Being a parent

Between all of the mommy blogs out there, mixed with my own day-to-day mommy life, I can't help but think about the important roll I have. 

The older I get, the more purpose I find in my life. I remember a few years back (after a quick stint living away), realizing that a big part of my purpose in life was to be a good daughter to my mom. Since then, I like to think I stepped up my game a bit. I had a talk with God and he assured me that my mom's grandkids would be extra cute and extremely huggable. Sure enough, he didn't disappoint.

Now I have a new role, another purpose. To raise two good and loving gentlemen. To teach my boys to know that they can become anything they want to be through hard work and perseverance. To not only give them morals and values, but to mold them to be polite, conscientious of others, confident and independent, selfless and kind. To remind them, if there's ever any doubt, that they're good, and that they make me proud. When they make mistakes I want them to learn from them, and to know that making mistakes makes you wiser so we shouldn't regret them. When they hurt someone, they should try to make it right. And when someone hurts them, they should forgive. I could go on, but I'd be here for months... From learning to tie a shoe to being a good husband and father, I have so much that I want to teach them. But it starts with me. 

Being a parent means being the foundation for my children. I have to be their ever present, constant, strong, sustainable figure in their lives. I want them to always know that they can count on me, and that I'm always on their side, no matter what kind of mess they get into. I have to be their cheerleader, whether they win or lose, especially when they lose. And I don't want them to worry about me or my problems because I want them to focus on making their own lives happy and complete. And when things go wrong, and they need my help, I want to make sure they know I'm there for them, no questions asked. (Well, maybe a few questions.) I have to be selfless so that I can teach them to be selfless. I have to be reliable. That one is key. Reliability goes hand in hand with trust. I want to show them that they can trust that I will always follow through for them. After 33 years of having the best coach around, this is what I've learned.

This blog is slowly turning into a baby book for Jasper and Sam. And with that in mind, I want them to know that, and to never doubt that Jeremy and I will try every day to be that foundation, that rock for them. I'm not perfect. I still curse around them way too much. And I certainly lose my temper. But I say "I love you" as often as I possibly can. I kiss a lot of boo-boos and I work hard at providing them with a good balance of both fun and discipline every day. Being a parent is a privilege and a one-time opportunity to create someone better than yourself. I just hope I never, ever let them down.

Thanking God

I'm proud to say that we are finally going back to church! I know, I know, if PawPaw and Granny were alive, they'd be giving me a heck of a time about missing so much church. But unfortunately, they never met Jasper the Disaster! I'm happy to report that he did pretty well. Just some quiet talking and dropping his Thomas the Train only 17 times or so. Jasper starts his new school in just a few short months, so we decided to start regularly going to mass at St. Francis Xavier. On our way to mass the other day, I was trying to prepare him by talking about what goes on when we're at church. I explained how it's a quiet time to sit and thank God for everything in our lives. Here's how the conversation went...

Me:  Jasper, who do you want to thank God for? Do you want to thank God for Daddy?  

Jasper: Yes.

Me: Who else do you want to thank God for? Do you want to thank God for Mommy?

Jasper: Yes. And Sammy. 

I have to admit, I'm pleasantly surprised at how much he likes Sam. He's always including him, checking on him when he's crying... The other morning while we were getting ready, we had put Sam in the car seat, but weren't quite ready to go. He was crying and then the crying stopped. I walked in to see if something had happened and there was Jasper, standing next to the car seat, watching cartoons, rocking Sam. It makes me really happy to know how caring he is, that I don't have to tell him to do nice things, that a lot of times, he's going to already know to be helpful and kind. When we're in the car, if Sam is crying, Jasper will talk to him saying, "It's OK Sammy, don't cry." And when I glance back, I see him holding Sam's hand. He'll hold his bottle for him too. I guess I have to really appreciate this short time of happy, caring love between brothers, as I've been warned it will quickly pass. I hear that everything goes to hell once the little one starts grabbing for the bigger one's toys...

Some boasting... Jasper has really excelled over the past few months with his vocabulary. We're having actual conversations. And he's understanding words like inside/outside and tomorrow/yesterday. Daddy has been working with him on the days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Hump Day, Thursday and Donut Friday! He's copying a lot of our words--Several times, he's gone into my makeup drawer, pulling out anything from eye shadow brushes and lipsticks to tweezers. I would correct him every time, saying "This is not a toy." Well, now he walks up and grabs things saying, "This is not a toy." He repeats this phrase over and over again, to make sure I know that all 100 items in my drawer and on the vanity are "not a toy." 

When I was little and we went out to eat, Mom would always be sure to take the knife away so that I didn't play with it. She loves to tell this story... One day, as soon as we sat down, I handed her the knife. She had done it so many times before, I finally caught on and must've decided to help her out. Jasper now does the same thing. He pulls the knife out of the napkin and as he hands it over to me, he happily says, "Here ya go Mommy!"

