I read this quote by J.C. Ryle on another blog today.
Though our trial hardly compares to the suffering of others we love, these words bring helpful perspective to the troubles that come in this life. My ever-increasing hope is as this quote ends, "we shall be at home forever with the Lord."
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Therefore it is that God's people pass through great tribulation; therefore it is they are often called upon to suffer the sting of affliction and anxiety, or weep over the grave of those whom they have loved as their own soul.
It is their Father's hand that chastens them; it is thus He weans their affection from things below and fixes them on Himself; it is thus He trains them for eternity, and cuts the threads one by one that bind their wavering hearts to earth.
No doubt such chastening is grievous for the time, but still it brings many a hidden grace to light, and cuts down many a secret seed of evil; and we shall see those who have suffered most shining among the brightest stars in the assembly of heaven.
The purest gold is that which has been longest in the refiner's furnace. The brightest diamond is often that which has required the most grinding and polishing. But our light affliction endureth for a moment, and it worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The saints are men who have come out of great tribulation - they are never left to perish in it.
The last night of weeping will soon be spent, the last wave of trouble will have rolled over us, and then we shall have a peace that passeth all understanding; we shall be at home for ever with the Lord.
Oct 19, 2011
Oct 18, 2011
5 Year Stats
So much to say... simply no time... not if I'm going to enjoy my just-five boy, that is!
But I have to post his stats from the doctor's visit last week so that I don't lose them completely. Sorry for no pics and no fun stuff... just the facts, folks, just the facts.
James weighs 40 lbs (50th percentile), is 44 3/4 inches tall (75-90th percentile), has 20/25 vision, blood pressure of 90/54 and a resting pulse of 84. His BMI is 14.
That's all for now. There is so much life to live and so little time to blog about it!
But I have to post his stats from the doctor's visit last week so that I don't lose them completely. Sorry for no pics and no fun stuff... just the facts, folks, just the facts.
James weighs 40 lbs (50th percentile), is 44 3/4 inches tall (75-90th percentile), has 20/25 vision, blood pressure of 90/54 and a resting pulse of 84. His BMI is 14.
That's all for now. There is so much life to live and so little time to blog about it!
May 21, 2011
18 months
Our baby girl isn't so much of a baby these days.
She loves to play outside, running around, chasing balls. She picks dandelions. Her favorite thing ever is to put on a helmet and go for rides with her big brother on the little electric four-wheeler or in the side-by-side that Grammy has for all the grandchildren. When it's time to come inside, she is most unhappy when we try to take off her helmet.
Inside, she is beginning to enjoy books. Unlike her brother who sat still for books from his very earliest days, Madelene Kate has not had the same exposure and has not enjoyed sitting still much at all. She far prefers to be busy, getting into things! She loves holding small things (like the "babies" in a collection of 3-inch plastic dolls that Ben's mom has). We recently began to sit her up to the table with a sketch pad and crayons. She fills the paper with her scribbles. And then she tosses the crayons on the floor! She's also been enjoying the nesting/stacking blocks that I give her while she sits in her chair. She has no trouble stacking four blocks while sitting. I think she can do even more when she plays with them on the floor.
She can easily point to her eyes, nose, teeth and tongue. We're still working on ears. And when she's in the bath and I ask for her foot, she immediately pokes her toes out of the water. Yesterday when I was giving Grammy an update on our doctor visit, and I mentioned that skill, Madelene Kate kicked her foot in the air to me!
My girlie is really into "pretty shoes" lately. She has several pairs now, since a generous friend gave us her daughters' hand-me-downs. While James had one pair of shoes when he was this age, Madelene Kate has at least four that she regularly wears. Whenever I change her diaper, I can easily distract her by holding up a shoe and saying, "pretty shoe" or "pink shoe."
Her one vice continues to be her pacifier. Thankfully we only have one. So if it ever disappears or breaks, that will be the end! I try to reserve it for bedtime. But there have been a few occasions when I've been out and needed something to keep her quiet. And on Sundays it provides a comfort when I put her in the nursery. She falls asleep very easily with it in her mouth - in fact, she'll generally fall asleep anywhere if she has the pacifier.
Her favorite toy is a Build-A-Bear dog named Millie. Millie has a sweet face and long, soft ears. After awakening in the morning or from her nap, our sweet girlie will spend good parts of an hour, sitting in her pack-n-play, sucking her pacifier and rubbing Millie's ears between her fingers. More times than I can count, I have come to get her up, thinking she is still asleep, and found her completely silent, pacifier in place, contentedly playing with Millie.
