December 2015

December...I do love this month 99% of the time. At about 4:15 when it is getting dark every day...not so much...but most of the rest of the day...its my jam! We had a busy and fun filled December. I took Francine on a trip to Florida for my cousin's wedding and for her to meet her great grandparents. Then we spent 8 days in Arizona with my entire family. We had some beautiful weather for December....definitely spent Christmas Eve outside eating lunch in Tennessee. Jack and Francine are definitely starting to interact more. I am anticipating the day where they are each other's playmates and I am not the cruise director anymore. Soon! Very soon! :) 

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
Jack randomly asked "where's daddy's computer?" I said "Its with him at work" and he said "praising the Lord?" Haha. Where does he get this stuff? I guess a computer can praise the Lord. :)

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update

Favorite color - orange 

Favorite number - 2

Favorite food - macaroni and cheese

Favorite hobby - art projects

Favorite song - Row Row Your boat (He thinks its Francine's favorite so he always wants to sing it "for her")

I self diagnosed Jack this month with eczema from gluten. His skin has cleared up so much on his cheeks and his arms. I am so thankful a mama's intuition and wisdom about her child is real. I can definitely see a difference. 

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

• Highlight - Lots of FIRSTS THIS MONTH! Her First Christmas! She turned 9 months old. Started crawling, pulling up, and she got her first tooth. She had her checkup this month (12/1/15) She is 17lbs and 1oz. and 271/4 inches (50% percentile for both).
• Sleep - She is a great sleeper still. Love my happy, all night sleeping babies! 
• Clothes - She is in 9 months clothes and lots of 12 months clothes. She wears size 2 shoes. 
• Diapers - Size 3 diapers! 
• Food - 5x nursing still. Doing baby food at each meal. I have realized over Christmas break that she is a fruit lover. Jack use to (still does) eat anything you put in front of him as a baby. This one...not so much! 
• Skills - Crawling when she wants to. I dont think she is a "CRAWLER" just yet. But she knows how to do it. She definitely knows how to pull up on furniture though. 
• New things - I guess she is starting to hurt herself a little more because she doesn't know caution yet. Its crazy to think that you have to teach that to someone. Jack was and is such a cautious child I felt it came naturally for him. Francine...not so much. I think she will need all the baby proofing we can get. 
• Crying - Only when her mama leaves her. 
• She did get sick for the first time in her life. It was pretty miserable for about 3 days in Arizona. I felt so bad for her. She almost stopped eating food completely and she was congested and lethargic. We made it through it and I am thankful to have my healthy, happy baby back.
• Schedule right now - no changes the past 4 months.

Thought I would start writing some more pondering thoughts at the ends of my blogs...see how it goes. 

• Outside my window...Sunshine
• I am thinking...about all the "Things" I need to do. Updates, photo organizing, thank yous to write, birthday party invites to address
• I am thankful for...my health, my kids, my home.
• I am wearing...a big sweater, scarf, KALE shirt, and Jeans! (and a blanket...its cold outside)
• I am remembering...to find ways to not be alone. It gets easy to be lonely to me...especially during the winter.
• I am going...to find joy with my kid when they wake up from there nap
• I am reading...Forgiveness by Desmund Tutu. Sooo Good!
• I am hoping...to take the kids outside this afternoon so I can get a little sunshine even though its cold
• On my mind...dates...dates...lots of things floating around in my head. Our calendar has filled up this winter. Christopher going to Norway, Valentines Day, Lynn visiting, Jack's birthday, Francine's birthday. 
• Noticing that...I need to find ways to age better. I need to take care of my skin and hair better.
• Pondering these words...HAPPYISH and BRUTIFUL (beautiful and brutal all the time...both/and/or)
• Thought I am processing right now... I have an Incredible desire for connection but also to constantly retreat. I want friends but I dont want to leave my house. Not sure if I am social person or a hermit. -- Glennon Melton
• From the kitchen...The smell of roasting sweet potatoes
• Around the house...Train tracks on the floor and dust all over the floor. 
• One of my favorite things...Avocado right now. Listening to podcasts and youtube clips that are inspiring. 

