Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Life as a single mom

Well, it has been almost two months since Dave left for Afghanistan. In some ways I feel like time has stood still yet, I know it has moved very quickly. This distance has been a stretch for us all in different ways. I think Noah is having the hardest time as he always asks me if daddy is going to come home. That breaks my heart. I know that as a mom, I am doing all that I can, but I also understand that I cannot replace the value of his daddy. Maleah, too young to understand the situation, absolutely loves skyping with Dave. Every time I bring out the laptop, she starts smiling and shrieking with joy. When daddy appears, she is nothing but excited to see him. That, makes my heart feel great. As for me, well, the quote "distance makes the heart grow founder" is nothing short of the truth. Complacent in my daily life while Dave was here, I never truly knew how great of a unit we were. Coming home from work and helping me put the kids to bed, or folding two loads of laundry while we catch up from our long day, was all but take for granted. I truly found a new appreciation for not only my wonderful husband, but for how great of a marriage we have.
Many people told me that a distance like this would surely not be healthy for our marriage. But, I would have to disagree. Though it is hard not to get to have Dave home each night, we have found great excitement with our Skype dates. It is like reliving the first months that we met. Waiting by the "phone" hoping he would call, late night chats, and so much to share. I find myself touching my make-up up before we chat, giddy to see him. How silly. How fun.
Finally, yes, it has been a lot of work. I am tired. I am ready for help. And I will surely welcome Dave back with open arms. But, I thank God for this opportunity to show us how strong and special our family unit is. Through this he has taught me that I am capable of doing anything. And he has shown me all the blessing that I already had, and never appreciated.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Happy 7 Months!





My dear happy girl,
You are now 7 months old! Month 6 was a very productive one for you. I really enjoyed capturing the moments and watching you experiencing new things. Here is what you accomplished:
-Sitting up. You now love to play toys with big brother, especially legos.
-Three meals a day. You pretty much love all food. Though I will say the green veggies are a tad harder to get you to eat.
-Splashing in the bath. Now that you can sit up you love your baths in the sink. You laugh the whole time as you splash me. Typically I am soaked when bath time is over.
-Two new teeth! All that chomping made some progress. They are far enough up that you can see them when you smile and they are so cute.
-Getting ready to move to your big girl car seat. This weekend I got a new car seat, so you are going to be moving out of the infant carrier. This truly means you are a big girl!

I have realized that you are growing up as you have mostly outgrown all the baby items such as the bouncy seat and bumbo. You are wearing size 4 diapers and 18 month clothing. No longer are you a newborn, but a big girl on the rise! I couldn't be more proud. The older you have gotten, it is so much fun to watch you interact with Noah. You adore him and only he can make you smile over and over again. I love how you reach for him.
Happy 7 months baby girl!
Love,
Mom

Happy 3rd Birthday Noah!








I cannot believe my little boy turned 3! He is so grown up now. So grown up that he was able to tell me all that he wanted for his party. This year he requested a fire fighting party. Therefore, that is what he got. He had a fire truck pinata, his cake had a picture of him holding his fire truck, and all of his friends made foam fire trucks while wearing their fire hats. It was cute to watch all the "fire fighters" run around and play. I had fun with the food for his party too. He had blueberries (coal), strawberries (fire), hot tamales, red licorice (fire poles), black licorice (fire hose), bagel bites (truck wheels) and hummus/chips (fire extinguishers). He had a great time and got lots of great presents. Happy birthday to my big boy!

Maleah sits up on her own



It only took Maleah a week to figure out how to hold herself up. I think she was really ready to be able to sit up and play with her toys without using the bumbo, which she didn't seem to like anyway. Here are a couple of shots of her in action!

Friday, January 20, 2012

No more toothless grin

Maleah's two bottom teeth finally broke through and you can see them well! I cannot believe she is already getting teeth. She is growing up to fast. I want to keep her small. Now that she is getting teeth she is really enjoying her food and chewing on everything in sight. So far the only veggie She doesn't love is green beans. The first couple of times I gave them to her she would scrunch her face as if I gave her a sour candy. It was really funny to watch!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

6 month stats

Well, it's in! Maleah had her 6 month appointment today. She is...
22lbs (99%)
27in (90%)
She is a perfectly healthy girl!

Also, today she cut her first two teeth! I cannot believe how much she is changing. As soon as they come in enough, I will post some pictures.