Monday, December 27, 2010

Merry Christmas/5 months old!


Dear Savannah, you are 5 months old! You are changing and growing so much every day. You can sit by yourself for short periods of time before falling over. You still don't know how to roll over much. You love playing with your hands and feet. You drool A LOT. You poop thru your clothes daily. You wear 9 month clothes and size 3 diapers. You still adore your daddy and your brother. You can entertain yourself for long periods of time in your exersaucer. For Christmas, Gaga and Papa got you a Bumbo seat, and you really like to sit in it and watch us all do our thing. Santa brought you a tray for it so that you can play with your toys. You are finally interested in toys, so that you can put them all in your mouth! And you really like it when I read to you. You are accumulating a book collection of your own in addition to Jackson's hand me downs. You love to squeak and shriek and sing with your voice, and you can be VERY loud, though you haven't said Mama or Dada yet. No teeth as of yet, but we think they are coming due to your excessive drooling and putting everything in your mouth. You still sleep in our room and/or bed, but you are getting better at spending longer periods in your pack and play. You are such a sweet happy girl and you make our lives a more joyful place!


On other notes, we had a wonderful Christmas. We celebrated with my parents the week before, and did it gradually so that Jackson had a chance to enjoy all of his gifts without being too overwhemed. Santa came for the kids on Christmas Eve morning, and Jackson got a toolbench, which was his "big" present, and his favorite present was a tie between the veggie tales plush figures and Stretch the talking tape measure from Handy Manny. Savannah got a few books, her Christmas outfit, and a jack in the box. On Christmas Day, JW and opened our presents from each other, which was really nice--one of the big ones is that we are planning on running the Pittsburgh Marathon May 15th 2011--we are officially registered! So we will have a fun 18 week training period, we hope... Christmas morning we headed to Oxford to spend Christmas with Grammi, and the kids got lots more good stuff. It was very fun to spend time with family, and the kids did amazing, I was so proud of them. Jackson is becoming more and more like a little boy...we watched the video of him last Christmas, and he was just a baby! He is using his imagination more, talking to himself, and is obsessed with the alphabet, which makes me so happy. He also LOVES to read, and he reads to himself in bed every night. It makes my heart so happy. So far, he has told me he loved me by himself 3 times, and that makes me so happy, too. I just love my kiddos!


Well, I have to work most of the week, but I'm hoping to continue to delight in the holiday season and prepare for the New Year! May it be a year full of gratitude for my many blessings...

Friday, December 10, 2010

4 months...and other things

Wow, having 2 kids and a full-time job means having minimal time on the computer to update my blog. I have to do my Savannah 4 month update; she actually turned 4 months on Thanksgiving!

Dearest Savannah...you're 4 months old! I am sooo thankful for you. You are such a little charmer! At your doctor's appointment, you weighed in at 16lbs 10oz and were 26 1/4 inches long, both being in the 95th percentile. Way to grow girl! You have rolled from back to front but don't do it often. You can spend more time on your tummy and then you will roll front to back. You sleep thru the night about half of the time, so content in your pack'n'play. We haven't yet moved you to your room, but that will be coming soon, I think. You are growing out of your 6 month clothes and already have been wearing size 3 diapers for awhile now. You still have no hair. You love playing on your playmat and grabbing the hanging animals. You love your hands and your feet. You're not too much into toys, but you will grab the O Ball and suck on it. Your fave form of entertainment is your brother. You still love baths and have no stranger anxiety. You are starting to pull yourself up to sit from being propped on the couch. You LOVE your daddy and can spot him all the way across the room. I love you baby girl!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

No it's Thanksgiving...

