months apart but I feel like Colton is a hoss in comparison.

Eating Everything In Sight

2011-10-13T13:27:00.001-04:00

Colton is a becoming quite a lover of food & he for sure doesn't miss a meal.

He reaches & grabs for the spoon & bowl each & every time I feed him so I thought I'd see what happened if I let him get it & of course he tried to eat it!!

I don't know what he weighs at this point in time but it has to be a good bit because he is quite the lug to carry around.

Wordless Wednesday ; Thumb Sucker

2011-10-12T07:10:00.001-04:00

Sharing

2011-10-09T20:53:00.000-04:00

This little guy........

doesn't like to share with with littler guy...............

see..............

"the face"

2011-10-09T12:19:00.000-04:00

Colton has started to make this face & I just love it!!

He does it when he is looking at something & about to grab it; it is like he is studying it or something.

No matter what he is doing it for it is cute & makes me laugh every time!

5 Months Old Already

2011-10-09T07:45:00.001-04:00

Colton is growing & changing so fast I feel like I can't keep up with him. I am not sure his exact weight but he is wearing 9 & 12 month clothes & filling them out. He is eating "real" food 3 times a day; he doesn't like everything like B did though. He LOVES peaches, bananas & squash but hates anything green & sweet potatoes.

He is doing so well with tummy time & holding his body up & we are working on sitting up all on his own too. He can do it but only for a second or two. He loves his jumpy & would stay in it forever if I let him.

He talks/screams constantly; he likes to make sure that everyone can hear what he has to say for sure. He is getting better at napping & seems to be more relaxed now when I put him down. I let him put himself to sleep for the most part & doesn't really fuss to much before he is out. He was sleeping through the night (from 8pm - 6am) but caught a cold & is having some breathing issues right now but hopefully once it passes he will return to his wonderful night sleeping ways.

I think he is teething with all the drool & finger gnawing that he does but am not seeing or feeling anything in there so who knows........if the drool isn't from teething we are going to have to double bib him when he does start teething. He soaks bibs about 5 seconds after I put them on him.

He loves to smile & watches B like a hawk; B still only pays attention to him when HE wants to but it is more & more often here lately. He loves his feet & plays with them all the time but really prefers them with no socks on them. Life is hectic with our two little guys but I wouldn't have it any other way!!

Houdini

2011-10-09T06:53:00.000-04:00

Brayden has become a little Houdini & been escaping from him room. Every since we took the binky away he has been a little harder to get to sleep so I have been showering him with kisses & leaving him to cry for a second/minute in his room. Then one night I was in our bedroom putting away laundry & turned around & B was standing there smiling at me. He had figured out how to get the door handle thingy off the door (very quietly I might add) & scared the crap out of me. I tried to figure out what to do for the night & finally just locked his door & unlocked it when he finally fell asleep.

The next day Lance put this up. B actually doesn't mind it being there HOWEVER it has effected his sleep; meaning he is getting up really early (between 4-5:30) going to the door to open it & crying at the gate for me to get him.

Even with the gate up I am locking his door for him to actually lay down & go to sleep. If I don't he goes straight to it, opens it & cries..........what do I do?? Do I just let him cry with the door open so he knows that he has to go to sleep? I have been hoping that he will stop crying so that I can just leave the door open since the gate is there but that really hasn't been working out well for me. I can't really let him scream because Colton's room is right across the hallway & I don't want 2 kids awake & screaming.........I'll just keep doing what I am doing I guess & just hope & pray that he understands that he is in there for the night (& nap too) & then when he stops the crying & then I open the door permanently.

I feel like I get one thing figured out & 5 other things pop up that need to be figured out...........being a parent is a hard job & some days I feel completely up to the challenge but other days I feel like a complete failure & like I am going to lose my mind!!

Can I Get a Day Off Boss??

2011-10-04T06:38:00.003-04:00

I thought the week before last was long & rough but this past week was 10 times worse!! I am just going to sum it up day by day since that will be much easier & hopefully will keep me from rambling on about it.

