New adjustments

Well, Chloe got her helmet yesterday! She has to ramp up to wearing it 23 hrs a day so yesterday she had to wear it for 1 hour and then take it off for an hour all day. today she does 2 hrs on, 1 hr off. Tomorrow she'll do 4 hrs on, 1 hr off. Friday will be 8 hrs on, 1 hr off and then Saturday she'll go to full time which is 23 hrs on, 1 hr off. She won't sleep in it until Friday or Saturday. She seems to be doing well so far. She is such a sweet laid back little angel. We have to watch for red spots and make sure it doesn't look too red or bruised. We go back for adjustments next Wednesday and will go back every 2 weeks from that point on. She will have a new scan done in 5 or 6 weeks to check her progress. Please continue to pray for her.
On another note, Cole has been so sick. As I posted before, he has all kinds of things going on. Last night I got home from the grocery store and he was sitting on the couch and as soon as he saw me he started balling. Brent was tending to Chloe so he didn't really realize that Cole felt so bad. I went to pick him up and he was burning up. He had a 104.6 temp which scared me! He was fighting me as I tried to give him motrin but I finally talked him into it. I put him in a lukewarm bath which brought the fever down pretty fast. He is feeling much better today. Thank goodness! I hope he continues feeling better!

Christmas

We had such a Merry Christmas! The kids loved their gifts and we had such fun with Cole. We went to Christmas Eve service at our church, left cookies and milk out and even sprinkled reindeer food in the front yard. Cole's favorite toy was his red truck. He just loves it. After Christmas, we went to Midland for a visit. It was such fun but Cole got sick and we ended up taking him to my childhood pediatrician, Dr Reese. He has double ear infections, tonsilitis and croup. Yuck! He has run a fever for like 4 days now. We got home last night and have spent the day getting things put away. Still not done! Chloe got her helmet today so I'll post more on that later.

3 days until Christmas

We are getting so excited for Christmas! Although we are fighting off pink eye that keeps getting passed around our house and I am fighting a nasty throat infection, we are so ready for Friday! Chloe won't know what's going on but Cole is going to love it. This year he has really learned so much more about Christmas. He learned so much at school about the true meaning of Christmas which is the most important part. He is also very into presents and Santa. We can't wait to see him on Christmas morning. It is going to be such fun for me and Brent! Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and that God blesses each of you in the new year! Love to all...

Helmet

Here are a few pics from this month of our sweet babies...






Well, the verdict is in... Chloe will be wearing a helmet starting December 29th to correct the shape of her head. Poor baby! We went to see the specialist and had a scan done that does all sorts of measurements. The results prove that the helmet will greatly benefit Miss Chloe's noggin. One measurement that is supposed to be at a 0mm was at a 12.6 and another that is supposed to be 80 was at 93. The goal is to get her head to measure as close to the smaller number as possible. I hate to make her go through this, but I think she will be happy that we fixed the problem when she was a baby. She'll never remember this. I am sad that people will stare at my sweet baby but as far as I am concerned, they can do what they will. We love her anyway and anyone with a heart will realize that she is the cutest thing ever! Cutest baby to ever wear a helmet!!!

Pink Eye

Pink Eye has hit our house again!!! Poor Chloe woke up today with it. Brent had it, then Cole and now Chloe. Guess I'm next! Chloe's is worse than anyone's with lots of goop and it's totally sealed shut when she wakes up. Ahhhh! Speaking of Chloe... I got so lucky and they are squeezing her in tomorrow morning at a Pediatric Rehabilitation Center for her flat head. We think she'll have to wear a helmet but won't know for sure until we meet with the specialist tomorrow. I honestly don't care if she has to wear one b/c I'll love her no matter what. I just hate that she'll have to have that on her head, bothering her all the time and that people will stare. Poor baby! I'll put up an update tomorrow.
On a fun note, we went to Fort Worth last weekend and stayed with the Riches. We had a ball! We took over their house and they were such great hosts as usual. Cole and Kate have such fun playing together. Chloe and Abby don't quite notice each other yet but I'm sure they'll be best friends before we know it! We had a great time visiting with Rhonda and Paul as usual and are so depressed when we have to come home. We have wanted to move there for so long and it's so sad every time we leave. We also got to see Bonnie and Kelly a bit on this trip and enjoyed seeing them for a while. Cole just loves every second with all of them. He is just not himself for a few days after we get home.
More later... Chloe is screaming at me so I'll feed her!

