Family, Family, Family

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

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

Sharing

This little guy........

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

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

"the face"

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

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

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??

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!

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

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

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!!