tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77594604227872017602024-03-14T02:55:08.707-05:00Team BradleyWe are just an everyday family trying NOT to be an everyday family. He's a police officer. I'm a stay at home mom. Luke's our baby and a precious gift from God.
We want to love God and love others. Follow our team.Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-78878861605866091852017-01-28T00:51:00.004-06:002017-01-28T12:28:02.682-06:00Seven-Ish Months LaterIn case you were wondering, that third kid is a game changer. My little man is almost a year old and still I feel like we're barely keeping our heads above the water. Plus, not only are Mark and I outnumbered, but Bennett has started dropping his nap. We have at least two kids awake for about 14 hours a day, and for the first time in my life I'm day dreaming of spending a night in a hotel by myself (or Mark could come too, but ya know, either way). The 26-year-old mom version of me would have said that A. That was super lame. or B. That it probably was a reflection of how much I loved my kids and a pretty sad deal. But the 32-year-old mom version of me keeps thinking about the fluffy pillows, clean sheets, and the quietness. I could maybe read or take a shower without a little one coming in the bathroom to poop (cause you know that always nice when you're in the shower and you get that extra fragrance to enjoy as you stand in the hot water). So yes, I really am that lame now. I accept it. And, it's fine because I've started (occasionally) wearing jeans with an elastic waist because if you're going to be a lame mom, you might as well be comfortable doing it. And, I have friends on Facebook selling make-up and stuff and I'm thinking, "Did I brush my hair today?"<br />
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So there's that, and the fact that life is in hyper-speed right now, and I can't catch up, and my kids just keeping getting bigger. Well, taller. (*Bennett is super skinny because you can't get him to eat hardly anything, except for oatmeal and cereal and dessert). </div>
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I could've sworn I blogged about his 3rd birthday, but then I checked my blog and I realized, nope - i just posted pics to Facebook. But, hey y'all Bennett turned three (last August). He loved it (as you can tell from the pic below). Side note: It's probably best to NOT do a 3-year-old b-day party right after nap time. </div>
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His monster truck birthday was a SMASHING success. See what I did there? He did love being with his cousins and being at the lake. And just in case you were wondering, I made the cake. It's okay to be impressed. Maybe sometime I'll share my secret on how to crush up Oreo to look like dirt. </div>
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Then fall came and Luke started school. His school is sort of a hybrid between private school and homeschooling, and he's a confident (if not reluctant) student. He marched in on his first day and just blurted out " 'C-A-T' spells cat," to no one in particular. </div>
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Then one day, he looked at his math paper and said, "Seriously? I could do that with one eye tied behind my back."</div>
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On a different day he was reading and said, "I read that word and that word, so I'm pretty much awesome at 'wording'." And then, I kid you not, he threw confetti that he'd made into the air. </div>
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As we've started the second semester his enthusiasm for his school days (he only goes twice a week) is dwindling. I was sick earlier this week and couldn't get him to school and we took a sick day, and he told me that I should just go ahead and be sick every day that he had school. MmmHmm. </div>
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The kid has more excuses than you can imagine, and not just for school, but also for cleaning his room. In fact, the mere suggestion of cleaning his room can lead him to fall suddenly ill or suffer from complete exhaustion. He once said, "I just get so 'sogged' out in my head sometimes." He went on to explain that 'sogged out' means when you're so tired you can't really think or do anything. </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XQqmlrVpWP8/WIwzN4hxiLI/AAAAAAAABcE/huQb2zkNixoVZAeTiObxEwkIzRH7RiVpQCLcB/s1600/1482644933577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XQqmlrVpWP8/WIwzN4hxiLI/AAAAAAAABcE/huQb2zkNixoVZAeTiObxEwkIzRH7RiVpQCLcB/s320/1482644933577.jpg" width="263" /></a>But fall went by even faster than it usually did and suddenly it was December and almost Christmas. I was so excited for this year because of my boy's ages, and we were all soaking up the Christmas spirit until Mark came down with the flu and we got uninvited from both of our family's houses. Keeping all three kids by myself without any help from Mark was a little challenging, and on about day 5 I decided we'd have "Movie Day." And all we did all was watch movies. The boys thought I was being super generous, but really I was just in survival mode. </div>
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We still managed to have a great Christmas at home, and pulled together a last minute Craigslist project and redid a Power Wheels Escalade that we had bought and kept hidden in our garage (under a sheet). Of course, that was a big hit, and it was so fun to see them enjoy their police car in the backyard. FYI - Bennett is a horrible driver, which makes sense because he's three, but seriously he runs into everything, and I'm glad he's content to be the passenger most of the time. Also, I just want to note that I don't believe in getting baby's presents for Christmas. Blake didn't get anything from us for Christmas. I'm sorry, Blake, but you're a baby. We'll make it up to you some other time. After Christmas we made a quick trip to Branson and Silver Dollar City. It was a spur of the moment decision and Luke got so excited and kept telling us we were the best parents ever, which was quickly proven to be false when we lost Bennett in SDC.</div>
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We were leaving a show, and I asked him if he needed to go to the bathroom and he said, "yes" and started walking away, but there were a bunch of people around and I couldn't find him when the people cleared. I freaked out, and got Mark, and found our three-year-old standing in line in the men's bathroom by himself. :( </div>
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Then we were just about to leave, and I saw that there wasn't anyone in line at this little Dalmatian ride (you ride in these dogs around and around and around), so I told Luke to go with Bennett and ride this one last ride before we left. I could see them in line from where we were and since no one else was in line I thought they'd be okay. So I asked Mark to help me zip up Blake in my coat with me because it was really cold. It took less than a minute for Mark to help me, but we saw there was some sort of commotion at the ride and then we looked and Bennett was getting lectured by the guy operating the ride. Apparently, he decided he couldn't wait for the guy to open the gate, and he'd taken it upon himself to jump over the five foot gate and try to climb on the ride himself. The operate was pretty disturbed and was telling Bennett how he could've gotten killed if the ride had been going, and he gave us this look like we were the worst parents ever. So that happened... </div>
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A few minutes later we were leaving the park and glad to have all our kids with us and I leaned over towards Luke and said, "MOST FUN EVER!" And he didn't look at me, but he smiled really big and just held out his fist for a fist bump, and it was a great parenting moment, and almost made me completely forget how we'd lost Bennett and allowed him to jump a ride gate. </div>
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Luke and Bennett's relationship has changed a lot these last few months. Bennett used to get picked on by Luke, but now they both annoy each other. Just the other day I commented that Bennett was having a hard time obeying and Luke said, "Do you think maybe he's becoming like me? Like he's trying to annoy people on purpose?" Ummm. Yes, I do, and I'm glad to know your trying to annoy others on purpose.<br />
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Bennett does know how to get out of trouble though. For instance, one night he was splashing in the bath and Mark got on to him and told him he was going to have to go to timeout once he got out of the bath. A few minutes later Mark went back in to check on him and Bennett smiled and said, "Dad, I make you so happy!" Needless to say, he didn't end up pay the consequences for that one.<br />
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Bennett's personality could not be more opposite from Luke. The kid is in his own little world. He absolutely loves bugs and loves to find them in the backyard. When Luke did soccer last spring, he spent most of the time looking for ladybugs and rolling down the hill behind the field. A few weeks ago we were signing Luke up for spring soccer and I said, "Bennett do you want to play soccer some time?"<br />
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And he said, "Yes, I want to play soccer ball! Askally (his way of saying actually), I just want to roll down the hill."<br />
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He also once got annoyed at the sun for being in his eyes when we were in the car and he said, "Go away sun! I'm trying to watch a movie! Go back to your rainbow!"<br />
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I'm still trying to get over Bennett giving up his nap. He was such a good napper. Every single day he took a 3 hour nap, but then it finally caught up and he started getting where he'd stay up till 10 p.m. on the days he napped. And bedtime became more of challenge (as if it wasn't already). Sometimes when it's like the hundredth time of him getting out of bed and he asks me to lie down with him I will say, "I will lie down with you for 10 seconds." And then I count to ten and go out of his bed, but Bennett had the last word on that. A few days ago he woke me up and I tried to convince him to get in bed with me and cuddle for a few minutes, and he said, "I will lie down with you for 10 seconds." And then he counted to 10 and told me it was time to get up, and he turned on the light for me.<br />
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Anyway now, it's 2017, and we're 2 weeks away from celebrating Blake's 1st birthday, and I can't entirely believe it. I was really hoping that Blake would sort of fall in line and be one of those go-with-the-flow kinds of babies since he's the youngest and getting dragged around all these different places, but so far it seems that God has seen it fit to give us another strong willed boy. Blake is not a cuddler. He only wants to be held facing outward. He does not like being rocked. He does not like being carried like a baby. He does like to scream. He's a little bit on the fiery side when he's not happy. He's also our first biter, though to be fair, he doesn't know that it hurts, but he smiles when we tell him "No" like it's some big joke. He's our first crib biter too, and we've had to buy crib protectors to keep him from biting the crib. He doesn't like to be put in the "baby pit" (that's what we call the living room where we've blocked off the room with couches and chairs).<br />
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Mark and I call him a "free range baby" because he doesn't like to be caged. We also joke that he's a feral, though we are working on taming him. So, if we thought we were going to get a pass because he's our third, we were wrong. He's given us a run for our money, much more so than Bennett who was the easiest baby ever, and we think he's been harder than Luke (although it's hard to remember for sure and first babies are always hard because you don't know what you're doing).<br />
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The good thing is Blake has the most kissable cheeks and loves to laugh and be thrown in the air and chased around the room, and when he's not tearing apart their train tracks, Luke and Bennett really love to play with him too. He may be a wild baby, but he's our baby and we all love him SO, SO much!<br />
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And, maybe if I can find the time in the next seven months, I'll get to blog about his first birthday too.<br />
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Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-50992016531594388792016-07-25T23:32:00.001-05:002016-07-25T23:34:59.618-05:00Luke's 5th Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's official. I cannot keep up with my blog. Three kids might mean the beginning of the end when it comes to me blogging. However, I'm dedicated to at least covering Luke's 5th birthday and Bennett's 3rd birthday. Since Bennett's 3rd birthday is August 8th, I'm extra motivated to blog about Luke's 5th birthday, which was April 14th. (Yikes)</div>
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Instead of a big birthday party, we celebrated Luke's 5th birthday with a trip to Silver Dollar City with his cousins, Aunt Julie, Uncle Mike, and grandparents. It was a big hit. He loved the roller coasters (except for Fire in the Hole, which he said was too scary), and he loved being with his buddy and cousin, Elijah (pictured next to Luke). </div>
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He wanted a Batman birthday this year, so he got a Batman cake, and he and his cousins celebrated in the hotel breakfast area. This year it was all about the trip to Silver Dollar City and less about the actual party, and Luke didn't seem to mind at all. However, he's already started planning for his birthday next year, which he says will be a Ninja party. This boy is quite the planner, and he loves a good party.<br />
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The day after the party we checked out the Butterfly Palace. I wasn't expecting much (except for butterflies) and didn't really know how the kids would like it. They LOVED it, especially Bennett who loves all creatures big and small. It's been a few months since visiting, and he still sometimes asks, or rather tells me, that we're going to go to the Butterfly Palace.<br />
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All in all, it was a great trip, and I'd probably remember more details if it hadn't been a few months since. (Oops). But here's what I do want my Luke to know.<br />
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Luke,<br />
I can't believe you are five-years-old. In just a few weeks you will start Kindergarten, and I would say I'm not ready; but I don't feel like I could hold you back even if I tried. You're tenacious, and when you set your mind to doing something, it's nearly impossible to change it. You are creative and love to paint and color. Just today you painted about 10 pictures and you begged your dad to let you sell them outside of our house. (You were especially proud of the crab "hands" you painted, and had that one marked up to $11). You're quite the little entrepreneur, and I'm still not convinced that you didn't purposefully try to loosen your own tooth last week, just to make some money off the tooth fairy. (I told you the tooth fairy only gives money to kids who's teeth fall out naturally because I'm afraid you might be toothless just to make a buck).<br />
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You are an amazing big brother. You love to help with Baby Blake and always want to button his onesies. You love to tickle him and make him laugh. You are trying harder and harder to be nice to Bennett, and when you have a good day you remind me, "See, I didn't tease Bennett any today."<br />
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Your energy level is off the charts, and, frankly, I'm a little jealous of that. You have a great sense of humor too. You love to make people laugh. (This combo - energy + desire to make others laugh, may get you in trouble in Kindergarten). But, you're so sweet too. You love to make people smile. You love making people cards and giving gifts. You're a joy, and I'm so thankful to have you as my firstborn and my side kick. I'm proud of you and thankful to be your mom.<br />
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I love you, sweet boy, and I'm loving watching you as a 5-year-old.<br />
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Love,<br />
MomJenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-58621178033522730682016-03-31T13:38:00.001-05:002016-04-07T22:46:15.772-05:00Blake Samuel Bradley<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8 lb. 10 0z. and 21 inches long</td></tr>
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Seven weeks ago on February 11th we welcomed Blake Samuel Bradley into our family. It's definitely clear he's part of our family because he looks nearly identical to his brothers when they were newborns. My labor and delivery were thankfully uncomplicated, though earlier in the week we were told he might have to be born via c-section because he had his arm above his head. We prayed and prayed he'd move that arm, and thankfully he did.<br />
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His brothers think he's cute but loud. Just this morning Luke exclaimed, "Mom, your baby is about to lose it." Then he started counting down, adding a little more drama to the situation. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1..." When Blake still hadn't quite lost it, he started the countdown over. Bennett was a little jealous of baby brother at first. He wanted to be sure he was being held anytime that "Baby Blank" (as Bennett calls him) was being held. He can't stand for his baby brother to cry, and frantically lets me know when he does. "Mama, your baby is crying. Your baby is crying." If I don't move quickly enough, he will add, "I go get him." That always does the trick to get me moving.<br />
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We all love our Blake Samuel. We finally decided on the name a few days before he was born. It had been one of probably 20 that we liked. Mark asked Luke what he thought we should name the baby and he said, "Blake One Hundred Thousand." I loved the name "Blake," but felt the meaning was too vague. It means "light" or "dark." Apparently, the Old English isn't very clear which one, and that bugged me. I mean which one is it? And, how can I name my son a name with a vague meaning when our other sons had names that meant "Bringer of Light and Peace" and "Blessed Oak?" Plus, I somehow wanted a name that reminded me of God's faithfulness to us <a href="http://teambradley20.blogspot.com/2015/02/what-i-wanted-to-write.html" target="_blank">through our miscarriage</a>.<br />
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The same day that Luke offered the name "Blake One Hundred Thousand" Mark and I went on a date where we finally had the chance to be alone and talk. I told him how I'd read my prayer journal from last February when we miscarried when my sadness seemed overwhelming and everything felt heavy, and I was crying out to God for help. I told him about the entry I wrote when I saw the doves in our tree, and how it had brought comfort to my soul and reminded me of God's peace. It was such a dark time and yet God was there. Then it hit us, and I'm not who sure who said it first, me or Mark, but there was our name. "Blake" (light or dark) and "Samuel," which means "God hears." His name is a testament that God hears in the light or in the dark. It was perfect.<br />
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All that said, our new life at home with three kids is a lot less than perfect. It's loud and wild over here. Three kids is a game changer. Blake's earned the title "Wide Awake Blake" because he loves to hang out with Mom and Dad in the middle of the night with his eyes wide open. It doesn't help that Luke and Bennett wake us up once a night too. Surely, one day they won't want to sleep on the floor of our room or need their back rubbed in the middle of the night? And, maybe then I will miss it. Maybe.<br />
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In non-baby news, Luke started soccer last week. He had his first practice and loved it. I honestly didn't know what he would think about it. He was nervous when he met his coach and the other kids, and he seemed a little timid as they warmed up and stretched. But, they started doing drills where they raced one another down to the end of the field and back. Luke won his "race" and I yelled, "Good job, Luke." He looked back at me with fire in his eyes and gave me a fist pump. It was awesome!<br />
