Two Under Two: Sharing a Room

Well, I'm giving it a try again tonight. Last night I put the kids to bed in the same room and it went pretty well. Things have been rough for the last week with AJ's sleep. She's been busting out of her swaddle and a few nights I got up nearly 15 times to fix it and pop in the pacifier. Can you say ZOMBIE?

Anyway, back to a shared room. I've had her travel pack n' play in "Mogi's" room for a few weeks and she lays in it to play at times. But, last night I laid her down in it at 8pm, her usual bedtime, and she laid there watching us as Mogi finished his evening story time and then went to bed at 8:30. It all went smoothly. I did her "dream feed" at 9:30 with no problem.

And then I didn't hear a peep until 4am! A nice change from 12am, 1am, 3am.... you get the idea :)

The swaddle was loose, so I refastened, popped in the paci and climbed back into bed. At 6am she started to fuss and I moved her to her own crib in the next room. It turned out to only be a blip of belly gas, but I didn't want Mogi awakened.

She started her day at 7:15 and Mogi woke at 7:45. Not too shabby for a first try with no idea what I'm doing!!

But, I figure, even if they don't have an appreciation for it now, they will soon enough. I remember sharing a room with my younger brother for a few years when we were little and it was great.

Today they did a naptime together, since they both go down at 1p for a few hours. Mogi woke up a little early and awoke sister, but it wasn't bad. And they're back down for the night.

So, moms and dads out there, got any tips for room sharing?? Are there any unforeseen pitfalls I should look out for?? Help a mama out!!

These Children I Love

I love my babies so very much. They are growing up so quickly and I am grasping at making the most of each day and cherishing it. Lots of hugs, kisses, snuggles, and praying that I would be the mom God has called and crafted me to be in each teachable moment. Here's a few pics of my darlings that I thought the world should see.

Those cheeks and big eyes get me every time

This one reminds me of my younger brother so much at the same age. We're really close in age so I don't know if its actual memories I have or just from pictures, but I see "Uncle Fff-lup" in his face!

Mogi is nothing if he's not full of energy and joy and playfulness. This picture captures his personality so well.

How could I not share this picture? He's just a shockingly beautiful child. Some day girls are going to be smitten with him and I pray that he would grow to be a man of self-control that would chose to honor women and save himself (heart, soul, and being) for the one that God has chosen to be his bride.

AJ has a captivating smile, even at 4 months old, but its hard to catch it on film. This one catches a bit of her cheerfulness.

Her personality may be limited at her young age, but it is distinctive and so different than her big brother's. She loves to cuddle and feel safe and get lots of eye contact. (Big brother was happiest have something to explore and being on the move.)

A little quality cuddle time with her Dani Ali. She's a true snuggle bug and would be okay being held every moment of the day. I pray that she would grow to know and love Jesus as her Lord and Savior and that she would treasure being held in the palm of His hand.

What are your prayers for your children? And what aspects of their personality do you revel in?

Two Under Two: Today's Reality

Note: This post was started on the 11th of February, but not finished until the 24th. We're all better now :)


Well, as usual, there's never a "dull" moment in our household. We've been dealing with what I call "the plague" for over a week. Mogi got sick first. He had what seemed like an innocent runny nose, I thought due to teething. But, the runny nose led to serious nasal congestion which led to chest congestion and a cough. So, we took him to the doctor and found out he had double ear infections and RSV. Oh boy! No wonder he was in such a world of hurt. If you're not familiar with RSV its a nasty respiratory virus that is harder to deal with in young children and older adults and can require breathing treatments.

We were concerned about baby girl getting sick and the doctor said it was too late to protect her. Between the incubation period and the fact that its airborne, he said that she'd most likely already come in contact with it. And how right he was. The next day she started showing symptoms. On Thursday she visited the doctor and tested positive for RSV. Thankfully she's had mostly nasal congestion and not so much of the chest-raking coughing that Mogi has. But, I did take her back to the doctor again yesterday and found out she now has an ear infection. Yikes! The local pharmacist and I are going to be on a first name basis very soon.

