Life is a Party…and Josiah’s 10 Months!

We are in the last quarter of the first year of Josiah’s life. Where has time gone? The days past so quickly. We mark the calendars for doctors appointments, play dates, and to remember special days; and then those dates quickly become history. All the while our little ones continue to grow, change, and accomplish new feats. Suddenly, you look at them and realize they’re so different than they were the day before. It’s so incredibly exciting…but it’s a bit heartbreaking at the same time. The ongoing battles of motherhood…Oh how I want you to grow, but oh how I don’t!

In the last month Josiah has decided it was time to do some major growing. He’s longer, he’s working on 4 top teeth at the same time, he’s pulling up on everything, climbing on everything, cruising on furniture and can walk his push toys all around the house, and NEVER slows down (hence the blurriness of all our photos!).  I’m not sure if it’s that he’s the second child or that he’s a boy; but he is into absolutely everything! He inevitably finds the smallest toys to play with, and decides to try the most dangerous things. Unlike his sister, who was always gentle and finesse about navigating stairs, the fire place, and traveling from room to room, his style is much more daring.  He’s a beating, banging, mess making, toy dumping, screaming, and often “stinky” boy as Addy likes to call him. He’s definitely living up to those boyish expectations! He is so handsome, sweet, loving, and a happy little guy. He looks up at me with the most beautiful brown eyes I have ever seen and steals my heart daily. He wants to do everything his sister does, including climbing on the trampoline, managing to reach the bar and pull himself up to bounce and hang (Gasp!). He has the words “Ma-Ma”, “Da-Da”, “Addy”, and “hey” down pat. He can wave and give high-fives, and has the most wonderful laugh. We celebrated his first Thanksgiving, and he’s loving ‘un-decorating’ both of our Christmas trees daily. My, how he’s growing! Slow down Josiah, slow down!

Meanwhile, big sister keeps living the life. I was talking to a friend recently, explaining to her that Addisyn had been in party-mode for weeks because of recent birthdays and the Thanksgiving holiday; her response was, “Addisyn’s whole life is a party!” She’s so correct in that statement. The girl is constantly on the go, has several playdates with her best buddies a week, weekly trips to the zoo, story time, the play center at the mall, dance, lunch dates, donut dates, and more. She has a better social life than most adults I know, and will always convince you that dessert is necessary. It doesn’t hurt that she’s totally and utterly adorable. She just had her first dance recital, is using the potty “like a boss” as she will even tell you in those exact words, and absolutely loves Jesus! She is constantly singing, dancing, twirling, flipping, and jumping. She slows down to enjoy the clouds in the sky, butterflies, and crunching leaves.  She’s super fast riding her tricycle now, loves to help cook, and takes the role of big sister seriously.  She loves being a helper, and insists on being independent. Yet at the end of the day, she will give in and cuddle up, freely giving kisses and holding your hand. It’s quite amazing that God can pack such sweetness into such a little person.

We’ve been busy celebrating birthdays and Thanksgiving, enjoying the Fall weather, preparing for Christmas, and spending time with family.  There’s always something on the agenda and the days pass far faster than I would prefer.  There’s a to-do list that is never quite done, and the nights stretch longer while the mornings come earlier. Daily, I find myself pausing to take in the moment, and slowing down to enjoy it all. I hold them a little tighter, make them laugh a little harder and give every effort to make their lives a little bit sweeter. After all, that’s my job. <3