That's what Jackson says. He wants it to be Christmas. I tell him it's Thanksgiving first, and he says, "No it's Thanksgiving." That's his way of being contrary. We had his Thanksgiving feast at preschool today, and I was so proud of him! He made an Indian headdress which he wore all day long at home while he played; a necklace; and the class made what we ate--turkey noodle soup, applesauce, and muffins with homemade jam. It was very cute. I have one more day of work tomorrow before Thanksgiving. I'm sad not to be going home for Thanksgiving, but I'm happy to celebrate all that I am thankful for! Especially my 2 babies...to think, last year at this time I was only a month or so pregnant. And now Savannah will be 4 months old on Thanksgiving, I can't believe it. I just moved her into size 3 diapers. Wow. She's my own personal butterball. :) And Jackson gets cuter by the day. His fave toy lately is LeapFrog's alphabet toy; you put the letters in and it makes a song about the sound that the letter makes. He is really learning his letters, it's great. Yes, Jackson, it IS Thanksgiving.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Family Dynamics

Things are changing again! JW is now the Freshman Girls Basketball coach at Valley Lutheran High School, so we now have a nanny/babysitter every afternoon but Tuesdays. Her name is Jessica, and she is really nice, and God has really blessed our family with how everything has worked out. I hope that this will help our family dynamics. Savannah is doing great, plump as ever, and I think Jackson is finally catching on that if he listens to Mommy and Daddy, things are much better. His current fave book is "Ten Apples Up on Top" by Dr. Seuss. He still watches Handy Manny and Monster Truck Mater; he's taking a break from Bob the Builder, and John Deere was recently resurrected. In other news, I bought a treadmill on Craigslist, so FitYummyMummy here I come!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

3 Months Old!

Savannah, you are 3 months old already! Time has flown by, and you are changing every day. You can roll over to the left, and you have started trying to roll to the right as well. You have the BEST smile, and you make my day when I see you smiling at me with your cute little ears sticking out of your head, your perfect little hairline with no hair, and your cute little double chin. You are doing so well with Daddy while I am at work; you are a pro at the bottle, but you still prefer to drink straight from the source. :) You LOVE your brother, and your face lights up when you hear him nearby. He is starting to like to hold you and be around you more, and every time you spit up or poop, he says, "Hi, Savannah!" You are wearing 6 month clothes, love baths, and I don't know how much you weigh, but it's a lot! You love being in the sling with mommy, in the swing taking a nap or watching your brother play, and on the playmat grabbing at your monkey. We love you so much and are so happy that you are a part of our family!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Roll over, roll over...

She did it! She rolled over! It was hilarious. JW witnessed the first time, but I saw the recurrence. She has a really hard time getting over her left arm, so she's still a beginner, but I think she will get better. After she rolls, she's stuck with her arms by her side and face in the ground, it's a pretty funny sight. She really tired herself out from all the rolling...she actually fell asleep so soundly I was able to put her in her pack'n'play. I better hurry and enjoy a few hours/minutes of sleep without my babe attached! Good night!

Luke 18:16

"But Jesus called the children to Him and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.'"

Jackon is obsessed with the Bible. Praise the Lord! He has two of the same, "The Baby Bible Storybook for Boys," they are blue, and each page is a brief synopsis of a Bible story with a fun illustration to go with it. One is an older edition with slightly out of date pictures and a kitty cat placed strategically in random scenes, like in the manger of Jesus, who knew? The other is the newer edition, but it has packing tape all over it because of how many times it has been broken from overuse and slightly too enthusiastic page-turning. He also has an ABC Bible Verse Book that features great pictures of kids doing the right thing, like sharing, reading the Bible, eating their veggies, etc. Jackson's fave page is the one of the little boy reading the Bible under his covers during a thunderstorm; Jackson likes the picture of the lightning. And Jackson also likes to "steal" mine and JW's mini paperback Bible, just to hold it. One morning, he asked me to read it to him, and I tried to convince him that it wouldn't be as interesting as his story Bibles, but he wouldn't be convinced, so I started reading out of Proverbs. When I tried to stop, even though he seemed not to be paying any attention to me, he immediately asked me to keep going. I think God was trying to tell me something! There is a mini Gideon bible that he has slept with. And when he won't go to sleep at night, it's usually because he is reading his bible to himself aloud. How can I argue with that?

