4 year old questions

I got this idea from Pinterest (where else?!) to ask the same questions every year on your child's birthday. Here's Jonah's answers from his 4th birthday: Jonah is: 4 years old 1. Favorite TV Show: BackYardigans (“Back-yar-gee-gans”) 2. Favorite color: Orange. and Yellow. 3. Favorite book: BackYardigans 4. Favorite toy/hobby: building towers with blocks 5. Favorite food: cereal 6. Favorite friends: Damien and Jack 7. Favorite outfit: “Rainbow one.” (me: “jonah, you don’t have a rainbow one.” Jonah: “I know. I want you to get me one.” I don’t think he cares too much about his clothes right now.) 8. Favorite fruit: bananas and oranges 9. Favorite snack: apples and Goldfish. 10. Favorite animal: rhinoceros, mooses and dinosaurs. 11. Favorite cereal: Harvest Crunch and yogurt. 12. Favorite thing to do outside: go on the sled.make snowmans. 13. Favorite restaurant: Swiss Chalet.(that's my boy!!) 14. Favorite drink: orange juice. 15. Who/what do you like to have in bed with you: blue blanket, star blanket, Larry, Austin, Tyrone, and white puppy. 16. What meal do you want for your birthday: fish tacos. 17. What do you want to do when you grow up? help people. 18. What makes you so happy right now? kisses and hugs. looking at animals. 19. What is your favorite song? Baby Oh. (Justin Beiber) 20. What do you like the best about yourself? I am the funniest.

My four year old boy...

As I begin to type, I wonder how much time I will have, seeing as I hear Jonah upstairs NOT napping as I have instructed him to do so he can stay up 'late' tonight when his family comes for supper to celebrate his birthday. But, who can blame him? Its his birthday - and he is excited. Today is not necessarily going as planned. He was a little disappointed when he walked down the stairs this morning and the only decorations that were up were the ones that have been up since his birthday party on Saturday. but, I convince him its fine. I do hate to disappoint, though. Since Jonah turned 2, I've taken him out for breakfast for his birthday. I love traditions, and when they change...I feel sad and disappointed. I intended to take him out for breakfast - even without a babysitter or a car, my intention was to walk down the road to either Sam's or Tim Horton's and stick with my tradition. At his request, it was going to be Tim's. (for a sprinkle donut, of course!) So, we bundled up and open the door...and its raining. It didn't LOOK like it was raining from inside. Anyways. I convinced him that sprinkles on our pancakes and a green Larry the Cucumber-shaped pancake would 'do'. He obliged. So...then little brother goes for a nap and I have some alone time with Jonah. We make a paper birthday crown. Its the best 'birthday-ish' thing I can come up with. He seemed happy enough, then decided he wanted to wear the crown he made in Sunday School a few weeks ago instead. No problem. He wanted cupcakes, so...I made cupcakes. He wants a cherry on top, but...I don't have cherries. He doesn't want to sleep, but I want him to so i can have a few minutes to myself. I went up to tell him he needs to stay in bed, and he was not being as calm as I wanted him to be so I got cross. A few minutes later, he has to poop, so I have to go up AGAIN. Only this time I feel bad, so I apologize for getting cross. He says "when were you cross?" Thank you for forgetting, Jonah. For a kid who seems to remember everything, it amazes me that he doesn't hold a grudge against me for all the many, many times I get cross and wish I were a little more patient and easy-going. I just read the blog post "Your Children Want YOU" that is all over facebook today...and I am listening to my boy calling me upstairs, and I am telling myself: its okay to skip the nap. He's four. Its his birthday. He's a good boy. and you are a good Mama. Just go get him and spend a few minutes with JUST HIM. Before baby boy wakes up and distracts. I want to write more about this boy I love so much, but...it can wait.

Reminded...

Today I am reminded of how incredibly blessed I am to have two healthy little boys. With such a difficult time getting pregnant with both of my boys, each time I actually did conceive, it was just such an incredible miracle and answer to prayer - and my heart cannot express the gratitude of having one of the deepest desires of my heart come to be. And going through pregnancy, full term - and having 2 healthy little boys, both sleeping upstairs in their beds...and now thinking of and praying so intensely for another little boy, Gideon - born 3 months early to my old camp friend, Robyn - and the heart-ache I cannot imagine of seeing your child struggling just to LIVE...makes me so keenly aware of the gift of having healthy children. Of having children at all, for that matter! I like to believe I don't take it for granted, especially with such struggles with infertility and wondering IF I would even have children for so many years...and now that I DO have TWO gorgeous boys...the fact that they are healthy and happy is something to be incredibly grateful for. And so my heart is so heavy for this dear little family, and it seems crass, almost to make anything about me at all in the same post, but: I am grateful for healthy children. And burdened for this little boy, and excited to see how God will answer the many, many prayers I'm sure are being offered up on his behalf. Modern technology has become an incredibly effective 'prayer chain'. Pretty amazing.

Spring!

It is almost 20 degrees outside!!! If you're from Toronto (Ang!) this ain't no thang, but...its the nicest day we've had so far!! And its been LOVELY just being outside, walking, playing, going to the park, hanging out clothes...I'm soooo delighted that the snow is melting and the ground is drying up! And my baby is sleeping, and Jonah is being a pretty good listener today, and I made some yummy granola bite things (Pinterest is breaking my bank these days, with all the yummy new recipes they're beckoning me every day to just TRY!!), and my floors are vacuumed and mopped, and there is just a HOPE of new life and change around the corner...I love Spring! I have beautiful tulips on my table...Jason has been replenishing my tulip bouquets, and the latest are a deep pink with yellow tips. I cannot believe I haven't planted tulips, but at least I have them inside to enjoy! And now...I must try to figure out what I'm going to make for supper. I'm thinking Barbequed steak, if my babe wakes up and gives me time to run to the grocery store...and roasted veggies...mmmm. Happy Spring! may the snow truly not come again for many more months...

