Matching Munchkins

Even their teeth are growing in the same!

Standing!

Little man is getting sooo close to walking! In just the past 2 days, he's gotten braver and more willing to let go! Today is the first day I've noticed him actually standing for seconds at a time rather than sitting down immediately. He's even starting to take a few very balanced steps w/o just falling into your arms! I imagine in the next couple of days he'll be taking more and more steps!!

Mommy Shoes, Daddy Shoes

Mikaela came up to me while I was making my bed this morning and said, "Look Mom (her newest way of referring to me)! Mommy shoes, Daddy shoes." And this is what she had done :) I really don't know where she comes up with this stuff :)

6 Years!

So yesterday, Eric and I celebrated 6 years of marriage! We kind of had an on-going celebration this year in that we've actually had 2 dates in a matter of 4 days! Thursday night we headed to an IMAX theater to watch "The Dark Knight." Yes--it was a 12:01 am (Friday morning) showing! Yes--we're crazy b/c it was 4 am by the time we were in bed, and my little alarm clock kindly woke me around 6:15 am. The kids and I then proceeded to meet friends at 8 am to go to the beach! I was running on fumes on Friday and didn't even get a nap! But when you get free tickets, you can't just pass them up :) Besides, it was well worth it!

Then last night our friend Melissa kindly came and put our kids to bed for us so we could go eat at Vic & Anthony's--it was so yummy, and dessert was on the house :)

Anyway, the Lord has truly blessed me with the most wonderful husband. He is above and beyond what I ever could have come up with in my own mind's eye. I pray the Lord gives us many, many more years together, growing in Him and together.

Friends

On Saturday, we went to Katy to visit some friends that I went to grad school with. Most of us are all married and/or have kids now, so it was fun to get to see everyone. There were 4 babies (5-12 mos), and they were all just too cute. And of course the three bigger kids, Jacob (19 mos), Mikaela (almost 3) and Andrew (3.5), were really cute too :) They actually all did really well playing together and seemed to have a good time. Again, it took Mikaela a little while to warm up, but boy--once she warms up, you're in trouble :)

Nighttime Fun

The other night, I thought Mikaela and Elijah were close to being asleep, but then I heard talking. I thought they were just talking themselves to sleep. But then I hear them talking to each other and laughing and just having a ball :) Needless to say, mean ole mom broke up all the fun :)

The Beach

This past Friday, some friends from church, MJ, EM and I all went to the beach in Galveston. I like the beach all right, but I'm not a real fan of the sand being EVERYWHERE once you leave, so usually I'm not real disappointed when Eric refuses to go to the beach. But it is nice to get to play around in the water and sand. I just wish I could completely get rid of the sand BEFORE I get into my car on the way out! Oh well--we had a lot of fun. Mikaela and Elijah both really liked it. It was Mikaela's second time (she doesn't remember the 1st time) to go to the beach and Elijah's first visit. He actually liked the water and LOVED the sand. AND I was so excited--he didn't even try to put the sand in his mouth!!! Mikaela totally grossed me out the first time I took her--she was eating sand almost the entire time! And no, I didn't take my good camera to the beach, so you get the point-&-shoot version here. And good thing--my poor little Cybershot has sand in the turning mechanism :(

On the Tummy

This was taken a little over a week ago. She finally told me she was ready to go on her tummy :)

Parties & Sickness

Well, poor little man had his first bout of sickness a week ago. He started out with a low-grade fever on Thursday. I figured he's just teething--no big deal. Well, on Friday, he started out ok, but then his fever gradually got higher and higher. I finally decided I should check his temperature--103.5!! Needless to say, he was even more clingy than normal and just wanted to be held :) On Saturday, he had a low-grade fever which dissipated by the end of the day. Sunday he appeared fine. Then on Monday morning I noticed this rash all over his tummy, back and neck and a tiny bit on his forehead! So I went to good ole Google which took me to good ole Dr. Sears :) He helped me to diagnose my little man as having had roseola, the only child virus where the rash appears after the fever has gone away. Fortunately, the Lord healed his little body quickly, and he's back to normal now :)

With Elijah being sick, I wasn't able to go to the build-a-bear party Mikaela had for a friend at church. So she went with some other friends and had a great time. In the picture to the left, she was all proud of herself for hanging all the babies and animals from her necklace so she didn't have to hold on to them :)

