I'm so excited!!!!!!

Okay, I just have to share this. I am so excited!!! I've been really worried about Alex and his development. I Know that every baby has his or her own set time on when they are going to do things. I was just worried for him because he is on Phenobarbital for his seizures. I thought that the medicine might be affecting him. I really have no idea. I've talked with friends about this and they give me encouragement. One of my friends said their little boy Eli didn't crawl at all and when straight to walking. It really encouraged me and gave me hope.

As a mother it's in our nature to worry about our kids. Once you have kids that never stops. Well, my friends, He is starting to show signs that he his wanting and starting to crawl. He is also starting to baby talk which I was really worried about. Eli said "hi" at 3 weeks old and is a very articulate little man. So I was concerned about Alex. He is starting to baby talk now and I actually feel so happy for him. I mean I got chill of excitement for him. I even felt like crying out of joy!

So, I was so excited that I got it on video. For those who know me I love capturing my children's moment on camera! It's my way of freezing the moment for a life time. Enjoy them!

Friends!

God puts people in your life when you really need them the most. These people maybe people who are in your life for that brief period of time. There are people who are there through out your life. I would like to tell you a few people in my life who have made a difference. Who have shaped me to be there person I am today!

My elementary Sunday school class, I met one of the helpers there. Her name was Elizabeth Anderson. She took my twin sister and I under her wing. She wasn't just our Sunday school teachers helper but she was our friend. She would have us over and make cookies, or watch movies. Her sister and mom would take Kari and I to the zoo. She fed us not just with friendship but spiritually as well.

When I was in high school and even now, another leader I be friended was my friend Christine Dawson. Let's just say high school times were difficult and God knew I needed my friend Christine. She at times was my saving Grace. She got me through a lot of ups and downs in my life. Even today thought I can't get together with her she is there in prayer and through e-mail. (loving modern times)

So many people have been there for me, I want to be there for other! A friend that I have gotten to know and have had the privilege of serving is my friend Suzy Snow! We met through mops group.

She has twin girls and is pregnant with her second set of twins. She has been on bed rest for the last 10 weeks. Things are going well for her and her babies. Through out all of this strict bed rest she has had a most wonderful outgoing attitude! She is a wonderful mother and a terrific friend! I have also gotten to know her twin girls who are so sweet and fun to be around. My little boys have been able to get to know them as well!

I would like to send out a prayer request for her. If you could lift her up in pray, that would be wonderful! Please pray that the babies are in the right position during birth.Also after she has the babies that she would be able to have a single room. I no request is to small for God!

Thank you so much!

mommy teresa

Did you know this about me?

So, many of you know that I am taking a cake decorating class through
Wilton. Did you know that I like to do many other things as well. When I was very little I had contracted Polio. I love the out doors but It is often hard for me to go on hikes and rock climb. So most of my college years I got myself into drawing. I love to draw portrates in pencil. Now, I'm not one of those people who can draw just by looking at someone. I need a picture in front of me and lots of time to make mistakes. I usually can go through a half of an eraser for about 5 pictures. (smile) I love the outcome. It's something that can last. Like a snap shot it is freezing a moment in time forever.

I have not been able to draw much since my kids have been born. I hope to someday start again. The picture of the older man is my husbands father who passed away a while back. The picture of the couple is of my husband and I when we were dating. The picture of a young lady is just someone I got out of a magazine to practice.

My other love is scrapbooking. I've always liked this and hope to someday start a business of my own. Creating other peoples scrapbooks who would love to have one but just don't have the time or the skill they would like.

Now when you find a good thing you just want to share it with all your friends. When I scrapbook I like to go on line and see up coming tools or ideas. There is a web site that I always go to. I've used some of their products and am excited to use more. One I would like to try is "Sara's Surfaces." At the top of my blog is their link. Click on it and you will go to their site. I just want to share it with everyone because I love it. I love looking at their weekly webisodes. For all you scrapbookers please check this out. Their products are fun fast and easy to do! It's "Paper Wishes by Hot off the Press" When I save enough money I am going to try some of their templets. The Tag templet look really fun!

Just thought you might like to know a little bit about me. Scrapbooking calms me down and I just get to focus on what I am doing with out any distractions! Most of the time I scrapbook late at night when the kids go to bed. I call it my mommy time. We all have it late at night. (smile)

Forts are Fun!!!!

Okay everyone, My little boy is growing up!

Here is what happened today.

Due to all this smoke in the air from all the fires, my kids and I are held up in the house! So we have to come up with fun new things to do. We have these mats that go on the floor. They stick together like puzzle pieces. Anyway, I put 5 together and made it look like a box. I called it a fort. Then today we decorated the ceiling with glow in the dark puffy paint. I put stars and spirals and the alphabet and his name.
We played in it for a while. I went into the family room with Alex and Eli stayed in the room playing with the fort. He took his airplane blanket off his bed and put it in the fort. We went to our friends house.

