Deacon Matthew- 13/14 Months!

Weight/Length- 26 pounds is my guess- no idea for length!

Eating- Deacon has around 20 ounces of milk a day. He will do sippy cups for water and juice but definitely still prefers his milk in bottles. I need to work on that one, but I am going to pick my battles. To be honest, I am just not going to fight it right now and I’m not worried about it. Foods- wow this boy can EAT EAT EAT. He crushed 1 ½ Torchy's tacos all by himself the other weekend. I feel like some dainty girls can only ever eat one. His daddy was quite proud of his macho man Deacon . Favorite foods are bananas, chicken, cheese, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, mac n cheese, carrots, oatmeal, and yogurt.

Bedtime/Awake- Deacon sleeps 11-12 hours at night. He takes a morning cat nap every once in a while and then a 2-3 hour afternoon nap. I know these morning naps are soon to be gone. I’m OK with it whenever he drops it.

Diapers- 3’s. I need to put him in 4’s, but I’m trying to wait it out and finish all that we have left.

Clothes- Deacon is in 12/18 months for shirts, 12 months for pants. He is thick in the torso area. Solid boy just like his broski.

Dislikes- Teething. We are at 4 teeth ladies and gents. Crunchy foods are now more of a possibility and this mama is excited. I just hate the process of popping the tooth. It makes for a cranky baby with diaper rash.

He also doesn’t like to be told no (who doesn’t?) or not be able to figure something out (once again, who doesn’t?) Deacon is determined. If he can’t figure something out or get it right, he will usually throw it or screech. I love this quality about him although it can pose some problems. I know this boy will be more of a perfectionist like his dad. He likes things a certain way and wants to get it right.  He also wants it his way. He is definitely exercising his independence which is awesome yet tough when he doesn’t have the words to communicate.

Likes- Love. This boy has so much love to give- it melts my heart. Deacon is very affectionate to us, the dog, and his brother. There are kisses and hugs to go around all the time. He idolizes his big brother and thinks Noah is the best thing ever. He wants to do what Noah’s doing- we see him climbing anything and everything with a smile on his face just to keep up with his bro.

He loves to WALK! Yes, right at 14 months Deacon really started to initiate steps. It’s so much fun- I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. He still has the zombie man going on, but walks 95% of the time. It’s so much fun to watch him chase his brother and participate in things like pushing strollers or tackling Bruiser. He’s all boy.

 He loves to tickle Noah, rough house with daddy, and snuggle with his mom. He will sit in your lap and just hang out. His blankets are still his soothers. He has a handful of words- kitty being the newest one. His favorite animal is a cat. Our neighbor has dozens (don’t ask) and he loves to take my hand to go look for them. Now that we have a toddler- outside is the best. Biking (really being pushed on a bike), walking, sliding, digging in dirt, piling sticks, playing in water, throwing rocks- this boy is the happiest kid ever when we have days outside. His mom loves outdoor adventures too- so I can’t wait to take these two hoodlums camping.

This will sound odd, but Deacon loves men. He gravitates towards men when we are in a room of strangers. It doesn’t matter the age. We were at a cake shop last week and he went up to an elderly gentleman and gave him a hug. When we went to the park on Saturday, there was a daddy there that he kept watching and trying to interact with. It’s such a sweet dimension of his personality. I don’t want to forget it. I love how God knit this boy together in my womb!

Favorite memories of the months (13/14)- There are too many. I watched my baby turn into a toddler before my eyes. It’s the sweetest gift to be a mommy and watch my boys light up as the world becomes an adventure before each of them. I pray that as Deacon becomes older- he will see the light of Jesus. I pray that he will love well and seek joy in all circumstances. I pray his daddy and I would shepherd him in truth. It is such an honor to be this boy’s mama. My heart is full. 

Next week I aim to post his 15 month things. Let's see if I can accomplish this goal. 

Noah Walker- 3ish years old

Noah Walker- where to begin?

I could really write a novel about my three year old, but I’ll try to refrain. I’ll give y’all the skinny on what he likes to do these days, favorite foods, and personality traits. Noah is a rambunctious, opinionated, compassionate, kind, strong-willed, hilarious boy.  He is the first to give me a big hug in the morning and the last to want to say goodnight.  

Noah is 34 pounds and around 37 inches. He is thick- not chubby, not hefty- just thick. We are already amazed by his muscle tone in his calves and arms. He is super strong (and will gladly remind us of this quite often).  He wears mostly 3T but for certain things needs 4T. His feet are gargantuan. He can wear my socks. I kid you not. He wears a 10.5 shoe. 