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Later that night, Mark told Luke he could play soccer as long as he wanted or as short as he wanted, and Luke replied, "I'm gonna play till God comes back and snatches us up." That's my boy!<br />
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Luke needed a way to get out all his extra energy because up until this point I'm pretty sure he's taken most of it out on Bennett. He simply loves to annoy his little brother - by scaring him or taking his toys or whatever he can do to drive Bennett crazy. Poor Bennett used to just take it and run away crying, but the tides are changing, and Bennett is starting to fight back by hitting or pushing.<br />
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Earlier this week, Luke stole a toy from Bennett and ran into his room where he curled up, keeping the toy under him where Bennett couldn't get him, so Bennett bit him - right on the butt. There were teeth marks and everything.<br />
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Don't worry, I don't let them get away with it. I'm pretty sure they both spend about half of their day in time out. Between playing referee between them and taking care of Blake, I've got my hands full. But that's just life with three kids, so I wouldn't have it any other way.<br />
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<br />Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-37584938956185693802016-01-09T00:12:00.002-06:002016-01-09T00:12:26.701-06:00Christmas 2015 and More<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Christmas 2015 is in the books. We celebrated no less than four times with our own little family and extended family. Luke loves everything about Christmas and all our family traditions - going to the square to look at the lights, eating crab legs on Christmas Eve with aunts, uncles, and cousins, riding the Christmas train, baking cookies, Elfie, making gingerbread houses, and reading the Christmas story - learning all about Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus. Well, there's just one Christmas tradition that Luke could live without - Bennett annually knocking over the Christmas tree. Okay, so it's only the second year in a row, but Luke was utterly devastated when he realized one of his favorite ornaments had broken. </div>
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This was the first year that Luke and Bennett got to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they wanted. You can see how much Bennett enjoyed it. Luke asked Santa for a remote control reindeer that would do whatever Luke told him to do. Santa was confused, but nodded like he understand. Luke asked me to write his letter to Santa this year. It reads as follows.</div>
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Dear Santa,</div>
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I love how you make toys. Here's the list of things I want for Christmas.</div>
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* Jedi robe and costume</div>
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* Armor and gun</div>
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* Sorry (the game)</div>
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* New Yo-yo</div>
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* Robot with remote control (black)</div>
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* Jake and the Neverland Pirates sword</div>
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* A real phone</div>
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* A Christmas tape measurer with a Christmas tree and Jesus (on it)</div>
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* A toy reindeer that runs around the house and obeys me and does whatever I say. Stops and goes whenever Luke says. </div>
When I told Luke that I didn't think there was such a thing as a remote control reindeer, he sort of rolled his eyes and said, "Mom, the elves make the toys." Silly me, of course, they take custom orders.<br />
Unfortunately, awesome mom that I am, I forgot to put Santa's letter in the mail, and Luke found it a few days after Christmas - still sealed as though it hadn't been read. I quickly explained that Santa must have read the letter and sealed it back up. Fortunately, this seemed a good enough explanation to Luke.<br />
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I guess because Santa never got the letter Luke only got a few things on his list such as the Jedi robes, a remote control robot, and the board game Trouble (instead of Sorry). Santa also got him a tape measurer but not a Christmas one, and the toy reindeer wasn't under the tree either. Still, Luke and Bennett got more than enough toys from parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, and Christmas finally came to an end. Luke isn't ready for it be over though and is still wishing random strangers "Merry Christmas" in parking lots and what nots. </div>
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Now on to other updates.<br />
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Baby Boy Bradley #3 still has no name. In fact, I feel like we are farther away from a decision than we were a few months ago. We had a front runner for a while, and then we dropped it. And, now I'm not sure we will ever name this baby, but he is coming soon. My due date is Feb. 18th, and I've had several people tell me I'm not going to make it to February. I guess that's a nice way of saying that I'm huge. Fortunately, we made it passed the 34 week mark on Thursday, which is longer than Bennett made it. Luke is absolutely ready for the baby boy. He loves babies, which is a good thing because we just decided this week to put another crib in Luke's room rather than trying to transition Bennett in there. Luke and Bennett have such opposite sleep preference. Luke wants the door open and the light from his closet and hallway on, and Bennett wants the door closed with no lights on. Luke listens to stories on a CD when he goes to bed, and Bennett listens to music and wants to be rocked for a little while. While we would eventually like Bennett and Luke to share a room, it just isn't the time. We would be forcing a lot of change, so we think this solution will work better. Whatever will maximize sleep for me - that's what really matters. :)<br />
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The thing is my boys are already conspiring against me to steal my sleep. Luke comes into our room and wants to sleep on the floor every night at 3 a.m., Mark still has night terrors (though usually they aren't that bad) and you really never know if Bennett will sleep through the night or not. Just the other night Luke came into our bed at 3 a.m. and then Mark's alarm woke me earlier than I would have cared for, then at 6:15 I heard what I thought was a smoke alarm. It sounded like it was coming from Bennett's room. I snuck in his room and still couldn't' find the smoke alarm. It sounded like it was coming from under Bennett's bed, so I got a flashlight and shined it underneath his bed. I didn't see anything, but all of the sudden, Bennett sat up and happily said, "You looking for bear, Mama?"<br />
I wasn't. I was looking for a rogue noise. At that point, I shined the flashlight into Bennett's crib and found him holding a toy beeper. Why in the world would anyone make a toy beeper? But an even better question is - why did my husband put Bennett to bed with the toy beeper? Follow up question: why didn't he at least tell me he put Bennett to bed with a toy beeper? I asked him both these questions. He meant to tell me, he said, and Bennett wanted the beeper - that's why. I told him he was conspiring against me to steal my sleep. He had the audacity to laugh.<br />
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Cue transition to random stories about Luke and Bennett...<br />
Luke and Bennett are really starting to act like brothers now that Bennett is a little older. Luke take his role of older brother/third parent very seriously. He tells Bennett what they are going to play and how they are going to play. He's quick to tell on his brother for any misdeeds Bennett might do. He also loves to annoy his little brother, mainly by chasing him and scaring him and getting in his space. Just recently Bennett has started pushing back and even tackling Luke when he's mad at him. It's so hard for me to get Bennett in trouble cause Luke just eggs him on until he finally snaps.<br />
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Here's one example of Luke's teasing…In the fall, we went on lots of little walks and had the boys in the double stroller. For whatever reason, Bennett loves to pretend that he is eating imaginary food. He will give his imaginary food to me and Mark and even Luke. Luke joined in the fun and started eating and giving imaginary food too, but then he pretended to steal Bennett's imaginary food out of Bennett's hands. He took the imaginary food and held it as far away from Bennett as he could. Meanwhile, Bennett flipped out struggling to get at Luke's hands and take back what was rightfully his - the food in Bennett's hands. There's no parenting book that can prepare you for this scenario, and Mark and I were trying to hold it together as we adamantly told Luke to give Bennett his food back.<br />
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Luke is a character, that's for sure. As we were leaving church the other day he had this conversation with Mark.<br />
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Luke: Where's the cement store?<br />
Mark: Why do you need cement?<br />
Luke: So I can build my house for my wife in the backyard.<br />
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Luke often talks about his wife that he wants to meet while he's in college. The other night he even prayed that he would meet his wife in college. He cracks me up.<br />
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As for Bennett, he is starting to learn more words and putting sentences together. Just a few months ago he was saying "Ding Dong" when he meant "Thank you," and sadly those days have passed. Luke called him a mean name the other day (I can't remember what it was) and Bennett succinctly said, "No, you are that." I wish I could accurately describe how Bennett talks. All his words are very deliberate and spaced out a little bit like a robot but with more emotion.<br />
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If for any reason you ask him "Why?" He always replies, "Because why not."<br />
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If you've made it this far you must be really bored or like family or something. Thanks for enduring. I'll hopefully update when this baby makes an appearance, but don't hold your breath. It could take a few months for me to get around to it.Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-54816115447365216262015-10-02T16:53:00.000-05:002015-10-02T16:53:44.470-05:00Bennett's 2nd Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Happy 2nd Birthday, Bennett. Never mind, the fact that I'm posting this almost two months later. The important thing is, we celebrated your birthday. Aunt Autumn gave us all the decorations, and Aunt Beth and "Aunt" Sarah actually helped us decorate. Mama needed a lot of help this year because I felt sick. We'll thank your little brother in my tummy for that. We had a circus themed party - complete with Uncle Jason as the clown. You were a little scared and overwhelmed at first, but you soon decided that you were cool with the fact that it's your birthday. </div>
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Mommy had the idea to put a two on your birthday cake. I know, I'm so creative, right? They'll probably ask me to be on that show "Cake Boss" soon, and I'll have to jet off to New York for a few weeks. I'll leave you in the capable hands of your father though. I hope you like fish sticks and chicken nuggets though, cause Dad doesn't know how to cook very much. </div>
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Aren't you glad you have an uncle who is willing to put his reputation on the line to be a creepy clown for your birthday party. I don't think he scarred you too much, but if you have a fear of clowns (or your Uncle Jason) I'm sorry. We'll pay for counseling when that time comes.<br />
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Your brother, Luke, didn't seem to mind at all. He's all about people acting weird and crazy!<br />
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You weren't too sure about the candles either, but you blew them out as softly as I've ever seen a child blow his candles - no need to impress anyone, you simply crossed it off your list of birthday awesomeness.<br />
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Luke helped you open your presents because you weren't too sure about those either. You really can't be to careful opening suspicious packages, so I applaud your cautiousness. All was good though - it was just some bubbles and a Curious George DVD.<br />
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You had some pretty crazy cousins join you for your birthday this year - what a treat. You were really loving that juice too. And, the birthday cake? That was a hit too! You ate it like a champ - a big improvement from last year when you wouldn't touch your cake.<br />
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The good news was we celebrated at the Nanny and Papa's lake house, so the fun didn't end that day. You and Luke got to play and play. Okay, so Luke got to go out on the boat a lot and swim, and you got to nap for a long time and play in the kiddie pool. The good thing is, you didn't seem to care. You're a pretty easy, laid back guy, and that's one of the things we love about you.<br />
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But, man, that baby pool in the front yard was fun wasn't it? I wouldn't really know. It was a little too small for my liking. Mama's a little bigger these days - blame that on your little brother too.<br />
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Well, I just heard a two-year-old wake up from his nap. That's you. I better get you, so you aren't too cranky. We had so much fun celebrating you. I can't believe you are two! You bring us so much joy, and we love you so much! Love, MomJenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-72075781026675482172015-07-07T21:41:00.000-05:002015-07-07T21:41:12.792-05:00Luke's Father's Day/Mother's Day Questionnaire - Age 4<div style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<b>Blogging both of these a little bit late…</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
As an added side note. Ever since Mother's Day, Luke continues to pick "flowers" in the backyard and bring them to me and say, "Happy Mother's Day!" I guess I get to be celebrated all year long!<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Luke's Father's Day Questionnaire (Age 4)</b></div>
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">My Dad's name is </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Mark</u><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">He is </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">5 and a half</u><span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> years old, <u>3 inches tall </u></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">and weighs </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">4500</u><span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> pounds.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">His hair is </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">black</u><span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> and his eyes are </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">black</u><span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">He is smart </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">because he goes through obstacle courses really smart. </span></span></u><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">At his job, my Dad </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">works.</u><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">My Dad is really good at </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">making pancakes.</u><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">My favorite memory with my Dad is </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">going to the park with him.</u><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">His favorite food is </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">chilli.</span></span></u><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">My favorite thing to do with Dad is </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">ride on his back.</u><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">It makes Dad happy when I </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">share God's love on him.</u><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Dad always tells me </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">to clean up the house. </u><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">If he could go on a trip, Dad would go </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">to Antarctica.</span></span></u><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">And he would take <u>Me and </u></span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Mama.</u><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">I'm just like my Dad because </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">I wear the same clothes that Dad does</u><span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">I really love it when my dad </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">plays with me</u><span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">If I could give my dad anything, it would be </span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">a smile like this (shows me his smile)</span></span></u><span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">What I love most about my Dad is</span><u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> that he plays with me.</u><br />
<u style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></u>
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><b>Luke's Mother's Day Questionnaire</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">What makes mom happy?
<u>When I get you flowers</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">What makes mom sad? <u>When
I don’t get you flowers<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Helvetica Light;">How does your mom make
you laugh? </span><u><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Helvetica Light;">Turtles or punchies???</span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">How old is your mom? <u>5</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">What does your mom do when
you’re not around? <u>Cleans the house</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">What is your mom really
good at? <u>Playing with me. </u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">What is your mom not very
good at? <u>Not good at playing the car game. </u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">What does your mom do for
a job? <u>Cleans the house</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">What is your mom’s
favorite food? <o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Helvetica Light;"><u>Broccoli</u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">What do you and your mom
do together? <u>Play the car game</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">How do you know your mom
loves you? <u>She is sweet and kind</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">Where is your mom’s
favorite place to go? <u>Taziki’s </u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">What’s the SMARTEST thing
your mom has ever told you? <u>Crackers?</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">If you could give your
mom ANYTHING in the world, what would it be? <u>Flowers</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">What kind of stuff is
your mom REALLY GOOD AT? <u>Playing with me</u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">What’s ONE THING you
think your mom should do MORE OF? <u>Giving kisses to me</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">What does your mom do to
RELAX? <u>Sleep</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">What’s the CRAZIEST THING
you’ve ever seen your mom do? <u>Play gymnastics</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">Is your mom a GOOD COOK?
