A Cute Morning

   After an "up and down, in and out of bed with both girl" kind of night, I fully expected this morning to be full of, well, cranky kids, and a cranky mommy and daddy.  Lack of sleep tends to do this!!  However, the girls were full of energy (of course!) and did some things that were so amazingly cute, we couldn't even pretend to be cranky!!
   We'll start first with Lynnsie.  We are in the process of trying to get her to stop sucking her thumb.  She really doesn't do it very often, but we are trying to limit it only to her bed.  So, when we see her sucking her thumb, we say "Lynnsie, don't suck your thumb." Being the very obedient child that she is (I've probably just cursed myself!!), she takes it out promptly.  So, this morning, when I told her to not to suck her thumb, she took it out promptly....then looks at me with those big brown eyes - with that fresh morning look in them - and those chubby cheeks and says, "I'm sorry, mommy." Oh my!!  It was so precious.  I was very tempted to tell her to suck her thumb all she wanted to if she was going to be that sweet about it.  I just picked her up and squeezed her tight!
   On to Anna Beth.  She decided to play "music teacher" this morning.  She has this Baby Einstein Discovery book that has buttons on the side.  Some of the buttons make silly noises and some of them play music.  She sat in the living room floor and pushed the music buttons and pretended like she was leading her "class" of invisible students in the song.  She did hand motions and sang and danced.  When the song was over, she lovingly clapped and told her class what good job they had done and how proud she was of them.  She did this for a while.  At one point, she wanted Lynns to be in her class, but she was too busy playing with other things.
  So, these are just a couple of the cute things that went on in our home this morning...much to my surprise!!

When 0 Became 1, 1 Became 2, and 2 Became 3!!

  Big news in the Coleman house!!! Baby Coleman #3 will be here in late September :)  We. Are. Beyond. Ecstatic.  I canNOT get this smile off of my face...except when the nausea takes over, but let's not focus on that right now.  I'm just thinking back to when I was younger, I wasn't sure I wanted to give birth...because it would hurt.  This was before I realized what selfish thinking that was - I didn't know that I would have very close friends, a very best friend, who would not be able give birth.  I only wanted to adopt.  I STILL want to adopt - our family is so not through growing!!  Then, I met Jacob.  And I thought, yes, I want to marry this man and we are going to be a family.  With 2 kids. We will give birth to one child and we will adopt one child - Lord willing.  Well, we gave birth to our "1" child.  And 15 months later we gave birth to our "2" child.  Life was fun and crazy and joyous and, yes, tiring. So, I thought, okay, I think 4 kids sounds awesome! Call me crazy, if you want, it's our family ;)  I thought we would adopt our final two children.
  Anyway, this past summer (2010), while Jacob and I were apart for 4 months (he was at Basic Training), we both wrote each other in a letter, that we wanted to have 1 more biological child and adopt a child.  We weren't sure about the order of which we wanted to do this, but it was amazing how we both had the same thing on our heart while we were miles apart and communication was similar to what it was in the 1920s...letters in the mail.
  For the past couple of months, we have been praying about the next step for our family. Is it time to start the adoption process? Should we try to get pregnant sometime this year? Well, we got our answer a few weeks ago. 
  This morning, Baby Coleman, I saw and heard your precious, tiny little heartbeat.  It was one of the 3 most beautiful sounds I have ever heard in my life (the other two are AB and Lynns' heartbeats).  I got my first glimpse at your little arms and legs and head.  I can't wait to see you face to face. I love you already.  I will see you around September 23...but I'd love to see you a little earlier, too!

It's All Better!!

