Wow! It is hard finding time to keep up with this!  Thank you to whoever is still reading!

Since my last post, Wade and I celebrated our third anniversary.  Three years isn't that long, but a lot has happened during them.  They have definitely been three very important years.

To celebrate, Wade and I went out for supper at a restaurant in town.   It was nice.  Jude and Murphy stayed with their grandma and grandpa and when we picked them up afterwards, Jude surprised us with a giant heart-shaped cookie that he helped decorate, and a card that he coloured.  I loved them!

It's so fun to see proof that your babies love you.   Jude was never really a "momma's boy", and the only times I could tell that I was really important to him were when he would bonk his head and need a kiss.  He never liked to cuddle, or give kisses, or anything.  He has always been too busy.  Murphy, on the other hand is a snuggler AND a "momma's boy".   If he sees me and I'm not holding him, he will cry.  I sometimes love that, but other times, I just wish he could go to someone else for a while so I could get a break.

It's easy to tell that Murphy thinks I'm special, and sometimes I take it for granted, but with Jude, I cherish every single thing he does to say he loves me.  

Whenever Wade tucks Jude into bed, I hear a little "Mommy, hug?" and when I walk into his room, his arms are spread wide open and he gives me the best hug ever.  I also taught Jude to say "pretty" whenever I ask him how I look.  Every once in a while he'll say "mommy pretty"  without me asking for it.  And one day, when I was stressed out about who knows what, Jude just said, "Thanks, Mommy".  I asked him, "For what?"  and he replied, "Juice...cars...George." because I had got him juice and cars, and put Curious George on for him.  It surprised me to find out that he noticed that I did those things not because I had to, but because I loved him.  I brought tears to my eyes.

I was also amazed with the love Jude could show when before Murphy was born, I gave him a doll to play with to help him understand that we were going to have another little baby soon.  He pushed that doll around in a little stroller, and kissed it, and set up a bed of blankies so that the baby could have a nap.  The kindness and love he showed that baby continued to his little brother when he was born.  Jude has been so sweet with him.  He covers him up with a blanky, gets him toys, pushes him in his swing, and teaches him about trucks.  I think he shows kindness and love because that is what has been shown to him, and he appreciates it and notices it.

It's frustrating sometimes to be a parent when your child doesn't want to cuddle you and kiss you and just wants to be their own person.  Sometimes they are just too busy (as Jude tells me he is when he doesn't have time to eat his supper).  But, if you can stop being busy for just a few minutes and think about the things your child does on a daily basis, somewhere in their actions, I'm sure there is a "Thanks, Mommy." in there.  You have done so many things that you didn't have to do, but you did it anyways out of love, and they notice.

On a side-note, Jude learned how to say "Love you" the day after Valentines Day.  Now every once in a while, I get it in words <3