Isaac is THREE!

I just can't even believe this. My baby... the child who made me a parent... the one who changed my heart for good... is now three years old.

Isaac is growing up faster than my little mom heart can take it. This past sunday (10/25... his actual birthday), he moved up to the older kids nursery room and the 3 year old Sunday school class, which he immediately loved. It's just going by so quickly. I look at Ian and see Isaac, as if he should still be 9 months old. Oh, sweet boy! Stop growing so fast!

He's the funniest boy I know and makes me laugh all the time. In new situations, he can be very reserved, but when he's comfortable with someone, he will talk your ear off. He loves to run circles around anything, but you may never pass him or win. He can be quite bossy, but I think a kinder interpretation of that is that he is a natural leader. He is incredibly smart and surprises me daily with the things he knows. Under all of that is this tender little heart. At the center of Isaac is a sweet, loving, kind boy. He surprises me every day.

I asked Isaac the same set of questions on his birthday that I asked him at 2 and a half. Then I tried twice to create a cute little graphic with his answers... and my computer froze up both times. Bummer. Here's the list & answers in a much less cute and graphic presentation:

• What's your name? Isaac
• How old are you? Three!
• What's your favorite color? Blue
• What's your favorite toy? Gator
• What food do you like to eat most? Spaghetti
• Who is your best friend? Daddy!
• What is your favorite thing to watch? My new movie (Aladdin)
• What is your favorite book? Snuggle Puppy

Some other specifics about my favorite 3 year old boy. He's wearing 4T/5T and sometimes kids XS. He's wearing a size 10 shoe. I'll find out how tall he is and how much he weighs at his checkup next week. Every morning on waking up, he wants a cup of milk, his gummy vitamins, and a small cup of pretzel goldfish. He loves sharing a bowl of cereal with mom and staying up late watching movies and eating popcorn. We watch a lot of Minions, Toy Story, Paw Patrol, Curious George, and just about anything on Disney Junior... Jake & the Pirates, Miles, Handy Manny, PJ Masks, Little Einsteins, etc. He's a great eater, just like he's always been. We've been working on memorizing scripture and he has several verses that he loves to recite. I've also enjoyed teaching him the basics of prayer. Such joy!!

I love this boy two pieces!

Halfway to three!

Yesterday morning (Sunday), Facebook let me know that three years ago, on April 26, we announced our first pregnancy to the world. It got me all misty eyed looking at my little gummy bear ultrasound picture.... who is now this big kid:

Half wet polo shirt. Nap hair. Silly smile. This is our life.

Who would've imagined that little gummy bear would be our first boy (and that 3 years after that announcement was made, we'd already have a second little boy!). It's also crazy to think that Isaac is officially now more than halfway to three. Getting to 2 and a half seems like an accomplishment, because life in general was so much different 6 months ago. And Isaac was so much different! He has grown so much since his birthday, thankfully not in weight or height (not that I can tell...), but moreso in maturity. I can have halfway coherent conversations with him! He can tell me about his day, what he liked to do, and the times when he got upset. He can retain information and relay it back (sometimes days later). He is goofy and funny and full of life. But deep inside this always-moving, laughing, crazy boy is a sweet and tender little heart.

The "please just sit down and smile for one picture!!!" Outtakes.

So I can always remember what life is like with this funny 2.5 year old of mine, we sat down... or well, I chased him around the house and asked some fun questions. Here's what we came up with:

I'd say his favorite toy by a landslide is Gator, without which, Isaac may not survive. The second favorite would easily be Lightning McQueen. Also, I cannot remember the last time I read him The Very Hungry Caterpillar (which I just realized I misspelled ^^up there^^ Shoot.), but we read George almost every night. The kid's a little nuts for Curious George these days. Lastly, I'm pretty sure his favorite things to eat are pretzel goldfish, tomatoes, grapes, and pizza. And I'm not even going to pretend he doesn't love to eat chips and candy.

Some other things he loves: Watching movies with popcorn (which he feeds to the dog). Running in circles ALL DAY LONG. Playing in the dirt. Antagonizing the dog. Jumping on the bed.

The Look.

