Spending time with uncle

I think she likes him...Uncle Christian got to spend some time with pretty lady and here is a snapshot of the two of them.

Maleah is 6 Months Old

Dear Maleah,

You are 6 months old today. You have brightened our lives with so many smiles, giggles and squeals. I cannot believe that you only entered our lives 6 months ago as it feels like you have always been a part of our family.

Here is you right after we got home from the hospital:

And, here is you now at six months and over 2o pounds:

To date, here is what you have accomplished:

-You roll over both ways and are able to grab toys

-You love to jump in your jumper

-You have started drinking juice from a sippy cup

-You have started solid foods. So far you have eaten rice cereal, oatmeal, squash, carrots, bananas and prunes. You don't seem to mind whatever it is you are eating as long as I shovel it in fast enough. You are extremely interested in food and will grab at anything that you can reach. I think, if you had the chance you would be eating even more!

-You have found your voice. You love to squeal and talk to us. You especially love to squeal at brother because he cries about it hurting his ears.

-You pretty much sleep through the night. You go to bed around 6pm and sleep until 6am with only one waking at 3-4am. You are a great sleeper.

-You love to interact and play with your brother. No one can make you laugh and smile like Noah.

Well, my sweet baby girl, I am enjoying every second of watching you grow. I love our cuddles, putting bows in your hair and watching you experience the world. Happy 6 month birthday.

I love you!

Mom

Christmas 2011 Continued

Here are some pictures taken before church on Christmas day.

Christmas 2011

Noah putting out cookies for Santa

Maleah opening her gifts

Oh boy! A doctor kit!

Check out my pearls!


The kids had a great Christmas. Christmas Eve, Noah put out a cookie for Santa in great hopes that Henry had been giving good reports to Santa. Christmas morning he was overjoyed to see that Santa had filled his stocking. He got lots of goodies! Also, the kids got some great gifts from relatives, as you can see above. Maleah loves to sport her new pearls and Noah will not go anywhere without his fire truck!

Portraits

Noah drew a picture of mommy (right) and daddy (left). He was very proud of his art work and so am I!

Sibling Rivalry

All the beatings that Maleah has taken from Noah have not been forgotten. I think Noah is going to get a taste of payback a little sooner than we thought. All I could think about while watching their interaction during this is how much Maleah was enjoying herself. Though we don't quite understand her words, I imagine it went something like this: "Hit me in the head...AHHH...pull my hair...AHHH...Take my toys...AHHH...wake me up from a nap...AHHHH..."

First time with a sippy cup

Now that we are on solid foods, I thought I would just try a little juice in Maleah's sippy cup. It was a hit. She loves to hold it herself and drink her juice. Yum!

Henry

This year we have started a new tradition, Elf on the shelf. Noah and Maleah have a new friend named Henry (Noah named him) that arrives after Thanksgiving and stays over the month of December to watch the kids and report back to Santa. Each day he reappears in a different spot in the house after returning to Santa to report our children's behavior. They are not allowed to touch Henry as his magical powers would be taken away, so they are only allowed to talk to him. Also, if there are good reports to Santa, when they wake up, Henry has a special treat waiting for them in their advent box. Noah has really taken interest in Henry. Each morning when we get out of bed he runs around the house looking for Henry. Then, he checks his box for a treat, and finally runs to Henry to say thank you. Here is a picture of Noah and Henry.

Early Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa

Since Dave will be gone over Christmas, we decided to Skype with Grandpa and Grandma and have Christmas early before he left. Noah, of course, did not object! Here are a few pictures of the big day. The kids made out well, including some super cute PJ's made specially by grandma. Noah is in love with his remote control monster truck and Maleah is enjoying her new dolly. Thank you for everything grandma and grandpa!!

ps...I will take some pictures of noah in his pjs...they look so cute on!

Nightly Prayers

Last night when I was putting Noah to bed, he said "mommy, I want to pray this time". So, here is what he said:

"Dear Jesus, thank you Lord, thank you for a wonderful day. Thank you for daddy. Thank you for mommy. Thank you for sister. Amen!"

I couldn't help but cry during this prayer. The sweetness in his thoughts and voice was so touching. Thank you Lord for my wonderful children!

Santa!!!

I took the kids to Dave's work to see Santa. Noah was very excited to tell him all that he wants for Christmas. This year, he anxiously waited in line to tell him that he wants a dump truck and a huge fire truck. (hmmm...santa better get moving on this!) They had a photographer there, so I will get the picture soon, but here is a quick snapshot that I was able to grab. Oh, and Maleah didn't seem to mind the man in the big red suite either.

A New Adventure

Well, we have made it one week tomorrow since Dave left for Afghanistan. I have to say that the Lord has given us so much strength. Each day the kids and I are getting into a better routine, and it truly is getting easier. Dave seems to also be adjusting over there. We are able to Skype with him each morning and night which is such a blessing. I am truly thankful for technology. The kids are adjusting well with Dave being gone, which was something that I was worried about. Noah likes to tell people that his daddy is in "a-fa-ganna-stan" or sometimes...the North Pole! We look forward to reuniting with daddy on January 5th. Until then, we are just praising God for his grace and goodness. If you are out there reading this daddy, we love you so very much and are proud of what you are doing. Come home soon!!

