Happy Birthday Katie

Katelyn

Age: 4

Personality:  Carefree, girly, defiant, hands on, quiet, impulsive, shy, moody, determined, imaginative

Favorites:
Food:  PB&J, strawberry oatmeal, corn on the cob, cucumbers, apples, pizza, chicken enchiladas, salad, crackers, chocolate milk, and chips
Songs: Kenny Chesney's "Young", My God is So Big, The B.I.B.L.E.
Books:  Barbie books, Dora the Explorer books, and Strawberry Shortcake books (notice the girly trend?)
TV Shows:  Curious George, Sid the Science Kid, My Friend Rabbit, Willa's Wildlife
Movies:  Meet the Robinsons, TinkerBell, Madagascar, Princess Stories, Ice Age Dawn of the Dinasaurs
Games:  Chutes and Ladders, puzzles, PBSkids.org games
Toys:  Polly Pockets, Barbies, dress up, blocks for building towers/homes for Polly Pockets or Barbies, stroller for playing house, coloring books, and playdoh
Activities w/Mommy:  baking, reading, cuddling while watching movies, dancing contests
Activities w/Daddy:  cooking, helping with building projects, exploring outside

You wanted tacos, chips, chicken, and water for your birthday dinner (interesting combo?)

Dear Katie,
This year has been a challenging, but fulfilling year with you.  We started off a little rocky with efforts of getting you potty trained.  I had hoped to have you potty trained before Andrew was born, but you wanted nothing to do with it.  No matter what the incentive I gave or item taken away, you didn't seem to care.  You truly are a determined little girl.  At times our personalities really clashed and I didn't know where I was going to get the ambition to start a new day with you.  But finally, you seemed to "hit rock bottom" so to speak with the potty training issue, and things started turning around.  I guess you really wanted to learn in your own time.

As you are getting older, your personality is certainly flourishing.  Along with being determined to do things however and whenever you please, you also have quite an imagination.  With Kyra being in school all day, I worried about how we would occupy the days.  But you sometimes go a couple hours making up songs, role playing with your barbies and polly pockets and toy animals.  I have to be careful to remember to set some time aside for you, otherwise I could easily forget you are in the other room.  I have enjoyed watching you build really detailed towers and rooms for your dolls.  They have been complete with kitchen and bathroom!  Your coloring skills have also greatly improved.  Although we are still working on the alphabet, you love to write random letters and pretend to write a story like your big sister.  But perhaps what I like to see best is how you interact with Daddy.  You love to work on projects with him.  The other day you were helping him work on the plumbing in the bathroom.  You were cutting the pipe and working with flux with a little guidance from dad.  You love a challenge, but you don't want any help.  You certainly want to do it your "own self."

Yes, Katie I love your spunky attitude.  You definitely march to the beat of your own drum.  You're a quirky, loveable little girl and we hope to discover many new wonderful qualities about you in your 4th year of life.  Lots of love,

Mommy and Daddy

You wanted a unicorn cake for your birthday, surprisingly it was about the easiest cake I've had to make so far!

Grandpa Bob gave you prunes for your birthday.  Never a dull moment with Grandpa Bob.  Maybe that's where you get some of your quirkiness from?  Not surprising was the fact that you liked the gift.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Kyra said she wanted to make outerspace with playdoh.  I had no idea she would do such a great job!

Innocence?

What in the world have my kids been watching?

Just kidding, when I asked what the girls were doing with the barbies, Kyra replied that the daddy had flying powers and was carrying the mommy.  He was just temporarily taking a rest.  (Apparently the mommy didn't want the ride to end!?)

Florida 2010

It's hard to believe, just one week ago we were in sunny Florida (sunny maybe, warm...not so much).  It definitely was great to get away and spend time with the girls.  It was good to reconnect with our children while not having to think about work, laundry, dishes, errands, and the daily routines of life. 

We decided to drive the trip this year.  We've always flown in the past, but between trying to save a few pennies and not wanting to carry 3 car seats into the airport, we figured it best to drive.  Plus this way we could visit my Grandma and Aunts in Georgia.  It has been nearly 2 years since I saw them last, and I thought it was high time for a visit.  I was still a bit nervous about this long trek with an 8 month old though.  I knew the girls would do fairly well, but we had just gotten Andrew to sleep through the night not more than a month ago, and I wasn't sure if this would mess up our beloved schedule.  Fortunately, to our surprise he did great.  Not only was he a great traveler, he pretty much kept to his same routine during our whole weeks stay in Florida.  He was a bit fussy on the way back home, although so were the girls.  I think they just knew we would be getting back to the reality of winter for 8 more weeks.

