Judah is 3

Around this time three years ago, I succumb to the idea that I would not have a baby born in February. I thought for sure the little guy was coming early. Early enough to be born in February. Maybe we would share a birthday? But alas, it was not to happen.
Matt had an evening meeting and I was up a little later than normal.
I posted around 11 pm on Facebook something like, "I guess my baby won't be born in February after all, so I'm taking bets as to when he will be born."
About four hours later, I couldn't quite sleep. So I grabbed my iPod and posted something to the effect of "I can't sleep! I'm so excited to be holding my baby boy!"

Yep, Just a few short hours later I was already holding him! The long story.
He had a dramatic entrance into this world, and he is still my most dramatic boy.
Judah Matthew Carroll is turning three tomorrow.
At one point he was chunky.

But now, he is the littlest. He eats to survive. He rarely stops moving.
The most like Matt.
Has great shaggy hair.
Just starting pooping on the actual big-boy toilet seat.
Entertains himself quite easily. While he's alone. Or while he is surrounded by others.
Likes to take things apart and figure out how to put them back together. This isn't always a good thing.
He is so cute that it is hard to punish him.

 And he often gets out of punishment easier because he is sly and sneaky.
As a newborn, he wanted to be held more than the others, and he is still this way.
He loves taking his shirt of during "quiet time."
He warms up to new people quickly.

 He is the most agreeable. "ohhhkaaaay"
And he is turning 3!!!
Happy Birthday! We love you, Judah!

New Chapter

Today, we start to write a new chapter. A chapter that starts to involve school in our lives!

From "learning to read"...

To learning to grow a mustache...

To learning a little independence...
I think he's ready.
Today we signed Micah up for preschool.
The hardest part for me is acknowledging that he is growing up.
I think the hardest part for him might be waiting for the next 6 months for it to start. That's so hard to explain!

Isaiah, 17 months

Isaiah is my baby.
And he is growing up way too fast.
He amazes me every single day.
He is so much more aware and so much smarter than I give him credit for.
He tags along great with his brothers, but is definitely the baby.
He is so fun and fun-loving.
He smiles a lot.
He always has food in his mouth. And a lot of it. And he feeds himself great.
He is our first to suck his thumb. But thankfully he only does it while he is sleeping.
He loves blankets, especially soft ones. And they make him snuggly and make him want to suck his thumb.
He tries everything his brothers do.
He is learning to talk, trying to say everything. Some makes sense, some doesn't.
He follows directions great.
He is the blonde, blue-eyed beauty that I wanted in one of my kids.
He is pretty, for a boy.
He seems to have very little fear.
He loves to climb.
He does whine when he doesn't get his way, but is learning that doesn't always work anymore.
He has recently gotten four molars, and was a bit grumpy, but is getting better.
He still sleeps in a crib, but was our first kid to climb out (and fall to the floor of course).
He makes the best faces and noises.
He says no a lot. But it's cute how he says it.
He is very stubborn, and makes a big deal when he doesn't get what he wants.
He seems to read people well.
He doesn't like to wear clothes. or a diaper, if he doesn't have to.
He is the third child, and I am so glad for our "surprise"!

Judah, almost 3

Judah is my middle child. And he fits it well.
He talks great.
He is so excitable!  And has the best reactions to things. Anything.
He is very detailed. But can sometimes be clueless.
He can spend the longest time on his own, being fully entertained.
He is very lean. So lean it is hard to find pants to fit waist and length.
He is really cute and has the longest eyelashes.
He is very active and has a hard time sitting still at all.
He is very "physical" and loves to snuggle.
He warms up to people very quickly and is pretty great socially.
He runs very fast, but stops if he gets beat too much.
He is a monkey.
He is good at wrestling because he is a monkey.
He is very sensitive.
He gets embarrassed and it is most obvious when he does.
He is a good eater, but eats more to sustain life than out of pure enjoyment.
He and Isaiah have a special bond, but his affection usually comes out in aggression.
He is very thoughtful.
He is the worst sleeper, and often wakes up screaming with night terrors (or something).
He is pretty agreeable and can almost always be convinced of something.
He is a picker. And a biter. He can find something to pick on almost anything. And his fingers are often in his mouth. And he is usually the first one sick in our family as a result.
He is the hardest to discipline because he turns on the "cute."
I am so excited to watch his personality develop!

