It's been a fun day today! Mostly:) The only non-fun part was poor little E, who will NOT let me out of her grasp and screamed hysterically all morning. I have no idea what is going on; probably a combination of things.
But other than that....Z and I spent a lot of time this morning finishing our cleaning. I let him help me vacuum which was the best thing ever. Note to self: If you ever need to keep Z occupied, hand him a vaccum and watch hours of free entertainment happen!
Just as we stepped out the door to get S for lunch, Mugga and Grandma-Great pulled up! They had so much fun seeing the boys and getting to help drop them off at their schools. My grandparents grew up in nearby neighborhoods so it's always fun to hear stories about what life was like back in the 30s and 40s:)
It's just a little bit different now:)
We ate amazing southwest chili with cornbread for dinner, followed (sometime later) by apple dumpling. Mmmm, good!
Now I'm mixing up dough for homemade cinnamon rolls for the morning. It's a regular party over here. We love company!! (hint, hint!)
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Our Day in Clip Art.
Today we had to drive
to school because
it was yet another rainy day. The sun peeked out for about 6 minutes this afternoon.
To make the rainy day brighter, my good friend Miss D came over to visit!
But now I have to get to bed and get some sleep because
I still have a lot to do tomorrow. (or every day:)
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Double Bath!
Well, if it's not one thing here, it's another! Miss E has finally turned the corner (Hallelujah!) and actually ate, smiled and played today. She still has a puppy whine going on and wants to stick close but there was a noticable change. Plus she only woke up once briefly last night:)
I hate to admit this but now I have a cold. Please don't worry, Gma! I will be fine on Thursday!! I am spraying down the house so you can come in health and peace:)
I hate to admit this but now I have a cold. Please don't worry, Gma! I will be fine on Thursday!! I am spraying down the house so you can come in health and peace:)
Tonight was S's t-ball night so it was just E, Z and I. Weird how much quieter it can seem with just 2 kiddos around! Most Tues nights, we wait to eat til they get home but tonight Z and I ate and then Zakkai, who spilled his soup all over himself, insisted that he wanted a bath.
He begged me to let him climb in the back of the tub with Eliana to wait his turn. And she loved having her brother in the bathtub! It was like putting extra hot fudge and whipped cream on the sundae:) She crawled around trying to steal his car and shrieked at him happily. It was pretty cute!
I will spare you all the other details of my fairly boring day (cleaning, organizing, carpooling, rain...) and leave you with another delicious recipe:)
This is for Spinach Tortellini Soup. I made this last winter (have made with/without chicken) and was stunned at the amazing response from the boys. I thought for sure they would turn up their noses at the extremely suspicious green vegetables floating around (because if you didn't know, to children: green+vegetable=BAD).
We assured them that they wouldn't even be able to taste the spinach. I think they were lured into trying it because it features their very favorite tortellini!
And maybe by their secret desire to be like Popeye.
Either way, I was thrilled to be told that I'm "the best soup maker ever!" tonight by both boys:) It is a high compliment, my friends, and one I do not take lightly!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Umm...
Someone asked me today how our weekend was and my mind totally blanked out! I was like, "Ummm....it was....ummm..." And inside I was thinking, "Crap! What did we do? How was our weekend?" My mind thankfully sputtered to a start and I was able to get out a semi-intelligent answer:) Anyone else ever had that happen?
The weekend only ended yesterday and already I've forgotten it. Bad sign of the aging. Bad sign...
Of course it could have to do with my sick little peanut who had me up with her half the night....and half the weekend, now that I think about it! I remember when I was about to have Samuel and I thought, "I won't be able to send the baby anywhere. I have to care for this baby 24/7 and can't go home at the end of the night.."
It was a little frightening but then you have the baby and you just do it. You love them and take care of all of their needs and you rise up to the challenge when things come up like changes in schedules, phases (and they are ALWAYS in and out of phases!), sickness, etc.
It's not like I'm tralala-ing in the night, skipping my way to her bedroom but as she cries in my arms and I rock her and whisper a prayer over her, I know that no matter how tired I am or how enticing the thought of my soft bed is, there is no one else in the world (besides Ben, of course:) that I would rather have doing this for her.
Here's our little sickie today with her sad little "sick eyes." This is about the biggest "smile" that we got out of her all day. She pretty much wanted me to hold her all day and whined like a little puppy:( She didn't eat much but she did get some good, very much needed naps in today so maybe a day of sleep is what she needed. She hasn't woken up since I put her to bed for the night and at this time last night (9pm) she had already woken up twice crying. I can only hope that we have passed the worst of it!