Once we arrived in Georgia, we were able to peel off our jackets and feel the warmth of the air.  I just love not having to take the time to layer up before you go outside.  Of course little did we know that the next few days were going to be the warmest days of our stay, but at least we experienced warmer temperatures for a short time.  Although it still amazes me that we saw ice instead of water running down the mountains in Tennessee.  It just shows you what a cold winter it's been all over, because in all my travels as a child I never saw ice on those mountains.

It was so nice to see my Aunts and Grandma too.  The girls quickly warmed up to relatives they hardly knew.  Of course it helped that my aunt had a little Shiatzu dog that they loved chasing around.  By the end of our stay they were ready to trade in our large dog for hers.  We stayed up and talked for awhile after the kids girls had gone to sleep.  It was definitely nice to catch up and chat for awhile.  And they were kind enough to stock us up with sandwiches for the next day's drive to Florida.

Finally we reached Kissimmee.  We unpacked, while the girls jumped from couch to couch in our new home for the week.  They were so giddy with excitement that they seemed to bounce off the walls.  The hubs parents were nice enough to rent two condo units for our whole extended family, and because we had the largest family, we had a whole unit to ourselves (which meant we even had our own bedroom)!

We spent the next few days simply swimming.  Although both girls were a little leary to swim at first (remember their ongoing fear of water), they quickly grew fond of the water.  Kyra had digressed from her swim lessons from last year a bit, but generally did very well.  Katie however had been petrified from swim lessons last year and would bearly get in the water to begin.  Then once we grabbed coaxed her gently into the water, she clung to us with enough vigor to leave nail imprints into our skin.  She was deathly afraid of us letting go.  I wasn't sure we would ever get her to relax until good friends of ours showed how much their son loved to go in the pool with the confidence of his life jacket.  Fortunately, the following day Katie let us put the life jacket on her, and I simply let her go.  Once she realized she was floating on her own, she didn't want us to touch her.  All week long she said, "No momma, let go.  I want to do it my own self."  By the third day she was even jumping in the pool with no one catching her.  It was fun to watch her grin from ear to ear.  She loved the pool.  I know the life jacket may give her a false sense of security, but at least we are making some progress.  She even said she was open to the idea of swim lessons once again.

Our final big adventure of the week was going to Magic Kingdom.  We had debated whether or not we should go, since we only had one day to pack it all in, but threw caution to the wind and decided to go for it.  We are very glad we did.  My sister in-law kindly offered to take Andrew for the day, so we could focus on spending time with the girls.  And after the packed day we had, we were glad we were sans Andrew that day.  We truly packed in everything we could that day.  I think the first time we stopped for a break was close to 5:30 pm.  I worried about tiring our girls out by doing too much, but at the same time wanted to make sure we did and saw everything we wanted to for that day.  I wasn't disappointed, except for the weather (which started out with 46 degrees!).  But even the colder temps didn't slow us down that much.  We started the day off by meeting Arial.  She was the only princess we met, but fortunately the girls aren't really in to having their picture taken with characters so that worked out okay (more time to do rides).  We went on almost all the rides too.  I wasn't sure how they would do on many of them (since their are a few with elements of pitch black...a little scary for Katie), but they did fine.  A few of the rides Katie told us at the end that she never ever wanted to go on that ride again, but at least she didn't cry.  The parades were fantastic too.  The girls were glued to music and dancing.  But perhaps the best was the light show at the end.  Tinker Bell flew from Cinderella's Castle, and the girls were facinated by that. 

When I asked the girls what the favorite part of their day was, they both mentioned the Jungle Cruise, exploration on the Swiss Family Robinson tree house, and watching the Bear Jamboree.  Although, I'm sure Katie would say her favorite part of the trip was just swimming.  I'm hoping they aren't too young to remember this fun filled day.  Fortunately we have many pictures to mark the occasion.  Yes, it was another memorable vacation, and I'm thankful that we were blessed enough to have been able to go.  

      

    

Tiny Talk Tuesday

The girls have been chatting away as usual.  Here are some of the cute things they have said this week:

While debriefing about Kyra's day at school:
Kyra:  Mom, today we celebrated the Chinese New Year at school.
Mom:  Oh, that's great honey, what did you do?
Kyra:  Well, we decorated a dragon and I got to be the head at one time.  Then Ann's mom (who maybe Chinese?  I'm not sure), came in and talked about some of the things they did to celebrate their New Year.  She even spoke Spanish.  And I think they went to China yesterday to celebrate.
(hmmm... yeah.  A Chinese mom, speaking Spanish, and flying to China over night...I think some details got lost along the way :)

While eating dinner:
Kyra:  Mommy, how come you talk to Daddy the whole time during dinner, and I don't get a chance to.
Mommy:  I'm sorry Kyra, sometimes I just get carried away after not seeing him all day.  And sometimes we have important grown up things to discuss.
Kyra:  Well I haven't seen Daddy all day either.
Mommy:  I know, but guess what.  Next week we are going on vacation and he will be with us all week.  Then we can both talk to Daddy.
Kyra:  Good.  I'm going to talk to him all day long.  I'll talk right to his eyes and his skin.  Talk, talk, talk.
(oh boy daddy, looks like you're not going to have much time to think next week.  You've got three gabby girls here!)