Sunday, September 25 - The morning was going perfect until I was feeding Colton & B was pushing his highchair around the kitchen & then he headed into the pantry & picked up a plastic fork that was on the floor in there. This normally wouldn't be such an issue HOWEVER he bit one of the prongs off & swallowed it........whole, the whole thing & it was one of those large plastic forks too. He cried for a second but then ran away to play like nothing had happened. I freaked out & when Lance returned to the house we headed to the urgent care office just up the street from our house. They said that he was fine & to just watch him & unless he started to show signs (fever, vomiting, blood in his stool) then he would just have to pass it no big deal. I was dumb founded by this but they are the doctors & they know what they are doing right?? Let me just say that I was feeling like the mom of the year at this point; it was only 9:30am & I had already almost killed my kid (it felt that way)........why when I told him to spit it out did he not listen & why when I walked toward him to get it out of his mouth did he swallow it??

He was fine after we returned from hell (this is how he must view the doctor because he screamed the entire time we were there) & we had family lunch over at JuJu & PaPa's to celebrate mine & Aunt Cindy's birthdays so I packed the boys up & we were off. Lance of course had to work so while at his parents house I just stared at B waiting for something to happen. It didn't & even though the day started off crappy it ended well & we had fun.

Monday, September 26 - B goes to school & I try to recover from a very sleepless night. Every time I would close my eyes I would see B choking on the damn fork. Lance got off at 5 so it was nice to have the family together for a nice night AND Lance found the fork prong; that's right he never swallowed it!!! I guess he cried because I scared him when I told him to spit it out & came at him. We thankfully kept the fork & the piece Lance found matched up to the broken area perfectly...........THANK THE LORD!! I slept like a baby until Colton decided that he once again wanted to start getting up between 2:30-3am. Oh yeah & our washing machine broke & leaked water all over the laundry room floor which is on the 2nd floor & damaged the floor & went through the ceiling into the garage :(

Tuesday, September 27 - We wake up & start to have a great day BECAUSE BRAYDEN PEED IN THE POTTY for the 1st time ever but the day quickly turned into crap after that. B was very cranky & nothing made him happy. I took the boys to the park & B didn't even want to swing which is very odd so then I stated second guessing whether he swallow the darn fork prong or not. We got through the morning & B took his nap but when he woke up he was even more upset so I just prepared myself for a long afternoon; B was clingy so of course that meant that Colton was going to be too.........I just didn't have enough arms that afternoon.

The LG guy shows up to fix the washer & it was an easy fix so he was in & out so I was thankful.......THEN B started to act really weird & then it happened he puked all over the living room upstairs. It was so much vomit for such a little guy. Luckily Colton was down for a nap so I could focus 100% on B & care for him & get him cleaned up. I got him changed & he sat on the sofa while I attempted to clean up the carpet, floor & bathroom. I felt so bad for him! I again thought & questioned if he really did swallow the damn fork prong but knew that he wasn't in pain just sick so I pushed that thought away & trusted my mommy instinct.

B loves this chair & it is where he sits, when he actually sits.

I wish I would have been smart & covered it with the blankets when he 1st sat there since he also managed to throw up in it :(

The night went on & he threw up a few more time (he actually managed to get it in almost every room but did get all 3 bathrooms). I got Colton down about 8 & then curled up with B in the chair & he & I both fell asleep. B doesn't really cuddle so this was a very special moment & I loved every minute of it!!

Wednesday, September 28 - B woke up feeling like a million dollars & in the best mood; he ate a huge breakfast so I took him to school. When we got there I told them that he had been throwing up & they said that on Monday they had 2 kids doing that too.........ummmm. why did you not tell me that on Monday when I picked him up? Anyway, I got home & attempted to get the smell of vomit & poop out of the house so that meant laundry; guess what the washer wasn't fixed & it leaked again. It wasn't overflowing the catch bucket under it so I just did the loads that I needed to do & prayed that nothing bad happened. It was a long stressful & tiring day & I was down right exhausted & knew I wasn't going to have any help since it was the end of the month & basically I never see Lance at the end of the month!

Picked B up & he was perfection; he was in the best mood. Colton on the other hand wasn't; I have really been working on him napping routine & he is doing so much better & actually napping but it's still not enough sleep for the little guy because he is just a mess every night & just wants to go to sleep but if I let him go to bed early he will get up earlier. He was & is still getting up once a night again & I am just not sure why.

