Last Night in This House

All of our belongings are arranged, and the paths our lives have taken through these rooms are almost clearly visible. It's still our home tonight.

But, it's the last night. In the morning, the packers will come, and our things will begin drifting into boxes...the first step back to North Carolina. It's so hard to believe.

Suddenly, three years doesn't seem but a day.

I'm going to cry if I go on too much, and I don't want to make anyone sad. At the same time my heart is heavy to say goodbye to those we love so deeply here, I know that we're going where God would have us. And my heart also lifts and rejoices in going back to family and friends we have missed so much.

When we moved here, this was just another duty station...where we were not expecting or wanting to go. Yet we watched God unfold his plans for us day by day. He held us, drew amazing people around us, and guided our steps.

This last night in our home, I'm praying that God will strengthen friendships in new ways to bridge the distance. I hold strong in my heart also the hope and assurance that one day we can all gather around His feet in heaven...our true home.

I'm such a sap! It's 2am, and there's just a bit more packing to do in the morning. We will be here one more week to transition our things out of the house and do walkthroughs and the like. Only briefly can I recognize this moment, because there's still a lot of work to do.

But, my thoughts linger on an amazing thought. Beaufort, South Carolina will never be just another city on the map. It's now the faces of friendship and love, the birthing of two new lives, and the journey of the Gayler family.

I'm so thankful, and happy about that. :)

Eli is ONE MONTH old!

Eli weighs 10 pounds 7 ounces now!

Some highlights of the first month...

-He smiles in recognition of Mommy, and brother too! We've even heard him laugh in his sleep. :)

-Holding his head up for longer and longer periods while on his tummy (up to 10 seconds!).

-Tracks faces and toys in an arc around his head

-Reaches for faces

-Grabs toys or other objects within his reach

-Scoots across the bed (somehow) to snuggle with us

-We can tell differences in his crying...he now has a hungry cry, a gassy cry, and an I-want-attention cry. I'll have to try to get these on video!

Three Weeks Ago...

...Eli was a lot tinier!

We had a weight check yesterday...and would you believe that in 8 days, he gained 20 ounces!

Let's have a look at him. Yep. With those chins, I can definitely believe he's already 9 lbs. 7 oz.!

I do love squishing those little cheeks!

Even his little arms are filling out! Chunka, chunka baby love!

I wonder what he's dreaming about now...

High quality sleep...he sleeps through loud brother and sister, and even the vacuum cleaner!

And while he's sleeping, he makes the BEST faces!

But, it is definitely an amazing feeling to have those beautiful eyes staring up at me...alert, and taking in his world. I love you, little Eli! :)

Say What?

I just did another toy purge/organization project. Somewhere in all of those toys, Ian found a pacifier.

All the kids refused a pacifier. I don't think I ever really tried with Ian, but I REALLY wanted Zoe to take one. But, she liked her thumb better. At any rate, the only thing that has made pacifiers appealing to my kids at all is the fact that they have seen other children using them!

When Ian was Zoe's age, he called them, "Pacifier Trucks." Occasionally, he'd suck on one to be funny.

Since Zoe became mobile, she would steal them from her friends, suck on it once, and then shove it back in their mouth. She also enjoyed stealing them to incite a game of chase!

I wondered what the appearance of the little gadget would do with no little friend around to claim it.

Ian tentatively stuck it in his mouth and sucked on it a couple times. Zoe walked over to see what was going on with brother.

"My turn!" Zoe chimed.

Zoe sucked on it a couple of times, and plopped it out with a smirk. "Your turn!"

Unbelievably, Ian sucked on it again! Now of course, this is absolutely disgusting! I must put an end to it!

"Hand me the pacifier! That's gross! You can pretend to use it with your baby dolls, but don't both of you get slobber on it! EW!"

Zoe snatched it really quick, and sucked on it a couple more times before handing it back. I had already turned to dispose of it when I heard a thud followed by screaming. Ian had thrown himself to the floor and was having a fit!

"Ian, what on earth is the problem?"

He stopped crying and straightened, "Mom, Zoe got 1, 2...3 sucks on the pacifier and I only got 2 times."

Hahahahahaha!

I walked to the trash can laughing...and even more thankful they never needed a pacifier! :)

Shh. Do You Hear That?

. . .

Did you hear that?

I didn't either! It's too quiet!

Hmm...Eli is sleeping right over there.

. . .

Ian is quietly reading his books in his room, I can hear the pages turning on the baby monitor.

