Christmas Eve in the British Virgin Islands

I vote a Caribbean boat trip to the British Virgin Islands every Christmas Eve! This year, we did just that. Our friend Adam's brother and sister-in-law where visiting from San Diego and we all decided to charter a boat for the day. It was chill and full of fun. We went to Tortola, Norman Island for snorkeling and lunch, Sandy Spit, and ended the day at Jost Van Dyke. Wells is obsessed with anything that moves and was so stoked about being on a boat. I think, this was his favorite Christmas "present" besides his fireman outfit. Poppy "went out of the country" for the first time and on her visit non-ferry boat ride. She loved it. Besides dealing with Wells wanting to walk around the boat in choppy waters, the kids were so well behaved. Poppy never let out a peep. And we managed Wells's wiggle's with snacks.

Both kids napped on board while we stopped to snorkeled. (And everyone said amen!) Wells loved playing on each beach with his friend Isla. Both kids were great being transported from boat to shore when we anchored out. Poppy did especially well with her float in the rough waters going ashore to Sandy Spit.

Sandy Spit is magical. It is a wee bitty island in the middle of gorgeous turquoise caribbean waters. It was the only place we had never been before and probably one of my favorites now!

It was the best way to spend out Christmas Eve this year!!

Poppy / 5 months

Poppy has woken up! She is up to play and giggle and drool and exercise her high pitched coos. It is so much fun. She loves playing and eye contact even from across the room. She is working at her own pace and I'd say doing just fine. She can sit up with resting her weight on her hands. She can scoot forward on her belly, but can't army crawl. She can roll over both ways, but mostly just rolls to her stomach and plays. She is gaining more head control and shoulder strength daily. And, she loves to stand. 
I love her belly laughs. Her big smiles. Her bright eyes. Seriously, I am smitten all over again. Her little personality is coming out more and Wells is taking notice. Wells loves to play peek a boo with Poppy. She loves it and melts us each time with a giggle. Sometimes she has Wells dying over her giggle and fart combo. She now takes a bath with Wells and loves it! She also loves to be in the pool or ocean. This past month, her hair formed into a organic mohawk as the hair on the sides of her head fell out. She had a ton of "party in the back" too. Just in the last week, the sides have really started to grow back in and they are blond-ish... still all with a little tint of strawberry. 
When we are home, she is all over the house. When we are out during the week, she typically is in the carrier worn by dad. I like holding her on my hip. A baby on the hip is your best accessory. I love it. She loves being worn and is almost always content for an extended period of time. On Christmas Eve, Poppy went out of the "country" for the first time. She visited Tortolla, Norman Island, Jost Van Dyke, and our favorite spot Shady Spit in the British Virgin Islands. She loved being on the boat. When she wasn't sleeping, she was being transported from boat to shore. She was a champ and even posed for pictures effortlessly! (I'm working on getting them up soon!) She never cried all day. Sweet baby.
"MOM, she is spilling!!!" Wells calls out to be me constantly. He is referring to her drool. I really think she is in the beginning stage of teething. She loves putting anything in her mouth to gum. She isn't spitting up as much (which is good, but I'm still over the spit up stage!), but she is a drool monster now. Five months and she is all sunshine! 

Wells // 2.5

It really surprises me how much Wells is still changing from month to month. It did seem like a few months ago everything was just the same monthly. The last few months, I want to come and type out everything that is happening so fast. Wells is turning into a "kid" and less of a baby.

His imagination is intriguing to me. He pretends all of the time. Lately, it has mostly centered around being a fireman. "..to the rescue!" fills the house all day long while he chasing pretend fires and bringing all to safety. It's cute. Really cute. We brought him to a holiday block party at the Fort Christian firehouse here on island. He was able to see the fire trucks up close and sit on them. They gave him a plastic fire man hat which he slept with, ate with, played with, and even bathed with. On Christmas morning, we gave him a whole fireman outfit. It was a hit!

Wells is even more verbal. He is really beginning to be able to articulate most of his thoughts into words that we can actually understand. It is so fun to hear what he is thinking, imagining, and loving.

He is still really interesting in cooking or helping in the kitchen in general. He is working at his cracking eggs skills little by little. He always helps with loading and unloading the dishwasher, too.

Recently, Ted and I went to dinner and had a new babysitter watch the kids. She mentioned how Wells was so independent. He fixed his own dinner. It's fun, but then sometimes I want to lock the refrigerator.

Wells loves to sing songs and lately he's been singing "Jingle all the Way" more than others. He also loves to play his guitar and scream... so maybe he has been influenced by scream-o music. I have been resurrecting my old collection.

School is going so great. He constantly asks to go and be with his teacher and friends. Recently, we watched him with his classmates in the holiday program. He ended up not singing, but he inched his way towards the microphone. He never ended up saying anything, but I was wondering what he would have said if he did. Later we had a little party for Christmas back in his classroom. I was able to hear the songs they typically sing and it was so adorable hearing him sing in spanish.


Wells loves to swim!!! He really loves boats. Or really any mode of transportation. He was so excited to go on a boat trip for Christmas Eve! He is always talking about the beach and his friends by name. It's incredibly sweet.

Wells is busy and sometimes his energy makes him crazy... like fighting naptime. Sometimes he makes us crazy when he doesn't listen and wants to run around at church. Overall, he is such a great kid and so easy to deal with. Now if only I could get him to keep his shoes on in the car.

Our Caribbean Christmas

Seek Peace & Pursue It.

