2001- The Great Parenting Experiment Began

11 years ago my world was rocked and my life was completely changed for the better. 11 years ago today, I became a Mom. I remember the excitement we felt finding out we were having a baby.  I kept a pregnancy journal and recorded my weight and measurements. I couldn't wait to wear maternity clothes. My good friend Heather was pregnant at the same time and it was so fun comparing bodies and planning for motherhood together.  Clint starting putting headphones on my belly as soon as we knew the baby could hear in the womb at about 16 weeks. The baby was listening to Mozart every night, and then praise music on stage at church every Sunday morning and Sunday night.                                     

Clint and I were living in a little one-bedroom apartment on the side of my parents' house. We put together the crib, got all the clothes ready, put up the mobile and waited. And waited. And waited.   My due date was December 28. I was huge. Every time anyone saw me they would ask, "You haven't had that baby yet?"  We even had to put a message on our answering machine saying, "Leave your name, number, and NO, we have not had the baby yet!"  Finally, on January 3 I was induced.   We brought two outfits to the hospital- one for a girl and one for a boy. Our family was in the waiting room and when Bryce was born at 10:07 am on January 4, our mothers skipped down the hall holding hands to announce to our family," It's a boy!"  The nurses then let everyone back in the delivery room and we all held hands and our minister, John DuBose, said a prayer. Love was overflowing from that room.

It was then that the great parenting experiment began for us- and oh what a journey it has been! He did not sleep in that beautifully prepared crib. In fact, he did not sleep through the night the first month he was home. After that, the only place he would go to sleep at night was in the bouncy seat beside our bed. It was a wonderful year of firsts- smile, bath, teeth, rolling over, shots, pulling up, ear infection, taking steps, bumps & bruises. All those are such cherished memories! How we both have grown and changed since then!

Bryce means "alert & ambitious." He has definitely lived up to his name. He is smart, caring, funny, argumentative, hard-headed, loving, and passionately musical. He keeps me on my toes and has me changing my parenting tactics all the time. On January 14, 2001 we formally dedicated him to the Lord in the presence of our church family. Thank you to all who helped teach him, love him, babysit him, dance and sing with him, march around, pick grass with him, & encourage him thus far.

Ephesians 3:14-21- When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Much love,

Amy

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. 

There are seven million. 

~Walt Streightiff 

Hello 2012

2011 was quite a year! Some highlights:

• Clint won Teacher of the Year for the school and the county
• Bryce got a perfect score on his piano guild competition- the only one of 70+ students who made a perfect score.
• Preston broke his arm jumping from one big hay bale to the other.
• Maddox started Pre-K.
• Jude turned 2 and began really talking and becoming his own little person- very determined, loving, and independent.!

This summer of  2011 closed one chapter of my life and opened another.  In May, our congregation voted to fit into a bigger part of God's plan and join together with Northridge Christian Church and use the FCC church building as an outreach to college students. I was against this plan at first for many reasons. But as time passed and I prayed and listened, God softened my heart and I slowly began to agree with the idea.     

June 26 was our last church service at First Christian Church. My Mom got a job playing the piano there when I was 8 years old. She would get there early, before anyone else, so she could practice the organ. I remember the click of her shoes and the sound of the music filling the room. I was baptized there, married there, and all of our children were dedicated to the Lord in that building. First Christian people taught me about Jesus, about love, & about the importance of a church family.

On July 3, we began going to our "new" church as the boys called it. For about 8 weeks, I would cry either on the way to church, during church, or on the way back from church. Even though I knew this was God's will, it was still very hard. Each week on the way to church we would play  "Stronger" and "Like a Lion."  These were my theme songs for the summer and fall.

"When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain't gonna last forever
And things can only get better
Believe me
This is gonna make you stronger"
-"Stronger"

If I had to give 2011 a name, I would call it "The Year of God's Faithfulness."  Not because He was only faithful this past year, but because I learned about His faithfulness and learned to trust it this year more then any other thus far. I learned that living for Him is not about my comfort or sentimentality, but about how He can best use us and the resources we have to further His Kingdom. I am resolved to no  longer whine and complain about things that really do not matter when there are people dying every day for the cause of Christ.

I have chosen Colossians 3:12-14 to be my theme verse for this year. I am working on memorizing it and learning how to really dress in the wardrobe of God's love in 2012.