Thursday, September 29 - I had a horrible nights sleep & eventually just got up about 3am; I felt horrible so I just drank a ton of water & sat on the sofa staring at infomercials until the boys got up. About half way through the day I started to get hot flashes & then it happened..........I threw up, that's right I had caught B's stomach bug & was sick the whole day with 2 kids & no help. It was the longest day of my life but we made it threw & everyone survived. At on point I thought I was going to die but I didn't so I guess that's something. Of course I went to bed right after putting B down but couldn't get comfortable & didn't sleep at all that night.

Oh yeah & in the middle of the day the LG guy came back to again look at the washer & found a hose had a small hole in it & needed to be replaced so he ordered it & had to come back the next day.......not what I wanted to here at all!!

Friday, September 30 - After sleeping for about 2 hours I got up & showered & just laid on the sofa again waiting for the boys to get up. I wasn't throwing up anymore but was very weak & thirsty & again felt like I was going to die. Lance took B to school so I wouldn't bring the bug back up there & then was off to work & Colton & I just tried to take it easy. As the day went on I started feeling better & was really just tired.

The washer got fixed though & the boys & I all went to bed early that night!

Saturday & Sunday were better days & we just played. The weather was chilly so it got us ready for fall & also brought colds into the house. B started to get a runny nose on Saturday & Colton (after managing to not catch the stomach bug) started to get his runny nose yesterday. Both boys are grumpy & sleeping like crap & momma is beat!

On top of all of this B has been getting very upset with each nap & bedtime to the point of screaming crying; I am not sure if he is still thinking about his binky or just doesn't want to go to bed but it is heartbreaking & awful! These are the times when I wish Lance had a 9-5 job & I had help with the boys every night but he doesn't & I don't so I am just trying to suck it up & make the most of each & every day, grumpy kids & all!!

What A Week!

2011-09-25T11:32:00.000-04:00

Last week was the busiest & hardest week that I have had since having 2 kids! We have a ton going on with Brayden & of course because of that Colton decided that he was going to start getting up between 3-4am again.......not nice little guy, not nice at all.

Brayden has been a busy little guy since starting potty training; he doesn't like it because it interrupts his play time, movie, show......you name it he doesn't want to do it because there are so many better things he could be doing! He is getting the hang of sitting there but has yet to actually go. When he finally does (& I have faith that it will be soon) this momma is going to look like the biggest idiot dancing around, screaming & yelling in praise. He loves when we clap & say yeah when he does something grand around the house so maybe this will help with this process. I actually didn't think that it would be this hard to get him to actually pee for the first time; he has been pointing when he has been peeing for a while now.........oh well he'll get the hang of it soon enough.

We have also taken his most prized possession away just this past week; his binky was "broken" on Monday & Tuesday so Wednesday it had to go bye-bye. He has done remarkably well; yes he still cries for a second for it & he wakes up here & there throughout the night looking for it & get very upset when he doesn't find it but goes back to sleep in about 2-3 minutes & yes it breaks my heart to see him so upset but it had to go eventually so now was as good a time as any! With all of these changes going on I feel like my little guy is growing up so fast & I have even shed a few tears over it; silly I know but as amazing as it is to watch him grow up it is sad too.

Lastly, on Thursday we had an appointment to get B evaluated with a speech therapist. At 2 years old he should have a 50 word vocabulary & since he isn't close to that number & we don't want him to fall behind we took him to see someone. We were also concerned since "Googling" the subject of a few other things that could be delaying him BUT thankfully he is just stubborn & hard headed & it is something that we can work on & he will be caught up in no time at all. It was such a relief to hear that he is physically & mentally OK; I knew that he was but I guess I just had to hear it for myself. We will be starting therapy twice a week in about a week; I can't wait for B to start talking to me & being able to communicate when he wants & needs........I the the frustration level in the Goodson household is about to decrease a good bit!

