Melt my heart

I just laid Chase down for a nap. We did our normal routine - read a book/sing a song/put him in his crib. But today was extra special.

We read his new favorite book - Daddy Makes the Best Spaghetti. We got it from the library, and I am so surprised he likes it - it has about 3 sentences per page. I didn't think he'd sit through it. The books tell about a little boy who helps his dad make dinner, makes bubbles while his mom does the dishes, takes a bath, reads a story, and gets kisses before getting into bed. I think he relates to it! He asked to hear it two times.

Next, I picked him up and he rested his head on my shoulder while I sang him his nap time lullaby. We swayed back-and-forth as I sang, then I laid him down in his crib and handed him his teddy bear. As he curled up to sleep, he said in his sweetest toddler voice, "Love you Momma, love you Momma." Oh! What joy/surprise/bliss/satisfaction/and love that I felt at that moment. I love my you too, my little Chase! I am so happy to be your momma!

Random Updates

So tonight/this morning (2am) has me contemplating the experiences we're having these days. I am awake because my sweet husband set an alarm for me (that left me annoyed and appreciative)! I had an assignment to post by midnight for my summer online class, but I passed out asleep on the couch shortly after putting Chase to bed around 8. I'm sure I told Devin my usual, "I just need 5 minutes" bit. Even though he knows I unconsciously mean just 5 hours, he didn't bat an eye. Too bad tonight was Friday, and we were hoping to watch some Harry Potters so we can finally go see #6. Sadly, my sleepiness spoiled our happenin' start-of-the-weekend-plans, but Devin did his part to make sure it didn't spoil my grade in my class. He lovingly set his phone's annoying alarm for 11pm. (I think I sort of remember him trying to wake me a few times before that.) I managed to hit snooze on that thing until 11:50pm. Just enough time to do my assigned post. With my darling boys sound asleep, I sneaked in a little mindless surf time online. I love checking in with my loved ones at inconvenient times via Facebook (or as my mom calls it, Spacebook) and the blogging scene. It's so fun to get glimpses into the lives of people who I don't see regularly anymore. And so this got me thinking about our life, and all the joy and stress we've been feeling these days.

This leads me to those experiences I mentioned before. I call them experiences (because that's just what they are), but I think I usually call them pains-in-my-rear. One of these has been Persistent Devin's job search. He started some months ago, and it has finally come to fruition this week. I am so happy for him! Although it is not what we hoped & desired (a teaching position), it is something, and it is something good (at a local bank). I could blab for hours about this job scenario for our family, but I will try to keep it simple for now! Devin has actually been able to take off of work since January, when he started student teaching. We made financial plans for semester the best we knew how, but we didn't anticipate the struggle that it would be to find a summer job (let alone a fall school-year job). So May & June came and went and we managed just fine. Then along came July, and things started to get hairy in our wallets. (That sounds very odd...just remember what time it is...) We were trying to stretch things as far as possible, not knowing when Devin would land a position, how much it would pay, and when it would start paying. Gratefully, he secured a "wonderful-for-the-time-being" job, only to find out that he would not be able to start training for weeks. So we learned to pinch pennies.

I wasn't very good at it at first (never have been), but now I'm starting to feel a little more experienced! This has really been great for us! I feel strange saying that, because we now know what it's like to really wonder how you can afford the basics, but I think we are really gaining from it. (Or at least we're trying to!) I'm learning more about the adages "know needs vs. wants", "wear it out or do without", and one of my dad's favorites: "waste not, want not"! Now this may sound obvious/odd to someone else, but I am so proud that I am now labeling Chase's diapers by the number of wipes needed to polish him up. I am very successful at the one-wipe-diaper, and have learned ways to help avert the multiple-wipe-diaper. Conservation is great! We are no longer flying through wipes. I wish I had been more savvy like this sooner...sad that I didn't already have the mindset to minimize wastes before, huh. I love that little adaptations like this have carried over into other aspects! We're no pros, but I know we're improving.

So here are some more valuable aspects of this experience, if you'll allow me a few moments to count some of our blessings:

*We are FINALLY learning the value of establishing & living by a budget. (We're still figuring it out, but we've come a long way. Did I mention that my online class is Personal & Family Finance - another blessing.)

*Devin was less stressed/worn out during his student teaching; and, after that glorious graduation day, he was able kick it almost 24/7 with me & Chase for weeks!!! A well-deserved vacation, if you ask me, and a rare treat for our family.

*We'll be able to add this to our history of getting-through-things-together. Just more experiences to draw upon in the future! I am grateful to have adversity as a tool to strengthen our family relationships.

