Thankful THANKSGIVING DAY Thursday

Well....I really have so much to be thankful for the Thanksgiving!  I have been overwhelmed this year with the blessings that I have in my life.  I am so happy, so loved, and so excited for what the Lord has in store for us...but the truth is....I can't imagine it could be better than what we are living right now.

Anyway....this THANKSGIVING I am most thankful for...

1. My boys!  Nothing has ever or will ever take the place of these two.  They are my everything.

2. Time...the time we have had this week, just the three of us...to create memories and enjoy each other's company.  To see my Mini-Man experience new things, like holding a star fish,

and to have nothing to do but hold my hubby's hand in the car while we drove down to San Diego!  Awww.....I love my life.
3.  Our families at home that we are lucky enough to live by and get to see throughout the entire year...
not just on holidays.
4.  That Waylon knows what "kisses" means and that I got to spend my Thanksgiving afternoon receiving kisses from both my favorite boys while they teamed up on mommy!
5. My marriage!

We celebrated our second wedding anniversary on Monday and I feel very lucky to be more in love with my husband every day!
6.  The fact that Waylon has been a Mommy's Boy this past couple weeks!  I figure, as time goes by, and Waylon starts to understand that his Dad is the cool one who will play all the sports with him and do all the "guy" activities, I better really enjoy this time.  So yes, my house is a mess and no, I haven't done laundry.  I have been busy holding my baby while he sleep since he cries every time I put him down.  I don't care if  I am creating bad habits....I have the rest of my life to do dishes and laundry and at some point, he won't want me to hold him while he sleeps!

7.  The lady who was sitting behind us at dinner tonight (Waylon loved her and was crying until she put out her hands to hold him) and who held Waylon so I was able to eat my dinner!  Now that is a Thanksgiving treat!
8.  Coach tennis shoes!  I hate Nike's and all other sports shoes so I am glad Coach came out with some awesome tennis shoes for me to wear so I didn't have to wear heels at all these amusement parks this week.
9.   Nonfat white mochas!
10.  The Christmas season officially being here!  I am so ready!  The tree is up and as soon as we get home tomorrow....the rest of it will be going up too.  I can't believe that I am a parent this Christmas and get to help Santa plan out everything for Waylon's first Christmas.  I am excited to walk the Christmas lights with our families, read the story of our Saviors birth to Waylon, celebrate with our families, spend time with our dear friends, create new memories and new traditions, and to deliver Christmas gifts to children for our church that participates in the Angel Tree foundation.  EEEK!  Bring it on!

Thank you Jesus!  I love my life and all the gifts I have!  I had a lady tell me today that if I ever wondered how much God loved me, to just look at my Mini-Man!  Wow Jesus, I am so undeserving...thank you for loving me!

Thankful Thursday #2

This week I am most thankful for….

1. Friends that not only love and care about D and I, but who adore our son too! We are so lucky!
2. The world’s most perfect baby! Yes I am bragging! Waylon got his first tooth on Tuesday, November 16th, 2010, and was hardly even fussy!!
3. The power of prayer! I have been working hard on praying when I get over whelmed or anxious or worried about something. Being able to rely on God instead of trying to handle in all myself is life changing.
4. A husband who helped me already put our Christmas tree up and hardly even complained about it.
5. My sister-in-law, Brianne, who always takes the time to take such fabulous pictures of our family.
6. The support of our friends and family as my Mom and I start our new adventure Mini Man Apparel.
7. The Bear game being on TONIGHT!
8. Peppermint Mocha creamer during the holiday season.
9. My students who make me laugh while I am at work. I defiantly have the best job ever.
10. This beautiful fall weather we have been experiencing. This is my most favorite time of year!

“In all things, GIVE THANKS!”

THANKFUL THURSDAY #1

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and Veteran's Day....I am going to try and post every Thursday the things I am MOST thankful for that week....here we go!

