Booger Bear & Boo Bear Theiss

My boo bear- a little over a year old and what is he up to?!?!?

-He is waving, clapping and WALKING!
-When playing he will often look back at me after he has accomplished something to make sure I saw....he gets the BIGGEST grin on his face and then turns back to continue.
-He HATES it when we leave the room
-He sleeps around 12 hours at night...goes to bed at 7pm.
-He would LOVE to take 2 naps, but since his big brother goes down at noon, mommy makes him stay up so that they will BOTH go down at the same time
-He just started standing up on his own
-He has 3 teeth fully in and one top that just broke through
-He has been going through a super fussy stage...mad at life! :)
-He loves music and loves to play his little shaking musical instruments
-He says "uh-oh" and then a bunch of other babble stuff- he might have said some other real words, but I can't tell!
-He LOVES his big bubba!
-He still has his pacifier- however, mommy is trying to phase it out
-He is sitting forward in his carseat now
-His favorite food is chicken nuggets (he has become quite the picky eater!)
-He loves outside and loves the swinging at the park
-He does great at riding in the front seat of the powerwheel
-I has QUITE A FIERCE temper....when he doesn't get his way he gets MMMMAAAADDDD!!!!


What's my Booger Bear up to?!?!?! He is a little over 2.5 years old and.......
-He is talking up a STORM! This child talks all day long, "look mommy, watch me, what's that, WHOOOAH," are some of the usual's, but he pretty much talks like a normal person except it might be hard for the normal person to understand him :)
- He LOVES to drive his "big truck". "Drive my big truck, mommy?" is what I hear EVERY-SINGLE-WAKING-HOUR! Literally :) We will be driving in the neighborhood home from Wednesday night church....it is pitch black and 8:30 at night and he will ask to drive his big truck. ha!
-He drives his truck off road to the park...super fun...and I ride my bike to keep up
-He goes to bed anywhere from 7:30-8 and wakes up around 6:30-7
-He has gone through a spell of waking up at night crying....thinking it's bad dreams
-He LOVES his little bubba, however he is entirely too rough with him right now. Pushes him over trying to rough-house and then Beckham gets hurt!
-He loves playing the instruments to music too
-He loves to pee in the grass and I will sometimes catch him trying to in public...oops...bad habit!
-He looooooves Jumpaloozas
-He is starting to get where he is not so shy at "fun" places. At Chuck E. Cheese he gave Chuck the rat a high-five...something he would never have done in the past- he would have screamed!
-He loves his room and his tent...wants everyone to go in his room
-He loves to sit on the couch and watch movies at night. This is when I get snuggle time....LOVE IT!!!


Ok, well, I think this is a good update....lovin' these boys so much I can't stand it!!!! They are SUCH a treasure to me and I am SOOO grateful that God entrusted ME and Blake with them!!!!! HEAVEN!!!

One year ago today....

Beckham,

This time, one year ago, your daddy and I were rushing around getting ready to drive to the hospital to go meet you for the very first time. It was exhilarating and scary all at the same time! Here I was- already a mother to a 20 month old and loving my life with him and just him....I couldn't imagine loving another baby as much as him and then midnight hit and it was October 8th and I heard your scream for the first time. Wow- did my life change. I will be honest- the first few months of your life you were not exactly the dream baby....however, it was amazing how even though you were so grumpy and frustrated all of the time- when you would stare at me, I would fall in love with you all over again. Then- I will never forget. We were sitting in the back seat of my car in the Wal-Mart parking lot and I was feeding you...Parker watching a movie....and you pulled off on your own and smiled at me....oh my goodness, you had me hooked! From then on you officially became my "boo bear". The easiest way for me to get you to smile was to say "boooooo" while changing your diaper. So, boo bear it was. I was even amazed at how high pitched my voice could get when I would see you. You had become the-happiest-baby-on-this-Earth....and your smile was so contagious people couldn't help but laugh when they saw you. Now, today, as I am sitting here on the eve of your 1st birthday, I can't believe it has been one solid year of Beckham! Boo- I love you more than you will ever know and I can't imagine life without you. I can't wait till morning hits and I can go grab you out of your bed and hug and kiss you on your special day. Tomorrow, Boo....it is ALL ABOUT YOU.