  I really don't remember how it started, but for several weeks back around Christmas (2010) AB and I started doing this "it's all better" thing at night.  It went like this: As I tucked her in at night, one of us would make a sad face and point to our cheek.  The other would say - with a sad face - 'It hurts right there?' and give a kiss.  Then we would move to the other cheeck, then the nose, and finally a little kiss on the lips.  Then we would "switch" places.  As it went along, AB added the forehead, chin and both eyes. With the final kiss on the lips, we would make a happy face and say 'It's all better!' and then she was ready to go to go to sleep.  It was precious.  It was one of the highlights of the day. I LOVED IT!!
  Because it was AB who came up with it in the beginning and added to it, I really thought this was something that would be part of our bedtime routine for a long time.  Sadly, I was wrong.  After a few weeks, she just stopped doing it.  Every once in a while, she will still play along, but not for long. 
  What this sweet little thing taught me, though, was that I absolutely have to cherish and savor everything with them - because it won't last long!  Their active little minds will move onto something else and they will outgrow things long before I am ready for them, too.  So, that's what I'm gonna do - hang on to these little things for as long as they will let me and not take for granted that I will get to enjoy it tomorrow...and I'm gonna try not to blink for fear that I'll miss something!

The Mean Brown Dog Story

  One afternoon, a little over a month ago, the girls and I were having a dinner party in AB's room.  I always open the blinds in their rooms, really throughout the whole house, because I love sunshine and they like to look out the windows.  So, here we were, enjoying our dinner party when AB looks out the window and says, 'Mommy, what is this? I think it's a lion!' I thought, 'What in the world is she looking at?'
  Well, there was no lion in our front yard - thank goodness! - but there was a big, furry brown dog.  I could totally see how a two year old would confuse it with a lion.  And he (or she) was just standing in our yard.  Now, I love dogs, but I do NOT love stranger dogs.  They are not welcome in my yard whether I'm outside or inside. Since Jacob was not home, it was up to me to get rid of the lion-dog in our yard.
  Fast forward 3 weeks, and here is a copy of the note AB's teachers sent home from school. It tells "the rest of the story":
            "Misti - We now know who to call if we ever have a "mean brown dog" that comes unwelcomed to our houses.  Anna Beth told us how brave you were to "shoe" him away with your broom and that "he won't come back"
   I am so glad to know I am the "Mean Brown Dog Hero" of AB's two-year old class! They also said they love her sweet stories...makes me nervous to think what other stories she's retelling up there!!!  This note absolutely had me in tears I was laughing so hard because I could just picture Anna Beth telling this story to her teachers and moving her arms around and using that very, matter-of-fact voice when she said "he won't come back". I sometimes ask her about the mean, brown dog just to hear her retell the story - it makes me smile!!
   Mostly, I hope that 1)the dog really never comes back to our house and 2) ANY note that Anna Beth or Lynnsie or any other children we have, is of this very funny and sweet nature. The note was definitely one for the special book!

Joy in the Little Things

   I love how it takes very little to make babies and kids smile and laugh.  I love how it takes them doing very little to make me smile or laugh, too!  Anna Beth had her Valentine's Party at school today and, of course, came home with a bag way too full of candy for a two year old (don't worry, I will help her with it).
  Anyway, one of her friends at school at put some goodies inside a red plastic cup with hearts on it. When AB saw it..she flipped out with excitement! Immediately, she wanted a glass of milk or water or whatever I would put in her new cup. She quickly declared that she "was a big girl and didn't need a top".  She told me that several times to make sure I understood her. I finally convinced her to wait and drink out of her new special cup until supper.
  And then supper came.  The kid could hardly contain herself! I'm serious, I thought she was going to spill her cup of milk her little hands were shaking so with excitement.  And the joy in her eyes.  Oh, the joy in her eyes over a red, plastic cup with hearts on it. Those blue eyes said so much to me!
  How many times have I needed SO much more than a red, plastic cup to be happy? How many times have I said "if only ______", I would be happier or life would be so much better?  Really? When did it get like that? I can't even remember.
  But I am SO thankful to my heavenly Father, that He has blessed me with these precious children who bring me and give me more joy than I could ever imagine!!  I mean, after a not-so-good day, my heart was flittering because of the look on AB's face over her red cup.  I love the joy my kids bring me each and every day. I love the little things that make them smile and I love the little things that they do to make me smile!! I do NOT want to take that for granted. I never want to go a day without realizing the joy that dances in front me in the form of two adorable little girls.