Let me just say that B isn't not talking at all; he is saying things here & there but he's just not talking like he should be so that is why we were concerned. Let me also say that B was the one that was supposed to be getting the evaluation but I felt like I was the one under the microscope. I felt like when she would ask questions about what he does, how he is, or how we try to get him to do this or that that it was actually me that she was evaluating. It broke my heart to think that it could be because I maybe baby him a little to much that he isn't talking. To think that I could be the reason for him being behind broke my heart; I try to make sure that I "do" what is right for B & C too but is babying your baby actually a bad thing sometimes?? Apparently so........

Don't get me wrong she didn't say any of this, this is just how I felt after the session with her; she actually said that B is just a strong willed chilled. Hard headed, wants what he wants when he wants it, & just like his father in my words.......maybe B comes by this honestly because of his genes but whatever the case may be we were told that we have a rough few months coming but the outcome will be our little guys voice being heard more & more & the tantrums from frustration will come less & less.

I pray each & every night for God to guide me to be a great mom for the boys, to help me teach them right from wrong, good from bad & how to grow up as amazing young men. I pray for him to let them know how much they are loved & how much we want only the best for them. I pray for him to instill in me that I have to be a parent before I am their friend & playmate & to just help me to overall do what is best for them! Having & raising these to little guys is the best job I am ever going to have & I just want to do right by them & sometimes knowing what is best or right is hard..............I still have to learn to trust my own judgment.

1st Family Vacation - Part Three

2011-09-24T08:04:00.001-04:00

I don't know if B had more fun or if Lance did; he works so hard & so much so that I can be home with the boys so this was a very special trip for him & the boys.

We ate so much food at every restaurant we ate at; this was Bayou Bill's

It really couldn't have been any better than this.........

We got the flash light out to show B how to look for sand crabs.

B chilled by putting his feet in the hot tub; he didn't want the jets on at all or to get in it but he loved to just barely dangled his soft little feet in it.

Thursday (the day before we left) we spent all morning in the pool & B was swimming the whole time & almost all by himself too.

I really have to get him in swim lessons this winter; I was going to do it last winter but didn't want to scare anyone by being pregnant & in a swim suit.

He was VERY tired & took the best nap of his life!!

Colton seemed to be pretty tired himself & Lance took that time to find out where we would be dining that evening.........he wanted to find the perfect place for our 4th Wedding Anniversary

This is where he decided we should go & it couldn't have been any better!!

It was the perfect restaurant on the beach in Destin & the had the most amazing atmosphere.

It stormed while we ate & made it even better since it was very open.

That night we took our last stroll on the beach with the boys, JuJu & PaPa

& blew bye-bye kisses to the ocean to say good bye.........until next year!! We will be returning because it was the perfect trip at the perfect time of year!!

Thank you to JuJu & PaPa for taking us on such a very wonderfully amazing vacation!!

1st Family Vacation - Part Two

2011-09-23T14:53:00.000-04:00

Doesn't he look like a Ninja Turtle??

This is the building our condo was in!

One of the very few pictures of the 4 of us together; Brayden doesn't like to sit still for anything.

Colton just hung out in his carrier each night for our after dinner walks on the beach

B has his hands up because it is part of the game that we we play with him to get him to listen & pay attention to who is talking to him........whatever works right?

I know I have said it before & I know that they are mine but goodness they are cute!!

Bath time for C while B was still on the beach running a muck

The sunset was so beautiful every night.

Thankfully there weren't alot of people staying in the building because B loved to ride up & down the elevator & in the lobby downstairs every night before bed & first thing in the morning too & when we would come back from the beach or pool or when he would wake up from nap........you get the idea!

Peaceful.........

On our way to eat at Tommy Bahamas

& what is right out of the back patio just for Brayden to play in??? Water fountains...........

We walked to the ice cream shop to get some dessert & B saw his reflection in the window & got so excited he danced

& there are still more photos.. Sorry for the overload but we aren't all 4 together that often & I went a little picture crazy!!

1st Family Vacation - Part One

2011-09-22T08:24:00.001-04:00

We spent last week in Santa Rosa Beach Florida (15 minutes from Destin, FL) for our 1st official family vacation & had the best time. The weather was perfect & not too hot & because kids are back in school this time of year we had the beach almost all to ourselves.