I LOVE YOU!!!!
Mommy

Life isn't always a picnic

Today, on my way to the duck pond with my little boys to have our dinner picnic, we passed the elementary school where I saw a little football team playing. It hit me- so often when we have little children it's so easy to think "once they get older life will get easier"...well, I'm not so sure about that now. When kids get older they start getting into sports, music, school, birthday parties, swim team, etc. Moms are running from one place to the next and a picnic at the duck pond for dinner is the last thing on their agenda. It really caught me off guard today. I am in such an innocently sweet period of life with my children. We sat at the duck pond, eating our dinner, experiencing life together. When Parker was done, he got up and was running around pushing his grocery cart and then BEGGED to run across the little bridge they have. What lit up my little boys eyes, was getting to run across the bridge...wow, so preciously sweet. So innocent...
We enjoyed ourselves a little longer and then loaded Parker's grocery cart up with our dinner items and then walked back to the car. On my way back to the house, I thought...I can see myself 8 years from now, life whirling by, driving by the duck pond seeing a mother out there with her little pre-school children and missing so desperately these years. What a JOY FILLED time of life these sweet tender years are; watching my boys experiencing life with such excitement and joy. There is nothing quite as wonderful or amazing. Well, we pulled the car into the garage and I got in the back seat to start getting Beckham out and I just sat there for a second making funny noises with my mouth. Both of my boys were staring deep into my eyes, laughing so hard. They think I am the cat's meow. They think I am so funny and whatever silly thing I do brings so much joy to them. Mmm....will it always be this way? Doubtably. They will grow up and it will be harder for me to make them laugh...I won't always be able to snuggle with them curled up on the couch watching a movie together.

Slow down....watch your children grow....don't wish this time away....cherish each day.

He is 11 months old!!!

My Boo is now 11 months old!!! What does this mean??? It means that next month he will be 1!!!!! Wow, life is getting so much fun! So what is he up to?

-He has 2 teeth in and 1 top tooth about to make it's entrance
-He crawls like crazy, including his crab crawl like the one in the picture
-He stands up on his own and he has tried to take steps by himself, but is unsuccessful. He does well walking while pushing a toy around.
-He takes 1 big nap a day sometimes 2
-He goes to bed at 7 and will wake up usually once around 3-6 and then go back to sleep till 7 or 8.
-He eats real food and doesn't really eat baby food.
-He says, mama, dada, buh buh and uh-oh and sometimes thuh thuh thuh...
-He LOVES it outside
-He likes to be held!!
-He loves electrical outlets and unplugging things and then laughs at me when I tell him NO NO!
-He has a pacifier and typically only uses it when he is going to sleep or tired
-He wears 9 and 12 month clothes...some 6-9 month still too.
-He used to eat everything in sight, but now he is starting to think he has a choice about what he eats!
-He loves his bath time
-He LOVES getting rubbed down with baby lotion!
-He loves door stoppers
-He loves to go down Parker's little slide in the back yard
-He loves reading CERTAIN books
-He is still such a happy boy
This little boy is a piece of sunshine!!! I just want to eat him up every day of my life. I love holding him and snuggling, I love rocking him, I love reading books to him, I love talking to him, I love playing with him. He's my boo bear! Happy 11 months my sweet baby!!!! I love you more than you will ever know!!!!!

Today

Some sweet things I love about my boys, I need to write down so that I don't forget them :)