Butterball turkey stats

Yes, Chloe is our little butterball turkey... she had her 6 month wellness checkup today and is weighing in at 20 pounds, 5 ounces! Big Momma! She was 27 1/2 inches long and is above the 95th percentile for everything. She is a healthy, sweet angel! We are going to evaluate her head again at 7 months to see if we see any improvement. For those that don't know, poor baby girl has a flat head on one side. This has nothing to do with her health, it's just cosmetic. I am happy about that but also don't want her to be mad that we didn't do something about her flat head later in life. Dr. Wilber thinks that it will just get better over time but if it shows no improvement at 7 months, we will talk about seeing a specialist. So, overall... Chloe girl is doing great!

Cole had a great day at school today and they told me at pick up that Cole has a crush! ON A TEACHER! Nice, Cole! Apparently he fell on the playground but later on went up to Miss Marissa and pointed to one cheek and said he hurt himself so she kissed his cheek. Then he pointed to the other cheek and said, "I hurt this one too." What a little stud. The bad part is that he gets mad at her when she talks to other kids. I just hope he isn't a controlling boyfriend one day! Yikes!

Catch up

Oh my! It has been way too long, once again! I am going to make it my goal just to start posting little bits more frequently. It has been a busy past month or so. I can't believe it's almost Christmas, not to mention Cole's 3rd birthday that is quickly approaching. Actually, today Chloe is 6 months old! Time is flashing before my eyes. One reason I haven't posted much lately is b/c I haven't been able to post pictures due to our computer problems. I still don't have any pics on this computer but promise to get the next batch saved to computer.
Chloe has her 6 month wellness check tomorrow so I'll update all about her then. One thing is for sure, she is the sweetest child. She smiles nonstop and is so laid back. We are so lucky to have such a sweet baby.
Cole is just as sweet and wild as ever. He is talking so much more than ever before. He continues to crack us up. Yesterday he told me, "That's enough, Momma! No more drama!" What? He is so funny. He continues to love school and is so ready for Christmas. He is very into it this year. We took the kids to see Santa this past Saturday and he sat on his lap and told him how he wants a RED TRUCK. No tears! He is getting so big! And yes, he ONLY wants a red truck. Thank goodness Santa got it for him, all wrapped under the tree! I can't wait for him to open it! More later...

Playing catch up

Okay, so it's been way too long since I have posted! Again, I have to blame it on our computer. I am using our old laptop right now b/c our new one is in Dallas getting a new hard drive. It has been nothing but trouble since we got it, making it impossible to post anything. So I guess I need to play catch up but without pictures b/c they are all on our other laptop!
Chloe is now almost a month older since I last posted! She'll be 5 months old on the 8th which is just crazy to me. She is getting so big! She looks more and more like Cole everyday. I am afraid that I may look back at pictures one day and not know who is who! Anyway, Chloe just cracks us up with how obsessed she is with Cole. She literally stares at him all day and just cracks up laughing at him. Talk about unconditional love! She'll never know her life without her bubba (that's what we call Cole and I suppose what she will one day call him)and it's just so fun to watch her face light up at the sight of Cole. He is equally as fond but he has so much going on that I think he tends to forget about her sometimes. He is very sweet to his sister though and just adores her. We are so lucky!
Chloe was too big for the costume I originally bought her so she wore the costume from Cole's first Halloween which was a duck. She was precious. Cole was Sheriff Woody from Toy Story. He was so adorable. He wore his costume for like 3 days in a row. All day! He felt so special and had so much fun. Trick or treating was really fun this year b/c Cole knew what it was all about. He ate candy the entire time and ended up awake with a tummy ache at 3am. Then he had a very rough morning. He was chasing Oliver and fell, hitting his head on our dresser. Brent picked him up to notice he was covered in blood. He gashed his eyebrow open. It freaked us out and was so very sad. We were frantic for a few minutes until we realized that he was okay. We drove to Lake Jackson to take him to see Brent's Dad. He didn't feel that Cole needed any stitches so we just got him cleaned up and bandaged. It's pretty horrible to change it out and clean it b/c he thinks it hurts and cries. My poor baby! It's terrible when your babies get hurt. Tonight he fell asleep while I was singing his songs at bedtime. He was so wiped from Halloween and his boo boo.
Oh, I almost forgot... last night after getting the kids to bed, we left them with Brent's Mom and headed into Houston. Brent played with his old band for the first time in years. It was a big Halloween party and was so much fun! Seeing Brent back on stage brought back so many memories. It was a reminder of such a wonderful, fun time in our lives. Man, our lives have changed since those days! What wonderful things have happened to us since then. Anyway, Brent did great and had a really good time playing again. Several of our new friends, and old friends were all there which is something we don't get to experience very often. Loads of fun!!!
The month of October has been great and I know I am leaving out so many stories and experiences. I'm sad that Halloween is over but look forward to the cooler weather and the holidays to come. I am loving my sweet family and so grateful for my many blessings.

