What this one name?

Pax has started asking a million questions. As a language enthusiast, I really love watching this develop. I will probably have to add another post sometime about all the questions that have started coming out of his mouth. He's started to take an interest in names, including his own and those of his lovely parents. To me this is really funny, and an interesting observation he's made-that we all go by multiple names.

Pax: Mommy, what your name, Mommy?

Me: My name is Mommy?

Pax: No, Amanda. Man, I hate it when the toddler throws out a trick question. Simple question... don't I even know my own name? (long pause, probably to process why his mother does not know her name) Daddy, what your name, Daddy?

Travis: Travis. For the record, he was listening and got to benefit from my mistake here.

Pax: What Pax name?

Me: Not to be outsmarted a second time by the toddler. Are you asking about your whole name? William Paxon Garner?

Pax: Yeah. Pax.

This is just a short clip from our trip where you can hear Pax initiating this conversation again.

Just Beachy

Last week, we took a trip to the beach. Part of the week was a planning retreat for Travis and some fellow youth ministers to prepare for their annual December Breakthru retreat. During our shared time with these friends, we were delighted to see Pax really enjoying the company of adults outside our family and to watch our friends really enjoying him. They learned a few current Pax-isms including his need to know everyone's name and to determine exactly what each person in the room is doing at all times. Mrs. Kris, Mr. Earle, and Mr. Andrew were great sports as we sang thanksgiving for each meal (and snack), then took two bites and sang an additional prayer or two (even at restaurants). They helped us build sand castles and play cars. They even gave Travis and me a night out while they kept Paxon. On the day when the rest of the group headed home and we were left to vacation as a family of three, Pax walked sullenly back to the house from the beack and lamented, "Pax friends no in beach house." Clearly, they have become special friends to him as well!

This beach trip was full of exploration and curiosity. The first time we walked to the beach on this trip, Pax looked out and said, "Oooooh! A lot of water!" So true, it leaves me in awe every time I see it. He kept wanting to know what the ocean was doing and where it was going. Very good questions. I wasn't sure exactly how to answer. I had worried about how Pax would react to the sand and the ocean, but as always, I was plesantly surprised by him. He loved holding the sand in his hands and walking on it with his bare feet. He couldn't keep his fingers out of the crab holes in the sand. Thankfully, none of them felt as curious about him as he did about them! We built roads for our trucks and castles for the sand pipers and splashed in the salty waves. Here are a few pictures of our week:

Decorating a sand castle with seaweed.

Our view as we relaxed on the beach

Check this guy out!

Family beach photo

Don't worry, the trucks got to vacation to the beach as well. They were essential in our sand castle construction.

Tis the Season

Last night, I had a discussion with some good friends about our season of life. We're reading an interesting book that challenges us to get out of our routines and passionately pursue Life and it's adventures. Our discussion centered around how we can balance our feelings of responsibility and desire to care for our family with openness to opportunities to serve others and grow that were not necessarily a part of our plan for the day. We recognized that we are in a period of life that is unbelievably wonderful and indescribably difficult at the same time. We kept saying, "It's just a season of life." Our point was to recognize that we don't have to do it all, all the time. Life has seasons. We're in the long, hot summer.

Dirty diapers, coordinating nap times, messy meals, potty training, bedtime routines, and tantrums. These are the less glamorous part of this season of life. But, oh, I know how my heart will long for this season when it's past. I looked at Pax last night as Travis was reading to him and noticed that his legs look like the legs of a preschooler. Long and kinda chubby, by Garner standards. I remember so vividly those tiny, spindally newborn legs. His face is losing some of the toddler roundness. As I was watching him, he looked up and smilled back at me with a mouthful of teeth that seem to have just grown in and, before I can blink, will fall out to make room for new ones. Sometimes, my heart aches for time to stand still. It's just a season.

May God allow me be present in the here and now and treasure these moments.

That man take Pax car!

Today we went to visit Jen, Jamey, and new baby Miller at the hospital. Vanderbilt offers valet parking to patients and visitors to help ease some of the parking pain that comes from being land locked in a busy area of town with limited parking. It's a great feature. I used it every time I visited my doctor while pregnant with Pax.