-One of my favorite things in the world is after I feed Beckham at night, I give him his pacifier and he snuggles up on my chest while I rock him....I looooooove that time....I love snuggling with him.
-Watching Parker help daddy pick up the yard clippings. He was SO proud of himself at how strong he was to carry those big clippings over to their pile. I also, love how Parker loves our little life...he loves sitting out on the drive way...or us sitting out there watching him play. He loves putting his sippy cup in the cup holder spot on our folding chair like a big boy.
-How excited Parker was today to watch me play the flute
-How Beckham gets SO excited to see me, or daddy, or anyone really :) Last night at church, the nursery lady was holding him and I walk up to him and he got so giddy and happy, I just wanted to squuuuuueeeeeze him and kiss him as much as I could!
-I love how when I say "where's mommy, Beckham?" he looks right at me.
-I love how you can call Beckham and he will crawl so excitedly to you
-I love how when we tell Parker something and we say "ok?" at the end of our statement...he will say "yes mommy".....it's SOOO cute
-He was SOOOO precious today...just so obedient and so good; it made me SO proud of him. I know he will have his rebellious days and I know he will have his days where he is terrible, but man...today- I will cherish :)
-I love how I bought Parker a new sippy cup today and he was SO excited about it...so proud of it and loved drinking out of it.
-I love how enamored Parker is with me right now. He wants my attention all of the time, "look mommy!!!", "Mommy, what's that?", "Mommy, look at me!", "Mommy, I did it!", "Mommy, play in my room?", "Mommy, jump on your bed?", "Mommy, I get my stool (to help me cook)". "Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy!!".....I just LOVE that he loves being around me and spending time with me and showing me things and wanting me to watch him and be amazed by him. :)

OK, well, that's enough for today. It was a great day. I just love my boys soooo much.

he thinks I'm a failure....but does HE?

Everyday I wake up I look at myself...I pull my big girl panties up and I start my day excited to spend it with my little sunshines. I think it's apparent that I LOVE being a mommy, I LOVE time with my little family and I cherish the moments not wanting to lose this precious sweet time. However, everyday, there is this inner voice...he points out everything I do wrong as a mommy. He points out when I lose my temper or when I am frustrated with my boys, or when I am not the housewife I know my husband wants....he points out that I am a failure as a mommy and reminds me of every fault at the end of the day. Cathy, you lost your temper, you didn't read books to Beckham, you didn't spend enough quality time with Parker, you are selfish, you didn't pick up the house the way Blake wants it, you didn't make life fun today for your kids and you might as well give up trying to be a good wife or mother because it won't happen...you are too much of a failure. That is what I listen to a LOT and recently I have realized that is what Satan is telling me...he wants me to think I am a failure....but HE, my heavenly Father, DOESN'T! The Bible tells me in Philippians 4:8 that whatever is TRUE, whatever is HONORABLE, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything WORTHY OF PRAISE, think about these things. The Bible also tells me that Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. He, Satan, wants to destroy me...he wants me defeated and he wants me to give up...WHY? Because I am the very one that spends one-on-one time with my children...my boys...everyday- teaching them about Jesus and what it is to live a life of freedom and joy and power...and teaching them to live on mission! So how can my boys learn to love Jesus with all of there hearts and how can they learn to live in freedom and on mission if their mommy has been in bondage and defeat all of their life. Satan wants my joy stolen, he wants my excitement in raising my boys to be killed and the very way he can achieve that is by attacking my view of myself as a mother. If I feel like a failure every day- I am going to start truly believing that and then start living in failure. When I mess up...when I lose my cool or when I am not acting like "super mom"- it doesn't mean that I have failed as a mother- it doesn't mean that my children will be screwed up because of the times I fail them. I WILL FAIL- it's going to happen- but what I need to be FOCUSED on is what to do AFTER I fail...do I wallow in it, or do I get back up- confess my sin to my heavenly Father...know that HE has FORGIVEN me, know that I am no longer under condemnation (Romans 8:1), claim it and then turn around and live in victory! I am NEW again...when I feel like a failure I cannot enjoy my boys the way I do when I am living a spirit filled life...a life of victory and joy- and I can ONLY gain that when I have my focus on the Lord and HIS POWER!!!!
Satan may think I am a failure....but I know HE, my heavenly FATHER does NOT, and I know that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is FREEDOM and I PRAISE GOD that I have His Spirit in me. It's a CONSTANT battle...the Bible tells me that it will be a constant battle. I know that I will need to remind myself DAILY of this, but that's how God WANTS it. He wants me to have to come to Him DAILY to be reminded of the power I have to live in Him and I hope that I will never be at a place in life where I don't need my daily drink of the living water to survive.

Praise be to God....thank you Father for helping me express my heart in this journal- thank you that I now have a written piece of my heart that I can come back to and remind myself of and most of all THANK YOU that no matter what Satan throws at me...you have power and dominion over all rulers and authorities in this world!

He said I was pretty....

I hope I never forget the times where my sweet Parkerman caresses my hair and says "Mommy's pretty"......every time he does that my heart MELTS!