It hurts my momma heart to think this sweet baby will be 3 years old in a few more months. He brings so much sunshine and laughter to our lives. I am blessed every moment by this amazing boy, what an honor it is to be his mom.

Easter 2015

The Mims pray you all had a blessed and joyous Easter! For me personally, my Easter has felt substantially different and more meaningful/significant. Although we don't typically observe the season of Lent, this year I walked through the devotional Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross with SheReadsTruth. There were plenty of days that were hard to swallow, but my heart was really softened by this study and made Resurrection Sunday a great day of rejoicing!

Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice and then defeated sin and death for eternity!

We sing Hallelujah! The Lamb has overcome!!!

I was really excited to celebrate Easter this year with Isaac, because he finally feels old enough to "get it." Last year he was just a year and a half, so all the little Easter traditions were a wash. He really got into things this year though and we had a lot of fun. One of my favorite moments from our Easter week was introducing Isaac to cascarones!!! He was hilarious smashing eggs on his own head!

Here are some pictures from his Easter egg hunt with his class. Despite having an Easter basket for him, we walked out of the house that morning with no basket. Mom brain fail. Luckily, we were able to borrow an extra bucket to catch all the awesome eggs he found.

Oh, the anticipation!!!!

Checking out the treats inside the eggs

Making his way around the playground with Dad and Ian

My handsome boy.

Happy Easter!!!!

Isaac's "School" Pictures

Last week at Discovery Days (aka MDO), was the week for spring pictures. Mandi, our preschool director, took the photos and did an amazing job. I couldn't be more happy with them!!!! He looks so grown up and handsome! My big sweet boy.

I told Mandi that it was a small miracle just to get Isaac sitting still long enough to take a picture of him. Then to get him to smile at the same time?! Impossible! During our family pictures last November, he wouldn't cooperate at all- it was a nightmare. And anytime I whip out a camera, he runs in the opposite direction.

Occasionally, I can bribe Isaac into taking A picture. (one) I am not above bribery.

Anyway, you'll have to overlook my proud mommy tendencies... I HAD to share these pictures. They are just TOO cute not to.

Le Sigh

To say that I've mastered the art of juggling a newborn, a two year old, and a blog (or housework, laundry, personal hygiene, cooking...) would be a total lie. This is obvious because it's been almost 2 weeks now since I have posted anything. Thank goodness for Discovery days! With Isaac gone this morning, I've had a few moments to shower, straighten the house, and wash 2 loads of laundry! Unfortunatlely, my brain is particularly mushy, so prepare yourself for lots of rambling and an iPhone photo dump! I've actually already updated this post 3 times since originally publishing it! Ha!

Many apologies!

My life is moving rapidly by despite spending very little of it sleeping. Ian appears to be in a never-ending growth spurt, and regularly eats every 90 minutes to 2 hours. On the rare nights he gives me a little 3.5-4 hour stretch, I'm usually awake anyway, engorged and leaking. His 1 month check up is Monday, and I'm curious to see his updated weight and length. Considering he had gained well over a pound at 2 weeks of life, and has spent the majority of the time since eating, I'm wondering how close he will come to Isaac's 1 month weight (10b 15oz).

Aside from Ian breastfeeding at all times of the day and night, Isaac also seems to be having a rough time with sleep these days. While I was awake at 2am feeding Ian two nights ago, I noticed Isaac on the monitor, bright eyed and throwing toys and pillows off of his bed. Yikes. Mornings are no better: He typically sleeps between 7:30 and 8am, so hearing the familiar "MOM! DAD! Dooooooor...open it!" at 6am has thrown us all off.

Please don't misunderstand me though, these days are full of love and sweet moments. Watching Isaac fall in love with his brother has melted my heart over and over again. Spending my time snuggling and kissing these boys has been so much fun for me. I love them more and more with each passing moment!

Jordan spent a weekend in Houston at the StudentLife conference, so my mom and her new husband came down to visit and help out. It was also the first time she was able to meet Ian. I know my mom enjoys spending time with the boys, and I love when they are able to get some quality time in since we don't see them nearly as often as I'd like. She got in lots of Ian cuddles and many Isaac-induced laughs. Overall, it was a nice weekend for everyone involved.