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Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-81506693618234961362015-05-22T22:27:00.003-05:002015-05-22T22:31:25.579-05:00Luke's Birthday and Hardin Family Vacation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wouldn't you know it's taken me over a month to write about Luke's 4th birthday and our vacation with my side of the family? This spring has gone by so quickly, and I feel like I am still racing to catch up. So here's the Cliff Notes version of our vacation and Luke's bday. </div>
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We started off heading toward Louisiana for my cousin's wedding and ended up deciding to spend a couple of hours at Vicksburg National Military Park. The kids were tired, but the 8-mile tour can be done by car (with stops at various spots), so we only got out a couple of times. One of those times was to look at the USS Cairo Gunboat, which was reconstructed and on display. Luke loved running around and looking at the cannons, and Bennett just loved running so it worked out for everyone. </div>
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The next day we did what anyone visiting Louisiana would do - we took a Gator Ranch tour and held a real live baby gator. If they wanted my feedback - the two hour tour was a little long and my kids were all gatored out by the time we got done, but it felt like we did Louisiana right by going there. Later that night we went to my cousin's wedding. It's the first time we've ever taken our kids to a wedding. They almost made it through, but we had to spend the last 10 minutes in the back of the sanctuary. Luke loved dancing at the reception though. I've never met a kid that likes to party as a much as he does. </div>
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We made it to the beach late that night after the wedding where we enjoyed the company of my siblings and their spouses and all 12 of Luke and Bennett's cousins. Luke loved the beach, not the ocean so much, but the sand. Bennett suffered through being at the beach. He wasn't a huge fan of the loud ocean. In fact, Bennett was a horrible vacationer the whole week. I guess he loves home and his routine. He was cranky and clingy to Mark just about the whole time. I shouldn't complain - he's still the easiest child ever about 95 percent of the time. </div>
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Wouldn't you know that one of the cutest pictures of my boys at the beach was taken on the stairs? Of course it was...<br />
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Although I do have to say, I like this picture of both of my boys (complete with Bennett's band-aid on his big toe).<br />
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On April 14 we celebrated my big boy's 4th birthday. I still can't believe it's been four years since Luke came into our lives. This was the first year that I haven't gone all out for his birthday, and you know what I discovered? It was just as fun and memorable, and, might I add, a lot less stressful. He requested a Spiderman birthday. I got the cake at Walmart, and we had a party with his cousins at the pool. At one point he said, "This is the best birthday ever!" </div>
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The one birthday present he requested was this Nerf bow and arrow. He always asks for a weapon of some type. I have to admit, it is a pretty good bow and arrow. Although I got hit with an arrow in the arm while I was drying my hair the other day, and I was not too happy about it. </div>
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This was THE best picture of all of us, which is kinda sad since we all look kinda fake happy. Bennett was in no mood for family pictures all week. He was squirmy and angry about having his picture taken. Luke was distracted and had about a thousand things he'd rather be doing. Oh well, at least it's documented that at some point in 2015 we were at the beach together as a family.<br />
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I do love this picture of Luke and Bennett together though. Luke is in his own little world being dramatic and Bennett is quietly following along. Yeah, that pretty much sums them both up pretty well. </div>
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And here's the whole fam! All 26 of us!</div>
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And my parents with their 14 grandchildren.</div>
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And, now to end with some funny Luke/Bennett quotes and stories from the last couple of months...<br />
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Luke kept dramatically saying he was "so diparated." I asked him what "diparated" meant and he said, "Diparated means your bored and want to watch a movie."<br />
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Luke after smelling a candle...<br />
Luke: "Candles! It's my one weakness. I smelled a candle and it made me cough!"<br />
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A couple of days after Mother's Day…<br />
Luke (to me): "If you will just like get me a little more juice then I will be thankful to you and bring you more flowers."<br />
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We were driving and Mark and I started getting angry at a car that was stopped in the intersection blocking us from making a left hand turn and then all the sudden Luke yells, "Yeah, the rest of you can die!" We did a really bad job of parenting in that moment and couldn't stop laughing. When we did, we explained that just because people are selfish and/or bad drivers doesn't mean we want them to die.<br />
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Bennett is still learning his words, and he is the cutest thing ever. He has a stuffed fox, but he can't say "fox." Instead, he drops what sounds a lot like the F-bomb. Needless to say, we don't take the fox with us very much…<br />
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Bennett is my cuddler. He loves hugs and kisses. He doesn't mind playing by himself or with others for a little while but he'll eventually come around to refill his love tank with more affection. It's the best. He's only a few months shy of turning 2, and I honestly just can't handle him getting bigger.<br />
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I love these boys so much and I'm so thankful to be their Mama. On that note, I feel it's necessary to end with one Mark story from today.<br />
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On the way to the park I asked Mark "Does it make me a sloppy mom that I'm wearing my stretchy (sweat) pants to the park?" He said, "No, it just makes you a mom."<br />
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I'm still trying to decide how to take that...Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-57539884027037479542015-03-25T00:35:00.000-05:002015-03-28T09:38:46.931-05:00Horses, Baby Policing, and Everything in BetweenI really should go to bed, but I'm finding that I feel like I have less and less time to blog these days and I'm afraid that if I don't blog right now, I will forget all that I want to write. But, for a second, I almost second guessed how to spell Bennett's name - that's why I should blog later.<br />
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I'm clearly too tired, but I opened my journal where I write all Luke's funny quotes and kind of list things that I want to write about later, and I've kind of forgotten exactly what they mean. For example, I listed "broccoli and candy" which I know is a reference to the time I was awoken in the morning to Luke barging into my room loudly announcing that he couldn't wait to celebrate my birthday and that he was going to get me broccoli and candy, but when I first looked at that reference, I couldn't place it. So, that's why I must blog tonight, before it all leaves me. </div>
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But, first, I want to say that I'm glad February is over. I'm thankful that spring is here. It's such a hope giving season with all it's new life and with Resurrection Day around the corner. February was a hard month, dealing with never ending sickness among all of us, Bennett seemed to be teething and not sleeping - ever, and the miscarriage - the loss of life before it ever came to be. My dear friend, Kate, sent me a care package last week. I <strike>nearly</strike> cried when I opened it. It means the world to have others acknowledge our loss as a real loss - and not as an unfortunate event or a setback. </div>
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Miscarriage is one of those things that our society says we shouldn't talk about. Let's just sweep everything under the rug and act like nothing happened. It surprises me that Christians get caught up in this just a much as anyone else. Shouldn't we who maintain that life begins at conception be willing to acknowledge that a life was snuffed out before it could begin? That's why I am thankful for our church. Our pastor sent an e-mail out to our small congregation that said, "Pray for Mark and Jenny Bradley and their family as they grieve the loss of their unborn child through miscarriage." It made me cry then and it makes me cry now - this open acknowledgment of our loss. </div>
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I understand some people prefer to grieve privately, and they have every right to do that. But for me, it's comforting for people to acknowledge the loss. I realize that's harder than it sounds though. It reminds me of a scene from "SuperStar." Are me and my sister the only ones that watched this SNL spin-off with Mary Katherine Gallagher (Molly Shannon)? Yes, probably we are. Anyway, there's a scene with Will Ferrell who plays one of the popular school boys and he's walking down the hallway talking to different people and he nonchalantly waves at one guy and says, "Hey Tom, sorry your dad's dead." In typical Will Ferrell humor, it's such an inappropriate response, it's hilarious. And, yet, that's how I think people feel about bringing up miscarriage. It's super awkward, and there's no good transition, so it's easier not bringing it up at all. But, I am thankful for close friends who are willing to wade into these waters and say, "how are you?" Even when my answer is, "sad, depressed, frustrated, etc." </div>
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See, I really didn't intend to write all that? </div>
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And, now I have no good transitions. </div>
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This is awkward. </div>
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Soooo…Luke and Bennett are my sons….</div>
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Anyway, I wanted to update on Bennett first because he is changing so much. He is my cuddler, and I love it. He likes to sit in my lap when I dry my hair - that's how much he likes me! If you are on the fence about having kids then just re-read that sentence. Ain't no one else in the world going to love you enough to sit in your lap while you dry your hair! </div>
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He is also obsessed with horses. The problem is, he thinks any large mammal is a horse. He gets so excited and yells, "horse" whenever he sees any large mammal, which you would think wouldn't be too big of a problem. But then we went to Cabella's yesterday. They have stuffed deer, bear, elk, etc. everywhere, and Bennett was yelling "HORSE" at every single one of them. Mark started to get embarrassed and was like, "Bennett keep it down!" But, I'm thinking, "We are at Cabellas. Who are we trying to impress? Let the kid yell at the horses!"</div>
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Bennett has decided to become a fan of Luke too. Not that he had much choice. Luke was bound and determined that they would be friends, and his hard work has paid off. He calls Luke, "Bubba" because "Luke" is kinda hard to say, though I think the other day he called him "Lou," which is really pretty close. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Mark wants them to re-create this picture when they are grown).</td></tr>
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Anyway, Bennett is the pickiest eater ever. The child will not eat vegetables. Not a single one (which reminds me, I need to get him some vitamins…). He may be Italian though because he loves pizza and lasagna and sausage. He's become a little more whiney these last couple of months, whether it's because he's teething or because he hit the 18-month mark last month, I'm not sure, but he's definitely becoming more opinionated. </div>
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As for Luke, it's harder to say how he's changed these past few months, but it hit me the other day how much he has grown up. He now dresses himself, and he gets mad if I try to help him. He told me the other day to "never help him again." The next day when I tried to find his socks, he got mad and said, "Remember, I told you never to help me again!" The third time that scenario happened, I said, "Luke, if I'm not going to help you then you need to move out of my house because by living here with me, I'm helping you out." I gave him some options of other people who he could live with if he chose (I'm not saying this is good parenting btw) and you could start to see my words sink in. Instead of begging to stay, he said, "I'm going to need some things. Like light bulbs and cotton balls." (I guess he was planning on moving out after all and just wanted a head start on building his home)…He eventually decided he would live with us and let me help him. </div>
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It's always interesting now that he dresses himself. The good weather today prompted him to pull out his swim shirt and swimming suit, which he wore when we went out to eat. I had this coming because my mom says by the time I was 3, I hated wearing things that match. I assume this means the Lands End shirts and shorts that she loved dressing me in…</div>
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I still put this in the WIN column because I only have to dress one other human being besides myself. And, Luke can strap himself into his own carseat. (We check it, of course). He feeds the cat. He vacuums with the Black and Decker handheld vacuum I bought. He would be glad to fix his own meals, but that tends to turn into messes, so we will keep working on that. The point is, he's becoming more and more independent, which most definitely fits his personality. </div>
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He's always got an agenda for the day, whether we do it or not. He's always saying, "Okay, here's the plan, and then he lists what everyone is going to do." </div>
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He is already high justice. He gets this from his dad. The other day we took him to the childcare at our gym. When we got in the car he said, "I'm really proud of myself." Of course, we said, "Oh, yeah, why's that?" He said, "There was this one baby with a pacifier, and this other baby came and took his pacifier. And I took that pacifier away from that baby and gave it to the other baby." So…basically, he's a baby police officer. He didn't like that paci-stealing baby, and he carried out justice! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eykqtiNVcE8/VRJCkvzSibI/AAAAAAAABI8/9hhmnuYkNDM/s1600/IMG_5776_edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eykqtiNVcE8/VRJCkvzSibI/AAAAAAAABI8/9hhmnuYkNDM/s1600/IMG_5776_edited.jpg" height="400" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He picked this whole outfit, I promise. I'm just the photographer.</td></tr>
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I am just crazy about this kid too. I'm pretty sure he has more energy than four kids put together. I'm not just saying that; we hear it from his teachers at Kid's Day Out and in the nursery at church too. He does everything with a lot of passion and little drama too. Today I asked him to pick up some cards that he'd been playing with, and he cried and cried and said, "I can't walk. The leg pain! I can't walk." </div>
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And now I will leave you with the Luke quotes of the last couple of months because I seriously have to go to bed because I'm tired just thinking of how Luke's going to be up in just a few hours with all his energy and zest for life. </div>
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But, I will say, both my boys bring me so much joy and I'm so thankful I get to be their Mom. </div>
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<b>Luke Quotes</b></div>
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Luke ran into the room when he was supposed to be in bed. He said he had to tell me something, but I saw he had ink on his hands.</div>
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Me: Luke did you draw on your hands?</div>
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Luke: Oh, that's just where I touched a zebra.</div>
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(Luke puts on his "running clothes" and likes to run laps around the couch. Sometimes Bennett joins in)</div>
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Luke: Bennett's running around with me and I'm not even hitting him or calling him names or pushing him down! </div>
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(While sitting down for breakfast wearing his nice shirt with his pretend kitchen knife)</div>
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Luke: That's what Southern gentlemen do. The put on their shirt. Then they put on their jeans and they get their knife. Then they eat breakfast.</div>
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Luke: Tell me a really scary story. Tell me a story about a house with no door knobs.</div>
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Luke: Jesus loves you Bennett, so He doesn't want you to be evaporated. </div>
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(Side note: I like that he's not afraid to mix his science with his theology, but maybe not in this instance).</div>
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When I was going to my friend, Susie's, wedding I came out wearing a dress. Luke said, "You look very beautiful" (Pauses and looks at Mark). "That's what you say to a woman." </div>
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Did I mention he'll be four next month? I asked him to stop, and he said he can't control it. I tried…</div>
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Finally, today Luke said that he whispered in Jesus' ear and told him he wanted to stop stealing toothpaste (taking it back in his room and eating it) and stop eating it. He also said that he wanted Jesus to come into his heart. </div>
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I just love him. </div>
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These boys got me.</div>
Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-6962000572807976412015-02-19T13:13:00.003-06:002015-02-19T13:13:48.654-06:00What I Wanted to WriteSince I only blog about once or twice a month, I find myself writing my blogs in my head, jotting down funny Luke quotes, and thinking about what I want to remember about this time in my life. The last time I wrote a blog, I already had my next blog in mind. I wanted to write that I was pregnant again with our third child. I didn't want to focus on how I felt sick (even though I did) because I've had too many friends struggle with infertility and miscarriage, and it just didn't seem right to complain. I wanted to write about how we had hinted to Luke about having a baby one day and how he had said, "Wait, we don't need another baby. This baby (Bennett) is just fine." Such a typical Luke quote. I wanted to write that we let Bennett in on our secret so that every time he pointed to my belly, he'd say "baby."<br />
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But now our story has changed.<br />