I wasn't thinking that Madelene Kate had much of a vocabulary yet. So when the doctor asked if she has 10-15 words, I told him no. But on further reflection, I think she might. And when asked if she puts two words together, I replied, "Well - not generally, but she does say, "Ah-ha-dat." or "Ah-ha-nanni." which Grammy pointed out a week or so ago to sound like, "I have that/I have banana." Since we have trained James to ask respectfully, Madelene Kate frequently hears, "May I please have...?" So I guess it makes sense that she would ask for things that way. I don't know what the doctor wrote down, but it is gratifying to think that she has picked up a good habit from her brother!
For the record, here are Madelene Kate's words:
Mommy, Daddy (both with perfect diction, but "Daddy" always comes with bright eyes and delighted smiles)
ba - ball
nanni- - banana
dat - that
guk - book
ah-oooph/goggie - doggie
ah-weesh - water (this one confounds us, but has been consistent for months)
ha-yo - hello (when she picks up a phone and puts it on her ear)
ba-bee - baby
buh-bu - brother
MaMee - Grammy (it often sounds like Mommy, but there is a bit of a distinction)
Bapa - Papa (always said with great happiness!)
uh-uh = uh-oh
James has always been a great eater with few preferences (green beans were the only thing he consistently refused). His sister has expressed a few more opinions. But generally, if I repackage something, she'll eat it down with no argument. The one thing she has rejected multiple times is egg salad made with mustard or vinegar. She happily eats salted scrambled eggs or hard boiled egg whites. The really odd thing is that she LOVES pickles! Her other favorites are banana, tomato, rice, broccoli, peas and corn. She eats black beans, kidney beans, hamburgers, chicken (if it's ground) and salmon, among other things. She has preferences about how her cheese is served - not in slices, not crazy about shredded, but if it comes melted on a tortilla shell or rice bread, she gobbles it right down! Silly girl.
Size-wise, we find her mostly in the middle of the charts. Her cloth diapers can sadly give the appearance of being bigger than she is! (Speaking of - she regularly expresses excitement when I talk to her about not wearing diapers any more. And she has sat on the real potty several times for more than a minute or two. Nothing so far, but a positive step in the potty-training direction!)
So here are her measurements as of 18 months and 2 days:
Weight - 23 lbs, 6 oz (25-50th percentile)
Height - 32 1/4 inches (50th percentile)
Head - 47 cm (50-75th percentile)
And with that, I sign off to go make my children some pancakes.
She loves to play outside, running around, chasing balls. She picks dandelions. Her favorite thing ever is to put on a helmet and go for rides with her big brother on the little electric four-wheeler or in the side-by-side that Grammy has for all the grandchildren. When it's time to come inside, she is most unhappy when we try to take off her helmet.
Inside, she is beginning to enjoy books. Unlike her brother who sat still for books from his very earliest days, Madelene Kate has not had the same exposure and has not enjoyed sitting still much at all. She far prefers to be busy, getting into things! She loves holding small things (like the "babies" in a collection of 3-inch plastic dolls that Ben's mom has). We recently began to sit her up to the table with a sketch pad and crayons. She fills the paper with her scribbles. And then she tosses the crayons on the floor! She's also been enjoying the nesting/stacking blocks that I give her while she sits in her chair. She has no trouble stacking four blocks while sitting. I think she can do even more when she plays with them on the floor.
She can easily point to her eyes, nose, teeth and tongue. We're still working on ears. And when she's in the bath and I ask for her foot, she immediately pokes her toes out of the water. Yesterday when I was giving Grammy an update on our doctor visit, and I mentioned that skill, Madelene Kate kicked her foot in the air to me!
My girlie is really into "pretty shoes" lately. She has several pairs now, since a generous friend gave us her daughters' hand-me-downs. While James had one pair of shoes when he was this age, Madelene Kate has at least four that she regularly wears. Whenever I change her diaper, I can easily distract her by holding up a shoe and saying, "pretty shoe" or "pink shoe."
Her one vice continues to be her pacifier. Thankfully we only have one. So if it ever disappears or breaks, that will be the end! I try to reserve it for bedtime. But there have been a few occasions when I've been out and needed something to keep her quiet. And on Sundays it provides a comfort when I put her in the nursery. She falls asleep very easily with it in her mouth - in fact, she'll generally fall asleep anywhere if she has the pacifier.
Her favorite toy is a Build-A-Bear dog named Millie. Millie has a sweet face and long, soft ears. After awakening in the morning or from her nap, our sweet girlie will spend good parts of an hour, sitting in her pack-n-play, sucking her pacifier and rubbing Millie's ears between her fingers. More times than I can count, I have come to get her up, thinking she is still asleep, and found her completely silent, pacifier in place, contentedly playing with Millie.