4 month stats and #2 in the potty

On the 8th, our baby Chloe was 4 months old! Where does the time go? I can't believe my baby is already 4 months old. In so many ways I am glad not to have such a little baby but it also makes me sad just as it has with Cole that she is growing so fast. These are the most difficult times but the most precious times... having an infant and an almost 3 year old. They keep us so busy, wear us out and cause lots of frustration. But I can honestly say that I wouldn't have it any other way. They bring such joy into our lives and teach us so much about life and unconditional love. Being a Mom has really been the greatest gift that I will ever receive. So, anyway... I took baby girl to her wellness visit this morning. She is 16 pounds, 12 ounces and 26 1/2 inches long. She is 95th percentile for weight, height and head size. I looked in Cole's baby book this evening and they are so close in their stats. Cole was the same length at 4 months but 16 pounds, 6 ounces. They are so similar in size and look just the same.
On another note... Cole has hit a major milestone! He is pooping in the potty! He has been doing great with going tee tee in the potty but was struggling a bit with the #2. Finally! He has got it down. I am so proud of him. So while this is a very busy time in our life with baby girl and bubba, we are so very blessed! I promise to add pics soon!

Popo

It has been way too long since I have posted but I’ll just blame that on our computer. It has been giving us so many problems! Anyway, since I last posted we have gotten Cole back into the swing of school and back into our normal routine. Last weekend we started potty training. As of now, things are going great. Cole was ready for sure! He is finally getting to the point of just going to the potty on his own which is so amazing. We have had a few accidents but overall, he is just doing awesome. It is crazy to know what a little naked time and loads of candy will do! It really wasn’t that hard.
On another note, we have had some sad news. On Wednesday, September 30th Brent’s Popo passed away. Brent’s Mom called that morning letting him know that it was happening. He headed to Lake Jackson to say goodbye. We headed down there Wednesday and have been back and forth until last night. Brent had tons of family in town so it was nice to visit, very hectic and lots of emotions. Everyone seems to be doing well, but it is just never easy to lose someone you love. The visitation was nice. I only stayed for a moment b/c we had Cole with us. He was running around like a wild man. Before we left we took Cole to say goodbye to Popo. Cole first said, “Well, hi Popo!” Then he seemed a little confused as he looked at him, wondering why Popo wasn’t saying anything. We reminded Cole that Popo had gone to live with Jesus. So, he said, “Bye-Bye Popo. Popo is ‘night, night’.” I never thought I would ever let my child see a dead person b/c of the how confusing it would be but that is one moment I will remember forever. The funeral was such a beautiful celebration. Popo was a choir teacher for a good bit of his life which brought music into the lives of his family and many, many students. I was amazed to see the amount of students at his funeral. At the end of the service they were asked to come forward and sing one song together. I would say that nearly 100 people came forward. It was truly a wonderful moment and I know that Popo was smiling from ear to ear up in Heaven. This has been really hard on Brent b/c Popo is such a hero to him. Popo is who taught him how to be a man, a loving, caring man. As we left Momo yesterday, my heart just broke for her. She has no idea how to live without him. After being married to the same person for 65 years, I don’t know how you would go on. But I think that the Lord has given us all a comfort and peace about everything. God’s grace is amazing and it is because of Him that we will all see each other again one day.
We are home now, getting back to our normal life so I will write more soon…

Florida Vacation

Well, we just returned from our annual Florida vacation with the Riches. I flew with Chloe which went really well. She was an angel as usual! Brent drove with Cole, taking 2 days to get there. Cole was such a good boy in the car. The Riches drove with their girls and we all ended up arriving within 5 minutes of each other. We had a total blast! We had rain just about every other day but the sun always came out at one point so we got plenty of beach and swim time. Cole is such a fish. He has no fear of the ocean and would run right into the water and float away if we let him. Brent took him down to the beach one day and didn't get sunscreen on his cheeks so he got pretty burned. That night he wandered into our room in the middle of the night which he has NEVER done. He was not feeling good so he slept with Momma and Dada. I think he had a mild bit of sun poisoning.
We went into Seaside several times to eat and play during our trip which we did last year. The kids ran around like wild indians and had a ball. Cole and Kate are quite a team. Both are 'monkey see, monkey do' and they love each other so much. Where you find one, you are sure to find the other. We went ACME Oyster Co for lunch one day which was one highlight of our trip. We had an amazing lunch which included 2 dozen grilled oysters. Best thing I have put in my mouth! As for the babies... Chloe and Abby did so good. Abby is the happiest baby I have ever seen. So sweet and just goes along with the flow. Chloe did great. She slept a lot and slept through the night almost every night. She will have so much fun next year but this year she was just so little. All in all, we had such a wonderful time. We are so lucky to have friends like Rhonda, Paul, Kate and Abby. It's almost funny calling them friends b/c they are more like family. We can't wait for all of the years and trips to come with them.