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We found out we were pregnant on Christmas Eve. I knew I was - the test was more for Mark to see. I knew the women's clinic would be closed on and off the rest of the week, and then we went out of town to do Christmas with my family where we got to parade Bennett around in a Big Brother t-shirt to announce our good news.<br />
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When I finally got around to calling and making an appointment, they didn't have any openings until mid-January, which meant that the actual appointment for an ultrasound wasn't until January 30th. At that point I'd be 11-weeks, nearly through my first trimester.<br />
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The week of the appointment Mark went out of town for a training in Indiana, and my Mom came up to help me take care of the boys and get some things done around the house. We hit the ground running - organizing the boys' rooms, getting the house cleaned up, and finally fixing Bennett's future bed in Luke's room. My body felt different that week- not as sick and not as tired, which I knew didn't feel right. When Mark came home Thursday night, I told him I was worried, and that I probably would have gone to the doctor if I hadn't had the scheduled ultrasound that Friday.<br />
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Friday came and we nervously waited for the doctor. We'd been nervous before in our pregnancies, so this was nothing knew. We just needed reassurance - the sound of the heartbeat, a little picture of our baby, and we'd go home and tell Luke about the baby and maybe start sharing with more friends too.<br />
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The doctor turned the screen towards us, and right where we've always seen a future baby, there was nothing. She was sorry. We'd probably lost the baby at 6 weeks. One in three pregnancies end in miscarriage she said. We could try again in a few months.<br />
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I held back tears because I hate crying in front of people, but I couldn't totally keep them back. I've never wanted to run out of a place so quickly, but there was blood work to be done and more appointments to be made.<br />
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And, thus, began a new story - a hard story, without any funny quotes or anecdotes. Though, those will come again and already have.<br />
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I was numb at first. I felt like something had been robbed from me, and I didn't have the energy to be sad. I felt like other people were sadder than me, which wasn't really true, but it felt like it at the time. I felt like doing nothing - like if everyone would just leave me alone about it, maybe I'd feel better.<br />
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We'd already planned a weekend trip to the lake while Mark's parents watched the kids, so it was nice to be away - to think and be alone. I wanted to be around close friends, and then I wanted to be by myself. I wanted to be around my family, but I didn't want to pretend that I was happy, though no one expected me to be.<br />
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It's a weird sadness when you miscarry because you miss a person that you never got the chance to meet. You only have the memories of your pregnancy, which don't really tell you anything about the person. Then you have to get blood work to make sure your pregnancy hormone levels are going down - to get results that you are, indeed, less pregnant than you were a week ago, (though I realize there isn't more pregnant and less pregnant only pregnant or not pregnant).<br />
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Before all this, I would have told you that I felt like I guarded myself from getting too invested in believing that everything would go right, that I prepared myself in case this were to happen. But, it was a lie, and having two beautiful, healthy, children, doesn't take away the fact that I won't have this child either. Nor does the fact that we can get pregnant in the future. It is hard, and that's okay. It's okay to be sad because to be sad is to acknowledge the personhood of this little person who did exist - even if he or she never breathed a breath.<br />
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I was dreading driving back home after our weekend in Little Rock. There have been so many momentous drives to our home. The first day we pulled into our new home. When we brought Luke home. When we brought Bennett home, and I just fast forwarded to a day in August that wouldn't be coming, bringing a baby through the door and setting the carrier on the couch so Luke and Bennett could point at the little hands and little feet. What if this was our first baby girl? I've always said that I don't mind a bunch of boys, but I need a little girl so someone will call me when all of the kids move away. :) Or, what if it was another boy? Another firecracker ready to karate chop the world like Luke? Or another Teddy Bear that wins everyone with his hugs like Bennett? Or somebody totally different.<br />
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I stilled myself for the disappointment and sadness as I saw the house come in view, but something caught my eye as we pulled in the driveway. In our little leafless Maple tree were two doves sitting on the branches. I've never seen doves in our trees - Blue Jays, Cardinals, Robins, and all sorts of other birds. But, never doves, and I couldn't help but smile.<br />
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Doves always represent peace and the Holy Spirit, and I knew they were a gift from God. He was using them to remind me that He loves me - that His peace is near. I've always been obsessed with symbols and deeper meanings. It's the reason that Luke's name means "Bringer of Light and Peace," and I associate a candle with his name. Bennett's name means "Blessed Oak,"and his symbol is the oak. Now, I will always think of this baby whenever I see doves - what a gift from God.<br />
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There was a preacher named Vance Havner whose wife died. People would say to him, "Dr. Havner, I'm so sorry to hear that you lost your wife." He would say, "No, I haven't lost her: I know right where she is. You haven't lost someone when you know where they are."<br />
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This is the same hope that I have - to know that God is holding my baby in His arms, and one day we we will be reunited. I don't have a pretty bow to put on this story. I'm still in process, but I have a God who is right here and he's holding me, giving me grace and allowing me to grieve.<br />
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Perhaps, that's why I write - to openly grieve and acknowledge that something real was taken from me because I don't want to forget my child in heaven. Though I won't have many stories to tell about you, child, I will tell this: You existed and you mattered. You are loved and you won't be forgotten.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Psalm 55:6 : I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest."</span><span class="p" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 13px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-5045609690201711362015-01-10T21:41:00.002-06:002015-01-10T21:45:52.507-06:00Christmas 2014 and More Luke-isms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Christmas 2014 was good to the Bradleys. We celebrated it four times (our own little family Christmas, with the Bradleys, with the Hardins, and with Mark's grandparents - also the Bradleys). My little boys got spoiled, and they loved it - Luke, especially! He was all about Christmas this year. All of the fear and anger that he held towards Elfie (our elf on the shelf) was forgotten. This year Elfie was hilarious. We didn't bring up the fact that Elfie spied on him and reported to Santa, so I think that helped. </div>
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Luke loved our Christmas tree - a craigslist buy that I got for $15 a couple of years ago. We put all the ornaments on the front and only on the top third of the tree because Luke kinda freaked out every time Bennett pulled them off the tree. </div>
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Luke asked a lot about Santa this year and whether he was real. Without straight up saying "no," I told him all about Saint Nicholas and how he gave gifts to children. I got to the end of my spiel about St. Nicholas and I asked, "So does that answer your question?" He said, "Yes. Santa's real, and his first name is Nicholas." And, that's where we left it...</div>
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Bennett liked Elfie too. He called him "Fa-fa" and liked to point at him. One day when Elfie was hanging out on top of the tree, Bennett pulled the whole thing down. He was ecstatic about finally getting his hands on Elfie. We were a little afraid Luke would freak out about the tree being down and Bennett taking away Elfie's Christmas magic. </div>
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Bennett wisely offered Luke a peace offering when he entered the room - a small green ornament, and it worked. Much to our relief, Luke wasn't all that concerned about Elfie or the tree. </div>
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The boys also loved the lights on the square. Luke had already become pretty obsessed with Christmas lights. He gave us instructions in the car one day about what we should do if we saw any. "If you see Christmas lights, yell 'CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!'" This became quite the game, and, he, eventually changed the rules so that only he was allowed to yell, "CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!" </div>
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(Christmas Eve at the Bradleys)</div>
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(Love these sweet ones)</div>
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I didn't get many pictures of Christmas day at our house, but Luke got a Spiderman bike. He ran into the room and said, "A spiderman bike. It's what I've always wanted." Bennett was actually asleep for Christmas morning. He likes to sleep in, and so we let the boy sleep. </div>
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Bennett is in full toddler mode now (16 months in Dec. and 17 month now) - climbing on things, laughing when we tell him "no," and pulling things off the counter. He says, "Dada, Mama, shoes, "bo" (book), "hoss" (horse), baby, "Mae-Mae" (Maybe), and "bottle." He started saying "Meesh" for "more," which we thought was pretty awesome. We're pretty bummed that he's starting to say it the right way now. </div>
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He definitely gets treated like a little brother. I was on the phone one day, and he walked up to me with ink all over his forehead and cheeks. Moments later I caught Luke cutting his hair. Fortunately, he only made one cut before I stopped him. Luke loves Bennett, picks on Bennett, and is apparently very ready to fight for him. He and Mark had this conversation. </div>
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Luke: If someone messes with my brother, I will destroy them.</div>
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Mark: I wouldn't take it that far. Maybe just tell them to be nice. </div>
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Luke: And then destroy them?</div>
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These two are cute, but they can be a handful. Bennett is usually content to toddle about and play by himself, but Luke likes to have his company. The trouble comes when Bennett fails to understand the game or when he decides to leave the room. Luke takes it on himself to pick up his little brother and force him to hang out with him. This rarely (if ever) ends without one or both kids crying.</div>
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Luke continues to have an active imagination. I made a list of some of his bedtime story requests for the month of December...</div>
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<ul>
<li>A giant wall that talks</li>
<li>Creek, creek, sneak</li>
<li>A credit card that walks and talks</li>
<li>Something that went (indistinguishable noise)</li>
<li>Weeooo Weeeooo Weeooo</li>
<li>A big, big, big, big, hair bow</li>
<li>A robot egg that goes to people's houses and eats them</li>
<li>A giant bee</li>
<li>A giant bear</li>
<li>A broom that no one could pick up</li>
<li>A giant mom who yelled at her brother</li>
<li>Two giant wet feet</li>
<li>A broom no one could pick up (apparently this one was so good it needed an encore)</li>
<li>A popcorn asteroid</li>
<li>A big mess that no one could clean up</li>
<li>A little boy that walked on Mama's hair</li>
<li>A peach that talked</li>
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Reading this list out loud never fails to make me laugh so hard I cry. I stopped keeping track after he started asking for stories based solely on noises and movements that he makes. The last few nights when I've asked him what story he wants to hear he's thrown his covers off his bed - that's the story he wants to hear). Mark and I are creative people, but he really makes us think. I always imagined I would love story time, coming up with something creative and new every night, but lots of the time we are tired and the plots of our stories are pretty weak. Luke doesn't seem to care.<br />
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Luke also likes to make up words and phrases. Here's an example.</div>
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Me: Luke, do you need help with that (moving a small piece of furniture)? </div>
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Luke: No, I can do it. I'm strong. (Moves it). See, easy as a turnip. </div>
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Luke (about Bennett): He's just a hard handle to hold onto. </div>
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I have no idea what that means, but he seems to know. Luke consistently says that he wants to be a doctor, but he also doesn't want to go to college so I'm not sure how that will work out. He also said he doesn't want to get married because he always wants to live with us. I'm okay with that for right now…</div>
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He's already dreaming of his 4th birthday in April. At first he talked about having Christmas on his birthday because he really did love Christmas this year, but as of today he wants a Spiderman birthday. I can't say I'm quite ready for him to be 4, but I do love birthdays…</div>
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And, that's all, for now. </div>
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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-IinLScq5dzg%2FVLHbzqtIhzI%2FAAAAAAAABGw%2F3tyH7_-Gda0%2Fs1600%2FIMG_4969.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IinLScq5dzg/VLHbzqtIhzI/AAAAAAAABGw/3tyH7_-Gda0/s1600/IMG_4969.jpg" -->Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-34178071697478854742014-11-18T15:02:00.001-06:002014-11-18T15:02:59.146-06:00Making up for Lost Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Before my surgery, Mark and I always talked about how we wished we could hike more, but my back problems kept hiking from being very much fun. Fast forwarded to three months after my surgery, and we have found our new favorite family activity. Luke asks us every "weekend" (Mark's days off are actually in the middle of the week) if we can go on a hike. </div>
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We knew it was time to show Luke a little bit of nature when I asked him if he'd ever seen a waterfall before and he said, "Yeah, at Mrs. Tracey's house." I realized he was talking about the water feature in our neighbor's yard. Not quite the same. </div>
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Our first hike as a family was Devil's Den State Park. We made a last minute decision to go and ran by Walmart to find a baby carrier that would work for Bennett. The hike was a big hit except there hadn't been any rain for a while at Devil's Den, so the water fall was nowhere to be seen. Luke loved every minute. He is just now old enough that he has a healthy fear of some things because there were some parts of the hike that made me nervous. </div>
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The next week we went home and I did some research on other hiking trails near us. We hiked the Clarke Trail around Lake Wilson in South Fayetteville. Lake Wilson is out in the middle of nowhere, and if we hadn't had a GPS, I don't know that we could have found it because the directions online were terrible. This was a relatively easy and safe hike. Plus, Luke was able to throw rocks in the water, which is one of his favorite things. </div>
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For the record, Bennett loves hiking too. After the Lake Wislon hike we borrowed my brother's hiking baby carrier, which made hiking a lot more fun for Mark. Bennett sits behind Mark and messes with his hair and points at things for the entirety of the hike. We also hiked the War Eagle Creek trail in Winthrow Springs Park. This was one Mark and I had never done before, and we really liked it. We only hiked half of it because we knew we'd be pushing our luck with the boys, trying to do the whole thing.<br />
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There's a little cave along the trail, and Luke wanted to go inside and look for dragons (naturally). He took Mark's flash light and went in a few feet before we convinced him that we would look for dragons another time.<br />
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Just a couple of weeks ago we went to Lost Valley State Park. To this point Luke still hadn't seen a real waterfall. Lost Valley is about an hour and 15 minutes away in Ponca, AR. Mark and I went hiking there before we had kids and new that it A) Had a waterfall B) Had a cave C) The waterfall was inside the cave. We knew this was a MUST for Luke. </div>
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See that dark spot on the rock behind where we took this family picture? That is sort of a waterfall (not the one in the cave, but a different one). It's more of a water trickle at this point, and I thought Luke and I might be able to walk around it to get back on the trail. I was going to turn back because it looked pretty slick, but Mark told me he thought I could do it. For some reason I believed him, and about 2 minutes after this picture was taken Luke and I were soaked up to our thighs. Turns out, we didn't make it without falling in (sort of slipping half way). I blame Mark. Clearly, it was his fault for encouraging us to try it. </div>
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This is the entrance of the cave. I donned my headlamp, and Luke took Mark's flashlight and we crawled our way through to the waterfall. I thought Luke would be scared, but he wasn't at all. He loved it. He wanted to go back in with Mark, but we didn't have time.<br />
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Finally, last week before it got cold we made one last trip to Devil's Den State Park. We saw a bald eagle, a wood pecker and a snake. Mark saw an unidentified mammal that he believed to be a beaver. </div>
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I took my good camera and got this picture of Lee Creek. It's my first real attempt to do photography and editing of a landscape. Can I just say that I love photoshop?<br />
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Plus, Luke got to throw some more rocks in the creek. And no one fell in this time. </div>
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We really loved fall in Northwest Arkansas this year, and I am so thankful to God that my back is doing well. Most of our days are more like this - playing with Legos, swinging swords, doing chores, and fighting bad guys. Luke loves to fight. </div>
