For the First Time

Today, I had an,"Ah Ha," moment as people say these days. It was just your run of the mill insane morning having two little boys and a messy husband to care for and some how manage being and feeling very pregnant. A typical day...after a long night of Will awakenings... the morning began with the craziness of getting ready for Jake's first day of soccer and Jon's first day coaching, thoughts of my due date soon approaching and the unfinished errands I've been feeling stressed by and our constantly dripping kitchen sink... a normal morning... We made it to soccer and after unloading and getting myself to the field pushing the half full double stroller up a hill in my saggy, uncomfortable maternity jeans.... I had a second to breath. I gazed out onto the field to see my adorable Jake running around with a huge grin on his little face and my handsome husband in his Phillie's sweatshirt chatting up another soccer dad. I watched as my husband, somewhat nervously began coaching his first practicee... he was nervous, which you rarely see... although he would never admit it I'm sure. He was amazing. He handled the children with such ease and always had a genuine smile on his face. He made friends with the other coach and upon leaving commented on what a great guy He was. Tonight as I lay here resting my swollen legs, I am left with thoughts and pictures of my husband and what a great guy HE is.

Today and lately I guess... I feel like I have been seeing him for the first time. Jon is such a man of character and for me irresistible charm. I see the way he fathers our boys and how much love he shows them. I hear him say love you to them many times a day and we have countless talks about how cute they both are. I see the way he tries to be romantic even though he doesn't truly have a romantic bone in his body. I see the way it pains him to give a budget, as he would buy me the world if he could. I see the way he respects others and looks up to people always trying to become a,"better", man. I see the way he praises God and pursues a relationship with Him and with other men who desire the same. I just see him... my love... the one He designed me for. This tall, dark and may I say handsome man ...when I met him was a sort of short, guys guy who was a sporty and somewhat grumpy college kid. I knew he was different when I met him, but it has taken me years to figure out just how different. We are a normal couple who have their disagreements and annoyances... and he would never believe that I've been feeling this way lately with all my hormonal mood swings and pregnancy woes I have not been as quick to compliment him.
However, at the end of the day, when the kids are asleep, the house is quiet and I have a minute to think... I feel lucky. Lucky that God had a plan for us. I am still madly in love with my husband and yet he makes me feel mad most days. Isn't that what true love is all about? You make each other nuts, but you can't live without each other? I always want to be in love with Jon and I always want to remember why and tell him so. I tell him all the time that I want to be the couple that holds the grocery cart together when we are eighty... full knowing that Jon would never do so... it would probably slow the cart down and even at eighty I'm sure he'll still be on a tight "schedule," and I will be trying to stop and smell the roses...

My prayer tonight is that God can help me stop and SEE my husband more often for the loving, wonderful, passionate individual that he is and help me to feel the strong admiration and love I do for him in this moment every day of our lives together. Love you Honey. I can't believe we met a decade ago and I can't believe we have been married for five years and will soon have three little boys. Here is to many many more years of insanity, drippy sinks and socks left on the floor!

Yet Another Photo Update

Jake started soccer today and boy was it adorable! I was excited to see how he would handle it and I was so proud. It was pretty much bees on honey the whole time, but it was hysterical to watch. Jon is the coach and he did a great job too. There are six kids on his team and Jake jersey is number ten! As he says," One and zero make ten!"

Jake started back to preschool and he is now going three mornings a week. Some of the kids stay for lunch and every day he asks to stay for lunch too. Selfishly, I am just not ready for four hours without Jake around. We told him when he turns four, January... he can start staying for lunch too. He is such a school nerd like me! It makes me so proud. Will's adoption closing ceremony was perfect. We had the nicest judge who gave us a very heartfelt speech at the end of the proceedings about how much he lovers doing adoption ceremonies. how each child is a blessing and that no matter how your family if formed, you are blessed to have children. he is also said that labor doesn't make you a parent and that the love is created through your bond. I couldn't agree more Judge! He asked us to send him a copy of this picture so he can add it to his "happy thoughts" album that he looks at on his tough days being a judge in Camden, NJ. There were three or four other families waiting in the hallway of the courthouse and you could just feel the love and blessings in the air! An amazing end to a wonderful experience! I also included some pics from last weekend when we took a much needed day trip to B-more. Pop Pop played in the yard with the boys the whole day and they even cleaned out and added new fish to his pond. It was a big hit! Poor Gigi broke her foot so she was recovering, but we were able to see her and spend some time catching up too.

