My testimony...

Currently I am going through a Colossians Bible study. One of my assignments was to write my testimony. So- being a goody too shoes all my life I sat down and prayed that God would show me what my testimony was and help me write one. Well, He did and here is what HE wrote......

When asked to give my testimony my usual response is, “I don’t have a testimony- I was saved very young and a goody too shoes all of my life”. I can’t tell you that I used to be addicted to drugs or that I had a near death experience or that I hated Christians and then converted to one….nope- all I can say is that when I was around 7 I gave my life to Jesus and have been serving Him ever since. However, as I have gotten older I am realizing that I do have a testimony- I have a testimony that tells people that even when you have been saved all of your life and been serving Jesus all of your life- you can still live a life filled with bondage and fear. That was and sometimes still is me.

Fear of everything….fear of sickness, fear of people, fear of God (in a bad way), fear of bugs, fear of the future…fear fear fear is what enveloped my life for so long. There were times when I would live in so much fear that depression would over whelm me. Here I was- everything going perfectly in my life- but scared that the “other shoe would drop” and all would go away and I would be devastated. So I couldn’t enjoy what God was doing in my life, because I was too fearful of what he might do to “teach me a life lesson” or discipline me.

It wasn’t until about 1-2 years ago that I realized how much bondage defined my life. I still struggle with it to this day- but God has taught me SO much about Him and my relationship with HIM! I realized that in order for this bondage to be broken I must spend quality time with him every-single-day or the freeing agent for bondage….the Spirit of God- has no power to work. I realized that I could truly believe that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”. I realized that I didn’t have to feel and act the way I had been acting. I didn’t have to be fearful- I didn’t have to be frustrated, I could actually have a different response to things through the Spirit- and it was just that easy…I could make a conscious decision to ACT DIFFERENTLY, because the Spirit of the Lord lives inside of me. I often times will wake up at 5:30 in the morning…now..I am one who believes that no one should be awake and functioning at 5:30 in the morning- however, when I wake up and can’t go back to sleep…for no reason…I realized that was God- gently waking me, telling me He has something for me to hear. It’s amazing the times that when I actually listen to God, and meet with Him when He asks me to- how intimate the time I have with Him is. He may not solve my problems, He may not give me an answer- but I know He has been with me and I know He has HEARD me and I know we had a moment…just me and God developing a relationship between daughter and Father. It’s amazing. It’s life giving, it’s freeing, it’s unexplained. All my life of a personal relationship with Jesus and I am JUST NOW seeing how freeing He is, how He truly is the living water…a continuous flow of life through me. “I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me….makes the lame to walk, and the blind to see- opens prison doors sets the captives free…I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me!”

Boo Bear is 7 months

Today is Mother's Day- and as an added bonus my boo bear turns 7 months!!! So what is my sweet baby Beckham up to these days?? Let's discuss all of the little things I wuv about my boo bear!

-When I sing my little "Where is Mommy" song (Where is thumbkin toon)- no matter what he is looking at or where he is looking his eyes will always find mine and he will have the biggest hugest smile!! I also sang this song to Parker to get him to start looking for me and now as I sing it to Beckham, no matter where Parker is in the house he will come RUNNING in and yell at me with a big huge smile!!! It's the best!
-NO matter what- this child, when he looks at me he will smile!
-When I walk up to him- he is starting to reach up for me to pick him up
-He is starting to pat things
-When someone else is holding him and I am in the room- he will stare at me.......it's the most endearing most precious thing, because I KNOW that will not last forever!
-After I feed him- if I just hold him and rock him laying on my chest- he will look up at me and just stare into my eyes....I LOOOOVE that....the most sweet precious moments!
-Beckham is one active dude....he is squirming and wiggling and rolling and constantly wanting to move- so when I get my quiet moments where he just sleeps in my arms- like at 4am when I feed him- it fills my heart up...even though I am exhausted at 4am- I find myself just holding him and rocking even when I could go ahead and put him down and go back to sleep.
-Last night- he was really fussy at bedtime- so I went in and got him and then rocked him- he actually let me rock him to sleep and I got to just hold him and stare at him...loving this baby so soooo much.
-He is eating food now- mainly apple sauce, mashed up bananas and oatmeal with almond milk. He's really eating that well.
-He LOVES his big bubba....everything Parker does is funny to him....it's SOOO cute!

Ok- well, that is my boo bear! Such a funny, happy little baby boy and one that this mommy loves loves loves!!!

The mommy of the mommy....