Then tonight he asked if he could sleep in the fort. I told him sure! So my little boy is asleep in his fort. How cute is that.

I can't believe it! This is the first time he has ever wanted to do that. We have made forts before but he has never wanted to sleep in it.

My little baby is growing up.

Long Time...

Hey Everyone,

Things have been quite crazy for me. We have had a lot of family events to go to! I hope your all doing well. I thought I would write and give you an up date on how my kiddo's are doing with their sleeping.

Eli is amazing! He now goes to bed with out fighting it and he stays in his room. He sometimes is up for a good hour before he falls asleep and with this hot weather who could blame him. But like a good little boy he stays in his room.

He has hit his "two's" full blown. I am now getting the joy of dealing with temper tantrums and the "That's mine". We are working through them sometimes 3 in a day or more. (smile)

He is his mothers son! I say this because I catch him copying me and what I say. For example:
The other day I dropped something and I said "oh-y" The next day Eli did the same thing and started laughing.

I can't remember why I said this but I told Eli "It was not appropriate." The next thing I knew Alex was playing with Eli's toys and Eli took it away and said "Alex's that's not appropriate. "


Alex is doing well. When it comes to bed time he still cries when I put him down for a good 5-10 min. I mean sometimes it's high pitched. He even wake up and starts to cry before we get to the bed room. I try to put him down when he is drowsy and not fully asleep.

He is still on the medicine. I am a little worried because he isn't sitting up very well. He scoots around like an army guy not using his legs really that much. He does get to were he needs to go. We are still going to physical Therapy and she says he is doing much better. That make me feel better.

Here are some cute pictures of the boys, I hope you enjoy them.

I'm going to try to start writing on a regular basis. That is my hope... well shall see if it happens. (smile)

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY- - FUN WITH MOMMY!

There is no where safe...

Here is a little story that happened to use at the food store!

The kids and I were in the Rayle's food store. I would let Eli run up and down the rows if there was no one else here. So he did that quite a few time. Finally, it was time to check out. I was getting ready to pay when I heard Eli say "UH Oh, mommy my diaper fell off"! Sure enough I looked down and his diaper was down to his ankles. I was so embarrassed. Eli, didn't think anything of it. The two people behind me chuckled. I grabbed the clean diaper and while I finished paying I was thinking to my self, please don't pee! When we got to the car, I put his diaper on. That is a story Eli is going to love me telling. (smile)

Class two is done!

Hey everyone,

I finished the second course of the cake decorating class! Here is my finished product! I'm very happy with it. (smile)

New insight as a mother!

So, maybe many of you know this already! Today it hit me really hard! I've joined a summer bible study group. We are going through a book and talking about it in a group setting.

One thing they shared was this: When we discipline our children we do it out of love, concern, and to help our children become the men and women we want them to be in this world. Teaching them manners, not to run across the street for safety. Not to throw toys, to love your brother or sister, and many more things. Our children may not completely understand it.

That's how we are to God. We are his children weather we are 2 years old or 5o-100 years old. The things he know we may not fully comprehend why it's happening or the reason behind it. We just know that he knows what is best for us.

Like our children need to trust us, we also need to trust God. Hey, we are not perfect and we make mistakes. (sorry children) But God is perfect and he does not make mistakes. (lucky us)

Listen to Other Mothers who know what they are talking about!

Hey everyone,
We are back from Walnut Creek! How did the kids do? Well, they did good. Alex cried for about 10min and Eli cried a little. Then his cousin Christian started to sing to him. They were all out within 10 min.

Now as for sleeping through the night were they were, did not happen! They both ended up in bed with me while I tired to sleep. When you have children sleeping with you, they always end up perpendicular to you. Alex is waking up and I tired to put him back in the playpen but he woke up 10 min latter!

At home Eli sleeps through the night! Alex is having a hard time. He is now starting to stay up for two hours. I have no idea why. The only thing I can think of his his teeth may be hurting, trying to come in.

How do I get Alex to sleep through the night. I have no idea! If you have any helpful hits I gladly accept them.

Tonight, I put both of them to bed. I walked Eli into the room and he lied down. I told him I would leave the door open for him. He feels safer that way and there is way less crying. I have no problems with that as long as he stays in his room. Now, he has been staying in him room until tonight.

After Alex fell asleep, I heard Eli come out of his bed. He had a big smile and said, "I come out." I said "no it's time for bed." He started to cry and I said, if you cry that mean I need to shut the door. He said no and I walked him back in his room, covered him up with the blanket and asked if he wanted the door open, I have not heard from him since.

I do this also with nap times as much as I can! (smile)

Break Through!!!!!

Well everyone, I think I got it. The kids are understanding what going to bed means! Eli is now going right into his bed and staying there with just a tinny bit of crying! (As he climbs into bed he does say,"mommy, I don't want to go to bed!" over and over again.)