In happier times....here she is from last weekend sporting her pretty pink Buckeye dress and leg warmers:) Very stylish!
The weekend only ended yesterday and already I've forgotten it. Bad sign of the aging. Bad sign...
Of course it could have to do with my sick little peanut who had me up with her half the night....and half the weekend, now that I think about it! I remember when I was about to have Samuel and I thought, "I won't be able to send the baby anywhere. I have to care for this baby 24/7 and can't go home at the end of the night.."
It was a little frightening but then you have the baby and you just do it. You love them and take care of all of their needs and you rise up to the challenge when things come up like changes in schedules, phases (and they are ALWAYS in and out of phases!), sickness, etc.
It's not like I'm tralala-ing in the night, skipping my way to her bedroom but as she cries in my arms and I rock her and whisper a prayer over her, I know that no matter how tired I am or how enticing the thought of my soft bed is, there is no one else in the world (besides Ben, of course:) that I would rather have doing this for her.
In happier times....here she is from last weekend sporting her pretty pink Buckeye dress and leg warmers:) Very stylish!
Even though they stink this year, she will always be a Buckeye-Baby:) The boys have Buckeye sweatshirts they received as a gift and they wear them often right now because they are cozy and have hoods (they LOVE hoods). We get a lot of, "Oh. You're Buckeye fans?" haha.
Zakkai started his preschool carpooling today, just in time for a cold, rainy day! I was so thankful not to have to drag Missy out today! Z was so excited to ride with his new friend:) He also had basketball again today and B said he's improving already. Now he wants his very own basketball!
This morning he said, "Mommy, I didn't sleep ALL night long," as he yawned. I said, "Why didn't you sleep, Zakkai?" thinking he was going to tell me he didn't feel good or was scared or something.
He said, "I didn't sleep because Samuel's foot was hanging down and I had to watch it allll night. It was hanging in my bed." I burst out laughing and told him I didn't think Samuel's foot could reach all the way out of the top bunk down into his bed but he was pretty insistent! What a funny guy:)
Samuel is doing so amazing at school, it is hard for me to believe one year ago he couldn't read or spell much! He has regular reading assignments each week that he brings home and has to answer questions about. He reads with such ease, sometimes effortlessly reading big words and stumbling over more common words:) He almost always gets 100% on his spelling tests and another daily assignment called, "Daily Fix It." His teacher writes 1 or 2 sentences up on the board with some mistakes in it (misspelled words, missing punctuation/capitalization, etc) and they kids have to write it down the correct way on their papers.
He is SO proud when he comes home and shows us his 100%s and stars she writes on his papers;) Today he said, "Mommy, when I stay for lunch (every MWF) my friends (he named off a few) try to see who can be fastest to sit next to me!" That made him feel really special:) So proud of this kid!
And last but certainly not least, we are having 2 special visitors this week! My mom and Grandma are making a special trip up to see us for a couple of days and we are very excited;) I am working hard to make sure our home passes Mom/Grandma inspection....something that isn't easy with 3 little whippersnappers doing their best to make it look as if children live here!
They do a good job:)
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Sick Babies and Apple Addictions
I don't have too much time to blog tonight...I have a poor, miserable little baby who needs her mama:( She crawls around the house crying this pathetic little cry and can't sleep. We spent many twilight hours together last night and it looks like we're in for the same tonight....
Other than that we are doing well. Ben's eaten approximately 437 apples since Friday and is still going strong. The boys want to eat them all day long from the moment they wake up until dinner. It may be time for an apple intervention around here!
For our Sunday night Breakfast For Dinner (BFD), we had our pancake-dipped apple slices! Mmmm....I was hard-pressed to get Ben to let me use a couple apples but it was worth it;)
I'm off to comfort my little sick lamb...
p.s. The outrageous photo of a strange man's behind in yesterday's post was most definitely accidental:) And I offered to erase it but he (whoever he is) thought it was very funny and actually encouraged me to post it. This is when his mom shakes her head and says, "He's alllllll yours, Heidi. He's all yours...."
Other than that we are doing well. Ben's eaten approximately 437 apples since Friday and is still going strong. The boys want to eat them all day long from the moment they wake up until dinner. It may be time for an apple intervention around here!