The title of this post is in reference to the last page of his bible storybook. There is a picture of Jesus surrounded by all the children, and this verse. One morning, Jackson started saying, "hinder them." I thought he was saying "hit 'em," because he says that a lot. But then he pointed to the page, and I realized what he was saying. How cute! He's learning the Scriptures already, praise God!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

All Good Things Must Come To An End...

Sigh. I go back to work tomorrow. I'm sad, but happy. Being a mom is very ambiguous. It will be good to be back in a routine. It will be very sad to leave my family. But J.W. can get to nurture the little ones in new ways, and I have faith that we will grow as a family, somehow.

Jackson is asleep right now, on an air mattress in his room, with the light on, surrounded by books. He was reading to himself up there for about an hour out of his toddler bible. How can I get mad about that? Praise God for him. Bedtime isn't so bad, he eventually falls asleep, and sleeps in pretty well after some early morning awakenings. Naps are a different story, as in, nonexistent. The other day, he did sleep, but he had climbed underneath his gate (it was raised so he wouldn't climb OVER it) and fell asleep on the floor just outside his room. WHY? Yesterday, I took him for a run and he fell asleep in the stroller, and he stayed asleep for awhile after we parked it inside the house. Without a nap, the little guy struggles, and we grapple for patience. I pray that eventually he will regain the all precious nap. I took it for granted before that he went down so easily.

Savannah has been sleeping most of the day today. She finally will take the bottle, which is an answer to prayer, and she sleeps AWESOME at night. Although we'll probably have an all-nighter tonight since she slept all day. With babies and toddlers, things NEVER stay the same, so never get comfortable. I'm trying to enjoy each and every moment, however, because I know when they're older, I'll be wishing for the "simpler" days of today. If only I remember how hard these days were too... Live for today!

Well, wish me luck tomorrow, I'm off to save lives, I hope...

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

2 months old!

This entry is also a little late, things have been really hectic in the Ruff household. I just spent a week in Denver at a conference. I took Savannah with me, and we had a great mother-daughter time. We were inseparable, and I'm finding out now that it might not be the greatest thing, since now Savannah is adamantly rejecting the bottle again. Bummer.

Jackson has decided not to sleep any more, which has been very discouraging. We've tried many different approaches to this problem, but we're back to the old Ferber method, letting him cry in his room. Thankfully, since we've been on board with this approach, it has been a lot better, and he's actually sleeping in the chair in his room. Wierd, I know, but at least he's sleeping in his room, right? Who knows, this parenting thing is very confusing.

Before Denver, my sis came to visit us for a week, which was a great time. It was such a blessing being able to spend some QT with her. There's nothing like sisters.

So now we're all at home together as a family again, preparing for this Friday, when I go back to work. AHHHHH! I pray for everything to work itself out, and I know that it will.

Savannah, you are 2 MONTHS OLD! The time has flown by so fast. I have really enjoyed these last 10 weeks at home with you. You have changed so much since we first brought you home. You don't spit up as much, you are content to sit in your swing, in your bouncer, or on your playmat. You actually are sleeping thru the night, from about 11pm to 5am, in your Pack'n'Play, which has been a HUGE blessing. You LOVE to nurse, and you hate the bottle; that will have to change soon. You smile all the time, and you love to hold conversations with me, cooing and making the most precious sounds to my ears. You think your brother is hilarious, and you smile at him when he comes over. You are a good traveller and have already had your first airplane trip across the country! At your 2 month check-up, you weighed 12 lbs 12 oz and measured 23.5 inches long, both in the 90th percentile. You are just about to sneak into 6 month sized clothes, since the 3 month clothes are a bit snug on you. We love you so much, and you are such a blessing to our family.

Monday, September 20, 2010

2 and a half!