Alex, still cries but he cried for about 5 min and then he was out.

Last night my mother-in-law put the kids to bed. She said that Eli walked himself into the bed room and went to sleep. Alex cried for about 2 min. Then he fell asleep!

The most wonderful thing about last night was, for the first time ever he slept through the night!
Alex went to bed at 8:00 and slept all the way through until 5:30. I even woke up to check on him around 3:00 because that is when he wakes up cried. I was so amazed. I still am trying to figure it out. I don't know if it was just a one time thing or if he will sleep through the night again. Who knows, we shall see.

No more tears from mommy! They don't cry so long so I don't cry. I'm really glad about that because man it was pulling at my heart strings.

This has been a really tough 4 days, but we are getting through it.

Last Monday night we ended up going home to my parents house in Walnut Creek. My twin sister and her three children were there. We ended up spending the night. Eli started out in the room were Christian and Gab were sleeping. It did not go well. Eli cried and cried and tried to get out of the room. My dad stayed at the door holding the door shut. Christian the oldest one was trying to calm Eli down by talking to him.

We are going to Walnut Creek again and will be spending the night. We shall see how this will all turn out! If he cries again or will he go to bed like he is doing now!

I'll let you all know when we return.

Thank you for everyones encouragement! I really appreciate it. It's a very hard thing to do but in the long run it's better for everyone!

Thanks again,
Mommy Teresa

To sleep or not to sleep Day Two!

Well, I just wanted you all to know how day two went, with putting the kids to bed. Today was a busy day.

My boys spent some time with their Aunti Mindy. We went to some stores and had lunch! Their naps were in the car and in the store. They didn't nap in bed. I thought that might have some effect on how tonight would go. After spending most of the day with their Aunti, we came home and their Nana came over.

I was able to go to my favorite place, "Michaels" the craft store for about an hour or so. When I came home Alex was asleep in Nana's lap. Which me the consistency factor of putting him in his crib awake just didn't happen. Maybe a half hour latter their other Aunti came over. While she was here their Uncle David came over as well. Such a busy day and I know that when family or friends are over Eli does not want to go to bed. I don't blame him. Who wants to miss out when people you know are over.

At 8:00 Alex seemed wide awake, but I still put them both down awake in their beds at 8:00.

Eli and Alex started to scream again. My husband and I kissed the kids good night. (No story or prayer happened which I really wish it did!) I closed the door as my other family members are in the family room. Who knows what their were thinking. I stayed by the door and held it closed just once. Eli calmed down about 10-15 min latter. Alex took longer. They were both asleep after 20 minutes.

After Eli, clams down I open the door and leave it open. He seems to really like that. Maybe tomorrow he will not cry so much and I can open the door and he won't be as scared. I know He feels better when the door is open. I eventually want to put him down and just walk out leaving the door open.

Poor baby Alex had a harder time. He cried with all his might! Stopped for a little and looked around. Saw his brother their and a few seconds latter started to cry again. I will hope that someday soon I can just put Alex down and he will know that it is time to sleep.

I just hope that someday soon both of them can go to bed without any tears!

There is the up date! I'm trying my best! That is all I can do.

Here is a fun little video of my baby Alex with her cousin Corty! Enjoy!!!! It's not all Tears around here! (smile)

To Sleep or not to Sleep!

So here is an up date on the whole putting the kids down to sleep situation. To night I put Alex down all by himself. He cried for about 25min until he finally fell asleep. About 25min latter we put Eli to bed, after he conned us in to seeing my husbands tractor, watching part of baby Einstein. Once the door closed the screaming and tears pour out! Of course our baby Alex woke up and started to scream as well. He tried to come out of the room two time but I was outside the door making sure he didn't open it. As I did this tears streaming down my face. It's so hard to hear your children crying!!! After about 15-20 min while Eli was still screaming and crying Alex's little tears and cries stopped. 10 min latter Eli's stopped and I heard him crawl into bed!

At this point my husband went to check on the boys. Alex had fallen asleep and was snoring away! Eli was lying on him bed. My husband said he was shaking but asked if he was okay and he said yes!

Teaching lessons can be so tough and I just wanted to give up and go hug my kids. The only thing is they won't ever learn how to go to sleep if I don't teach them.

When Eli was a baby we did this method and on the third day he was fine! He knew that when It was time to lay on the bed he had to go to sleep. When he was older we had to use this method again. When I was pregnant I fell asleep when he took his naps or when he went to bed so did I for a while in his room.

Now I'm breaking the habit again!

One thing I learned to night was this:

Don't but Alex to bed first and let him cry because Eli will come in and wake him up. I know that Alex can fall asleep even while Eli is crying! So tomorrow night they both go to bed at the same time and I will put them down with hug, kiss, and an "I love you" and walk out. We shall see how many days this will take, as well as how effective is this method!

Stay toon for more in this difficult time of bed/nap times! (smile)