Videos

Cole watched a video of his friend, Kate singing the ABC's this weekend so he became obsessed and made us watch it like 300 times. So... we told him that he could make his own video. He then decided that he wanted to watch himself over and over and over and over. Everytime we get the laptop out, he wants to watch himself. So, here is his very first youtube video and one of Chloe!

The little things

Today is my Mom's birthday so I might as well start out by saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope it was a good one! Not much has been going on around here. We have just been in our normal routine, getting ready for our Florida trip. Brent has been training for a half marathon and ran a 10k this morning for extra practice. A few little exciting things have happened. The first to report... baby girl, Chloe rolled over onto her tummy yesterday! She won't even be 3 months old until Tuesday and she is already rolling over! I can't believe how fast this is going. She has discovered her hands which is super cute. She just holds her hands together and looks at them all day. It is so funny how mesmerised she is by them. Cole is doing good. He has been a wild, tantrum throwing toot, but just as sweet. He has cried a few times in the past few days when I'm not here, just out of the blue b/c he wants me to hold him. Makes me feel so loved. Oh, one other very exciting thing for me is that I got a pedicure today! I had not had my nails done since the Friday before Chloe was born. Yuck! I know, very gross. I feel like a new person. Like I said, nothing too exciting but it's the little things...

I hate fire hydrants!

So Cole's new obsession happens to be fire hydrants. We have no clue why he is so crazy for them. I mean, dogs pee on fire hydrants so what is so great about them! Plus, he doesn't even know what they do or their purpose. He just likes them! The only thing I can think of is that there are a million different colors of fire hydrants all over Houston. If we walk into Target, we say hi and bye to the fire hydrant out front. The street that takes us from Hwy 288 to our church has like 500 of them and some are blue with green tops and some are green with blue tops. Regardless, our child is crazy! We literally say hi to every single fire hydrant in the world b/c Cole is sure to find it. It is pretty funny. The best part is that he calls it a giar-odrick. Not sure if you can pronounce what I was trying to write but that's how he says it. No one has any clue what he is talking about when he says it except for us, so when we explain, people look at us like we have the most odd child ever. Tonight we took Cole to the park but baby sister got fussy so we left early. I don't know if many other kids do this but Cole always finds a comfort word. For a long time it was Elmo, for a while it was Mickey Mouse and now it is "giar-odrick" but we don't know why he does this. If he has a meltdown or is throwing a tantrum he says it over and over again. So when leaving the park tonight and for 15 minutes after we got home he screamed "giar-odrick" which is why I decided to post tonight. I can't imagine that anything else could be on my mind b/c that word seems to be on repeat in my brain. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!
PS.... Chloe is doing great! I feel bad b/c most of my posts are about Cole b/c he is the crazy 2 year old and there are so many stories to tell. Chloe is 12 weeks old today. We can't believe how fast the time has flown by. She is the most precious, perfect little angel. She is in her own room now and such a great sleeper. She isn't sleeping through the night but has done so a few times. Most of the time she wakes around 4am and then that is it. This morning she slept until 7 and Cole until 7:20! It was awesome! Anyway, she is so much fun b/c she is smiling nonstop and talks like crazy. She is a big cooing baby and she loves to squeal. She is always on her play mat b/c she LOVES the blinking star on it and b/c big brother insists that he get most of the attention so poor baby gets left on her play mat. Everything else is going great in the Lunsford household. We go on our annual trip to Florida with the Riches in less than 2 weeks so we are getting so excited. More to come...