But along with sick kids, Hubs and I have also had our share of illness. Mine started Tuesday night with a fire-burning sore throat which came with some chills, aches, and an on again/ off again low grade fever. Friday I started feeling better and then that night got hit with cold symptoms full force. This morning I have horrible pressure behind on ear and can't hear very well. My self diagnoses is strep throat, a cold, and an ear infection. Hopefully I'll find a way to get to the doctor tomorrow and see what I can do to get well.

Hubs is a basket case of low grade fevers, sore throat and painful chest congestion...

Of course no one likes to be sick and we especially hate to see our children sick, but I've been a bit more bummed about all this for a rather selfish reason. I had just started to get back into a "groove" with my research when all this kicked off. And now I'm wondering how long it will take me to figure out where I was and get forward momentum again once we're all well...

But, I'm trying to keep in my mind a quote from a Bible study I'm doing these days. It's by James MacDonald entitled "Lord, Change My Attitude". So far, it is awesome. I am learning so much and being confronted by so many areas of my self that I need to work on and conform to the example of Jesus.

The first week of study talks about Complaining. Here's the quote:
"All the grace and strength you need to experience joy and victory are available to you; but by choosing to complain, by clinging to the idol of a perfect life, you are flushing away the grace of God."

Wow! Did that slap you upside the head like it did me the first time I read it? I wanted to jump out of my chair and say "What? Idol of a perfect life?? Wait, what??" Because until then I
1) hadn't realized I was trying to design a perfect life and
2) hadn't thought of it as idolatry.

But, all of a sudden the truth was glaring. Yes, life has ups and downs. We get sick. We are heart broken. But, they're not just things to get past and overcome. There is living to be done in them. God purposed them for His reasoning and my good.

And I admit I have so much left to learn. So much of my attitude needs to change. Just this morning when baby girl woke at 2am and needed fed, which is very unusual for her, I had a rotten attitude about it. I was frustrated that I haven't slept a good nights sleep in weeks and aggravated that Hubs was fast asleep while I fed her. It was not pretty.

So, here's my prayer:
"Lord, change my attitude. Make me more like You. Show me when my attitude is contrary to Your ways and allow me the grace to make it what it should be. Humbly yours."

You're One Crazy Kid

My Mogi boy can be a wild man. He's just a stereotypical boy. Fearless, loud, rowdy, fast. Pick any testosterone induced adjective and he'd probably fit it. But, as much as he may wear me out from being a speed demon and all the rest, I always know that when bedtime comes he'll be fast asleep. Thankfully, sleep is not an issue unless he's sick or severely teething and both are a rarity. He's always down by 8pm and generally sleeps until 8am.

So, imagine my surprise (ummm... frustration) when after waking at 6:30am in hopes of getting coffee, my Bible reading, a shower, and feeding AJ done before his 8am wake up, I hear him calling my name at 6:45. What???

Now, every once in a while he'll wake up early, talk to himself and fall back asleep, but calling my name at that hour? So, I attempted to ignore him for a bit, but by 7am it was apparent something was off. So, I entered his room hoping I could give him his stuffed animal and get him to lay down a bit longer.

Except... guess what I found? A NAKED boy! Okay, so he wasn't REALLY naked. He was wearing socks after all. Yeah, you read that right. I put him to bed in full pajamas and found him standing in his crib with his diaper on the floor and his pajamas at his ankles. Only his socks were where I'd left them! I sure hope he wasn't like that all night!

It was so shocking it was comical. I don't suppose I'll ever know what caused him to strip, but I'm guessing that he played with the zipper and pulled it undone and then found the Velcro on his diaper and took it off. Anyway, his diaper was soaked and he'd also left "his mark" on the sheets.

What a way to start the day! Do you have a story of finding your child less clothed than when you left them?