Preslie Shay @ 10 months

Preslie's 10 month stats:
Wt: 18 lbs 40th percentile
Ht: 28 inches 60th percentile
Head Circumference: 17 inches 50th percentile

Preslie is loving being able to crawl. She waited until she was 9 1/2 months to give it a shot.

I'm glad she waited so long before becoming mobile. She is into EVERYTHING!

If she sees me, she wants me to hold her. While it's a wonderful feeling to be loved, it's exhausting. But how can I resist this:

@ 10 months she is lovin...
crawling
playing with her big brother
saying momma and dadda
waving
learning to blow kisses
being outside
solid food!
2 long naps each day
shopping with mom
reading books

We love you Preslie Shay!

6 bullies and a girlfriend.

We are now in the third week of Kindergarten. Day 1 and day 2 went pretty well. On day 3 we were already pulling him out of class early to head to Utah for the weekend. I sign in at the office, they call the classroom and the teacher escorts him to me. As I'm waiting, I hear an all too familiar cry getting louder and louder. Uh Oh, this can't be good. It's not. He didn't get a stamp.

He has a folder that goes back and forth between home and class each day. Inside the folder is the monthly calendar, this is also the "behavior chart". You're good, you get a stamp. Youre bad, you don't get a stamp.

The teacher explained Carson's love for conversation. Be it in the hallway or during "lecture", he loves to talk. He didn't get a stamp as a result. He was devastated that JJ and I would be upset and disappointed. He was nearly inconsolable. The teacher probably wished she just would have stamped the darn calendar. I was embarrassed by his behavior.

On the way out to the car I took a deep breath and decided to stop. We sat together on the curb outside the school. I hugged him and affirmed him. It was a teachable moment. I later dealt with the issue. "Carson, can you tell me why you are talking in class when you're not supposed to?" His response? "Well, I'm just the kind of kid who has a lot to say. I think of things to say to my friends, so I need to talk to them". I laughed. And he learned from it all. He has gotten a stamp every day since. I even received an email from his teacher today telling me how great he is. Man that felt good.

As the school year approached, I didn't ask the Lord for the elementary's best teacher for Carson. I asked the Lord for a teacher who would love Carson. She does. And I'm grateful.

Truly, my favorite part of the day is picking him up from school. I put Preslie in the stroller and she kicks her legs in anticipation of seeing her big brother. And I can't wait for another opportunity to ask Carson about his day. I have to dig for details. But I love getting his take on the day:

The first week he told me there is boy who is always rough with classmates. He has even spit on a couple of the kids. Carson of course expressed how grateful he was to have not been one of the victims.

Last week Carson admitted to sharing with the class that his favorite food was "ice cream with poop on it. I won't say that again". And we laughed together...and then we talked about why he shouldn't have said it in the first place.

So far this week I learned that there are 6, yes, 6 bullies in his class. And, one of them wants to be his girlfriend. He is not impressed. And then this: "You know what I think is dumb? Addison says that she thinks I should be her boyfriend but that she plans on marrying somebody else. Isn't that dumb?" We laugh together all the way home.

And now he is sight reading some words. It blows my mind how quickly he is learning. Confirming for me that we did the right thing putting him in school now. He loves it. He is thriving and growing. And I am proud.

Last night we stopped at Old Navy. He held up a hoodie, it had a skull on it. I hate skulls. He knows it. I immediately said "Carson you know that we don't like skulls." "Mom, I am a boy. Boys like skulls. And skulls don't HAVE to be evil. Let me be a boy. I like this hoodie. Can I please get it?" JJ and I smiled at each other, shrugged our shoulders and said "OK". Well done Carson. You expressed yourself well and made a pretty good point. It's not about me anymore. It's about letting Carson grow up. Allowing him to make SOME of his own decisions and appreciating that as he is maturing.



I can't tell you how thrilled he was to wear this to school today. 87 is the high today and I'm quite certain he will still be wearing it when I pick him up.

Carson, you make me a very proud momma. I love you.

DYB and Remember whose you are...

Dropped Carson off at Kindergarten this morning. I was less sad and more proud than I had expected. A few tears fell as I sat in the car and looked at JJ and we realized what was happening as we began to drive away. He was ready, and I had no choice but to be ready too.

