Where is your............

Colby saying all his body parts until he thinks it's funny to knock the camera out of my hand.

Swing Batter Batter

Gammy bought Colby his first baseball bat and tee. He was a little pro. I demonstrated once and he hit the ball on the first try! He loves anything to do with balls so it kept him busy for hours! Everyone in our family argues who he gets his athletic abilities from but mommy always gets to take credit, right??

Bryce's 4th Birthday

Bryce, Colby's cousin, celebrated his fourth birthday at Pump It Up!



Caleb spent the day with us so mommy & daddy could have a date night! He loves Chris!

Colby wanted to do everything all by himself, he is 20 months going on 20 years!

Caleb was content just laying on the mat, too bad people kept coming down the slide hehe!

When it was bedtime, Caleb would only let Chris rock him and monkey. It was the sweetest thing!

Who had more fun, the men or children?????

Colby had to go down by himself

I have watched this 20 times and I laugh harder each time!

A Legacy of Love, Parenting on Purpose

Okay...I'm a little disappointed in myself because I promised insights from A Legacy of Love, Parenting on Purpose by Tim Kimmel and I have failed to do so. I have been so tired lately and after Colby goes to bed at 7:00, I'm usually right behind him. I kept checking the book out and I had all the important things marked so I could share insights, but when I went to check it out for the third time they told me that was the limit (that's pretty bad huh?). I didn't get to share all the great insights but each chapter had a list of ideas and I wrote them down so I would remember to use them in the future.


How to teach Integrity

Drive the speed limit
Never ask your child to lie for you
Apologize when you wrong your children
Send them to a store with money when they come out see if they offer the change Deal with them accordingly

Never tolerate even the smallest lie
Fathers never allow your sons to be disrespectful or rude to their mother
Have them memorize 20 verses on integrity

Poise
Teach your children to fight fair Ephesians 4:25-32
Have your children write thank you notes to people who help them teacher, friend, pastor

Teach proper etiquette at dinner
Teach your child how to do their own laundry
Father take your daughter through a fashion magazine and discuss modesty
Have a father-daughter date mother son date to coach appropriate actions and conversations
At a game see how an umpire makes a bad call and discuss peoples reactions

Discipline
Take your children to juvenile court to listen to cases and discuss consequences
Study a musical instrument long enough to learn discipline of practice
Enroll in a sport and never miss practice or games
Assign daily chores and hold them responsible
Tithe every Sunday from their allowance
Make sure they complete homework
Have them write to missionary once a month
Give them an alarm clock and make them responsible for waking up for school. If their late for school do not write them an excuse
Help them memorize an elaborate poem
Take them to a junk yard and discuss vehicles in alcohol accidents




I can't say it enough go get the book, it's so worth your time!! I plan to read a few of his other books:

Grace-Based Parenting
Raising Kids for True Greatness: Redefine Success for You and Your Child


Why Christian Kids Rebel: Trading Heartache for Hope


Raising Kids Who Turn Out Right

Hopefully I will do a better job with sharing insights from these books!

A Special Gift

Chris had three nuns in his grad class and he came to know them well. He told them all about Colby and they mailed him the sweetest gift he has ever received!

His gift consisted of a handmade (indestructible) rosary and a picture of St. Maximilian Kolbe with a bio of his life. Now Colby will know the importance of his name and the contributions of St. Kolbe.

I thought it was thoughtful and generous!

Thank you Sisters!!!

Love, Chris, Amanda, & Colby

Colby at 20 Months

Colby will be 20 months old in a couple of days and that just sounds too close to two! People tell you all the time to enjoy every minute because the time flies by, but you don't understand until you actually experience it. It really does seem like yesterday that I was picking out things for his nursery and now I'm doing the same for Christopher Chase and Colby has become little Mr. Independent!

He has to do everything on his on, even climb into his high chair. He snuck a bite to eat while we were saying the blessing, that little stinker!

I really think he is part monkey! We thought we were ready for a toddler bed because he climbed out of his crib but we changed our mind after a week. Colby goes to sleep on his own without making a peep, but the toddler bed made him a maniac! It's crazy because it's the same bed just converted with a new front rail but oh nooooo noooo.....you would have thought we put him in bat cave. It was taking two hours to get him to sleep and it was exhausting. We knew we were never going to put him in the bed with us so the only other option was to cave in and put the crib back together. He was so happy and content to have his bed back, he hasn't even attempted to climb out again. He loves his crib and I guess he considers it his little safe haven.

Colby now talks up a storm and is trying to say three word sentences and signs anything he can't pronounce. I think it's such a blessing because I know exactly what he is saying because he says and signs the word at the same time. There are some words that I wouldn't have a clue he was saying if it wasn't for signing. He has over 400 signs and he learns new ones everyday! I'm so thrilled that he isn't dropping signs now that he talks well. Most children will drop the sign after they can verbalize the word, but I have encouraged him to continue signing because the intellectual benefits are tremendous and it's a second language that he can use the rest of his life!

We went to story time at the library this morning and he checked out some books. I got to the red light and saw him signing all the animals in the book so I got some pics. I can really see how signing makes children so interested in books!

