Wow, it's been a long time...

It all began as I tried to delete some links from our "favorites" list, which has become quite overcrowded.  I saw a link to Brett and Hillary's blog (no, I was not trying to delete it!) and started looking for fun.  As I was thinking about how much the girls have changed in the last year, I realized that I actually have a blog myself...something I had forgotten!  Forgotten so well, in fact, that it took several attempts to even remember the address.  The fact that this post is basically a year after the last is proof enough that none of you intended readers will ever see it.  However, I just spent the last 1.2 hours reading every post back to the very first one about Jacoby's birth.  How amazingly wonderful to have those memories recorded in such great detail.  I found myself covering my mouth the the boys would be waken up from my laughter.  I was tearing up, especially reading those quirks and stories about Jacoby- memories I had forgotten but they came rushing back in an instant and I could picture his round face and pudgy little hands and mischevious grin.  That was enough prompting for a new post.

Jacoby:

My "baby" is 2.  Can you believe it?  I swear he is the smartest, sweetest, most talented 2 year old in the world and I'm sure any of you would agree...unless you happen to also have a 2 year old!  Right now:

• We moved to the toddler bed last week.  He was SO excited, jumping up and down and running in circles until he tripped and fell, smashing his face into the railing and cracking it.  The first week was AWESOME for such a big transition but he lately is trying to test the limits and sometimes sleeps on the floor instead.  (Weird kid)
• Potty training was this week- and went pretty well!  Going #2 is still tricky.  You would be intimidated too if you thought you might fall in.
• He is the master of shooting his basketball to the big hoop (Little Tykes brand)  Really, his accuracy amazes us!  We need to start keeping stats.  In fact, we just rose the rim a little higher because he wasn't really being challenged.
• J is such a sweet big brother.  He loves to hug and cuddle Lincoln (briefly), always wants to climb up in his crib to lay with him, and tries really hard to make Lincoln laugh.  Tonight, L was babbling and Jacoby turned around and asked, "Daddy, what Lincoln is saying??"  It will be a sweet sweet day when they are truly communicating and playing together. 
• The greatest thing in the world HAS to be that Jacoby offers kisses and sweet comments so often lately.  My favorite is when he hugs me and says, "I've missed you, Mommy!"  Ironically, we have usually been together all day when he tells me, and it sometimes comes immediately after time out.  He knows how to work me already!  We hear a lot of "I love you"s but tonight was the ultimate.  I kissed him and tucked him in and he very sincerely states, "I love you so much, Mommy". 
• Being a mom gives me a new appreciation for prayer.  I'm telling you- there is not much as moving as standing over your child as they lay in bed and praying for them.  My prayer for Jacoby is always that he grows into a young man with a tender and compassionate heart so he can see people the way God sees them.  And truly- He affirms that for me in little ways so that I can feel confident that it will be brought to fruition.

Yes, the "terrible twos" have begun.  I am reminded of that during daily tantrums and constant testing of boundaries.   But I've also been pleasantly surprised.  I'm getting to know my son daily as his personality shines through and his character is developing.  So I've got to admit, the twos are pretty wonderful as well.

Lincoln:

It's crazy that my baby is 2, but even crazier that my baby baby is 7 months today!  That is more than half a year!  It rounds up to 1 year instead of down to newborn! 

• Lincoln has got to be the most laid back, good natured baby in the entire world.  When we bring him around other people, they are always saying, "Wow, is he always this good?" or ""Man, that is one mellow baby".  He does, of course, get fussy and cranky like any child.  However, he is so patient when Jacoby demands our attention and is quick to smile and laugh even when he was crying just seconds before.
• Lincoln is my cuddler.  Right now, he will put his hands on the sides of my face and just nuzzle his face against my neck.  Then he tries to suck on my chin, which is weird but I saw on the blog that Jacoby used to do that, too!
• We started cereal probably 5 weeks ago?  Veggies were initiated about a week ago.  So far, L LOVES carrots and squash.  He was smiling so huge and throwing his arms around for both of them.  Green beans are just ok, and peas took a lot of work.  Actually, Jacoby and I danced and sang around the kitchen for 10 minutes so Zach could shovel it all in before he had a total melt-down.
• L plays with baby Addison at Trish's house.  Addison was born not even a week before Lincoln and her mom is a friend of ours who teaches at the high school!
• The Pattersons always tell me how much our kids love music (which we know, but like to hear from others).  Jacoby plays the "drums" (tupperware) while Chris plays the guitar and I am told that Lincoln watches intently and kicks around his legs the whole time.  Maybe we shall start a small family band?  We'll see in a few years.
• Lincoln is sitting up some but falls over anytime he wants to grab something.  Crazy kid!  Just sit still!
• He also rolls over like crazy...it doesn't take long for him to be flipped over and rotated 180* in a matter of seconds.

For those that didn't know, Lincoln had a very special birth circumstance.  We found out that two close friends were due within a 3 week span, but our babies were born in a 3 DAY span instead!  During our pregnancies, we met and prayed together weekly for healthy babies but most of all that he would start working in their lives NOW, and our lives NOW.  I wish I could adequately descibe how amazingly wonderful this situation was, but it's now almost 2am and I can't actually think straight.  BUT AT LEAST I FINALLY UPDATED THE BLOG!!!!  That's my excuse for any typos as well because I am choosing not to proofread and instead go to bed!