“Asher, you’re my best friend.”

It’s happening. Slowly, but surely these boys are becoming brothers.

Melts. my. heart.

Jonah says… is a post from: Happy Brown House

“College cheese is on sale, Mom.” (AKA: Cottage Cheese)

“Look, Mom, it’s 11:25!” (Lucky guess. He adds “20″ in front of all the numbers on a clock.)

“I’m on safari!”

Gosh, I love this silly boy!

Jonah says… is a post from: Happy Brown House

Asher is 6 months old today. SIX whole months. Um, THAT is half a year. How is that even possible? I mean, on the one hand, it feels like he’s been around much longer than six months when I think about colic and sleepless nights that no amount of coffee can help. But then, on the other hand, I feel like I just blinked and here he is sitting up on his own.

He keeps me on my toes in ways that Jonah never did at this age. Which is probably why I’m having such a hard time squeaking out a blog post. Or cleaning. Or showering.

He’s wiggly–changing his diaper is like wrestling a greased pig at the fair.

And strong-willed–I think it’s safe to say I will be reading Dr. Dobson’s book sooner than later.

He’s “King of the Catnap” and my cuddle-bug.

I wouldn’t trade him for all the world.

He leaves me absolutely speechless some days. Like when I turned around and found him CLIMBING onto the bouncy seat just two days shy of 6 months.

Or when he CRAWLED to get the remote the second he saw Daddy put it on the floor….at one day shy of 6 months.

My life flashed before my eyes and I caught a glimpse of him standing on the roof with a cape one day….and I got a new gray hair just thinking about it.

And should you not believe me, here’s proof I’m going to lose my mind before Asher turns one.

Linking up with…

InstaFriday: Six Months is a post from: Happy Brown House

We’ve been practicing three letter words (also known as word families) around our house for quite some time now. Honestly, Jonah just kinda started sounding them out one day…by himself. Ok, ok, so I’ve set him up for success with all of the fun things I do with him and I’ve been really strategic about things related to reading instruction. But still, the moment he started reading them on his own, I pulled out my phone and took a video. (Email subscribers, you might have to click through to see the video)

Forgive my video skills. I had Asher on one hip and forgot to turn my phone sideways to make it larger.

I love this kid, y’all. He is all kinds of awesome, but you already knew that if you’ve been around here long. Don’t you remember Leaf Family?

Also, in case you were wondering, the word family sorting activity is from the Circus Preschool Pack over at my friend Jolanthe’s blog, Homeschool Creations. It’s one of Jonah’s favorites to pull out and work on when he has a choice.

A Reader is Born is a post from: Happy Brown House

Asher on a very rough night

You know that feeling when you can’t get a baby to stop crying, no matter what you try…

Yeah, that.

Try feeling it for several months straight. It kinda stinks…in the worst way.

It wreaks havoc on your mommy self-esteem. Rips it to shreds and then stomps on it repeatedly. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, you start questioning your sanity. Wondering, “Am I really losing it or is that the colic, sleep-deprivation, haven’t-had-a-shower-in-two-days thing talking?” It’s a very fine line, my friend.

{Sigh}

It’s been a tough time at our house on the baby front. Sweet little brother, Asher, had colic. I think it’s gone, but I don’t want to jinx it. Colic is rough stuff. Currently, we’re dealing with an extreme aversion to sleep it seems. He fights it like I’ve never seen before. Then, out of the blue, he decides he really IS tired and screams at the top of his lungs because he’s over-tired. Really, over-tired might be an understatement…he’s downright exhausted by the end of the day because big brother, Jonah, can’t seem to leave him alone.

Jonah: “Mommy, Asher woke up.”

Mommy: “Yes, Jonah, babies wake up when you shake the bouncy seat and yell at them.”

I digress.

One would think that he’d be sleeping long periods of time at night since he’s overtired…one would be wrong. Dead wrong. I can’t seem to find the magic equation that results in sleep for him. I think he’s most comfortable on his tummy, but that is a recent hypothesis we’re still testing.

I used to be such a confident mom, but then Asher arrived and threw my parenting “theories” out the window…followed quickly by our household schedule and routine. It’s left me feeling like we’re in a tailspin and I just wish the captain of the plane would grab hold of the controls and land us already….Only we’re not on a plane, and I’m the adult that is fresh out of ideas on how to steady the horizon.

And so for now, I just keep putting one foot in front of the other, knowing that THIS IS A SEASON. A sleepless season. A season for staying in spit-up covered pajamas. A walk-the-floors-and-bounce-a-fussy-baby season. A season for being selfless for the one that is literally helpless without me. Then one day, I’ll wake up surprised and refreshed from a night of uninterrupted sleep. And it will feel oh so good!

In the meantime, I’ll embrace the moments that keep me going…

•  Asher giggling in his sleep…when he finally sleeps
• Jonah telling “brother secrets” to Asher during floor time
  

  Brother Secrets

• Early morning “Daddy & Asher” time, so Mommy can get a little extra sleep before the next feeding
• Phone calls from friends
• Milestones met (even if they haven’t been blogged about yet!)
• Scripture reading during nursing sessions…we’re both getting “fed”
• Milk-drunk smiles
• A hand that finds its way to the small of my back while I’m up nursing in the middle of the night
• and so many more…

One day, not too far down the road I’ve been told, I’ll turn to my husband and say “You remember how it felt when they needed us?” Yeah, that…