Many blessings, equal heartache

Well, I have a lot to report actually. I have been wanting to post since yesterday but wasn't able to b/c I couldn't get our dang camera to transfer pictures to the computer so I could post Cole's first day of school pics. Anyway, it still won't work so I decided to go ahead and post anyway. So, Cole had a great first day. He cried when I left him but a big part of that was b/c one of the kids was literally flipping around screaming. It set him off. Poor baby. Anyway, I didn't get much accomplished while he was gone b/c Chloe refused to take naps and forced me to hold her all day. The day before I made Cole a doctor's appt b/c he has been bruising easily and in odd places. I became concerned for several reasons so I knew that if he didn't go to the doctor that I would worry myself sick. This morning I took him in and Brent stayed home with Chloe. I explained my concern and Dr. Wilber was equally concerned. He felt that it was good that I had brought Cole in. He ran a CBC to get all of the information he needed on Cole's blood. For 15 minutes, I was terrified. I was on my knees begging God to make my baby safe. Cole was looking at me like I had lost my mind. Maybe I had! Just the thought of something being wrong with my children pretty much kills me inside. Finally, Dr. Wilber came back in with good news. Cole was healthy! The results showed to be perfect. There was little explanation other than "it's just Cole." This is just what his skin does. Anyway, while we were there we went ahead and got him the flu mist so we didn't have to return in a week to get vaccinated. He handled the blood work and the mist like a champ. He was really brave so I took him to Toys R Us after to get Buzz Lightyear. Cole is obsessed with Toy Story so he has really been wanting Buzz. Over the course of the day I got pictures of my Granddad 'ringing the bell' at MD Anderson which is a tradition amongst patients who complete their radiation. My Granddad was diagnosed with Lymphoma less than a year ago and had a place on his lung. The cancer seems to be dying and he seems to be pulling through. When I pulled up the picture of his smiling face, I teared up but also gained so much hope. A smiling 82 year old man was standing there so happy b/c he was beating cancer. On the same hand, Brent's Popo was laying in a hospital bed across town, being given the news that he for sure has an aggressive form of bladder cancer. They will find out tomorrow where they go from here. So, I have been given 2 beautiful gifts from God today. My baby is healthy, my Granddad is beating cancer but Popo is sick, very sick.
Today Lord, I am thankful... Thankful for my many blessings. Cole is healthy, Chloe is healthy, I have a wonderful husband, a loving family and friends. I just pray that your Will be done. I trust in you, even when times are tough and even when my family is dealing with heartache. Please continue to look after my children, as they are such beautiful gifts from you. Help me to be a better Mom, wife and friend. Lastly, please watch over Popo and give strength to those who love him.

Orientation

Today was Cole's Kid's Day Out orientation. I dropped him off in his new classroom with his new teachers b/f heading to the orientation. He scream, cried. Of course! This is what he does when he adjusts to new things. It does make me a bit sad, but now that Cole has already completed a full year of KDO, goes to Sunday school all the time and spends time away from me on Tuesday mornings when I go to Bible Study, I know that he is fine after a few minutes. I hate that he cries b/c I know it is due to him being confused. I like his new teachers, one of which he already knows pretty well from Sunday School but I am still just having such a hard time with him not having his same teachers from last year. I loved them! They just love Cole so much and with last year being his first year, they are the ones who took care of my baby for me. I just have this crazy attachment to them b/c they were his first teachers. Not to mention, they are awesome. Anyway, things went well at orientation. Chloe kept me busy keeping her happy but it was all fine and well. This afternoon the kids were great. They both napped at the same time which was great for me.
Once Chloe woke up and ate, I decided to attempt a grocery store run with both of them. Usually I go with just Cole when Brent gets home but today he was up at the hospital sitting with his Popo who was told today that he has an aggressive form of stomach cancer. That in itself is just so heart breaking. I really feel for Brent b/c Popo has been a father figure to him and he is very close with those grandparents. It's never easy to watch grandparents get sick.
Anyhow, the kids were both pretty good at the store, but it was quite a task to keep up with both of them while shopping. But... I made it home in one piece without losing my cool! This evening went smooth and it's just about time to feed Chloe her last feeding b/f we all turn in for the night. Tomorrow will be bittersweet... I am ready for Cole to get back into his routine of going to KDO but I will miss him. Over the past month I have enjoyed spending extra time with him even though we have had some major tantrums. I think it's best for both of us that he has something else to do besides stay at home with me. Man, I love that child. He is my best friend. I am so thankful for him. God, please watch over him and protect him while he is away from me. More later....

Twinkle, Twinkle and REJOICE!

I haven't blogged since last week and I just haven't felt like there has been much to report. But tonight as I was laying in bed next to Cole, singing his bedtime songs I just had a tug at my heart. He was giggling b/c I did "this little piggy" to his toes but then it was time for one more song. He wanted "twinkle, twinkle little star" so I began singing. It was dark in his room but some light was shining through the crack in the door so I could see our shadows. I put my hands above us and opened & shut them,like a star as I sang. Then Cole raised his arms up and began doing the same thing. Seeing his little hands doing what mine were doing was just precious. I felt a tug at my heart and almost shed a tear. A few things came to mind. 1. I can't believe Cole is getting so big and can now follow my lead and 2. I am so thankful for him. With a 2 year old it seems that all you do for the entire day is say, "No." It's only natural to have to do that b/c I think most people understand how 2 year olds can be. But at the end of the day when everyone is tucked in bed after a wild day, that crazy 2 year old who was in trouble half the day can still have complete, unconditional love for his Momma. In some ways it makes me feel guilty but if I didn't tell him "NO", I wouldn't be doing my job.
One another note, I want to end by telling about our sermon today. We had a guest speaker who is actually not a preacher. He is actually from Fuller Theological Seminary and asked to speak to our church. He told us that every single person came to church today carrying some sort of burden. For some it was something small, but for some it was something very painful. The reading for the sermon was from Philippians 4. Here are a few pieces that stood out.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
This is the part that sums it up...
"I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
So.... for anyone who actually reads this post, whatever burden you are carrying with you today, "Rejoice in the Lord. I will say it again, REJOICE." May you gain the strength you need to get through this day and be "content" that the Lord is with you.