We left on Sunday (the 11th) & returned that Friday (the 16th); we celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary on the 15th & the 16th was my 35th birthday but I didn't really feel the need to celebrate that! We enjoyed each & everyday that we were there, ate too much food & loved every minute of the boys playing & laughing...........it was a week of perfection!!

The boys, PaPa, JuJu & I left around 10am Sunday morning so that we could travel while B slept; he didn't sleep long at all but we still only had to stop once & both boys did amazingly well. Lance had to work so he was driving down when he got off at 5. B was so excited to get out of the car & get into the elevator to push the buttons.

We walked down to the beach & waited to see if it was going to scare him or if he was going to fall in love......

He was in love...........he had no fear of the sand or the water at all. I wish he was a little bit more hesitant about getting into the water since the undertow warning was high but he wasn't so we just stayed by his side the entire week!

As B frolicked that first evening Colton & I spent some quality time together; he loved the carrier he used to despise & was quite taken with the birds, views & the sound of the ocean.

We went back to the condo to get bathes & get settled in for the night & wait for Lance.

Colton stayed up way to late & just passed out.

The boys slept great & the next morning they were up & ready to go; B enjoyed the view from the patio as we ate breakfast.

We went straight to the beach & Colton passed out........for a kid that doesn't like to nap he liked to do it at the beach!!

B obsessed over feeding the birds

& was in hog heaven the whole morning!!

We walked up & down the almost completely empty beach & just let B run free

He & Lance built sand castles

& we attempted a family picture but as you can see the sad won out of us holding him.

We walked up from the beach & he wanted to get straight into the pool; again no fear even though he had no clue how to swim.

Colton sat in the shade & enjoyed some time in his walker playing.

& B started to learn to swim.

We went back up to rest & Colton & daddy enjoyed some time while B napped.

I of course took a bazillion photos so am going to post them in a few different entries to spare an overload.

4 Months Old

2011-09-18T08:12:00.001-04:00

STATS:

Weight - 17 lbs. 1 oz. - 90%

Height - 26 1/4 - 95%

Head - 17 - 75%

Colton smiles the majority of the time that he is awake & even sometimes when he's asleep. He honestly really is a happy little guy until he isn't & when he isn't he wants everyone to know about it. He laughs this tiny little belly laugh that is just adorable.

We have started him on solid foods already in the hopes that it will help with the napping issues we are having. He is still just cat napping here & there but I am still hoping & praying that we will soon get it worked out. For his sake more than mine I worry about this; he is not well rested through out the day & by 5 he is just a mess & I just know that he would feel so much better throughout the day; maybe when he gets more mobile he will be more tired & nap or maybe he just isn't a napper...........I have no idea at this point.

He has eaten apples which he did not care for at all & the loved peaches, squash & carrots. I have not done homemade food with him yet since we were on vacation last week but when what I bought is gone I will be making it for him!

He is 9 month clothing & I can't believe it. He seems so much bigger that I remember Brayden being. He is rolling over from back to belly constantly but hasn't quite figured out how to get back over just yet. He talks/screams to get attention. I have actually started to slowly put him in his crib more & more awake to let him sooth himself to sleep & although some days it goes very smooth & he doesn't fuss at all other days he wants no part of it. For the most part he sleeps through the night but on the days when he doesn't nap after 4pm he ends up going down for the night earlier than normal & is up because he's hungry.........he has his good nights & bad nights I guess but I would say more good than bad.

He loves his fingers & gnaws on them all the time & also loves his chubby little feet; when I take his pj's off in the morning he gets this smile on his face & goes right for his little toes & holds onto them for quite a long while. He loves to watch B play & run around the house & gets so excited when he comes over to "play" with him. He loves his big brother very much already!

Colton Lee is such a sweet & loving little guy & looks just like his daddy! He melts the hearts of everyone he flashes that gummy grin at & is growing like a weed. He is precious & we are so excited to see what the coming months bring for his growth & development..........we love you big guy!!!

Ready for Christmas

2011-09-15T11:13:00.000-04:00

I am a fan of the Real Housewives of every County on Bravo TV so when the New Jersey housewives celebrated Christmas a few weeks ago it made get in the mood for it as well. I am ready for colder weather, the decorations & really ready to get started on shopping for the boys & Lance! I am excited to see how B reacts this year to everything & to see if he actually likes or wants to open presents. I know that Colton won't have much interest in anything at all but I am excited to see where he will be developmentally in the coming months & too see just how mobile he'll be.

