Sesame Street Live

Tonight's show at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium was called When Elmo Grows Up and it had Josh and me giggling and grinning just as much as Noah, if not more. But to be fair, we were really watching Noah's face for most of it. Seeing him thrilled is a thrill in itself.

So here is our version of those classic Mastercard commercials.

3 close-up seats: $$$$
souvenir t-shirt: $$$$$$
souvenir glow swirly Elmo toy: $$$$$$
giant Elmo balloon: $$$$$
original cast recording CD: $$$$$
2 drinks, chicken fingers, fries: $$$
parking: $$
babysitter for Anna: $$$
the look on Noah's face when Elmo came down off the stage and gave him a high five: PRICELESS!

Shot of Noah back at home, still buzzing about his Elmo close encounter.



PS - It was merely icing on my cake to laugh at Josh after he chatted with the lady and her daughter sitting beside us. He told her, and I quote, that the fries were "yummy." "Yummy?" I said with an eyebrow raised and a grin taking over my face. This is what happens when you spend too much time with a 2 year old. You start talking like one. (Although to be totally accurate about our toddlerspeak, Noah would have called it "nummy, nummy". Josh may too by the end of Christmas break.)

A Boy and His Trains

What? Were you expecting pictures of Noah? That's funny.





No, welcome to the Brown family Christmas donning! I put out the ornaments and holiday decorations. Josh puts out the trains. And at certain moments, he is nice enough to let Noah play with them, too. :)

What Do I Know of Holy?

Josh downloaded this song for me today and I just loved what I heard and was reminded of - His Place ... and mine in contrast.

"What Do I Know of Holy" by Addison Road

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all - No
If You touched my face, would I know You?
Looked into my eyes, could I behold You?

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
So what do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life its name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

So what do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
Oh, what do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

A New Thanksgiving

I tell you what, this whole not-traveling-for-the-holidays thing we are doing this year really adds life to your vacation...no packing, no driving, no baby/toddler hysteria when their routines are out of whack. It does feel a little weird to not be with extended family, but it feels a little empowering too, to do our own family thing. Seriously, don't knock it til you try it. I'm not saying it's for all your major holidays. I'm just sayin' - it has its perks.

Heading into Thanksgiving week we took Noah and Anna to Monkey Joe's that just opened in the area. Noah was beyond excited about this. All morning and the day before he would remind us that we were going to "pay Joe's" (play at Monkey Joe's). He remembered having been there several times before with his cousin, Brooklyn, in her hometown in GA. However this time, he was FEARLESS about all the jumps and slides. So fun.



Getting ready for Thanksgiving, Noah got to help make dessert with Daddy: cookies. This is quite fitting because all he ever asks for when I ask him what he would like for breakfast, lunch, or dinner is cookies. :)



Here is Noah's cooking play-by-play video.



This morning, Josh and I were going through the paper (and its mountain of Black Friday ads) when Noah grabbed a book, plopped down beside me and said, "Whoawah wee too" which means Noah read, too. Oh, y'all, the teacher in me just wanted to scoop him up and kiss his little cheeks it was so cute...but I didn't for fear of distracting him. Instead, I put the Toys R Us page in his lap and he read it just like Daddy. Too adorable. Josh taped a sweet little chunk of the action.



Back to the cookies - those bad boys were ALL that we bothered to make ourselves this Thanksgiving. Since we stayed home this year and tend to be busy enough with the kids, we opted to have Publix make our holiday feast for us. Except for the stuffing, we totally recommend it! And cleanup was a cinch too since you just throw the containers away. :) Quick,convenient, and tasty. What more could you ask for? A nap maybe? Well, the angel of Thanksgiving afforded all 4 of us just that at the SAME TIME after our meal! Thank you, thank you, thank you sweet, merciful turkey spirit!

Our Lady Anna turned 2 months old this week. And her pediatrician confirmed that she is a perfect 10....pounds that is. Her doctor wanted to know how I managed to do that. I told him I didn't know, but that it probably had something to do with a Wal-Mart shopping trip from the other day where I spent exactly $100.00 to the penny...I had even used several coupons. It's just been one of those weeks. :) Anyway, Anna is exactly 10 lbs. now and it is wild to me to think I STILL weighed more than her the day I was born! Crazy. But back to Anna - She has really turned into a piece of cake (or sweetie pie - whichever you prefer) and we are counting our blessings for that. She is on a pretty predictable eat, burp, sit, lay on her back, lay on her belly, fuss, sleep, and repeat pattern. I quite like it. Notice that there is no crying on that list (knock on wood). :) Her new interests include chomping on my fingers and craning her little neck like a turtle. She has gotten quite strong and steady with that. She will be sitting in her bumbo seat in no time! What she does not like is Noah's finger in her eye although she accepts his "saw wee, baby" everytime.