I'm praying for him this morning. Hoping so desperately that we trained him well. That he doesn't just know in his head what's right and wrong but that we trained is heart well.

It's less a moment of difficulty in letting go, although that's hard too, but reflecting on how we've gotten him to where he is now. Carson has lot's of "life" in him. People are drawn to him as a result. I believe too that it is because of Who his life is rooted in.

I want him to love people around him cause we love well at home. I'm grateful for how much we love at home. He knows this is his safe place. That no matter what is said or done to him at school, he gets to come home to a place where he couldn't be loved any better or bigger. Rooted in Jesus.

Thank you Lord for the gift of Carson. Who he is and what he's becoming. And ALL that you are going to do in his little life. May his deep and real love for you be radiant today as he tackles this big day. And for me, that I can be sure that his heart has been taught well because You are the center of all that we are.

So, after he pushed my hand away in my attempt to help him do his first bit of kindergarten "work" I swallowed hard and smiled. He's ready. With a kiss on the lips(I know that won't last much longer) I whispered "DYB!"(do your best) and "Remember whose you are". Something I heard over and over growing up. Thanks mom! :)

Glad we have more years of shaping him and training his heart. Being purposeful in taking time for teachable moments and heart lessons.

I know that I will be the first mom waiting outside today for the end of school bell to ring...

I love how much they love...

The past few weeks, Carson has shown a new interest in his little sister. It has been so fun to watch this develop. We aren't sure if it's him maturing, or that he enjoys her more now that she can interact. But, either way, we are loving watching him love his little sister. Every morning he races out of bed to find her. Then, they spend about 20 minutes together each morning.

But, it doesn't stop there! Carson loves to read to her, he loves to sit and play with her, he lets her sit in his room so she can watch him play, and sometimes he even dresses her up.

I never could have imagined just how much they would adore each other. Thanks Carson for being such an incredible big brother!

Growing growing growing!

Preslie's stats at her 4 month exam:

Weight: 13 lbs, 8 oz 50th percentile

Height: 24 1/4 inches 50th percentile

Head circum: 15 3/4 25th percentile

She has rolls from her arms down to her ankles and yet...she is considered "average".

She smiles the biggest smiles you've ever seen.

Her head is small, but her ears make up for that(thanks daddy!).

She finally decided to roll...twice. Otherwise, she is not in any hurry to be mobile. I'm okay with that.

She has however decided its time to sit up. She is LOVING that. And so are we!

She is the absolute sweetest happiest little girl ever! We love you Preslie Shay!

There are really 52 letters in the alphabet...

I have been working really hard with Carson on learning to identify the letters of the alphabet and all of their sounds. You don't just have to learn 26 letters, you have to learn 52! Upper case, lower case and all of their sounds. It's a tough thing to tackle. But these have been most helpful:

Alphabet flash cards! First we printed them off the computer, then we colored them. And now everyday we review them. At first I wasn't sure we were accomplishing much. We were in the car the other day and he said this:

"mom, me and Kennedy's name (she is the "mean girl" at preschool....probably worthy of a post in itself) both start with the same sound."

"That's right Carson! So, what letter do you think her name starts with?"

"Well, either a C or a K."

I almost started crying. Actually, I started screaming and he started laughing. Then he said "ask me more letters and sounds." So, I did. And he shocked me! It was like he was just holding out for this moment when he would choose to prove to me just how much he knows. So, we continue to review the flash cards everyday. But, our days are full of sounding out all of the things we do and see throughout the day. And, identifying the letters that make those sounds. It is music to my ears.

It is so fun to watch this little guy grow up. He will be 5 this year and I'm not sure how that happened. I'm so glad I was able to spend 4 years with just him.

Carson, thank you for being such a blessing to me. Thank you for helping me learn how to be a mom, and for being patient with me as I make mistakes along the way. You are my favorite little boy! I love you. And, I am so proud of you!

My Joy

She is absolutely precious. JJ will tell you that he could count on one hand the number of times he has really heard her cry. She is content. She is happy. She is our joy! And, she is 3 months old...already.

She loves to sleep! She sleeps through the night, and takes long naps during the day. When she is not sleeping, she is smiling and cooing. And...drooling! She is such a source of joy for all of us!