Noah's construction business at your service!

So, I thought I would keep a log of the reconstruction going on in our house due to Hurricane Noah. Here are the projects from last week:

1) Clean Maleah's Room. Need I say more? The house got quiet and Noah was no where to be found...he was in Maleah's room "cleaning" AKA emptying a bottle of diaper rash spray on every thing. When the clean up crew (me) arrived with back up (dad) the furniture, carpet, blinds and bedding was covered in this greasy mess and he had moved on to polishing with a tube of desitin. Needless to say, we have a very shinny room!
2) Add design to mom's new furniture. Ball point pen + new leather couch + creativity= Noah. Furniture stores carry an amazing product that actually removes ink from leather...only $1.99. Must buy more.
3) Repaint kitchen walls. After filling up noah's dry erase board with beautiful art, he moved to the walls. Wiping the board off is over rated. Thankfully, crayola makes such wonderful washable material!
4) Steam clean walls. While mommy is busy speaking to the alarm company during installation, Noah decides to do some steam cleaning by pulling out the steam mop and banging the walls with the hose. Lots of black marks from this one...poor wall took a beating. Thank you Magic Eraser.
In conclusion, this was a busy week for Noah's business. (And mine) So, as I make my Christmas wish list, I think I will just ask Santa for more cleaning supplies. Thank you.

Thanksgiving 2011

We had a great thanksgiving this year! We celebrated this festive holiday with our friends the Sittersons. Of course we had lots of yummy food and fun! Maleah got to celebrate by eating rice cereal, though I think she would have loved real food. She kept reaching for my plate! Noah enjoyed all the fixings-mostly while I chased him around as he was having too much fun playing! I love thanksgiving as it reminds me of how blessed I am. I have such great friends and family and always a warm home and food on the table.
And finally, here is what our holiday ended with...one very tired boy!

4 Month Stats

So here are Maleah's 4 Month stats: (Keep in mind, this is one week before she will be 5 months)
Weight: 19 lbs 3oz (99%)
Height: 26 1/4 (90%)
Head: 40 1/2 (25%)
Since Maleah's 2 month appointment she has grown over 4 inches and 6 pounds! That is a lot of growing! She is currently scoring at the 5-6 month level. Now I know why she is wearing 9-12 month clothing!

Talk to Jesus

This morning while getting ready I was having my prayer time talking with Jesus. Noah came in the room and said "mommy, who are you talking to?" I explained to him that I was praying to Jesus. He looked around a bit confused and then responded with "But I don't see Jesus, where is He?" After explaining to him that Jesus was in heaven and that we could talk to him and he would listen he told me he wanted to talk to Jesus. Looking up at the bathroom ceiling, he calmly stated "Hi Jesus, thank you for my sister, mom and dad...and my toys!"

Guess the weight

I took Maleah to the doctor yesterday because I thought she was getting a sinus infection and while there they weighed her. She weighs 19 pounds! I knew that my little girl was getting big as I have to put her in 9-12 month clothes, but I wasn't expecting 19 pounds. She has her 4 month check up next week (just a week before she will be 5 months) so I will post the rest of her stats.

Prayers

Every night when we put Noah to bed we all say a prayer. Noah always folds his hands together, closes his eyes real tight and bows his head. It is such a sweet moment each day for us. Last night I asked him if he would like to say the prayer as he has not ever done it before. So, he bowed his head and said "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for a wonderful day! Amen." It was the best prayer I had heard all day. I just love the tender heart that our little ones have. I am so thankful for the blessing of my beautiful children!

To My Vet

Dave said to me the other day that he doesn't make choices in life based off of "fears" or "what could happen" but rather on opportunity. Here is a big opportunity that I believe changed his life. I am proud of him for serving our country and for making the leap that I don't think I would be brave enough to do. I love you!

Yum... Cake

While mom was here we made a pumpkin bar cake. Of course I had a hard time staying out of it, so I decided to store it in the oven which would keep it out of sight. A few times I have caught Noah opening the oven and getting a taste of the cream cheese frosting. This morning, however, while we were in the living room enjoying our coffee, Noah decided to take it a step further. I heard some banging in the kitchen, which is normal for our house so I didn't think anything of it. When I got up to get a coffee refill, I stumbled upon this:

He was really enjoying the last piece of cake. I was surprised that he was able to lift the pan out of the oven, and then find a fork all on his own! What a clever boy!

Dress Baby Maleah

My wonderful friends at church threw us a "Dress Maleah" baby shower. This was such a great shower as we were really needing clothing for her. She is growing so fast, that she has outgrown all of her clothes. (She is now moving into 9 month clothing!) We got so many wonderful outfits and it is so much fun dressing her in them. I was going to post some pictures, but sadly my camera flash wasn't on and they didn't turn out. However, you will see these great outfits in future pictures. Thank you to our wonderful church family!!