As for the rest of our Thanksgiving holiday, we are crossing our fingers that Auburn won't get spanked too bad on Saturday. And we are looking forward to taking Noah to a live Elmo show on Sunday. We have a sitter for Anna and everything! Can't wait!

Christmas Favorites

Today really felt like the holiday season for me. And as I headed home from yet another Target run, I started thinking about my favorite Christmas songs (listed in no particular order) ...

Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)
Do You Hear What I Hear?
O Holy Night
O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Let It Be Christmas

(and the ever spiritual) Santa Baby and Baby, It's Cold Outside

What are your favorites?

Translation

As Noah's vocabulary explodes lately (finally), I have found it almost impossible not to keep a list of some of the new words and combos he says. I love being able to communicate with him. Even more, I love him being able to communicate with us!

Gee Aa: Giraffe
Gool: School
Pay: Play
Tee: TV
Din Day: Band-Aid
Dideo: Video (not a new term, but by far the cutest)
Bee You: Peekaboo
Bee Caw: Big Car (referring to monster trucks and fire trucks)
Taw: Tall (as in High)
Dow: Let’s Go Downstairs
Baby Dow: Put the baby down and play with me
Daddy Go: Where did Daddy go?
Dwink Go: Where did my drink go?
Baw Go: Where did my ball go? (and so on and so forth)
Way Ahsa: It’s raining outside.
Mommy see: Mommy’s seat (as he is jumping to steal it when I get up)
Mommy sow: Mommy’s show
Daddy shoo: Daddy’s shoes (when Noah puts them on his feet and walks, or tries to)
Pashy: Paci
Why Aw: I want the light on/off
Moe: More
Pea: Please
Ah tee: Thank you
Up Pea: Pick me up please, or Can I hold Anna?
Baby Way: The baby is awake
Teh too: Step Stool
Baw: Usually ball, but lately, bottle (b/c he wants to feed Anna himself)
Saw Wee: Sorry
Uh Saw: Somersault (which is his newest trick besides kicking a tiny ball)
Puppooh: Purple (the color of his morning medicine and everything else according to him)
Meow Why: Cat ride (as in I want the cat to ride the train, too)
Pwoh: Pillow
Pay Joe: Play at Monkey Joe's
Owngwy: I'm hungry (this is an old phrase of his, but I love the sound of it still)
Dee: This
Bwown: Brown
Appoo: Apple
Coo: Cool
Beh Beh Beh: Berenstain Bears (his favorite show to watch)
May May: Mailman
Hee Haw Hee: Who knows? Lost in Translation, I guess...what I do know is that he expects me to repeat it after him...and I do...and it is so funny to him
Woahwah Too: Noah, too (as in Can I do it, too?)
Wee Byeboh: Read Bible (as in read me the bible...ohhh, isn't that precious? He actually said these words to me today as I carried him upstairs for a nap while he wails and cries the whole way...he only calmed down when I agreed to wee byeboh)

Photography - Phew!

You know firsthand (or you can imagine) all that leads up to getting everyone fed, dressed, napped, brushed, packed, and out the door (hopefully still dressed right) and on time for a photo session. That's not even mentioning the stress a momma feels as she anticipates how it will all go or not...as she hopes and prays all the spent energy and calculated timing is not for nothing. Thankfully, all went well enough today. While I am still looking forward to getting a photographer and doing outdoor portraits in the spring, I am still quite pleased with these from Portrait Innovations. (And for those of you familiar with Portrait Innovations, this was our very best experience at one of their studios...we were the only ones there for the entire hour and a half!)

What follows are our favorites from over 100 pics taken today. :)
















Now pretend you didn't see the family Christmas shot...that one is still coming to you in a Christmas card!

Weepy

Y'all, I swear, I get weepy on a daily basis lately. It may be the recent and quite permanent fallout with my parents that makes me look at my children so differently, with such enjoyment and appreciation just to have them in my life. Could possibly be some lingering pregnancy hormones, too. I don't know. But Steven Curtis Chapman's "Cinderella" just melted me in the car today. Ohhhhh - So sweet, so bittersweet. So heartbreaking. So moving.

Also heard this song by Darius Rucker and just had to save the lyrics here. They go right with that post I did last week about getting through tough phases of life.