1.  VETERANS and their families.  Thank you to all of those who have ever served and all the families who have sacrificed so that my family could have all it has! The Pearces are forever grateful and we will always remember that FREEDOM ISN'T FREE!  God bless America!
2.  The strength, protection and love I feel when I am in my husband's arms.
3.   Recipes!
4.  People who always have my back and stand up for me when I am not around.  Loyalty....often unseen these days.
5.  The unconditional love that I have always received from my parents that has given me the confidence to always stand up for myself, believe in myself, and push myself.
6.  Elastic Pants!
7.  My grandpa who I am missing dearly today!  The gift of teaching me and my family just how important character really is.  Love you Grandpa!
8.  Goldfish crackers!
9.  The sound of my Mini-Man breathing when he is sleeping and the way it feels when his little arms around my neck.
10. Furlough days!  Totally love having tomorrow to just be Mommy!

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name."

1 Chronicles 29:11-13

8 MONTHS?!?!? There is NOOOO way!

8 MONTHS!  Wow....that totally flew by.  To think that I was knowingly pregnant for eight months is absolutely insane.  You see, those eight months of being pregnant were the longest eight months in my life.  And now, the eight months that have gone by since Waylon was born have been the fastest.  Every day is an adventure filled with laughter and watching our mini-man discover something new.
 

Waylon's Eight Month Stats
Weight:??  Our scale broke so TBD...I am going with HEAVY!
Height: 30.5 Inches
Clothing size: 12-18 months
Shoe Size: 4
Diaper Size 4

So, what has Waylon been up to this past month....

- Well...he hasn't been up to getting any teeth!  That's right, Waylon is still showing off his gums every time he flashes that studly smile.
- He loves music and he loves to dance.  We don't watch a lot of TV in front of Waylon so a lot of music is being played in our house.  If Waylon is sitting down, we will sway back and forth to the music and bounce his head.  If he is in his walker, he will dance by moving all around.  My favorite though, is when he gets up in a bear crawl and just shakes his little butt!  Adorable!
- He is a big fan of reading.  Despite the fact that I pretty much hate to read, I know how important it is to introduce it to our son at an early age.  Derrick and I have been reading to Waylon since he was 8 weeks old.  And, I think it has paid off.  He loves to be read to and even look at books by himself.  His current favorites are the Toy Story 3 ones and The Big Yawn. 

- He is a screacher and a talker!  He can now blab "ba, ba, ba" over and over again.  (Come on Waylon...how hard is it to say Ma, Ma, Ma??)

- As of Sunday, November 7th, 2010, Waylon can now pull himself up and also walked from one end of the couch to the other!  YIKES....he is going to be a walker in no time.  What happen to my baby?

- He LOVES to give kisses!!  Big, Open mouthed, wet kisses.  The funny thing is, he adores his Daddy but he will not give him kisses.  Me however, he will practically try to make out with.  And, according to his Grandma, he spends Thursdays chasing around his cousin, Gianna, trying to lay one of her.  Here is a picture of them on Halloween puckering up!  Hey, at least he has good taste!



- He is going through a little bit of an attachment stage.  He still is fine with being dropped off in the morning but once I pick him up in the afternoons...he is quite the cling-on.  If I try to put him down on the ground or to sleep in his crib he just cries.  While I absolutely love this most days because there is nothing I would rather do than hold my baby while he sleeps it does make it hard to get the daily chores done.  Oh well, the dishes don't put themselves away so I guess they will still be waiting for me when I get around to them.

- He is not the biggest fan of the sippy cup BUT he loves to have a drink out of an adult water bottle.  And, he does it pretty well.  Even if he has his sippy cup in his hands, he will reach out for the water bottle if I am drinking out of it.  HILARIOUS.

Some firsts for Waylon....

- He went to the golf course for this first time this past month.  Sure...it was just for brunch but I am sure this is a place he will be spending a lot at with his daddy in the future.

- He got to go to the BIG BIG BIG FRESNO FAIR!  Unfortunately, he couldn't really enjoy the best of the fair that much....the food...so he slept through most of it!

-He got his feet dirty for the first time while playing in his walker outside!

- He has his first sleep over at Grammy and Papa's house.  Derrick and I went to a wedding in Vegas for some awesome friends of ours and had to leave our Mini-Man behind.  I think Waylon was fine with it but I was devastated!  I missed him terribly but it was so nice to be able to walk with my hubby, hold his hand, and just be a couple for a night.  Here he is saying Good Bye!