I told B that I was ready for Christmas & he must be ready too because he brought out his Christmas Snoopy from last year; I'm not sure if he remembered it from last Christmas or not but it really did make me get in the Christmas spirit in September.

Great Strides

2011-09-15T06:06:00.000-04:00

Brayden is making great progress when it comes to his baby brother; he is kissing, hugging, & loving him more & more each & everyday. We don't even have to ask him love give him a kiss anymore he just does it. I can't tell you how much relief I feel for both the boys & myself too because it was very hard to watch Brayden get so upset for what seemed like soooo long!

Loving the Weather

2011-09-14T13:55:00.000-04:00

It was so hot for soooo long I forgot what it was like to play outside with B & not sweat to death BUT thankfully it has been in the 70's in the mornings & in the mid-high 80's in the afternoon/evenings the past week & a half! We have been able to spend most of our days outside & that makes B & momma very happy!!

Colton can be outside too for longer than 5 seconds without getting red cheeked & having to go back inside. I think that has been one of B's hardest/biggest issues since his brothers arrival..............not being able to do what he wants when he wants too.

"Look what I colored Mom"

He would sit outside & color for hours on end........if he could sit still that is!

Georgia Football

2011-09-11T06:39:00.001-04:00

Here in the Goodson household we LOVE football so we were really ready for college football season to begin.............

But apparently the DAWGS weren't :(

As of yesterdays game against South Carolina we are 0-2; BUT I have faith that the season will turn around!!

Daddy Time

2011-09-08T13:04:00.000-04:00

Lance has been working so much lately that I feel like we barely ever get to see him; BUT when we do we make the most of it!! He is such a loving dad & is so afraid that the boys won't love him because he's not around but he has no idea how much he really is loved by us all!!

Rockin' the Faux Hawk

2011-09-08T11:48:00.000-04:00

We are trying to figure out what to do with B's hair these days. I love that it has curl to it but it seems that no one can cut it correctly so I think we are just going to let it grow for a while & see what happens. This of course is going to drive Lance crazy since he HATES that it looks messy sometimes & it is also touching/hanging over his ears. Maybe I'll sneak him to the salon & get them to clean up around his ears without telling Lance. If I tell Lance that I want to do this he will want to do it himself & then he will end of cutting to much of it off in the process..........who knew a little boys hair style could be a concern??

Slip N Slide

2011-09-08T09:42:00.000-04:00

Since B loves water & I used to love mine my mom suggested we get him a Slip N Slide..........it was & is a huge hit with him!!

Our ball obsessed son had to get the basketball in the mix as well!!

Lance's Birthday

2011-09-08T07:15:00.000-04:00

Lance had his 34th Birthday on the 16th & although we didn't do much of anything to celebrate it was a perfect evening! He was actually home for the evening (which doesn't happen often here lately) so we did presents, dinner & desert with the kids, my mom & sister.........PERFECTION!!

The Drill

2011-09-08T05:41:00.002-04:00

I think that this might have been B's favorite toy from his birthday (other than the John Deere). He walks around the whole house carrying it & "fixing" stuff.

Bubble Crazy Bella

2011-09-07T11:27:00.000-04:00

Brayden's new bubble blower was a big hit with him as well as our crazy white boxer.

This makes Bella........

do this........

& this........

& this too.........

She is such a sweet, loving & yet crazy girl!!

Puppy Love ;

2011-09-07T08:05:00.000-04:00

We bought B a little cars chair from Walmart & very quickly the dogs took it over as theirs. Thankfully B love them very much & shares it with them.

Wordless Wednesday;

2011-09-07T07:58:00.000-04:00

All About Hats

He will wear them more often soon enough.........

T-Ball

2011-09-07T05:58:00.000-04:00

First of all I LOVE my kid in hats!!!

Secondly, he is learning how to play t-ball & getting pretty good at it. He uses the wrong ball but who cares about that part right?

We have to work on how he holds the bat but he looks cute, NO?

