Thomas Turns 3!

On Saturday, August 21st, our oldest son turned three!  In some ways it seems surreal that I have a three-year-old.  I remember his birth as if it happened yesterday.  I started having contractions early on Monday, August 20th, 2007, but Thomas didn't make his appearance until Tuesday, August 21st, at 9:29am.  Even with Josiah, I was in labor a long time, but not that long! 

Thomas has been such a blessing to us and sometimes I have called him our "guinea pig" since he is our first-born.  There are so many things to learn with a first-born child and so many things you do wrong.  I'm just glad children don't remember the infant years!  Thomas has always been such a sweet baby and now a boy.  He is quite shy and timid when he first meets people, and it takes him a while to "jump in" with the other kids.  He is very observant and is a people-watcher.  Thomas has an expansive vocabulary now and we realize that he listens to everything we say and understands much of what we talk about.  While we have to watch what we say, we also have the opportunity now to share the gospel with him more and more.  He has learned the first five catechism questions and is working on Scripture memory (he knows Ephesians 6:1...we quote it a lot!).  Thomas also loves to read the Bible.  Most of the time, we read The Big Picture Story Bible because it has lots of pictures and points to Christ throughout. 

We did have a party with our families on Saturday.  He was so excited about his party and his cake.  I made him a Lighting McQueen cake from Cars and he loved it.  He loved all his gifts, and especially a big box of cars my brother gave him.  His gift from us was visiting Thomas the Train last month (although Josh did run to the store to get something for me and came back with a Cars puzzle for Thomas).  Below are some pictures of our fun filled day! 

Thankfully, family was eating the cake, because there was definitely some saliva in his blowing out the candle!

Excited about his gifts!

Sweet Josiah enjoying the festivities!

Thomas & Thomas Meet!

Right after we returned from vacation, I received a flyer in the mail advertising Thomas The Train coming to North Carolina.  Josh and I talked about it and decided this year would be the perfect time to take Thomas.  He loves to watch Thomas the Train (and loves that they share a name) and we knew it would be such a fun trip for our almost 3 year old.  We decided not to take Josiah since it would be a long day and he wouldn't care anyway.  He had more fun with Grandma and Poppy then he would have with us! 

We drove up on Thursday evening, spent the night in a hotel, and went to see Thomas The Train first thing Friday morning.  Thomas was memorized by it all!  While we were standing in line waiting to take his picture with Thomas, I asked him what he thought about Thomas the Train and he said, "He's not talking Mama."  He always talks on the movies and so I told him, "Maybe Thomas is shy like you and he doesn't want to talk right now."  He agreed that had to be it!  Thomas got scared when the train blew off steam, but he certainly wasn't the only one!  Children all around us started crying at the noise! 

Besides the 25 minutes train ride, they had four stations for the kids to rotate through and then they got a prize!  Thomas played at a couple of train tables, played in sand, played with bubbles, listened to a Thomas the Train story, and even watched parts of a movie.  We also went to see a train museum with lots of model trains as well.  Of course, there was a gift shop and Thomas picked out a new engine (Charlie) for his birthday, as well as a book. 

This was a perfect trip for Thomas.  I told Josh this was such a better use of time and money than going to Busch Gardens!  The weather was perfect, all the children were around Thomas' age, and he had a blast.  Below are some pictures of our fun day! 

Excited about riding the train!

Playing with the sand...he could have done this for hours!

Love the serious face!

Train museum

Music & Mama

I thought I would give a quick update on the latest things happening with the boys.  Thomas will be three next month and I honestly can't believe it!  He is getting so big (and he tells me all the time, "Mama, I'm getting tall.").  When I tell him that he is still my baby, he says, "Mama, I not your baby.  I'm a boy."  *sniff, sniff*

Anyway, on to what this post is really about!  In the last couple of months we have really noticed his love for music.  As I type this, he is playing with a book that plays classical music.  Thomas enjoys all kinds of music and even loves to sing now.  He knows all the songs to Josiah's toys and has picked up many of the children's songs we have taught him as well as some hymns.  Currently, we are working on "Holy, Holy, Holy."  I need to record him singing it, because it is so precious.  Josh found an old book of nursery rhymes at his parents house (with sheet music) and plays it often.  Thomas loves to sit with him at the piano and sing along.  On a side note, he also likes to dance to music now and I think that has much to do with his friend Savannah - she has demonstrated some moves to him! 

Josiah also loves music and as soon as he hears it, he begins to move his head.  Of course he can't sing along yet, but he looks so cute bobbing his little head to the beat! 