While disciplining Katie for playing with her food:
Daddy:  (he takes her plate away)  I'm sorry Katie, that was your last chance to eat your food.  I've given you a warning, and now I'm taking your plate away.
Katie:  But Daddy, I'm hungry (enter sobbing).
Daddy:  Then you should have eaten it instead of making a mess of it on your plate. 
Katie:  Then I'm going to eat YOU Daddy.
Daddy:  (he whips out his big toe and thumb)  Go ahead, I think my thumb should be mighty tasty.
Everyone:  (enter laughter)

While catching Katie being naughty (she gets very embarrassed and defensive when she's caught):
Mommy:  Katie, you know you shouldn't be talking back.  That's being disrespectful.
Katie:  I can't wait till I'm a mommy and I can do whatever I want and not listen to anyone (she says very matter of fact).
(right... because Mom's get to do whatever they want.)

If you'd like to read more Tiny Talk...visit Mary's.

Valentine's Day Cards

Last year Kyra wanted to make her own Valentine's cards for the kids in her class.  They were fairly simple, but we enjoyed the craft time together.  This year her class is a lot larger and she is older, so I thought she would just want to buy one of the varieties in the store.  We passed them by, and she hemmed and hawed, but in the end decided she wanted to make her own again.  Although I knew I would probably doing the majority of the work, I was pleased that she chose to create something with her momma.  While the store bought cards look a lot better than they did when I was a kid, I still enjoy the looks of a homemade one, not to mention it's kind of fun to see the fruits of your labor her labor. 

So after cutting out nearly 100 hearts and 60 leaves, and lots of glueing, we had our Valentine flowers.  It took a lot more work than I thought it would, but we did seem to get a knack down with our assembly line.  Kyra did a lot of the glueing and wrote out all the cards herself.  In fact she got ahead of me at one point and told me she was going to play, but that I better stay put, because I had a lot of work to do.  I love that kid.

Tomorrow is her party.  She is very excited, as I am coming to school with her for the first time.  It's the first event in her class that I am going to take part.  I'll meet all her little friends and hopefully some of the parents too.  Happy early Valentine's Day to everyone.  I hope you have a wonderful Friday!  

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Kids say the darndest things. Here are a couple of the cute things Kyra has said as of late:

While in Kyra's bedroom:
Mom: Kyra this room is a mess. What happened?
Kyra: (with a big sigh) I know mom. Life happened.
(Where'd she get that phrase? Neither the hubs or I say that one.)

While praying at the dinner table:
Kyra: Dear God, thank you for the day. Please help all the people that are hurt and hungry and have hurt legs. Please help us not to have colds any more. Help us to not be sick in the winter, spring, or summer. And forgive us of our sins. Amen.
(We've been trying to tell them about the people in Haiti that need our prayers, but for some reason she is stuck on people with hurt legs. And I guess it's okay to be sick in the fall, cause she forgot that season!)

If you'd like to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's blog.

Andrew Update: 7 Months

Wow!! What a difference a month makes. Andrew has made great strides this past month. Last month I was beginning to feel a little beaten down. The sleepless nights, and what seemed to be continual crying were really starting to get to me. I kept giving myself little pep talks, saying "I can handle this for a few more months if I have to," but I sure didn't want to.

So we did our best to let him "cry it out," or at least as much as we could. My family all came for a visit to celebrate Christmas, so we didn't feel we could totally implement our plan until they were gone. The night our family left Andrew woke up 6 times! I finally got up and fed him at 4 a.m. because I couldn't take it any longer. The next night he woke up at 1 a.m. and he cried for an hour straight (I did check on him periodically). I thought it would never end. He seemed to fall asleep for an hour and then cried for another 1/2 hour. The next night he only cried for 1/2 hour and then slept the rest of the night. And now....for almost 2 weeks straight he has been sleeping for 11 hour stretches!! Can you believe it? He went from waking up almost every 2-3 hours to 11! That little guy had me foiled! So we're all definitely feeling a little more up beat around here.

Andrew is also sitting on his own now. The girls enjoy fetching toys for him, and are constantly bringing the toys back when he pushes them too far away. He's probably going to be a late bloomer on just about everything, since they do almost everything for him. But he loves his new found trick and enjoys watching the dogs run around and play. He finally rolled over too. I know to many this isn't a huge accomplishment, but we've been working on some much detested tummy time to get to this point. He still hates the tummy time. He'll lay there and wail for 5 minutes, with his head laying on the mat in defeat. Sometimes he doesn't even try to push himself up, he gives up the minute you lay him on his tummy. But, as much as I hate to see him struggle, I give him his time.

