Just because

I often times think to myself, "how did I get so lucky?"  I have a wonderful family, loving husband and father to our children, two absolutely precious children, a beautiful home that I could have only dreamed of ever owning, a good job that allows me flexibility to be with my children when they need me, but also lets me contribute to our family in more ways than one.  It all seems so surreal sometimes.  I know I often times take my blessings for granted, and I need to stop and think about just how great I have it.  No matter what I think is so hard or unfair at times, pales in comparison to what others are facing.

I know everyone brags on their children, and I may be a little biased when it comes to my opinions on my own, but these two little people we have created could not be more special.  I cannot even put into words the LOVE that I have for them both, the special place in my heart that they occupy daily, how THANKFUL I am that God chose us to be their parents.  Yes, there are times that are frustrating, stressful, exhausting, but the good times, the joy, so over powers any of those feelings.

I love the sweet innocence that they both possess right now. Brady is seriously the sweetest little boy.  He has such a big heart, and he genuinely gets concerned when things seem out of whack.  He does not miss a beat, that boy.  When Katelyn was about 4 months old, and we were living at my dad's house I fell down the front porch stairs while she was in my arms.  I was at the house by myself with Brady and Katelyn, and we were trying to take Riley out to go potty.  I somehow lost my footing and tripped falling down two stairs onto the pavement.  Brady also fell, because he tripped over me.   I frantically ran inside to call Paul, Katelyn was screaming her head off (more scared than anything), and Brady cried for a moment, but then just didn't want to leave my side, because he knew something bad had happened. Thank the Lord Katelyn just had a small scrape on her head and Brady and I were a little scuffed up, but fine. However, Brady will never forget this moment, and still reminds me of it often.  Certain things will trigger this moment in his head and he will look at me, "You fall down at Waldo's house momma?" "Katelyn fall down stairs momma?"  Something triggered this in his memory the other morning, and he looked at me and said, "You fall down momma? You need to be careful momma."

The other day I dropped my iPhone in the toilet.  Naturally, I started screaming for Paul to come help me (what he was going to do I'm not sure...)  Brady came running to the rescue as well.  The rest of the evening, Brady kept asking me, "You're phone broke momma?"  And everyone we talked to he had to tell them, "Momma phone in toilet."  That night we put him to bed and about an hour later I hear the thump of him climbing out of his bed.  I walked upstairs to meet him at his door, and he looked at me with this concerned look on his face and said, "you're phone broke momma?"  I told him that yes it was, but that it was ok and he needed to go back to bed.  Another hour or so goes by and I hear the same thump, which is unusual for Brady, because he typically does not get out of his bed.  I again went upstairs to see what was going on and he opened his door, looked at me with basically one eye opened and said, "your phone broke momma?"  The fact that my phone was broken was literally causing him to lose sleep.  I told him this time that I had fixed it and it was fine. "Oh you fix it momma?! Alright."  We didn't see him again until the morning :).

Another funny bedtime moment happened the other night.  As I mentioned, he typically does not get out of his bed.  But, if he does it is usually within 30 minutes or so of us putting him down, and he typically tells me he needs to go potty.  I heard the thump of him getting out so I rushed upstairs to beat him to the door.  When I opened it he looked surprised to see me there.  He paused for a minute and then said, "you were hiding in here momma?"  It took all I had to not bust out laughing.  Just the sweet little tone he had and the fact that he thought I must have been hiding in his room to have busted him trying to escape so quickly.

I had on shorts the other day.  This was something new for Brady I guess, because it has been cold so I haven't worn shorts in a while.  He looked at me, and in his sweet little voice said, "you got new underwear momma?"  Oh my how I love love love his sweet little innocence.

Katelyn is on the go these days and constantly getting into things she is not supposed to.  Brady often tells her, "Uh uh, Katelyn! No mam!"  I wonder where he gets that from??

I love how the two of them are interacting and playing so much these days.  Every time we say we are going somewhere he asks, "Katelyn come wif me momma?"  He always wants her to be with him.  He has been telling me that he is going to drive the airplane to go see Uncle Dustin.  He says Katelyn and Riley are coming, but I am not allowed to come.  "I am going to drive airplane to see Uncle Dustin momma.  Katelyn comin wif me.  Riley comin wif me.  You not coming." Other times he says I can come, but under certain circumstances.  "You not drive airplane momma.  I drive airplane.  You hav'ta sit in you car seat."

He was pretending in the bathtub that he was going to work.  He first had to shave, then he said "oh no, I can't find my keys."  Then I asked what he does at work, "I play with Waldo."

Brady always calls me "momma", and I love it.  The other day he started saying "mommy" sometimes.  After realizing he was saying this he looked at me and said, "You aren't mommy, you're momma!"  That's right buddy, I hope you ALWAYS call me momma.  I love it so much.

I am so enjoying his two year old imagination and the cute things he says.  I just want to eat him up!!