I'm hoping to be back again soon with photos from the delivery day, a 1 month update, and a photo recap of the sip-n-see shower happening this weekend!

2 weeks & Thankful

We've made it through the first 2 weeks of Ian's extrauterine life and I have a lot to be thankful for.

Thankful for sweet boys.

Thankful for a healthy home after battling the flu this weekend (Isaac).

Thankful for Netflix, SheReadsTruth, clorox wipes, and Tamiflu.

Thankful for pediatric dosing of Zofran to take with Tamiflu.

Thankful for losing umbilical cord stumps and first baths together.

Thankful for a little brother who doesn't spit up nearly as severely as big brother did.

Thankful for how much less laundry I do as a result of the above statement.

Thankful for growing baby eyelashes. And kissable baby lips.


Thankful for an awesomely easy time breastfeeding so far.

Thankful for a growing freezer stash of liquid gold.

Thankful for a sweet visit with Aunt Casey. Not nearly long enough.

Thankful for all the loads of laundry and dishes Aunt Casey did for us while she was here. (Come back!)

Thankful for all the meals that have been provided for us by our church family.

Thankful for the prayers, love, and support pouring in from all angles.




So thankful for sweet boys.

My Firstborn

It seems like the blog has seen its share of pregnancy related posts. And with good reason; at 37 weeks along now, it feels like my entire world kind of revolves around this coming baby.

With the exception of my firstborn.

I thought i'd spend a little time updating the world on my sweet Isaac. For at least a few more weeks, he's still one of my very favorite subjects to talk about.... and something tells me that's not ever going to change.

Making funny faces in the tub.... 

...and on the couch!

First off, Isaac is a chatterbox. There's very little time during the day where he isnt trying to talk about what's going on in his world. He constantly surprises me with his expansive vocabulary as well as his perception of the world. Oh, and he has this incredible little memory! It's becoming harder and harder to talk about him without talking in "code." I just love how expressive and verbal he is though! He has a lot to say! And in true boy style, he can have entire conversations that consist solely of growls and roars... like tigers, monsters, dinosaurs, and sharks.

Bet you didn't know sharks say "Rawr!"

Isaac loves cars (the movie and the matchbox variety) and Curious George. Occasionally he will tolerate Veggie Tales, Monsters, Inc., and Toy Story. He could "pway cars" all day long. Recently, he has started insisting on napping and sleeping with some of his cars. We compromise by setting his cars along his side table and chest, so they can "watch him sleep"... because he also insists on having a hoard of stuffed animals and blankets in his bed. He is hilarious.

Going along with bedtime related things, I wake up each morning hearing him on the monitor saying, "Moooommmmmmyyyyyy! ....ARE YOU?!?! Moommmmmm ....ARE YOU?! (Where are you?)" It's so sweet and silly and funny. He stays in bed until I open his door, and he'll greet me with a "Hey Mom!" and then rocket out of bed.

Annnnnd he's also two. Which has really started to rear it's stubborn, loud, tantrumy, ugly head. For so much of the time, he is sweet and funny and a big helper. Then there are moments where he makes me want to bang my head against a wall. Parenting a toddler is such a mind game, and it is emotionally draining! Some days are tough and I just pray that consistency, discipline, love, and a lot of chocolate will get me through the difficult days.

He loves bath time more than most any other time of the day. Often times, more water ends up outside the tub than in it. He got a few dozen new bath toys for Christmas, which have been a huge hit (thanks Aunt Jennifer!). I haven't even attempted potty training yet, but he is proficient in peeing in the tub, so there's that.

I adore my little buddy and I seriously couldn't be more excited thinking of him as a big brother.

2014 in review

Happy 2015!!!!

We hope you have a blessed year! It is going to be a big year for my family, considering anytime now, we will be adding a new member to the Mims clan. I'd say that we have lots of other things on our plate, but honestly, all I can see right now is baby #2. And that's not because I can hardly see the keyboard around my pregnant belly. I've had fun looking over the past year's posts and pictures. It's hard to believe Isaac looked so little! I only blogged a measly 70 times, which breaks down to only 5.8 blogs/month.... it's been a busy year! It's nice to reminisce about the good times and see where the Lord has taken and grown our family this year.