I wasn't thinking that Madelene Kate had much of a vocabulary yet. So when the doctor asked if she has 10-15 words, I told him no. But on further reflection, I think she might. And when asked if she puts two words together, I replied, "Well - not generally, but she does say, "Ah-ha-dat." or "Ah-ha-nanni." which Grammy pointed out a week or so ago to sound like, "I have that/I have banana." Since we have trained James to ask respectfully, Madelene Kate frequently hears, "May I please have...?" So I guess it makes sense that she would ask for things that way. I don't know what the doctor wrote down, but it is gratifying to think that she has picked up a good habit from her brother!
For the record, here are Madelene Kate's words:
Mommy, Daddy (both with perfect diction, but "Daddy" always comes with bright eyes and delighted smiles)
ba - ball
nanni- - banana
dat - that
guk - book
ah-oooph/goggie - doggie
ah-weesh - water (this one confounds us, but has been consistent for months)
ha-yo - hello (when she picks up a phone and puts it on her ear)
ba-bee - baby
buh-bu - brother
MaMee - Grammy (it often sounds like Mommy, but there is a bit of a distinction)
Bapa - Papa (always said with great happiness!)
uh-uh = uh-oh
James has always been a great eater with few preferences (green beans were the only thing he consistently refused). His sister has expressed a few more opinions. But generally, if I repackage something, she'll eat it down with no argument. The one thing she has rejected multiple times is egg salad made with mustard or vinegar. She happily eats salted scrambled eggs or hard boiled egg whites. The really odd thing is that she LOVES pickles! Her other favorites are banana, tomato, rice, broccoli, peas and corn. She eats black beans, kidney beans, hamburgers, chicken (if it's ground) and salmon, among other things. She has preferences about how her cheese is served - not in slices, not crazy about shredded, but if it comes melted on a tortilla shell or rice bread, she gobbles it right down! Silly girl.
Size-wise, we find her mostly in the middle of the charts. Her cloth diapers can sadly give the appearance of being bigger than she is! (Speaking of - she regularly expresses excitement when I talk to her about not wearing diapers any more. And she has sat on the real potty several times for more than a minute or two. Nothing so far, but a positive step in the potty-training direction!)
So here are her measurements as of 18 months and 2 days:
Weight - 23 lbs, 6 oz (25-50th percentile)
Height - 32 1/4 inches (50th percentile)
Head - 47 cm (50-75th percentile)
And with that, I sign off to go make my children some pancakes.
May 3, 2011
Capturing the Moment
How I wish for a way to instantly capture those priceless and fleeting moments that vanish the instant you reach for a camera.
There is no way that anyone else can now appreciate the precious view I had as I looked out the front door over the expanse of Grammy's deep green lawn to see my darkly red-headed boy in a long-sleeved white t-shirt and orange track pants darting furiously here and there as he followed a little yellow butterfly in an attempt to hold it for even a minute.
Maybe by writing it down I will be able to recall it in years to come, if I close my eyes tight and try hard to imagine that lean little body that will have been transformed seemingly overnight...
It all goes so fast - every bit of it. I'm trying to capture each moment. But they slip away without warning.
There is no way that anyone else can now appreciate the precious view I had as I looked out the front door over the expanse of Grammy's deep green lawn to see my darkly red-headed boy in a long-sleeved white t-shirt and orange track pants darting furiously here and there as he followed a little yellow butterfly in an attempt to hold it for even a minute.
Maybe by writing it down I will be able to recall it in years to come, if I close my eyes tight and try hard to imagine that lean little body that will have been transformed seemingly overnight...
It all goes so fast - every bit of it. I'm trying to capture each moment. But they slip away without warning.
Apr 18, 2011
Sunday Afternoons
One fine Sunday in February, our family tuned in to watch Chevrolets, Dodges, Fords, and Toyotas speed around a paved track in Florida. And we've been hooked ever since.
At five minutes to race time, we turn on the TV. Together we stand while we listen to the Invocation by a local pastor, salute the flag as a country star sings our National Anthem (correctly!) and get goose bumps while military jets roar overhead.
and then those famous words, "Gentlemen, Start. Your. Engines." followed soon after by DW's "Boogity, Boogity, Boogity. Let's Go Racin' Boys!"
Sometime in the middle of the race, I make popcorn. And toward the end of the race, I make dinner.
Even though they drive Chevy's, we root for Jeff Gordon, number 24, and Junior in the 88 car and number 48, Jimmie Johnson. (James loves the M&M Car - Kyle Busch #18).) We gasp at crashes and feel for the drivers they take out.
And we yell at the screen on the final five laps as every driver in the top ten has a chance to finish on top.