As a mother- I daily reflect on my childhood as things happen with my children- I daily think, how would my mom have handled this situation and how did I feel as a child when certain things happened.
So as mother's day is upon us, I began reflecting on my mom- and as I sit here tonight, writing about her- it brings such a warm flood of memories into my heart.
My mom- (and I refer to her in past tense, not because she is dead- because she is fully alive, but in reference to my childhood)- was such a tender soul. Strong disciplinarian- STRONG- stronger than I am- however, the only memories I have reference her as a quiet, gentle, SAFE mother that did nothing but comfort, love and care for us. I was a "doosy" of a child- I not only required WAY more discipline than my brother, but I also was so attached to my mom that she could hardly go to the restroom without me being in her business....in fact- I KNOW that she could NOT go to the restroom without me being in her business! I have memories of following my mom to the bathroom and talking to her while she was using the restroom, and of course, my mom the gentle soul that she was would lovingly respond and interact with me no matter where she was or what she was doing. I never once felt like I was bothering my mom- I felt the opposite- I felt like she wanted me to following her around the house talking non-stop about whatever life topics I needed to discuss.
My mom didn't really like to shop, do arts and crafts, ride loopy rides at Astro World, and didn't have a fondness for jewelry...I LOVED to shop, LOVED to do arts and crafts, LOVED rides at Astroworld, and LOVED jewelry! So, what did my mom do? She did all of the above. We would do all kinds of things together (things that I liked to do) even though it wasn't her "thing"- she would do them so that it would make me happy. She would take me, Jimmy, & Neil (our neighbor and might as well have been her adopted son) to Astroworld every Thursday during the Summer- we didn't miss a week- and Jimmy & Neil would go off and do their own thing- and mom and I would go ride the rides together....we would have so much fun- just she and I.....she was my best friend. As I write that, tears well up in my eyes- now, as I am a mother and look back on my childhood, I see the sacrifice that my mom gave every-single-day of her life for us kids. I see how she never once made me or my brother feel like we were a burden or that we made her sacrifice her desires so that we could have a wonderful life.
My mom gave me the gift of prayer. From as far as I can remember- my mom and I would pray about EVERYTHING! When my mom would spend too much money- she and I would sit on the couch and pray that dad wouldn't be upset...haha- (dad- don't take that wrong- it's because of your frugality that we had the life we did....love you! :)) that was just the beginning...we prayed over my hair, over school projects, or friends, over heartaches, over needs over events...we prayed and prayed and prayed! Such a sweet memory I have of praying with my mom- that was our FIRST reaction to everything....to pray.
My mom never once treated me like I was insignificant- I ALWAYS felt like she truly valued my opinion and what I had to say. She always treated me with respect- even though she was my mother and demanded that respect from me.
So- mom- I love you- as I look back on my childhood- I cannot think of one negative thing about you...I cannot think of one thing I would have changed about my childhood. I hope that this is a tribute to you as a mother and shows you how amazing you were and still are.

Happy Mother's Day to this mommy's mommy!

Sweet Beckham times...

I was rocking Beckham and whispering into his ear "I love you"....he would then laugh....it was the best best best!!! Cherishing those sweet Beckham moments!

My first potty training experience

Day 1 of potty training- Monday, April 18th, 2011 (Parker is 2 years and 2.5 months)

I explained that he was now going to pee in the potty, etc, etc. I put him in big boy underwear and off we went. Parker had his first accident and came and told me "Poo poo"...which he really meant pee pee....so that made me happy because he at least realized something wasn't right and we went and sat on the toilet and I changed his underwear. My sister-in-law suggested that I borrow their potty seat and move it to where ever we were in the house as a constant reminder to him to use the potty. So that is what we did! However, Parker did not get that pee pee was supposed to go IN the potty until right before bed when he was taking his bath...he started peeing in the tub and I immediately scooped him out of the tub and put him on his potty where he finished peeing...we were excited!!


Day 2: April 19th
He has gotten the concept that you pee pee in the potty!!!!!
We really haven't had any accidents today, and Parker has gotten to the point that he will go sit on the potty by himself and pee. I let him run around the house totally naked and every time he felt the urge he would go sit on the potty and pee. I would carry that potty seat faithfully everywhere we were (even in the car to the store) because if he needed to go..I was going to catch it!! I was amazed! It was a BLAST! Blake and I were even adventuresome enough to go to the grocery store with him and we were constantly asking him..."Do you have to go pee pee or poo poo??"...he would always say "NO!"...well, he really didn't- because he stayed dry and about 10 minute after we got home he came and told me he needed to go potty (he says "poo poo" for potty!! ha!) and he sat down and went! One thing I am going to have to work on is him pulling his underwear down by himself. Tonight, Blake was rocking Beckham (I had to leave and go to Bible study) and Parker came in with the little bowl insert from the potty and showed Blake that he had pee'd...Blake was a little confused because Parker's underwear were wet too- but later figured out that Parker hadn't pulled his underwear down to go pee- he just sat on the potty and pee'd through them! Guess that will be my project to work on tomorrow! I am a little nervous though- because I have to take both of them to Beckham's pediatrician appointment and I am going to be like white on rice with Parker and potty-ing!

