Long Time Coming

December 8th! Really?!? Wow. I knew it had been a while since I had posted anything but didn't realized so much time had passed. I blame it entirely on lack of sleep...and laziness.

Almost three months later, I still don't have much to say, but I do have two growing boys.

Eli is nine months old and I cannot believe how fast his first year is going. He is a big boy at almost 30 inches long and 23 pounds. He is trying to crawl but that is a lot of mass to try to move. He adores music and shakes his thang at the slightest beat. If he is standing up, he really gets into it and we love his enthusiasm. He is quite the bundle of giggles and grins. You can see for  yourself.



Jude is almost two and a half and talks non-stop. No, really. I mean it. He never stops talking. A few of my favorites thus far have been while he's talking to Tim & I he'll say, "Hey Guys, let's just hang out and talk." or "Hey Guys, what are you talking about?" if we are, God forbid, not including him in a conversation. He is a sponge and most of the time I love it. When I hear him walking around the house saying, "Oh, darn it!" for no reason or "Oh my gosh" in a full valley girl accent I don't like it as much because my ridiculousness is exposed before my eyes.

He is having a blast learning how to ride a balance bike. He is picking it up well and the other night stayed in the backyard riding until dark. He asks me daily to video him and then show it to him. When he watches it, he starts laughing and says, "There's Jude! Jude is riding fast!". 



Our days are full and we spend as much of them as possible outside. We all thrive out in the fresh air, rain or shine. Here are few shots of our most recent shenanigans.

Nap. Check.

Mama, what are you doing?

I heart the beach, especially the sand.

Sand. Oh, blessed sand.

Not appreciating the sand in his snack.

Playground fun.

Love.

Christmas Trees and Whatnot

2011 has been a year of tremendous blessings in our home. First and foremost, Eli entered our family in a surprising, but healthy and exuberant manner. One week before his arrival, Tim successfully defended his Master's Thesis in Electrical Engineering and I got to be there for the presentation. It was such a blessing to sit like a (hugely pregnant) fly on the wall during what was the culmination of countless late nights and hard work. I am immensely proud of his perseverance and endurance.

In addition, 2011 has also been a year that has stretched us. It held unseasonably high expenses. Perhaps we should have seen the writing on the wall this time last year when our heater went out. I looked at Tim and said, "Can we call the Landlord?" Yeah...we bought the house a year and half earlier and of course the initial purchase insurance had expired six months prior.

Replacing the HVAC ended up being the beginning of a long line of unexpected debits - thank the Lord for savings. We are so thankful God had provided for us throughout the years and allowed us to save so that we could tread through the extras without fainting entirely as each bill arrived. Although, there were a few that did take my breath away. In the last month, we sat down to look at and then recreate our budget. A season of deliberate, mindful saving is before us.

With that said upon looking back over the last couple of years, we haven't been diligent stewards and have not paid sufficient attention to where we were spending money. It is no great shock to me that God is taking us through a period of evaluating our needs versus our wants.

Honestly, I am enjoying this time of reflection and reevaluation. Well, I enjoy it when it is easy. I don't enjoy it when I need to forgo an over priced coffee that I used to spoil myself with weekly or the adorable dress that is on super sale but I do not need or have specific reason to buy.

Life is full of seasons and that is my mantra lately in so many areas of our life whether feast or famine. Speaking of seasons, it is Christmas time and one of the most magical times of the year. (Did you enjoy that transition:) ) Like many of  you, one of our festive Christmas outings is getting a tree. There is something so special about picking out a tree, dramatically driving it  home without it flying off on the freeway and then trying to position it just right in the tree stand - "a little to the left, sweetie....no, back to the right...okay, now a bit forward...back to the left..."

Well, this year we headed to the tree farm with our budget in mind and were unsettled at the thought of spending anywhere from $50 to $80 on a tree especially when we will be traveling a lot this month. We walked around and took some photos, but couldn't bring ourselves to shell out the cash.  I realize that we sound bah humbug but it is what it is.

Tim and I put our heads together and came up with a diy Christmas tree. It doesn't have pine needles or smell wonderful, but it was thought up with love and consideration for the season. Holidays (and everyday) are about making memories and investing in ways that last. I think I will always remember this year's "tree". The best part is that I honestly love how it turned out. I just might keep the branches around year round - tamed down anyways.