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Example:</div>
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Luke to Mark: Do you want a piece of me?</div>
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Mark: No, I want the whole thing.</div>
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Luke: That means fight. Bring it on, brother! </div>
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He also loves to help with chores (when he is in the right mood). Specifically, he loves cleaning the toilet and bathroom counters. He asks almost daily to clean them. He tends to overuse the cleaning supplies, and he fiercely cleans the toilet as if it is an enemy to be defeated. He also loves taking the "gunk" out of the lent filter in the dryer. He loves taking care of Bennett as much as I will let him, but he can't help but pick on him too. Just today, I turned around and he was "hooking" Bennett with a plastic hanger (putting it down the back of his shirt and pulling up on it).<br />
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Bennett is started to fight back though, and it's only a matter of time before he gets his licks in. Bennett loves to pester Luke in the carseat. In his defense, it must get pretty boring being turned around with nothing to look at.<br />
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Bennett is still laid back, but is starting to express his will more and more. We try to close off an area in our living room that we lovingly refer to as "the baby pit." Bennett has begun pushing his way out. He knows he is supposed to stay inside the baby pit, and I will tell him "No. No" and he raises his eyebrows and says "Hmm?" (like he doesn't know what I mean).<br />
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Anyway, that's our quick update. This has been one of my favorite seasons ever (both literally with it being fall and also the ages of our kiddos). I'm so thankful for these fun days and really wish all the laundry and dishes would just go away and the weather would stay perfect. Is that too much to ask for? I just don't think so...Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-53100394991144816582014-09-17T22:04:00.000-05:002014-09-17T22:21:14.958-05:00My Back SagaFor whatever reason, I don't make it a habit to write about myself very often. My kids usually make for better blog material than I do, but for the sake of looking back and remembering, I am going to make an exception.<br />
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On August 12th I had a minimally invasive laminectomy/discectomy. Don't read the next half of this sentence if you don't like nasty details, but the Dr. drilled a hole through my lamina at the base of my spine and cut off part of the disc and a little bit of bone that had been pushing on my spinal nerves and causing leg pain, numbness and difficulty walking long distances.<br />
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In the Fall of 2009 I was working for a non-profit and going to grad school. One day at work I lifted a heavy box and had major back pain for a couple of days. It went away, but then suddenly came back worse than before. I couldn't walk more than 100 feet without being in major pain, and I couldn't sit for more than 10 minutes either. I would awkwardly stand at my computer and try to type or reply to e-mails. School got really hard. I actually got a temporary handicap sign for parking at U of A and eventually dropped out altogether.<br />
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An MRI showed bulged discs at the L4 and L5 and L5 and S1 and spinal stenosis, which means I have a narrowing of the spinal column that causes pressure on the spinal cord, which in turn affects the nerves running down my legs.<br />
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I wanted to be as conservative as possible, so I got steroid injections and did physical therapy. It helped to a certain point, but did not completely alleviate my symptoms. My brother told me that typically people who have surgery do just as well as people who wait for three years. I decided that I'd keep up with my physically therapy and wait, hoping and praying my back would get better.<br />
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Luke was born in 2011. Obviously, I didn't want to have surgery and have to take care of an infant, so I figured I would wait till he was at least a year old. I couldn't really get groceries by myself because it was hard to push the cart and carry the groceries to the car, and the hard floors made my legs either go numb or hurt really badly.<br />
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Mark and I still went on walks, but I had to sit down every couple of minutes. Sometimes I could go longer than that, but it hurt. It was frustrating, and I tried to will my body to do more. I prayed and prayed and had others pray for me. One time I drove to a prayer meeting with severe back pain that I had been getting every time I sat down, and after the prayer meeting I drove away without any pain while sitting. I praised God for it though I still continued to have pain walking or standing and still needed surgery.<br />
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Finally, we scheduled my back surgery for February 2012. It was going to be a pretty intense, open-back surgery with a long recovery. The month before the surgery, we found out that we were going to have a baby. Honestly, I hate to say it, but I was frustrated. I'd been patient. I had prayed and prayed, and here I was one month out, and we were pregnant. It's not that I didn't want another baby. It's just that it was NOT my timing. I wanted to get back to walking, sitting, and standing without being in pain.<br />
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Thankfully, God quickly revealed to me the selfishness in my heart and forgave me. This was a baby. A new life. I didn't know it at the time, but this was Bennett - our joy, our little blessing. I was mad at God because I knew he could heal me and chose not, and then I knew I could have had the surgery, and we got pregnant.<br />
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It's so hard to admit that, even now, because I think of Bennett, and I just can't think of life without him. But what's amazing, is that God not only blessed us with Bennett, but he actually used that delay for my good. When I started talking about surgery again (when Bennett was about 6 months), we decided to go with another doctor who did minimally invasive surgery - surgery that didn't require completely removing part of my spine to get to the problem area.<br />
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Earlier this year, when the doctor explained the difference between the open back surgery and the minimally invasive one, it was a no brainer. I am so thankful that God in His sovereignty kept me from having surgery in 2012. <br />
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It was still scary to have the surgery, but the recovery time was only 4 weeks. The doctor told me there were no guarantees that it would work, or that if it did that it would work long term, and he said it wouldn't help any back pain I had - only the pain and numbness in my legs. It felt like a long 4 weeks. No bending, lifting, or twisting. I couldn't take care of my kids, and I needed help with things as simple as tying my shoe.<br />
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I am 5 weeks out now and slowly getting back to doing all the things I used to do. I've never had so much joy dressing Bennett and giving him his bottle as I did that first day, after 4 weeks of just watching him and not really being able to take care of him or play with him.<br />
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I wish I could say I used my 4 weeks wisely, but I was pretty much a bum. I watched a lot of Parks and Rec (thanks to Hillary for sending me the first season) and I slept and felt like a teenager on summer break, but not in the good way. I had a hard time praying and reading my Bible, which I blamed on having to lie on my back, but truthfully I think I was holding out on God, waiting to see if the surgery worked, because if it didn't I was going to be mad at him.<br />
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Isn't that horrible? But, that's real. That's what was going on in my heart. Towards the end of the 4 weeks I realized that's what I was doing, and I confessed the cruddiness of a heart that is bent towards only loving God when he seems gracious and does want I want - a God that I can control. But, it's a messed up heart that thinks that way, and thank God he is forgiving and does not give us what we deserve. I prayed that I would love and follow God no matter how my back did in the long run. Beside, there are other people dealing with much harder stuff than ongoing back pain.<br />
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I walked 2.5 miles the other day without sitting down or being in major pain. I won't be doing any pole vaulting anytime soon, but I am optimistic and hopeful that my back will continue to get better. I put Bennett down for bed the other day and instantly had nerve pain. It hung around for about 48 hours and i moped thinking, "Here we go again. I've messed everything up."<br />
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My sister called and prayed for me, and I'm not lying, the nerve pain went away. God is good and faithful even when we aren't good or faithful.<br />
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I'm sure no one is still reading right now, but I just wanted to remember his faithfulness to me. Yes, medical science allowed me to have an advance procedure done, but my doctor prayed for me before the surgery. And, I believe that God used the doctor's skills to fix the major problem in my back. God and science do go together, but God does heal apart from science too. And God doesn't require us to get it all together and have complete faith. I am thankful to God for the process, for the surgery and the doctor, and the healing, and the timing, and for not basing his work in my life on my faithfulness or belief but rather simply on his mercy. That is grace, and I need it. Every. single. day.<br />
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<br />Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-18326229147832493612014-08-21T13:41:00.000-05:002014-08-21T13:41:54.747-05:00Bennett's First Birthday<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Bennett's first birthday was a flurry of activity from start to finish, and I still can't believe my baby turned one. I could've sworn he was a newborn, a three-month-old, a six-month-old, and definitely a nine-month-old just a few days ago. There was a sense of urgency of celebrating Bennett's birthday on the 8th of August because I had back surgery August 12th. That is another story...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Regardless, I woke up this morning and realized I had failed to document this momentous occasion in Bennett's life...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Unlike Luke's past 3 birthdays, Mark wasn't home when we woke up the morning of Bennett's birthday. Our usual routine of Mark playing the old school version of the Mickey Mouse Club birthday song had to be delayed. Instead, I took Bennett's final 12 month pictures and a couple pictures outside. I have found the trick to getting Luke to take pictures. The mere suggestion of him helping me take Bennett's pictures confuses him and he suggests that we take some of him too. Never being one to deny compliant pictures of my 3-year-old, we get some of the both of them. Then during Bennett's naptime I did some last minute photo editing to make this. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The rest of the day played out like a typical day with some last minute birthday party errands thrown in just in time. It was an oak tree themed party, which probably would have been hard to convey, if my dear friend, Alana, hadn't made the coolest Oak Tree birthday cake. If you are wondering, the top of the tree is angel food cake, the trunk is made out of rice krispie treats and chocolate icing, and the bottom is, well, just a well decorated "grassy" cake. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Like any good one-year-old birthday party, it culminated in the serving of the smash cake. The eating of the smash cake is such a climactic event - the baby turned one-year-old's first taste of cake, the first birthday milestone, and all the cake is so gloriously devoured by such a little person, but not for our Bennett. Whether he ate too much for dinner (three baby food jars and some pizza) or whether it was more of a texture thing, I'm not sure, but, either way, it was the most anti-climactic smash cake eating. He unceremoniously grabbed the donut "acorn" and sampled it at random and then pretty much looked at the cake as an unwanted nuisance that got his fingers messy (but not too messy because he never really touched it). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">I sat there with my camera as all the guests gave up on him giving us a show and left to eat the bigger cake inside. I thought surely he would taste the cake and realize what he'd been missing these last 12 months, but he was annoyed and all his guests had left and he just didn't care. I shouldn't be surprised. I kept waiting for this laid back baby to get harder ever since the day we took him from the hospital. His 2.5 week stay in the NICU was hard but not because of him. I kept waiting for the gauntlet to drop with this one, for him to cry his lungs out like Luke used to do. Each month I thought, "this is month, this 2 baby thing is going to get hard," and I'm not saying it was easy, but this laid back baby of mine has been a piece of cake (pun intended). I realize that he will get harder when he transitions to toddlerhood, and Luke gives me enough to handle for the two of them. Just yesterday Luke sprayed OFF Bug Spray in his eyes on purpose. (He's fine now, but he just has this built in need to see what's going to happen if he does the exact opposite of what we tell him to do. There are so many things that I don't tell him not to do because I realize it would pique his interest in doing it.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyway, Bennett continues to be my laid back one. He can play quietly by himself (something I didn't know babies or children could do). He's our cuddler. He loves to be near to everybody. He giggles when you tickle his neck and tummy. He is happy almost all the time - until you put him to bed. And, now that I've had my surgery he is sleeping through the night. This makes me happy for obvious reasons, but sorta sad that he has given up on me coming to comfort him in the middle of the night. Hard to explain. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">This motherhood thing keeps me finding myself juxtaposed between desiring my kids to grow up and stop _______ (fill in the blank - waking up to eat at night, spraying off in their own eyes, destroying things) and the desire for them to stay little just a little bit longer and need me and want hugs and kisses, bottles and sippy cups, and Cheerios. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">I don't get sappy very often, but 1st birthdays bring it out in me. We're all pretty crazy about our Bennett and so thankful for his life. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Bennett, the first moment I held you, I knew you had me. I'd spent 10 days lying in bed listening to your heart beat inside of me and worrying about you, and then you were right there in my arms and I knew you were a gift. I've loved watching you grow and seeing your personality to develop. Your Daddy says that you've spoiled us, and he is right. You make being a Mom easy, and I'm really glad you were my second baby. Your pistol of a brother, Luke, broke me in for you so that I'm not under any allusions that motherhood is all baby coos and peek a boo. Luke is your biggest fan and your future best friend whether you like it or not. He's got big plans for the both of you, and I hope that you'll be just a little bit of a tattle tale and be my "eyes on the ground." Regardless, I'm crazy about both of you. Happy 1st Birthday, Bennett. You are most definitely living up your name "a little blessing." May God plant you like an oak tree - never wavering in the wind and full of life. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Love, Mom.</span></div>
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Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-1378013182330312132014-07-04T23:14:00.000-05:002014-07-04T23:41:41.949-05:00Moldy Bread, Lucky Charms and LiesLately, life has been crazy, and it shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, it seems everything is speeding up. I am having the kind of days where I end up running the washing machine three times because I keep forgetting about the load of towels in there.<br />
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Having two kids jumped up a notch (or two or three) when Bennett started crawling a couple months ago. Your so proud at first that your kid can crawl, and then you realize it's like getting a job promotion without a pay increase. Bennett is fast. He puts everything in his mouth, and I can't keep my house clean because a certain 3-year-old makes it his job to display the law of entropy on a minute by minute basis. So, I brought up a play pen from my parents house. Perfect solution, right? The only problem is that Bennett does not enjoy his play pen alone, so I end up sitting in the play pen with both kids, trying to keep Luke from licking Bennett on the head (better than biting, I guess) or climbing on Bennett, or policing Bennett.<br />
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I have nicknamed Luke the "Bennett police" because for a while there, he was spending the majority of his day keeping things away from Bennett. That was partly my inspiration for taking this picture.<br />
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Luke had one particularly hard day where he refused to share anything with Bennett. He piled all of his toys on top of a chair and sat on them. He did not play with them. He just hoarded them and pushed Bennett away with his feet when he got too close. So...we are are working on learning to share. </div>
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Luke continues to love to use his imagination. He loves to fight "Johnson the Pirate." Johnson the Pirate is a beach towel. He and Mark hang Johnson the Pirate from the linen closet and charge down the hallway with their swords, attacking Johnson the Pirate. </div>
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As Luke gets older I'm starting to see that he is not going to be the kind of child that just accepts his parents at their word. You can always see the wheels spinning in his head, like he believes you are trying to hold out on him. We have learned to become very literal with our explanations because he doesn't seem to believe us just because we are his parents. Sometimes these explanations border on half truths or lies. </div>
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Examples: </div>
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1. Luke continued to ask me why he had to wear shoes outside. He couldn't accept that he might step on something that could hurt his feet, so I told him he needed to wear shoes so that he wouldn't step on a bee and get stung. That was all he needed. He doesn't want to step on a bee, therefore, he wears shoes. </div>
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2. Mark usually takes things one step further. He told Luke not to touch the steaming pasta that I had just poured into the colander. "Luke, don't touch that. It will burn your hands off, and everyone will call you, "No hands, Luke." </div>
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See what I mean? Lies. We are liars, and it's for the sake of our son's safety. Does that make it okay? Probably not, but I'd rather pay for Luke's counseling later in life than emergency room bills now. </div>