*We are fortifying our faith. I know our Heavenly Father has plans for us, and I know he knows what we need and when we need it. I know He is also very patient as He repeatedly helps us learn the necessary life lessons. I have always known that God is aware of us and that He just wants us to trust Him. Blessings & Miracles: EVERY time we wrote a tithing check these past few weeks (when things were extremely sketchy), money made it's way to our doorstep. We have so much to be grateful for.

As previously mentioned, this is all something I could annotate on for hours. I know this has turned into a true-to-myself wordy post, but it has been wonderful to look on the bright side of it all. We've certainly spent ample time milling over the negative aspects of this, but that's the thing - for every awful, agonizing, adverse part of anything, there is the valuable, perspective-stretching, and gratitude-invoking part. I hope I can keep remembering which side to choose.

***The best part of all these experiences is that I am with Devin & Chase.

P.S. The race didn't happen. I got super sick, but I didn't let that ruin our entire 4th of July! Pictures to come. Also, we have really been enjoying a fun-packed summer - more pictures to come. I promise (Mom) they will make it on here (eventually). Also, Gramy AND Gramy Ruth are coming for a visit tomorrow/today! We can't wait!!!!! I'll have to take lots of pictures.

See Sang Run

So I'm back to one of my favorite pastimes - running! This has not always been one of my joys in life, but with Devin, it's been hard to not embrace it! Pre-parenthood, I used to be a lot more consistent, but since Chase has come along I've been lucky to get out once a month. We finally chose & purchased a jogging stroller a few months ago, and it has changed my life!!! It has definitely been a great investment. All three of us get great use & enjoyment out of it.

The stroller has been dubbed Chase's "King Stroller." Chase nestles into his seat amid a drink, snacks, books, & toys, and enjoys a scenic & comfortable (the thing has shocks!) ride...meanwhile mom or dad are sweating & toiling behind the thing as they add the 50+ lbs. (stroller + baby) of resistance to their workout.

Don't let me fool you into thinking I'm complaining about this wonderful addition to our family! The stroller is actually extremely easy to push, I love being able to run practically any time I want, and it is so fun to take Chase along! We talk about the birds/bikes/trees/runners/etc. we see as we go. We are so lucky to be living in Columbia, MO right now - there are so many beautiful/shaded/rather flat trails here. We couldn't ask for much more!

This weekend we will all be running our first race in years (Devin & I)/ever (Chase & the stroller)! I am super excited...it's just an easy 4 mi. route on one of the trails. I'm not aspiring for an impressive time, as running with the stroller in tow adds about a minute to my pace. However, I can't wait to get out there for a run in a big group of fellow crazies who put themselves through the pains of it all. (I love running with other people so much that I've been trying to wake up at 5:30 twice a week to run in a group of 50+.) I'll have to write about how race day goes...

In the meantime, here are some pictures of said baby/stroller/trail:



After some serious rain...I had to turn around early...I wasn't too sad.



Isn't it beautiful!



After my runs, Chase plays in the rocks while I stretch. Note his extra-long tongue here. He put a rock in his mouth and wasn't feeling the dirt...



Here's Chase staying entertained while I stretch. I think his pants say it all!

You don't know whatcha got till it's gone...

So, Mr. Chase took a tumble and lost his first tooth last week. He was going to pull the shower curtain closed when he lost his footing and crashed face first into the side of the bathtub. It wasn't even bath time...definitely one of those freak accidents, which is surprising since we've been recklessly jumping off of furniture lately.

Unfortunately, I was in the middle of taking a final on campus when it happened. I wish I could have been there for Chase, but I'm not sure I would have held it together very well. Devin did a wonderful job of staying calm as poor Chase panicked and bled all over the place. When I got home, Chase's tooth was still intact - just protruding.

After a few hours the poor kid was hungry and asking for food. Mid-way through dinner I looked over and saw this huge gap in Chase's mouth. I freaked out and started sweeping his mouth for his missing tooth. Devin and I were honestly in shock, while Chase just acted totally normal and completely oblivious to the new hole in his smile. Oh, to be a one-year-old. We figured he'd swallowed his tooth with his broccoli, but Devin found it in his high chair when we were done eating. Luckily the whole root was dislodged with the tooth - when we took him to the dentist the next day, the doctor called it the "best-case scenario." At the time, I resented him for saying there could be anything good about the situation - poor Chase's smile had gone from gorgeous to goofy as far as I was concerned. (What a loving mother, huh.) Since then, I've come to terms with it all and have been trying to decide if he should be a hillbilly or a jack-o-lantern for Halloween this year. Just kidding.

So, now we are used to Chase's new look and are back to thinking that his smile is the most adorable thing ever. Here's to the next four "front-toothless" years...



a little bruising...


a little swelling...


still got his "handsome"


We're so glad our little guy is okay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A semi-recent adventure...