For our Sunday night Breakfast For Dinner (BFD), we had our pancake-dipped apple slices! Mmmm....I was hard-pressed to get Ben to let me use a couple apples but it was worth it;)
I'm off to comfort my little sick lamb...
p.s. The outrageous photo of a strange man's behind in yesterday's post was most definitely accidental:) And I offered to erase it but he (whoever he is) thought it was very funny and actually encouraged me to post it. This is when his mom shakes her head and says, "He's alllllll yours, Heidi. He's all yours...."
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Apple Picking 2011
On a cool, fall day, with the sky thick with clouds and the threat of a sprinkle that never materialized overhead, we went apple picking. Here is our story.
There were two little boys, who could hardly think of anything else but picking apples all day long,
And their daddy, who lives for a freshly picked apple!
There was the mommy and the baby sister, who, although miserable with a cold, experienced her very first apple picking and apple eating:)
After a fun tractor ride, which the baby sister did not think much of, the family scrambled down at the sight of the lush trees full of unpicked shining apples, ripe for the taking.
The strong daddy lifted up first one little boy....
And he picked....oh, dear, let's try that again...
And he picked a red and green juicy apple, perfect for eating!
Then the strong daddy lifted the other son high into the tree...
And he, too, came down with a perfectly created apple!
With the aroma of freshly baking doughnuts drifting towards them and the smell of tart, yet sweet juicy apples surrounding them,
the apple-crazed father had to climb the forbidden tree one last time in search of..
the perfect apple to munch on. It went straight from its nurturing tree into the waiting and appreciative mouth of the man. He was happy.
The sad, pathetic, little baby girl decided she, too, wanted a taste of this seemingly glorious fruit that had the rest of her family closing their eyes in bliss as they munched. So the daddy eagerly searched one last time, for one last apple to present to his baby girl.
There were two little boys, who could hardly think of anything else but picking apples all day long,
And she was happy. And it was good.
To enjoy past Apple Picking adventures..
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Cuteness and Recipes!
They sat down together on the couch and Samuel read to Zakkai:)
It was SO cute to see Zakkai just soaking up the story, to hear them giggling together and to hear Samuel read like a pro! They must've read it at least 4 times!
Every Wednesday Samuel is able to get a book from his school library and this week he chose "Not A Box", which is an adorable book we have read before. It is about a rabbit who invents all sorts of things out of his box. Simple words but a great, imaginative story line! Both boys borrowed it from preschool several times because there is just something about it that they love.
And I love to capture priceless moments like that:)
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Some wonderful things happened today that are such an answer to prayer! They may be small to you but to me...
First of all, I've met the nicest mom at Z's preschool who has a son Z's age and a baby girl 2 months older than E. We have really hit it off and today we've decided to carpool! That is such a blessing to me since I am van-less a few days a week and as much as I don't mind the long walk now while the weather is nice, winter is another thing!
Also, we had an unexpected blessing today that showed us God is watching over us and He hears our cries! On the days I am tempted to worry and not to trust, which unfortunately is many sometimes, I am trying to change my outlook by saying (many times if needed) "We have what we need for today." It's too easy to look at tomorrow and worry or be disatisfied, even though God tells us not to worry!
But if you look around you, you can find so many blessings, big and small, and chances are, you'll find that you have exactly what you need for today. And that is enough.
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As I've been trying to stretch the items in our pantry, I came across this recipe for Black Bean Soup, which I happened to have most of the ingredients for! It was so good, served with a side of cornbread. You know me and my bread!
And if you don't...you should:)
Black Bean Soup
1/2 lb black beans, rinsed and soaked (I'm talking about dried beans!)
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1/4 lb cooked ham, finely diced
1/2 tsp salt
1 jar (16 oz) chunky salsa (I only had part of a jar left and it still had great flavor!)
1 tsp cumin
Preparation:
1)Combine soaked beans, water, ham and salt in large saucepan or dutch oven. Bring to a boil; cover. Reduce heat; simmer 1 1/2-2 hours or until beans are tender.
2)Mash 1/3 to 1/2 beans with a potato masher to thicken soup. Add salsa and cumin. Simmer over Low heat for 15 minutes; stirring occasionally. Can serve with shredded cheese and sour cream (shudder!)
I was going to make this in the crockpot...however, my crockpot kindly decided to die on me yesterday. It was a good crockpot while it lasted. Sigh.
Anyways, enjoy!
Also, I forgot to share my recipe for the delicious cheesecake we had a few weeks ago! Just so you know, it freezes well:) I had to wrap it all up in slices to avoid the temptation eating it all ~ not that we really could. It's rich!
Here it is! Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Day-to-Day Wednesday.