This post is a little late, but I wanted to post about Jackson being officially 2 and a half years old this month! 30 months, I can't even believe it. It's getting to the point where he is more of a little boy than a baby! These 2 and a half years with Jackson have been amazing, and I am really enjoying watching him grow and learn every day. Jackson, at 2 and a half:

-you wear a 2T still, but it seems that in the past week you are sprouting up, so now I will buy 3T from now on

-you wear size 5 diapers

-you will not potty train yet

-you are now in preschool 2 days a week

-you are a big brother!

-your fave breakfast is "mush," aka oatmeal; bananas; yogurt; milk

-you want chicken nuggets and ketchup every day for lunch

-you sometimes surprise me by trying out what I make for dinner, but often you only take 2 bites (my rule) and call it quits

-you snack on granola bars and fruit

-you still love playing outside, especially at the playground and on the tractors

-you still love dates with Mommy at Barnes and Noble or Starbucks

-there is nothing you CAN'T say, and your vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds; it's truly amazing what you understand and remember

-I love you Jackson, and I'm so proud of the little man you are becoming!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

First Day of Preschool!




Today we had J's first day of preschool. I was really nervous because of his recent behavior, but it went great! A parent had to stay with him today, and it was only for an hour since it was for the first day. He had NO major meltdowns, and he actually listened and played nicely. It was very reassuring to see the other moms and dads say the same things to their kids that we say to Jackson; it helps to know we're not alone.


Saturday, September 11, 2010

T Squared

That's what JW and I have started calling "temper tantrums." Jackson is going crazy. It's a real bummer. Not that I blame him, with a new baby sister, two-year-old urges, and changing weather. But it doesn't make it any easier. I feel like a broken record. The cool down chair...yeah, Jackson sings songs while he's on it. And today he started standing on it and turning the light on and off. He had his first major meltdown in public yesterday...at the Open House for his preschool, no less! At least we know that every other parent has gone thru the same, but it's still annoying. Today actually turned out to be a good day. The morning started out rocky, as he broke one of my things and had three time-outs in 6 minutes' time. But the afternoon was a lot better, and we had a fun evening with friends. "This too shall pass..." Meanwhile, Savannah is smiling a ton and she's super cute. I haven't been able to capture the moment on camera yet, but when I do I will be sure to post it. Tomorrow is a scrapbook day, and I'm super excited to create. It will be a girls day, just Savannah and me (she'll chill in the sling or the carseat hopefully most of the time, we'll see...)

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

I love you, Mama!

Today was the first day that Jackson actually initiated an "i love you." It was great. Yesterday was a tough day for the two of us, I yelled a lot and he spent a lot of time in the cool down chair. So it was really music to my ears this morning to hear those sweet words, totally unprovoked. It was a much better day today, though we still had our fair share of time-outs. I guess it comes with the territory of being two-and-a-half. I'm sure it will get better as Savannah gets older and she does more than sleep, eat, and poop. She slept a lot today, which was nice because I had a few hours to actually get out of the house, go to the YMCA, shower, and pay bills. It was a real treat. And I actually got Jackson to sit down with Savannah for a picture (see above). Progress!

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Preschool and Pounds

Yesterday was an eventful day. I took Savannah for her 1 month check up, and here are her stats:
Weight: 10lbs 7oz (80th percentile)
Height: 22 inches (90th percentile)
She is very healthy and very strong; she's starting to lift up her head on her own a lot.

After the appointment, the family had a visit at "Come Grow With Us" preschool, and we loved it. We enrolled Jackson there for the fall; he loved it too. I think it will be great to expose him to other kids and have someone besides Mommy and Daddy reinforce social skills and other learning issues to him. I feel confident in his intelligence, and I'm excited to have him show the teacher how well he knows his alphabet and letter sounds. He's even starting to draw on a MagnaDoodle, and I've seen a few squiggles and circles, a step up from straight lines. Jackson is doing much more imaginative play, and he's having conversations with himself. It's really funny when you stop and listen. His latest infatuation is with the timer that I use for his time-outs. They are working though; he actually understands what he is there for and says he is sorry. Thanks, Supernanny!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

1 month old!

