Lillie Barbara Blankenship

I just got back from spending the weekend with Kathy,Patrick, and Lillie! It was so much fun getting to be with Lillie her first 2 nights home! She is just perfect! Kathy and Patrick are doing a great job! Here are a few pictures....

Our bedtime prayer

So tonight I was putting Lexie to sleep and this is how it went... Lexie: Mommy, Let's pray. MOM: (proud mommy) Great idea! Why don't you say the prayer tonight. Lexie: Dear Jesus, I love you God. God, I love you. Then grinning and looking at me for some approval...so cute! MOM: That's nice, anything else? LEXIE: God, please come into my room and stay with me, please. (awwwww!) So then she wants to know where God is and why she can't see him in her room. I explained that he's everywhere, especially in our hearts. (she totally does not get that but I don't know how to explain this) Then she says... So does he go in my mouth, down my throat, and in my tummy? ( I start laughing because I don't know how to explain to her) So I said he's up in heaven and I started to explain how he died for us.... and Oh man, then she wanted to know all about dieing and when she was going to die and where we were going to die. :( Am I in over my head here??? So then somehow I diverted her back to heaven and I said God lives way up in Heaven and he loves to hear you talk to him. and she said, " Do I need to talk really loud to him since he's so far away!!!!? ( I was laughing so hard) I would just love to one day catch her shouting to Jesus! What a sweet night. I just love her, and I am so thankful that God has given me this opportunity to witness since it has always been difficult for me. What a great way for me to practice with my own sweet child.

Swimming

Well, for several weeks now the kids have been doing private swim lessons. Lexie has done great all along, especially when she feels like it, but Tripp was struggling. The instructor teaches them to swim, roll over and float on your back for a breath, and then flip back over and swim. It's pretty incredible for little ones especially. Tripp is not quite two and he seems little to be swimming, but she has little 8 and 9 month olds doing it too. Pretty awesome! I wish I would have done these a long time ago!! Finally today it clicked for Tripp and he was having so much fun. Whenever he would roll over he would just grin because he was so proud of himself. Here are a few videos. This is pretty exciting to think they have a fighting chance if they ever were to fall in the water... The 2nd video you see Tripp is kind of "stuck" meaning he's paddling and starting to struggle a bit and then he remembers to roll over. Pretty cool! They really need to be floating/resting longer but atleast they get the concept! Lexie is so impatient she floats but she also kicks her feet so she is float/swimming. Love this! I am so proud of them!

Sweet bed time moments

Tripp is such a little cuddler. When putting him to bed he lays on his pillow and you have to cover him up. Then he wants to intertwine his hands in yours to pray... sometimes adding who he would like to pray for. Then you have to sing him a song, the last month he is obsessed with "Take me out to the Ballgame." One of my most fond memories of a child is when my dad used to rub his fingers through my hair so I started doing that to him while I sing him a song. I usually end with "You are my Sunshine." Whenever I start singing now he will grab my hand and put it on his head and say "head" meaning he wants me to rub my fingers through his hair during the song. It's a sweet moment watching his eyelids get heavy, enjoying the loving affection from his mommy. Of course I always end with a million kisses on his soft cheeks and he giggles. Ahhh, being a mom is the BEST! Life is so good and God is so great!

family pics

Potty training

Today after Tripp woke up from his nap I decided we were going to work on potty training. He is almost 23 months old and I am doing it differently than how I did it with Lexie. I decided I am going to do the potty training in 3 days method. So today we did a half day and Tripp peed in the potty 5/6 times!! I was really impressed. The one accident was our fault because we were outside playing and if you follow the method it says to stay inside for a full day. I think we will tweak it a little. We are too busy to stay home for 3 days! Tripp seems to hold his tee tee pretty well so I am expecting this to go well. He didn't poop in the potty yet, but he has twice in the past so that's a good sign! I am crossing my fingers that he is much easier than Lexie. After he woke from his nap his diaper was completely dry so i told him we were going to go potty. He refused...Then I told him that every time he goes on the potty he will get a marshmallow and man, he ran toward that potty and peed right away! I have the little potty placed out in our main area where we are most of the time so it's easy to get to and reminds him to go. So today was a good day! We'll see how we do tomorrow. Of course, Lexie now thinks going in the little potty is great too since it's right in the middle of our kitchen floor. She is a mess... Plus we made up a silly tee tee dance to cheer for him every time he goes, and so Lexie is having fun with it too. My kiddos are so sweet. They make me smile and laugh so much! Update: 2 days later we are still doing well with going tee tee in the potty. Poop is a different story. I think he is nervous. When he needs to go poop he brings me a diaper. He has pooped on the floor twice. I need to be better at watching him like a hawk around poop time.(he poops around the same time everyday). We have gone to the grocery store in underwear, swim lessons,and the park with no accidents! Hooray! Going well...just don't know about the pooping!