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So, we aren't the best parents, but who is? The other day Mark said that he thought we were pretty good parents if you took out healthy eating as a factor. Truth: we are lacking in this area. My idea of what I want my kids to eat doesn't match up with what I serve for dinner. Half of the time the problem is that we just have delayed getting groceries for too long. </div>
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Like this week, we came back from vacation and made a quick trip to the grocery store, high-fiving each other for how quickly we dominated Walmart. Somehow though, we overlooked some staple items and didn't get a thorough enough run down of how fresh some of the food we had at the house was. We did, however, make it out of the store with Lucky Charms. I don't know why I even bought them. Walmart did that thing where they put them out in the aisle with low prices and I just snagged a box, thinking, "What the heck? It's summer." </div>
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Fast forwarded to the next day. Luke wants to eat Lucky Charms for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He'd already had some for breakfast, so I told him needed to eat something healthy for lunch. He asked for a PB and honey sandwich. I know. I know. Not that healthy. But peanut butter has protein, right? And your supposed to get 3 to 5 servings of grains a day, so there's that with the bread. Anyway, I started to make him a sandwich and realized there was only a few drops of honey. Really, there wasn't enough to make a sandwich with, but he started to cry when I told him that. So, I squeezed out what I could of the honey and was about to give it to him when I realized the loaf of bread was moldy. I got grossed out and threw the whole sandwich in the trash. At this point, Luke was in tears, so guess what he got for lunch? Lucky Charms. </div>
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But, what I lack in terms of providing healthy meals, I try to make up for by playing with my kids, which Luke loves because he still continues to want someone to play with him all the time. The other day we all went to a small little park near our house. We were the only ones there, and Luke was sulking and not playing. So I started chasing him around pretending to be a bear. He loved it and ran from me and used his finger to make a gun and shoot at me (the bear). I climbed up the twisty slide from the bottom and got to the top where he "shot me." I slowly slid down the slide like any dead bear would with my head back and eyes shut only to open up my eyes and see three police officers on bike patrol riding straight towards us. Usually, I would just laugh it off, knowing I would never see these people again, but....they all work with Mark. And they saw us. How could they not see the mom sliding down the slide like a dead bear? And, I had to get off the slide and carry on a conversation with them. Y'all I seriously just start laughing every time I think about this moment. </div>
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There are definitely moments when I question my sanity, but I've learned not to question my sanity out loud. The other day I was having some trying moments, and I told Mark, "Mark, I am going C-R-A-Z-Y." (You spell things when you have kids so they don't know what you're saying). Luke ran up to me, obviously thinking I was going somewhere, and said, "Mom, can I come too?" Proof that I can't even go crazy by myself.</div>
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Now, here's one sweet story to even out the crazy. Luke and I watched fireworks for Luke's first time last night. We were waiting (just the two of us) till after a baseball game, and the game did not end for a looong time. So, we sat together on a quilt and Luke was in my arms with his head leaned back almost like I was holding him like a baby. He looked up at the stars and said, "I think I'm just going to fall asleep looking up at the stars." It was a sweet little moment that I wish I could just bottle up and keep forever. </div>
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**For the sake of my own remembering here are some Luke quotes and things I want to remember. </div>
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Luke: "We're going keep you, Bennett Ben. Is that right, Mom? We're gonna keep him."</div>
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Me: "Yeah. That's right."</div>
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Luke: "And, I'm not going to let any monsters get him because I'm a police officer. And we're going to keep Daddy too." </div>
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Luke: "We need another girl to help us clean."</div>
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Luke: "Me and Dad are gonna eat and your gonna vacuum, Mom. How does that sound?"</div>
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Luke makes Oprah-like announcements with his arms raised and emphasizes the last word. "We're going to get ICE CREAMMMM!" Usually these announcements come from nowhere and aren't actually our plans for the day at all. </div>
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Compared to a lot of kids his age, his speech is really good. He doesn't have problems with any letter sounds or anything like that but for whatever reason he says the word "thanks" as "ganks" or "oh, ganks." Probably because it is the only thing that he says in a childish way, Mark and I have adopted it too. So, he will probably have to go to school or something before he realizes "ganks" isn't actually how to reply to someone when they do something for you. </div>
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Oh well. Clearly, we aren't getting any parenting awards anytime soon. We aren't perfect, but we do love these kiddos fiercely and thank God for giving them to us. </div>
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Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-56193545864377580252014-06-20T13:11:00.002-05:002014-06-20T13:18:35.801-05:00Father's Day Questionaire<div style="text-align: left;">
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I am trying to blog with both kids awake. I'm not really sure why except that I'm afraid the piece of paper that has Luke's questionnaire on it is going to get thrown away or chewed on by Bennett. </div>
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Luke's Father's Day Questionnaire (Age 3)</div>
My Dad's name is <u>Daddy</u><br />
He is <u>65</u> years old, <u>a tall as Luke's hand</u> and weighs <u>60</u> pounds.<br />
His hair is <u>brown</u> and his eyes are <u>green</u>.<br />
He is smart <u>because he knows how to draw</u>.<br />
At his job, my Dad <u>shoots some bad guys and mean people.</u><br />
My Dad is really good at <u>drawing.</u><br />
My favorite memory with my Dad is <u>jumping in muddy puddles.</u><br />
His favorite food is <u>spaghetti.</u><br />
My favorite thing to do with Dad is <u>jump in muddy puddles and swing on the swing. </u><br />
It makes Dad happy when <u>I draw for him.</u><br />
Dad always tells me <u>go to time out, little one. </u><br />
If he could go on a trip, he would go <u>up to the Wizard of Oz.</u><br />
And he would take <u>Mama.</u><br />
I'm just like my Dad because <u>I love him</u>.<br />
I really love it when my dad <u>skips and plays</u>.<br />
If I could give my dad anything, it would be <u>a flower</u>.<br />
What I love most about my Dad is <u>when he plays</u>.<br />
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Side note from me: Mark has never shot anyone, but Luke will argue that he does.Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-69543252214832891292014-05-31T21:46:00.001-05:002014-05-31T21:46:53.241-05:00Bennett Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Stand still time. My baby boy is 9-months-old. This is my FAVORITE stage even though it's harder in a lot of ways. We are in full spider monkey stage, climbing all over everything and then coming back to Mama to stand on me, sit in my lap, take whatever is in my hand, and then crawling away to find any small particle of dirt or food that might be on the floor. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8sVm1xUA_8c/U4qJbc3vebI/AAAAAAAAA6I/HT_hl1DUzrc/s1600/IMG_1467_edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8sVm1xUA_8c/U4qJbc3vebI/AAAAAAAAA6I/HT_hl1DUzrc/s1600/IMG_1467_edited.jpg" height="223" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have hardly updated about Bennett this year. Mainly because every day is a story with Luke, and Bennett is part of his audience. He loves watching his big brother do anything, especially jump up and down. Bennett is pretty sure that is the funniest thing ever. </div>
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Can I be honest? He just now started sleeping through the night. Clearly, we are not Babywise people. He isn't sleeping in our bed or our room anymore, so I feel like that counts for something. You really can't let your baby sleep in your bed all the time when you have a husband that has <a href="http://teambradley20.blogspot.com/2011/07/real-me-or-new-me.html" target="_blank">night terrors</a>. </div>
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When Bennett was 6 months he started sitting up but would still fall over and then he hit 8 months and all of his milestones hit at once. He became a good sitter, went from army crawling to crawling on all fours, and then started pulling up on things. He gets steadier every day but had a week where it seemed like he would hit his head on everything and had a forehead covered in bruises. </div>
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He has totally stolen my heart. You just can't be around this kid and NOT smile. He is happy about 90 percent of the time. His personality is much more laid back than Luke's, but we will see if that changes as he starts to express his will. He loves to swing, and we recently had friends give us their swing set. This is a huge blessing. Luke and Bennett both love it. </div>
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Confession: I have started using the swing to put Bennett to sleep for his afternoon nap. I know it's a bad habit. We have raised this child on bad sleeping habits, and guess what? He's okay! And we're okay, even if we are just now getting to sleep through the night. </div>
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Speaking of bad sleeping habits...Bennett prefers to have you leave your hand on him until he falls asleep. This just doesn't work. I have a wide awake 3-year-old that is usually running in and out of the room and, usually, yelling. So I've started putting a stuffed animal on Bennett's back. I snuggle him down on Bennett's back and then after a few seconds I leave the room. It's a tried and true method as long as he is sleepy enough. </div>
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Bennett continues to be my little model for photography. I usually only take pictures of him on the rare occasion that Luke takes a nap, which is about once or twice a month. I would be lying if I said I don't suffer from jealousy of my friends whose kids still nap.<br />
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Bennett is a big fan of baby food. He usually eats a couple of jars, but his record is three. So far he continues to gag with most table food. He is wearing size 3 diapers, but he will move up soon. At his last doctor's appointment he was 75% for height and 50% for weight.<br />
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So far he is a Mama's boy, which I love. He is very social and does not like to be left alone in a room. He also loves the vacuum cleaner, which Luke did too. He loves to be tickled, but that usually ends in Luke jumping in and tickling too, of which he isn't quite as big a fan.<br />
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Well, Bennett Bradley, you are the sweetest baby in the world. I really am having a hard time with the fact that you will be a year old in August. I guess I will just soak up all your baby sweetness this summer and pretend you are going to stay little forever. You will forever be a reminder of God's goodness to me, my little blessed one. I love you, Mom.<br />
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<br />Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-44867773044765606142014-04-17T17:20:00.003-05:002014-04-17T17:20:43.843-05:00Luke's 3rd Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Oh, April 14th. You came again and now my little buddy, crazy man, Luke, is three. In typical birthday fashion the day itself did not go as planned. It started off with a trip to Build-A-Bear. For the money you actually pay for a stuffed animal, you should actually leave the store with a real bear. Good grief. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">Then we went to the food court Chik-fil-A for the birthday boy free kid's meal. Luke was trying to skip ahead to his ice cream, and I told him he needed to eat his chicken nuggets first. So he started stuffing his face with nuggets. Then the gagging started. One gag and done - not really choking but enough to kind of freak out (as a mom) for a half second. Then 30 seconds later Luke puked all over both of our legs. Mark was changing Bennett at the time, and I just stood their dumbfounded, thinking he would be back any second. He wasn't. I didn't want to leave our stuff to get paper towels. (We were in LR mall, ya know?) </span>A little family of three brought us a meager amount of napkins, which soaked up about 5% of the throw up. So<span class="Apple-style-span"> we just kept waiting and standing, and Luke was crying, begging for his ice cream. And, I knew, I KNEW, that he had thrown up because he had gotten choked up, but I wasn't about to give my kid ice cream in front of the sweet little family eating right by us. I couldn't stand up under that judgment. So he cried, and I stood there, and, </span>I waved down a custodian who kindly cleaned up our mess. S<span class="Apple-style-span">everal minutes later Mark came back and I just said, "We need to leave." AND...we didn't. Mark let Luke ride the fire engine aka "steal your quarters" ride because apparently there is a rule that you can't say "no" to a child on his birthday. P.S. I still had puke on my leg. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">Then we went to my mom's house to prepare for Luke's party. I had all of these fun outdoor games planned, and it was raining. And, I was sulking because my plans were falling apart and I'd been puked on, and the day wasn't going as planned. Let's be honest. I know it was his party, but it's not. If your a mom of young kid, you know what I mean. It's your party too. :) </span></div>
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You see I'd painted this superman backdrop in my parent's backyard a few days prior, and I had planned outdoor pictures with kiddos. Luke "helped" too. Well, I started praying for God to give us "good" weather for the party. And at 4 p.m. the rain stopped, and I went outside and finished my superman mural. Thank you, God. Proof that You have grace on underserving moms living vicariously on their son's birthday. :) </div>
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Luke's grandparents on both sides and 10 of his cousins joined us as guest. The kids were crazy hyper, and the ground was still wet, but we ran outside for pictures. After all when you paint a backdrop for a superhero birthday party for your kid, you better get some pictures of it. Then we headed upstairs and had super hero training, Nerf gun target practice on bad guy balloons, spiderman web toss, and decorate your own Superhero vehicle.<br />
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After the game we all ate Superhero Luke cake and opened presents. All in all, it was a fun party and a fun day, and I think Luke really enjoyed it. That's what's really important, right? :) I am excited for another fun year with this guy. </div>
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A few days before his birthday, I was going to a bridal shower and was wearing a dress and Luke looked at me and said, "Mom, why are you dressed like Cinderella?" :) I love it. Yeah, I may not dress up that much either...</div>
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The next day we gave Luke a birthday interview. I will include it below. Happy Birthday, Luke! You are a joy, and true to your name, your bring light to our family!<br />
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What is your name? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Luke Shiloh Bradley</span><br />
How old are you?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> Three</span><br />
What is your favorite thing to do? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Jumping</span><br />
What do you want to be when you grow up? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Police Officer </span><br />
What is your favorite food? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Cheerios</span><br />
Who do you like to spend time with? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Daddy</span><br />
What do you do really well? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Clean up</span> (side note: I would disagree on this one :))<br />
What makes you laugh? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Biting some cute worms</span><br />
What is the best time of the day? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Playing</span><br />
What are you afraid of? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Snakes</span><br />
Who is your best friend? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">John John</span><br />
What do you like to do with your family? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Paint</span><br />
What do you love to learn about? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Tanks</span><br />
Where do you like to go? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Toys R Us</span><br />
What is your favorite book? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Dragon Book</span><br />
If you had one wish what would it be? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Own a dragon</span><br />
What is your favorite color? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Green</span><br />
What is your favorite thing to wear? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Pajamas</span><br />
What is your favorite movie? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Narnia</span><br />
What is your favorite animal? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Monkeys </span><br />
<br />Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-68187420497975461782014-03-05T22:40:00.002-06:002014-03-05T23:17:51.450-06:00Two Going on Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
About 10 minutes ago I sat down to write this blog. Both kids were asleep before 8:30. This pretty much never happens. I pushed that little pencil thingy on the side (you know what I'm talking about), and Bennett started crying. He had been asleep for less than 5 minutes. He is sick and congested and was crying for three hours last night, refusing to be consoled, driving me and Mark to tag-team parent. So, now he is asleep in his swing about 10 feet away from me. How can you love your little people so stinkin' much and simultaneously throw a stinkin' party when they go to bed? </div>
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I don't even know where to start. There are so many stories since the last time I blogged. I made up my mind that I wasn't going to blog until the kids were in bed, the house was picked up, and I wasn't too tired. In those three months I don't think that EVER happened. So, tonight I threw in the towel, and I'm blogging and my house is a wreck. I can't for the life of me keep it clean anymore. We added one more child to the mix, and it's like a tornado swept through here every. single. day. Ok, I'm done complaining. If I talk about that too long I will inevitably have someone say "You're going to miss those days." I believe you, hypothetical mom of grown kids, but I don't know that I will miss stepping on grapes or cleaning up pee from behind the end table. But, you're right these are the craziest, best of times, sometimes they just lean further to the crazy side.<br />
