I have waaaaay too much to catch y'all up on

So I'll just have to say this: We have internet again. Prepare, readers, for a world of catch-up as I try to kick-start my blog again. Be prepaaaaaaaaaared!

Big Lion Kings and Wise Men

Noah is reading the Bible beside me as I update right quick. According to Noah, the wise men were very scared of a big lion king, but Daniel told them it will be okay and God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, He's so good to me, and Daniel was happy. The end!
    That makes me smile really big.
Stephan and I have tried to make it a nightly ritual to read to Noah from his Jesus Storybook Bible. I tried to start that trend a year or so ago, but Noah was not interested in wordy stories with only a few pictures and no neat textures to touch or pop-up animals to laugh at. I see it as a sign of growth and maturity that he can now sit contently in my lap and be enthralled with a story about a God he can't see but who loves him very much. (As long as I use plenty of energy and hand gestures and sound effects as I'm reading). I like this new ritual.
  Witten is taking a lot of assisted steps lately. He will pretty much walk anywhere if someone is there to hold his hands. He's also become very vocal lately. He still uses only a few actual words, but he loves to argue. I am also becoming more and more concerned with his eating. The kid's a pig! But if the doctor says he's okay, I'll trust him. I'll just enjoy my squishy little porker. I sure do wish Witten was more of a snuggler, though.
  Stephan found a rat in the minivan's engine this morning. I'm not going near that car until that situation is taken care of.
  Now for a brief note of seriousness:
 Stephan owns a gun. We keep it in our house for our protection. It was not purchased for hunting or murdering, it was bought legally for our safety's sake. It is kept safely out of the reach of children. It is our constitutional right to own this and any gun we so chose to buy. To those in the government who are trying, with dishonest and manipulative means, to disarms us and all other law-abiding citizens of our firearms, I say, as did the brave soldiers of the Texas revolution,

What Happens When YOU watch a fantastic movie?

I cry.
Not dainty, teary-eyed, simpering crying like in the movies. No, I go full catharsis:

That's right, ugly-faced sobbing. I weep openly. It's not pretty, as you can see. It's a good thing I married such a kind, understanding man.

Also, Les Miserables was super good. I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind copious amounts of singing. I sometimes wish I sang everything I did.

Be blessed, readers!

I almost punched my table in half

You know when you bite the inside of your cheek super hard so that there is a raised spot in that location for the next few days and every time you try to eat food you bite that same, tender, painful spot again and again? Yup, that's where I'm at.
I couldn't even truly enjoy my beef stroganof lunch.

Party party party party

Witten turned one last week, but this past Sunday we celebrated with a party.

Yes, those are home made cupcakes and a home made cake. Don't be too impressed.

I have learned from experience that, as much as I love all of my family and want them to be able to celebrate every great occasion with us, inviting my whole, extended family to a party for a baby at my house is not the best idea. It gets crowded fast. Therefore, this year, I did immediate family and friends only, and even then it was a full party. But in a good kind of way.  Since I'm not super creative or able to make adequate, pinterest-worthy decorations, I had no theme (per usual) and simply went with cake and ice cream and pizza. (You can not go wrong with cake and ice cream and pizza). Witten seemed to enjoy himself a lot. He had fun interacting with his little friends and smashing his little cake and playing with his new, very loud toys. I was pleasingly surprised to find that the older children are now perfectly capable of playing by themselves without needing much adult supervision at all. Stephan and I, for the most part, mingled and chatted with our friends. It was honestly fun!
  Now Witten is waking up from his nap, so I'll just post some more pictures and go. Be blessed readers!

Oh, Du Toit boys, so sleepy.

Witten was more than happy to eat cake

Yah! Cake!

And, to end on a high note, presents.

My sister

My sister is severely fashionable. She always has had more of a knack for wearing what's actually in style as opposed to me wearing what I think works just fine. All through high school, we shared make up, clothes and shoes, yet she was the cutie-patootie and I was mistaken for a gothic chick more than once.
  Now, my dear sis is a hair stylist, which means that her fashion points have shot up due to sheer (pun intended)  job obligation. Whenever I see her, even if it's first thing in the morning at our parents' house after she's been living out of a bag for three days, she somehow manages to effortlessly look cute. This chick could rock sweats, ugg boots, a fuchsia tee shirt and a ruffled scarf, and her hair would look fabulous, too.