Here's a quick recap of 2014:
January: Girl's Retreat 2014 was held at a fantastic waterfront home and we studied Gods at War. It kicked off a really wonderful small group of girls that I've met with regularly ever since.

February: Student Life Conference and Passion 2014 kept us away from home two weekends in a row. Also, Isaac and I went on a whirlwind trip to Austin to visit some dear friends.

March: While Jordan spent spring break traveling the southeast with our students, I spent spring break with Isaac. This was also the month I started the journey towards becoming a Fetal Monitoring Educator (which didn't become official until November! Sheesh!) and we took a family trip to Austin to spend the weekend with another set of dear friends. Lastly, this was when our stubborn little boy decided he wanted to walk (finally) and ever since hasn't stopped moving.

April: One of our two 2014 trips to Augusta was in April and I was able to celebrate the pregnancy of an especially dear friend.

May: We learned that our family would be expanding! Positive pregnancy test and a due date of 1/25/15! I also ran my one and only race this month.

June: I rolled over into a new decade! 30 years old as of 6/4. Hubs turned 31...Old man. We also took our first Isaac-free vacation, spending a long weekend in San Antonio.

July: Jordan and I celebrated our 8th year of marriage. This was another busy month where we spent almost as much time away from home as we spent at home. Isaac took his first trip to the zoo and we took our first lengthy road trip to visit friends in north Texas.

August: This was a pretty quiet month, which was well appreciated after a busy summer.

September: I took a rejuvenating mommy only trip to Nashville to visit my sister and her husband.

October: My sweet boy had his second birthday! It was perfectly low-key where we spent the whole day doing and eating exactly what Isaac loves. He also moved out to his big boy room and the nursery was stripped down and rearranged to prepare for baby #2.

November: Second trip to Augusta and my first baby shower for kiddo #2. Instead of flying this time around, we drove the trip and it was a huge success. We celebrated Thanksgiving with our Houston family.

December: We celebrated Christmas and continued prepping our home and family for baby #2.

It was a wonderful year! Here's hoping for another fantastic year!!

Road Trip 2014

So a little over 2 weeks ago, we took a road trip to visit our family in Augusta. For all inquiring parties, 1,150 miles separate Rockport from Columbia County, Georgia (which is really moreso home to family) and all three of us survived the trip. If you're scratching your head, here's the rationale: Mr. Isaac had a birthday recently, which now means he's old enough to need his own airline seat (not only that, he's also much too big to carry in my shrinking lap for a few hours at a time.). We aren't made of money and flying with a 2 year old is kind of a nightmare. There's an inflexibility that comes with air travel and despite spending about 18 hours in a car, I LOVED the ability to stop and go as we pleased as we crossed 5 states.

My biggest tip for road tripping with a 2 year old: a million distractions. We had snacks, toys, movies, and coloring pages. We sang songs, counted cows, checked out all the other cars and trucks on the road, and made plenty of stops, even just to get the wiggles out.

Enough about the travel, the trip itself was wonderful! It might have been one of the most fun trips we've taken back to Augusta. We had lots of time to spend with our family and friends. I felt the least rushed and the least spread-thin (therefore, less frazzled and exhausted). That being said, we still missed seeing some important people, my ankles looked like sausages each night, and I needed a few days to recover when we finally got home.

It was so much fun to see Isaac really bonding with our family members and dearest friends there in Georgia. They are all people that we unfortunately don't get to see very often and I think this was the first time he was old enough to really appreciate his Grammy, Big Daddy, Aunt Jenn, Mary, Christopher, Papa Ed, Grandmama, and all the other people we were blessed to visit. Not only was that a really sweet thing to witness, but I got lots of sweet friend time in... and a baby sprinkle too!

And now, the obligatory photo dump! (don't worry, 88% of the pictures are of Isaac.)

We went to the park several times

Cheeks for days.

The infamous Cheese("KEEEEEES"!!!!) Face

Boll Weevil Carnage. 

Isaac had a BLAST on all of Big Daddy's "toys." Here, he's driving a dump truck!

And now he's on one of my dad's two tractors. Little boy heaven.

We had a ton of fun during our trip to Augusta. The travel went smoothly and I can easily see us making the drive again in the future... the post baby #2 future!