temper tantrums

My sweet little angel has, for the past week or two, changed in to a very opinionated little toddler. Not that she isn't sweet anymore or a little angel, but there are times where that completely disappears. She has started getting VERY angry and upset when something she has in mind doesn't go her way. For example, this morning she didn't want to get dressed so when I try to go and put clothes on her she starts WAILING and flailing everywhere throwing an all out temper tantrum. Another example, yesterday evening I told her after dinner she could have some cookies because she had a good dinner. I get cookies out and apparently she wanted fruit snacks. She LOVES fruit snacks but had already had 2 packages that day. So I told her no and tried to give her the cookies. Well, you guessed it, that set her off again. I've been trying to just ignore them because from some things I've read this is a tactic that is supposedly good for this age. But I feel like that's not good enough or something. This age is hard because they are becoming more and more independent but can't verbalize and don't understand they can't get their way all the time yet. I can't just have a conversation with her about throwing tantrums because she wouldn't understand. I've tried to look things up on mom/baby websites but hear conflicting opinions. I feel like time outs are appropriate for that behavior but I feel like she may still be too young for that - either not understanding the concept fully or not being able to have the ability to sit still.

So... for all you other moms who have been through this stage or are currently there... do you have any advice/opinions? I'd LOVE to get some feedback on this. I want to be a good mom and do the right thing for her. I want to understand that she can't fully talk in conversation yet and can't understand everything that I say but I also want to raise a good well behaved child. What do I do? Keep ignoring it, try to do time outs somehow, or something else?

Happy Birthday C&O!

Just a quick little shout out to my beautiful niece and adorable nephew, Cecilia and Owen. They turned 1 year old today!!! I can't believe it. And congratulations to their wonderful mom, my sister, for making it through the first and probably hardest year with twins!! I love you guys and am so glad that I have family like you. Happy Birthday Cecilia and Owen!! Your Aunt Amanda loves you very very much!!

18 month check-up

Lily went for her 18 month check-up this past Tuesday. She weighed 25 pounds 8 ounces and height was 34". I think the height is a little more than she really is though because she would not lay still laying on that paper and it was crumpled up underneath her for the markings. Lily did NOT like the doctor this visit at all - getting weighed, seeing/talking to the doctor, or getting her shots. My mom came with me to help me out since I figured she would not do well with this visit. We had to literally hold her down for the shots. It was really sad. :( This was the last of shots for awhile though. She got the last hepA and the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine. She's right on track and meeting all her milestones. The doctor seemed impressed that she has about 50 words she knows now. She also passed this checklist with flying colors that I believe was for autism screening. So I have a wonderful healthy beautiful little girl!

Here's a few things about Lily these days. She has been saying thank you and please a lot more lately. When I open up the computer she comes and sits next to me, puts her face right up to mine, and says in this little sweet voice "gabba please gabba please." It's SO incredibly cute and of course I let her watch it because she's so convincing! She loves to wear my shoes around the house now. She's using a fork and spoon pretty well now. She loves to be chased. The past few days she has been wanting to sleep with this bigger pink blanket rather than just her little taggie blanket. I pulled it out the other day for her to wrap her baby up in and ever since she's been attached to it. She plays with things how they are meant to be played with (for example - feeding/rocking her baby, combing her hair, etc.). She loves to climb and jump on things - especially the bed! She can kick and attempt to throw a ball. She tries to brush her teeth herself - but I always go behind her since she doesn't really get them all. She loves hip hop music and will shake her butt better than I can! She does well with shape sorters. She'll say "bed" now when we're in her room reading books and she's ready to go to bed.

Well... that's all I can think of even though that's a lot! She's a growing healthy hilarious passionate independent sensitive fiery beautiful 18 month old little girl!

i hear you God

This past week has been a whirlwind - and I don't mean a good whirlwind where you're just busy. I've had several health things going on this past week and I think I'm finally getting everything under control. Oh wait... that was the lesson I was probably supposed to be learning - I'm NOT in control at all. God's in control and is taking care of me. I am finally feeling for the most part back to normal. The medicine I am on is still making me a little off but not like it was this past weekend.

Didn't really want to go in to details about all of that, plus it would take too long. But my real objective in writing is to focus on how God speaks to us in bad and hard times. I didn't go to church on Sunday and for some reason I decided to try and find a church service on tv to watch. I normally don't do that and most church services on tv aren't very interesting for me. But... Andy Stanley who is the pastor of Northpoint Community Church was on at the time. I don't think I've ever heard him speak although Matt has mentioned him to me before. And guess what the message was on.... "why worry." It was EXACTLY what I needed to hear from God. It was like he purposed that just for me. I would definitely recommend you check out the messages online and listen to them. If you have any problems with worrying, you'll want to hear it! I haven't listened to the other one yet but I am planning to.

Then... I subscribe to this devotional thing from Walk in the Word and find this message in my inbox the other day. Once again - talking about God being in control and trusting Him.

And finally God really must have known I'm very hard headed in this area so I read this post today on a blog that I follow by Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church. All about... what else but anxiety.

So there you have it. God speaks to us in many different ways but almost audibly sometimes when we have multiple things like this occur at just the time we need it. Putting my worries in God's hands and trusting Him versus being anxious will always be a struggle for me. I hope though that God has used this to make me a little bit better in this area.

What do you struggle with today? What is your ongoing battle? Keep asking God to speak to you about it - He'll show up. He did for me.

18 months and pictures

Tomorrow my little baby girl turns 18 months old! I can't believe I have a toddler running around the house now! The last 18 months have definitely been the best of my life. I absolutely LOVE being a mom. Have I ever said that before? :)And I just have to add that I LOVE being a wife too. I don't brag about him as much as I do Lily but Matt is a wonderful husband and father and I'm so glad that he's mine! Can hardly believe this September we will be celebrating 4 wonderful years of marriage! I love this man!
Lily's coming up with more two word phrases it seems like - thank you, come here, i got it, where's grandma (yes, she said that today). I'm sure there's more that I can't think of at the moment. She's also turning into a polite little girl, at least sometimes that is. She's been saying please and thank you a lot without even having to be prompted. That is one thing (among many) that I really hope to instill in my children - good manners.

Random side note.... did anyone else out there that reads my blog know that kids in school don't learn multiplication and division the way we use to?! We took one of the youth group girls out for coffee this evening and somehow got on the topic. She showed us how they taught her to do it - something called "lattice" for multiplication. It was WEIRD and crazy! I'm gonna have to learn all over again to be able to help my kids when they're in school.

And finally... we got pictures done today at Botanical Gardens with Michael Lupino. Check him and his work out! He generously did the photo shoot free for us and we just have to pay for pictures. I think there's gonna be some really good ones!! I LOVE photojournalistic pictures (i think that's what it's called) versus your traditional studio portraits. Plus Lily is a much happier camper because she is free to run around and not be cooped up in a studio! He said that he would put a few highlight pics up on his blog fairly soon and then we should be able to check out all of them online within 2 weeks. I'll let everyone know once they're up! Poor little Lily got a bunch of scrapes and cuts on her knee/shin though. :( She fell several times. I guess that happens to all kids when they're young.