Yesterday, we witnessed true sportsmanship. Junior has not won in more than a hundred races. But he decided that pulling one for the team was more important that winning for himself. So he put his teammate, Jimmie Johnson, in front, and pushed him across that finish line just .002 seconds ahead of the #2 spot, taking 4th place finish instead.
I never would have expected it, but we've had a lot of fun these past few weeks, watching stock cars zip around an oval!
At five minutes to race time, we turn on the TV. Together we stand while we listen to the Invocation by a local pastor, salute the flag as a country star sings our National Anthem (correctly!) and get goose bumps while military jets roar overhead.
and then those famous words, "Gentlemen, Start. Your. Engines." followed soon after by DW's "Boogity, Boogity, Boogity. Let's Go Racin' Boys!"
Sometime in the middle of the race, I make popcorn. And toward the end of the race, I make dinner.
Even though they drive Chevy's, we root for Jeff Gordon, number 24, and Junior in the 88 car and number 48, Jimmie Johnson. (James loves the M&M Car - Kyle Busch #18).) We gasp at crashes and feel for the drivers they take out.
And we yell at the screen on the final five laps as every driver in the top ten has a chance to finish on top.
Yesterday, we witnessed true sportsmanship. Junior has not won in more than a hundred races. But he decided that pulling one for the team was more important that winning for himself. So he put his teammate, Jimmie Johnson, in front, and pushed him across that finish line just .002 seconds ahead of the #2 spot, taking 4th place finish instead.
I never would have expected it, but we've had a lot of fun these past few weeks, watching stock cars zip around an oval!
According to James
On Saturday, we celebrated Grammy P's birthday at a special restaurant about an hour from home.
According to James, on our way, we "went across the McToemick River on a HUGE bridge and saw TONS of planes."
According to James, on our way, we "went across the McToemick River on a HUGE bridge and saw TONS of planes."
Mar 16, 2011
From James
While I took Madelene Kate upstairs to change her diaper this morning, James typed an e-mail to his Daddy all by himself:
Daddy i Love you THANK you for the picshrs you
sent for me Grammy is comeing doun Love James
Daddy i Love you THANK you for the picshrs you
sent for me Grammy is comeing doun Love James
Mar 12, 2011
Old Fashioned
In the middle of his bath, while belting out all the words to "Great is Thy Faithfulness" (with 98% accuracy), James stopped and announced, "This is an old-fashioned kind of song."
Feb 23, 2011
12 & 15 month growth info
I don't kid myself into believing that people actually look at my blog. But I don't have anywhere else to keep the stats on my growing children. So I'm posting Madelene Kate's one year and 15-month stats just so I have a record of them somewhere!
12-months (Nov 19, 1010)
Height - 29 1/2 inches
Weight - 20 lbs 13 oz
Head - 46 cm
15-months (Feb 18, 2011)
Height - 30 inches (45th percentile)
Weight - 21 lbs, 5 oz (25th percentile)
Head - 46 1/2 cm (75th percentile)
There is so much to say about everything, including what a precious little girl we have. But alas... there just isn't time right now to post more. Some day, maybe I'll get to put up details & pictures of what each of our children are up to. But this post is the product of trying to rid myself of another piece of paper. Done!
12-months (Nov 19, 1010)
Height - 29 1/2 inches
Weight - 20 lbs 13 oz
Head - 46 cm
15-months (Feb 18, 2011)
Height - 30 inches (45th percentile)
Weight - 21 lbs, 5 oz (25th percentile)
Head - 46 1/2 cm (75th percentile)
There is so much to say about everything, including what a precious little girl we have. But alas... there just isn't time right now to post more. Some day, maybe I'll get to put up details & pictures of what each of our children are up to. But this post is the product of trying to rid myself of another piece of paper. Done!
Dec 30, 2010
Stinker & Sweetie
The other day, Ben plugged in a carbon monoxide and natural gas detector in the hallway upstairs. The next evening while James & Ben were upstairs, I heard it going off. I thought maybe James had pushed a button.
Nope.
He tooted by it.
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Yesterday I signed "I Love You" with my right hand while saying it to Madelene Kate at the same time. A moment later, she lifted her right hand to her lips and blew me kisses.
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I just love being a mommy to these precious little people!
Nope.
He tooted by it.
*****************************
Yesterday I signed "I Love You" with my right hand while saying it to Madelene Kate at the same time. A moment later, she lifted her right hand to her lips and blew me kisses.
*****************************
I just love being a mommy to these precious little people!
Dec 18, 2010
A little window
I wrote my aunt an e-mail today, giving her a peek into our world... and it seemed like the ideal blog post. So without further ado, here is a brief update on us.