Andrew continues to laugh, smile, and make raspberries. He has to be one of the slobberiest (word?) babies I've ever seen. And he is quite proud of the fact that he is slobbery. He hasn't lost his cuddles either. He loves to play with my hair while I nurse, and rub his head against mine while I hold him close. I know I will miss those moments later as he gets older. I almost get teary eyed just thinking about it. Yes, we are definitely seeing a more joyful baby this past month. And we are seeing a more joyful mommy too. It is nice to be on a consistent schedule. He eats at just about the same time every day and takes naps at the same time. So now, hopefully I can focus on exercising in the morning and getting myself in my own new routine.

Letting Go

This past weekend we finally took down our Christmas tree. I know some of you who like to take down the tree as soon as Christmas is over, and others who hang on to it till the month is over. Personally, I try and hang on to the tree as long as possible because it looks so beautiful (it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm a procrastinator of course). I have a hard time letting go. Although putting the lights on the tree is enough to drive me crazy, I always love the end result. Christmas trees are very sentimental and even calming. I love gazing at the tree best at night, when it's dark. Sometimes we'll have a fire, some hot cocoa, and just look at the tree. We'll go down memory lane as we see some of the ornaments we've received from years past. Often just looking at it, helps me to slow down through my day and take a deep breath from the flurry of activity. Of course holding an infant in your arms who looks at the tree in wonderment also makes you pause and smile as you see sights through their new eyes.

So, I wasn't too surprised when my 5 year old held the same sentiments. Every once in a while I casually mentioned that the tree would eventually have to come down. And she would joke that she wanted it to stay up until all the snow melted. Finally, as I tucked her in bed one night, she asked what was on the agenda for the following day. I told her I thought it was time to take down the tree. To my surprise, her lower lip started to pucker. I asked what was wrong, and she blurted out that she didn't want to take down the tree. Clearly, the tree had become one of her favorite Christmas traditions too. Melt.My.Heart. I had a hard time not breaking down myself as I watched Kyra's little face swell up with crocodile tears. She wanted so badly to hold on to the holiday magic. Where would we put the tree, she wanted to know? Well, we'd have to throw it away I tried to explain gently. I tried to tell her that the tree wasn't drinking any more water, and that it had no roots, so it was dying. There was no consoling her, so I decided to hang on to it for a few more days.

I looked a couple days later, thinking maybe it could last one week longer, since we did have one more holiday party to go. But as I looked closer, I saw cobwebs on several of the branches, not to mention more needles on the floor. Yes, I would definitely have to take down the tree. My hubs told Kyra that unfortunately the tree definitely had to come down. After all, he said, it is a fire hazard being so dry. That was all it took. Kyra is very fearful of fires, so she suddenly changed her mind and was ready to get that tree out of here, NOW! Why hadn't I thought of that? Of course as I took down the tree I had to reassure her that we would be fine, and it was only a POSSIBLE danger and we were just taking precaution.

So, the tree is down and all of our Christmas decorations are finally put away. The house is back in shape and I smiled at the sight of a clean home....until my 3 year old tugged on my pants and said, "When can we put them up again?"

Mamma's Boy

Now that the holiday festivities have died down, my main goal was to get Andrew on some type of schedule. He is my only child that hasn't been on some type of set schedule. I was pretty anal retentive about the girls getting their naps and bedtime at exactly the same time every day. There wasn't a whole lot of flexibility there, but you certainly did know what to expect too. However, being my last child, I figured I would more or less just go with the flow. I knew I would be busier with errands to run, and getting Kyra ready for school, so I decided with him I would be a little more relaxed and mainly try and get a eat, play, sleep schedule.

This worked for a little while, but the last three months have been kind of a bear. I know that life changes with any child you had to the mix, but Andrew is simply put not a very content baby. In my head, I keep thinking... but he's the 3rd child....aren't they supposed to be the easiest going? Is it in my head that he is being this difficult or is it reality? Am I doing something wrong, or is there something wrong with him? I know it's been almost 4 years since I had a baby, but I just don't remember the girls being as challenging. Katie certainly was a little bugger, but I don't remember her crying this much through the day. So, I decided to talk to a few veteran mom's and get their opinion.

To my surprise, two of the moms in my little poll seemed to think that he was being spoiled and that he was becoming a mamma's boy. Deep down, I grew a little defensive. This was after all my third child and I think I would know how to correctly raise a child before he or she became attached at the hip. After all, in the beginning I may have rocked him to sleep, but now I was simply laying him down and shutting the door (even letting him cry for awhile). And there are numerous times where he has had to sit there and cry while I make dinner (even though I am ready to tear my hair out by the time my hubby gets home). Yes, there had to be some other explanation. I decided to wait until my well visit at the pediatrician.