His behavior is improving and he's becoming more independent. He likes to be helpful by opening and closing the back gate for us. And we've taught him how important it is to close the door so that the mosquitoes (and termites) don't come in the house. I try (when I remember) to teach him to do things for himself, like throw away his paper plate or put his spoon in the sink. We remind him to throw his clothes in the dirty clothes basket. We still have some trouble with picking up toys, but with as many as he has, I can understand why that task is a bit overwhelming! Potty training is still a work in progress, but we're seeing slow improvements. Every once in a while we venture out without the diaper on, and so far, no accidents. 

He loves the word, "castle." Every time we're on the I-10 driving home, he fondly refers to the Galleria as "THE CASTLE!" That along with every other building that is more than two stories... Speaking of stories, I have one that Jeremy will be telling for a while. On Memorial Day, we met up with some of Jasper's friends from daycare, and their parents at City Park. Jeremy and Jasper were waiting on me by the pond in front of the amusement park while I was buying tickets. Jeremy looked away "for a second" and when he turned back around Jasper was on his knees, face down, drinking the water out of the pond, like a dog. I swear, it will be a miracle if he doesn't grow an extra toe. Here are some pictures from our day off at City Park's amusement park. SO FUN.

As for Sammy, he's awesome! Sam is almost seven months. He's constantly babbling and laughing, mostly at Jasper. When he babbles, he sounds just like Donald Duck. I had the opportunity to take off work and bring him to his six-month check-up, and of course, the doctor said he's doing great! As of May 30th, he weighs 19.6 lbs and he's 27 1/2 in. long. He's sitting up on his own and we're giving him some extra tummy time so that he can work on his crawling endeavors. He's eating solid food like a champ and going to sleep around 8:30 (give or take) each night. He loves my sweet potatoes and squash and I love that in his eyes, I'm the best cook ever! 

He's definitely our more laid back child--as long as we have his bottle ready when he wants it, he pretty much goes with the flow. In fact, both boys lasted the entire Zephyrs game a few weeks ago! I couldn't believe it. 

Swimming! Jasper started swimming lessons at Elmwood. The first two classes have been uneventful and he's a bit disinterested. But we'll keep trying and hopefully, he'll get more enthusiastic about it as we go. He has much more fun after swim lessons at the outside pool with his friend Kate. Aside from me having to be in a swim suit in front of people, we're really enjoying our Saturday swim days.

Sam took his first "dip" in the pool at Granny's house (6/9/14). I think he likes the water more than Jasper. No crying, no fussing. And he was kicking his legs like a pro!

Finally, I can't go without mentioning two big events that took place this month. On May 22nd, we welcomed Baby Cole Hammond. Jasper and Mason had their first sleepover at our house so that Audrey, Josh and Cole could visit. Cole was almost the exact same size and length as Sam! Congrats to Audrey, Josh and Mason!

Aimee and John FINALLY tied the knot! The wedding and festivities were a blast and Aimee was a beautiful bride. And believe it or not, I must mention that this may very well be my last wedding. That's right folks. No more bridesmaid dresses for me. According to both my mom and Jeremy, I'm no longer allowed to become good friends with single people. The dresses and party planning are just too expensive. I have to admit, however, Aimee's wedding was wonderful and I was more than thrilled to be a part of it all. And I really will wear the dress again.

We celebrated Father's Day last weekend. Wow. Talk about a busy day. Breakfast with Grandpa and CiCi, a visit to the lakefront, lunch with Grammie and PawPaw, time spent with Uncle Neil, Tia and Nova, a last minute trip to City Park's amusement park and finally, dinner at Morning Call. That's right. There's no better Father's Day dinner than beignets and a frozen cafe au lait. And if that wasn't enough, Sam gave Daddy an extra special Father's Day gift by projectile vomiting ALL OVER him. It was certainly a Father's Day he'll never forget.

Our boys certainly keep us busy. It's been exciting to see the recent changes in Jasper. Between the use of bigger words, more conversations, understanding us and listening to us better, he has really impressed us. I'm really proud of him. And Sam is just so much fun--the best cuddle buddy ever! His smiles make us smile. It's incredible how two little boys have made our family so perfectly complete. 

And in case anyone is wondering, Granny is absolutely in love with both of her boys.

Happy Summer. We love you!

Lots to catch up on!

Have a seat. This may take a while...

It's already May! This whole two-kids-thing has really put a damper on my blogging! Sam, a.k.a. "Porkchop" is already five months old! He started daycare back in late January and he's been doing very well. Jeremy weighed him some time last week and he's already 18 lbs! He's pretty much outgrowing his 3-6 month clothes, and I can barely carry him in his car seat! He's an awesome baby, just like his brother was--smiling often and sleeping thru the night. He can sometimes be a bit high maintenance during the day, but that's when I get my cuddling in. He was totally over his vibrating seat after only a few short months, probably because it leans him too far back. He loves sitting straight up and watching everything around him, especially Jasper. Thank God for the Bumbo, or as Jeremy likes to call it, the "Bimbo." Either way, that thing is a godsend for us. We "gently squeeze" his chunky little legs into it and he can sit for up to a half hour at a time, even longer if Jasper is entertaining him! We dusted off the bouncer too, and his feet already touch the ground! He's bouncing like crazy in that thing. He rolled over for the first time on the morning of February 24th. We started him on baby food just last week. Time is flying. I feel like I just don't have enough time to spend with him to make him laugh and take pictures. But I try. I play "photographer" as often as possible, trying to capture every expression, every change. I noticed his first mole just a few weeks ago. It's on his belly. (I thought it was dirt the first couple of days, but it wouldn't rub off, haha!) Hopefully he's not quite as "moley" as his mama.