The biggest difference with Josiah is his recent attachment to me.  Yes, he has always been attached, but now he is going through a hard phase of separation anxiety.  Anytime I leave him in the nursery now, he cries.  And it is a sad, hold your breath, kind of cry.  They tell me that he stops crying after a few minutes, but it is still hard to leave him.  Even when I worked in the nursery a couple of weeks ago, he would not let me put him down.  Therefore, I was of no help to any other child, because I was busy holding my baby.  Thomas never really cried after me and he preferred Josh and I equally, whereas Josiah really prefers me over Josh.  Maybe it is the difference in being the second born?  I don't feel like I treat Josiah any different than Thomas, although I do have to comfort him a bit more when Thomas pushes, pulls, or hits him (that is another blog post!). 

Our hope is that Thomas & Josiah both will continue to love music and they will desire to play the piano like their daddy one day!

Potty Training Update

Three months ago (exactly!), I wrote about my struggle to potty train Thomas.  While things aren't perfect, they have improved!  He does great telling me when he has to pee-pee and very rarely has an accident (even at night).  His favorite place to potty is on the grass!  This is actually very convenient when we are running errands.  More than once, I've stopped at a church or an empty parking lot and let him go to the potty.  You don't have to worry about finding a potty indoors when you have a little boy and you don't have to worry about aim when he is outside!  :-) 

Unfortunately, our struggle isn't over with the other part of potty training.  He would still rather go in his pants than in the potty!  Is this frustrating?!  Absolutely!!  He has been wearing underwear since my last post and we talk everyday about how he needs to go in the potty and not in his pants, but he still won't do it.  And yes, he is very aware of when he has to go.  He never does it in public or in front of us.  Normally, he goes into his room and comes back out a few minutes later to tell me what he did. 

I really don't think he is scared to go in the potty, because he has went a couple of times.  He did it last week because I found him right before he went in his pants.  While he didn't want to go in the potty, he did with no problem.  I often wonder if this has become an issue of disobedience or if he just isn't ready yet.  The big three-year-old birthday comes next month and I really would like him to be completely potty trained! 

Any advise from my blog readers? 

A Wedding & Vacation

Our family just got back from a week long vacation and it was wonderful!  There weren't too many activities planned and we were able to relax most of the week.  We went to Treasure Island, FL, and while we normally don't travel that far (the trip took around 12 hrs!), this year we had a wedding to attend.  One of Josh's cousins got married and Josh's parents, his niece and another cousin, and our family decided to attend the wedding and then make a vacation out of it.  We found a great house to rent with plenty of room on Treasure Island and thoroughly enjoyed every minute.  If you are ever vacationing on the FL coast, let me know and I will give you the info for the house. 

The FL coast was also beautiful.  The Gulf's water was really pretty and thankfully, the oil has not moved that far down.  Thomas really liked playing in the sand, but wasn't crazy about the waves.  He liked being in the ocean, but not on the shore.  We didn't put Josiah in the ocean, but he did get in the pool and loved it.  He instinctively knew to kick his legs and looked like a little tadpole in the water! 

Josh and I had heard a few months ago that Busch Gardens had just opened a Sesame Street mini-park within the park and we thought it would be fun for Thomas.  In hindsight, we should have taken into account that the heat index would be over 100 and having two small children who both still need naps.  We were also very worried about Josiah because he was so red and hot.  We were constantly blowing a fan on him and spraying him down with water.  Thomas did have a good time, but we spent a few hours riding a train around the park and trying to see an Elmo movie in 3D (it was canceled several times).  We should have spent the day in Elmo land, because that is what Thomas enjoyed the most.  He rode the rides and played in the water. 

We had a great time learning to play poker at the house where we stayed.  They had a poker table complete with cards and chips.  Josh's dad knew how to play, so Josh joked that "the Baptist deacon taught the Baptist preacher and his wife, as well as two underage girls how to play poker!"  We played poker almost every night after the boys were in bed and while I didn't win very many games, I still enjoyed it! 

I'll admit this vacation was hard to leave.  The only time we truly ever get away is when we are on vacation.  Because we do live right by the church, Josh never truly gets away from work.  He heard a pastor say a few months ago that when he and his family moved out of the parsonage into their own house, that their family's stress level decreased remarkably.  We aren't moving anytime soon, and I'm very thankful for our home, and will continue to strive for relaxing vacations! 

Mr. & Mrs. Culbertson at the wedding. 

Josh and his dad kayaking in the inlet.  We all had a lot of fun in the kayak with our experienced guide, Josh's dad!

Thomas riding a hippo at Busch Gardens...he loved it!

Our sweet baby at Busch Gardens. 

Josh's wonderful parents!

The girls and Thomas.  He had a great time "playing" with them all week. 

My wonderful friend, Elizabeth, came to visit!  She lives only an hour and a half away from where we stayed and it was wonderful to have a day to catch up with her.  We have been friends since our freshman year of college.  A true and sweeter friend you will not find!