We are well. Still not in our own home yet. Ben's mom has been incredibly kind to host us for so long. Ben has been working tirelessly at our new home. But he has continued to have problems breathing there. We have done everything we can think of to eliminate potential issues, but the ultimate cause has proved elusive. One friend suggested that we fill our home with living plants which have the ability to clean the air. Ben also just purchased an air purifier/ozonater - I think it will clean and add oxygen to the air (if I understand correctly).
With everything still rather upside down, Ben feels like Christmas cards are too much for this year. Hopefully we'll be able to send out something after we get into our house and settled. I had also wanted to do a picture gift again, but with our pictures spread between two computers and one of the computers at the new house, that is proving difficult, too!
I know the pictures paint a thousand words, but here is a little update on our "diddles"...
Madelene Kate took off walking the week after we returned from Massanutten (Dec 2). She loves to toddle around, carrying things - toys, papers, spoons. And interestingly, she only goes to the stairs when she is ready for a nap. She will walk around the main level for the longest time, not interested in the stairs, and then all at once she'll start climbing them. Every time when I follow her up and change her diaper, she lies back in my arms. So I put her in bed with her pacifier and stuffed dog and off she goes to dreamland! She still loves to put things in her mouth, although that seems to be diminishing a bit. I am very glad, for from between her clenched jaw, I have swept a spider and a stinkbug along with a variety of paper scraps and other small objects - mmmmhhh tasty! She is a fabulous eater, enjoying everything savory and not turning down sweets either. She doesn't care for anything bland. Last night she devoured dill salmon cakes with a side of mixed vegetables (smothered in farm-fresh butter and sea salt). And her favorite thing from Thanksgiving dinner was a tart cranberry sauce I'd made from scratch. She began feeding herself with a spoon last week, quite competent right from the start. Ben's mom & sister think it's early for her to be so skilled at that. She isn't talking yet, but she does say something ("es?") that sounds quite like, "This" - and she says it as if she's asking, "what's this?" or "may I have this?" And she has something that sounds like it might be a bark when she sees our neighbor, Jean, who has two dogs (Bonnie & Chloe) or if someone mentions the dogs' names.
James is a precious boy abounding with affection and not limited in energy. He is a very quick learner and doesn't prefer to learn the hard way. If someone tells him something is dangerous or could hurt him, he believes them and either alters course or avoids things altogether. What a wonderful gift in a 4 yr old! He loves to play outside, especially when it snows, which it has done twice in the past week. He is very thoughtful and kind to his baby sister (but doesn't hesitate to let me know quite loudly when she's about to "rip" something he's built). He will spend hours quietly coloring/drawing/cutting & pasting all on his own. He also enjoys playing with Lincoln Logs and Tinkertoys, creating any number of structures. He is reading now on a first-grade level, recognizing words like "mountain" and reading words aloud when I type. He can look at a list of three words and pick out the right one to complete a sentence without sounding out each one. He has very nice handwriting. And he's loving the concept of adding (who wouldn't like the thought of having two cookies and getting one more to make three?!). Yesterday I used a line of cars to introduce the concept of subtracting when one would turn off the road we were traveling. He thought that was pretty great, too!
That's the fun in our little world! What a treat to live each day with eyes newly awakened with the wonders of discovery.
We are well. Still not in our own home yet. Ben's mom has been incredibly kind to host us for so long. Ben has been working tirelessly at our new home. But he has continued to have problems breathing there. We have done everything we can think of to eliminate potential issues, but the ultimate cause has proved elusive. One friend suggested that we fill our home with living plants which have the ability to clean the air. Ben also just purchased an air purifier/ozonater - I think it will clean and add oxygen to the air (if I understand correctly).
With everything still rather upside down, Ben feels like Christmas cards are too much for this year. Hopefully we'll be able to send out something after we get into our house and settled. I had also wanted to do a picture gift again, but with our pictures spread between two computers and one of the computers at the new house, that is proving difficult, too!
I know the pictures paint a thousand words, but here is a little update on our "diddles"...
Madelene Kate took off walking the week after we returned from Massanutten (Dec 2). She loves to toddle around, carrying things - toys, papers, spoons. And interestingly, she only goes to the stairs when she is ready for a nap. She will walk around the main level for the longest time, not interested in the stairs, and then all at once she'll start climbing them. Every time when I follow her up and change her diaper, she lies back in my arms. So I put her in bed with her pacifier and stuffed dog and off she goes to dreamland! She still loves to put things in her mouth, although that seems to be diminishing a bit. I am very glad, for from between her clenched jaw, I have swept a spider and a stinkbug along with a variety of paper scraps and other small objects - mmmmhhh tasty! She is a fabulous eater, enjoying everything savory and not turning down sweets either. She doesn't care for anything bland. Last night she devoured dill salmon cakes with a side of mixed vegetables (smothered in farm-fresh butter and sea salt). And her favorite thing from Thanksgiving dinner was a tart cranberry sauce I'd made from scratch. She began feeding herself with a spoon last week, quite competent right from the start. Ben's mom & sister think it's early for her to be so skilled at that. She isn't talking yet, but she does say something ("es?") that sounds quite like, "This" - and she says it as if she's asking, "what's this?" or "may I have this?" And she has something that sounds like it might be a bark when she sees our neighbor, Jean, who has two dogs (Bonnie & Chloe) or if someone mentions the dogs' names.
