Theodore Paul: 18 months!

My sweet and wild Theo bear is 18 months old! This boy has changed so much since he turned 1 and it's so fun to watch him grow. The first year of Theo's life he was quiet and observant. He would smile and laugh constantly, never really fussed unless he was hungry #hegetsitfromhismama, and he was just plain chill. I have to say that this made the transition from 1 to 2 so much easier than I imagined. He was a dream. 

All of the sudden when Theo turned 1, his personality exploded. He found his voice in screeches and yells {he still doesn't say much other than 'mama' but he'll get there}, and started to make himself known. He doesn't let his brother run the show without a bit of a fight, he is funny and absolutely LOVES being tickled.  Theo has always been a mama's boy, and his separation anxiety kicked in strong at 12 months.  It's definitely gotten better but now that he understands when I'm leaving, like for work every day as an example, he chases me down and squeezes my legs, pressing his little face against my thigh. I'd take him with me every day if I could!

Theo started walking at 16 months and absolutely took off once he got the hang of it. He still loves to be carried but running around at the park is most definitely his favorite activity. This boy can EAT more than any kid I've ever seen. He will literally eat all day long if you let him. And he doesn't care what it is. He is growing like a weed so clearly he needs the fuel but it's comical most days just how much he can put down.

I can't help but picture how much our lives will change again in 6 short months. When Theo was born, Duke was too little to really understand what was going on but now he's really interested. Theo on the other hand has no idea what's going on and is REAL jealous of the 2 other babies at daycare.  I'm more than a little anxious about how my sweet boy will handle being a big brother but I pray that he adjusts as well as Duke did! He is so sweet and loving that I just know he will do great, as long as I can figure out how to fit 3 nuggets on my lap at the same time ;)

I am so excited to see what sports Theo ends up liking as he gets bigger. He has a serious arm and loves to throw a ball, chase after it, and throw it again. OR get about 18 inches away from people and chuck it at them. Ha!  He has no idea how strong he is.  We're leaning towards a Thor costume this year because his grip is so intense, I think he could actually pick up the mythical hammer.  Duke is obsessed with the 'Hult' right now so he'll be a mean green fighting machine come Oct. 31.

The brother bond between these nuggets has gotten strong the past few months and they love to play together, make each other laugh, and inevitably turn innocent hugs into a full blown wrestling match.  I love seeing them together, watching just how excited they get when the other walks into the room, and I can't wait to watch them bring their newest brother or sister into their circle.  Siblings are the best!

That's it for now...I'm feeling extra emotional about the fact that I'll be posting Duke's 3 YEAR update next month so props to Theo for staying little ;)

-T-

Catching Up

Earlier this week I returned from 5 days of motivation, inspiration, exhaustion, and emotion.  AKA the Rodan + Fields convention.  This was my first convention and while I had heard nothing but great things about it, I was a little anxious about what to expect. To start, I've been so sick during this pregnancy that my biggest fear was that I would just be miserable the whole trip and sleeping in a room with 3 other people that would be subject to my illness.  THANKFULLY I started feeling better at the beginning of last week and have been on the up and up every since.

The next part that surprised me the most was how damn emotional I was the whole time.  The speakers and focus of the convention wasn't just about being business owners, but about US. It was about being the best people we can be, about being powerful and successful women, and chasing away our demons and insecurities. I kept coming to realizations that I haven't really let myself think about for fear of feeling like a big failure or worse, a fraud.  Every session hit home for me in a different way.  YES I'm passionate about my business and the heart behind this company. YES I want to provide a future of flexibility and freedom for my family. But what else? I want to blog more, I want to prioritize things in life that bring me JOY. I want to stop skipping out on time with girlfriends or feeling guilty about doing things for myself. I want to be a more present mother and wife. I want to do more by doing less of what doesn't matter.

We announced our 3rd pregnancy last week and the love we felt was absolutely amazing.  We are so excited about this third addition to our little family, and yes, it was very much planned.  I think people assume this was a surprise pregnancy since we have a not quite 3 year old and an 18 month old now but we always knew we wanted 3 kiddos and the timing was exactly right.  I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful that even though I've been insanely sick growing this human that he/she looks perfect and I am already picturing the day I get to snuggle him/her up and introduce them to the boys. 

Duke has been very interested in everything this go around- especially why mommy is so sick. He gets tummy aches too and tells me the baby in his belly is a sister named Piper. I never knew how fun it would be to have a kiddo that is so involved in the pregnancy since he was so young when I was pregnant with Theo. I love it! He forgets that he's not supposed to body slam me like he does his daddy but we're working on that.

Theo will be 18 months old next week and is starting to mark his place in the world instead of just passively observing from the sidelines. He is strong willed and funny and I can't wait for him to start talking.  He runs all over the place, still has the best laugh, and melts my heart on a daily basis when he just needs snuggles.  He put his milk cup in my bag this morning and gave me the sweetest smile like "I'm coming too, right mom?!".

Dennis did an excellent job holding down the fort while I was gone and I always find that we appreciate each other even more when one of us has to do everything solo.  Love you hubs!

I want to check in this space more often, even just for quick updates, and keep my creative juices flowing. Here's hoping my September resolution holds strong! ;)

Happy Friday!