Last year, we were packing into suitcases and heading to Kentucky to celebrate my little brother getting married. December was packed, a little to busy for my comfort levels. This year we are staying home and what better place to call home than St. Thomas. We have already been starting our holidays off with a bang including tree lightings, pictures with Santa, and cookie decorating parties. We have so much fun festivities planned too. We just booked a boat charter for Christmas Eve. I am so looking forward to a calmer holiday to spend with my little family soaking up some sunny days on the beach.

I have failed to send out Christmas cards this year. I've been too busy taking everyone else's. I may do a Happy New Year, We had a baby!, and we are moving!! 2016 card. It may be at in your mailbox or it may sit on my kitchen table for a few months before I decide to pitch it. I'm more of a every other year Christmas card type person in ways. It has been working just fine for me too.

I'm almost done Christmas shopping and hoping all arrives in time.

In other news, I'm really enjoying this advent season. My sister-in-law sent me the She Reads Truth advent book and I'm really digging into it.

Isaiah 34:14 "..seek peace and pursuit it..." One of the many things that has been impressed upon my heart this season. I am so thankful for a Savior who sought me out and gives me peace.

Last Sunday, our family lit the candle of peace at our church.

We went up to light the candle as a family. I was holding Poppy and starting the reading. I passed the microphone to Ted and went to light the previous weeks candle. It would not light. Ted kept reading as I tried a few more ways. Never lit and I moved on and lit the candle of peace as Ted finished the reading and prayer. All the while, Wells is standing by our sides exclaiming "I need to pee. Daddy, I need to pee. I need to pee pee Mommy." And, I thought for sure his voice was being heard by all. In actuality, I think only the choir heard thankfully.

Becoming a mom of two

Our parenting skills have been honed over the last two years of parenting Wells. I am way more relaxed as mom. And, what I really mean is my emotions have calmed down. The love is the same. The devotion is the same. The sacrifice is the same. The changing factor is that I am not experiencing those same first time mom overwhelming emotions of needing to be there every single second.

My first time out of the house without Wells, I went to Target and the mall. Two stops in less than two hours, I could barely make it home fast enough. I believe, it is natural to want to be with your breastfeeding child. I really couldn't ever clear my head enough to go without him. Times have changed and I've gained mommy wings as a mom of two.

I have such a special relationship with Poppy, but it looks different than my relationship with Wells. Becoming a parent for the first time was so much more life changing. Ted and I cried for days on end, because of the life that we could hold against our chests. Becoming a parent for the second time wasn't as life altering. It actually went so smoothly. We haven't had any 'oh shit, what have we done' moments.

If I were to use one word to describe my children as babies, I'd use busy for Wells and relaxed for Poppy.

We really had an easy go with Wells as a baby or so we thought. He was a chill for the most part. He would cry in the car and didn't love anyone but us holding him, besides my mom, for longer than a few minutes. Otherwise, he was so easy to care for. He was always active. He started rolling at five and a half weeks from back to belly. A week later, he was rolling both directions. He came out of me with head control and strength. By Thanksgiving, he was just shy of four months and sitting up unassisted. Two weeks later, he started army crawling. By Christmas, he was crawling just before he made five months old. I was constantly watching him.

If my calculations are correct, which I am most positive they are, Poppy was born at 37 weeks. She was asleep from two and a half months. She finally woke up just before she made three months and we've put her to work.

Poppy has been less physical than Wells as a baby. Poppy puts herself to sleep. Poppy smiles all day long. Poppy lets anyone hold her for whatever amount of time. Poppy takes a bottle (!) cold or warm. (I never pumped with Wells.) Poppy breastfeeds, but doesn't need to breastfeed to sleep or 24-7. She is curious about the world and can entertain herself easily. She laughs. She smiles. She is happy. She barely cries. She sleeps 12-13 hours at night not waking once.

Wells was easy to care for. I could fix anything and everything for Wells with a boob. He loved to breastfeed. He loved to breastfeed in the middle of the night and all day long. He was overall happy. He was so curious about the world. He made sure he could touch, see, and experience everything on his own. He was independent as long as I was right by his side.

As a new parent of two children, I am learning to embrace the differences, celebrate their uniqueness, and foster their growth in their own ways. Ted reminds me when I start comparing Poppy to Wells. Poppy isn't Wells and will figure out the world in her own way.

As a mom of two, I am learning to foster their growth and balance their needs in ways unique and special to them.

Deciding Factor

Earlier this month, Ted and I went through a whole process of deciding whether we should stay in the Virgin Islands next year or put in our picks to leave.  There are so many things that we love about living in St. Thomas. The ease of family life is at the top of our list. Since St. Thomas is so small, Ted's commute to work is quick which gets him home fast for more time with us. We love being outdoors and in the water. The island is filled with really friendly and inviting people. We have found such a special community here and the transition has been the easiest of all the places we have lived. A few things did make it to the not so great list like there is nothing to do with the kids when it rains and we would love a church that would be a better fit for us. For weeks, we were decided on staying one year longer. We were confident in our decision. It was so exciting to think we could spend another year in paradise. It would allow more time for our families to be able to come to visit too. I really loved the idea of Poppy having more time on the island.

The time came to submit our decision. Two nights before we submitted, we shook and felt so confident about staying. Ted and I often listen to a podcast. We listened to one sermon the day before submitted. I knew after listening what our decision should be. Ted felt the same way. That night, we decided on leaving paradise and submitting a list of places in a particular order. It felt right even though we were still sad about leaving this island.

We did finally feel peace and content in our decision. Now we wait and spend our days enjoying the here and now. I can't wait to see where we land next summer. Stay tuned.