The Things Kids Say...

  Don't you just LOVE some of the things that come our of our kids mouths? I'm talking about the cute things, not the embarrassing things :) The things that either make you laugh out loud, smile really big, or melt your heart. I know I will add to this list a lot over the years, but here's a start with some things off the top of my head:

AB:
"I knowin' it" (she'd say this for a while when you told her you loved her)
"So..." (with a one shoulder shrug and a very matter of fact tone and face)
"Going to Gram's house to go marchin'!" (when told we were going to Gram's house in March)
"Don't eat Lynnsie!" (said to our puppy anytime he looks in Lynnsie's general direction)
"I'm thinkin' Lynnsie don't like it" (when Lynns cries about anything, with that matter of fact look and tone)
"Maybe next time." (when she's told no, but it's in a sweet, asking a question kind of way!)
"Yay, mommy, you use the potty all by yourself!" (when we were potty training...maybe this counts as an embarassing one)

Lynns: (not as many for her, yet - but they will come!)
"Down puppy!" (when she sees Peyton up on the door, with lots of authority in her voice and her lips   puckered out. very cute...it's really more the face she makes)
"I wan' 'nuggle." (when she wants to snuggle...possibly my favorite) 
"Here go." (with a super sweet, "Mommy I'm innocent" look whenever I catch her with something in her hand she shouldn't have...like my phone)

  The power of their little words to bring such joy is amazing! I can be stresssed or having a bad day and some cute little thing will come out of their mouth and make it all better. Words are powerful. I just have to remember that mine are, too, and the words I speak to them - should always be spoken in love.

Singing "Miss Grace"

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound

that saved a wretch like me.

   This has ALWAYS been one of my very favorite hymns. Always. I especially love Chris Tomlin's version - Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) - which was written for the movie, Amazing Grace. The movie, while showing the history of the end of slavery, paints such a beautiful picture to go with this song of how Christians are freed from the slavery of sin...our chains are GONE!

  But, I now have a new reason for loving this song so much.  When Anna Beth was a baby, she was very mellow. She really didn't cry unless something was wrong. It was awesome! Anyway, one afternoon when she was probably 4 or 5 months old, she just started crying - and nothing worked. I was there by myself and I was really at a loss. This song was in my head from earlier in the day, and I just started humming it. As I did, her crying started to settle down. So, I started singing it. And she stopped crying. I was amazed. I knew then (and still know it now) that I do not have one of "those voices". I kind-of laughed and tried a different song and she started crying again...so I quickly went back to Amazing Grace (C.T.'s version). And she stopped crying again.

  From that day on, anytime she was crying and it wasn't hunger or a poopy diaper or she was super tired, I would sing that song to her and she would stop crying. I know it is the power of God's message in that song.  Who needs to cry when God takes away our chains?!?! Now, it is a part of our nightly routine.  As we rock, she never fails to look up at me and say, 'Sing Miss Grace, mommy.' Lately, she has started picking up a few words of it and will "sing" along with me.  Here's the whole song:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound

that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now I'm found.

I was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear.

And grace my fears relieved.

How precious did that grace appear

the hour I first believed.

My chains are gone...I've been set free!

My God, my Savior has ransomed me!

And like a flood, His mercy reigns.

Unending love...Amazing Grace.



The Lord has promised good to me.

His Word, my hope secures.

He will my shield and portion be.

As long as life endures.

My chains are gone...I've been set free!

My God, my Savior has ransomed me!

And like a flood, His mercy reigns.

Unending love...Amazing Grace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow.

The sun forebear to shine.

But God, who's called me here below

Will be FOREVER mine!