James is a precious boy abounding with affection and not limited in energy. He is a very quick learner and doesn't prefer to learn the hard way. If someone tells him something is dangerous or could hurt him, he believes them and either alters course or avoids things altogether. What a wonderful gift in a 4 yr old! He loves to play outside, especially when it snows, which it has done twice in the past week. He is very thoughtful and kind to his baby sister (but doesn't hesitate to let me know quite loudly when she's about to "rip" something he's built). He will spend hours quietly coloring/drawing/cutting & pasting all on his own. He also enjoys playing with Lincoln Logs and Tinkertoys, creating any number of structures. He is reading now on a first-grade level, recognizing words like "mountain" and reading words aloud when I type. He can look at a list of three words and pick out the right one to complete a sentence without sounding out each one. He has very nice handwriting. And he's loving the concept of adding (who wouldn't like the thought of having two cookies and getting one more to make three?!). Yesterday I used a line of cars to introduce the concept of subtracting when one would turn off the road we were traveling. He thought that was pretty great, too!
That's the fun in our little world! What a treat to live each day with eyes newly awakened with the wonders of discovery.
Dec 2, 2010
Footloose
My baby is leaving babyhood behind.
She's been working at walking for a couple of months now, taking a few steps here and there, cruising along furniture, crawling to the wall to get up and walk along it, taking a few steps to a chair and walking along that until she could get to something else to hold onto (or crawling to the next crutch to climb up and cruise some more). Grammy bought a little pink walker stroller several weeks ago. She loves it. (So does James.)
But today, she fully prefers her feet to her fours.
She's walking all over.
She picks up her dog, Millie, and keeps walking.
She sits down. And stands back up again. And walks on.
Madelene Kate is a toddler.
(That happened too fast.)
She's been working at walking for a couple of months now, taking a few steps here and there, cruising along furniture, crawling to the wall to get up and walk along it, taking a few steps to a chair and walking along that until she could get to something else to hold onto (or crawling to the next crutch to climb up and cruise some more). Grammy bought a little pink walker stroller several weeks ago. She loves it. (So does James.)
But today, she fully prefers her feet to her fours.
She's walking all over.
She picks up her dog, Millie, and keeps walking.
She sits down. And stands back up again. And walks on.
Madelene Kate is a toddler.
(That happened too fast.)
Nov 12, 2010
Our sweet son
Just five minutes ago, as I was picking up some of James' craft supplies, we ran across the birthday card given to him by our friend "Uncle John." I read the card to James and we looked at it together for a minute. Then I went back to tidying, and James went about his business. He was writing on the back of the card - something he's been doing since signing birthday cards for my parents. So I didn't think much of it. When I tuned back in to him, I heard him say, "tr - tr- train. I need to spell train."
I looked down. Immediately tears sprang to my eyes as I read what he had written - all on his own, with no assistance from me:
Thankuforthetr...
He had written a thank-you note to Uncle John for the train car John had given him for his birthday.
(and with only the reminder that it needed a "silent I", he finished the sentence by himself!)
More than the fact that he wrote the sentence is the sweetness of seeing his grateful heart. What a gift to be this little boy's mommy!
I looked down. Immediately tears sprang to my eyes as I read what he had written - all on his own, with no assistance from me:
Thankuforthetr...
He had written a thank-you note to Uncle John for the train car John had given him for his birthday.
(and with only the reminder that it needed a "silent I", he finished the sentence by himself!)
More than the fact that he wrote the sentence is the sweetness of seeing his grateful heart. What a gift to be this little boy's mommy!
Aug 25, 2010
Catching Up
It's been entirely too long since I've posted... certainly not because I don't have things to post! And if you read all the way to the end, you'll have a surprise awaiting you. :)
Where to begin...
In June, Madelene Kate got her second tooth, sat up on her own consistently, began to push herself around (backwards) and then got up on her hands and knees and began to rock back and forth. She also got to have a couple of baths with her big brother, which made him very happy. And Madelene Kate thought it was great to get to splash around while sitting up.