New Haircut

Josh and I decided that we needed to cut Thomas' hair short for a variety of reasons.  One is that he is so hot natured and sweats all the time so a short cut would help keep him cool this summer.  Another reason is that his hair is so unruly.  Between the cowlicks and the crazy crown on his head, his hair is always sticking up somewhere, so I took him to get it buzzed this morning.  I will admit that I had to hold back the tears when she was cutting.  She said to me, "Dianna don't you cry!  If you do he will get upset."  So, I held it in but he just looks so different to me and much older too.  Here is his new cut...for now. 

He looks so grown up to me! 

Look at that grin!

He found this hat in some stuff of mine and has wanted to wear it ever since. 

Working With Daddy

Last week, Thomas had the pleasure of going to work with Josh.  He talks about going to work and has wanted to go with Josh before.  Since Josh was going to clean out some things in his office, he decided Thomas wouldn't be too much of a distraction to go with him.  

Thomas made sure to take his phone and keys, just like daddy.  You can also see that Josh took some crayons, just in case!

It was very nice for me, because Josiah napped most of the time Thomas was at work.  Josiah and I went over to see all the work Thomas had done before lunch.  When we got there Thomas had managed to color all over himself, but other than daddy being a little flustered, I think it was a great day!  Oh, and Thomas got to see the church's bathtub too! Below are some pictures of Thomas demonstrating what he had done all morning. 

Thomas working on a sermon?

Taking messages for Daddy.

I think he even decided to preach a little too. 

I just love this picture, even though he looks like such a big boy!

Sweet Josiah came over to hear Thomas' "sermon."

Work day is over.  He wants mama and a nap now!

Potty Training Help

I am in need of potty training help from all you experienced moms out there.  Thomas is 2.5 and we have been potty training for about 6 months or so.  We haven't really followed any method, but just take him to the potty every so often (about every hour) and if he does something, he can have one M&M or a jelly bean.  He has always done well pee-peeing on the potty, and in the past few weeks he has gotten even better at telling me when he has to go (he just tasted jelly beans around Easter and I think that is the motivation for wanting to go to the potty!).  In the past few weeks, I have also noticed that he has developed the ability to wait for long periods of time to go potty.  For instance, we can go out for two to three hours and when we get home, he is still dry!  He has also stayed dry during naps and even once stayed dry all night! 

My dilemna?  He will NOT poo in the potty.  We have tried bribery, but it doesn't work.  If you ask him where he is supposed to poo, he says, "In the potty."  He does know when he has to go, because he wants to be alone now and if I happen to catch him in the act he says, "Mama, I'm pooping right now."  I would love to transition him out of pull-ups and diapers, but I just don't think that is possible until he can poo in the potty.  I have tried training pants, but he doesn't get upset if he gets those dirty.  I'm hesitant to go straight to underwear because I don't want to ruin them. 

Seasoned moms, what would you do?  How have you handled this with your children, especially boys?  Everyone told me boys were hard to potty train, but I really have no idea if that is true.  Please help!

Orderly and Organized

As Thomas grows older, we begin to see more and more of his distinct personality traits.  One of his most prominent traits is his orderliness and organization skills.  Thomas likes everything to be lined up perfectly.  Josh and I both are organized, although he would admit his organization tends to be "pile" organization, whereas I am "everything last paper has to be in the proper place" organized.  Thomas so far has more of my organization habits.  Before he goes to bed, he wants all the books put back on the bookshelf (as I do!) and he likes to help me put up all the groceries in their proper spot.  Maybe part of this organization trait comes from being a firstborn?  I don't know too much about how birth order affects personality, but it might have some affect. 

Here are some recent examples of Thomas' organization of his toys.  By the way, I love that he has some of my personality since he looks exactly like his daddy.  I need to know I contributed something to my firstborn!

Train people lined up perfectly on his table. 

One of his favorite places to put his many cars - all in a line!

Pull-ups all lined up one morning when I went to get him from his room.  I guess he got bored while waiting on me!

Brotherly Love

Since today is Valentine's Day and my valentine is sick in bed, I thought I would post some pictures of my two little sweethearts. It is so fun to watch Thomas and Josiah interact with each other. Right now it is fun ... ask me again in a year and I'll probably tell you how it is fun and challenging, but right now it is great!

In the past couple of months, Josiah has become very aware of Thomas and he watches everything that Thomas does and loves to "play" with Thomas. In return, Thomas loves being the center of attention. Josiah laughs at almost anything Thomas does and Thomas tells me all the time, "Mama, I funny." Well, to Josiah he is a regular comedian!

Thomas has also realized that this little person isn't just for mama, but he is a playmate and that is exciting! He likes to "teach" Josiah how to play with his toys or "read" to him. It is fun to watch him take care of Josiah and love on him. Of course, Josiah thinks that Thomas hangs the moon!