Three Boys... wow

Lately, I have been feeling a wee bit overwhelmed with the idea of three boys. I am honored and humbled that God thinks that I am capable of this task. However, Jake is in a new shall I say "hyper" phase. I am not sure what it is, but the more tired he is... the more wild. I'm not exactly a wild or hyper person and don't really know what to do with all of his energy. Will is also on the move now. He is crawling on all fours, pulling himself to stand everywhere including his crib and he moves quick! Jake loves Will to pieces. The boys wrestle already and Jake is way too rough with Will. Most of the time, Will completely welcomes it. However, I am trying to manage what is boys being boys and what is too rough. Am I really already dealing with this already?? Will is only nine months old! Crazy... We are outside as much as possible and my creative juices are majorly flowing around the Sharp house. We create race tracks out of everything... make up active games constantly... run laps around the yard weekly....go on treasure hunts several times a week... I'll do anything to use our energy! I am one tired pregs that is for sure. This past week, I have been feeling pregnant. It only took thirty seven weeks, but I finally really feel it!

I am so very excited to meet our new little man, Kevin. I cannot believe he will be here so soon. I am little nervous about having two soo little. Jake is very independent, but Will is still soo little. He loves to be held and loves his mama! So, I think he has a rude awakening ahead of him. Jake will be fine, I have no doubt. I think he thinks this is just how things work around here... every nine months... a new baby boy arrives! He tells me all the time we will have ten babies. Their names will be Jake and that we will need a new bath tub to fit them in. Cracks me up. I promise him that won't happen and he is always disappointed. I tell him that if I survive three boys, we may be lucky to get a sister some day... maybe...

Tomorrow is our official adoption ceremony and we will become Will's legal parents. It feels surreal because I never doubted that he was ours. Will is my son. I loved him from the minute I heard about him and have never felt anything other than a motherly love for him. The adoption process for Jon and I has felt exactly the same as actual labor... except, less painful for me! I am excited that the process is ending in a sense and look forward to sharing all of these experiences with him when he is ready or willing to hear all about it. I can't imagine our lives without him! My Willy Nills... love him.

I wanted to post some cell phone pics because sometimes I don't have my camera and it is occurring more often lately. I am always aware of the speed of time and can't stand how quickly it moves. I never want to forget a thing about my boys growing up. My two little boys... growing up too fast...soon to be three!!

Jake's first drawing of our family

Funtimes with Aunt Nikki and sunglasses

Still obsessed with golf

First haircut

Had to purchase this hat

First brothers see saw ride

He is eating everything!!

Off to Lancaster

Lately, we have felt the need for a vacation very badly. It's getting close to Kevin's due date though, so I thought it would not happen. Then, we randomly decided to go to Lancaster, PA for two nights and do Dutch Wonderland. We booked our hotel at 3pm and were there by 6:00 on Thursday night. We had a great time and could have stayed longer. I love Lancaster and all that it has to offer and it is close to home which makes it super convenient. Sleeping in a hotel room together as a family of four for the first time was interesting, but we managed and the fun out-weighed the fatigue! Here are some pics of our little adventure.

Family bath to wipe all the germs away in our skeevy hotel bath! Not sure if it actually helped, but it was fun! One day soon we won't fit in the same bath.

Been Awhile

Thirty- five weeks pregnant and feeling every bit of it!! I have turned into a sloth the last couple of days. Everything seems to be taking me forever and I need to stop more often and,"rest." This makes me crazier because I am not a sitter and doing so is not an easy task with a toddler and a baby who wants to be a toddler. Jake and Will are both doing great and growing up so fast. Jake Update:
He is a little man all of a sudden. He has deeper thoughts now and takes in every word you say. I can see his little brain turning sometimes when he hears something or sees something for the first time... although there is never time to wonder about what he might be thinking because he tells you right away....talks 24/7. I am a talked myself, but phew. I have created a talking machine. I remember reading in a baby book that verbal skills are a strong sign of intelligence so what did I do...talked to him all day...as he layed and watched me from his bassinet or baby swing. I would tell him about my every move and what I was thinking.... wonder where he gets it! I can see him really growing up before my eyes and it breaks my mommy heart. I tell him all the time that I want him to grow "down." He gets mad and says,"No meatballs make me grow bigger!" My little boy...He is also quite the comedian these days. He loves knock, knock jokes or as he says," just kidding' mom." He maintains his emotional side and we still get some tears occasionally, but he is definitely beginning to learn how and when they are truly necessary. Friends are a big thing these days too and I can tell he is really ready for school. He loves play dates and being at the park with other kids. Jake is playing/ wrestling more with Will too which helps. I can see that they are going to have a wonderful relationship. I am sure there will be some ER trips in my future as neither of them are gentle souls, but boy are they sweet!!
Will Update:
Will is now eight and half months old. Can't believe it. He is incredibly easy going still and only really gets upset when he is over-tired and over-sleepy. he is eating stage three foods and beginning some table food, which he definitely prefers! He is my foodie. Jake and I are not so I am glad that Jon has a partner. Although, I fear these boys will eat me out of house and home. He drinks four eight ounce bottles or should I say chugs them. He sleeps twelve hours at night and does not normally wake up. Will also\ takes either two longer naps or three smaller ones. Depends on our day! Soooo, the second child. He also LOVES LOVES LOVES Jake. He watches him all day and wants to play everything he is playing. His favorite toys are balls and cars and anything that lights up or makes noise. Perfect for our house. He started crawling, soldier style awhile ago and is now on all four occasionally. I call him my little bulldog because of his big paws. Will is also the cutest little snuggler. He loves to be held and snuggled. Good thing... I love to snuggle! Oh... and he got his haircut for the first time. It was beginning to become a fro and I was clueless about his curls. I've done my research now, bought some products and I have to say... curly is lookin' good! My medium boy is growing up fast. Before I know it the littlest one will be here.