As for Jasper, we have some special news! Jasper was accepted into St. Francis Xavier School on Metairie Road. Our current daycare, Metairie Ridge only takes toddlers up to 3 years old. So we'll be moving Jasper in September. The day we brought him for his screening, we took him out of daycare, leaving Sammy. On our way in to the new school, he asked, "Where's Sammy?" Made my heart melt... It's not easy explaining to a two-year-old that he's going to a new school and his baby brother isn't. But St. Francis has a 2 year old program, so we may very well bring Sam over a little early. We'll see...

I guess I should also mention Jasper's potty training endeavors. We're still not quite there yet, but he makes the effort. In fact, Jasper gave Granny a "very special birthday present" this year that involved the toilet and Facetime. He saved his first official #2 just for Granny! Happy Birthday Granny! 

Mardi Gras came and went. We did the usual coming and going from the Iris Ball to Endymion's Coronation Ball to parade watching, parade riding, parade dancing, and another Extravaganza. We did it all in a very short amount of time! Sam's first parade was the Little Rascals in Metairie. He wasn't impressed. Unlike Jasper, we've noticed that the noise bothers him somewhat. Hopefully, he'll grow out of it by next year--not like he has a choice. We partied it up with our favorite Mardi Gras going couple, Jessica and Trey. They're always so much fun! We sat through the Iris Ball without falling asleep, and enjoyed time with Joy Mike, Neil and Tia, and of course the infamous Gegenheimer's at the Supper Dance. Granny watched Sam for all the parades, and I didn't even have to ask! I think after all the running from parade to parade for 50+ years has finally set in and she's over it. The aunts on the other hand, yup, they're still going strong! We took Jasper with us when we could and he was a good sport. We're teaching him all sorts of life lessons after all... to respect good music, to share beads, how to catch, have patience, how to eat a moon pie and still wave as the float passes by--otherwise known as multitasking, giving to others, social interaction, and to dance like no one is watching. In fact, on the Saturday after Mardi Gras, I asked him, what do you want to do today. He replied, "I wanna go to the parades!" It's a good thing St. Patrick's Day parades were only a week away! Speaking of St. Patrick's Day, moving right along... 

The weather held up just enough for us to enjoy two full days of St. Patty's Day parades. Jasper and Sam had a blast! So glad Amanda, Matt and Alex joined us Sunday. Here are some pics from that weekend.

With parade season over, we thought it would be fun to enroll Jasper into sports. He's playing "soccer"on Monday nights out in Elmwood. Well, he's not actually playing soccer. It's more like learning how to follow instructions. I'm sad to say, it's not going so well. The coach says, "Run to the white line when I say GO." What does Jasper do? He takes off running before the coach tells him to, and when he gets to the white line... Well, have you seen Forrest Gump--the part where he keeps on running past the goal and through the stadium? Yes, that's our son. He runs and runs and doesn't listen to the coach at all. I just want to yell, "RUN JASPER RUN" in my best Alabama accent. He's adorable but I have to admit, he does not listen. So Jeremy and I have to be pretty hands on, more-so Jeremy, doing our best to keep him in line with the other kids, etc. But it's something fun to do that wears him out. In fact, his sleeping habits have improved. He's actually going to bed BEFORE 10 p.m., AND without us having to lay with him til he falls asleep. Don't judge--Jasper is a night owl and it's a very big deal that we've actually been getting both boys to bed by around 9:15 p.m.! With swimming lessons starting in June, I think it's only going to get better. At least, we hope so! 

I also need to mention that Grammie and PawPaw moved out just before Mardi Gras into an apartment on Jefferson Hwy. Good news--they found a house in Metairie, and the sale was finalized about a week ago! They're still dealing with the old house, but they're hoping to sell it soon so that they can move on. 

The months are going by so fast. Jeremy and I celebrated our four year anniversary and birthdays with a trip to New York City. The weather was great and it was nice to spend some quality time together, holding hands with each other instead of running after Jasper or feeding Sam, etc. We had everyone to our house for both Easter and Mother's Day, and we're looking forward to Aimee & John's wedding at the end of this month. So much going on I can barely keep things straight. Here are some more of my favorite pictures from the last few months. Thanks for reading!

Granny with her boys

Birthday Brunch at Muriel's

PawPaw and Sammy 

Me and the boys at Jasper's first Easter Egg Hunt

My birthday dinner at Porter & Luke

Me pretending I'm a professional photographer... yeah, not so much.

Grandpa and Sammy on Easter Sunday

Audrey and I on Easter Sunday

Jasper checking out his loot after another Easter Egg Hunt

 Granny and Sammy

And as if we hadn't already eaten enough, we had to go to Morning Call too!

So glad Nannan and Uncle Timmy joined us for Easter... and beignets!

Jeremy and I at Rockefeller Center in New York

P.S. We took some family photos in late April. Here are our favorites...