Dearest Savannah Grace, you were one month old yesterday! I can't believe this month has simply flown by. You have come a long way since your initial gassy and fussy days. Now, you love to cuddle with Daddy and gaze adoringly into his eyes. You love me too, but really just the milk... You don't have a problem with projectile vomiting anymore. You love your brother, and he loves you and always wants to snuggle you. You tolerate all of your outfit changes with true grace. You love your swing and will take long daytime naps in it. You sleep with me in my bed and only wake up a few times to eat. You have had only three baths since you've been home from the hospital, oops. You are growing so much! We have your doctor's appointment tomorrow, so I will post your stats then. You have smiled at us a few times, though I think it was still involuntary, it made us very happy. You're starting to coo and talk baby talk. You poop a lot. :) We love you so much and are so glad that you are a part of our family.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

One plus One does NOT equal Two...

So having two children two and under is HARD. And it is so hard to do it by yourself for a day! I don't know other moms do it, and with younger kids than mine too. And some even have three little ones at a time! So today JW was gone for a basketball camp from 8-3:30. I had planned on taking both kids to the zoo for a church playgroup, which started at 10am. The morning was rough! Savannah was nursing while I was trying to get Jackson to go #2 on the potty, and he was switching back and forth between the big potty and his potty chair every few minutes in the hour we were trying this feat. So I'm walking back and forth with Jackson by the hand, Savannah hanging off my breast, and various toys/books in my hands too to entertain him. Needless to say, we gave up after an hour. I had to get on with my day.

I took advantage of Savannah sleeping to get J dressed and change his (then) poopy diaper. But then I had to shower. I didn't wanted to leave J with Savannah unsupervised because he has been known to try to pick her up (he can do it, too). So I kept him in the bathroom with me, constantly talking with him to verify his presence, while Savannah, who had then woken up, was screaming in her bassinet. Sigh. Somehow, I managed to get us all in the car on time, and we made it to the zoo. From there, it was a breeze.

Savannah slept in either the carseat or the sling the entire two hours we were there, and J actually listened to me all day today. I rewarded us both with a trip to Starbucks afterwards. (Okay, it mostly for my benefit). So all in all the day ended up going really well, but I can definitely see the challenges having 2 little ones will present. We'll see what tomorrow brings, since JW has camp again. Maybe I'll try a trip to Barnes and Noble...

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Baby Dedication



Today we dedicated baby Savannah Grace to God's care. It was our first outing to church, and she did wonderfully! She looked adorable, and she slept until it was over, which was absolutely perfect. It was so nice making our debut together, she was simply precious.




In other news, Savannah has been successful at taking the bottle. Because of this, I took Jackson on a date yesterday, just the two of us, to Tropical Smoothie Cafe for lunch and then to Barnes and Noble, for old times' sake, for some reading and train playing. I ended up buying him two books (surprise, surprise). He was so well-behaved and both of us really enjoyed our bonding time. I hope to do that more often, and now that I have some milk stored up in the freezer, I can get away for little spurts without too much worry. In fact, I ventured to the YMCA today for my first "official" workout, and it felt great. I'm on my way, folks!

Jackson continues to attempt to go the bathroom in the potty; he has been successful about 3 times. We try to bribe him with toys that we have bought for him, but usually he just can't be bothered with it. We'll continue to try, as his diapers are getting out of control.

Jackson has been throwing lots of tantrums lately, but I borrowed a technique from Supernanny, and when he is freaking out, I put him in the "cool down chair" to cool down. It's slightly different from time-out, and it seems to work. He also borrows a line from a recent Bob the Builder episode where Brad Rad and Scratch need to relax: "Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and think." It's very cute.

Life is good.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

An Eventful Day...

