Noelle is a big girl?

So the title of this blog is a question because Noelle just got a big girl bed, but I definitely don't think she's ready. Even though I have read a few articles on this age being the one for a toddler bed it just doesn't feel right. The last few nights have been rough. We try to lay with her to get her to fall asleep in Micah's room, but then she usually wakes and sleeps in my bed. Tonight she has her big girl bed but still refuses to even get in it. Surprisingly she loved it at first and put all her babies in the bed and books, but right when it was time for bed she went to the rocking chair and sits in it till she falls asleep. So I guess I need to take the chair out of the room so the bed is her only option. Wow. She is so stubborn. Like I know little kids hate sleeping...but sheesh. This one is so so stubborn. I'm trying to hold my ground, but we all need to sleep too. So what's the balance? She is so cute and loving during the day and I know she just wants to be with us and always near us...so I feel bad that I can't give her what she needs.


Here's what it the last few nights look like. Micah has a trundle bed so we put Noelle on the bottom but she couldn't even fall asleep without being on Craig's chest. Poor sweet girl. I wish I knew what we could do to help her fall asleep without us.

So prayers are welcome. I know it's a stage and I know she will eventually sleep in her bed again. I just need to realize this part is hard. It will get better.

This is the only pic I have right now of her big girl bed. I will get another one tomorrow. You can see it a little bit here. Micah is standing by it. I am hoping she likes it soon. This girl is such a handful!!!

Love you all

Life Is Hard

Life is really hard right now. Noelle has been not taking naps again. She is so tired but refuses and is so stubborn. I finally broke down today and cried. Cried because I wanted to take a break, cried because I wanted her to get some rest, cried because I knew that meant come 4 o'clock I would have a melt down little girl till bedtime. I just don't know how much one person can handle. All I want is for her to feel good. I wasn't even crying because I wanted her to sleep, but I actually felt bad for her little body trying to push through. She literally was in her bed for 15 minutes this time and then started screaming. The time is getting shorter and so is my fuse. So I like to come on here and ask for prayers. She is such a blessing, and I need to keep reminding myself of that truth. The whole truth is that I am really not strong enough to handle it all. I do need help...and sometimes I would give anything for family next door. Right now my only help comes from the Lord and he hears my prayer. Thankful that I have a good God and I can rely on that truth all the time. 

I also don't think it's helping that it's stil l100 degrees outside and I can't breathe. It's suffocating outside and I'm going crazy inside....just a bad combination for this out and about mom.

This is pictures of Noelle at the library while brother is in school. I signed her up for story time on Fridays so she get to do something by herself. She is really a sweet girl. I love her but goodness a tough one.  Thursday night we had a core team meeting for the Richardson Campus church and left her with the babysitter. I told her the routine and said bedtime is the easiest she should go right down. haha I guess Noelle wanted to make a fool out of me. She decided not to sleep for the babysitter and for the first time EVER climbed out of her crib. Then she woke up and 2:45 a.m. and decided the only way she wanted to sleep was in my bed. Needless to say... this is going to be a rough time. I hope it's only a short phase but I'm already really scared she is going to be a stage 4 clinger for some time. 

On the other side of being tired and exhausted I am doing really well in my weight and health goals. I started a new challenge called Intermittent Fasting. It's when you only eat during a 7 hour period and then fast for 12 hours. Right now I eat at 12 p.m. and then snack at 2 and dinner around 530p.m. I have to be done eating by 7 p.m. So I might change it to 11- 6p.m. because waiting that long in the morning has been getting harder and harder. I found this type of plan from my pastor this weekend. He looked good and I asked him what he was doing. So he told me he is on this plan and that it had really helped him burn fat and tone. I'm going to try for 10 weeks until I hit my goal weight. I will just say my goal right now is wedding weight. Meaning I'm trying to get down to were I was when I got married. I know it's a stretch, but I realized that I can achieve anything I put my mind too. So week one is almost complete and I'm feeling pretty good. During the week you are supposed to fast for 24 hours once or every other week. I am not sure I want to do this because a tired and hungry momma might be a mix for total breakdown.

We love you all and are so thankful for our family and these two little humans. I am trying my best to be thankful for the small things. It can be easy too miss the beautiful things in life when your focused on all the hard things.  Life is hard but God is so good!!

