What a weekend! 

 Mom came down to IA last week Wed. night…such a fun time that went by way to quickly!

 Wouldn’t you know it, I make a comment Thursday morning asking Mom if she remembers when Nick got his first two teeth.  — We were shopping that day and just about to go into Old Navy.  Nick was crabbin’ a bit in the back seat, and Mom was reaching back to pop the nuk back in his mouth when she says “Michelle, Nick has a tooth!”  Make that two teeth, and I never even expected it!  He was still sleeping ok and was never overly fussy. — So we get the boys ready and head off to Iowa City for some shopping (since the weather was crappy and we couldn’t be outside) and low and behold – my Mother finds Nathans first tooth!!  I am the worst mother!  Not that we weren’t expecting it from Nate – he has been waking us up at a minimum 4 times a night and wants to chew on everything that gets near his mouth – but I couldn’t believe that Mom did it again – ha!  Stories to tell the boys when they grow up, how Grandma always found their first teeth. =)

So Nates first tooth came on June 21 (Daddys 34th birthday!) and his second tooth arrived on June 23d…if only that child would be willing to sleep more!

So back to Mom – the whole weekend the weather was crap – we did a lot of shopping, and eating out (always fun!) and then she left yesterday =( and today was back to work again.  Oh well, we have the July 4th holiday to look forward to next week (and that should go by just as fast I’m sure!).

 One last thing – cute Nick saying – Brian was giving Nate a bath last night and Nick was ‘helping’.  I passed by the bathroom to get Nates pjs and I here Nick saying “He’s so cute!” in his little boy voice.  Ahhh love them I do!!!

Wow!  Time has been flying!  So I started another week of work yesterday, and I can truly say that I love my job.  I am constantly busy and the potential to learn something new and still work on the numbers side of paperwork (if that makes any sense) is an awesome thing to me.  It also has been amazing how it has worked with the boys – our evenings go by so fast, however they are so full of playing, going and doing – it’s just great!

 Nathan – you little stinker, you started eating your feet yesterday!  I caught it on camera…you were so cute (and so flexible!).  You are so amazingly excitable now!  It is obvious when you are happy or excited about something because you are either jumping in my arms (or whoever is holding you) or beating your hands in the air – hard to describe, but with your amazing smile on your face, you are just beautiful!

 Can’t wait – tomorrow is my Friday since I have the rest of the week off because Mom is coming down to see us – wooohoo!! 

Wow, it has really been a busy past three days!!  I started work on Thursday, and I really think I am going to love it!  I never knew how busy Payroll could be!  It was kind of hard when I came home from work and Nicholas and Nathan were so happy to see me and I thought, “Man, I have really just missed out on their whole day!” but then Nick was on the deck and the radio was playing there, and Brian and I were talking inside, and I heard Nick saying “Mommy, Mommy! Lets dance, lets dance” and I went outside, and it just about brought tears to my eyes (I don’t cry easy) when I heard Ushers ‘Yeah’ song on.  This is the song that I danced around the living room too, when I was pregnant with Nick.  It was about a week before I had him, and I danced around the room rubbing my huge belly, telling ‘him’ to come on out.  Ever since then, whenever I have heard it or played it, I have told him that it was OUR song, and the fact that he heard it and remember that….well, lets just say that we danced our bums off right there on the deck!! =)

 Today we brought the boys to the waterpark (1st time this year!).  Nick is just so much fun, he just has such a little personality, and he remembers so much!!  Between the jumping and the swimming and going down the slide, and more jumping and swimming, it was a great afternoon!  After, we came home, the boys had a nap, and then we went to church.  After church, Nicholas and I ran (well, I ran while holding Nick) through the sprinkler.  As we were fully dressed, we were very wet, but it was so much fun!

 Nate is just a peach these days…he is getting so big!  He loves to laugh and be tickled.  He is just starting to love jumping (while you hold him) which he never gets tired of doing, it seems!  You can tell now, how excited he gets when he sees either Brian, myself or Nick…it is just too cool!

 It is amazing how much of a blessing it is to be able to hear your children laugh…  =)

So last night I had a little melt-down before going to bed.  Tomorrow I am going back to work, and while I am so excited, I am also feeling emotional about leaving my babies.  I have come to the realization though that this will be such a good thing for Nick – playing with other kids, and learning more skills on a social level prior to kindergarten and Nate will just love having so many other kids playing around him.  I am absolutely positive though that I am going to miss Nick more than he will actually miss me (he will probably just do his usual – “bye mommy, see ya later!”) and that this either happens now, or when he actually does go to school for the first time…or (and more likely) it will happen at every milestone my boys go through and for the rest of their lives…I love you guys so much!!!

the boys  (Nick 3yrs / Nate 6mo)

Yeah!!!  We had our garage sale this morning and it is over with…until the 23d when we will try it again (hey, at least most of my stuff is already marked, and now I have two more weeks to find more things that I don’t need and that are taking up space!).

 It was graduation day for Nick this afternoon…where he graduated from a car seat to a booster.  What a big boy!  He thought it was pretty cool.  Nate is now in Nicks old car seat (facing the rear) and has to get used to it still (I remember it took Nick a bit too).  I can’t believe that Nate is already 6 months old!!  Where has the time gone (and why hasn’t my baby belly gone with it — this said while I am eating ice cream – ha!).  =)

Ahhh!  I have been so busy with the garage sale (thank goodness it is over and done with tomorrow!) and getting ready (mentally & physically) for going back to work next Thursday I feel like I am loosing it!  It doesn’t help that Nathan has been really crabby lately.  The past week we have taken to calling him ‘100% Nate’ (I think 99 sounds better w/ the N but that number falls short) because if you can’t give him your full attention at all times he is a crank!  Frustrating!  That and the fact that Nick gets little to no attention then, and the poor boy – he is usually so polite and good – so when he does not listen or throws a fit, I have already had it and blow up.  I have (I think) been a good example of apologizing to him this week.  The only bright side I can come up with to all of this is that maybe this is Gods way of making me REALLY ready for work next week (Mommy needs a break from her 24/7 job so she gets another 40hr wk. job just for a break – ha!). 

No really, Nick for the most part has just been a peach this week.  Yes, we are working on ‘listening-the-first-time’ but he is always so polite and well mannered.  He makes my day – every day – with just the simple lovely things he says (yes mommy, ok mommy, you can do it mommy, watch tv with Nathan?, watch toons please, more milk please and my favorite, love you mommy).  My little man – I love you too!!