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<b>Napping</b></h3>
A switch went off when he turned 2.5. This was both a good thing and a bad thing. We had about 3 months where it felt like every day was a battle to get Luke to nap. He desperately needed a nap. Oh, so desperately. The more tired he was, the more he acted out, pushed buttons, and fell apart. You would think he would have fallen asleep easily at night since he wasn't napping, but he DIDN'T. Here's a story from January.<br />
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One night Luke kept getting out of bed. He knew he was in trouble if he got of bed again. I heard some noise and knew he was out of bed and went into his room just as he was climbing back into bed.<br />
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I said, "Luke did you get out of bed again?" (This was more of a rhetorical question.)<br />
He said, "I fell out."<br />
I was about 99% sure this was a lie, so I said, "Oh Luke, you better pray to Jesus..." (with the intention of getting convicted and fessing up).<br />
Without skipping a beat Luke looked straight at me and prayed, "Dear Jesus, help me not to fall out of bed."<br />
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I had to walk away to keep from laughing. Within the last month or so I've started to see that we are making some headway with him being able to skip his nap without throwing major tantrums and falling apart. Progress, people, progress. Now, we are getting into a stage where if he naps, he is not tired until 10 p.m. or later, so I'd rather him not nap. I never thought I would say that. </div>
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Secret Hideout/Ferret stage</h3>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AfxwtESQ6r8/UxfgG6N-b_I/AAAAAAAAA2Y/iEsK0g4Rqig/s1600/DSC05344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AfxwtESQ6r8/UxfgG6N-b_I/AAAAAAAAA2Y/iEsK0g4Rqig/s1600/DSC05344.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>For a few weeks Luke loved playing secret hideout. Now most kids love playing secret hideout and a few couch cushions might get turned over as they are used as castle walls or what not, but Luke's secret hideouts consisted of just dumping all of his stuff in a pile and calling it a hideout. (Pictured left). He reminded me of a little ferret, taking all of his favorite things and putting them in corners. At one point there were three secret hideouts/secret hideout remnants throughout our house. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">Crazy Imagination/Talking to EVERYTHING</span></h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">You always wonder what kinds of things/toys your kids will like. Will it be cars or dinosaurs or pirates, but Luke's doesn't really care for toys that much, at least not in this stage. He absolutely loves imaginative play.</span> He would rather be pretending than doing anything else. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">All he wanted for Christmas was "to be a knight." This kid has seven toy swords that he is known to wield at any given time. He even interacts with fighting scenes during cartoons. I had to remind him today as he was watching "Aladdin: Prince of Thieves" that we don't throw things at the bad guys on TV. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BXh-TSoegys/Uxff-igqIYI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/TDEaEawkFYw/s1600/DSC05347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BXh-TSoegys/Uxff-igqIYI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/TDEaEawkFYw/s1600/DSC05347.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>A few months ago he started talking to his stuffed animals and his AAs (the sound a monkey makes) from left to right there's other AA, Giant AA, Regular AA, Care Bear and Baby AA, oh and Giraffe. I didn't think much of it. Lots of kids like to talk to their stuffed animals. He also liked talking to the Crocodile and Pirate puppets that we have. He would ask Mark to "be Hook" and then he would have long conversations with Hook or Crocodile or both. He was interested in watching a puppet show, rather he wants to talk to Hook or Croc. Somewhere along the way, he decided that everything must be capable of talking, so now when we get in the car he will sometimes say, "Hey, Sun! Are you there?" and Mark will talk back as the sun. He told my mom the other day that the sun had clouds in his mouth, and I had to explain that Mark (as the sun) told Luke he couldn't talk because he had clouds in his mouth (since it was an overcast day). </div>
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Now, he has started making it a habit to ask things if they talk. I was giving him a bath the other day and he looked at the empty Johnson's and Johnson's baby shampoo bottle that I had in my hand and said, "Do you talk?" I had to stifle a laugh as I squeezed the bottle and said, "Me?" He had about a 5 minute conversation with that shampoo bottle. </div>
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Today he didn't finish his animal crackers because he started talking to them, and as he would put them in his mouth I (as the animal cracker) would scream, "Don't eat me!" He thought it was hilarious. He put the animal crackers in the cabinet where the toys are supposed to go and told them he would come back tomorrow. </div>
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This talking to inanimate objects things may be a little odd, but it has it's benefits. Tonight he poured out a bunch of colorful paper clips all over the floor. It was near bedtime, and I knew it might be a battle to get him to put them away, so (as the paper clips) I said, "Hey, put us back in our home." And, Luke started picking them up and talking to them about their home. </div>
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Everywhere we go he talks to things. At PetCo he talks to the mice. At Barnes and Noble he talks to the puppets. He loves the puppets there and runs back to them and says, "Puppets, I'm back!" When we leave he says, "Goodbye, puppets. I love you!" </div>
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He also has two imaginary Hoot Owls that he likes to talk to, a daddy owl and a baby owl. He will go in a room and yell, "Is that you owl?" And, that's your cue to take over as the voice of the daddy or baby owl. He even likes us to make a voice for Bennett, so he can talk to Bennett. Maybe that's the answer. When Bennett gets a little bigger and can talk, I have no doubt Luke will have plenty to say to him...<br />
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Hair Update/Passy/Frog Men </h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">We seem to have made some progress with the hair pulling problem, though I'm always hesitant to say that because it's a habit that's been known to go away for a little while only to come back later. We noticed that Luke seemed to pull his hair more at bedtime when he had his pacifier (hereafter known as passy). He would put hair in his mouth and chase it down with passy, so one night I just took it away. Luke was really upset that first night, but he really dealt with it pretty well in the days after. One day he asked Mark what had happened to his passy. Mark told him that the Frog Men came down on their space ship and landed in our yard, and took his passy away to take home to their planet for their frog babies. I gave Mark the "Where the heck did that come from look?" and told Luke the TRUTH - that Mommy and Daddy took it away because he was a big boy now and didn't need it and it would mess up his teeth. </span><br />
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I was convinced he would hold onto the truth until I heard him having an imaginary conversation on his toy phone the other day. Mind you, it's been several weeks since Mark told him that.<br />
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Luke: "Hey, frogmen, can you come down on your space ship and bring my passy back?"<br />
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The Original Sin</h3>
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Luke has started being pretty sneaky. His Achilles' heel is candy. He has the biggest sweet tooth and will eat anything sweet that he can get his hands on even if he gets in trouble for it. The other day he was playing with his cousin, Elijah, who is a year older than he is. His cousin, Avery, (age 6) had some Valentine's Day candy up on her dresser. Luke had tried to get a hold of it the previous day and had been strongly reprimanded and warned that he was not to eat Avery's candy. I should have known that something mischievous was about to happen when both boys went into Avery's room and closed the door. A few minutes later they both came out of the room. Luke was wearing the smuggest "I'll take what's coming to me look" as he smacked on the biggest wad of gum he's ever had. When I demanded he spit out the gum, he swallowed it, and opened his mouth as wide as he could to show me that it was gone. </div>
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Later, when I asked him what had happened. He said, "Elijah took it, and said, 'here, Luke, eat this candy.'" </div>
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Proof that if Adam and Eve hadn't screwed it all up, someone else would have...</div>
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Boudreaux's Butt Paste</h3>
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Then there was the time Luke got a hold of Boudreaux's Butt Paste Diaper Rush Ointment during naptime when I thought (miracle of miracles) that he's gone to sleep. Instead, he was doing this. The picture on the right was his bath after shampooing it multiple times. That stuff did not want to come out. Also, Mark and I determined it made a great toddler mug shot. </div>
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So, those are my short, but, not so short, Luke stories. He turns 3 next month, and wants a superhero birthday party. All he wants is for SuperMan to be there, so if you've been holding onto your Halloween SuperMan costume, let me know, K? And, now Bennett has decided he doesn't really want to go to sleep, not without being rocked or held. So, Bennett's update will have to wait...Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-60534954890551434232013-12-19T23:14:00.002-06:002013-12-19T23:14:14.626-06:00Elf on the Shelf Take DownMeet Elfie our resident Elf on the Shelf. Luke loves playing with his stuffed animals and talking to them, so we thought he would love Elf on the Shelf. I mean what's not to like? Who wouldn't want a mischievous elf watching them for the entire month of December and reporting their bad behavior to Santa. Sign me up right away. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After we read the book that came with our elf I told Mark I didn't really like the emphasis on behavior modification through spying elf eyes. I just figure that doesn't fall into the "Top 10 How to Parent your Children" categories. This frank discussion led to <i>my</i> unanimous decision that we would continue to hide Elfie, but we wouldn't use the scare tactics. Basically, we would just have a fun elf that moved from place to place every night. (And, I know dear reader that there is a sweet version of Elfie that teaches children how to be kind, and in the Christmas spirit, to you, my friend, I say, I just don't have time for that. He's just an elf that moves, at least for this Christmas.) </div>
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Somehow Mark forgot this discussion. Shortly thereafter Luke threw a tantrum or did one of the myriad of things that 2-year-olds do as they are learning boundaries and Mark responded with, "Luke, Elfie is watching. He is going to tell Santa that you are bad, and you won't get any presents." </div>
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I am shooting Mark a "what the heck did we just talk about" look during this moment, and I again voice my opinion that Luke will really believe anything Mark says so he should just drop the whole "Elfie is watching you." </div>
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My message did not get through, and somewhere after about the 5th time that Mark warned Luke about Elfie watching, I realized we were just not on the same page. I took it upon myself to tell Luke that Elfie was just for fun. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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But it was too late. Luke had taken his side. He believed his loving father, and, suddenly, Elfie wasn't his friend anymore. I mean, who would be friends with someone who just tattles on you all day every day?<br />
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Luke would tell Elfie when he did NOT do things. "Elfie, I NOT mean to Maybe (our cat)." (Which means he <i>was</i> definitely mean to Maybe). I guess somewhere along the way, Luke decided he was tired of living under the Elfie law. I guess he figured when his good deeds were weighed against his bad deeds, that he would be found wanting.<br />
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Thus, the Elfie war began. It started the night that we decided to be a little creative. We had Elfie build a train track on our table. Luke woke up and took a look at Elfie and told us that he wanted his hammer. He didn't like Elfie holding his hammer. He proceeded to snatch the hammer away from Elfie and then began throwing the trains and train tracks at Elfie. You will have to believe me. It is not documented.<br />
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The next night we had Elfie use Luke's tractor to build a house with Luke's blocks. We prided ourselves on our super-creative idea and thought Luke would get a kick out of it. Nope. He came in and saw Elfie and told him he didn't want him on his tractor. Elfie got pushed off, but it didn't end there. Luke ran over Elfie again and again with his tractor. That picture is NOT staged. That was how Elfie looked when Luke was done with him.<br />
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By this point we picked up on the trend. Luke is not a huge fan of the elf, but we kept going with it. Elfie decided to zip-line off of our refrigerator. When Luke woke up and saw Elfie he started smiling. He really liked watching him zip-line, and I thought maybe he and Elfie were on good terms for the day. That lasted until dinner when Luke started using his fork to cut Elfie down. Turns out he didn't like Elfie zip-lining in <i>his</i> house.<br />
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We are doing our family Christmas tomorrow, so Elfie will be leaving us till next year. I think we are all (Elfie included) a little relieved. Oh, and Luke has plenty of presents under the tree, so whatever Elfie told Santa (who Luke says is a bad guy) it didn't work. </div>
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Perhaps, now that we have done Elf on the Shelf all wrong, it would be a good time to talk to Luke about grace...</div>
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You and Paul are without a doubt some of our very best friends, which I'm sure is why you chose our son to be your ring bearer in January. We are hopeful that our dear sweet two-year-old (don't read any other posts on this blog) will cheerfully walk down the aisle. We have hopefully secured his behavior by bribing him with a nerf sword that he really wants. We thought his behavior would be the only thing we would have to worry about. We were wrong.<br />
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I didn't want to tell you this because I didn't want to stress you out anymore than you need to be, but since you are babysitting next week, I figured you might see for yourself anyway.<br />
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Remember how Luke used to pull out his own hair and eat? <a href="http://teambradley20.blogspot.com/2012/07/curve-ball.html" target="_blank">Remember</a> how we made him oversized long-sleeved shirts and sewed up the sleeves to prevent his hair pulling/eating? <a href="http://teambradley20.blogspot.com/2012/12/throwing-in-towel.html" target="_blank">And then when that still wasn't working we cut his hair really short? </a><br />
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Yeah, we thought it was in the past. He hasn't pulled his hair in months.<br />
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And so, do you see what I'm trying to break gently to you?<br />
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Your really cute ring bearer may have a bald spot(s). :(<br />
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I promise it looks worse in the pictures, but I am not sure what it might look like in, say, a month?<br />
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It is totally different this time around in that he realizes that he is pulling it, and he doesn't want to pull it. He actually gets really upset when we talk about it. He wears a ski cap, not because we are having record-breaking cold temperatures, but because he doesn't want to pull his hair. It's his choice, but it is hard for us to know if it is working.<br />
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<strike>We've</strike> Mark's talked about putting an 8-hour security camera on him to help us figure out when he is doing the hair pulling. This really isn't the most cost-effective option for us at this time. We've cut his hair really short though.<br />
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And, really, that bald spot above his ear in the picture shows up in this picture way more than in person.<br />
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See? Not quite as obvious here...The back/top is fairly thin, but you don't really notice till you get right up close.<br />
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Okay, so I've thought options if it gets bad...<br />
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Top hat? Do you have to be Jewish to wear a yamaka? Or perhaps, or how would you feel about having a ring bearer/knight ? After all, we are already planning to get him <a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3381133&gcsct=0ChMI8MOi1N-fuwIVBbDnCh2VFgAAEAM" target="_blank">this</a> for Christmas...<br />
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And, I've read your blog about your awesome photographers, so I'm sure they can photoshop some hair on your ring bearer if needed...<br />
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In short, I'm sorry. We are doing all we can. Just thought you should know...Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-71703821617654867542013-12-01T22:38:00.000-06:002013-12-01T22:41:59.332-06:00Doing Everything "Wrong"After getting off the phone with one of my best friends who is also a new mom (shout out, Brittany), I came to the realization that we are doing everything "wrong." For the past couple of weeks, I've been sending Brittany texts and links to websites with topics like scheduling and the Baby Whisperer's EASY method. We've talked about crying it out, co-sleeping, breaking bad habits, and the like. I realized that all of the things that gave me confidence as a new mom the first time around, I've kinda thrown out the window. It's not like I don't believe in them anymore. I do. Ok, maybe not all of it, but most of it. It's just that I've settled for what's working now.<br />
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At his last appointment, the nurse asked me how many times he ate in a given day. I said, "Six times." She said, "So, every 3 hours?" I was like, "Oh, no. I guess it's not that much cause he sleeps longer at night. Four times, maybe."<br />