Merry memory making!

With just the glittery ornaments (favorite)

With added memory ornaments

Drumroll, please...

I don't think we ever properly introduced our second not-so-little bundle of joy. It has been a little over six months since he joined the Whitacre clan and I never got my act together enough to send out a baby announcement.

So, drumroll please...

We are so proud and thankful to announce the six monthaversary of  the vivacious Elijah Ryan Whitacre. He was born on May 20, 2011 at 8:55pm. He weighed in at 7 pounds 9 ounces and 20.5 inches long. He sported a full head of dark hair and captured our hearts from day one.

Eli, as we call him, is a fun loving kid. He loves to laugh especially at Kona, Asia and most of all his big brother, Jude. He is pretty easy going and loves to be held. He likes to be tossed around and "rough-housed". When he is tired he sucks his thumb - adorable! He makes crazy sounds including a not so adored screeching/high pitched scream when he really wants some attention or when he gets very excited. He is sitting up, but doesn't do much purposeful rolling. Crawling...what's that? Most remarkably he has already had six hair cuts and he still has a mop of hair.

Six months later we can't imagine life without him.

Our Little Dinosaur

Eli is a joy. Really, we are enjoying him immensely. He is a very happy and curious baby. He loves sounds, people and the outside. His favorite things are his big brother and his dog.

On the note of him liking sounds, he also loves to make sounds. At the beginning of October he was making these strange growling/talking noises that have since developed into what I would call a screaming witch sound. It can be a bit unnerving these days but he is content as can be and I think he might even think he sounds good. I don't want to burst his bubble just yet. Although, Jude  has on occasion told him he is being too loud.

Lucky for you, I can't find a video of the witch call so here is a clip of our little dinosaur "talking" to his brother (or anyone who will listen).

Jude Update

I knew I hadn't written in quite some time, but recently visited our site and saw that the last post was Jude's dramatic morning. It is time to update that situation.

We saw a dermatologist in SLO and were told the growth was a pyogenic granuloma. It is a blood vessel that makes its way out of the skin's surface and becomes an outgrowth. It isn't anything of concern, but is problematic in a two year old because it will bleed incessantly with the slightest touch - duely noted and experienced. We were told we could try to hold him down and keep him perfectly still for an in office removal or as they suggested go to Stanford for a "conscious sedation" and have it removed while he is not fully present.

My wonderful sister-in-law works for a local, highly reputable dermatologist. She ran the options by the doctor and the doctor felt that she could very easily take it off locally and there was no need for Stanford. Thank goodness! We figured it was worth a try.

The morning of the appointment we talked to Jude about going to see the doctor and having his bump removed. He was glad it would be coming off as he would complain of it bothering him periodically. The best part was that his Auntie DeDa would be helping.

He sat on Daddy's lap and cried for about one minute when the numbing shot was given. Then we put a Curious George DVD, his favorite, in front of him and in about five minutes the doctor was done with the removal and cauterization. He is still boasting a red scar, but it is slowly diminishing. There is a twenty percent chance of it coming back, but it is very treatable.

Other than heart failure during the first incident, I think we have all come away in good shape. Jude is doing great and loving life - especially motorcycles, airplanes and helicopters.

Here is a more recent picture of Jude with chocolate (not blood) all over his smiling face.

First Scare

Tim with His Mini-Me's

I have been debating whether to write about this or not, but alas I have chosen to share the drama of last Tuesday morning. It actually started a little after midnight on Monday night.

We heard Jude start crying, which is fairly normal for him. I guess I fell asleep (the product of two and a half months of disjointed sleep) I woke up about an hour later and realized he was still crying off and on. This was surprising. Then I heard him ask for water. I woke Tim and asked him to get Jude water. He stumbled into the kitchen and went into Jude's completely dark room, handed him the water and came back to bed. A few minutes later, Jude was quiet and back asleep.

Tim left early on Tuesday morning to meet some guys for a morning Bible Study so when I  heard Jude talking and calling for me at 6:30am I knew I was on duty. I was standing outside his door listening to him and realized that he was saying, "Mommy. Yucky. Wash." "Hmmm....this can't be good", I thought. It wasn't.