Once we arrived at the doctor's office, I explained our situation. I told her that our 6 month old was still getting up 1 to 2 times at night, and that he acted ravenously hungry sometimes and that I had to still feed him at 3 am. Could he possibly not be getting enough from nursing? Should I quit, and go to formula? I told her that I couldn't take a shower without him crying his way through it, or that he fussed so much in the evening that we usually had to hold him while we ate dinner. I told her that I was exhausted and that he just won't give me a break. So she said, "oh yes, I've seen this kind of case before. I definitely have a diagnosis for you. He's got a bad case of....."

Mamma Boy Syndrome!

Dar net! How could I have let this happen? I didn't think I came to his beckoned call every time he made a peep. But perhaps I had coddled him a little too much. After all, he is my only boy, and my last baby. And I felt bad every time he started to fuss, and the girls said he was too noisy and interrupting their play time. And I didn't want my hubby to be woken up in the middle of the night, so I did what was easiest...I stuck a bo*ob in his mouth. Yes, I guess I can start to see where this child has outsmarted his momma. Now, the hard part...I have to start breaking these bad habits.

So, we're doing the best we can in this household. It's probably not going to be easy for the next few weeks. After all, I do like peace, even if it comes at the cost of my sleep. But if I ever want a fuss free shower again or experience a full night's sleep, I guess some thing's gotta give. So, I explained to my hubby that he might have to endure some nights with crying, or sleep downstairs anyway. And I have a feeling Kyra will keep me accountable too, after all she was listening intently to the doctor. Because when I went to pick up Andrew that night, I got a scolding from my 5 year old. "Now Mom, remember what the doctor said. You need to let him cry it out!"

Yes, ma'am!

Bird Feeder or Critter Cuisine?

For Christmas, my hubby got the girls make your own bird feeders. He thought it would be a fun project they could make together. Of course Katie had a blast helping daddy screw in the screws, and using a mini hammer to pound in the nails. Between spending time with her dad and creating something with her hands, she was in all her glory. She really is a hands on type of girl. After seeing a girl become so impatient with so many things, it is nice to see her shine in a certain area. Although I hate to admit it, I find myself struggling sometimes to see where Katie excels, and this just proved that she is good with her hands. Maybe she'll be an architect, engineer, or craftswoman. There are endless possibilities!

Kyra on the other hand wanted nothing to do with the project. She was perfectly happy to have her father construct the whole thing. Along with generally not liking to get her hands dirty, she received a couple splinters in years past and has decided wood is not her friend. So, she won't touch wood unless it has been properly painted or stained. Oh the joy of children's fears! Nevertheless, she did enjoy painting the bird house, and all three seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

After the feeders were painted and dry, they three got on all their winter gear and hung up the bird feeders. For days there were no takers. The girls would gaze out the window and see no sign of life. Then just a few days ago, the first birds began to appear!! Kyra and Katie have had a lot of fun seeing the feathered friends flurry about and tell their friends about the new source of food. We've been trying to identify the different types of birds and enjoy seeing the brightly colored blue jays or cardinals against the pure white snow.

Of course word spreads quickly, because it was not long before Mr. Squirrel found the bird feeder too. It took him only a day to figure out how to get the food for himself. He chewed the rope apart and down came the bird feeder. My hubs attempted to put it back twice now, but Mr. Squirrel prevails. Oh well, I guess now we can enjoy all the critters stopping by for cuisine. Now, if only we can get the dogs to stop from salivating from the windows!

Holiday Season of Long Ago

Wow....I can't believe it is already January, and almost a week into it at that. I remember not too long ago I wrote about our very busy October. Then for a short period of time November slowed down, but it has been full speed ahead ever since Thanksgiving. If months go by this quickly, I'm going to be 40 in no time!

Although it was a very busy season, it was filled with joy. I began the month feeling fairly calm about things that had to get done. We chopped down our tree from the backyard once again (or shall I say my hubby did that while I sipped coffee in my bathrobe!), and after a small battle with the lights it was all decorated the weekend after Thanksgiving. I already had several gifts bought, time to make goodies, and cards were ordered and sent out by the 10th. I decided to have our annual women's get together at a restaurant this year too, so as not to stress my self out with cleaning the house and figuring out where to put the kiddos. Of course in doing that I felt disappointed no one would see our lovely tree or decorated home, so I invited people over for New Year's Eve instead. Then the week before Christmas my sister in-law ended up having kidney stones and was unable to host her hub's 40th birthday party at her house, so I said why not mine? All in all I had 3 gatherings at my house the week of Christmas ranging from 13-35 people. It definitely was a little crazy that week, but we had a great time playing games with friends, gorging ourselves with food, and chatching up with people we hadn't seen in awhile.