By June 25, when our girlie was 7 months and 1 week old, we decided it was time for her to sleep through the night. So we made a few changes in our sleeping arrangements so that she didn't smell Mommy when she stirred at night. We expected it to take a crying bout of 45 minutes the first night, 15 the second and 5 the third. That's what the books told us, and that's what James did back when we did sleep training with him.
What a pleasant surprise she had for us. The first night, she fell back to sleep after crying for just 25 minutes. The next morning, at 6 a.m. when I went in to get her, she was sitting happily with her pacifier in her mouth. She slept through the night the very next night from 10:15 p.m. to 6 a.m. Ahhh... sleep glorious sleep!
By July 1, Madelene Kate began to move forward on her belly and continued to push up onto her hands and knees. A week later, she brought each knee forward once and then both knees up and then slid onto her belly. And then she'd just fuss and fuss until I came to rescue her. Quite funny to observe... but not so funny to her, obviously!
On July 7, at 7 1/2 months old, Madelene Kate began to crawl. She was very timid at first. And when she'd get tired, which was pretty quickly, she'd sit on her hands and knees with her head on the floor and cry so pitifully! It didn't take long for her to get the hang of it, though. Although slow, she discovered that she could get into things within the week. Yikes!
July 8 thru 10, Ben's sister, Lizzie, was here with her Westie named Lily. James and Madelene Kate LOVE doggies. Madelene Kate would sit on the floor and squeal and open/close her hands, begging Lily to come over to visit her. It was very sweet.
On July 19, our girl sat up from crawling for the first time. She also waved to her daddy AFTER he left for the morning.
We went on vacation with Ben's family July 24 thru 31. Ben, James and I got to take a kayak out on the lake one morning while Madelene Kate napped in our cabin and Ben's mom stayed with her and Katie's youngest, Claire (nearly 5 months old). I think that was a highlight of James' week - he wants to talk about it still! We also returned to the Wild Center, visited another museum twice and went on a train ride.
The last night of vacation, after a week of Madelene Kate crying and demanding and lunging for food, we decided to let her try some avocado. Poor baby... she still isn't ready. Despite all of her excitement, she still can't move food from the front of her mouth to the back. So we'll wait a little longer. She's not needing food, for sure. Our girl appears to be more than adequately fed!
On Saturday night, July 31, we returned home from vacation. The next morning, Madelene Kate promptly began to pull herself up on furniture. And she hasn't looked back. She crawls right over to anything that sits off the floor and gets right up on her feet. By the following Wednesday, she had pulled herself up in her pack-n-play. And now, she doesn't need anything except the floor to push herself to her feet... thankfully, though, for now, she can't get upright... but it appears that is not too far off. When I take her fingers, she charges across the room. She started climbing the stairs on Thursday, Aug 12, so now we're either moving her away from them or following her up and then helping her come down backwards... it's a full-time job just tracking the baby!
There is more to share, but I will post this now and start another.
Here are some pictures - taken on our last day of vacation - Friday, July 30.
Aug 23, 2010
9 months
Madelene Kate is already nine months old. I guess I don't need to express surprise at how fast it's gone. But it doesn't seem like that much time has really passed. She is so beautiful and so sweet and a delight to everyone who engages her.
We saw our favorite doctor last Friday and have new stats on our growing girlie.
Height - 27 inches (25-50th percentile)
Weight - 18 lbs, 7 oz (50th percentile)
Head Circumference - 45 cm (75th percentile)
A post with details on all her accomplishments (and her brother's, too) is slowly being created. Check back soon!
Aug 16, 2010
The Fair
I am working on an update, trying to capture all the comings & goings and ups & downs of June and July. But meanwhile, we had a memorable outing today.
We went to the Fair.
I took James to the mall last week for new shoes. As we pulled in, he instantly (and loudly) announced, "Mommy! This is where we went with Dorothy to the FAIR!"
Indeed. Last year, we parked at our local mall and were shuttled in school buses to the fairgrounds. We'd met our friends there. He recalled with perfect clarity - as if it had just been yesterday - the event from a year ago.
I was delighted to inform him that in just one week, we'd be going again.
So when his day began with eager anticipation at 5:20 this morning, 9:00 seemed like an eternity away. FINALLY, after he and Daddy both had breakfast, after we'd had devotions, after he'd given Daddy hugs & kisses and taken his lunch bag out to Daddy's car, after he'd loaded up his beloved Happy, safe in a cooler bag with a blanket for company, we left the house at 9:09.
We arrived at the mall parking lot, and he began to anxiously ask where Dorothy and Miss Kelly were, and then he begged the school bus to wait for us. To his dismay, the first bus left - but before he could become too concerned, a second one pulled up. And moments later, so did our friends.