I opened his door and greeted him as I turned on the light. To my utter shock, his face, hands and pajamas were covered in blood. Yes, you read that correctly - B L O O D.  There was blood on his bed sheet and bloody hand prints on the crib railing. I took a deep breathe and kept in mind that he was standing and talking happily, but my stomach was in my chest and my eyes were filling with tears. I tried to keep my voice calm and steady for Jude and told him we needed to clean him up. First things first, I called Tim and asked  him to come home asap.

Let's back up a bit...in late June, Jude got a red spot on the left side of his jaw back near his ear. It began to stick out a bit and then by the end of July had significantly increased. In mid-July the doctor told me to watch to see if it grew. Boy, did it! In three weeks it tripled in size. I am pretty sure it will be diagnosed as a Hemangioma when we see the dermatologist.

Back to Tuesday morning. Jude's red "bump" as he calls it had either burst in the night or he had picked it and broken it open. However it happened, it was quite a bit of blood for a twenty two month old. I took a picture of Jude before I "cleaned" him up because I wasn't sure what the doctor would need to know and I am not great with blood or anything medical for that matter.

Enough Said

Holy Cow

Tim then walked in the door as Jude was beginning to eat some banana bread (good sign that he was hungry and wanted food pronto). As we were discussing what to do, Jude stood up and said "Wow" and acted like he was dizzy. I flipped at the thought of him being light headed so we all got in van and started driving to the ER.

At the end of our street, we paused and looked at each other. After our recent ER experience, we wanted to stop and think about what was best and what was necessary. We decided to make our first stop Tim's sister Linda's house. She works at a dermatologists office so we figured she'd have some insight into what we should do. At this point I should stop to say that this is the story from my perspective and not Tim's. I'm pretty sure he knew Jude was fine once he saw him eating the banana bread.

Linda cleaned him up and stopped the bleeding and we all returned home. Jude watched some Curious George while I gained my sanity and Tim eventually left for an appointment. We saw the doctor later that day and will be pursing further diagnosis through a possible CT scan.

I was hoping the hemangioma would shrink with all the blood loss, but it hasn't. It looks worse than before. Jude is just fine and up to all his antics, jokes and silly faces. Though he does touch his "bump" and ask me to cut it off. Maybe someday, Kiddo, but it ain't gonna be Mommy.

Jude, you are a courageous little man and we love you so much.

Camping with Kids

Every year, the Whitacres and Friends meet in Big Sur for a summer campout. Last  year, Jude and I were in Austin, Texas visiting my BFF since elementary school so we didn't make it. Thus, 2011 was our inauguration into camping with kids. Let me just say that it is a whole new world for us. We had a great time and Jude especially thrived (during the daylight hours). On that note, I think it took us the same number of days to recover from camping as the number of days we actually camped.

The best part about this annual trip is the people. Tim's brother Brian and his family fly out from Tennessee and friends come from far and wide to enjoy their company. Jude got to hang out with his cousin Rose (Brian's ten month old daughter), as well as the other adorable and "same as cousins" kiddos Edie (5), Clara (2), Emery (21 months), and Everette (8 months).

We look forward to and plan for this trip every year and it has without fail been a very special time each summer. This year we lucked out on a river site which as a huge blessing of white noise for the kids while they slept.

Our days were spent playing with the kids in the dirt, water, tents or the back of the van. We sat, ate, slept, walked, talked and mostly enjoyed a slower pace of life for a few days. Of course, we managed a few trips to the camp store for ice cream before dinner.

Jude's favorite activities included throwing rocks into the river, wading in the river and jumping off tree roots. Eli's favorite activities included watching the wind in the trees and being held all the time.

I think the thing I will remember most about the 2011 Big Sur campout is the fact that we got yelled at by our neighbors on the first night because Jude was screaming bloody murder and we couldn't calm him down. It was epic! Eli slept through it so I don't know why the neighbors couldn't:) I'll have you know the consecutive three nights were much better - Praise the Lord.

Here's to many more Big Sur campouts over the years and to watching our kids grow up together (which means we'll be growing old together)...