Yeah, that… is a post from: Happy Brown House

{This blog post has been in the works for a month~AN ENTIRE MONTH! Needless to say, it takes me longer to do EVERYTHING with two children, including blogging. Have you missed me? I sure have missed you, sweet readers! Oh, the stories I have of a colicky baby and our transition to two kids. So, while you’re recovering from Christmas shopping, allow me to reminisce about Halloween…}

Halloween. It brings up the “Super-Mommy” Complex in me. You know, the one where I refuse to just buy a costume because they are “poorly made and fall apart.”  So instead, I drag two children to Walmart in the rain after dinner to get the ONE missing supply in order to stay up late and whip out a homemade costume. Because in my mind, homemade costumes are way better. I know, it’s an illness I can’t  seem to find the cure for. It’s hereditary. {Hi Mom!}

And maybe, this costume complex just continues because they end up being so darn cute. Case in point: The cutest Peter Pan you ever did see…

See what I mean? This is really the first year that Jonah had a request. I’m so glad he came up with this one.

Here’s how I made it:

For the shirt, I just grabbed a green long-sleeved shirt that was too big. Cut the bottom and some of the sleeves to look tattered. Cut a “V” in the neck. (I actually messed up here and made it too large, so we put another shirt underneath.) We placed a belt around his waist.

For the pants, I grabbed an old green t-shirt from my closet and traced a pair of his pajama pants that were on the small side to make them look like Peter Pan tights. I used the bottom hem of the shirt to my advantage, so all I had to sew was the inseam and a waistband.

For the hat, I used some felt from my stash and got creative. I didn’t have a pattern and had never made a hat before. I was totally winging it. (I was inspired by Ashley at Make It and Love It, but wound up with a slightly different hat.) I ended up making two triangular-ish shapes (with the point rounded off and closer to the back). Then, I realized it wouldn’t quite be big enough for his head. So, I added a strip in between the triangle pieces. I pinched it together in the front and trimmed the excess. I added a cuff at the bottom and a red feather on the side.

I also made a dagger out of felt that we attached to his belt. This was, by far, his favorite part. Case in point…

Peter Pan had a pretty cute L’il Pumpkin, too, if I do say so myself. I mean, I am slightly biased.

Just slightly

The Cutest Peter Pan You Ever Did See… is a post from: Happy Brown House

I investigated further into the hilarious Leaf Daddy/Pipe thing from Jonah’s Leaf Family Portrait.

Frosty the Snowman, the lovable, magical guy we all know and love is to blame. Specifically, his corn-cob pipe.

And thanks to Leaf Mommy, I got the video to load for you…she’s one smart cookie

Enjoy!

(Having trouble viewing the video? You can view it HERE)

Blame it on Frosty is a post from: Happy Brown House

We’ve been having a blast at the Happy Brown House with some of our favorite Fall/Leaf books, specifically Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert. It’s lead to quite a few activities–most of which you can read about over at Totally Tots today!

But because I love you, dear readers, and feel like you might need a laugh just as much as I do, I will share with this gem of a picture and the “behind-the-scenes” commentary from Jonah….

We’ll call this masterpiece “Leaf Family”…if you will. Jonah’s words are in bold. Mommy’s words are in fancy-shmancy brackets {’cause they’re pretty and all the bloggers use them}.  You’ll have to excuse my commentary, it’s 4:00 AM when I’m writing this, and after a sleepless night, I’m feeling a tad “testy”. I’ve finally given up on sleep since Asher will be up to eat again soon.

Leaf Mommy (far left) has big hair. {This picture was made while I was still in my “morning-glory-still-drinking-my-first-cup-of-coffee” stage and yes, I had big hair. Fresh from the bed and sticking up all over big hair. Apparently, this is how it translates on paper.}

Leaf Jonah (second from the left) has a tiny head. {I’m not sure what this was about. I thought it was supposed to be Asher, but he informed me that wasn’t the case. Maybe he’s been to see the head-shrinking tribe? That would account for the manners lost since the baby came.}

Leaf Daddy (third from the left) has a pipe. It’s one of those things that you put in your mouth and blow and smoke comes out. {Say what?!? Not only has he never seen a pipe or someone smoking one, but where in the world did this come from? Real Daddy doesn’t smoke. This led to a “smoking is bad” conversation. We’ll revisit it in the future.}

Leaf Asher (far right) has blue hair. {At this point,  that’s the least of my worries!}

By the way, I got all of this conversation on video. Classic. If I wasn’t technology-challenged when it came to my video camera, I would share it. Wonder if Leaf Mommy knows how to work a video camera?

Update: You can see the Leaf Family Video and all of Jonah’s personal commentary. Apparently, we should blame it on Frosty.

Leaf Family Portrait {and commentary from Jonah} is a post from: Happy Brown House

Today around lunch time, we’ll be meeting little brother.

Yes, today is the day.

I’ll be back soon to introduce you.

Until then, will you pray for us?  I had hoped for a VBAC, but am ending up with another c-section. I’m pretty nervous. I need lots and lots of prayers today. Thank you friends!

My Very Important Lunch Date… is a post from: Happy Brown House

One of the pictures I didn’t share yesterday when I talked about the “My” Sight Word Book Jonah and I made together was this…

Did you catch it? Look closely…

Did you see those extra bodies on the right hand side?

You see, even though our family TECHNICALLY looks like this (atleast for the next few hours/days until I give birth)…

Jonah sees it much differently.

When he thinks of our family, he already includes little brother on the way and sister from afar.

And that, my friends, makes this momma’s cup runneth over.

Because he gets it….he really gets it.

1 Thessalonians 4:9 ~ Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another…

My Favorite Family Portrait… is a post from: Happy Brown House