He laughs each & every time he walks up to hit the ball & even throws the bat down after he hits it to run after the ball! I can't wait for him to be able to play on a team; I think that he can next year. At the age of 3 it is all about fun with the other kids so it should be fun to watch!!

Grams Visit

2011-09-07T05:43:00.001-04:00

My mom & sister were able to come for B's birthday & we had such a great time; even though my dad wasn't able to make it. They came for his actual birthday & stayed for a week, left to go visit my other sister for a week & then came back here for another week.......they did a ton of travelling to make sure that they saw everyone & I am so grateful & thankful that they did. It is hard with my family being so far away & I hate it sometimes too but I am so happy that my grandma has my dad near her now.

We stayed busy while they were here & even if it was just playing in the backyard my mom got the full taste of 2 year of crazy B. He is a pistol & from the time he wakes up until nap he is on the go & then from the time he wakes up again until bedtime (between 8-9) he is moving at the speed of light too. I have a hard time keeping up with him some days so I can't imagine how she must have felt.

Colton loved all the extra attention too & of course soaked up all the Grams time he could.

Colton was mesmerized by Aunt Mammie

Little Thumb Sucker

She even got to meet Colton's future best friend Brady.........he's so tiny!!

2 Years Old - Part Three - THE PARTY

2011-09-07T04:33:00.000-04:00

We decided that this year we would have his party somewhere instead of me taking on the load of planning, decorating, cooking, cleaning, & doing the other million things that I would have wanted to do if we were to have it at our house. I have to admit that with C joining the family & only being 3 months old it was the right decision for my sanity but I missed doing everything like I did for his 1st.

We had the party at Monkey Joe's & it was a huge hit with all the kids & adults too!!

We ordered his cake from Publix & the drive to Monkey Joe's wasn't far from the store but I guess it was so hot out the icing fell anyway. B didn't care but I was upset that it wasn't perfect; I guess it still looked cute!

The b-day room.

B did this the entire time we were there; he would go up the stairs in one (& only one) of the bounce houses & slide down........over & over & over!!

I cut his head off in every photo :(

He would get out occasionally though to go play in the smaller jumpy with his friends.

He sat in his b-day chair for about a minute & that was only because he was bribed with M&M's. He wouldn't eat anything & just wanted to go back out & play so we let him.

Monkey Joe came in for a visit & JuJu managed to get him to sit still long enough to get his shirt & he even gave him a hug.

We lite the candles & sang to him but he wanted no part of that & actually was afraid of the flames from the candles....it was a great party but B just wasn't really apart of anything except for the playing part.

Here are all the guys & there little ones; aren't they cute?

B was exhausted after 3 hours of playing & honestly I was too & I didn't even have to do anything (although I did play too). We got home & opened presents; we didn't do it there because for one B was exhausted & walked PaPa to the door when he was ready & for two he isn't into opening them...........AT ALL!!

By the way; his "binky" will be exiting the house when we return from vacation. I wasn't going to buy anymore but didn't want to try to get him to sleep in a strange place while we were out of town without it; maybe a sorry excuse but I want to have a good time while we are in FL & that means I need the one child that does nap to nap!! I don't think we will have much issue with it going away since he has actually bitten a small whole in a few of them & does NOT like them with the whole. He didn't take naps on the 2 occasions that this happened (& didn't cry or fuss about it either) but I am sure he would have eventually gotten used to it...........we shall see though.

2 Years Old - Part Two - THE GIFT

2011-09-06T20:06:00.001-04:00

B's gift this year was a John Deere Gator & he LOVES it!! I thought that it was going to be too big for him but daddy knew that he could handle it!!

He couldn't wait to get on it so he sat there while Lance finished putting it together.

2 Years Old - Part One - THE DAY

2011-09-06T06:16:00.001-04:00

This post is also about a month & 3 days late.............BAD MOMMY!!

STATS:

Weight: 28.4 lbs. (50-75%)

Height: 35 1/2 (75%)

Head: 19 1/4 (50%)

We celebrated B's birthday day just like we did last year; we took him to Chuck E Cheese. He actually hadn't been there since his 1st birthday & it was great to see how he played a year later.