The Day-to-Day of Today:
*Zakkai is still on his quest to stay dry at nighttime, something he still only accomplishes a 2-3 times a week. I have to get him up at least twice a night to go potty because he is SUCH a heavy sleeper that he cannot wake himself up enough to go. I just went up for potty trip number one and he was so out of it that he talked in his sleep the whole way to the bathroom. "Mommy, I....Mommy, I just....I just need... I really need a leaf to..." Haha!
Sometimes he is so out of it that he sleeps through the entire process and we literally have to hold him up or he will fall over backwards into the wall or forwards into the toilet!
*Eliana has a new fun thing she is doing: It's called Middle of the Night Party! Last night it was from 2:07am to 4:02am, when she finally gave up. No idea what is going on with her. It's always a guess and teething is a fun one to blame it on, given the soon-to-be arrival of her fangs. She starts out just squawking here and there and I check on her to make sure all is well. Then she decides that isn't enough and she wants me to climb in the crib with her and sing her to sleep and gets super mad. Like, really mad. But don't worry, I haven't resorted to climbing in the crib yet..
It's so fun to listen to your baby scream in the wee hours of the morning, let me tell you. She even discovered, to her great interest, that she could scream, cry and say "Dada" all at the same time! Man, she is talented! I admit that it did provide a brief comic relief for Ben and I. Brief.
*Zakkai started a cooking class through the parks district today. He was SO excited when he heard about the class and wanted me to sign him up right away:) They made brownies and he really wanted to bring one home for me and promised that next time he would. Such a sweet boy!
*I got a little bit of alone time with Samuel today, as Wednesdays are his early pick up day. He comes with me to get Z instead of the other way around. We went to the little playground outside of Z's preschool building and no one else was there; just us out in the glorious sunshine! I was watching Samuel swing himself down the slides, clamber up steps and ladders like a monkey and try to jump off of smaller slides and all I could think was "When did you get so big?" He has such a confidence now that he has never had and I love it.
It was like the challenge of Kindergarten last year was the test that broke down some barriers for him and he has passed through to the other side. Sure, he still has things that are harder for him, transitions that are difficult, etc but I am amazed at how far he has come! I can't get over what an effortless transition it was into school this year, thank you, God!
*Tonight as he was climbing into bed he said, "Mommy, have you ever heard of a care package?" I said yes, and he said, "Mrs Shapiro (his teacher) made a care package for her son Michael (a sophomore in college) and it was the hugest care package I've ever seen!" Not that he's seen many care packages. As he described what was in it (Nemo fruit snacks, homemade cookies and more goodies:), his eyes were so big and his face so animated. He kept saying, "It was the hugest box, the biggest care package I ever saw!"
I promised him that when he is in college, I will send him a care package, too:)
*And for some brutal honesty (b/c I'm not afraid to be a little transparent about the good times as well as the not-so-good!), we are in countdown mode over here for two reasons. One, it has been an incredibly difficult month financially (as Sept always is) and we are counting down until a paycheck on Friday. Ben's new job doesn't start paying him until the middle of next month so we have been surviving off of his other part-time job, hence his very long Saturdays at work. We are truly amazed at what we have been able to do with what we have! You'd probably be pretty amazed, too, if you knew what we've had to work with. I don't mind sharing this, only because it's yet one more way that we've had to rely on God throughout this long journey here. And He's never failed to provide for us. Ever.
Also, with the aforementioned, much-awaited paycheck, we are hoping to eek out enough for a bag of apples when we go apple-picking on Friday! It is a yearly tradition for me, one that I grew up with, and now one that has become very special to our family over the past 4 years. I can't tell you how excited the boys are! And I'm mostly talking about Ben:) haha!
*And now I'm going to try to catch up on some of my lost sleep, thanks to my cutie-pie rooster! Night!
*Zakkai is still on his quest to stay dry at nighttime, something he still only accomplishes a 2-3 times a week. I have to get him up at least twice a night to go potty because he is SUCH a heavy sleeper that he cannot wake himself up enough to go. I just went up for potty trip number one and he was so out of it that he talked in his sleep the whole way to the bathroom. "Mommy, I....Mommy, I just....I just need... I really need a leaf to..." Haha!
Sometimes he is so out of it that he sleeps through the entire process and we literally have to hold him up or he will fall over backwards into the wall or forwards into the toilet!