Until next time....here are some photos of my munchkins!

At the downtown library for a puppet show!

Christmas Eve (beautiful day!) 

Both kids did great seeing Santa!

Seeing Santa!

One of my favorite photos of 2015 (At Cheekwood)

At the Cheekwood Christmas Lights!

Francine with her Great Grandma and Grandpa Florida and Poppy!

All the grandkids!

Cousins that are 5 weeks apart! 

November 2015

November is the month where the holidays begin. At least the anticipation of the holidays. For as long as we have been married we have traveled (flip flopped) for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  So usually this month and next has traveling in the picture. We drove to Georgia this year for Thanksgiving. We definitely had never done that with 2 kids before. Man - they did great. We really do have some great kids. We had family photos taken this month and I am just in love with them!

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

Jack was in his crib before we went and got him from a nap...he was singing the song "Oh where is my hairbrush" (A veggie tales song). He sang it over and over and over and then all of a sudden he said "I found it!" 

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update

Favorite color - orange 

Favorite number - 2

Favorite food - macaroni and cheese

Favorite hobby - art projects

Favorite song - Row Row Your boat (He thinks its Francine's favorite so he always wants to sing it "for her")

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!
I think this is the month that I really fell in love with Francine. She has been great up until now, but now she is consistent, stable, in the groove, and loves LOVES her mama. Thats my kind of girl. I think she is just the best. I am so thankful for her in this season. I am thankful for her health and how she has just rocked having a heartbeat that is half as fast as everyone else her age. She is one strong little lady already. 

• Highlight - I guess this is not a fun thing but she got her first cough this month. She is almost 9 months old (12/3/15 she turns 9 months). 
• Sleep - She is a great sleeper still. We have had a few cold nights but mostly beautiful weather so far this year. She has worn her monogrammed sleepsack a few times. I love it. Its White with green polka dots and her name on it. 
• Clothes - She is in 6-9 months clothes and some 12 months. She is wearing size 1 or 2 shoes. Her papa got her a pair of brown minnentoka moccasins for Christmas that I just love. 
• Diapers - Size 3 diapers! Ordering off Amazon subscribe and save! Love! Its great only having to buy diapers for one kid now. 
• Food - 5x nursing still. She is deinitely enjoying baby food a lot more. She has had prunes, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and homemade oatmeal still. No new changes. Wont touch avocado with a ten foot poll...hilarious! :) I have been very relaxed on adding foods to her world. I hope that doesn't cause a pickiness. 
• Skills - She is learning to stand holding on to things this month. Not very good though.
• New things - she is definitely entertaining the idea of crawling. She did get up on her knees and kind of rock back and forth. 
• Crying - She is becoming such an easy baby as long as mama is around. 
• Schedule right now - no changes the past 3 months. Honestly, I am fine with this schedule for life. 
• 7:00 wake up and eat and play for 2 hours
• 9:00 nap
• 11:00 wake up and eat and play for 2 hours
• 1:00 nap
• 3:00 wake up and eat and play for 2.5 hours
• 5:30 catnap (Sometimes)
• 6:15 wake up and eat and play for 2.5 hours
• 7:45 down for the night
• 9:30 - dream feed

Until next time....here are some photos of my muchkins!

October 2015

October is just the best month in my opinion. The seasons change. Our Anniversary is on the 6th. Lots of pumpkin stuff! Anticipation for all the holidays builds. We have had a great month.

Walden Farms Pumpkin Patch (annual tradition)

Walden Farms Pumpkin Patch (annual tradition)

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

I was asking Jack while we were driving in the car the other day what was inside a dump truck. His response "Protein Powder"! 

In Jack's prayers the other night he said, "Thank you Jesus for grandma, robots, kitty cats, and bunnies". Out of the mouth of babes!

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update

Favorite color - green and brown 

Favorite number - 2

Favorite food - macaroni and cheese

Favorite toys - Thomas the tank engine 

Favorite song - Old macdonald 

For Halloween this year, Jack was a sock monkey and Francine was a ladybug. At Jack's school, they have a day where its "super heroes and princesses". Jack was Superman and he was adorable!

Mother's Day Out outfit!