It Won't Be Like This For Long by Darius Rucker

He didn't have to wake up
He'd been up all night
Layin' there in bed listenin'
To his newborn baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says
"It's gonna be OK

It won't be like this for long
One day we'll look back laughin'
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby just hold on
It won't be like this for long"

Four years later 'bout four thirty
She's crawling in their bed
And when he drops her off at preschool
She's clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says "What can I do?"
She says "Now don't you worry
This'll only last a week or two

It won't be like this for long
One day soon you'll drop her off
And she won't even know your gone
This phase is gonna fly by
If you can just hold on
It won't be like this for long"

Some day soon she'll be a teenager
And at times he'll think she hates him
Then he'll walk her down the aisle
And raise her veil
But right now she's up and cryin'
And the truth is that he don't mind
As he kisses her good night
And she says her prayers

He lays down there beside her
Till her eyes are finally closed
And just watchin' her it breaks his heart
Cause he already knows

It won't be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
Yeah this phase is gonna fly by
He's tryin' to hold on
Cuz It won't be like this for long
It won't be like this for long

WPTM #5: Perfect Love

What Parenting Teaches Me #5: Perfect Love

The other night as I rocked my sleeping baby, I just admired her. Her precious features, her quiet sleep, her sweet and warm breath. So perfect. And I reminded myself in that moment that God looks at me the same, thanks to the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. God looks at me and sees only good, only beauty, only his child whom he made himself and loves, loves, loves. As I watched Anna, I was not stewing over the fussy mood she had earlier, or the dirty diapers she made, or even the fact that I was up at 3:00 am when I would have rather stayed in bed. And it is just same with the Lord, thank goodness. He does not look at me with disapproval, judgement, or irritation although I sometimes carry the burden of feeling like he does or should. No, he sings over me as I do my daughter and it brings tears to my eyes in utter and humble thanks that Jesus made that possible. Forever acceptance and love. Forever promise and hope. Forever new starts...much like a fresh diaper on Anna. Her dirty diapers do not mark her person, nor do my daily sins before the Lord. I change Anna's poopy diapers, take them away, and forget them. Oh praise the Lord it is the same for us, for me...what sin/guilt I have he takes, he changes, and removes it from me as far as the east is from the west. Isn't that the most perfect thing you ever heard...isn't the truth of Christ, isn't God, just the most perfect thing you ever heard? Isn't his forgiveness and love the best thing you ever knew?

It is for me...and holding, watching, loving, and learning from my babies is a close second.

Say What?

Babble. :)



More Sophisticated Babble. :)



This week I caught the boy sweeping my bedroom with the toilet brush. Eew, eeew, eeeew! Another day he wrapped the boppy around his skinny body and asked for the bottle so he could feed Anna. So sweet...if not ambitious! And while Josh assembled a shelf in Noah's room yesterday, Noah abducted a hammer from Josh's tool bag and proceeded to blast away on the wall, you know, to help daddy with the shelf. Aaaah! For another snippet of precious/funny - check out Josh's rendering of last Sunday's hilarity. Yes, Josh FINALLY posted again. But in his defense, he is right...he has been crazy busy lately, and when he is not working for work, or working on the house, well, he is sleeping or has been commandeered by Noah to play trains, choo choo chwains that is.

Just Because I Can

And even more so, because I love them to pieces. Pics from of late.

Caught the girlie grinning!


Caught the girlie sneezing!

Noah played with his new trains (compliments of Aunt Kathy) for 3 straight hours the other day. It is safe to say we are a Thomas the Train family, even though I tried to fight going the name brand way on this one. It is a long story, but it is all for the best, and even better, Aunt Kathy sent a ton of those trains too, and animals, and tracks, and a video. Yes, we are in full swing with Thomas and grinning all the way.



And I have to admit, I have caught the train set bug too...look at my train track masterpiece!! Once I start putting them together, I can't stop. Josh just laughs at me. I should have had trains as a kid ... clearly.

So Tell Me...

Yes, do tell me. Inquiring minds want to know...

Should I still write a Christmas letter this year now that I pretty much put all that sort of information on the blog?

Why in the world are there so many banks everywhere?! Every corner they pop up like acne. They outnumber gas stations I think. Yesterday I was remarking to myself how many banks I was passing and then I passed another corner with, get this, SIX BANKS on it. SIX right there together!! My word...how is there enough business to fund and maintain all the banks?