And the earth shook...

Today was just your typical day over here. We had a fun play date with friends from church and the boys had a lot of fun playing with some buds. After lunch, we headed to the library to check out some new books and movies for the week. Jake was playing with another little boy and I decided to check out while he played. I stood up quickly and felt dizzy... only to realize it wasn't me.. the whole library was shaking. The reference signs were swinging like crazy, the shelves were swaying... it was nuts. The girl behind the counter and I just stared at each other in awe and kind of froze. I turned to check on my boys and there is Jake quiet and calm playing cars and Will is all smiles as usual. They didn't notice a thing. After it was over, I felt like I had just stepped off of a skating rink or something. As I walked outside, Jon called to check on us and confirmed that it was an earthquake and that things were falling off the shelves in his office. I couldn't believe it.

As I drove from the library, I thought about how crazy the experience was. How scared i felt for a few seconds. To not know what to do or what to think...To feel completely out of control of my circumstances... even just for a minute... then instantly I thought,"Wow God. You are amazing. " Sometimes it takes the earth to shake for me to remember that I am not in control of anything. I was also reminded of a little story of a mother and her son that I thought fit the moment perfectly.

One night there was a terrible storm. The rain poured, the hail pounded, the thunder rolled and there was a sudden blast of bright lightening close to the house. A mother awoke and went into check on her son whom she thought she heard crying in fear. When she opened the door, she found her little boy standing inside his window frame with his face against the glass. She said,"Buddy, what are you doing? Are you scared?" Then he said... "What.... I'm saying cheese...Mom you'll never believe it... God just took my picture!"

Just Being Us...

Lately we have been doing a whole lot of nothing' and I have to say... it feels great. I love down time and just being home with my boys, so I have been trying to take advantage of it in this heat. I have eight weeks to go before the newest arrival. My c-section is scheduled for Tuesday, September 27th at 7am! I am definitely feeling 31 weeks pregnant... I can't eat dinner at night and I am having trouble sleeping already. This little boy can't come soon enough. We have decided that his name will be... (drum roll)... Kevin Earl Sharp. Earl comes from Jon's grandfather whom he cares for deeply.

We have also been getting the boy's rooms ready. Will's room was repainted and we got him new furniture and Kevin will be moved into the guest room with all the nursery gear. We also had to get a new car seat for Will. Lots to do... but it is exciting. Can't believe I am washing newborn clothes again.... didn't I just put those away? God is so good. It is always amazing to me how He provides. It is hard to believe that a short nine months ago we had stopped fertility treatments and I was accepting the fact that we may not be able to have more children or that God had a different plan for us. A different plan indeed! A three and half year old and two babies nine months apart. I don't believe in the saying "God gives you what you can handle..." I think He gives us what we can handle with Him. So, I know he will be with me during these next few insane months and I am thankful!

Here are some quick picture updates.

Beach weekend with Eko, Nikki, Sean and Mommel

Jake saying or words I want to remember:

- Everything that is a machine is "chine"... walking chine... car chine... toaster chine...
- Without is withabout still... love it. "Don't go withabout me!

- Bathing suit is bathing soup

- His bed is still the "big boy bed"

- If he wants to do something again it is "ever again!" I want to do that ever again!

- The stuttering of words is just ridiculous at this age. His thoughts are so full that he can't get his words out quick enough.

- Everyone being his best friend. He makes a "best friend" everywhere we go... literally...

- Yogurt is sweet yogurt for some reason

- Cinnamon waffles are squishy waffles?

-Ice cream flavors are colors... brown, white, pink...

- He told me recently that he is Mommy's biggest boy, Will is the medium boy and Kevin (our new baby) will be the littlest boy. How lucky am I? Three boys... wow

It makes me sad that this list is getting shorter and shorter... He is saying more things and speaking more clearly every day. He is getting too old.

Here are some video updates

Working Out

http://youtu.be/NtSfzpFmqXk

Jake is trying out Karate and so far he loves it

http://youtu.be/lFHuYSA62Zw

and
http://youtu.be/0nwMij85wO8