"So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it." -Colossians 3:12-14

I will try to update the blog more this year. I was about to delete it because it has been so long since I updated, but my heart is full of excitement for the new year and the adventures it will bring. I hope to do better about sharing this year. Thanks to all of you who have blessed my life.

Amy

"I am a Christian, not because someone explained the nuts and bolts of Christianity to me,

but because there were people willing to be nuts and bolts." -Rich Mullins

God's Pillow Fuzz

"It looks like God's got a big pillow and He's taking out the fuzz!" -Preston
February 12-13, 2010

Fall Update

Jude is 4 months old and such a little cutie.  I had to put this picture up so everyone could see those soft, fat, chubby cheeks of his.  He is laughing, cooing, and even tries to "sing" along with Maddox.  He is turning over from his back to his tummy and then gets very angry because his neck is not very strong so his face stays squished into the blanket.  We all watch him and laugh and then turn him over on his back again so that he can repeat the process. He has also discovered his feet and spends a good bit of time yelling at them because he can't get them to go in his mouth. He is a good baby and has such a sweet, content disposition. 

Maddox is known around our house as "Curious Maddox."  One, because he loves Curious George and two, because we believe Maddox IS Curious George but just in a human form.  He still keeps us laughing with his funny faces and his silly ways.  He is very loving and friendly and is determined to do whatever the big boys are doing. The other day we were outside and I made Preston run 2 laps around the house because he was being mean to Maddox.  Maddox looked at me, furrowed his eyebrows and said, "Mommy I mean."  He then took off running around the house with Preston.

Preston  is doing well in first grade. I love his big sparkling eyes, innocence, and unbridled enthusiasm.  He is starting to enjoy going places that have crowds as opposed to the previous 5 years of his life when he would scream anyplace that had more than 10 people together at one time. He now enjoys the football games & even went to his first DCI Band Competition at the Georgia Dome. The Air Show we went to in Warner Robins in May was an exception, though.  I just have to include the picture. (at right)

Some new Prestonisms:

• "Mommy, what keeps scratching you? What keeps making you itch?" -Preston (asked while I was making he & Bryce take turns scratching my back)
• "Daddy I have a big poopie from the good waffle at the waffle house!" (loudly in the bathroom at Lowes)
• "When is Jude's hair going to grow? Does it grow when he cries?"
• " My friend Luis from Mexico went to 'Help A Child Smile' at school but I don't know why cause he's ALWAYS smiling!"
• "Dear Lord, thank you for Pluto being a planet. Even though they said it wasn't a planet in 2006, I know that it still is." (Preston's nightly prayer for a few weeks)
• "I pulled Jude's fingers out of his mouth so he wouldn't get the H1N1 virus"
• "I know how you can get Maddox's eyedrops in his eyes without him crying.  You can put him in a deep sleep like God did to Adam when he tok his rib."
• "Maddox said he came from England but I told him that he came from Heaven up with God- his real Father."

Bryce is in third grade this year. He is in the chorus at school and is the student conductor for one song at their concert in December.  He began taking piano lessons in September and his piano teacher calls him "Speedy" because she says he picks up on things so quickly. In September he played the drums for a fund-raising concert for the Henry Medical Center Foundation in McDonough, Georgia. He is still such a little adult.  Here are a few of his latest comments:

• "Mommy if you are still on a diet then why are you eating mashed potatoes?" (who needs an acountability partner when you have him?)
• "There are always interesting facts on the gas pump."
• "Mommy, why do you need your black purse?  Are you trying to look hot or something?"
• "Mommy, why did you and Daddy kiss behind the car? Don't you know we're in public?"

A few new quotes that have inspired me lately:
"It's not about the water. It's abut trusting the One who calls us out on the water! "-Dan Garrett

"A ship in harbor is safe -- but that is not what ships are built for." - John A Shedd

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass." "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We're raising boys." ~Harmon Killebrew

Love to all!!

Amy

I'm Learning As I Go....