. . .

Hmm, that's only...1...2, kids.

Wait.

I have 3 kids.

One

is

missing!

(I can do simple math! Woohoo!).

Hmmm.

Zoe!?

Where

is

Zoe?!

(Panic. Panic!).

Where would you be if you knew Mommy thought you were going to be playing with your new legos for a while? Yup. You would be raiding Easter candy Grandma sent. That's why Mom left it on the counter, right?

She asks with her eyes, "Who? Me? I've been sitting right here the wholllle time!"

Oops! Bad Mommy!

But you know what they say...if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Yummy! Chocolate! :)

Oh, the Stories I'll Tell!

If you haven't heard me say it before, I believe to my core that happiness is a choice. Part of this epiphany was brought about by an amazing little girl named Mia. Another part was an enlightening book at just the right moment, Happiness is a Choice by Barry Neil Kaufman. The final part (which is actually the true core) is Christ's joy inside that doesn't change with circumstances.

If I'm feeling the pressure...I have an internal dialogue of some helpful questions...mainly, "Will being unhappy about this change anything?" Of course, the answer is ALWAYS no. So, I can find myself smiling...and happy.

But it took me a minute (ok, a couple of hours) to make the choice for happiness this morning. I was trying to find an angle to approach the challenges of the day...and having quite a bit of trouble. There was just this ONE THING I wanted to accomplish, and I was being thwarted every two seconds! Anyway, you know what helped me? Quite a mean thought actually, haha! It finally dawned on me how FUN it would be one day to tell Zoe's first boyfriend about her antics this morning...on their first date. (Trust me, I'll have forgotten by then, but it was amusing in the moment!).

So what is the day's story?

Zoe decided the house was too hot, so she took all her clothes off and ran around the house saying, "I no clothes! I no clothes! I hot!" And when I wasn't looking, she decided her diaper was also too hot and ran away. When I found her, she was in the bathroom near a puddle.

"What did you do, Zoe?"

She jumped up and down, "I peed! I peed!"

"Did you pee on the potty?"

She jumped up and down again, "No! I peed floor! Yay! Peepee!"

"Well, I'll give you credit for getting close, but pee goes IN the potty!"

She shook her head and ran to the living room, "I peed IN cup!"

She showed me her sippy cup...and sure enough, on the lid...ZOE GAYLER!!!

Zoe recognizes the look of trouble on my face before it even hits me fully. She had run off into her room, and was dancing around carefree.

I have decided as soon as we move in the new house and unpack the potty chair, we are potty training. If she can get it on the LID of a small cup, I see no reason that she can't get it in a potty!!!!!

Great story, huh?

How about this one...

A little later in the morning, my two monkeys were jumping on the bed while I cleaned the bathroom. (We let them jump on the bed. It's king size. What is the point of having such a big bed if you can't jump on it?!).

Suddenly, I hear Ian fake crying, "Mooooooooom, I need help! Grab my feet and pull me up!" He is dangling half on the bed, wildly kicking his legs in the air.

"Just slide off! I'm finishing this room and then I'll play with you!"

"But Mooooooom, I need help! Help! Help!" he laughed and kicked some more.

From the living room, Zoe comes running in full throttle. "I commiiiiiing, Ian! I coming! I come help you! I save you!"

(Insert Mom's heart melting). SO sweet, right?

Wait for it...wait for it...

She climbed up on the bed as fast as her little arms and legs would lift her. She reached him with a big smile, "I help! I help!"

And with a strong, swift push...she catapulted his feet off the bed and over his head! THUD! The tangle of legs and head that was Ian cried from the other side of the bed.

Zoe clapped her hands and smiled in triumph. "Ha, ha, ha, Ian! I no help! I PUSH! I PUSH!" She resumed jumping up and down on the bed happily while Ian dusted himself off and stood.

"Oh no, Zoe didn't help!"

I barely heard what he said. I had to step behind the door and wipe the happiness off my face. Oh, Zoe, the stories I'll tell... :)

YES, You Can!

For my FB friends, I'm sure you noticed my status..."YES, you can!" Well, sometimes I feel like there is a "theme" to the day...something I need to learn, or they need to learn. Today, the theme could definitely be summed up in the title phrase.

There are two--ok, three phrases that I feel should be more carefully used.

1) "I hate ____."

Growing up, I literally remember using this word ONE time and really thinking I meant it. I love my mom for taking the time to explain how strong that word is, and why I should not just toss it around callously. (I did not necessarily have this same appreciation during those 20 minutes though, let me tell you!).