- He went on his first trip to the pumpkin patch.  I think he was more interested in the hay than the pumpkins! 

-Waylon celebrated his first Halloween as the Mini-Monster.  We were lucky enough to have all four of his Grandparents over for the holiday.  One of the biggest blessings we have is our family.  Waylon loves his Grandma, Grandpa, Grammy and Papa.  He is one loved and spoiled little guy.

-And lastly, Waylon went to his first girlfriend's birthday party!  HEHE!  Yes, we joke that Waylon's girlfriend is a the darling daughter of our friends Christy and Daniel.  Of course, they have no idea but it is fun for us Moms.  Here is Waylon all ready to party. 



Word really cannot express the amount of love I feel for my special little boy.  Our lives gladly revolve around our little eating, farting, laughing, dancing, and crawling love machine!  I know that many parents get all wrapped up in what their child can do and when they were able to do it, if they are advanced or not, and all of that.  But for me, there are two things I am concerned about right now.  Is Waylon happy?  And is he healthy?  By the fat rolls on his thighs and arms and the sounds of his laughter ringing in my ears....I have to say....Waylon must be doing really good! 

Thank you Jesus, for providing us with so much joy and excitement in the form of our Mini-Miracle!  We are so undeserving but so very blessed and fortunate!



REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU REPRESENT

Life has a way of teaching us what  is really important and what we stand for.  It has a way of pointing out areas we are good at in our lives and things that we need to improve on.  Obviously, having Waylon has turned my entire life upside down.  There are some things that I still believe in with all my heart and some new concepts that had never even occurred to me before.  

SO what are some epiphanies I have had lately

I believe….

-In God’s miracles, His love, and His plan. Sometimes, I HATE that God’s plan is not my plan, but it is also so wonderful to know that there is someone else in charge who I can fully rely on who always knows what is best for my life.

- In telling people NO! Sometimes, you have to put yourself or your family first and while this isn’t always the easiest thing to do, it is sometime necessary.

- In marriage. (between a man and woman only too!...sorry if I upset you, but…this is my blog!)

I married a man who I adore, love, respect, believe in, and trust. I will spend the rest of my life with him and know that I will always have some body on my side. NO…not every day is perfect and YES…there are sometimes when forever seems like a very, very long time. But, at the end of the day, no matter how many times I have seen every episode of King of the Hill, I know that God created my husband just for me and I feel so blessed to have such a remarkable man to share my life with, to grow with and change with, and to live out all my dreams with. I love you hubby.

-In being a parent…and TOUGH LOVE!

I know that being a high school teacher is a huge advantage for me because I am learning daily what I should and should not do with Waylon during those dreaded years. I am here to tell you that there is no way in this whole while world, that I would ever…..  WELL...to be honest, I can't finish this sentence.  But, I do know that Waylon will  need someone to tell him no when he needs to hear it, chew his little butt when he deserves it, help him with his homework when he doesn't understand it, and to give him a hug when some stupid little, no good girl decides to break his heart.  And, I am so happy to be this person. I know that tough love may not always be the easiest and Waylon may not always like what I have to say to him.  But, I hope in the end, Waylon know that I always was pushing him to be the best he could be and always supported him in every way.
Oh and with parenting....I also believe that no one (not any so called expert or any other parent) knows your child as well as you do.  So, no matter what some book or website or friend tells you, use that gift that God gave you called "Motherly Instinct" and follow you gut.

-In having friends.

Like I have clearly stated, my husband is the best! BUT, there are just somethings a girl needs her friends for. I have been blessed with the most loyal and loving group of friends ever imaginable. And it is hard! Work, family and life get in the way of us seeing each other nearly as much as I would like. But, I know that those girls would be there for me at any second and I hope they know the same is true for them. Many of the best moments of my life have been spent with the ladies I love the most and I know each one of them has impacted me in a different way and helped me to grow into the woman that I am.