Thumb sucker

My sweet little 2 and a half month old has found his thumb. I could near melt seeing his chubby little hand by that sweet little face, sucking away, and soothing himself to sleep. I was resistant to the soother at bedtime, because I was getting annoyed putting it back in his mouth if it fell out, so now that he's discovered his thumb and when he feels the need to suck and can find his thumb...it makes my life easier. and its just so darn cute.

I am finding myself falling more and more in love with Levi each day. It certainly helps that he's slept through the night for the last 3 nights, too...and that his naps are longer and more predictable. I am not holding my breath as of yet, claiming he sleeps through the night and has consistent naps. Nope - I know better. But, I will take what I can get, and enjoy it.

I have moments of loneliness, with 2 little boys and me couped up in this house while winter rages on outside. And I have moments of delight when I connect with other friends and family and feel myself being ME and not just secluded in my own world of 'still trying to figure out what the heck I'm doing'. And I have moments of such clarity that I am doing what I was made to do: mothering these 2 little boys.

Erin asked me yesterday if I have any desire to go back to school.

I have ZERO desire to go back to school. I have zero desire to work, either, for that matter. I like being home, and doing what I want to do (i.e. what my boys want me to do these days...), and not being confined to anybody else's expectation of my job performance in order to receive that delighted pay-check. Nope. I'd take being poor and doing what I'm doing any day over that.

I'm finding myself again, it seems. And having Levi work his sweet little soul into my heart is bringing more clarity, that I am to be a Mama right now. And that I need to be enjoying these days, they are so fleeting. Jonah will be 4 in less than a month, which means, I have a year and a half left with him until I send him off to school. I cannot even imagine that right now.

So...

Tonight. Let it be written that: I am happy. I love being a Mom to these sweet little boys. Its what I was made for.

SLEEP!!!!!

Oh my word -- I slept through the night lastnight. Well -- Levi did, anyways. He seriously slept from 7:30 lastnight until 7:45 this morning - and I did not FEED HIM EVEN ONCE!!!! Now -- I did wake up several times, looking at the clock, and wondering if I was dreaming that I had not woken up with that darling babe yet...at 5:00 or so this morning, I was questioning my compassion that I had not gotten out of bed to check to make SURE that baby was still alive...but gratefully I heard him sucking on those dear little fingers of his, so I could stay in my bed. Thank you, Levi, you sweet little thing.

We got a new mattress on the weekend (kindness of my parents, kindness of my Grammie's house FINALLY selling, after being on the market for over 2 years!!!) -- and we chaulked his sleeping through the night to sharing the room with us and not having to listen to our NOISY springs in our terrible mattress squealing every single time we so much as batted an eyelash...or turned over in bed, what have you.

So. the sun is shining. Levi is napping, Jonah is playing, I am fresh out of the shower, and...I am LOVING this Monday so far. Time change -- I love you.

Finding my groove...

(This is more for my records and information than anyone else's entertainment - just sitting here with the laptop on my lap and feeling like I need to record some stuff...)

Slowly...ohhh, sooo, slowly...I think I am finding my groove.

Levi is still waking up waaay more than I'd like him to be in the night - he goes to bed usually between 7:00 and 7:30 - and wakes up between 7:30 and 8:00 the next morning...but is usually up 3 times in those hours. His first stint he's asleep anywhere from 4-6 or 7 hours, then he seems to be up every 2 hours 'til he's really "up"...not cool, but -- we live in a tiny house, and Jason wakes up at 5:40 every morning, and...I just don't have the energy or the heart to let him 'cry it out' just yet...though I think he probably could sleep through the night - when he does eat, he usually falls asleep within a couple minutes, so - I think its more of a comfort thing than a hunger thing. He's a quick nurser anyways, which is nice. Anyways -- we'll hopefully get him to start sleeping longer and waking up less...soon. Very soon, I hope. I'm just not quite ready.

Jonah is still absolutely smitten with his little brother...its so adorable. If Jonah is playing happily by himself and I start talking to Levi, he instinctively and immediately gets up to come over to him and talk to him too...he doesn't wanna miss out on anything!

Levi is pretty unpredictable with his naps, but -- he is sorta doing something like an hour or hour and a half nap in the morning...an hour or 2 around noon - and an hour before dinner...

That's what I LIKE him to do, anyways...until he's napping longer, when he does THAT, i'm happy. Its the 4 or 5 20 minute naps that about send me straight into insanity.

He's had a few 3 hours naps on his belly -- but, just when he does it, and I expect him to do it again the next day, he decides the 4 or 5 20-minute naps are more his style.

Anyways. I'm finding my rhythm, I guess. I'm smitten with this little boy, though I still find any amount of crying incredibly hard to take. why is that?! anyways. I gave him a soother for the first time a few weeks ago, which does seem to settle him down - but I try not to use it all the time...and am trying to not put him to bed with it...sometimes when I'm desperate I do, though.

He went to the doctor on Monday for his 2 month appointment. He's 11 pounds and 12 ounces, and about 24 inches long now. In the 50th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height. Jonah was always in the 95th percentile for both - until he started moving around more - when he was around 9 months old. We may have a tall skinny little fella with this one!

He has his first immunizations tomorrow...Jonah was always really good getting his needles - let's hope Levi is like his brother with that!

Okay. my battery is dying and I have to up and make my second layer of home-made Snickers bars...yep - that's right.