Things I've Learned as a Mother of Boys:
* 2 year olds are pretty strong and can break those plastic cabinet locks.
* If a 2 year old drinks Clorox Greenworks the only really harmful ingredient in it is ethanol which causes them to act enebriated. Give them lots of water & put a new lock on the cabinet.
* If an 8 year old gets bitten by a field mouse that is still alive b/c it's caught in the mousetrap by its' foot -wash the wound, give them an antibiotic because mice have bacteria in their mouths but they will not need a rabies shot because rabies is rare in small rodents. (But if you are bittten by a ground hog, woodchuck or beaver you could be in danger.)
* Your nice table & pretty things will get scratched, beat up and broken- just say "I loved you while you lasted!"
* When amoxicillin gets thrown-up onto your carpet, blot it and go ahead and call the professionals in- regular carpet stuff just isn't strong enough.
* Water will be splashed all the floor outside the tub so just go ahead and put a towel down over the mat. Don't fight it.
* Always have a plan.
* Always have a plan B, C, & D.
* Always have in your home: Mr. Clean Magic Marker, Shout, Carpet Spray, and Clorox Clean-up.
* Running laps around the house or down the driveway is excellent punishment and benefits all involved. Boys get exercise & their extra energy released & the Mom gets the pleasure of having them outside the house for a few minutes.
* Those balls with the suctions cups on all sides of them are more expensive than they seem- they will break out a window pane- don't let them come into your home.
* Dirt is your friend. Embrace it. Love it because it will always be on your kids & in your home.
* Keep an icepack in the freezer at all times.
* If you accidentally wash a disposable diaper in the washing machine with all the other clothes it explodes into tiny pieces and makes a huge mess.
* Never leave your purse where your 2 year old can reach it. He will get out your lipstick and draw all over his face. This could possibly happen at the same time that your 8 year old is crying because his finger is bleeding from a mouse bite.
* Don't even try to take a "relaxing" bath while they are still awake. They WILL find you.
Things I say as a Mother of Boys:
"Get your hands out of your pants"
"Put down your weapons and come eat!"
"Shhhhhhhh!"
"Don't touch the mousetrap in the garage!"
"I TOLD you not to touch that mousetrap!!"
"Get down from there or you are going to fall down the stairs"
"I TOLD you to get down from there!"

Hey Jude!

 Jude Clinton was born Wednesday, June 24 at 6:45 pm. He weighed 8 lbs 12 ounces and was 21 inches long. His due date was July 6 but I was very excited that he came early. It was the first time I have ever gone into labor on my own without having to be induced. It was very exciting being able to run around throwing things in the suitcase like I've always seen on TV shows!

We got to the hospital at 8:10 am and thought that he would make his appearance before lunch. We waited and waited. I got an epidural at 11:30 am and then we watched a NCIS marathon on TV while we waited some more. After about 10 hours of what Dr. Palmer called "piddly little contractions, " he finally made his appearance at 6:45 pm. My hand hurt from texting so much because I was supposed to be at church with my teens and had to keep sending updates to everyone about what was going on. We had a great experience at the hospital and was so thankful to have my Mama and Margaret keep the other boys while we were there. I think Mama and Maggie were more excited to see us come home from the hospital than anyone!!

Jude has been a great baby and is so soft and cuddly. I am enjoying those precious little newborn sounds, the sweet smell of his skin, the soft peach fuzz head, and being able to rock and hold him. I have found that I didn't mind so much rocking him in those dark hours of the night. I even cherished them this time. I guess I have learned that all to quickly he will be running around not wanting to be held and rocked. There is just something about holding a little baby that makes the whole world seem ok.

Summer 2009

I have been scolded because I have not updated my blog since March so I will try and do better.  Here is a little snippet of our summer.  I will give all the info about Jude next and then catch everyone up on the other boys later.  So you all will just have to take what you can get right now!!

                                         Little Cabin at the Beach:

We decided to go to Savannah in June since it wasn't too far away and we knew that we would not be going anywhere on vacation this summer. The hotels were expensive on the beach so we decided to rent a cabin for two night nights at a campground on Tybee Island. I booked it online and it sounded great- a cabin that sleeps 5-6, a pool, and a laid-back campground atmosphere. . When we pulled up to the "cabin" we all looked at each other with our mouths open wide and just started laughing. Our "cabin" was a tiny little shed that we could techincally hitch to the Expedition and pull it away with us. It was probably equivilant to a very tiny RV. The dining room was the picnic table you see out on the porch. In the picture below we are all sitting in the "living room" together. It was quite an adventure in this tiny cabin with the three boys, Maggie, Clint, and a very pregnant me!