I'd have to say one of our favorite things we did over the Christmas season was taking a ride on the Santa Train. The nostalgic train was all decorated for the season, complete with a conductor who took our ticket stubs, the town's queen dressed in a beautiful white gown who read Polar Express, and of course Santa. Our girls had just borrowed the Polar Express from the library, and watched the movie twice, so they were on cloud nine having their own personal Polar Express moment.

Kyra was hilarious to watch on the train, because she wanted so badly to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what she wanted for Christmas, but she has always been a bit afraid of him too. She asked her daddy what she should say when she went up to him, and he said "just tell him what you've been telling us for months...that you want a guitar." We had gotten her a guitar weeks ago, since that is all she could talk about. Yet, when she timidly walked up to Santa, stage fright must have got the best of her because that big jolly voice asked her what she wanted for Christmas, and she looked at her father (too afraid to make eye contact) and hastily said..."I'd like a cupcake maker please." My hubby couldn't believe it. We had spent a lot of time researching guitars on the internet, picked a certain one, and then she wanted a cupcake maker!? Fortunately, she wasn't disappointed on Christmas Day. She just said, Santa still got her something on her list and she'd ask for the cupcake maker for her birthday (hopefully she'll forget about it by then).

Yes, it was a very nice Christmas. We still haven't figured out all the traditions I would like to start instilling in our family to make Christmas more meaningful. I want the kids to understand more deeply that Christmas is about Our Savior and not so much the gifts, but we're working on it. We did read the Christmas Story, Christmas morning and spoke briefly what it would be like if we were there that day Jesus was born. Katie even understands more than I give her credit. So, as a New Year begins, I hope to be more purposeful in my every day teachings. I hope to really dive in the bible and learn together with the girls more about Jesus. I think God has great things in store for us, and I hope He does for you too!

Andrew Update: 6 Months

Well, our little man is 1/2 way to being 1 year old already. I can't believe that 1/2 a year has gone by! Of course in some ways, it feels like he was just born yesterday, and others...it feels like time is going by too slowly.

As far as new accomplishments go, I'd like to say he's doing so much more, but not so much. He still isn't rolling over or talking much. I have had a hard time with this. I don't want to do the comparison thing, and make sure he is "keeping up with the Jones' baby," but I do. My most recent thought was this though, if he is this content to just BE, then maybe he will be a more relaxed and easy toddler (and that I would love!). I'm gonna go with it. He does love to stand, and is getting closer to sitting. Maybe he'll just skip the rolling over part and go right to sitting and crawling. Of course he learned how to blow raspberries too, yes this boy does love to spit and is proud of it.

His nights are still sporadic too. For the most part he sleeps till 5 a.m. But there are a few nights a week he chooses to wake up 1 or 2 times. I thought feeding him cereal might help, but he has started the whole baby food phase and it's not making much of a difference. It took him a long time to get used to the cereal too. I thought he just didn't like it, until last week when I discovered he just didn't like the rice cereal. Now that we have moved on to oatmeal, he is devouring his food. We've also tried bananas and squash and he seems to love those too. He has started to go to bed in his crib for naps now too, and with out being rocked (although not without a small 1-2 minute crying fight). It's progress, yay!! And, although we aren't on as strict of a schedule as I had with the girls, he seems to have a pattern down.

Andrew continues to take delight in his sister Kyra. She pretty much lights up his world. She could be eating breakfast, talking about her day, or writing on a piece of paper, and he laughs at her. He just simply loves his sister. Katie tries to imitate things Kyra does to make him laugh, but I think he deliberately keeps a stoic face to get back at her for getting in his face. Who knew the sibling rivalry could start at infancy?

Yes, although we have a mostly quiet little fella (believe me, when he does get fussy, he gets super fussy), he still invokes delight in our hearts. He loves to be part of the action (we put him in his Bumbo at the dinner table or else he gets jealous). He is a social little bean, and a cuddler...ahh my favorite part. Yes, he knows he tugs at our heart strings.

Just Do It

My brain is currently functioning on overload. You would think I would be worried about getting everything ready for Christmas, but I'm not. I don't have a single present wrapped, but that's just not on my mind right now. I have random thoughts that keep flying through my head and won't resolve themselves. So, if you have better things to do right now, I would stop reading, because this might take awhile.

Last evening I was extremely tired (in part because I have a 6 month old that still doesn't know how to sleep through the night and was up twice the previous night). So, my hubby told me to go to bed and he would give Andrew his last feeding. Wearily I obliged. So, at 9:30 p.m. I went to sleep. It would have been a great night of sleep, if it hadn't been for my 5 year old who woke up in the middle of the night because she was cold, after insisting on sleeping in a sleeping bag in the floor. It didn't take long to put her back in her bed, but after my 4 hours of sleep, my brain must have thought I had enough rested enough because I couldn't go back to bed for another 3 hours.

