The Gutshall Tell-All: February 2014

Hey, ya'll! Life has been pretty good in the Gutshall home! Lyla started sleeping through the night a little over a month ago and I am a new woman. I am getting 8 straight hours of sleep at night and it is glorious. I am actually energized enough to do things like clean, cook, and not nap and I am generally pleasant to be around! In all seriousness, though, 2013 was just a hard year. With foster care and transitioning into have two kids, one of which is a baby with a milk protein allergy and terrible sleep habits, the entire year was just. hard. As Lyla has hit 10 months old, she is just getting easier and bigger and really fun. I am amazed that next month I will have a 1 and 3 year old. I can't even wrap my mind around it. I have to say that having another baby is not even on the radar yet, because we are JUST getting past the hard stage and I am loving my "big kids" and our little family. We had such a fun night tonight just rough housing and wrestling and Lyla totally joins in on the fun now. I am totally savoring this fun stage. Ok, so here are some funny recent Emerson quotes...

1. While face timing with my parents...
Emerson: I have water in my ears from my bath!
Nana: Oh no! You're going to have to shake that out!
Emerson: No, I'll just use those little sticks with the fuzzies on the end to get it out!
(AKA Q-tips).

2. While face timing with my parents later...
Nana: You are going to be so smart just like your daddy! (I still can't figure out why she didn't say mommy, but that's beside the point)
Emerson: No... I don't have moles on my head like daddy does. Maybe I'll grow some when I get older! (Apparently moles make you smart, folks! That must be Caleb's secret!)

3. Caleb's grandpa passed away about a month ago and while trying to explain this to Emerson, the conversation went like this (Emerson hasn't really been exposed to the idea that people die)...
Caleb: Do you remember who great grandpa is? Where did we see great grandpa last?
Emerson: At the doctor. (true statement)
Caleb: Well, grandpa didn't get better. He died and he went to be in heaven with God.
Emerson: (without skipping a beat) Is Goliath with God?
Caleb: ......... I'm not sure.

4. One day, Emerson pointed out to me that girls have hair like mommy (long) and boys have hair like him (short). So, in an effort to prevent awkward public comments (ie: is that a boy or girl? etc.), I told him that sometimes you will see women with short hair or men with long hair. And I listed some people like that, that he knows. Later, as I was laying him down for his nap, Emerson says... "Some boys have long hair, some boys have funny hair, and some boys have smoke detectors."

??? This was one of those moments that I laughed out loud in that moment. SO random.

5. He has a hard time keeping the words "strong" and "heavy" straight. Therefore we get lots of comments like, "Mommy, you are so heavy!" when he means "strong". lol. It just makes me laugh when he says that.

6. Emerson is into telling secrets these days, but it is always the same secret. Thankfully, it is a very good secret that melts a momma's heart. He comes over to me...
Emerson: Mommy! I have to tell you a secret!
(He moves my hair out of the way so he can find my ear and whispers...) I love you, mommy.

That secret sure never gets old!

About 6 months ago, I wrote a "funny quotes" post and it had some good ones on it. It is just pretty fun when they say crazy things. We love that boy!

Emerson has a few good buddies that I hope he stays friends with for years to come. Great boys. Graham and Emerson know each other from play group and have been friends since they were babies.

This is Little Caleb (my husband is Big Caleb) and they have been friends since the womb days. They have loads of fun together.

Emerson got bronchiolitis and had to do breathing treatments :( I was very grateful that Lyla didn't get it because it would have been much more serious in a baby.