Midland Trip

We had a great trip to Midland! It was such a fun, relaxing time even though we did our usual bouncing around to visit everyone. My parents have a new house now that has a pool so Cole had a blast getting to swim. He started swimming at like 8am on Saturday morning! Saturday afternoon we all played in the pool all day. Bonnie's boyfriend, Kelly came over too and Cole played with him the entire time. Cole loves to play with Aunt Bobo and Kelly. Hopefully Bonnie will end up with Kelly because we love him and I'm not sure that she'll ever find anyone who loves my kids as much as he does. Anyway, we got to visit with my Momoo and my Mom's brother and his wife that afternoon as well. That evening we went to my Grandparents house to eat and help celebrate Granddad's 82nd birthday. We all had fun but Cole drove everyone insane. He has a new obsession with fire hydrants so he made people keep taking him out front to see the yellow fire hydrant. He is so strange! Cole goes through these odd obsessions and they crack me up. He is crazy over something for like a month and then it's on to the next thing! Anyway, we went to the country club for lunch on Sunday and then swam some more! Sunday afternoon we went over to my Dad's for a visit with them. Cole got to play with 2 of his cousins. My 99 year old Mama lives with my Dad and Trenia so we got to see her as well. Cole cracked me up saying, "Mama Cole" in his little Texas accent. So funny! So all of a sudden Monday was here. We spent the day just hanging out, getting our stuff together and letting Cole get some more swimming in before leaving. I was really sad to leave. We all had such a great time. Probably won't be back until Christmas. Both kids were pretty good on the airplane both ways so our trip was really pretty great.
We're home now and getting back into the swing of things. As I write this, Cole is banging his toy truck on the coffee table, making tons of noise as I ask him not to or he'll wake up Chloe and he just looks at me and keeps doing it. That's my life...

P.S. I am slowly figuring out this blogging thing so bare with me! I just figured out how to post pictures but have no clue how to label them. I have a background, but still haven't figured out anything else. It is slow coming but at least I'm getting some posts up!

Lights Out

Well, I haven't made a post in several days. I seriously haven't had a moment to do anything the past few days b/c of demanding kids. The only time I have not done anything has been when I've been asleep at night. The past few days have been crazy. Yesterday I had Bible study which was wonderful so I did get a break from the kids but as soon as it was over, it was back to the crazy life. Today was one of those days where nothing went my way. Chloe had a tummy ache all morning so I finally decided to just get out of the house anyway b/c I couldn't stay trapped at home listening to crying all day. We went to the Galleria and then ate with Brent but Cole was wild, Chloe cried and refused to eat. We were running late taking Brent back to work, we got caught by a train, Chloe cried some more and refused a nap. Once she went down, Cole got up. Never one minute of downtime! Finally Brent got home AND.... THE LIGHTS WENT OUT! Our electricity went out b/c we had a huge storm. It has just been one of those days. We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner, the kids both had baths in the dark and the electricity finally came back on. The kids are in bed and I FINALLY have a second to reflect on my day. It is not something I want to relive tomorrow but I thank God that I have a family to cause my life to be complete chaos.
Tomorrow I am planning to take the kids to the Children's Museum but we'll see how the morning goes. I get my hair cut tomorrow evening which I haven't done in forever. Time to myself! We head to Midland on Friday and I can't wait! I haven't been home since January so it's time for a visit. I'm sure that the trip there with both kids will be a major blog post in itself! Wish us luck!

Loss of an old friend

I learned last night of the passing of an old friend of mine... Melissa Brinker. She and I went to elementary school, junior high and high school together. She even went to Tech. I haven't been in touch with her much over the last several years other than on facebook, but I am still deeply saddened. I just wanted to dedicate this post to her and her beautiful life. In times like these we tend to question God but it is in these times that we must have faith that there is a better place and that is Heaven. I have to trust that God has a plan for each of us and although we may not understand, we must believe in his Grace and Love. Melissa, may you rest in peace. I pray that you are dancing with the angels today. You will be missed by so many.