I lay awake thinking about friends...friends I no longer keep in contact with because of my lack of effort, friends I do try to keep contact with but for reasons unbeknown st to me don't seem to reciprocate my need for their deep companionship. If friendship, companionship, love, is so important than why do we continually mess it up? Why do I let jealousy, and selfishness get in my way to simply care for people? I get so wrapped up in myself, wondering why I didn't get invited to someones house, or why wasn't I the person they felt they could pour their heart out to, that I don't stop to think about what I can do to make someone else feel more loved. I could invite someone with little family for dinner, or send someone who is lonely a card.

I lay awake wondering about my low self esteem, and wonder what I can do to improve my image of myself, so as not to pass this trait on to my girls. I tell myself my new slogan for 2010 is going to be Just Do It! I need to stop whining about not being able to make fabulous meals, making creative projects, having a dust free house, or kids that are perfectly coiffed, and just do something...clean the kitchen sink, play play doh with my kids...do something I can do. I focus so much of my time worrying what other people might think about how I do things in my life. "Would you look at her, she picks up her baby too much...she let's her baby cry too much, she let's her kids watch too much TV, why can't she potty train her child? She spends too much money on junk food. She should really watch her weight." I realize how much time I spend focused on negativity, I just have trouble stopping. Whether people really think badly of me or not, it shouldn't matter. I know only God's view of me matters, I just have trouble remembering that.

I think I've babbled on long enough. There are many more thoughts I have of blogging....writing about things we are proud of all the time vs. what our life looks like in reality, New Year's resolutions, and how to raise our children knowing God. When it comes down to all the issues, I know the answer lies with God. God tells us to "put other's before our own needs." God tells us "we can do all things through Him who strengthens us." God tells us "we are children of Him." Deep down, I know what I have to do. I know I should take it to God in prayer, and read my bible more often. Of course now I'm just laying out more inadequacies...how I'm inadequate in my walk with God. When what I really need to do is stop focusing on what I should do and Just Do It!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Amidst the craziness of trying to put up Christmas decorations with a rather fussy baby and two "getting eachother's goats" girls, I did manage to laugh at some of the cute things Katie said. Thank goodness for laughter.

While driving to the doctor alone with Katie:
Katie: Mom, I see a silent "E"!
(never mind that she still doesn't even know what an E looks like, I just like that she was able to find a silent one. Can you tell we have an older sibling in this household?)

While sitting at the dinner table:
Kyra: Katie, give this dolly to Andrew and see what he does.
Katie: Kyra, I can't do that. He's a boy baby. Boys don't like dolls. We'll have to give it to him when he's older and turns into a girl baby.
(I've got news for you sister...)

While brushing hair in the bathroom:
Mom: (Katie enters the room) Oh, baby...your outfit doesn't match, why don't you go back into your room and put on your green pants.
Katie: Momma, I don't want to. Then I'll look like a human!

If you'd like to read more tiny talk go over to Mary's.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

The girls are making me smile as usual. Here are some of the cute things they said this week:

While in the car:

Kyra: (looking at a coloring book she received from the dentist) You have to brush your teeth with little circles. Then you get all the plaque off.
Katie: Kyra, are you a doctor?
Kyra: Katie, I'm your sister.
Katie: I know but are you a doctor too?
Mom: (amazed that she seems totally serious, and wondering about her train of thought) Katie, why do you think she is a doctor?
Katie: Cause her's talkin like a doctor.
(and you's talkin like a hillbilly)


Overheard in the other room:
Kyra: Katie, can you hand me the bo*obs?
Mom: (my ears perked up at this point, and I wondered what in the world they were doing! It turns out they had one of my br*as in hand and were playing with it in their "store")
Katie: Kyra, don't say that word. It's naughty.
Kyra: Oh, Katie it's not a naughty word. The bo*obs just go on top of your ni*pples.
(yes, nursing in a household of two curious kids has opened up a whole new meaning on invasion of personal space)


Katie's new phrase:
Katie: Oh dear.
(It is so Katie. I about laugh every time she says it, because she sounds like Eeyore all the time. She says it with such seriousness. She'll be putting on her socks and gets them on crooked, or drops a piece of banana in her lap, the phrase is always the same...oh dear.)

If you'd like to read more tiny talk, just visit Mary's.

Andrew Update: 5 Months

Today our big man turned 5 months old. He continues to grin from ear to ear. I told my hubs the other day that he almost had Mick Jagger beat with that big mouthy smile of his. The best part about his smile though, is that it is contagious. I could be upset about something one moment, or even frustrated if he has been overly fussy, and then he seems to pick up on my mood and grins. Try not grinning back at a smiley baby!