Both James and Dorothy exited their car seats and were welcomed into the comforting clasps of their monkey harnesses. Their baby sisters were safely snapped into front-pack carriers. And diaper bags and camera bags were slung over their Mommy's shoulders. Our bus driver lifted our strollers onto the bus. And we were off!
Camels at the entrance... down to Old McDonald's Barn (a variety of barnyard buddies)... then to the birthing barn where a calf had been born yesterday morning, and another was laboring intensely... We visited our neighbors' steers, popped into the poultry barn where chicks were hatching from their eggs, and then parted ways with Miss Kelly & Dorothy, not in accordance with James' preference. He and I went to visit the hog barn while Dorothy went on a pony ride. After Madelene Kate ate, we found our way to a happy reunion with our friends.
James and Dorothy ate some lunch at a covered picnic table, right beside the Little Piggy Speedway. How perfect! From our vantage point, we could see the piglets, baby goats and turkeys all make their way around the track.
Then it was off down the road to get in line for cow milking. We were the first ones there - with half an hour to spare! So Kelly stood in line with the babies while I took James & Dorothy over to climb on the tractors. James slid right down the combine slide - I was so proud of him! And he wanted to go right back and do it again. Finally I had to pull those two adventurers away so we wouldn't be late for the milking.
What a difference a year makes. Last year, James had wanted nothing to do with milking a cow. And although Dorothy had stood in line for a very long time, she had bailed before she did it. James' highlight from last year, though, was watching others milk the cow, and then suddenly "Bessie" lifted her tail, and the farmer grabbed a bucket just in time to catch her... droppings.
But this time, those two fearless friends made their way right up to the cow, put their little hands on the teats and started milking! Even I got in on the action.
After a foray into the Chilly Mall - the air conditioned building with vendors galore - we decided it was time to head home. As we made our way to the exit and another school bus ride, we hung out with the camels for a bit. And then... a freight TRAIN horn! The perfect way to end a perfectly delightful day at the fair.
Jul 16, 2010
3.7 : Richter Scale
When you see the words "Richter Scale" you immediately know what they mean. And of course, the higher the number, the more devastating the earthquake.
Today, I am grateful for a low number.
Just a few miles from where I live was the epicenter of a pre-dawn earthquake felt quite broadly throughout our state.
I was awake, feeding our darling girlie. The sound of thunder greeted me just minutes after I picked her up and began to feed her. But the sound didn't diminish as thunder would. And the strong shaking wouldn't accompany thunder either.
My blood ran cold. I knew that it was an earthquake.
It took what felt like an eternity to me (5 minutes actually) for anyone else in the house to stir. Ben came in and said he thought we'd had an earthquake and was headed down to check. Mom and our housemate both awakened but stirred only long enough to wonder why the water softener or washing machine was so loud... and then drifted back to sleep.
Having been awake for the entire event, my heart didn't stop racing until around noon.
I don't think I could ever live in Southern California!
Jun 19, 2010
California-Grown Organic Olive Oil
One of the bloggers I follow is hosting a great give-away: 6 bottles of California-grown organic olive oil. Check it out!
Jun 2, 2010
Latest Accomplishments
Our girlie is going mobile!
Madelene Kate can sit up for long periods of time now, picking up toys, switching hands, even getting her pacifier into her mouth all without falling over!
But when she does fall over, she often turns right over onto her belly and re-e-e-a-a-ches for whatever toy is just out of reach. She has made her way slightly forward a couple of times since Monday (Memorial Day). But mostly when she pushes up on her hands, she ends up going backwards... just like her big brother!
Ah yes... a new era has begun.
May 27, 2010
Maybe she's hungry?
Little miss Madelene Kate seems to be listening.
I've been saying that perhaps we'd have to finally give her big people food when she can sit up and has a tooth. I'd wanted to delay solids as long as I could for a variety of reasons. But with her grabbing at my food and drink, I finally conceded that once she hit these milestones, perhaps I'd have to give in.
Since James didn't get his first tooth until sometime around 8 months, I thought we had a bit of time. I mean, Madelene Kate has been drooling and gnawing on everything since she was just old enough to get her hands in her mouth. So it was anyone's guess when those things would actually mean something.
In the past few days, our girlie has been able to stay in a sitting position for increasing periods of time. She can lean forward and pull herself back up. She can pick up toys and put them in her mouth. But once she starts to lean over to one side, it's still "over she goes" (rather cute, actually!). So obviously, she's making progress on the sitting up part of the deal.
I figured I still had some time.
Even so, I have been faithfully fingering her smooth lower gums every day for several weeks. And guess what met me unexpectedly this afternoon?
A tiny rough edge.
Yes.
Madelene Kate laughed aloud as I cried in surprise, "You little stinker. You have a tooth!"
So I guess I owe her avocado sometime soon.
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