Tee Tee in the Potty

So, the last 2 days Cole has decided he wants to tee tee in the potty! He is turning into such a big boy so fast. His little life is flashing before my eyes! It's funny b/c he's really just doing this to get treats, but you have to start somewhere! I think he is totally ready to be potty trained but Brent and I just aren't ready to put forth the effort. We go to Midland for a visit next weekend and we certainly don't want to be traveling and dealing with a kid who is potty training. I think after we get back we'll take a full weekend and let him just run around naked to help teach him. I think he might have a hard time going to the bathroom with nothing on unless he actually goes in the potty. I've never done this before so I don't really know what works so it will just be trial and error. I am very excited though that he is showing interest and that we won't have that kid that still won't get out of diapers by 3 1/2 years old. On another cute note, Cole has been very big into kissing this week. He even kisses the furniture and today he started stopping in his tracks, sits down and kisses his own knee. What a silly! He has also been calling everyone Miss and Mister. Oma came to babysit last night for our VERY first night out since Chloe was born and he called her Miss Oma. Yesterday he wanted me to call Mr. Mark (Brent's brother) and he has been talking about getting to see Miss Bobo (his name for my sister Bonnie) next weekend. I think this is because he has spent a lot of time at our church lately so he calls his teachers Miss and Mister. He is just getting so smart!
Anyway, one thing that I want to leave you all with is something I read about in another blog this morning. I thought it was one of the neatest and most true things I have thought about in a while and it's about asking God for more. Sometimes I feel like I only go to God to ask him for little things. This is my take on what I read... God wants to bless us. He wants us to come to Him all the time, not just on Sundays or before bed or when we need help. But He's a gentleman, so He waits. But most of us don't come. So really we're shortchanging ourselves. We ask for little things, like to help us get through the day without frustrations or for patience; and we don't understand that God's just waiting for us to ask for more. It's like when Jesus fed the five thousand. He didn't bless the bread and fish and then pass out communion-sized portions. You know, the itty bitty cracker and 1/4 of a shot glass worth of grape juice. He provided so much that there were baskets and baskets left. Anyway, just wanted to share that with you.

Not much going on...

I've held off posting the past few days b/c we've had a few crazy days at the beginning of the week followed by really low key days and there was nothing I could really report. But I don't want to get out of the habit of blogging so I figured that I would just make a post anyway. VBS ended today and I'm really looking forward to not rushing around in the morning. The past 4 days we have rushed around getting everyone dressed and fed b/f getting out of the house by 8. I am exhausted! Cole and Chloe both did great in the nursery all week. It's funny b/c I never would have left Cole in the nursery for so long at such an early age. Things sure do change with your second child. I have realized that in so many ways.
So today when Brent got home from work we went to Target to get a few things. Our main task in Cole's eyes was to get chocolate milk. Why he randomly wants chocolate milk, I don't know. It's not like he ever gets chocolate milk. Anyway, we split up to do different things. The boys went one way and I took Chloe to the clothes section. About 10 minutes passed and I could literally hear my child screaming from across the store. Oh yes, it was mine! I thought that there must be another kid that sounded just like Cole but when I got to the scene, it was sure enough... my kid. He was pretty much foaming at the mouth, snot flying out his nose, tears everywhere, sweat dripping down his face and steam blowing out his ears.... all because Brent wouldn't let him get 'Buzz Light Year' from the movie Toy Story. He is obsessed with that movie and he wanted Buzz. Oh my! That kid was freaking out. We both tried to calm him down and he just kept on and on. We finally made it to the front of the store while Cole was still freaking out. We arrived at the dollar section and Brent found some little plastic toy soldiers and told him that they were the soldiers from Toy Story. It was like a switch turned off. Cole just flipped from a psycho to the happiest kid. Anyway, we left with a bag of toy soldiers that were a dollar and a happy 2 year old. I suppose we shouldn't have rewarded his behavior but we kind of felt bad for him. It was pretty sad. Anyway, our night has run super smoothly and we are about to be off to bed. One little boy sound asleep in his bed, a baby girl who is about to fill up one last time before we put her down for the night, toy soldiers scattered about and two very tired parents. What a blessed day!