As far as the sleep goes, things are about the same. Some nights he sleeps until 5 am, other times it's 3:30 am. I have managed to get him back to sleep a few times with out nursing, but most of the time I give in to the summons of my infant. I'm sure I'll pay for it later. The naps during the day time have proven to be more difficult too. I used to be able to rock him to sleep, but he is pushing away his cradle hold, and arching his back instead. I've tried putting him straight to bed, but often he'll cry for long periods of time. Yes, we definitely need to work on the sleeping department a little bit. The good thing is, that he does often take a fairly good nap once he does get to sleep.


As far as activity goes, well he seems to be content right where he is. He still is no closer to rolling over either way. He'll roll to his side, but otherwise he's happy just to touch his toes and look around. He's quite observant though, and even laughed at some silly penguins on TV one day. Of course Kyra remains his favorite source of entertainment. He loves to watch her talk about her day, dance, or make silly faces. And she eats it all up of course. He has been grabbing everything too. I tried holding him in my lap during church the other day and no matter where I put it, he found the church bulliten and was determined to make it crackle. I just love to see them study the mechanics of their own hands and arms. You can just see their wheels turning as they make the connection that they can make their tiny hands pick things up at will.


I'm sure as we approach his half year mark there will be much more to share. He'll be experiencing his first Christmas, first foods, and probably a few more. For now, I'll just revel in his laughter, smiles, and sparkly eyes.

Morning Message

Yesterday morning, before church, I hopped in the shower and got out only to find a message on top of the vanity waiting for me!

(Interpretation: Hi Mom I hope you have a great time at church, from Kyra)

I just love the growing interest in reading in writing, and am blown away at the how much of a sponge kids are. She has learned so much in just two months time at school!

Great Giveaways

It's hard to believe that Christmas is quickly approaching. Yet every year this procrastinating momma thinks she can get a head start, buy presents and have cards done early, so I can enjoy celebrating the real reason for the holiday. Well, I am going to attempt to try and get organized and do the same this year, but as I heard Christmas music playing today, I was reminded that I am already falling a little behind. I also saw that 5 Minutes for Mom is already hosting their month of 30 great giveaways.

So, potentionally, you could win some gifts to either giveway in time for Christmas, or keep as a little gift for yourself under the tree. In addition, they also have a program called Under the Tree, in which they give away the identical gift to a family in need. You can nominate a family, or read stories about giving to families who really need help.

October Fest

This past October had been a busy month. Yes, fall is in full swing and we definitely tried making most out of the month to do some of our favorites. I had planned on writing about each occasion, but between an infant, dial up Internet, and illness, time simply slipped through my fingers.

For starters, we began the month going to one of our favorite fall festivals: the Zeeland Pumpkinfest. It's a great way to kick off the fall season. Everything is free, with the exception of vendors selling the usual elephant ears or hot dogs. They have face painting, a pumpkin seed spitting contest, a chili cook off, an animal petting zoo, and even a pie eating contest. Unfortunately this October the weather simply hasn't cooperated. It has rained almost every weekend, but we were determined to go, so we took our umbrellas and hopped in the car. Fortunately they had most of the events inside. The girls did their first pie eating contest, which was hilarious. Poor Kyra, daintily ate her pie without her hands as fast as she could, but was no match for a boy who could scarf his down in seconds. Kyra wondered why she didn't get a prize, she thought she was pretty fast (apparently not fast enough).

The following weekend we had my old college roommate and family come to stay for the weekend. We had plans to go to one of our favorite apple orchards, but again the weather was not on it's best behavior. We did end up going to Post Farms, which is a pumpkin farm and has simply wonderful warm donuts. The kids had fun jumping on hay bails, riding on a hay ride, and running through a corn maze. We had a good time staying up late playing card games with our friends and catching up on old times.

Finally, it came time for Andrew's baptism. My family was all coming for the weekend, to help celebrate this joyous occasion while joining in on a few more fall activities. Of course, wouldn't you know the weather once more did not cooperate. My hopes of going to the apple orchard were pretty much squashed. I had hoped for a fun filled weekend for the kids and family, but between the weather and dreadful loom of H1N1, we pretty much stuck to the confines of our home. Of course, it didn't seem to matter much because the girls and their cousins had fun anyway. They just like to be with each other. We did end up carving the pumpkins that we grew (the heaviest being 78lbs!!) and ate a lot of good food (of course). The baptism went well too. All of the cousins went up in front of the congregation and sang "Jesus Loves Me." They sounded beautiful. I am so fortunate to have such a loving family.

So that was our month of October in a nutshell, busy but full of laughter, fun times and friends and family. The only thing missing was Halloween. I was so impressed that I made Kyra's costume this year, but much to my dismay only Katie went trick or treating. Sadly, Kyra developed H1N1 shortly before the day of gluttony. She seems to always get sick on holidays. I'm just glad she made it till after our family gathering to get sick. So as November kicks in, we are going into the new month quietly. We are taking it easy and hoping the remainder of the family stays healthy. Because it won't be long, and a few more major holidays will be coming before we know it!!