So far- I am super encouraged. I really didn't think Parker was going to be ready at this age- but so many people told me to try, since Parker was showing SO much interest in it! So I tried and I am so glad that I did! Hopefully tomorrow I will feel the same way! :) Praise God for a good day! I will thank Him one-day-at-a-time! :)

I have truly loved staying home and focusing on this- not because I love potty training, but because I love getting to just hang out and have true one-on-one quality time with my boys. Play-dough, playing outside, playing in the sprinkler, watching him drive his powerwheel, playing blocks together, sitting in lawn chairs out front and eating apples together and blowing bubbles....it's Heaven! Such sweet sweet quality time...you couldn't pay me enough to give that up!! Ok- well- hopefully Day #3 will be a success. I am really nervous since I will be out and about with them all day....guess I will need to bring a lot of extra clothes!! :)


Day 3- April 20, 2011:
Today was another great day in the potty training world! Parker seems to have officially "gotten" the peeing part of potty training. We were outside and he was in the middle of hard core playing and suddenly looked up at me and said "Pee pee" and we ran him over to the potty and he pee'd! Amazing. He doesn't understand the pooping part yet. I think I am going to have to catch him in the act and put him on the potty for him to understand.

He was so cute tonight when I was putting him in bed...I was rocking him and all of the sudden he said "poo poo" and so I went and put him on the potty and he would look down into the toilet in between his legs and say "where'd the poo poo go??"- I would reply "it went down the drain...it went bye bye" and then he would say "bye bye poo poo"! ha! It was so extremely precious!!!!

Day 4- April 21, 2011:
Today we had a success moment with poo poo!! Parker told Blake he had to go poo poo and he sat down on the big potty and 30 seconds later there was poop!! YAY!!


He had several pee pee accidents today-but the last one he had, I told him that pee pee doesn't go on the floor it goes in the toilet and I pointed in the toilet that was 5 steps from where he had his accident :). So- after he woke up from his nap- I wasn't able to get into his room quick enough- so when I walked in he was sitting on his potty with his pull-up still on going pee in his pull-up. I thought- "well, at least he got the concept that he needed to sit on the potty!!" So tonight while Autumn and I were sitting at the dinner table eating dinner- Parker sat down on the potty and went pee pee...he stood up very proudly, pointed into the toilet and said "poo poo" and then started clapping!! haha...he knows now that pee pee in the toilet is something we should clap about!!! So as I go to bed tonight- I feel a sense of success...we ended on a good note- he pooped in the potty today and he peed on the potty 2 times tonight! :)

Day 5- April 22, 2011:

Today was a great day- we did have a poo poo and pee pee accident, however, my spirits are totally up. I know that Parker has the concept in his head it's just going to take some perfecting! Today we spent some time over at my parents house and we were out in their front yard playing when all of the sudden, Parker looks up at me and says "poo poo"??? So we run inside and he sat down and pee'd. I think I have realized that all of the times that Parker has gone to the restroom were on his own...he came up with the idea...and none of the times were when I asked him if he needed to go! OK- so I think tomorrow, I might try letting him tell me on his own!

One new thing he is doing is when he wakes up in the morning he will be screaming at his door "Poo poo off!!!!"...telling me to take his diaper off! Ha! Guess diapers aren't an option anymore other than at night!

Until tomorrow.... :)

Day 6- April 23, 2011:

Today we had a Theiss family reunion in College Station. I was a little nervous taking Parker and the potty seat; unsure of how he would do in an unfamiliar setting. He did great- we had one small accident- but over all he went pee on the potty twice while we were there. It took him a LONG time to have to go so we were all constantly asking him (even though yesterday I said I wasn't going to do that!).
On the way home from C.S. Parker said the magic word for potty "Poo Poo??"- so we pulled over in front of a fruit stand (not on purpose- it just happened to be where we could pull over the quickest) and I got the potty out and Parker out and pulled his pants down and had him sit on the potty....it was HIIIIILARIOUS!!! Parker kept looking behind him at the cars zooming by- then a van that had been visiting this little farmer's market pulled by to leave and it was a mom driving (kids in the back)- we made eye contact and both started DYING laughing!!! I had never met this mommy before and probably never will- however, she and I laughed like we were best friends!
So- to end the night- Parker and I were taking a bubble bath and he said "poo poo" again- so I put him out of the bath and he walked over to his potty and POOPED!!!! I didn't even look when he went because I thought it was just pee- but Blake came in and announced it when he saw! I was SOOO excited!!!!
So- we are on a roll with this potty training week! Tomorrow will be my last blog....tomorrow is church (Easter Sunday!)- so we will see how Parker does telling someone else he has to potty!

