A little late but...HE'S HERE!

So it's been three weeks since I last posted, but I have a really good reason. 

That reason arrived February 28, 2013 at 3:50 in the afternoon! 

My sweet baby boy is here! His name is Micah Callan. 

 Fresh baby, he was 6 lbs, 8 oz. and 19 1/4 ins long

 Mommy and son 2 hours after birth!

 4 days old and so beautiful

 Big brother David loves to hole Micah

(Big brother Elliot like him too, but is 

NEVER still to catch in a photo!)

2 weeks old!

3 week photo shoot!

My dad (Big Daddy to my boys) is a photographer! 

BIG SCORE!

Isn't he PRECIOUS!

Needless to say we are a bit obsessed with our newest addition.

Robert and I also celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on March 15. Hard to believe we've only been married 5 years since we started 'dating' at 16! I have been with that man for almost 12 years!

Totally forgot to take pictures of us! Oops! 

Yes I know I overloaded you with totally baby cuteness.

But I feel it isn't kind for me to keep it all to myself!

I'm guest posting today!

Today I am over at The Biblical Family guest posting in her
series on Pornography and Family. 

A heavy topic that needs to talked about more, so join me!

After reading the post come back and share ways you are safeguarding your children. 

Nesting

37 weeks today!

I. CAN'T. WAIT. TO. HAVE. THIS. BABY!!!!!

I get to a stage in my pregnancies where I am just DONE!

It happens earlier and earlier each one. 

With my first it didn't really happen, I went into labor 2 days before his due date it as all good

My second I was on modified bed rest so I was done about 3 weeks before his due date and he came a week early! Thank you son

This pregnancy I have been DONE for about 5 weeks! Chasing 2 toddlers will do that to you. Of course I can't have him that early, I love my midwife and birth center and I have to be 37 weeks to deliver there. 

SO

Today is the day! I am in the safe zone and I want him OUT! I am tempted to "run" sprints, take flights of stairs 2 at a time, have spicy food for every meal, have * you know what* every evening, 

Pinterest

Basically all the things that could bring on labor! 

However I have this list. The Nesting List that needs to be done. Let me indulge you on the insanity I want done!

• Vacuum/clean out my SUV
• Install infant car-seat and put snap-n-go in the trunk 
• Pack my bag and baby's bag for the Birth Center
• Buy more diapers 
• Wash remaining baby clothes
• Send emails to my friend Andrea for the Care Calendar ( SO excited about not cooking!)
• Arrange for my 2 hours of house cleaning (Baby shower gift)
• Hang picture collage over my couch 
• Make a clothespin chandler from Young House Love
• Make Goodwill, Kid to Kid, Half Price Books and Clothes Mentor drop offs

So I understand that a few of those items I have NOTHING to do with the baby! But I want to bring him home to a cute house and I am sick of bare walls and boring fixtures! So I am off to the Dollar Tree and Home Depot to get the supplies! 

What do/did you want done when nest?

Getting a Handle on Tantrums

  

A few days ago Paula from Hope for the Future wrote a piece about dealing with tantrums. I was asked to contribute. Below is the whole piece. Paula was only able to use the piece in parts. I wanted to share with you one of the ways we handle tantrums in our home. Having two boys 11.5 months apart we deal with tantrum everyday.

My youngest E is 18 months and is the easiest to deal with when it comes to tantrums. For the most E’s tantrums end as easily as the start. He screeches out and then is pleasant even if he doesn’t get his way. On the occasion that I have to get on to him, I always get eye level and in a firm voice tell him no to his behavior and what I expect. Now E is tenderhearted so he will burst into tears at a firm no.D on the other hand, is my rambunctious 2 ½ year old is not that easy.  D requires physical force, meaning that something thing must be done to him (restrained), taken from him, and sometimes he must be removed from the situation.  So this is how it usually is between D and me.

• ·      D will do something that he knows is not allowed like stand on the couch and play with the mini-blinds. I will tell him, “ D no! Do not touch the mini blinds and sit on your bottom.”
• ·      D obeys for 2 seconds and is right back to his mischief. I repeat myself but physically sit him and remove his hand. Here is where the tantrum starts.
• ·      D will fall back on the coach stiffen his body. I tell him “mommy said to stop and you are disobeying “ He yells “NO!!!” I remove him from the room and take him to his room, and say, “You do not tell mommy no. You must calm down or you will sit on your bed until you do.”
• ·      If he doesn’t comply I sit him on his toddler bed, leave the room, close the door and set the timer for 2 min. This step is repeated till my son has calmed down enough that I can talk to him without listening to screaming, crying or whining, I do not tolerate any of these is a disobedience situation.
• ·      Once he is calm, I take him back to where is was misbehaving (if it is applicable and repeat my expectation).

I know that this seems tedious and long, but the goal is training. I don’t want to have to worry every time I go to someone’s house that my son is going to stand on his or hers furniture. I want to raise sons that respect rules and authority.

Proverbs 22:6  “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:15 “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives if far from him”

I hold to this verse during tantrums. My child is being foolish, he doesn’t know how he aught to behave or act. Which is why God saw fit to give him to me so that I can train him and discipline him. The world around us is counting on the mother, fathers and caretakers of children to live up to these verses. If we do not we are left to a world led by foolish, wayward undisciplined men and women.

I look forward to reading how you handling tantrums with toddlers.