ya win some...ya lose some...

I read the Momastery blog (me and a million other people) -- if you haven't read her post today...read it! And change a few of the specifics, and...pretend like its MY post...'cause oh my word, Jonah is becoming a staller. I suppose its par for his age, but just a couple months ago, I admit I smuggly breathed a sigh of relief when I'd hear people's 'bedtime routines', thanking God MY kid went to bed like an angel every night. Never calling out. Never needing anything. Sleeping soundly for 12 or more hours. Well, shame on me. 'Cause that has changed, and someone, somewhere is saying "I told you so." And, like most things 'parent'...they will change again, just when I think I have things figured out. And, I actually know better than to think I have anything 'figured out', 'cause I constantly question what I'm doing, how my kids behave/sleep/eat/look/play/learn, etc; and, if I'm doing my kids justice in how I'm raising them, etc, etc...So, I should just accept that this is mothering: never actually 'mastering' anything...and having my children prove me wrong time and time again. Which is why we barely utter the words, when we make a claim about them. So...I will not say that Levi is NOT waking up a million times in the night now...and that on Friday, we decided to let him cry, rather than me running to his every whimper in the night to soothe him back to sleep by nursing him, or rolling him over onto his back...and I will not say that it only took him 2 nights to catch on to this new routine. Or that he sleeps quite well on his back now. But I will tell you how adorable he is, and how I love seeing his dear little face when he's asleep (now that he's not exclusively sleeping on his belly!)...and I will say that Levi is such a sweet, happy, cuddly, darlin' baby...drooly as can be, sucking on anything that comes within an inch of his little face...and I am absolutely smitten with him. And I LOVE watching him watch Jonah - he is absolutely smitten with Jonah...in the car, he barely takes his eyes off him. I have to make Jonah stay out of the room sometimes when I'm trying to feed Levi so that he will pay attention and eat, rather than watch his big brother. Its sweet, though. And Jonah is every bit as in love with Levi. And I have started praying that they will become the best of friends for all of their lives...siblings are such a huge part of life. I am so incredibly grateful for all MY siblings. We'd barely have a social life if it weren't for them!! haha. (seriously, though.) And Jonah is so hilarious these days...we laugh so many times in the day - and I don't 'fake laugh' at him to make him feel good...he is actually quite hilarious. And its his greatest joy to be an entertainment: making you laugh, singing, dancing...chatting your ear off. Good heavens, there are days when he's being as good as gold, but his constant chatter is almost too much... And he wants to talk to everybody these days. Our neighbours are very gracious in saying 'hello' back to him a million times a day. I started writing this post a little frustrated at how long it was taking to get Jonah to settle down...(really, it was only about 15 minutes...)...but now that I'm writing about these darlin' boys...I can't remember why I was frustrated. Well...not entirely true, but...now I'm thinking about their sweetness and how adorable they are. Mind you, we got OUT several times today (Tuesdays are my one day a week that I have the car)...and that seems to make a big difference in how sane I feel at the end of the day. And....I'm heading to the movies in a few minutes with some girls...and I haven't been running up the stairs every 15 minutes to roll my baby over...and the weather has been amazing the last few days. And...I am hopeful I will get to sleep for several consecutive hours tonight. And Jonah got his hair cut and if its possible, is even more adorable today than I thought he could be. So...really. Its the little things...that for the most part make me honest when I say...I am a happy little Mama.