Maleah Rolls Over

This afternoon I set Maleah on the floor to do some tummy time and before I realized it she had rolled over. It took me a few seconds to register what had happened and then I reset her on her tummy. Flip! She rolled again. It was so exciting to watch her do it. There was no fussing or straining, she just flipped over. What an exciting time for our little girl!

Jump Jump

We finally dusted off the jumper for Maleah since she seems to be bored with the swing these days. At first she just spent time figuring out the toys on it. Then she started shifting her feet from side to side. But, then yesterday it finally clicked for her. She started jumping like crazy! It was priceless to see the smile on her face as she realized she could jump in it. I think from this point on she will be my little jumping jelly bean, just like her brother was.

First Bite of Rice Cereal

For some reason, because Maleah is my baby (and my last) I have had a hard time with offering and encouraging new milestones. But, because of a recent growth spurt and her need to eat all night, I have decided it is time for her to be introduced to rice cereal. I think she was ever so grateful as she loved it. We dusted off the ole' high chair and like a big girl she sat in it with her spoon ready to go. Here is a picture of her getting her first taste.

Maleah's Baptism

Today Maleah was baptized. She did great until she realized her hair got wet, and then she wasn't too much of a fan. It was a sweet moment for us to dedicate our baby girl.

Maleah is 4 Months Old!

Maleah,
You are 4 months old! When I look at you, you no longer look like that tiny little newborn that you once were. You now have a personality that shines with grins and giggles, and are becoming ever more independent each day. Here are a few things about you at this time:
-You can almost roll from your back to your front (I think you would if you really wanted something)
-You have started rice cereal
-You went on a nursing strike right at 4 months, which led you to the late night doctor visit because I thought you had an ear infection. But, nope, it was just you showing your stubborn side
-You are starting to teeth...you chew on everything!
-You LOVE your big brother. He can make you laugh at any given moment. It is so sweet
-You are quickly moving into size 3 diapers and 6-9 month clothing. You are so chunky with lots of rolls it is hard to get clothes to fit your legs!

Nana visits for Halloween

Nana came to visit and join us for the spooky holiday of Halloween. We had so much fun! We went to Noah's school to do trunck-or-treat, to the pumpkin patch at Tate Farms, and to the park. During Nana's visit Maleah got her first taste of real food (rice cereal) and is almost rolling over and Noah has fun pretending to be a police officer and firefighter with Nana. We always enjoy her visits and have been lucky to have her here. We will be sad when she leaves.

Halloween

We had a great Halloween this year. Maleah posed as a penguin, though she was a little too chunky for her costume, so I gave in to her grunts and let her go with the orange shirt for trick-or-treating. Noah decided he would like to be a fireman. (His new obsession since the fire truck came to visit him at school) We started off going to trunk-or-treat at Noah's school where Noah made out with some candy and toys. Then, we met up with some friends on Halloween night for some trick-or-treating in the neighborhood behind us. Maleah sported in the baby bjorn and took a quick nap while we racked in the candy. By the end of then night, we had some tired kids. Finally, after eating a few pieces of candy, Noah left his bucket of loot for the candy fairy. She so wonderfully left him some fun toys in in bucket the next morning. Noah thinks this is pretty amazing!

Super Mom...

Well, that is what I feel like these days. Kidding. For as long as I can remember I have struggled with the joy of cooking. I LOVE to bake everything and anything, but cooking has just not been my favorite thing to do. Then came Noah. It got not only tough to find things to cook for two picky eaters, but finding the time was hard. Now, with two kids I find time to be even more scarce. So, I have looked at all my options: Hire a personal chef, order in daily, freezer cook, or just stop eating. Hmmm...tough choice. I chose the personal chef, however my checkbook reminded me that I should probably choose again.
So, I began the journey of dabbling in crock pot cooking. The problem for me is that most of the recipes I found online were just not something my family would eat. In conversation with my dear friend Sandra, she handed me a book that changed my (and my family's) life. It is called "Fix it Fast, Cook it Slow" Apparently this author devoted herself to crock pot cooking for a whole year and started a blog to track it. Now it is the most visited site for crock pot users and her book is full of the best meals. All I can say is AMAZING! Each week I pick 7 recipes and we try them out. I have yet to find something that my family won't eat. We have done chicken pot pie, pulled pork sandwiches, spaghetti, cheeseburger soup, chicken tacos...and so on. I truly can say I have not turned on my oven in over three weeks. It feels so good to know that when dinner time comes around in our house I have something warm and yummy to offer, and a variety at that! I have found a new passion for cooking...well crock potting that is!

Auntie Chrystal Visits

Aunt Chrystal came to visit us and to meet Maleah. We spent some time hiking and going on the Huntsville Ghost Walk. We had such a great time. Noah loved it when Aunt Chrystal would sing "pee pee on the potty" and Maleah liked wearing Chrystal's sunglasses. We are so glad that she came to visit!

Backyard Camping

Ryan came over and joined us in our backyard camping adventure. We pulled out the fire pit and pitched the tent in the backyard. Noah loved it! Especially the smores by the fire! He also loved sleeping in the tent in the backyard.