A Day In The Life...

I love this picture. Adam came home to eat lunch with us, and it was cracking me up that Harrison wearing a helmet is just totally normal to us these days. Because Adam wears a helmet when he bikes, Harrison thinks it is the coolest to wear one around the house. So he does. And now I don't even think about it. And then it occurred to me while we were eating lunch, "what in the world...my son is wearing a helmet while we eat and it seems as normal as Adam wearing a tie."
On another note, I need some serious feedback. I am soliciting it, so please say what you feel. So, I can't decide about Fisher's name. We are definitely going to name him Fisher, and we want to use the name Adam in his name. After a lot of feedback (which I'm appreciative for, in this instance), people say it is a pain in the rear to go by your middle name. To me, "Adam Fisher Brantley" sounds a heck of a lot better than "Fisher Adam Brantley." It sounds like "Farmer Joe" to me. I'm stuck on what sounds good vs what is best for the child. I will admit that I am probably leaning towards Fisher Adam as I realize that no one ever says a kid's full name except at birth, graduations, and a wedding. On the other hand, I also think Adam Fisher is a name that is more easily passed down to one of his kids. Ugh...all of these things to think about.

2 1/2 Years!

Harrison is officially 2 1/2 years-old today. I cannot believe how old he is getting so fast. While it was been a long two and a half years, it has also flown by. I know that is a bit of an oxymoron, but anyone who knows anything about our life might agree. I am just so thankful for these two and a half years that the Lord has given us with our sweet son and I pray that we have many, many more. Just 6 months ago, I was a little worried about Harrison's speech as he was putting two words together well like he should be. 6 months later, I've almost forgotten about that concern. After thinking about this today, I'm so thankful for the words Harrison speaks. They make me laugh mostly, but every now then, they make me cry (like when he said "love you too" for the first time or when he says "no momma get on airplane. Stay home with me"). I love this kid more than words can explain.

A Big Thank You

Adam and Harrison unloaded a riding lawnmower courtesy of Grandpa Gus and Grandma Linda today. We have been talking about this lawnmower for a couple of weeks now and Harrison has been eagerly anticipating its arrival. Adam told Harrison today that after he woke-up from his nap, he could mow the grass with him. Well, when Harrison woke up, the first thing I heard in the monitor was, "Daddy, come get me. Mow grass now." I went to get Harrison up and when he saw me he said, "Momma, go put work clothes on. Mow the grass in two minutes." Huh? That caught me off guard, but I guess Adam had been telling him this morning that I could mow the grass now. I didn't realize I was signing up for that. But I am super-thankful for it. Harrison was so happy; and I am too. All we had was a push-mower (not even self-propelled), and that meant Adam spent at least 4 hours on yard work. I'm so thankful that I will get to spend more time with my husband on the weekend now. Oh, and you can add this to my list of things about boys that I'm in store for: a love for all things outdoors and the equipment that is associated with it.

What's In Store For Me

Feeling pretty confident that baby Fisher will be our second and last child (I know our hearts could change, but we feel pretty strong about it at this point), I've done a lot of thinking about what it is going to be like to be a mom of boys. I've always thought I would be a mom of boys, but I haven't thought about what that looks like day in and day out until recently.
1. At least six more years of full-on tackles for me: I'm sure that tackling each other will last until their late twenties for the boys, but I think that I will continue to be a tackling dummy for about six more years. I've tried to channel the full-on sprint across the room ending with a dive onto my body to Adam and the dogs recently, but Harrison thinks it is a lot more fun to tackle his unsuspecting mother. And when you ask Harrison what he likes about football, it is the tackling.
2. A celebration of nudity: I know that all kids are different, but I tell you no lie, Harrison loves to be naked. I'm guessing this is more of a male characteristic than a female. In fact, most of the time, he'd like to wear a helmet with nothing else. We are working on the need to be clothed.
3. Dirty nails...I have no idea how it happens, but he manages to have perma-dirty finger and toe nails. He just plays so darn hard. And I swear we bathe him... sometimes even 2 to 3 times a day.
4. Trucks...Harrison loves to play with, talk about, and point out trucks at any given moment. In fact, these days in the car, when you think you have a moment of silence, Harrison spots a truck, and then tells you all of the details about it...over and over again.
5. Fascination with Dad...I love that Harrison wants to do whatever Adam does. Both of my boys have such a great role model on how to love well and play hard. And I love that Harrison already wants to do both because of what he sees in his dad.
5. Love for Momma...this could be my favorite part. While we have some trying times during the day, Harrison still loves me to death (and vice versa). I love the relationship between a mom and son. Whenever I tell people that I'm having my second boy, often the reply is, "that's great; boys love their mommas." And it is true...just so hard to put into words.

Maintaining Relationships

I've started thinking about how hard it is to create, and even maintain relationships when you have a toddler at home. I remember that I never wanted to be someone who talks on the phone with a child yelling or talking loudly in the background. And let's be real, if Harrison is talking, it is loud. Even though Harrison can be very quiet when I'm on the phone, half of my attention is still on him. So, even if I do get to talk to friends, I'm hardly as present as I should be. And it got me thinking...relationships that are still growing (with friends and family) at the end of the toddler season, are built to last. For me, it is really hard to not be able to chat with all of my friends all of the time. But, when Harrison is asleep or at school, I have work or stuff around the house that needs to get done. And then for my friends that have normal, 9-5 jobs, they can only talk around 6:00 or 7:00 which, as those with kids know, is a crazy time in a household. We are trying to eat, deal with a crazed 2 year old, and hopefully begin winding down process before too late. I guess this is a thank-you to my friends and family who have been patient and understanding (especially when I practically have to hang up on you to rush off to something). And for those I haven't called back, I'm sorry. I am not intentionally ignoring you; I've probably just forgotten. Feel free to bother me until I call you back. But it is worth it...look how cute this kid is!