Josh and I both look forward to watching them grow up together and to have a close relationship. Both of our siblings are over a decade apart from us (Josh's brother is 12 yrs older; my brother is 13 yrs younger) so we both grew up as essentially only children because our siblings weren't around as we were growing up. Sometimes it makes me sad not to have a brother or sister close in age, as many of my friends do, because those sibling relationships are so close and unique.

Here are a few pictures of our sweet boys together, who we pray will one day be the best of friends!

Lesson Learned

Yesterday, I rushed around the house picking up the previous night's clothes to have a larger load of laundry to wash. Josh had mentioned to me on Monday that he thought Thomas had crayons in his pockets. Not thinking about that reminder, I put his jeans in the washing machine. He reminded me again when I told him that I was washing clothes that Thomas had crayons in his pockets. AGAIN, I forgot and simply loaded the dryer full of wet clothes. When I opened the dryer door, I remember Josh saying, "I think Thomas has crayons in his pockets," for this is what I saw:

After I removed all the clothes, and saw more black crayon stains, this is what my dryer looked like:

Here is the culprit:

I googled (is that a verb now?) "how to clean crayon out of the dryer" and the answers said to take a damp cloth, spray WD-40 on the cloth, and wipe the inside of the dryer. It worked to get the crayon that was caked on, but most of the stains will not come out. I think the dryer was so warm that it permanently melted black crayon into the drum. Every time I look at the dryer, I will remember to always check Thomas' pockets!

A picture of my sweet boy, who only was warned never to put crayons in his pockets again!

Same or Different?

People who know our family in person think that Josiah looks so much like Thomas as a baby. I decided I would let my blog audience give me your opinion. Below is a picture of Thomas the day he turned 7 months and a picture of Josiah on his 7 month birthday last week. What do you think?
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Like Father, Like Son

Thomas wants to be just like his daddy! Josh has an old electric razor and when Thomas found it, he decided he needed to shave as well. The only thing missing from this picture is Thomas' sing-song voice, "Shave, shave, shave..."

Oh, and the water all down his shirt is because of one of his other hobbies: playing in the sink!

Learning & Growing

I realized that I haven't given any updates on my boys lately. So here goes...

Thomas - His vocabulary has exploded over the past two months. I really wasn't worried that he wasn't talking in complete sentences because everyone I have talked to said, "Wait until he is two and he will surprise you." He definitely has surprised us at the things he is able to say now. I love how he says some words such as "football." It sounds more like "futeball." I'm always amazed at how observant he is when he sees an object and knows the word. For example, Josiah has lots of bibs and outfits with a football somewhere on the outfit and Thomas immediately say, "Mama, Jo has a football!" He gets so excited about it and it is so cute!

We are also in the midst of potty training and it is going surprisingly well. I really think bribery in the key. Here is an example of our conversation:

Thomas: "Mama, I have to pee-pee."

Mama: "Okay, let's go to the potty."

Thomas: "More candy! More candy!"

Yes, he has it figured out that when he goes to the potty candy follows. He also tried to use this the other night at dinner. He didn't eat much dinner, but of course he wanted a cookie. We told him he had to eat more dinner to get a cookie. It was only a moment later he told us he needed to go the bathroom - coincidence? I think not!

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Josiah - My sweet baby boy is now 5 months old! He is so sweet and smiley and just a joy to be around. He is regularly rolling over and reaching and grabbing things. Josiah loves his big brother and if Thomas is in the room, he is watching him.

We just went to a four hour schedule because he is such a great napper and sleeper. Most of his naps are between two and two and a half hours. He is sleeping around 12 hrs at night and this mama is so happy to be in bed by 10pm every night!

For now, he is still fully swaddled for naps. I honestly thought he would not need or want to be swaddled by 5 months, but he really likes it. At night, I put him in a sleep sack and because he sleeps sounder at night he doesn't have to be swaddled.

Here he is a couple of weeks ago napping:

Yes, he is as sweet as he looks. I'm so blessed!

Professional Pictures

We had Thomas and Josiah's pictures made last month. Josh and I both love pictures and we enjoy taking the kids for professional pictures every so often. Actually, I have a "schedule" of when I want their pictures taken:

3 months
6 months
12 months
18 months
2 years (and every year following)

Since we plan on homeschooling, we will have to take the initiative of having professional pictures every year since they won't have the infamous school pictures (maybe that is a good thing considering how some of mine and Josh's turned out!).

Without further ado, here is Thomas' 2 year photo, Josiah's three month, and a picture of them together. For some reason they turned out a little fuzzy when I scanned them. If anyone knows how to fix that, let me know!

This is the only decent picture we got of them together and this came after much bribery with candy. We don't normally parent with bribery, but when you are in a hurry, you do what you have to do to get a picture!