Yesterday we had a very momentous occasion...Jackson used the potty for the first time! And it was entirely initiated by him, it was awesome. He had the "look," but before I could say anything, he said, "Potty." So we put him on the potty, he played for awhile, said he was done, and we diapered him up. I didn't realize he had gone, he was so nonchalant about it. When I got up to walk over to the potty, sure enough, #1 and #2 in there! I was SO proud of him, I gave him his promised new car (DJ from the Cars movie), and praised him all day. I'm hoping he'll try it again today.

Savannah and I went to my work yesterday to see my coworkers and introduce her. It was great to see everyone again, but I did NOT miss the stack of paperwork on my desk (thankfully, it belonged to someone else.) Savannah nursed most of the day yesterday, I had to pull the old nursing in the sling trick again, which thankfully worked, since we had company for dinner, and I really wanted to join everyone at the table. Today, I pumped for the first time, only 2 oz, but we're going to try the bottle today to see how she does. I hope it works!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

3 Weeks Old!

It's definitely harder to find time to blog with a newborn and a VERY active 2 year-old. We had Savannah's 2 week check-up this past week, and she already is 8lbs 12 oz! (She was 7lbs 7oz at birth). I see why she is such a little chubster; she eats 24/7. I think she went thru her 2 week growth spurt because there were a few days this week where all I did was sit on the couch and nurse her. We finally moved up to size 1 diapers, and we've now made it thru every newborn outfit she has. I think we will be ready soon to try the next size up. She is getting more alert, and she will actually sit in the bouncer or on the playmat for a few minutes without fussing. I want to try a swing too, just for one more option. What she REALLY loves is to be held. My new sling is a big hit; she gets to be my little kangaroo, I have 2 hands free, and I can actually DO stuff with Jackson. I even tried to nurse her in the sling, and it actually worked, I was laughing, it was pretty comical. We've decided she is a high-needs baby, unlike Jackson was, but even more reason to just heap loads of lovin' on her. Her reflux issues have gotten much better now that dairy is no longer a part of my diet. And she sleeps nearly 4 hours at a time at night now that she sleeps with me in the bed. I'm working on getting her a co-sleeper so that I don't worry so much about sleeping with her. We'll see if that works out. I still call her my little sweet pea, and I actually found a Halloween costume that is a peapod that I may end up getting her. That would be SO cute! Our baby dedication is next week, my first trip to church since her birth, so I'm really looking forward to that. These 3 weeks have been such a blessing getting to know sweet Savannah better. We're finally in sync, I think. :)

Meanwhile, Jackson is just thriving. He is so adorable lately, I just swell with pride for him. His fave thing to do right now is play basketball in the basement with his Daddy. He shouts, "Labron James for 2!" "Kobe Bryant" "MJ" "Raining Buckets!" It's hilarious. He can entertain himself for hours, literally. It's great, because my scrapbook table is downstairs, so I can watch him with Savannah in the sling and scrap away. He can sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" all the way through, "I'm a Little Teapot," and the alphabet. He knows practically all of his letter sounds, thanks to some videos and tapes that we have to use as aids. He plays very well independently now, lining up his cars and making them talk to each other, like "Hi, I'm Mader." He can jump with 2 feet and LOVES to climb on things. He still has no interest in potty training, though we're planning on stepping things into high gear soon in hopes to get him into preschool in the fall.

I have my hands full, but I love it, and I'm cherishing this time off work to enjoy being a mommy.

Friday, August 6, 2010

First Photo Shoot

Today was a momentous day. I took Savannah to her first photo session, and we had SUCH a good time. She was such a little princess! I decided to cut out dairy today to see if that helps with her reflux issues, and I think it did! She didn't throw up all day, and she didn't poop during the entire photo session, which lasted 2 1/2 hours! I was so proud of my little lady. Here is a link to the photographer's blog, which shows some of the best pictures. Enjoy!

http://www.sarahdavisphoto.com

Jackson was adorable today, too. We started playing "Simon Says" with him to try to get him to pick up his toys, and today, he played by himself and picked up the entire room! We were so proud of him that we gave him a toy. He was happy. :) He also helped me make Fiber One Apple Cinnamon muffins for breakfast; he poured the water in the bowl and the entire egg (shell and all) into the mix as well--I hadn't yet shown him how to crack the egg. I love my kiddos!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Welcome Baby Savannah!