- In coupons!  I LOVE COUPONS!  I love searching for them, using them, and seeing what I save.  I love bragging about my savings and being able to spend grocery money in other areas of our life!  (I am still working on the saving part!)  I also love SALES!

-In planning things out!  And for the record...probably to a fault, it drives Derrick nuts.  I just like to know what I am doing and when I am doing it.  Makes me feel organized and that all I need to get done is manageable.  I am a planner...it is just what I do!  I like to have things sorted out way in advance and not have to stress about the details when things get closer.  For example, Christmas shopping and Waylon's first birthday party.  Oh yeah, they are already in the works!

- In laughing!  Laugh while you are at work and with those you love the most.  Oh and please...Only marry someone who makes you laugh when things get tough.   Life is never, ever going to always be easy and sometimes there is just nothing you can do about it....so you might as well laugh about it.  And most importantly, laugh at yourself.

-Some quick ones....
I BELIEVE IN.....dessert, telling people how you feel, dressing up, wearing sweats, voting, taking responsibility for your own actions, getting ready when you leave the house, doing things people think you could never do, standing up for yourself, spoiling my child, expecting more of myself than I do of others and working hard to make my parents and hubby proud of me!

"Remember who you are and what you represent".  I love this quote and lately, this has been my daily goal!

SEVEN MONTHS!!!

"These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive.  And these are the moments I'll remember all my life.  I've found all I've waited for.  And I could not ask for more!"

Where is Waylon at?  No seriously...where did he go?  That's right....we have learned to not even blink over here in the Pearce residence.  That is for two reason.  The first is that our tiny little miracle is changing every day and time is just zooming by.  No matter how much I try to be strategic and plan out my days, I just always feel like there isn't enough time to spend with my little man.  I want to cherish each second that we share and never leave his side. (Yes, I know that this is not only impossible but also, in a few years...I'm pretty sure Waylon isn't going to want his cling-on Mommy right there to share in his first day of school or first date).  But, we are definitely enjoying this stage in Waylon's life and I wouldn't mind being able to freeze time for just a few months.  The second reason is that this guy is a full blown CRAWLER!  Oh yeah...we are quickly realizing that our 'totally safe house' should come with a caution sign.  We have been spending a lot of time these days plugging outlets, picking things off the floor, moving things to higher shelves and wiping away Waylon's tears when he is crying from bumping his head yet once again.  We thought our doctor was kidding when he said to try to keep Waylon from killing himself....apparently, that was real advice.  YIKES
WAYLON' STATS AT SEVEN MONTHS

Height: 29.5 inches 96th Percentile
Weight: 23.5 pounds 96th Percentile
Clothes: 12 months
Shoes: Size 4
Diapers: Size 4

At seven months....
- Waylon is a clapper!!!  And a really good one I might add with those big hands of his!
- Waylon loves to give high fives...mostly with Daddy!

- Waylon is already an outdoors man.  The other night, we were driving home and he got a little fussy.  We weren't in a hurry  so we pulled over into the parking lot at Clovis North and let Waylon play in the grass for the first time.  Just like Mommy's hair...he liked to pull it out!

Being outside seems to just calm him down.  Waylon also spent some time building his leg muscles with Daddy and staring at the football field.  I have a little feeling, a lot of our time will be spent here in the future.  I'm glad we are just talking about it for now!

- The mini-man is trying more and more foods.  A couple of his newest favorites are pumpkin and pears. 

- His sweet, sweet, laughter is happening more and more.  He laughs at a lot of things but right now...he thinks Mommy is the funniest person alive.  (I love this).  Here is a video of him just going crazy!

And while his laughter is more abundant in our house...so are his tears!  Whether is be because he wants Mommy's phone and I take it away or because he hit his head on the table or floor once again, it is truly a privilege to be there for him and comfort him in anyway possible!  (Luckily, I still have the goods to calm him down in almost ANY situation)

- He LOVES wires!  He likes to pull them out of the wall or even just put them in his mouth.  Maybe he is going to be an electrician!

- Waylon loves water!  He loves taking a warm bath with Mommy or rinsing in the shower with Daddy.  He likes to play with his large and colorful numbers and letters in there and chew on them too. 