Halloween outfits 2015!

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

• Highlight - She turned 8 months old today. She has really blossomed into a great kid that I may or may not be completely obsessed with. I remember around this stage with Jack, I had the same exact feelings. I just wanted to kiss her cheeks all the time. Someone wrote on a blogpost recently that there kids cheeks might be chapped from all the kissing they have done to there baby!
• Sleep - She is a great sleeper. She has two pacis/animal friends in her crib with her and she loves to touch there ears. Its the cutest thing when I go in there she has one in her mouth and she is holding the other one. I love that she is able to find her paci in her crib now when it falls out. GAME CHANGER! 
• Clothes - She is in 6-9 months clothes. 
• Diapers - Size 2 diapers still. Definitely moving to 3 soon though! 
• Food - 5x nursing and as of the end of October she started solids. She definitely had a hard time with solids. She didn't want anything to do with them for a week. Then something clicked and she loves it. She has had prunes, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and homemade oatmeal. She is doing great. 
• Skills - Taking her brother's toys. This is just the beginning I know....don't mess with Jack's trains!
• New things: She doesn't want anything to do with crawling or standing yet...but sitting is her jam. And I am totally ok with her being stationary for a little while longer. :) 
• Crying - Our favorite story is every morning when Christopher is feeding both the kids and playing with them, I am upstairs getting ready for the day. The minute I come down the stairs and she sees me, she starts fussing and crying. The 30 min-1 hour that I am upstairs, Christopher says she has never made a fuss the entire time...but all of a sudden she starts fussing when she seems me.  So she likes her mom a little bit!! :) 
• Schedule right now - no changes the past 2 months
• 7:00 wake up and eat and play for 2 hours
• 9:00 nap
• 11:00 wake up and eat and play for 2 hours
• 1:00 nap
• 3:00 wake up and eat and play for 2.5 hours
• 5:30 catnap 
• 6:15 wake up and eat and play for 2.5 hours
• 7:45 down for the night
• 9:30 - dream feed
• We have a doctor check up next month, so hopefully we will get some new stats on baby Francine!

Until next time....here are some photos of my muchkins!

Handsome!

Annual trip Gentry's Farm with friends

Hayride with friends!

Annual visit to Ellington during the peak LEAF time!

Annual Halloween Party with my girlfriends and kids!

Annual Halloween Party with my girlfriends and kids!

MY WORLD!

Sleep sacks are the best for crisp fall evenings!

Most important things to me!

Fall time at Cheekwood!

September 2015 - Francine - 7 months old

Well here we are! Me, being optimistic in hoping that I can do a monthly post of our family. I think I might transition to a monthly post about the Phillips' family now rather than a month by month update of our kids. So consider this, the "September Issue" of the Phillips Family!

**Story of the month**

We think Jack may have a photographic memory. If he sees the logo for the church, he will say "mommy, mommy this is the church". Or the other day we drove downtown Nashville and drove past the convention center...he said "mommy mommy lego fest". 4 months ago or so we went to the convention center for the lego fest...how did he remember that building from that one event? We took Francine to get a flue shot a few weeks ago, and St Thomas hospital is close to the parking lot where we park...there logo is a cross and Jack saw it and said "mommy mommy...a different church!" haha Oh man Jack - we love to see you learn and grow! Or maybe this is marketing working towards its favor.

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update

We potty trained Jack this month. It was not near as a huge of an issue as I thought it was going to be. We did the 3-day program where you never leave your house. He has hardly had any accidents and we are so thankful for that. He was so ready to do it and we were ready to stop paying for 2 kids in diapers! 

Jack's favorites!

1. Favorite color - brown
2. Favorite number - 2
3. Favorite food - macaroni and cheese
4. Favorite toys - Trains
5. Favorite song - Itsy Bitsy Spider 

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!
Highlights from 7 months - A lot of good things happened this month! Francine started sleeping through the night. She started sitting up on her own and she started babbling and saying mama. Man - I remember this age with Jack...I just became obsessed with the little guy. They get to be way more laid back and not as needy. But they just get cuter and cuter and they respond so much more to people. I love this stage! 