He actually wanted to get on the big games & even rode the thing above about 5 times & couldn't stop smiling. Daddy played this silly video game with him & he was in love; just look at that smile!

He is obsessed with balls so it was no shock that he wanted to play basket ball when daddy walked over to it. He actually walked around the whole building holding the ball for about 30 minutes.

He also loved the Skee Ball but as you can see he didn't want much help for anyone!

We asked for all educational presents this year & that is exactly what he received; we have been enjoying them all. We asked for these because B is actually not talking much. He was talking but has stopped & we are actually going back to the doctor in October to get his ears looked at & to also get evaluated for possibly beginning speech therapy. I know that they say boys mature slower & our doctor says that it really isn't anything to worry about because he is so intelligent is every other aspect of his growth & development but he is 2 & should be communicating via speech.

Brayden gets very frustrated very easily because he is not willing or able to tell us what exactly he wants when he wants it. It is frustrating for him & for us to try to figure things out not to mention the worry I feel & have over this. I think as a parent you are always going to worry about your kids but me, I worry about everything times 10 for some reason. I worried when B didn't crawl & other kids did but then he decided that he was going to walk instead of crawling & my worry was gone. With this though it is a whole different kind of worry; what if something is wrong with his hearing, what if there is a developmental issue, what if, what if, what if............Google is the devil & the things that I have read are SCARY!!

I pray that is is just him being stubborn because his brother joined the family (that seems to be around the time he stopped talking) & that it is just speech therapy that is needed but if that is not the case than I pray for God to help us get through whatever is thrown our way!!

Brayden is a very independent & spirited boy; he is full of spunk, joy, & laughter & he makes me smile each & everyday!

P.S. - I made cupcakes for his class at school & of course they HAD to be Toy Story!!

3 Months Old

2011-09-06T05:51:00.000-04:00

This post is only about a month & 3 days late but who's counting right?? Things have been going well just crazy with family in town & then both boys being sick & now the baby being sick (possibly teething) so needless to say I haven't been able to sleep much let alone blog so I am going to try to get caught up on about a month of happenings before we leave for vacation (WOO HOO) this Sunday evening.

Colton still doesn't nap well but it is getting better & better each day; I really wouldn't mind the non-napping (since I am kind of used to it) except for the fact that it causes major melt downs each & every night about 5pm!

He has the biggest brightest eyes & I think he keeps them open like that to make sure he doesn't fall asleep! They are blue & have so much happiness behind them.

For not napping well he sure does smile a ton. He is a very happy, not to mention talkative little guy & my heart melts with every smile that he flashes me.

We are doing cloth diapers & are loving it; the poop diapers aren't as bad to deal with like I thought they would be & other than the extra load of laundry they are really no different than disposables....plus not having to spend the money on disposables for him is a GREAT feeling.

Colton is wearing 6-9 month clothes & filling them out very well; I know that the cloth diapers add a bit length wise since they are a bit bulkier but he is just a big boy. He has his 4 month check up tomorrow so I will have stats to know just how big then.

His brother is warming up to him & even though B still acts like an only child he is coming around. They are going to be the best of friends & inseparable before I know it (hopefully).

He is a momma's boy 100%; B was at this age too but Colton seems to really (quite literally at times) be attached to my hip.

Loves his jumpy thing; it can occupy him for about an hour each time which is good since he doesn't nap & this helps me be able to get stuff done around the house.

He found his feet & loves them but more over he found his thumb & loves it more than life itself. I would rather him suck his binky but I have no control over this issue at all.

Colton you are a special & adored little guy. You are a blessing to our family & you are loved more than you'll ever know. I know mommy looks scare you sometimes lately but this wouldn't happen if you would close your eyes for longer that 15-20 minutes at a time during the day. I do thank you for sleeping well at night & hope & pray that this only gets longer with time. You are a precious angel with a smile that could light up a room & I am so thankful that you are our little "big" boy.

Just Because

2011-08-13T20:57:00.000-04:00

B is getting so much better around Colton; not that he was ever mean but he really acted like he wasn't there when he first came home. It hasn't gotten 100% better & he still doesn't really acknowledge him but he has his sweet moments & even let me put them in the same chair for pictures.........ONCE!