Noah is a great sleeper- 12 hours a night and usually a 1.5/2 hour nap during the day. If he is with the nanny, he will sometimes miss the nap but we usually pay for it that night. 

What does Noah like to do these days? IMAGINE! I love this age and the creative play.  With his friend Haidyn- he loves to play family, monsters, cars, doctor, and all sorts of scenarios. Whenever I ease drop onto the conversations he has with his little friends, I love to hear how he portrays different roles. He’s a very good “daddy” and quite the careful “doctor”.

To all of our guests who have come to visit over the past couple months- I apologize for all the stories you have had to tell. His favorite request is “tell me a story.”  Once you tell him the story, he will ask for it again and again and correct you if you leave anything out. Mimi (one of Noah’s grandmas) learned this one the hard way when she forgot about the hot portage in Goldie Locks and the 3 bears. Every night at dinner he is sure to ask for at least one story. It wears a mama out!

Jesus. This has been probably one of the most significant changes in the past couple months. Noah loves to talk about Jesus in his heart, saving him from his sins, and living in Heaven. It’s a hard concept to grasp so there is still confusion sometimes- but I’m amazed at his spirit and desire to learn. Noah wants to live a life that makes Jesus happy and likes to tell others about Him. Child like faith is no joke. 

Favorite Foods- Noah is an eater. Both my boys are, and I’m thankful. He’s not picky- he will try almost anything. Chick-fil-a and Starbucks are probably his two favorite hot spots. He requests them weekly. ( I know- I’ve produced a monster but he likes what his momma eats). As for things I always keep in the house- homeboy loves Greek yogurt, all fruits, broccoli, carrots, salad, cheese (even feta and bleu), cookies (of course), spaghetti, PB&J, oatmeal, bacon, and edamame.

Some of my favorite things he has said as of recently-

We went to IKEA this past weekend to look at shelving and storage. Noah told Matt at least 10 times that he wanted the pink storage bins. Two days ago, Matt built the shelves and storage containers while Noah was sleeping (we did not pick the pink ones- we went with white). The next morning Noah came out of his room to see Matt’s masterpiece of a project, and his first response was “I told you I wanted the pink ones.” Opinionated much- why yes.

Funny things about Noah and Deacon-

Usually Noah tells me things like, “Mom can you handle this and distract him?” Deacon likes to mess up Noah’s puzzles or knock down his Lego towers. A 3 year old can only handle so much of his little brother’s mischief. Last week, Noah asked if Deacon could play with him in his room. I obliged and folded laundry in the other room.  After a good 15 minutes of no tears or yelling, I peeked in their room. Noah kept telling Deacon over and over how much he loved him and wanted to spend time with him. Cue the heart melting and tears.

I’m going to do a part two of this post. I feel like it’s long and if you aren’t a family member, you probably stopped reading by paragraph two. 

Please note all the photobombs of Bruiser in this post. He is quite attached to our boys. 

Brothers

Photography is like retail therapy for me. I shop through the pictures, edit them, and pick out my favorites. I then giggle, laugh, and smile- enjoying all the sweet moments captured. 

On Sunday, Matt and I took some pictures of our boys- it had been TOO long. Note to self- we need to do this more often-for real. 

Side note- I realized how little "extra time" our family has right now when I filled out a survey for my mom's neighborhood group and they asked what super power I would choose. I said personal multiplication. I wish there were three of me to study the bible/work, clean/cook, and take care of my family. I digress. 

When I found time to look back at these pictures between my son riding his motorcycle over my keyboard and my little one opening a thing of wipes, pulling out each one individually- I couldn't help but laugh . Our life with two boys is crazy/beautiful. Mostly crazy- I’ll be real honest. These boys......

I'm taking time in this New Year to realize how thankful I truly am. 

Boys updates to come next on the blog.

Nana and Uncle Aaron Visit Dallas

Yes I’m behind. Life happens- goodness- this blog will get loved on sooner or later.  (New Years resolution- here we come) Anyways, we had two visitors from Virginia come our way in November and love on our kids- Uncle Aaron and Nana. It was so much fun and the boys adored them both. Deacon even fell asleep on his Uncle Aaron. He NEVER does that- not even with me. (A tooth did pop later, so I think he needed the extra cuddles).

There was lots of park play, delicious meals, shopping adventures, and card games. The weather was beautiful- so glad Texas did not disappoint our guests. We are so thankful and feel so blessed that our kids are loved so well. 

Can’t wait for the next time! We are hoping to go up to Virginia in May so that we can see everybody all at one time. Our boys love their family and we all wish they didn't live so far away. 