I say all this because today, as I looked at my cute new boots and tried my hardest to think of an activity appropriate, yet very trendy outfit to wear with them, I sighed in frustration and thought to myself, "my sister would never have this problem!"

Too cute for you, zoo.

 

One year

I have a two and a half year-old and a one year-old.
*wow*
This morning, to commemorate my baby turning one, I went back and read a few of my blog posts from when Witten was born.

Baby Witten's first nap on Daddy in the hospital.

The pictures are the best part. I love seeing how much Witten Allen has grown, yet it also make me very sad. I claimed in my first week of being a mommy of two that I was doing much better at really cherishing every moment with my new baby, and yet here I sit, one year later, and the past 12 months are a fuzzy blur in my mind. It went by so quickly!

One month old

I've said it before and I will repeat it forever, I am so glad that I started this blog. God blessed me with a creative mind, but a forgetful and unorganized mind, so I have a hard time remembering anything, much less the sweet little things that both my boys did when they were X months old. But I'm going to try to drum up a few memories now for the sake of remembrance.

Two months old

Witten was born larger than his older brother, but quickly fell behind. The first year of his life, he was below-average in height and weight. He wasn't unhealthy, just smaller. He currently wears exactly his age in clothes. He's 12 months old and he wears 12 month clothing. I like that he's that way. It means he'll be more baby-like for longer.

3 months

 Noah was a very laid back baby. Witten was more so. I do recall him begin more vocal sometimes when he was upset, but other than that, he didn't seem to mind much of anything. He's not much of a go-getter. I didn't want to rush him into growing up or reaching milestones, like I may have tried to do with Noah. Even when I did encourage forward movement, Witten didn't seem to catch on. It wasn't because he was slow, just because he didn't care too. I really do think this child takes more after me than Stephan in that aspect. Uh oh.

4 months

Witten was and is a very happy baby. He's got an adorable laugh and a super cute smile. It got even better when all of his 8 teeth popped up. Now, when he smiles, he loves to show off his pearly whites with a big, cheesy grin.

5 months

Witten's been a bit slow with the speaking. Right now, at 12 months, it seems like the only word Witten's got a handle of is "clap". He likes to clap his hand and say "clap" with each clap, even if it sound more like "kak". He has said "mama" and he has said "dada" and "daddy", but aside from those three, he hasn't said much else at all. He loves to make noise, just not words. I'll worry about that in the future, but for I'm assuming he's just not interested in small talk.

6 months

Witten loves to eat. No, not just loves, LOVES to eat. He will eat himself sick, then keep on going. The little porker.

7 months

Witten has been mobile for a while, but he has only recently began to do anything other than army crawl. Within this last month, maybe even last week, he started carefully cruising around the furniture. I won't say he'll be walking soon, 'cause that might not be the case at all, but I'm glad to see forward movement, literally. 

8 months

Witten has waaaay more hair than his brother had.

9 months

10 months

11 months

Witten may have started off looking like his daddy, but he definitely favors my side of the family. *YAY!*

And now, on January 1st, he's one year old.

Birthday morning, 12 months old!

Witten Allen, I love you so stinking much. You make me happy. You are easy going and laid back and easy to please if I have food. You have made being a mother of two relatively easy because of your accommodating personality. I sometimes complain that you only seem to want me or that you are constantly underfoot or trying to climb my leg, but I honestly love it. I love so much that you are a mommy's boy, and I hope and pray that you will always love me this much, even when I'm the uncool mom and you're the smarmy, sarcastic teenager. God has made you so very unique from your brother and every other little boy out there and I can't wait to see what great things He has in store for you. I pray for your salvation every day, little brother. I want more than anything to know that my sons, whom I love so much, love Jesus as their personal savior.
  Thank you for giving Witten to me, Lord, and thank you for making me his mommy. Please grant me every  good grace I need to raise these boys up the way they should go. May Witten grow up to do great things for You and Your kingdom, Lord Jesus. Amen.