Wish me luck! :)

Day 7- April 24, 2011!!!

So- today is the last day of my week long venture of potty training. Obviously I am still going to be potty training Parker- but I have made it through the week and I will no longer be blogging about it!
So today is Easter Sunday- and we took Parker to church in his big boy underwear! He did GREAT! Not one accident and he even went potty at church! Tonight he went poo poo in the potty and we were SO excited about that!
He had a semi-accident when sitting on the potty to go pee- he managed to pee through the toilet seat and onto his underwear and pants...so even though he was going potty on the toilet, we still had to change his pants! :)

Well- I would have never imagined my week would have been this successful- praise God!!! I am SO excited to have survived the initial stages of potty training a toddler!

My Parkerman- what is he like

So what is Parkerman up to these days? He is a little over 2 and crazy as ever!

-The other day, he ran and got my Lilly Pads off my counter and came in to the kitchen with them stuck to his chest! haha!!
-He loves to "read" books in bed. Tonight- we sat in his bed while he read books to me...it was such a fun special time to just be with each other. Then, daddy came in and we had such a fun, sweet time just the 3 of us!
-He LOOOOVES bubbles...tonight we were playing with bubbles and one went flying away...watching him run across the yard chasing that bubble was one of the most PRECIOUS sights!!
-Tonight, after we read books in bed, I asked if he wanted to go night-night or for me to rock him..."wock" is what I got, and "rock" is what we did....it was heeeeaven!!!! Man-o-man do I enjoy rocking my baby boy- even though he is now so big on my lap, that I can barely hold him :(
-Talks on the phone, big time!
-He LOVES bubble baths! ("bubble baaa"!!)
-He's not potty trained, but VERY interested in it all. He comes and tells me when he has pooped
-He LOVES the guitar!
-He can now drive his powerwheel truck all over the place and reverse and I don't have to help him!

Some of his words...hard to remember all of them- he is talking SO much!
"Whoa, that's a BIG TRUCK"
"Where did he go?"
"Park!"
"Thank you (pronounced tant-to)" and "Please...(or Peas)"
"Gigi and Poe Poe"
"Daddy and mommy" (actually gets the right person with the right name now! ha!)
"HI mommy!!!!!!!" while running up to me! (This one melts my heart into 1 million joyous pieces!!)
"Ba-beans" (Black beans)
"Poo Poo"
"Pee pee"
Sings "Deep and wide" WITH the hand motions!
"night night"
"Nika (or Dika), Abby and Sranchroooo (Sancho)"
"Nemo"
"yellow and blue"
"Happy Plate!!!!" and then we sing our "Happy plate"song that I made up...
"Beebow" (Big mow...referring to Daddy's big mower)
We picked him up after being gone over a weekend and it was amazing how many more words he has. He is actually talking to us and I can understand what he is saying! Now we are getting into some sentences too. Such a blast!!

He definitely tests my authority MUCH more now, but the fun that comes with him growing up and getting more independent is unending! I must admit though- with each new phase, comes the new phase of me letting go of my baby boy more and more. It's soo hard- my heart is so attached and I know that I have to let him go and let him grow up and be a big boy and do things on his own- without mommy....but it's just sad sometimes!

So, that's my Parkerman...and what's happening with him! He's still the joy of my life along with his baby brother Beckham! Loving every minute of being a mommy!

6 months of Beckham fun!

So, my little sweet Beckham will be 6 months on Friday!!! What is he like now?!

1. He is sooooooooooo happy....smiles and steals the heart of anyone who stands in front of him!
2. He blows raspberries (i.e. SPITTING) all-of-the-time!!! Today, his shirt was SOAKED from blowing so many raspberries!
3. If it is in front of him- he will grab it- and put it in his mouth. The other day, I put a piece of broccoli up to his mouth to see what he would do...he grabbed it and shoved it into his mouth!
4. He loves to watch his mobile while laying in his crib. Several nights, I have put him in bed, wide awake staring at his mobile and he falls asleep on his own!
5. He sleeps 8-13 hours straight and will usually always get 12-13 hours accumulative sleep.
6. He still naps in his swing 2-3 times a day
7. He weighs around 18lbs.
8. He's not quite sitting up on his own, but getting very close
9. He rolls around the room...very seldom is he anywhere near the same spot I laid him down on the floor
10. He's still my little boo bear. I love him sooo soooooooooooo much- just the same as Parker- it's incredible how my heart expanded to love this new child. I love watching him grow up and I love getting to be the one to experience life with him every day!

I love you so much Boo Bear!!!