Hi! It's us again. Yeah, it's really us. Just thought we'd let you in on a few of the things that have been keeping us from blogging. (Things have been especially happy/hectic/harried/happenin'/hoppin'...aka busy since about August!) We got to take a little break from it all and fly out to Utah for a whirlwind weekend. (Sorry for all the alliteration.) It was quite the trip! We had a ton of fun on a little sleep, and now I know what it's like to be sooo glad you're home after vacation. Here are a few pictures from the plane ride. (I'll post the others in a few days...or months...lets hope for the best!)

After driving to St. Louis late the night before and then waking up before the sun (4:30!), we were really hoping to catch some zzz's on our flight. We tried to prompt an overtired Chase for a nap by closing the window shade and reading some books. Here's how it all happened:

Chase took a turn and read me some of his book...

Chase showed me the pictures...

Chase realized how sleepy he was after missing 1/2 a night's rest...

Chase was exhausted but fought it...

Chase got to the "loopy" stage and everything was funny...

Chase was thoroughly entertained by this cup on his head...

So, we re-opened the window shade and Chase just stared out at the vastness. I whispered "ooh & ahh" in his ear for several minutes and he finally fell zonked out...I followed shortly after.

Best Wife Ever

Sang doesn't think I'll ever post on this thing so here it goes- I think I must have the best wife ever. For those of you who know Chase or have slept at our house the past year, you know he is a very picky sleeper. Well this morning I woke up early to run, which is something I have been trying to do for about a year and a half, and in the process I guess I woke up Chase. I was on my way to stay and check on him, but my wife told me to talk to him before I go and then run. I was happy and sad at the same time, just cuz I wanted to stay home and sleep and here was the perfect opportunity, but she didn't ask me to stay or anything. I just wanted her and you all to know that I love her so much. Enjoy!

Sleep is good - I promise!

So, apparently I am about at as good at updating this blog as I am at keeping in touch with people. I suppose "better late than never" will have to apply here! I do actually have something current to post, but "be on the lookout" for some belated blogging!

Like I said, I am actually going to blog about something that is totally in the moment! If you happened to be sitting next to me right now, you would hear poor Chase crying and whimpering in the background. The boy has been napping for 30 minutes at a time, then waking & getting all worked up in a tearfest and not letting himself fall back asleep! I feel so sorry for him and I hate letting him cry through it, but I am not sure what he needs to figure this sleep thing out once and for all. For those of you who have chatted with me about this not-so-fun topic, you know that sleeping has never been one of Chase's "strengths." In spite of all the rocky naps and nights, he has had his handful of 60+ minute naps and is on a pretty good streak of "sleeping through the night" (aka: from 8ish-6ish, when he wakes up crying and begging to nurse so that he (and I) can go back to sleep for one more hour). So, back to the here and now - I've resorted to giving Chase the same cues we gave him when we were helping him learn to fall asleep for the night. We'd lay him down awake and check back every so often with an "it's okay, night-night" bit. He caught on pretty quick, and going to sleep became stress-free for all. Unfortunately, "it's okay, more nap time" is not sitting so well with him right now. I know the boy is still tired - he'd be all yawns if I got him up now. I imagine I'll have to resort to the old "rocking routine" - he needs this rest! But, hmph...he's too big for all that! Alas - I hope this is only a phase that will end up passing with time. I am open to any thoughts/recommendations/sympathies/constructive critcisms. In the meantime, enjoy these pictures...they will always bring back sweet memories!


I like to call this one: "There were 3 in the bed and the little one said, Roll over, roll over. So they all rolled over and one fell off (Dada), there were 2 in the bed and the little one said, Roll over, roll over. So they all rolled over and one fell off (Momma), there was 1 in the bed and the little one said, I've got the whole bed to myself! I've got the whole bed to myself! I've got the whole bed to myself! I've got the whole bed to myself!" Devin took this picture on Saturday after Chase and I took a 2 hour nap together! Too bad I can't cuddle up with Chase during all of his naps - that just might be our answer!


And no, we haven't gotten so desperate that we've crawled into Chase's bed with him! On Sunday night, Devin got into Chase's crib to see what he would do. I was in the middle of putting jammies on him, and Chase started panting like a puppy and squirming like a fish out of water with excitement. I couldn't even pull his hands out of his sleeves before he raced across the room and begged me (with one of his imploring looks) to put him in his crib! Once he got in there he could not stop giggling and throwing himself at his daddy. It was sooo cute!

PS - During the course of this post, I've checked on Chase 2x, he's fallen asleep again for about 5-10 minutes 2x, and I think he's on his way back out again! Madness!