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You see, it's hard for me to tell you exactly when Bennett ate last, and if he's acting hungry, I feed him, regardless of how long it's been, (especially since I don't really know). With Luke, I could have told you down to the minute, and if it was 8:57 p.m. then I would not feed him 11:57 p.m. - exactly 3 hours later. When I fed Luke after 7 p.m. I would keep the room dark, not talk to him, and pray for him to go back to sleep. With Bennett, it might be midnight, and Mark and I will both be talking to him and smiling at him. (We are by nature night owls anyway).<br />
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I believe that it is good for a baby to learn to self soothe to a certain extent, and that it's a good habit to start putting your baby down awake, yet I am currently sitting here rocking Bennett's little bouncy seat at 10 p.m. with the lights on.<br />
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Where are all those rules that gave me so much confidence? Apparently, I tossed them out. Blame it on it having a second child, or the fact that we gave up "normal" when my water broke at 32.5 weeks. Blame it on the fact that almost every time I put Bennett down for a nap I have a 2.5-year-old that likes to "help." He sings songs to Bennett. Tries to force a passy on him. "Burps" him. Turns the lights on and off. Etc.<br />
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So, I'm not saying I have things figured out more this time around. I definitely don't, but I love this sweet baby boy sitting beside. I'm glad he's right here, and maybe I will pay for these "bad habits" later. But it doesn't look like anything is going to change anytime soon.<br />
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And, how is Bennett you ask?<br />
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13 lbs. 10 oz. and 24 inches long. He is the smiliest, happiest baby ever, which is perhaps why I can get away with not living by the book this time around. He has started laughing this month. Two out of three of those times were when Luke made him laugh. He thinks his big brother is funny.<br />
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He has replaced Luke as my new little model for photo shoots. Not that I wouldn't be glad to take pictures of Luke, but he won't have much to do with me if I have a camera in my hand. :)<br />
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And, just for the record, besides helping refine me as a person and teaching me patience, Luke is officially potty trained and has been sleeping in his big boy bed for several months. We are doing Elf on the Shelf this month, and he loves "Elfie." He talks to him throughout the day, mostly to explain himself. "Elfie, I NOT mean to Maybe (our cat)." Which, in fact, means that he most definitely was mean to her. :)<br />
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I love my boys.Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-85405784971663528672013-11-13T22:13:00.001-06:002013-11-13T22:14:02.567-06:00CrazinessI'm not really sure where to start this post except to say that my oldest son is two and a half. Why is this important? Because it means that my sanity is being tested every single day. Luke can be the sweetest, most precious boy one moment and then a totally crazy mess the next. He is an enigma and a mystery, and yet he has my entire heart.<br />
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<b>Scenario 1:</b> Luke is in time out. He hasn't napped and he isn't wearing a diaper. He pees on the floor on purpose. How do I know? Because this conversation happened.</div>
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Me: "Luke, did you pee pee on the carpet on purpose?"</div>
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Luke: "Uh-huh"</div>
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Me: "Why?"</div>
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Luke: "Cause you were mean at you?" (sic)</div>
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Me: "Because I was mean to you?"</div>
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Luke: "Uh-huh"</div>
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Me: "Because I put you in time out?"</div>
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Luke: "Uh-huh"</div>
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Me: "Was that mean?"</div>
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Luke: "Uh-huh"</div>
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Me: "Why was that mean?"</div>
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Luke: "Because it was..."</div>
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Me: "So you pee-peed on my carpet?"</div>
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Luke: "Uh-huh"</div>
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Can you imagine if this conversation happened in the adult world? If pee-ing on someone's carpet was a legitimate way to express your anger? I imagine if this happened there would be lawsuits and restraining orders, but for a mom it's just another day in the life. </div>
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And then just a few days ago this conversation happens...</div>
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<b>Scenario 2:</b> I stub my toe and am writhing in pain. </div>
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Me: "Luke, Mommy hurt her foot."</div>
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(Luke comes over and kisses my foot)</div>
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Luke: "Feel better sweetheart." </div>
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Seriously, does it get any sweeter than that? </div>
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I submit that it does not. Living with a toddler means every day is a surprise. This is where I am. It is super heroes and swords and chaos and glory. </div>
Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-38701255913648076992013-10-11T20:46:00.000-05:002013-10-11T20:46:14.341-05:00I Get It NowI will admit I've never been the queen of fashion. I've always been hesitant to adopt new clothing styles. I can still remember my first day at Pulaski Academy in 9th grade. PA kids were always on the cutting edge with style and that even included sports attire. I was super proud of my mid-calf white Nike socks with a navy blue swoosh. I pulled those babies up as high as I could and walked out onto the gymnasium court ready to show off my basketball skills. I looked around and realized what a blunder I had made. The mid-calf socks were out. No one in sight was wearing them except for me. I went home that very day and had my mom buy me some ankle socks. <div>
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Conformity. It's a must for a junior-higher. </div>
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And, somewhere in high school I got to thinking I was pretty cool, and I would roll my eyes at my mom's MOM Jeans. Not cool, Mom. High-waisted jeans are out. </div>
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But, now I know her secret. The secret of all moms, and their very necessary reason for high waisted jeans. </div>
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It's called Muffin Top. Urban dictionary defines it nicely. Muffin Top:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">When a woman wears a pair of tight jeans that makes her flab spill out over the waistband, just like the top of a muffin sits over the edge of the paper case.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">It is the result of child bearing (among other things), and what no one ever told me is that high waisted jeans or pants hide that part of your uterus that just doesn't want to shrink back into your body and, perhaps, never will. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">I can handle the stretch marks. They are tiger stripes that proudly proclaim, "I carried another human being inside of me for nine months." But, the muffin top...It's got to go. Where does one buy a good pair of MOM jeans? I really don't know. I'm guessing Walmart would have some.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">So, to my mom, I'm sorry. You carried me for nine months and then I had the audacity to roll my eyes at your high waisted jeans when, really, you were the smart one. </span></span><br />
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Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-87642514112352573782013-09-30T17:30:00.000-05:002013-09-30T17:39:11.318-05:00Bradley Family UpdateThis has been a crazy couple of months for the Bradley family, so let me do a summary blog. After 10 days of bed rest our second son, Bennett Elon Bradley, was born on August 8, 2013. He weighed a whopping 6 lbs. 1 oz. He was the biggest preemie in the NICU. He came home from the NICU on August 24th. By the time we left we were on a first name basis with most of the nurses.<br />
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(If you are planning a stay at Washington Regional Hospital, may I suggest that you be there for Thursday's lunch menu, which includes the breaded chicken, Mac N Cheese, and, most importantly, the key lime pie. You cannot beat the key lime pie. I would know. I had it about 8 times.)</div>
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The NICU was hard, and I am glad our stay was relatively short. I felt like a zombie from lack of sleep, and the 4 trips to the NICU per day made me feel like I was living a double life - one at home to a mom of a 2-year-old and another to a premature newborn baby at the hospital. </div>
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I was so thankful when those worlds collided and we all got to be home together. </div>
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While the NICU was hard, the transition from one kid to two at home has gone really well. It helps that this time around I know a lot more than I did. I am so thankful that God has answered my prayer, and I haven't had postpartum depression this time around. I can't tell you what a difference this has made. </div>
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Bennett has done great at home. For the first four to six weeks he just slept all the time, pretty much around the clock. He is only just now starting to wake up for longer periods and check out this world we're living in. He prefers to be held pretty much all the time until he is sleeping soundly, so this is going to be a challenge going forward. But, overall, he is really laid back. He cries much less than Luke did, and I am not sure if I am just better at figuring out what he wants the 2nd time around, or if he is more laid back, or if, perhaps, it just doesn't bother me as much this time, or maybe all of the above. </div>
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With Luke, every time he cried, I took it as a personal affront to my mothering skills. My anxiousness was so high that I couldn't even sleep when he slept because I was counting down the minutes until he was hungry again and psyching myself out thinking about how little sleep I was going to get for the night. Every noise he made woke me and Mark up.</div>
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With Bennett, he is sleeping in our room, and he grunts a lot and makes little bleating sounds like a lamb. I'm actually sleeping BETTER with him in our room because I don't spend as much time staring at the baby monitor or making trips to his crib to put my hand over his chest. </div>
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All that to say, it is so different the second time around. It also helps that he is already sleeping in a couple of 4 hour periods at night. </div>
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We also GO places and get out of the house as a family even though it's not that easy. One of the things I learned after having Luke is that it is so good to get out. Typically, we go to the park because Bennett's not really supposed to be in public for a couple of months.</div>
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Side note: I made it this far, but now Luke is yelling, "Please, open my door!" I guess he is done with his nap. :) </div>
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Speaking of Luke, he is a great big brother. We thought he would be very jealous of his little bro, but he is already very protective and super sweet for the most part. He likes kissing him on the head. He <i>has</i> tried to write on him with a pen and brush his teeth, but even then I think it was all done in love...</div>
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One day we were in the car and the sun was in Bennett's eyes and Luke started saying, "Go away, sun. I will fight you, sun, because he's my brother. He's my best friend." </div>
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We are all pretty crazy about our little Bennett. We weighed him today at home, and he is up to 11 pounds. He weighed 10 lbs. on his due date of September 19th. He has already outgrown most newborn clothes and is wearing 0-3 months and 3-6 months clothes and size 1 diapers. </div>
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Okay, it is getting pretty crazy around here. </div>
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Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7759460422787201760.post-31424628366506688432013-08-03T13:58:00.001-05:002013-08-03T15:39:22.735-05:00The Waiting GameI am currently laying in a hospital bed. I've just eaten a delicious hospital meal consisting of a grilled cheese sandwich, fries, corn, and key lime pie. I've been temporarily abandoned by my husband and parents because no one in their right minds wants to spend a full day in a hospital room. About once a day I look at Mark and say, "I can't believe we are here." <div><br></div><div>Of course, it's natural to feel that surreal feeling even when you are going to the hospital full term. It's a little more heightened when you find yourself going to the hospital to have your baby when you're 32 weeks along.</div><div><br></div><div>How did we get here? Well, we had a four day weekend. We spent Saturday and Sunday in Little Rock where we'd been for two weeks for Mark to complete an accident reconstruction training. This was part 3 of a six week training spread out in 2 week periods in May, June, and July. We were fortunate to be able to stay with our parents during these trainings. We also had taken 2 vacations (one to Gatlinburg, Tennessee and one to Destin with the Bradleys). This all added up to us being gone over 8 weeks this summer). </div><div><br></div><div>August was supposed to be our month home to get settled before Baby Bennett. We planned to move Luke to his new room and big boy bed, possibly potty train, wash all the baby clothes, and enjoy our last month before the sweet chaos of bringing home a newborn.</div><div><br></div><div>We got home from Little Rock on Sunday night. We spent Monday morning picking up some police gear that Mark needed as well as picking up his police car from the station where he left it to get some work done on it. We had the option of either going to the store to stock up on groceries or taking Luke to the park. We opted for the park on the assumption that we could go after Luke's nap.</div><div><br></div><div>I was feeling kinda tired when we got to the park. I've been anemic and tired, and it was hot. So I sat on a bench and watched Mark push Luke on the swing. Luke didn't last long before he was ready to "catch dragons." He and Mark got their swords (sticks) and walked all around the park looking for dragons. I stayed on the bench and watched them. No one else was at the park, and it was quiet, and I started praying, thanking God for my boys - for Mark and Luke and little Bennett). I write that not to share a "holy moment", but rather, to show that God was preparing my heart for the upcoming events of the day.</div><div><br></div><div>We went back home and ate noodles with Alfredo sauce (one of the only things in our pantry thanks to foregoing the grocery run). Then we put Luke to bed and I laid down on the couch to rest...</div><div><br></div><div>Then out of nowhere my water broke. I jumped up and looked at Mark and said, "I think my water just broke. He looked at me and said, "Yeah, I think it did." He called our neighbor then when they didn't answer went to their house. Our sweet baby sitter, Claire, happened to be home and immediately came over. I called my mom and then we quickly got in the car and headed to the ER. I kinda started freaking out on the way to the hospital. By the time I got there, I couldn't stop shaking. </div><div><br></div><div>I went to L&D and they hooked me up to monitors and showed me that I had just had a contraction. I was convinced we were going to have a baby by the end of the day. The nurses told me that if I started going into active labor they would give me magnesium to stop the labor. I knew from Autumn's experience trying to stop labor that magnesium can make you feel overly hot or cold and nauseated, so I readied myself for that possibility. </div><div><br></div><div>One of the nurses gave me a steroid shot to help to develop B's lungs develop. I didn't know it at the time, but this shot would keep me up all night, a long with the beeping of the IV, the sound of B's heart monitor, and the inflating and deflating of the blood clotting prevention machine (my term for it) that blows up around both legs every 5 minutes. Every once in a while I'd have a contraction and think, "Here we go..."</div><div><br></div><div>I couldn't even get close to sleeping, so I prayed for B to stay inside. And then I prayed for anyone I could think of who needed it - family, friends, people I barely know on Facebook. I just couldn't stop, and it was honestly one of those times where I just felt close to God and the worry faded away. It was just me and God, and it was awesome.</div><div><br></div><div>The next morning I kept thinking I would sleep, but I finally gave up around 2 p.m. I realized the steroids must have been the culprit and not the rest of the bag of chocolate chips I'd eaten before my water broke. I got the second and final round of steroids at 6 p.m. I knew this was a big deal for B's lungs, so I was excited that we'd made it that far. </div><div><br></div><div>The new round of steroids put me in a deliriously hyper state, and I became extremely friendly with all my nurses. One of the nurses remarked that I was the happiest bed rest patient she had ever seen. They asked me if I wanted some ambien to help me sleep and I declined, not willing to risk making a scene on the ambien+steroids combo. I opted for a Benadryl instead. I fell asleep for 2 hours and woke up wide awake around 1:30 in the morning. I was able to fall asleep from 3-5 and then 7-8 or something like that. </div><div><br></div><div>Each day I thought we might be having a baby, but he still hasn't come. We made it to 33 weeks yesterday, and they hope he will stay in till next Friday when he will be 34 weeks. At that point they will induce because the risk of infection after that outweighs the need to keep him cooking. </div><div><br></div><div>So here I am on day 6 (including Monday) of bed rest. I am trying not to go crazy. For someone with a low tolerance for boredom this is a little difficult. I've finished a book called "Orphan Train," set the high score on my skee ball app 2x, read Facebook, the news, Pinterest, blogs, listened to sermons, and watched YouTube videos. The Internet is losing its allure, and I'm not a big TV watcher. </div><div><br></div><div>Brittany Lacy, one of my BFFs, spent two afternoons up here with me too, so that was a fun treat...</div><div><br></div><div>Anyway, I realize this is a long post, but what else do I have to do? We are jut playing the waiting game and letting B grow and mature his lungs...</div><div><br></div><div>Thank you to all who are praying for us. We feel it and need it. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Jenny and Mark Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098600266502026799noreply@blogger.com0