• Sleep - as sated previously....we have a sleeper!! Woohoo. Getting back from Norway, we knew we were going to suffer through jet lag so I decided to just make it miserable for a few nights and she figured out jetlag and sleeping through the night all at the same time. It was great!
• Clothes - She is in 6 months clothes and 6-9 now mostly. 
• Diapers - Size 2 diapers still!
• Food - Breast milk. Although I thought right when I got back from Norway I would start right off with baby food. I guess I just knew what I was getting myself into and I delayed it another month. Until next month...
• Skills - she is doing great with reaching and grabbing things. Sitting is her new favorite thing. She loves sitting in her highchair and watching us from her "throne". 
• New things: She definitely is enjoying peek a boo and singing. At night before bed, we all sing in Jack's room. She kicks her legs and smiles the whole time. 
• Bad Things: I think we are still in "mama's girl" mode. I would love for her to be more independent. But I know this is only a stage and it will pass and I will want her to want me so I guess its not that big of a bad thing!
• Crying: Definitely getting better in this area. 
• Schedule -we are feeding 5x's a day now. Sleeping through the night and rocking 2 - 2 hour naps and one catnap around dinner time. Same as 6 month schedule except sleeping through the night now!
• 7:00 wake up and eat and play for 2 hours
• 9:00 nap
• 11:00 wake up and eat and play for 2 hours
• 1:00 nap
• 3:00 wake up and eat and play for 2.5 hours
• 5:30 catnap 
• 6:15 wake up and eat and play for 2.5 hours
• 7:45 down for the night
• 9:30 dream feed

It was so great to have my parents here to take care of Jack while we were in Norway. When we got back they had to have a lot of time with Francine the day before they left. Our kids love grandma and poppy!

Until next time!

Francine (6 months) - Jack (2.5 years) post

So here we are...round 2 of an update on the Phillips in 2015. This highlight real happens from around June 3-September 3, 2015. 

Francine's first trip - Norway! She was the same age as Jack when he went to Japan! (Photo Courtesy of Alyssa Joy Photography)

Siblings! 

Family!

Man, parenting. Its some tough stuff. Yes, the second time around there are things you are way better at and more confident in, but it still throws you. For the most part, I would consider myself an intelligent and pulled together person. Parenting reveals the opposite of that in me at times. I feel like I have way more dumb and disastrous days than I ever have in my life. I guess parenthood brings you to a very vulnerable place and allows you to face your inner flaws or "demons" and hopefully grow and mature. Life seems to be very raw with kids and with that if you are not aware, present, and in the moment, you miss a lot.

The saying "the days are long, the years are short" I have tried to keep as my mantra in these infant and toddler days. I don't want to forget these moments as they go by, but in the trenches of exhaustion, schedules, and to-do lists...sometimes you get a little caught up with the wrong things.

However, I do finally feel like I may be close to the living and the normal. For the first 3 months of Francine's life...we kept it really close to home. In fact, we didn't leave home at all. I am thankful that our home is a safe sanctuary for our family. I think when Francine was about 4 months old, I got the confidence to get out there with two kids and run an errand. I kind of had to. Just DO IT AFRAID!

Christopher did a lot of traveling in these 3 months for a lot of different things so I had to be the only full time parent quite a few days. I can honestly say that some of my worst parenting moments came during this time. I am an imperfect mom that's for sure, but I try my best to start over fresh/clean slate each morning. Its all I sometimes I feel I have at this point. New mercies every morning...

**Story of the month**

We took a trip to Georgia to visit with Christopher's family. On the way back home, we stopped and picked up Lucy at our friends house. I was not out of the car for 60 seconds when I heard Jack screaming. I got Francine out of the car ran to the back yard and Jack had a goose egg on his forehead. This was his first real injury. It was mostly his fault because he walked in front of a swing. I was absolutely beside myself and so was he. Christopher took him to a walk-in pediatric clinic and they thought it was all ok. It took a good month or two for it to completely heal. 