*Eliana has a new fun thing she is doing: It's called Middle of the Night Party! Last night it was from 2:07am to 4:02am, when she finally gave up. No idea what is going on with her. It's always a guess and teething is a fun one to blame it on, given the soon-to-be arrival of her fangs. She starts out just squawking here and there and I check on her to make sure all is well. Then she decides that isn't enough and she wants me to climb in the crib with her and sing her to sleep and gets super mad. Like, really mad. But don't worry, I haven't resorted to climbing in the crib yet..
It's so fun to listen to your baby scream in the wee hours of the morning, let me tell you. She even discovered, to her great interest, that she could scream, cry and say "Dada" all at the same time! Man, she is talented! I admit that it did provide a brief comic relief for Ben and I. Brief.
*Zakkai started a cooking class through the parks district today. He was SO excited when he heard about the class and wanted me to sign him up right away:) They made brownies and he really wanted to bring one home for me and promised that next time he would. Such a sweet boy!
*I got a little bit of alone time with Samuel today, as Wednesdays are his early pick up day. He comes with me to get Z instead of the other way around. We went to the little playground outside of Z's preschool building and no one else was there; just us out in the glorious sunshine! I was watching Samuel swing himself down the slides, clamber up steps and ladders like a monkey and try to jump off of smaller slides and all I could think was "When did you get so big?" He has such a confidence now that he has never had and I love it.
It was like the challenge of Kindergarten last year was the test that broke down some barriers for him and he has passed through to the other side. Sure, he still has things that are harder for him, transitions that are difficult, etc but I am amazed at how far he has come! I can't get over what an effortless transition it was into school this year, thank you, God!
*Tonight as he was climbing into bed he said, "Mommy, have you ever heard of a care package?" I said yes, and he said, "Mrs Shapiro (his teacher) made a care package for her son Michael (a sophomore in college) and it was the hugest care package I've ever seen!" Not that he's seen many care packages. As he described what was in it (Nemo fruit snacks, homemade cookies and more goodies:), his eyes were so big and his face so animated. He kept saying, "It was the hugest box, the biggest care package I ever saw!"
I promised him that when he is in college, I will send him a care package, too:)
*And for some brutal honesty (b/c I'm not afraid to be a little transparent about the good times as well as the not-so-good!), we are in countdown mode over here for two reasons. One, it has been an incredibly difficult month financially (as Sept always is) and we are counting down until a paycheck on Friday. Ben's new job doesn't start paying him until the middle of next month so we have been surviving off of his other part-time job, hence his very long Saturdays at work. We are truly amazed at what we have been able to do with what we have! You'd probably be pretty amazed, too, if you knew what we've had to work with. I don't mind sharing this, only because it's yet one more way that we've had to rely on God throughout this long journey here. And He's never failed to provide for us. Ever.
Also, with the aforementioned, much-awaited paycheck, we are hoping to eek out enough for a bag of apples when we go apple-picking on Friday! It is a yearly tradition for me, one that I grew up with, and now one that has become very special to our family over the past 4 years. I can't tell you how excited the boys are! And I'm mostly talking about Ben:) haha!
*And now I'm going to try to catch up on some of my lost sleep, thanks to my cutie-pie rooster! Night!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
11 Months
Today our sweet girl is 11 months! Only one month away from a YEAR. I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed at how quickly time is flying by. I can look back over the last year and picture the days flipping by, full of activities, decisions, plans, prayers, joys, sorrows, day-to-day life. It seems like so much and yet...it happened so quickly!
Ben and I knew that this precious first year of Eliana's life would fly by in the blink of an eye. We were determined before Eliana was even born to treasure each day, each moment with her, especially since she is our last.
And I think we really have done that. I got really teary a few days ago when I suddenly realized it was almost the 20th and my sweet girl would be 11 months and I started to feel almost panicky. It hurts to let go of this baby stage. Having a baby is full of so many things: joy, fear, exhaustion, anticipation, holding on, letting go, and so much more. I adore my boys and it's been so exciting to watch them enter a new territory that I haven't explored yet with kids. Reading, writing, elementary school, losing teeth, learning to ride bikes, and so much more.
But there is really nothing like watching a new little person learn how to live.
We have watched our little girl learn how to recognize us, smile, laugh, love her brothers, roll over, crawl, pull-up, communicate, and so very much more. Wow! It's truly amazing.
This is why I make such a point to take a bazillion pictures and journal even the smallest thing happening: because I want to remember, to treasure, to hold these moments close.
This past month has been very exciting for Little Missy. She thinks she is hot stuff these days!
She:
*Is getting faster and faster with crawling and pulling up even in the past few days.
*Learned to cluck her tongue in the past 2 days ~ very cute!