Crazies

My children are 'crazies' today! Ahhhh! So the day started off great... we got up and rushed around to get out the door by 8 so that we could get to our church, get the kids each dropped off in their rooms so I could head to my room to teach VBS. All went well! I have eleven 4 year olds which was refreshing from my everyday life, but also a glimpse into the future. Yikes! I had one little girl who said, " Ummm, my name tag is not right... I am 4 and A HALF years old, not 4." She also told us that she had better stories than the stories we were telling the kids and all she wanted to do was tell us about her wonderful dreams she had the night before. Oh my! Then I had 4 little boys who wrestled and rough housed the entire time, one of which told me that he would punch me in the face. Nice! Anyway, it was nice to know I was helping little kids learn more about God and Cole was able to go play in the nursery for a few hours. Anyway, noon rolled around and we headed home for the day. Cole decided not to eat lunch and that he would only take an hour nap which may be the reason that our day ended the way it did. Chloe took a 3 hour nap like an angel. One funny thing that happened once Cole got up was that he all of a sudden jumped to his feet and remembered where he had hidden 3 of his toy cars. It was too funny to watch how his little brain works. It's amazing the things he remembers. Some things I wish he would forget! Anyway, once Brent got home the fun began. I needed to take a trip to the grocery store so we figured that we would all go make a quick run. After all... we only needed a few things. No! Nightmare! We pulled into our parking spot and Cole immediately started freaking out b/c he didn't want to ride in the cart. So we listened to him scream all the way in until he got his balloon at the door. He took a 5 second break from screaming and then screamed some more. I'm pretty sure we pulled over in a few isles to threaten him which in turn, made him scream louder. Ugh! So, this continued the entire time. We finally arrived at the checkout lanes which looked as if we were in line for a ride at Six Flags... miles long! I mean! Was everyone in Pearland out of milk today???!! After we got lots of dirty looks and a few dozen rolled eyes by the oh so friendly people at HEB due to the fact that our 2 year old was throwing fits left and right... we were on our way home. Now it was time for both kids gang up on us. They both screamed the entire way home. Brent was either shoving Chloe's paci in her mouth or holding his hand over Cole's to get them to quit screaming. We almost went insane! We finally arrived home to a very quiet evening of our 8 week old screaming her colicky little head off. Cole actually ate dinner for once in the last week which was nice and I JUST got Chloe to quit fighting her sleep. My kids are little 'crazies'!!!! But, it was when I laid in bed next to Cole while putting him to sleep, saying his prayers and singing him his songs that I remembered how blessed I am. He made me sing 3 songs and then said, " I love you, Momma." God is good! Thank you, Lord for giving me kids that scream and cry and give me all sorts of heck all day. Without them I would not have a family. I am so grateful. And that was my day in a nutshell...

Tummy Bug

Yuck! This weekend was NOT fun! I wasn't feeling 100% on Friday night but really just tired more than anything. Sure enough... at midnight I woke up with a stomach virus. Brent stayed up taking care of me and getting up to feed Chloe in the middle of the night. Brent and I are such dorks. We both slept on the couch together... my head at one end and his at the other. I didn't want to be in the same room with Chloe since she is still sleeping in our room these days so we were on the couch! I was totally out of commission all day Saturday and felt really guilty for Brent having to do everything. But I think he got a good taste of what my every day is like. I was very appreciative though for the help since I was so sick. Today was much better as my strength has returned and I can finally feel like I can hold my kids. I was just so nervous for anyone to get what I had.
Cole who has always been such a good eater has also decided over the weekend that he doesn't like to eat anything but cookies and crackers. That's all he wants! So annoying! I am a bit more of a softy than Brent is though. Brent thinks that Cole should eat like an adult and I guess I realize that he is only 2. Anyway, Chloe has been super good. She took a 3.5 hour nap this morning and Cole has just worn us out! Not a very exciting weekend but I suppose that's just how it goes. Tomorrow is day 1 of Vacation Bible School at our church which I have volunteered for so the kiddos will be in our church nursery tomorrow. Cole will love it, but poor Chloe! I just think it's a great opportunity to volunteer. Anyway, that's all for now...

First Post

Well, this is my very first blog post! I don't know why I'm doing this because it's not like I have any spare time these days. I literally just sat down for the first time today without having to deal with a child. We have had a crazy past 8 weeks. Our newest addition, Chloe Elizabeth Lunsford was born on June 8th and ever since our lives have been so busy. Our oldest, Cole Thomas Lunsford is 2 1/2 so I'm sure you can imagine how things work at our house! Cole has been the light of our lives for the past 2 years and suddenly we have this new little person who cries and takes our attention away from Cole. He was not so sure at first but I think he is finally used to baby sister and probably doesn't really remember life without her. Cole is the sweetest little guy and probably my very best friend. We have this special connection which is probably b/c he is my first born but also because he is the sweetest child on Earth. He makes Brent and I laugh nonstop with the funny things that come out of his mouth and I think I'll enjoy this blog so I can share our laughter with all of you. Chloe is just now smiling and her little personality will be coming out soon. I am so anxious to see what she will be like! I just took her this week for her 2 month wellness checkup and she was 12.4 pounds and 23 1/2 inches! She is in the 95th percentile for everything! Bigger than her brother was at this age! Both kiddos were very large at birth... Cole 8lbs, 9.6oz and Chloe 9lbs, 5.3oz!! My big babies!! Anyway, I will have many stories to come but I just wanted to get my first post up b/c you have to start somewhere.