Singing

Wow. What a crazy week... It's all over and done with and I can barely keep my eyes open. I wanted to share it all with you before I crash tonight. I had such a fun experience this weekend singing with the Legacy crew and I'm so pumped to start our own campus on the 30th of September. They have scheduled me to sing Sept. 30 and Oct 7th already... so I'm pumped but also realize lots of hard work in my future. So excited for our kids to be with us and serve in this type of capacity. It's going to be hard, but I think they will love being a part of something so big. Here are some pics of us singing this weekend. I got to sing with Jennifer who will be with me at the Richardson Campus. Her friend took some picture for us and she sent them to me.

Also had a birthday party this afternoon for one of my best friends little guy who turned 3. Logie had a piñata and everything and the kids really loved hitting it.

 My little mini me and I just eating some candy and chilling out.

Look at this SKY!! I took this pic Friday night coming out from church service. It was so crazy and so beautiful all at the same time!

HERE THEY ARE

My MOMS Group Table I will be leading this year. I cannot tell you how excited I am to see us all grow and get to know one another this year. How amazing God is and how he put us all together. Almost all of us have a 4 year old. That it amazing! I can't wait to hear all of their stories and become a close knit group of moms who challenge but support one another this year.

Oh hey.. this is me working out. I still do that. haha

These kids have been having way too much sugar these past few days... but they are so cute when they eat it. LOL It's the after math that's the hard part.

Thank you all for your encouragement and support through all this. Poor Craig is ready for me to take over again with these crazy kids tomorrow. I think he is finally feeling the effects of the daily grind with these two!

Just Keep Swimming

I kept telling myself...get on the computer and write before you forget all this stuff that's happened. Noelle is back to being a horrible napper. I don't even have a minute to do or get anything done. She is crying right now and I just got on the computer. She is napping for approximately 30 minutes during the day. It's pretty much horrible.  We are definitely hitting a rough patch right now with her. She is very stubborn and keeps crying until she gets what she wants and normally no body can even figure out what she wants...so there's a lot of crying happening here. Good thing is when ever we leave the house she's an angel. She loves being out and doing anything. She is very happy, but for some reason being at home is the hardest. So even though today I wanted to stay home because I'm not feeling well, I had to get out to the park since she was crying almost all morning. She is going to bed right at 7 p.m. or sometimes a bit earlier and wakes around 6:30 a.m. I'm having to become a morning person now and it's not as much fun as when she slept in. I'm trying to appreciate the little things because not having a break all day is exhausting and I'm sure that's why I'm sick right now. 

Also, not a good week to get sick because I'm scheduled to sing of the first time this weekend. So now I'm freaking out even more. I have practice on Wednesday night and then service Friday night and all Sunday morning. 

Here are some pics from our park date this morning. I biked them to the treehouse park.

We did the Dallas Heart Walk this Saturday and afterwards got lunch at the Dallas Farmers Market. Micah wanted me to take his picture next to these skeletons. He absolutely loves everything scary or halloween. He has been to the halloween store about 3 times and keeps asking to go back. His sister is not a fan and was terrified of the store, so I can only take him without her now. 

Saturday morning in Downtown Dallas for the Dallas Heart Walk. We got to make the walk before the rain, but it came shortly after and the festival afterwards got cut short. They had 50 thousand people walk!!!! Craziness!! The kids did really great and we were all pretty tired. 

This was the weekend before.... Aug. 31st. Some more fun we had with friends!!

Samuel and Micah being funny

Park day with the kids! Noelle and Kinsley being sweet!

MICAH'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR 4'S PRESCHOOL.

September 5th was Micah's first day and he did great. He is socially ahead of the game. Telling me how many kids are his friends each time and they number keeps growing! He's also very excited to have 2 girls in his class. However, he seems a bit nervous to talk to them. He knows both of their names, but hasn't become their "friends" yet.

Micah picked out his costume already.

Labor Day parade

We got too much candy. Noelle was loving it all!

Morning at church

Celebrating Camille's birthday at Good Union BBQ. I had the cake made for her. It was a dreamsicle cake!!

Celebrated at the trampoline park during the day!

Wish I could write more, but Noelle has been crying for about 30 minutes now. I will keep going and keep the saying from Finding Nemo... "Just Keep Swimming." But I may need MORE coffee!!