*Thinks exploring the house and finding the boys' toys and little scraps on the ground is far more exciting than sitting quietly on the rug and playing with her toys:)
*Spends lots of time in the kitchen pulling all my cookbooks off the shelves and ripping them up. I rearranged the kitchen today:)
*Is such a content baby! Truly a happy little creature.
*Has learned to say "Mamama" and says it to me! She also says "Ma ma ma" for "more" in her highchair.
*Has learned some sign language: "All Done" "More" "Light" "Train" and possibly "Eat". She also waves bye-bye and hi:) Sometimes I think she is trying to sign something to me and isn't sure quite what to do. Can't wait to see what else she picks up in this next month!
*Has found a new love for tossing things out of her crib! We almost always come in to find her standing with a big dimpled grin on her face, the floor littered with pacifiers, her pink elephant and Dolly:)
*Has 2 bottom teeth! Next in the queue are 2 fangs on the top....haha
*Has started dancing! She bops her little body up and down; like today when Z was playing his guitar. She pulled up on the couch and danced for 2 minutes:) So cute!
*Is like a wild monkey in the bathtub! The past 2 days it has been hilarious to watch her. She doesn't sit still for a second, just crawls, pulls up and down, plops on her little rumpus and even lays on her tummy. She screams at me when I take her out:)
*Is definitely going through stranger anxiety. If we are in a new place and she even thinks it might possibly be possible for me to set her down or hand her over, she turns into me and holds on tight and starts to cry:( When she's in my arms she looks from the new person to me and back and forth, as if to gauge my reaction.
*Wears size 3 diapers and 6-9 month clothes. I get comments ALL the time about how small she is. Most of the time it doesn't bother me....until people get snarky and act like something's wrong with her. Like the mom who asked me the other day if I feed her well. No comment. She is perfect the way she is!
*Loves table foods! She has started to veto oatmeal, unless it is mixed with lots of fruit, so I am trying to come up with new breakfast ideas. She doesn't like bananas, only tolerates small amounts of yogurt but adores vegetables, bread, cheese, black beans and more! I tried to give her mandarin oranges the other day and she made the most horrible (hilarious) face ever after one teensy taste and refused to touch anymore! Girl knows her mind:)
*Has started to hold on to things with one hand when standing up. The only time she really lets go is when she in the bathtub probably b/c she thinks it's funny to splash on her bottom! She is getting very confident with her pulling up and has progressed from stools, chairs, couches, etc to the fronts of cabinets, walls, my legs...pretty much anything:)
*Screams with joy and practically turns inside out when she sees her brothers, especially first thing in the morning. They adore her, too!
*Has a bazillion and one nicknames, if you already couldn't tell:) Some newer ones are: Biscuit, Spicy Biscuit (usually after a tantrum), Puddin' Pop, Marshmallow, Powder Puff and more:) She still regularly gets called: Missy, Missy-Goo, Sweet Girl, Pumpkin, etc. You'll even hear the boys calling her Missy and Missy-Goo every day!
*Is adored, treasured, spoiled-rotten, and kissed and squeezed a thousand times a day.
Okay, I'm going to have a little cry in private now...
Ben and I knew that this precious first year of Eliana's life would fly by in the blink of an eye. We were determined before Eliana was even born to treasure each day, each moment with her, especially since she is our last.
And I think we really have done that. I got really teary a few days ago when I suddenly realized it was almost the 20th and my sweet girl would be 11 months and I started to feel almost panicky. It hurts to let go of this baby stage. Having a baby is full of so many things: joy, fear, exhaustion, anticipation, holding on, letting go, and so much more. I adore my boys and it's been so exciting to watch them enter a new territory that I haven't explored yet with kids. Reading, writing, elementary school, losing teeth, learning to ride bikes, and so much more.
But there is really nothing like watching a new little person learn how to live.
This is why I make such a point to take a bazillion pictures and journal even the smallest thing happening: because I want to remember, to treasure, to hold these moments close.
She:
*Is getting faster and faster with crawling and pulling up even in the past few days.
*Learned to cluck her tongue in the past 2 days ~ very cute!
*Thinks exploring the house and finding the boys' toys and little scraps on the ground is far more exciting than sitting quietly on the rug and playing with her toys:)
*Spends lots of time in the kitchen pulling all my cookbooks off the shelves and ripping them up. I rearranged the kitchen today:)
*Is such a content baby! Truly a happy little creature.
*Has learned to say "Mamama" and says it to me! She also says "Ma ma ma" for "more" in her highchair.
