Bedtime

Often it seems like bedtime is the hardest time of the day. By then Josh and I are completely out of gas, Howie is bouncing off the walls, Justice is cranky, and we move at a snails pace as we get the boys ready for bed. We got some pics tonight of the process underway on my new phone... who knew you could email yourself pics on your phone?? OK, maybe everyone else knew that, but it was news to me.

Closing In On 2010

Wow, it's hard to believe that 2009 is already coming to a close!! It's been a wonderful, busy, frustrating, exhausting, joyous, exciting, trying, and stretching year. The last several weeks have been very full, but now that Josh is on his semester break we want to catch up our blog just a bit!! These are family pics that were taken sometime in November by our super talented friend Caylee, who also photographed Justice's birth in September. Howie had just fallen off of a ledge outside our apartment onto a concrete step a few days before the photos were taken, so his battle wounds are forever immortalized. The little ones change so fast- I know we'll cherish these pics.

One More Babe...

Just to piggyback on my last post, here's a funny babe story. Josh preached this morning at a CRC church to fill in for their pastor, and the boys and I went too. After the service I picked Howie up in the nursery and we went to the sanctuary to find Josh, who was talking to people from the congregation. Howie was happy to see him and grabbed Josh by the hand... after being patient with his chatting for a few minutes, Howie dragged him down the aisle of the sanctuary saying, " Babe! Babe! Babe!" I don't know if anyone else understood him, but I found it hilarious.

Babe

Howie has taken to calling Josh and me both "Babe" because that's what we always call each other (although it sometimes doesn't sound very affectionate... for example, "what the heck were you thinking, BABE??") Anyway, here's a quote uttered by Howie tonight during a dance party after dinner, in response to seeing me come onto the dance floor (our brown living room rug) and no doubt desiring me to spin him around:

Howie: Pick up me, Babe.

He's also taken to calling Josh "Josh" or "DaddyBabe." It's pretty dang funny!!

Back Again

Here are some pics from the past several weeks!! Our camera finally started kind of working... I'm convinced that these techie people make these things in such a way that you have to replace them fairly quickly or they're horribly outdated and possibly inoperable. We're fighting for this camera's life, and seeing as it's only slightly older than Howie, it's surprising that we're having to do so. But anyway, I managed to squeeze these out today and hopefully more are on their way! These are in no particular order.

Doesn't Justice look a bit like Howie did so long ago?

Bojangle makes her blog return as Howie feeds her a bottle

Inaugural double stroller ride- Howie's actually riding with his brother and not bags or groceries

Howie giving cousin Pax some love, who was here for Justice's birth

Howie Quote

In the middle of a small temper tantrum yesterday morning:

Daddy: Howie, you have to wear a coat. It's cold outside.
Howie: Go back to sleep, Daddy.

Rebellious, yet wickedly funny.

A Quick Word To Let You Know We're Not Dead

Friends, we are still alive here in St Louis but very much bogged down in the whole becoming-parents-of-2 thing. I have so many pictures to post but our computer is not recognizing our camera for some reason, so as soon as I get that ironed out they will be here!!

We're all doing fine- here is a general update.
1. JUSTICE- feeling good, figuring out life outside the womb. Sleeping pretty well during the day, pretty horrible at night. Does fairly well until about 4 or 5 am, when he decides to fake us out and pretend that he'll sleep, only to wake up 5 minutes later and scream. Repeat until around 7. Growing like a weed, developing the fat folds on legs that are the cutest thing ever. Trying to figure out how to smile. Squeaks all the time. Completely precious and kissable.
2. HOWIE- feeling great, loving being a big brother, trying to hug and kiss Justice at almost every moment, playing hard as ever, giving Mama and Daddy a run for their parenting money as he moves fully into the role of a 2 year old. Leaves Mama and Daddy praying for wisdom at the end of the day, but is a joy in every way. Talking like crazy. Hilarious.
3. JOSH- generally swamped with school and completely exhausted. Ends most nights falling asleep on the couch prematurely as a precursor to "doing more homework." Loving being the dad of two most of the time and relearning all of his baby-soothing skills.
4. BETS- feeling kind of like poo most of the time, staring down 10 loads of laundry waiting to be folded, looking at the same pot that has been waiting to be washed for 4 days every time I go into the kitchen, staring at the empty refrigerator which hasn't been refilled from a trip to the grocery store and wondering what to feed everyone if someone isn't bringing us dinner, accruing a gargantuan library fine because I can't find the time to take my books back, running interference to keep Howie from smothering Justice with love, playing solitaire on Josh's phone in a middle of the night feeding session to ward off the creeping depression at being awake, showering very infrequently, wearing mostly the same clothes... but on the brighter side, loving 2 little boys more than I knew I could, learning patience in new ways, kissing baby cheeks as much as possible, cherishing baby and toddler moments because they pass so quickly, embracing the messiness of my house because there are more important things than a clean kitchen and folded laundry in this season of life... in short, I'm doing well.

Pics to come ASAP!