#Jackamadeus update

This boy is just awesome. His little brain is growing in leaps and bounds. He started his 2nd year at Mothers Day Out at Christ Church. He is doing very well. Most of his little friends from last year are still a part of this class.  His vocabulary has quadrupled in the last 6 months I think. He knows his ABCs, shapes, can count to 20, and is learning to memorize songs and scriptures very fast. 

Favorite color - orange

Favorite number - 2

Favorite food - macaroni and cheese

Favorite toys - Thomas and friends

Favorite song - Old MacDonald

I went through some pretty emotional times in getting ready to leave him for 11 days with my parents. I know he was going to be in good hands, but the weeks and days leading up to leaving, I thought I may have a heart attack. All the preparing and planning that I did, could not prepare me fore the anxiety and stress I carried those days before leaving. The good news is we all got through it and we all did better than we thought we would. 

Here are a few cute stories from around this time frame:

1. We were reading "Pout Pout Fish" one day and we got to the octopus. He got up off the couch and ran into his room to get his alphabet puzzle. He brought it back and showed me that the O had an octopus on it and he wanted me to see that there was another octopus. He also cant say "octopus" and called it an "applesauce".
2. The other night when we were praying for dinner Jack said, "Thank you Jesus for macaroni, God, and Jesus." I know that made God look down on the prayer of a little kid and just grin so big!
3. I was reading in his Jesus Storybook bible the story of Jesus and the tomb and the line was "no one could get in or out" and Jack said "Noah could not get in". - Ahhh the English language. Its a tricky one fella

#Francineclaire update!

• First - she is just beautiful. I know I want her to have long blonde hair and cute little baby teeth but for now her little hair and gums are just perfect. I think she is good hybrid of me and Christopher. :) 
• Highlight from 3-6 months - we took Francine on her first flight... to Norway (August 27, 2015). She turned 6 months in Norway. She suffered from some pretty severe jetlag both there and at home. One of my values I have for our family is travel so even in these hard stages of the early years, sometimes you have to do the hard things in order to stay in line with your values. 

Norway photo outtake! :) 

• Sleep - we still do not have a sleeper on our hands. She loves a good 3:30/4:00 am feeding still. She also would wake up crying because she lost her beloved paci. Most nights in this time period I would go in there at least 1-2 times and put her paci back in for her to go back to sleep till the 4am feeding.
• Schedule - she had the same schedule from 3 months to almost 5 months. At 5 months, it was a game changer for this mama. We went to 6 feedings a day instead of 7 and 2.5 naps a day instead of 4. TOTAL GAME CHANGER! Now her and Jack both have the same afternoon nap time and it is so nice to have those 2 hours to myself.
• Clothes - She is in 3-6 months clothes mostly. 
• We are swaddle free as of about 4 months. She started rolling over on to her belly and started scaring me in the crib. 
• Diapers - Size 2 diapers.
• Food - Breast milk
• We are holding off on solids till we get back from Norway at the beginning of September. It just seems easier to start that transition after we get back.

• Skills - at 4 months old she holds both feet with her hand. She also began to laugh right at 4 months old

• New things: She is putting things in her mouth constantly. 
• Bad things: Francine's first melt down happened when we were out with friends for dinner (rather - we were about to sit down for dinner after waiting for a table). Our friend Gerica was keeping the kids and she could not console Francine for anything. This happened at about 3.5 months old. Her separation anxiety is definitely a bad thing that we are dealing with. She really wants no one to look at her in the eye let alone hold her. She is a mama's girl. 
• Crying - its gotten better for sure but she still only wants her mama to hold her for the most part.
• Schedule right now 
• 7:00 wake up and eat and play for 2 hours
• 9:00 nap
• 11:00 wake up and eat and play for 2 hours
• 1:00 nap
• 3:00 wake up and eat and play for 2.5 hours
• 5:30 nap 
• 6:15 wake up and eat and play for 2.5 hours
• 7:45 down for the night
• 9:30 - "dream feed" so she sleeps till like 3 or 4am. 
• Check up - around 6 months old 
• Height - 26.5 inches (75%)
• Weight - 15 lbs 6.5 oz (45%)
• Head - 16 3/4 (50%)

Norway 2015 (Photo Courtesy of Alyssa Joy Photography)

Until next time...