Well, it's been awhile since my last posting, but I had a good excuse...she's finally here! On Sunday July 25th, only 6 days late, little baby Savannah Grace made her arrival into the world at 11:18am after only 4 hours of labor. The ordeal was painful but quick, and WELL worth it after seeing our little bundle of joy in our arms. She is so sweet, and I've taken to calling her "sweet pea." One of my favorite things about having a little girl is being able to dress her in so many different adorable outfits. She has a little problem with spitting up...it's more like projectile vomiting or a geyser erupting...but the bonus is many clothing changes throughout the day and night, for both mom AND baby.
Jackson handled his new sister's arriving with grace and admiration...we have it all on an adorable video. He calls her "baby sister" or "baby Savannah," and he talks baby talk to her. He is (usually) very gentle with her and is obsessed with her bouncer (whivh of course used to be his.) He even chose to sleep with her rattle tonight, cute!
It's amazing how different two siblings can be. Looking at their baby pics, they are a lot alike, but their temperaments couldn't be more different. Savannah is more needy--she eats a LOT and would much rather be cuddled than sleep in her crib. Hmm, who wouldn't? It's just hard for me sometimes when I am SO sleep-deprived and still trying to find a balance between both kids and myself. But probably the newborn period is NOT the time I am going to find that balance. All in good time.
Tomorrow is her first photo session, I'm really excited, she will be sooo cute!
Here is her bible verse:
2 Cor 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" NIV

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Still Waiting...

Well, her due date has come and gone, and I'm still prego. I can't wait to meet my little girl! Jackson even said HE was ready for her to come. :) It's really hard being patient, but I am trying to wait on the Lord, He will deliver me, literally!

Psalm 5:3 "In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

Psalm 27:13 "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."

Psalm 40:1 "I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry."

Psalm 130:5 "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope."

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Eventful Day...


Today was an eventful day! I had my doctor's appointment, and in one week of Braxton-Hicks contractions, I have gone from a closed cervix to one that is 2cm dilated and half thinned out! Plus, her head is really low (I could have told you that, I walk like a shuffling/waddling cowboy). I'm super excited. No painful contractions yet, but things are happening, which is exciting.
Our little guy fell down the entire flight of carpeted stairs today...oops. :( Hence this black eye. He is doing fine, no major complications, but man do we feel bad! And we were right there, so it's not like we're bad parents, really! And we don't beat our child. But he was a little stinker today! So many temper tantrums, it was unreal. I was thankful that God allowed me to keep my cool and stay calm, and really just fill me with compassion for him rather than anger.
I'm hoping for a quiet night, we'll see...

Monday, July 12, 2010

Dear Baby Girl,

One more week to go! Mommy, Daddy, and your brother Jackson are all expectantly awaiting your arrival. Your nursery is ready, complete with your own crib, although you'll spend a few months in Mommy and Daddy's room in your bassinet to be closer to us. All of your clothes are washed and put away. We set up your books and toys, even though it will be quite awhile before you are ready for those. You can come any day now! How exciting!

I am feeling contractions off and on, but nothing painful, so I don't think you are quite ready to make an appearance. Thank goodness for air conditioning in this July heat, that's all I have to say!

We can't wait to meet you and give you a name. Our considerations are:
Megan Lindsey
Chloe Sophia
Taylor Quinn
Savannah Rose
Sophia Grace

Maybe you'll tell us which one you prefer. :) Jackson likes Taylor and Savannah. We'll see you soon, baby!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Countdown to baby girl...