*Has learned some sign language: "All Done" "More" "Light" "Train" and possibly "Eat". She also waves bye-bye and hi:) Sometimes I think she is trying to sign something to me and isn't sure quite what to do. Can't wait to see what else she picks up in this next month!
*Has found a new love for tossing things out of her crib! We almost always come in to find her standing with a big dimpled grin on her face, the floor littered with pacifiers, her pink elephant and Dolly:)
*Has 2 bottom teeth! Next in the queue are 2 fangs on the top....haha
*Has started dancing! She bops her little body up and down; like today when Z was playing his guitar. She pulled up on the couch and danced for 2 minutes:) So cute!
*Is like a wild monkey in the bathtub! The past 2 days it has been hilarious to watch her. She doesn't sit still for a second, just crawls, pulls up and down, plops on her little rumpus and even lays on her tummy. She screams at me when I take her out:)
*Is definitely going through stranger anxiety. If we are in a new place and she even thinks it might possibly be possible for me to set her down or hand her over, she turns into me and holds on tight and starts to cry:( When she's in my arms she looks from the new person to me and back and forth, as if to gauge my reaction.
*Wears size 3 diapers and 6-9 month clothes. I get comments ALL the time about how small she is. Most of the time it doesn't bother me....until people get snarky and act like something's wrong with her. Like the mom who asked me the other day if I feed her well. No comment. She is perfect the way she is!
*Loves table foods! She has started to veto oatmeal, unless it is mixed with lots of fruit, so I am trying to come up with new breakfast ideas. She doesn't like bananas, only tolerates small amounts of yogurt but adores vegetables, bread, cheese, black beans and more! I tried to give her mandarin oranges the other day and she made the most horrible (hilarious) face ever after one teensy taste and refused to touch anymore! Girl knows her mind:)
*Has started to hold on to things with one hand when standing up. The only time she really lets go is when she in the bathtub probably b/c she thinks it's funny to splash on her bottom! She is getting very confident with her pulling up and has progressed from stools, chairs, couches, etc to the fronts of cabinets, walls, my legs...pretty much anything:)
*Screams with joy and practically turns inside out when she sees her brothers, especially first thing in the morning. They adore her, too!
*Has a bazillion and one nicknames, if you already couldn't tell:) Some newer ones are: Biscuit, Spicy Biscuit (usually after a tantrum), Puddin' Pop, Marshmallow, Powder Puff and more:) She still regularly gets called: Missy, Missy-Goo, Sweet Girl, Pumpkin, etc. You'll even hear the boys calling her Missy and Missy-Goo every day!
*Is adored, treasured, spoiled-rotten, and kissed and squeezed a thousand times a day.
Okay, I'm going to have a little cry in private now...
Monday, September 19, 2011
Shoes!
I lead a very busy life. As you probably can tell:) Most of my day-to-day life centers around feeding, clothing, playing with, disciplining, driving around and loving my 3 chickies. I also eat occasionally in there, too, and see my husband here and there between his many jobs.
By the time night time rolls around, I am chomping at the bit to selfishly...and necessarily have some me time.
That may look like reading a book, flipping through a magazine, looking up things on the internet or my favorite thing: doing some sort of craft!
During the summertime I didn't feel much like crafting but as soon as there was a hint of fall in the air: crisper air, cooler nights, the thought of apple-picking and warm soups for dinner, suddenly my desire to craft came flooding back!
I am all set to start hand-quilting my quilt which I am thrilled (and nervous) about, and I have also had some small projects waiting in the wings until I work up my nerve to hopefully not butcher my beautiful quilt.
I decided to dust off a few of these projects and be a little more productive with my me-time in the evenings! This weekend I worked on these:
I really enjoyed making them, even if they didn't fit in the end;) So I made a couple more pairs...that fit my little princepessa!
She got a pretty purple pair ~ made out of fabric scraps from a purse I made for her Grandma! I love that they are reversible so it's like getting 4 new pairs of shoes:)
And a pink pair which she wore today (same fabrics as the ribbon pair)! They are a little big but I am glad because she can wear them longer;) Doesn't she have the cutest legs? Sorry, digressing...
I am such a perfectionist and most of the time when I finish my projects, I experience a lot of disatisfaction along side my happiness. It's very strange actually!
I can never seem to make anything perfect even though I try so hard. If you could see my projects close up, you would agree: uneven stitching or mismatched seams, etc. I really want to learn, through practice, how to make these things more professional looking, in the hopes of possibly eventually selling them.