Micah, 4 years old

Micah is my oldest, and from what I see of other first-borns, he seems stereotypical in many ways.
There are so many traits that I see in him that have been with him since birth.
For real. Crazy. But for real.
He is my best sleeper. He still takes at least a short nap almost every day.
He has a really good memory.
He talks a lot. A LOT.
He asks a ton of questions.
He is so observant.
He is smart.
He also has a really hard time controlling his emotions.
He is socially awkward. He tries too hard.
He is a bit stubborn.
He likes to make his own decisions. He likes for it (anything) to be his choice, not ours.
He loves being outside, running, riding his bike, digging holes, playing with soccer balls and baseballs.
He loves playing Mario Kart on the Wii
Some of his closest "friends" are Jeremiah, Jayla, and Jonah, and little John from the Middle School room. Although, at his age, everyone we come in contact with is a friend.
He is a very good eater.
He loves TV the most of all the boys. Too much, really.
He is a good big brother, and a good helper.
I look forward to watching his personality change and blossom through the years.

Hugs and Kisses

I take my kids for granted.
More than I should.
Because I shouldn't at all.
They are a gift!
From God.
And I am so blessed!

But sometimes I yell at them.
And sometimes I ask them to "go away and just give me space." And by sometimes, I mean JUST now.
Sometimes I ask them to go to their room for a bit.
And sometimes I forgot that I sent them up there.

Sometimes I wonder what we would be doing different now if we didn't have 3 boys.
I wonder what I would do with all my free time.
What did I use to do with all my free time?

Sometimes, after a long day, I just need to get out of the house. And away from "being a mom."
There are times that I long for 8 pm (bed time) more than I should. Especially when it's only 4 pm...

Sometimes, I am too tired to get out of bed in the middle of the night to find out why someone is crying. I'm tired. I want to sleep without being interrupted.

I want to get groceries without 3 kids in the cart.
I want to go shopping...just to walk around Target and look at clearance stuff...without 3 kids in tow.
I want to walk into Starbucks without having to take my kids out of the car.
I would love to write an email without stopping 5 times in the middle of it to answer questions, get milk, change a diaper, and tell someone to stop doing something.
I would love to talk on the phone without feeling like the other person can hear my crying/fighting/whining kids in the background.
I would love to sleep in past 7:30 in the morning. Just once in a while.
I would love to go for a run. Whenever I want. Without pushing a stroller with 3 kids in it.
I would love.......

But then I don't think I could have all of these things and still be a mom.
And it's great being a mom!
When they snuggle in bed with me first thing in the morning.
When they laugh at my "jokes."
When they kiss me and tell me they love me for no reason.
When they learn new words and how to use them.
When they get excited over the littlest things.
When they have morning breath and bed head.
When they start saying please and thank you on their own.
When they learn how to use the potty. And do the happy dance about the pee in the potty.
When we have dance parties in the living room.
When they snuggle with each other.
When they wrestle with each other.
When I find out the woke up early and got in bed together just to "tell each other questions."
When they play in the bath together. And then race around naked after bath.

It's these moments that remind why it's so much better to not make it all about me.
It's these moments that help me to understand love a little bit more.
It's these moments that make me forget the labor pains.
But it's these moments that make the pain so much great when I hear of the loss of a little one.

And when we find out another has lost their precious little one...a little one that could just have easily been our own...our minds race and our hearts break and we, or at least I, hug a little tighter and kiss a little longer and remember how TRULY blessed I am to be a MOM!

I gotta go do some more huggin' and kissin'!