I have a week and a half left until baby girl arrives, and I am counting down. I'm ok if she waits until her due date or a little after. It's the waiting that kills me, like any day it might happen! I have to make sure I don't put anything off until tomorrow what I can do today, right? JW and I are still throwing around names...he kills me because he keeps throwing in new options to our top 3-4, and I can't handle any more choices! Her room is all ready, crib and all, and apparently her milk supply is ready too, as I've started to see evidence of what's to come...

I'm really cherishing every moment with Jackson right now. He's so adorable. Still sleeping in his big boy bed without a problem. Enjoying rough-housing with Daddy more now. Still loves John Deere. Today, I said "Uh-uh," and he replied, "Yuh-huh!" How did he know to say that? He copies me a lot. I'm trying not to say "crap" anymore because I know he will start using that too.

Here are some pics:


Jackson playing "horsie" with Daddy.

Wearing Daddy's shoes on the Fourth of July.

Riding John Deere at the playground (so long slides and swings!)


Thursday, July 1, 2010

Cute things

Jackson has been soooo cute lately. And also soooo 2 years old. He is a little whiny, to say the least. But I would say his behavior the majority of the time is just sooo sweet.


  • He usually loves to play with his many cars, and every night he picks one or two to go to sleep with. (No soft and cuddly lovey for our boy!)

  • He is finally sleeping in his big boy bed regularly, and he no longer gets out, thanks to our new video monitor (which saves me steps) and a sticker reward system--it works!

  • He spends a lot of time outside, either at the playground, where we are blessed to have a live construction site complete with working vehicles; also in our sandbox or on the driveway coloring with chalk.

  • Today, I was trying to teach him to say "Excuse me" after he burps, and he then proceeded to make himself fake burp. It was hilarious. I didn't think they did that stuff until they were older!

  • He loves playing in the tub, mostly just pouring water from one container to another, but he HATES getting washed.

  • He loves being "nudie" and he will ask to "run away."

  • He still loves his paci (I actually bought him a new one about 2 months ago because the old one was so worn that pieces of silicone were coming off in his mouth!)

  • He still listens to lullabies at night.

  • He goes to bed at 8pm and wakes up between 5-6:30a.m. (Yawn!)

  • He loves to eat fruit, and will eat it all day if he can. He also loves chicken nuggets, meatballs, and mac and cheese. Ventures to what we have been eating have not been super successful thus far.

  • He loves calling me names that are NOT my name, like "ma-muck," "ma-meek," etc.

  • He loves reading books still, and will read the same ones over and over.

  • Every morning he will watch about an hour of video--John Deere, Bob the Builder, or Leap Frog. No commercial TV yet.

Just wanted to remind myself of the cute stuff he is doing. It's easy to get distracted with #2 on the way, but my #1 is super cool and getting so big! What a good big brother he will make!


Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Big Machines

Jackson and I have had a fun couple of days. On Sunday, after he awoke from his nap, I took him to a tractor show. Well, by the time we arrived, it was over, so we didn't have to pay the admission fee, which was nice, and J still got to run around like crazy seeing all the John Deere tractors. He kept saying, "Johnny Popper!" and "Otto plow the field, oh no!" which are from his "All About John Deere" DVDs; we watch them every morning. There was a guy there who was nice enough to give him a ride around the field on his tractor, it was so cool!



But of course, he was most excited to sit on a silly lime green no-name lawn mower tractor. Oh well. As long as he's happy! Notice all the John Deeres in the background...

Today, we went to the playground, and there was a digger and a skidsteer, both which Jackson was SO excited to be around. So I snapped some cute pictures:





Baby girl flipped over the weekend, but I just got back from grocery shopping and she flipped back to breech again. Bummer. I even went to the chiropractor today, which actually was helpful, because apparently my right SI joint was so out of alignment that my right leg was 1/2 inch shorter than my left! No wonder I was having trouble walking! Keep praying!