Hate IS a strong word. I really think it should be reserved for things that are absolutely abhorrent, with no exception or quantifiable good. That's just me. I tweak a little when I hear people talking about hating ice cream flavors, contestants on American Idol, or cucumbers on their salad...I instantaneously imagine these things with horns and a tail, burning in the abyss. (Oh I know, grilled cucumbers actually sounds interesting). But seriously, isn't that where hate goes?

2) ?

ACK! Would you believe I forgot one of my own pet peeves? It was in my mind as I was typing this...and then I forgot. I know this seems utterly ridiculous, but certain portions of my brain are being used by 3 miniature people. I'd know it if I heard it. Really. :)

3) " I can't ____."

YES, you can! Ok, listen...I know you are already coming up with clever exceptions to this statement. No you can't kiss your elbow, and even if you could, you won't turn into the opposite sex. I realize not everyone can be a successful politician. And, yes, I'm fully aware that you actually cannot become invisible at will.

But again seriously, too often we impose limitations on ourselves. I'll leave it at that...I've definitely been guilty, and continue to be guilty in certain areas...but I WILL strive not to let those words come out of my mouth! Or, if I say it, I'll attempt to immediately nullify the statement with a positive. :)

Anyway, as you might have guessed, #3 was today's "theme." If only I had one of those little counter thingies you hold in your hand to count how many times he said, "I can't..." today! (My hand would be pretty tired. Maybe not my best idea).

I really would love to pass on to my children the ability to see things with the, "I can do this" mentality. Doesn't every parent want their children to feel capable and empowered? ESPECIALLY WHEN I JUST WANT THEM TO LEAVE ME ALONE FOR TWO SECONDS AND JUST TRYYYYY TO DO IT! Oh, sorry for the yelling. :D

Today I felt like I was literally imposing myself upon a person bent on deciding everything was impossible...but I couldn't help but smile at how silly the thought was at times, and how much emotion he had vested into his apparent inability.

Here's what Ian "could not" do today.

"I can't play with Zoe...she is not talking to me right now, and we have to talk to play."

"I can't find my book...I can't look for anything because I am too tired."

"I can't eat peanut butter and jelly for lunch...it is not good for you today, only tomorrow."

"I can't sit in time out...that is not nice right now!"

"I can't pick up my toys...if I pick them up, there won't be a messy any more."

"I can't eat this goldfish...it has no face!"

And, the best one of the day (I think):

"Mom, I can't put my new underwear on. They are broken....My butt keeps falling out of them!"

The thing is, as silly as all this sounds to me...to God, all our "can'ts" sound just as ridiculous. YES, you can! :)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Philip. 4:13

Living Room Performances

I have some extra time this afternoon! Ian is playing nicely, Zoe is napping away, and Eli looks awful comfy in my lap, so I'm ending up at the computer a little longer than usual (during the day at least!). This gives me the time to upload some great performances by the kids in the living room earlier!

Of course, the REAL performance was just before I took the video...when Zoe counted from 1 to 10 all by herself!! I ended up prompting her a little for the recording, but I'm sure you get the idea! :) The cute thing was that Ian wanted me to video him singing his ABCs afterwards! I love it that they are excited to show what they have learned!

I wish I looked this cute when I simply counted to 10, or recited the alphabet (with 2 k's). Hehe.

P.S. I did mention my new camera has video capability, and I'd probably be taking a lot more videos, didn't I? :D

Dangerous Movies

Ian requested to watch a movie this afternoon during nap time. He wanted his DVD case to choose from instead of Netflix that we have been using lately.

Ian: "Mom, these movies are all spectacles. They go in my case."

Me: "Spectacles?"

Ian: "Yes, like a movie spectacle. They are very, very, dangerous."

Me: "'Spectacles' is another word for glasses. I'm confused."

Ian: "No, like a play or a movie. A spectacle!"

Me: "Of course!" (Why do I ever doubt his vocabulary, really?). "But I am still confused, how are they dangerous?"

Ian: "I don't know, they just are, so you better not touch them. I'm putting them away now, Mom, ok."

Me: "Absolutely. Thank you for warning me, I would hate to get hurt."

Ian: "I love you, Mom. Thank you for listening to me."

I admit it, he's smarter than me. Really. :)

Eli, Watch Me!

Putting Eli on the floor is like a signal for the vultures--er, children, to circle! They LOVE to watch him wiggling around on the floor!

