11 Months! WHAT?

Today our little man is 11 months old! I can't hardly believe that birthday party ideas are already brewing, theme is established, and Wyatt is almost 1 year old! AHHH! It is wonderful and hard all at once! This has been a big week for the boy - he got a 3rd tooth, he is pulling to stand, and this morning finally discovered the joy of the stairs. That of course means that we began to have stair lessons! I did this with Caroline and am so thankful. She mastered those stairs early on and I never really worried about her. So - WC - got his first lesson today in going up and down. I must say he was pretty proud of himself.
One new thing I love watching is Caroline and Wyatt interacting now. It is just too precious. Two of my favorites have been on walks w/ them in double wide. Last week Wyatt leaned in to kiss Caroline. He hadn't done this before. She backed away b/c she didn't know what he was trying to do. I told her, and well, that was all she needed they then kissed back and forth for the next several minutes! I love it! Then on Monday we were walking and I watched Caroline just reach over and begin rubbing Wyatt's back! Oh to sweet! Lord, bless their relationship so that they might always be friends.

I held WC this morning getting him out of his car seat and just held him close and kissed that sweet little head. Knowing he's growing up right before my eyes and he may not want me always kissing on his sweet head...isn't it the goal to work myself out of a job...that's a hard thing to do!

Oh yeah and I trimmed Caroline's hair for the first time in her life last Monday. I think I cut off about 4 inches! Woah! Didn't intend to be that much...but it looks so healthy and like a big girl!

Battle

Dearest Caroline- this morning was one of the most difficult mornings I have ever had with you. I love you! I have never heard screams, cries, confusion, disrespect, disobedience, indecision from you like I have this morning. I love you! I will battle through this with you. I love your heart. I love how you know scripture that we haven't even really taught you. I love how you talk about God and that he lives in your heart...and I hate that Satan knows that and vies for you my love. As soon as I began praying in the car out loud b/c what else could I do? You told me to stop - so I kept on...when I began singing you told me to stop - so I kept on...when I began quoting scripture you told me to stop- so I kept on...I LOVE YOU! I will fight on your behalf for as long as the Lord lets me. I need to remember that until you know how to clothe yourself in HIS armor it is my job to clothe me, and to shield you my love....you have finally stopped screaming...it has been quiet for 15 minutes. I pray you get rest right now, and that the Holy Spirit ministers to your little heart that loves that Him so much while you sleep. I love you Caroline. I love you!

Family Day

Just a few pics of our outing to Bert's Farm...which we missed the hayride twice that morning then had to leave to get Jason back so he could do MLL at Bhead...oh well. Another time! Enjoy the pics!

Happy Hearts & Joyful Spirits

Being "the mom" or "the parent" is hard. Caroline and I seem to battle around the issue of the potty. There will be days when it is so easy, I don't have to remind her, she just gets it and does it. The last 3ish days have been with maybe only one success on the potty each day, and she looks right at me and says "I don't want/have to/need to go to the potty" - take your pick of the phrase...I usually say that is fine, you know what to do so when you need to go potty just do it...today was a flat out "no I am a baby"- now I realize that she may be playing into wanting different attention like her brother is getting esp since he started crawling he is getting praised differently than ever before. I had had it this morning and said "fine, let's go put on a diaper" to which she had no problem (ahhhh). I was so frustrated...actually ticked off that this could get me like it does. I think she knows it too. Anyway...after a few minutes of me realizing that I was actually behaving like a baby. I stopped, prayed, and asked the Lord for wisdom. When she made it back down the stairs I said..."Okay Caroline I'm going to set the timer, and in 10 min. you get to be a big girl again, not a baby" - to which she let me know that she did not want to be a big girl and please don't set the timer (not quite sure why she had an issue w/ the timer we don't use it for anything other than cooking typically) - so we went about our business. When the timer went off she lost it - I began to praise her for all the great things I love about her being a big girl, I sat her on my lap and prayed over her then changed her back into panties...she was sobbing. I then told her (as she was telling me repeatedly that she was a baby) if she needed to go cry about being a big girl then she needed to do that in her room and find a happy heart and a joyful spirit. "I don't want a happy heart and a joyful spirit" (now this I understand - sometimes I just don't want to come out of my funk, I want to be ticked off, or frustrated, sad or whatever...but you know I think Joy is a choice - God gives us the amazing fruit of the spirit being Joy - but I think we still have to take it from him - it doesn't always come naturally.) After a few minutes in her room, crying about being a big girl - she finally said she had a happy heart and was ready to be a big girl.
Growing up is hard. There are times I would like to just not have any responsibility, be a kid, sleep, play, eat whatever I want and just be...but not so - God has asked me to grow up to...choose to have a happy heart and a joyful spirit about where I am at also...perhaps I need to let Caroline know when I am having to choose to have a happy heart and a joyful spirit...so she'll know even as an adult you have a chance to choose...
...as I write this I hear her waking up and singing "You Baby" from the Jazz Singer...a joyful heart indeed!

Growing up!

Fun times here at the Hodges household. Wyatt is officially crawling and attempting to pull up to at least his knees on things. Caroline is sooo good at going potty...and then not good at all going potty on the potty...weird. But, she is full of song. The picture here is of her singing into her play-doh microphone. She has begun to have "KidStuf" and sing on her "stage". I must admit I love it.
My mom comes in town tomorrow for a week, and dad will join us on Saturday. Wyatt will be dedicated on Sunday at church so we are thankful they are able to come and celebrate him with us.
This season is hard. Makes for a very selfish heart to rear it's ugly head often. I am learning that marriage, my relationship with Jason is hard in this season - but it is worth the fight, worth the struggle. We have been reading "Now You're Speaking My Language" by Gary Chapman and discussing once a week...and it is a GREAT book if you are looking for something to read with your spouse, or alone on how to truly have a covenant marriage as opposed to a contract marriage! I highly recommend it.

I love being a mom! I love being married to my man! Life is good!

9 Month Stats

WC is Huge! To us. Caroline wasn't this big until about 15-18 months old I think...I think she only weighs 5 more lb than him right now...hilarious!

22 lb (75%)
29 1/4 in (80%)

Love this boy! Jason says he crawled last night while I was at my mom's bible study...I haven't quite seen it yet today. He is moving...but I wouldn't quite call in crawling...maybe I am holding out for him to do it for me. Silly, I know!

9 Months

Here is a pic of Caroline at 9 months and Wyatt at 9 months...just for fun!