Think before you speak, please

So, I need to just take a minute to vent, but first I have to say that hands-down the worst thing about being a mom is the feeling of "what if"? What if I mess my kid up? What if I teach her bad habits? What if she learns to react to things poorly by watching me? Ugh!!!

Anyway, we were at my parents' house last night and both of my grandmas were there. Don't get me wrong- I love them both so much, but I guess part of getting old is that you feel like you have the right to just say things and people will what? Just chalk up your saying mean things to being senile? I dont know...

So, Madeline is 2 months old and she has definitely grown well since birth. She was 7 lbs 2 oz at the day she was born and she (if my parents' scale is correct) is now 14 lbs. Kylie grew the same way! My girls like to eat and they gain good weight the first few months. If she follows in her sister's footsteps, she will stop gaining weight at 4 months and just get long. Anyway, I digress. Like I said, I think they must feel like they can say critical things because people will excuse them because they are old. I cant tell you how many times I heard how "fat" my kid is. Seriously??? She's a BABY!!! By the end of the evening I was ready to cry because I felt like they were being mean to her and I started to feel like I was contributing to some unhealthy lifestyle in my kid. I was asking myself, "Am I a bad mom? Am I missing something? Should I not let her nurse so often? Should I hold her off even longer between meals?" I shouldnt have to feel that way! She eats when she's hungry...it's not like she is eating every 30 minutes or anything. URGH!!!!

I know they love her and I would hope they dont think she is "fat" but rather cute chubby like babies are allowed to be, but I just wish they would stop and think before they speak.

Play Dates...

I re-entered the world of "good moms" this weekend. Yes, it's true. I set up play dates for Kylie. Well, I shouldn't act like it was totally for her benefit. We moms all know that play dates benefit us just as much as they do our children, but in order to keep up appearances I will let you go ahead and think I took Kylie out to play with friends just so she'd be happy!

Anyway, Saturday started out with us heading over to my friend Shannon's house to play with her boys. She has three boys- a 4 year old and twin boys who are not yet two- and one precious baby girl that is Madeline's age. Now, for those of you who do not know Kylie, she is quite...motherly...otherwise known as bossy- especially with boys. We get there and she and Ethan (the 4 year old) went straight upstairs to play in his room. All was well and very quiet. After a bit they came back downstairs at which point Kylie starts dragging the poor kid around by the hand and saying "come on boy!" No joke...it was like something out of "The Princess Bride". "Fetch me that pail for water, boy." "Boy, sit down." Seriously...we need to work on the bossing. Poor Ethan. We were there for 4 hours, which Kylie absolutely loved, but I'm sure he was probly getting sick of. You can only be dragged around so much!!!

The morning was a nice break for me too! I got to talk to another adult who understands being totally physically, mentally, and emotionally from having a newborn and an older child. In fact, I'm sure because she has three older children that she is three times as tired as I. Regardless, it was nice to be able to sit and relate with a Godly woman who understands.

After we left it was time for a serious nap before heading to Grandma and Poppy's for Uncle Jordan's high school graduation party. It was a fun time and Kylie go the chance to play with some more friends outside. She was a filthty, sweaty mess by the end of the night because I'm pretty sure she ran for 4 hours straight! Oh, to have that energy!!!

I'm so glad that she got the chance to play this weekend. It's been a while since we have hung out with friends our age and it showed me a different side of my daughter...this social side of her that is so precious. She thanked me at the end of the day for taking her to play and as we were praying before bed she jumped in and said "Thank you, Jesus for friends". Maybe we need to play more often...

I just want to take a momen to say that I am so blessed! God has blessed me in so many ways, so I just want to stop and say, "Thank you, Jesus for loving me, for giving your Son for me and for choosing to bless me when I am so unworthy! Thank you for a husband who loves you first and foremost and who is willing to do anything for me and our daughters. Thank you for two perfect and healthy little girls who will grow into women who love you with their whole hearts. Thank you for a family who encourages me in your ways first. Thank you for a house that is strong, for two cars that work, for clothes on our backs and for food on our table. I love you, God!"

Just so you can see those who I am most thankful for, here are some pics of my girls and my man!

Ah! She looks like me here!

Happy Baby!!!

Madeline obviously loves the zoo...

She slept for 9 hours overnight in her swing!!!