Monkey
Bear

Kangaroo

Cat

Potty Training

I think potty training is going well but we do have several issues. He will tt in the potty all day at home but he won't in public. Why.........you are probably asking, because he won't use the big potty UGHHHHH. He will only use his little potty so what the mess am I'm suppose to do? Should I carry around his potty on my hip everywhere we go, ummm NO! Another issue, he thinks tt goes in potty and poo poo goes in his underwear. After he poops in his underwear he comes to tell me poo poo mama, lovely right? So if you have always read my blogs then you know we did the early start potty training:

well.....the concept is to start sitting your baby on the potty once he/she can sit up on their own and always let them see you put their poop in the potty so they aren't ever afraid to sit on the potty, eliminate in the potty, and they don't think it's normal to eliminate on themselves. He did great from the beginning and between the ages of 9-13 months old he only pooped in his diaper about 2-3 times a month. A baby is not going to be potty trained but it's to prepare them to be completely trained between the ages of 15 months and 2 years old. But, the whole idea was to not be afraid to poop in the potty and Colby is, so what the heck????? Will I do it with the next child, ummmm probably not. If it was a girl maybe so but not with another boy. I will probably wait and start with Chase around 15 months. I do think Colby will be completely potty trained by two, but do I think it's worth all the time and effort to early-start potty train, I'm still indecisive (especially since he is afraid to poop in the potty).

Flashback Pic

10 months old

First Trip to the Dentist

I was indecisive about where to take Colby to the dentist, but I decided on Dr. Beaver in Madison because I knew the dental assistant. They are not in network with our insurance so I might have to switch because it looks like we might have some expensive procedures in the future. He had his teeth polished and checked while screaming and me holding his arms down, of course. The doctor said his teeth looked great and no cavities, woohoo! He better not because it's a job holding him down every night to get his little canines clean! They suggested flossing the teeth that are touching and I thought "yea right" but he actually lets us do it. We did receive some bad news. We have noticed lately that he always has his tongue out of his mouth and he sucks on it, but we never assumed it was a big problem. Well......it's called tongue thrusting and if he doesn't stop then it will cause jaw, teeth, and speech problems. Some children grow out of it and most don't without help. He will have to get some type of bracket on the roof of his mouth so he will learn the proper positioning of the tongue.I just pray he out grows it but if he doesn't then it's all in God's plan. He also has to get skin clipped between his two front teeth because it's attached to his upper lip and it's causing a gap in his front teeth.

Ugh, a little discouraging.............well at least no cavities, I have to be positive about something hehe!










See the tongue

His prize he picked out.......................he got one even though he was bad hehe!

Wyatt's 2nd Birthday

Wyatt Foster celebrated his 2nd birthday at Splash Pad!!

Mommy & Wyatt
Colby loves the alligator!

Braxton Byrd

Gotta luv the gut!

Conner Creel Neely

Lauren and her little baby doll

Carsyn Smith

The birthday boy got some new wheels!

Now I know what Colby wants for his birthday.

Colby's Big Boy Bed

I had planned on Colby staying in his crib until he was almost three (ha wishful thinking), but he had other plans. I put him to bed and about 10 minutes later I heard his door knob jiggling. I opened his bedroom door and there he was starring at me. He walked right past me and went to the living room to play with his toys. I guess he thinks he makes the decisions around here LOL! I sang our song and put him back to bed and he went to sleep. The next day he attempted the same escape but it wasn't as graceful. I looked at the monitor and saw him laying across the top rail and when he let go his chin slammed into the rail and then he landed flat on his back. I ran in to get him and he was so upset. He had a mark under his chin which was later a bruise and he had a horrible bite on his tongue from hitting the rail. I knew it was time to convert the bed to a toddler bed. I really thought the transition would be fine since it's the same bed just a different rail, but it didn't go as smooth as I intended.
Chris had drill and the bed needed to be converted that day so my dad came to help me out.
Colby is all about using his pretend tools and fixing everything so of course he helped my dad convert the bed.

He loved his bed until it was bedtime. We did our usual routine; story, song, hugs & kisses and then lay down, but he quickly jumped up and had a panic attack! I kept putting him back in his bed and he kept getting right back out. I couldn't take seeing him so upset so I decided to lay in the bed with him. Even worse, he kept signing "I Love You" "sorry" and he kept saying no no no no ( ugh just stab me in the heart). I kept saying I love you too and kept trying to explain it's the same bed and it's night night time. He cried and cried and cried and finally fell asleep an hour later. He slept from 8-7:00 but I woke up all night watching the monitor to make sure he didn't get out of his bed. The next day for nap Chris layed down with him and he only cried for about 5 mins and went to sleep.

I got these cute pics from the monitor

He tried to slip out but Colby woke up so he had to lay there a little while longer.


So.... tonight he didn't cry at all but I did have to lay down with him for about 10 mins, and then I slipped out quietly. We are making progress and hopefully our routine will be back to normal soon but now we won't have to fear him climbing out of his crib and breaking a body part. I just pray I'm not still laying down with him when he is 5 years old.