I pulled up to the valet entrance, got the ticket, got Pax and our bag out of the car and headed to the elevators. We walked away and I didn't look back. I actually was quite pleased with the speed at which the whole process was happening. Pax began to whimper and cry a bit. We've entered a new "whining phase" which, frankly, makes me bananas on some days. My mantra lately has been, "Please use your words to tell me what's wrong." Anyway, after encouraging him to tell me what was going on (and now exiting the elevator onto OB floor of the hospital), Pax with a very serious and concerned face said, "Man take Pax car!"

In retrospect, I see how I should have explained this process before walking away from our running vehicle as a complete stranger jumped in and quickly drove it away.

Goodnight Moon

Tonight as we were leaving church, Pax was looking for the moon.

I couldn't find it from where we were standing. Maybe it hadn't risen. I'm not sure.

When I told Pax I didn't know where it was, he responded, "Moon stay home."

Yeah, moon. Stay home tonight and get some rest. Goodnight, moon!

New Cousin

On Monday, after we knew that my sister Jen was in labor, we told Pax he was getting a new cousin. In typical almost two year old fashion, he immediately began to whine, "NO!"

We think he was supposing that, like with many things, if we get something new it's to replace something we currently have. He has recent memory of Jen and Jamey getting a new house, G-Daddy getting a new car, and daily getting new diapers. After assuring him that he also gets to keep his first cousin, Mason, here's his reaction to meeting Miller. He also asked him if he'd like some goldfish crackers and attempted to give him a monster truck to drive. Miller, I think you've made a good impression!

first day of school

It's that time of year, when wide ruled paper and three-pronged notebooks line the aisles at Target. In our little Garner family, at least one of us has always been in school. It's what we do.

I was in graduate school at Vanderbilt when Travis and I were first married. Immediately after I graduated, Travis started graduate school at Vanderbilt Divinity School. After he graduated from seminary, he decided to pursue ordination and ended up back in school at Asbury Theological Seminary and Vanderbilt Div School again to complete some outstanding required courses. As neither Travis nor I had signed up for classes this fall, we decided it was time that Paxon started pulling his educational weight. I mean, really, how's he gonna be a genius if he doesn't start school soon (kidding, I'm KIDDING!).

His teacher, Ms. Kay (or Ms. Tay as Pax refers to her) said it was the best first day she'd ever had. The note home said that he carried 3 cars around with him all day and still managed to play with the shape sorter, vacuum cleaner, and puzzles and read a (cars) book. Sounds like a typical day for Paxon. They even convinced him to take a short nap on his little cot. Amazing what peer pressure will do to a kid!

Pax, we love you and are so proud of you, big kid!

The obligatory first-day-of-school picture complete with (cars) lunch box and Day School bag.

First day with Ms. Kay

Labor Day

At the end of last week, we saw my sister Jen who at the time was very pregnant. I told Travis as we were leaving them that evening that I thought she'd have the baby this weekend. When I'd not heard anything by Sunday, I sent a text, sure she'd say contractions had started...

Me: Baby today?
Jen: Nope.
Me: Feeble attempt at humor. Well tomorrow is Labor Day.

Turns out I wasn't too far off base. Jen went into labor around 2 a.m. on Monday September 7th which happens to be labor day this year!

What makes it even more exciting is that we didn't know what gender baby she was having. In this age where we can take 4D photographs while babies are in utero, I LOVE IT when someone waits to find out. Personal preference, I know, but really, there are so few surprises left in life!

Jen, the CHAMP, ended up with a BEAUTIFUL 11lb 10 oz baby boy delivered by C-section after a valiant attempt to get that baby out by other means. I'm thinking if we'd known he was nearly 12 lbs, they'd of scheduled a C-section right away! BTW- she didn't have ANY drugs until the C-section. Did I mention that she ROCKS?

Today, our sweet nephew/new baby cousin finally received a name: Nicholas Miller Campbell. He'll go by Miller. We are overwhelmed with joy! Welcome to our family, Miller. We love you beyond measure.

Cute baby

Proud aunt

Prouder Papa