- He loves loud toys, banging on them, and of course...putting them in his mouth! BUT...he also loves tags, shoes, and bras! 

-  He just started reaching out when he wants to be held!  I don't care what else is going on in the world...when Waylon does this to me, time stops and my heart just melts.

- He still has a toothless smile!

- He can now say and often yells "Da, Da, Da, Da, Da".

Well...our seven month old baby (WOW...that sounds crazy) has taught us so much and changed our lives in every way.  But, the number one thing I have learned from Waylon, is how to love...MORE!  I now fully understand unconditional love and what love really means.  I would do anything and everything for my Mini-man and no matter how many times he goes potty on me, wakes me up at night, or pulls my hair, he will always hold my heart in his hands.  I also now love my husband more than ever.  AND....I am so much more appreciative of him.  A baby is A LOT OF WORK (YES....totally all worth it).  But, I am so thankful I have a man that not only helps with the responsibilities of our Mini-man but also takes care of me.  God must REALLY love me to give me such amazing men to love and who love me so much in return!  Thank you Jesus, for my incredible little family!

Happy Seven Month Birthday Waylon!   You are our amazing little Super Stud!

Of course Mommy and Daddy got him a gift!  Have we met??? :)

Some more FIRSTS for WAYLON

Lots and lots going on over here in the Pearce house.  With fall here, (well, somewhere behind this 100 degree weather) the decorating of the house for Halloween, deciding what Waylon is going to be for his first Halloween (done and done) , planning out our Thanksgiving and Anniversary trip, weekends full of football, work, and me getting more and more excited for Santa to be coming to our house this year....I wanted to make sure I took a minute to document a few more of Waylon's firsts.   As much as I want to keep him in a box and not let him grow anymore....he sure is taking off. 

WAYLON'S FIRST. . . . .

-Sickness!  My mini-man got sick! :(  It is without any exaggeration that I say that it was one of the absolute worse things I have ever been through...sounds pathetic but it is true.  To see my usually lively and happy little boy so miserable and obviously in pain...brought tears to my eyes!  Of course, Waylon (and his exhausted parents) survived but I just felt so helpless.  I would have done anything to make him feel better.  I must give much of the credit of Waylon's recovery to Derrick who took the long shift Sunday night so I could try and get some sleep.  I don't know what I would do with out my hubby, he is a wonderful man and even better Daddy.  

- wine walk!  No, that is not a typo.  We celebrated my mom's birthday by walking around downtown Clovis sampling some fabulous wines.  Waylon was not only the cutest baby there (yes, he wasn't the only baby there) but also was totally well behaved.

- football game!  Waylon LOVES football.  (Which is good since during the fall...we pretty much make our schedule around football).  Anyway, Grammy made him a jersey that matches the Clovis East football player's jersey and Waylon showed it off at the game.  He even took pictures with the players and got held by the cheerleaders.  (He must know somebody to get that kind of VIP status) Hehe!! He loved watching the game and the mascot too!

-Clovis Fest!  One of my favorite memories as a child was getting up early....well maybe not that part...and going to watch the hot air balloons take off!  I wanted to share this with Waylon.  We had a blast and he was so observant of the balloons.  This is definitely going to be a yearly Pearce family tradition. 

This picture just melts my heart.  Yes, they are totally twins!  Well, at least their heads and ears! hehe!  Waylon just couldn't get over the bright colors and loud sounds.  What a blast!

And finally. . . WAYLON"S FIRST TIME CRAWLING!  That's right!  Waylon crawled for the first time on September 27th, 2010.  Our little six and half month old baby is right on his way to being fully mobile.  He is still a bit shaky and taking it one little arm movement at a time but he is getting the hang of it.  The best part of it....he did it for the first time while Derrick and I were both home.  It was a VERY special moment for us!  Here is a clip of him doing it the following day!  Oh and I found the easiest way to get him to crawl...put the computer or my phone across the room in front of him.  He moves in record speed!

Life is sure flying by.  And while not all of the Mini-Man's first are fun, I am glad that we can be with him as he grows, develops, and learns.  HE IS OUR LITTLE MIRACLE!