Is there some biblical instruction on what to do with your tithe when you are between church homes? Poor Josh and me...this is about our 5th time to be church home hunting since we started dating. So again, this month, we are without a church home and wondering what to do with our tithe. Thoughts? In the past we have given that interim tithe money to specific people, causes, or needs to which the Lord made us sensitive. But this month, nothing has come to our attention. So I was just wondering if there is a "supposed to do" type thing for this situation that we have overlooked.

And how crazy is the gas scene? I have seen gas prices for under $2.00! I seriously didn't think it would ever get that low again, no matter how briefly it stays there. Crazy.

You're Gonna Miss This

I have figured out (again) the secret of getting through a tough phase in life...and that is to remember that it is just that - a phase, temporary, for a time...a moment really in the scheme of life and eternity. This was recently suggested to me by a good friend of almost 14 years now, Heather, when she encouraged me to try to appreciate Anna's early crying, crying, crying fits because she'd only be that little and crying for so long. Point taken. Then I kept hearing songs that seemed to address the concept of choosing to appreciate things that would ordinarily bug you...you know, see the positive side of a situation instead of focusing on the bad (Brad Paisley's Waitin' on a Woman, Kenny Chesney's Don't Blink, etc). And then I heard this song "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins (lyrics listed below). I listened to it again and decided it is my mantra for these days of my life - because to be certain - maintaining a toddler and baby all day, all week (nights too) all while enduring almost NO adult interaction is a stretch on my sanity, and if I'm not careful, my happiness. Particularly, the chorus and the 3rd verse speak to my situation lately. And when I hear it, or see the video, I sure do well up with tears of appreciation and thankfulness that I have plenty of time to make good on this reminder and not ruin my memory of my babies' early days by being grumpy and wishing they would hurry up, grow up, and be less work. Yes, I am convinced that when I look back on my life, I am gonna miss all this.


"You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins

She was staring out the window of their SUV
Complaining, saying "I can't wait to turn 18"
She said "I'll make my own money, and I'll make my own rules"
Mamma put the car in park out there in front of the school
Then she kissed her head and said "I was just like you"

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Before she knows it she's a brand new bride
In a one-bedroom apartment, and her daddy stops by
He tells her "It's a nice place"
She says "It'll do for now"
Starts talking about babies and buying a house
Daddy shakes his head and says "Baby, just slow down"

Cause you're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Five years later there's a plumber workin' on the water heater
Dog's barkin', phone's ringin'
One kid's cryin', one kid's screamin'
And she keeps apologizin'
He says "They don't bother me.
I've got 2 babies of my own.
One's 36, one's 23.
Huh, it's hard to believe, but...

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this"



Something else, completely off topic, but so, so, funny. I was asking myself today where that addictive, precious baby smell comes from. Where is its origin, anyway? I am changing Anna's diaper as I contemplate this mystery and sure enough, that baby girl lets go a GIANT toot! (I say toot instead of a more fitting, unpretty word because my baby girl is just too pretty and too sweet to say that word and her name in the same sentence - but you get my drift..it was GIANT). I laughed and laughed and laughed at the uncanny timing of her...sound contribution...to the very question that asked where her sweet baby smell came from. Wrong answer, Anna, wrong answer. But so, so funny to me, too.

Knuckles, Lovin', and a Parade

She passes on the paci every time - but suckers right to a tasty knuckle sandwich - the sound bite for which is quite amusing. Get it? Knuckle sandwich and sound bite? Pun intended :)



Love how this trio of pictures takes you through a typical toddler/baby photo session. :) Wish us better luck for our family picture next week at Portrait Innovations (Hooray for having that place just around the corner here!).





In order to really jump into all things Nashville and become participating community citizens (excusing the whole not-voting-thing on my part this year) we headed downtown to the local Veteran's Day Parade this weekend. It was a bit on the wimpy side, but it fit Noah just right. The weather was cool, sunny, and comfortable, and we had a super view of all the fun. It was all a good precursor to whatever Christmas parade we hit next month.

Oh the big, new sounds that come with a parade!

Anna enjoyed the event with a hearty nap - didn't wake up once, not for the screaming sirens, pounding drums, band music, rumbling motorcyles, ROTC chants, or antique car horns.

As resident family photographer, the highlight of MY day was actually making it into a picture for once.

Noah took it all in so quietly, so cautiously.

After the parade we finished off the outing by trying out a new park. Noah brought home a giant leaf as a souvenir to wave with his flag.

Humor Me and My Leaves

Two Days Ago (So pretty):

Yesterday and Today (So strikingly pretty):

I love Fall (it's art!):

Don't the leaves look like perfectly placed confetti on the ground?

I promise we have a house - somewhere behind the foliage. :)