Snow Days Part II

This was our first taste of snow about a month ago. We had no idea what was to come (6-8 inches one week later), but I call this Deacon’s face of pure joy. I mean- who doesn't love snow! 

Homeboy Noah looks like a hot dog all bundled up. This was his coat from last season. Can we say too small? He is a lover of cold weather- he doesn't get that from his mama. 

Here are my three favorite Clem boys! 

Cutest 16 month muffin around. I’m obsessed.  He looks like his daddy. YES?!?!

And mom in her PJS. Woof. 

These were some happy snow days for the Clem fam!  17 month post to come plus some more professional family pics.  

Sweet as Pie Brothers

The gift of a sibling is such a beautiful thing. I never knew how wonderful it would be to watch two of our creations love each other so much. I know I said I’d post some more snow pictures, but I wanted to share these.  

My heart explodes as I watch these two brothers develop such a sweet bond of brotherhood. They will forever be brothers, best friends, companions, competitors, compadres, and Clems.

This relationship has really developed over the past month, and they are thick as thieves.

I’ve never seen so much wrestling, laughing, chasing, tickling, teasing, and loving. There are hugs, kisses, and bites to go around. 

I mean seriously....

There is nothing better than being a mother to two sweet as pie brothers.

I melt. 

(Disregard that cage in the background. Ahhhh.... the joys of redoing our backyard. Who puts a cage on an AC Unit? I mean seriously)

Snow Days Part I

Texas really saw the snow this March. These pictures are taken with my good camera on one of the snow days. I have some on my iPhone that I am obsessed with as well. It just takes me more of an effort to pull those off my phone and onto this blog

Noah adored it. He definitely cried when it melted and has asked for it to come back on many occasions. He played in it for hours.

Deacon wasn’t the biggest fan. He hates anything on his hands and feet, so the snow gear was a little stifling to say the least.

It was such a fun experience to share with our boys! I swear having two boys makes everything more fun!

Deacon Matthew- 15 months!

He has my whole heart.

Weight/Length- 24 pounds- not sure about height- we go next week to make up our 15^th month appointment

Eating- Everything. He prefers to eat with a fork at all times. He doesn’t want help and would rather you hold him while he eats. This little buddy loves to be held. His favorite foods this month are pasta, sweet potato, banana, raisins, raspberries, blackberries, oranges, carrots, peas, and cookies. Yes, he claps when he sees anything sweet (cake,brownies ,cookies)coming from a mile away.  

Bedtime/Awake- Deacon sleeps from 8pm-7am. He takes a 3 hour nap in the afternoon. Something new this month is Deacon’s love for co-sleeping. Please start slapping me on the wrist- I know. This boy loves to sleep by Matt and me. I created a monster during one of our sleepless teething nights. He is the SWEETEST cuddler and I have a hard time saying no. He has been in our bed probably once a week lately.

Diapers- 4’s

His faces and smirks. I die.

 Clothes- Deacon is in 12/18 months for shirts, 12 months for pants. He has some 12/18 month pants but they are a little long.

Dislikes-  He doesn’t like to be told no. He doesn’t like when he doesn’t get his way. He is very opinionated and I love it. He gives me a run for my money. He is a climber and wants to do everything that his brother does. There is no holding back this kid. Deacon doesn’t like to have his nose wiped or face washed. Tis the season of constant runny nose, so he gets ticked quick.

Likes- The vacuum. This boy comes running if he sees me pull out the vacuum. I have to then go at turtle pace, so he can keep up. He loves to climb. We have caught him on climbing our kid’s kitchen, book shelves, cabinets, and refrigerator. He will even position toys to be stepping stools. Deacon loves kitties. Every morning he wakes up and we walk over to one of our chairs to look out our big front window to see if the neighbor’s cats are out and about. It’s a sweet routine that I cherish greatly. If we spot a kitty, he goes NUTS.

Always on the go. Walking isn't an option. He's a zombie sprinter. 

Deacon loves baths with his big brother. He loves to scoop water and pour into cups. He also loves to stir it with a fork, which I find adorable. He LOVES all belly buttons. He lifts his shirt and ours many times a day to look at it. He can identify ears, eyes, tongue, nose, belly, and belly button. He has added a handful of new words to his vocabulary this week- Ball and Trash “bash” are my favorite.

My big guy loves to give hugs and be loved on. He is super affectionate at all times and could cuddle for hours.

Favorite memories- This month was action packed. We headed to Austin and had a lot of fun quality time with some of my favorite people. We have done trips to the park, played in snow, made new friends, and learned how to be “gentle”. Hitting is a problem in this house sometimes (eeeek). I am obsessed with this little nugget. He provides so much joy and laughter in our household. He’s the best dancer I know. You will find him head bobbing and hand waving every time Taylor Swift or Veggie Tales comes on. 

Everything about this picture is perfect. His face. Noah's sprint without pants. Smudges on my oven. Life as I know it.

16 month post, snow day, and random brother pictures to come....(hopefully)

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.