Today, I put Eli on his tummy for play. Ian came flying into the bedroom. "Ooh! Eli is on the floor? Is he going to play?!" He was such a blur, it was hard to grab a photo! Here he is literally cracking up at Eli's little grunting noises and he tried to push up. "Hey, Buddy!"

Then, Ian got down on his belly to imitate brother. "Watch me, Mom! I can push up! Eli wanted me to do it too!"

I don't know if Eli smiled or what, but suddenly, Ian felt very encouraged to take on an entertaining role! "Hey, Buddy! Mom, he likes me! Eli, watch me!" Ian was performing a trick before I could even blink! (But not before I could press the shutter. I'm a little faster with taking pictures than blinking, ha!).

Of course, it was a minor heart attack moment. Ian is not world famous for his coordination, and I hurriedly set the camera down to keep him from crashing on Eli. Miraculously, not only did he not crash, but he was actually standing on his head with his feet straight up for a few seconds! He did this several times...in a circle all around Eli.

I can't wait to watch Eli imitating big brother as he grows! :)

2 Week Check Up!

Monday, Eli had his first appointment with the pediatrician. It was basically his 2 week check-up!

I was a little nervous about heading to the doctor the first thing in the morning (and the first day Matt was back, no less!). But, with a little prayer, we actually made it...uh, ok, 5 minutes late!

He weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. which means he's been gaining an ounce a day over the weekend...and would you believe he has already grown 1/2 an inch! (He's now 20.5 inches).

I love the fact the doctor noticed he's got a little double chin already. Healthy, chunky, squeezable little cheeks!!!

The kids were AMAZING! Ian wanted to bring his doctor kit with him, which was too cute! He kept repeating, "It's Eli's turn at the doctor, right Mom? I'm not getting a shot, right? They are just looking at Eli, and they are not giving him a shot either. Is that what's happen?" I think this was more of a mantra to reassure himself, haha!

We waited a while in the exam room. They were so well behaved, I'm still not sure I believe it! I took these pictures later when we got home, but they do show pretty much the same thing that was going on in the room. Ian and Zoe were taking turns with the doctor's kit items to give Eli his check-up. Even cuter, was when the doctor came in, Ian continued to "help" her check him out at the same time!

Here Eli is getting a band-aid after his shot.

Zoe listened to his heart...err-stomach.

She needed a consult, since the heart sounded a little gurgly. ;)

I'm so thankful our first outing...the FOUR of us (gosh, that's so weird to say!)...went so well!

Two weeks later, our hearts are still growing with love for little Eli. We are so immeasurably blessed! :)

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare His praise? - Psalm 106:1-2

Zoe Turns 2!

I feel older the more my children grow, and the more that I find myself saying, "They grow SO quickly!" But, there's not too much more that I could possibly add to that! Some time in the upcoming week, I'll write Zoe's birthday letter. But for now, a slideshow with some highlights of the past year...

...and a wonderful birthday celebration!

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY, ZOE! We love you so much! :)

Never Say Never...

You said you'd NEVER say what your mom said...

I will pull this car over RIGHT NOW.

Because I SAID SO!

Don't make me come over there.

(And a bunch of other things that I know are completely ineffective, yet somehow manage to slip out anyway).

But truly, you'll NEVER believe what comes out of your mouth as a parent.

Zoe, spit out that apple sticker. You don't eat the stickers on fruit!

Ian, take the pretzel out of your ear. (But I'm eating it, Mom). You do NOT have teeth in your ear! (Oh).

(Yucky. Trash!). Zoe, dirty clothes go in the laundry room, not the trash.

Ian, that is a nice baby doll, please make it be nice to people. (The baby is making bad choices, Mom). Then for goodness sake, put it in time out and stop hitting Zoe over the head with it! (But you are the Mommy).

We have to print the coloring sheet off the computer before you can color it, Zoe...put the pencil down away from the computer monitor.

Zoe, eat your yogurt. (I paint). No, EAT. (No, PAINT!). EAT. Yum, yum! (PAINT. Painty, painty!).

WHO put the pennies in the van DVD player?!

Ian! Zoe! Stop licking the dog!

Get your foot out of the potty, Zoe.

And, what made me think of writing this post...tonight, I overhear Matt saying in the bathroom:

Zoe, don't dunk your cookie in the bath water and eat it!!

Never say never...just say a bunch of other things you never thought you'd say! :)