For now, I am so happy to be able to create something useful and pretty out of my little scraps of fabric and misellaneous crafting supplies I have lying around. It really refreshes me and inspires me.
And I need that inspiration if I'm ever going to work through my very long future projects list!
By the time night time rolls around, I am chomping at the bit to selfishly...and necessarily have some me time.
That may look like reading a book, flipping through a magazine, looking up things on the internet or my favorite thing: doing some sort of craft!
During the summertime I didn't feel much like crafting but as soon as there was a hint of fall in the air: crisper air, cooler nights, the thought of apple-picking and warm soups for dinner, suddenly my desire to craft came flooding back!
I am all set to start hand-quilting my quilt which I am thrilled (and nervous) about, and I have also had some small projects waiting in the wings until I work up my nerve to hopefully not butcher my beautiful quilt.
I decided to dust off a few of these projects and be a little more productive with my me-time in the evenings! This weekend I worked on these:
I am such a perfectionist and most of the time when I finish my projects, I experience a lot of disatisfaction along side my happiness. It's very strange actually!
I can never seem to make anything perfect even though I try so hard. If you could see my projects close up, you would agree: uneven stitching or mismatched seams, etc. I really want to learn, through practice, how to make these things more professional looking, in the hopes of possibly eventually selling them.
For now, I am so happy to be able to create something useful and pretty out of my little scraps of fabric and misellaneous crafting supplies I have lying around. It really refreshes me and inspires me.
And I need that inspiration if I'm ever going to work through my very long future projects list!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Just to Be.
It was a quiet day here.
A day full of restoration for the week ahead.
A day for worship, a day for playing in the rain, a day for crafting and watching football. A day to be together.
Just a day to be. And since those days are far and few between...
They are really nice.
Just a day to be. And since those days are far and few between...
They are really nice.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Post O-Pics!
Today was such a nice quiet day! I was a little worried, considering how last Saturday went, but the boys were so well behaved! They woke up playing so nicely together, played for a LONG time outside (since it was like the most gorgeous day ever!) and were mostly pleasant to be around:)
Eliana was a bit kronky so she stuck close to me, playing near me while I worked on a special project for her~pic below!
Yesterday I pulled out our winter coat box to get out hats and gloves since the morning walks to school were awfully cold this week. Zakkai was thrilled to discover his brand-new winter coat waiting! I got it last year on clearance at Kohl's. I always buy it big so it lasts for at least 2 years.
He spent half the day checking out his new coat:)
Eliana is always thrilled to have a big brother at home during the day. She spends lots of time hanging out at their chairs when they eat:) Kind of like a puppy...
Can't believe how quickly Zakkai is growing up! He was my "baby" for so many years and now he's turning into such a big kid with a big desire to do the right thing even when it is hard for him to follow through with that;), a deep desire to be noticed and treasured. His new "big kid-ness" wars with his "little kid-ness" and creates quiet a conflicted little heart!
We are really trying to build him up and let him know how very much he is loved.
And when did this boy turn into a BOY? He's in first grade! So independent and set in his ways and yet so willing to please and love. He has such a beautiful heart;)
I ADORE this picture. Seriously, am I biased or are they beautiful?!! My buddies and sweet boys.
Little Purple was just taking in the lovely weather yesterday, eating her teething biscuit (as you can see from her face!) and just being adorable. Love those blue eyes!
This is the boys newest funny "trick" they like to play on us. They run ahead and shut themselves in the screen door and even discovered yesterday that they could lock us out. Tricky boys!
But....Daddy is even trickier and came in through the back door and surprised them! Wonder where they got their orneriness from??
Eliana was a bit kronky so she stuck close to me, playing near me while I worked on a special project for her~pic below!
He spent half the day checking out his new coat:)
We are really trying to build him up and let him know how very much he is loved.
This is the boys newest funny "trick" they like to play on us. They run ahead and shut themselves in the screen door and even discovered yesterday that they could lock us out. Tricky boys!
But....Daddy is even trickier and came in through the back door and surprised them! Wonder where they got their orneriness from??
Not a great picture (cell phone) but this was my special project of the day: reversible soft shoes! E is pulling up all the time and doesn't have too many unslippery socks so I thought she needed a pair of soft shoes to wear:)
Only problem is....I tried them on her after I finished and they turned out a tiny bit smaller than I expected so they were a tad too tight on her. I was disappointed but am already making a couple of new pairs that are bigger. And I can use these as a gift now!
So it all works out:)
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