Next up- 13/14 month update on Deacon & 3.25 year update on Noah! 

Boys Birthday Party in the Park

For the Clem boys’ 1^st and 3^rd birthdays, we had a gathering of  family and friends at our local park. It was a blast- perfect weather, best company, and great food (my mom cooked the chili- so I'm biased). My favorite part was the piñata.  There is nothing better than a piñata with 15 kiddos under the age of 5. My heart was so full.

This picture- I’m obsessed- my background at work. I love every expression.  This is Deacon's peek-a-boo.

 piñata time!

 Big and Little. I think these two look so similar and honestly- their personalities are spot on. Deacon is the sweetest blessing. 

 Crazy Candle! There was a "Frozen" cake for Noah and a "Rubber Ducky" for Deacon. They were the CUTEST!

 My little buddy with a photo bomb by daddy. 

We have been in Dallas a little over a year and have made friendships to last a lifetime. We are so blessed. These are some of the girls from our supper club. 

  My family- so thankful for their help getting everything together and going.

My best friend Ashley and her little boy Kyle.  

For privacy sake, I’m only posting pictures of the people I know who are OK with me sharing photos of their kiddos. 

Next up on the blog- visit from Nana and Uncle Aaron! 

Deacon is Twelve Months!

Penguin didn't last long. Stars and Stripes to honor our wonderful veterans. 

Weight/Length- 22 pounds (30%) and 30 inches (25%)

Eating- When my supply dropped, we started introducing formula and eventually whole milk. He has four bottles a day. He drinks somewhere between 16-20 ounces a day. Both my boys have always been big milk drinkers. As a result, the finger nails grow so fast- it takes everything in me to keep up with them. The Deek usually eats three meals and two snacks. Deacon is a big eater. He loves broccoli, chicken, bread, hotdogs, blueberries, strawberries, puffs, yogurt, and so much more.

Bedtime/Awake- Deacon sleeps 11-12 hours at night. He takes a morning cat nap and then a 2-3 hour afternoon nap.

Diapers- 3’s

Clothes- 9-12 months, 12 months

Park day!

Dislikes- Teething. Who doesn’t? I am proud to say that homeboy popped his first tooth right at twelve months. My boys are feverish, irritable, and miserable while teething. A symptom Noah did not have but Deacon did- SLEEPING. Deacon slept a ton while fighting through this tooth. Diaper changing is a battle- nothing new there. He doesn’t like long car rides. I don’t know if he gets carsick or just hates being strapped into the carseat. This boy is done if any car trip lasts more than 30 minutes. EEEK.

Likes- The Deek is the sweetest little guy and quite the lover. He is always up for being snuggled and held. He is a man’s man. We have found that in a room of people- he usually prefers a male to hold him over a female. Deacon loves to play with his brother. He is constantly watching Noah, looking for his approval and wanting to make him laugh. Deacon walks along furniture, snuggles his blankets, and plays peekaboo with his hands and blankets. Bath time is the best time. Swinging at the park is a must- a least a couple times a week. Deacon is obsessed with spoons and forks. He is actually pretty good at feeding himself with utensils.  My toddler (WHAT?!??!) loves putting things in baskets and dumping them back out. We just can’t get enough of this little man’s personality.

Favorite memories of the month- We had such a wonderful time celebrating both his and Noah’s birthday on November 2nd. We were surrounded by our community and family - enjoying the beautiful Texas weather. There was so much love.

It is incredible to think that we have been gifted with two sweet boys to steward. We want to continue to shepherd their hearts to be men of integrity, truth, commitment, hard work, and compassion. We have so much to look forward to and continue to try to relish in the moments because time is passing us by.

Goofy look- hard to get a good smile from this crazy buddy

We have had some special visits from family and friends that I hope to do a separate post on in the next week.

Here is to keeping my little boy alive a year while staying sane (yes, that’s an accomplishment-if you doubt it- come over to my house and babysit). 

Born 12 hours apart, same doctor, same hospital, best friends already

Noah Says- Thoughts on Becoming a Man, Naughty Pirates, and Deacon

To the nanny- Maybe you would like naughty pirates if they changed their attitudes?

Noah- do you have kids?

Nanny- no, I don’t- not yet

Noah- I really wish I could give you Deacon, but I can’t.

Mom, I’ll be right back. I need to check the clock to see when I will become a man.

Mom, maybe when my tummy’s full I’ll become strong like a tiger.

When I’m a man, I’ll be able to carry logs and put them in my truck.

Thoughts from a three year old- can you believe it? THREE!!!