Independence Day

Our Fourth of July was semi-uneventful :) Grandma and Pops came over, and Eric grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for us for lunch (yes--again :) ). It was raining for a good portion of the day, so Eric had to pull the grill under the front porch. Mikaela was just itching to run out in the rain, so finally I told her to go (with her stickers from the previous day still on her forehead :) ). She had a blast just running up and down the front sidewalk splashing in the puddles and getting wet in her clothes :) Elijah had fun watching her--it won't be long before he'll be right there with her :)

More From the Mikaela Dictionary

Oh my goodness--this little girl keeps me on my toes! She is such a hoot and so frustrating at the same time!! She has this fetish with Walmart stickers right now :) When we get in the car she always puts them on her forehead :) The other day the lady gave her 2 stickers--she was super excited about that! Today we went again and thought we could get away w/not getting a sticker--oh no--this little sweetness doesn't forget about a thing--we had to turn around and go ask for one :) She and Elijah got to ride in one of the carts that has the 2 bucket seats in the front. I was going to take a pic but didn't have the point & shoot in my purse :( Oh well--maybe next time :) So here are some of the latest phrases from Mikaela:

**Don't say me dat!! (Usually to her babies or herself when she's carrying on a conversation with them or her reflection :) --but sometimes to me, which gets to the point of disrespectful'ness' and, therefore, correction :) )

**I wan bwush my comb. (I want to brush--or comb--my hair.)

**I write piture for you!! (I drew you a picture.)

She's getting clearer and clearer all the time, but she still says lots that we just can't quite make out :)

Caught

Sissy helping clean up brother's mess :)

The Cake

Sorry, but this video was refusing to process the other night when I did little man's b-day post. So here it is now :)

Happy Birthday Elijah!!!

Our sweet little man turned 1 today! It's happy and sad at the same time. He is such a cutie! In the past week, he has discovered where his milk hides! So any chance he gets, he's pulling at my shirt and latching himself on :) It's pretty cute, but the poor little thing doesn't realize he's about to be cut off :( He also thinks playing with the toilet paper and flushing the toilet are pretty fun things to do. Fortunately, he can already drink from his sippy cup. So he gulped down 2 whole cups of milk today (along with a few nursings :) ) He seemed to like it and didn't even have a night feeding before going to bed!! He's also starting to clap his hands, and he thinks it's funny when he burps :) I tried to get him to take a few steps today. He succeeded in getting 2-3 running steps to me as he lunged toward me :) It won't be long before he's walking all over the place!

Sunday Afternoon Fellowshiping

Yesterday after church we had some friends over for lunch/fellowship. Eric grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken for us--he's getting pretty good on the grill :) And Elijah had his first taste of meat! He's had LOTS of broccoli and corn lately--it just seems like all the frozen veggie mixes I get contain broccoli--which he normally likes. But yesterday he decided enough was enough. So I let him try part of a hamburger patty--he ate almost all that I gave him, so I guess that means he liked it :)

Mikaela's new piece of knowledge is to tell me I'm the mother, Daddy's the father, she's the "dauler" (daughter), and Elijah's the son. She kept saying Elijah was her son, so we'd correct her and remind her he is her brother. When Nathan was over yesterday she started saying Elijah AND Nathan are her brothers :)

Mikaela was also much more playful with Melissa. At BJ's the day before she had just woken up from a nap--let's just say our little sweetiecakes is not real sweet for quite a while after waking from a nap! So yesterday she wouldn't leave Melissa alone and was climbing on her like one of the fam :)

Melissa & Pam

Elijah & Nathan

Mikaela, Nathan, Melissa & Elijah


Tim & Melissa

Early B-Day Celebration

On Saturday, we met up with our friend Melissa at BJ's and had an early birthday celebration for Elijah. Ok--well, I confess--we really just like their pizza and other food a whole, whole lot, and on your birthday you get a free pizookie, so it was kind of a good excuse to use Elijah as bait to get one of our favorite desserts :) Daddy and Mikaela helped Elijah blow out his candle :)

Our Funny Girl

The Vibrato

Elijah makes the funniest noises and sounds--funny b/c he does things MJ can't even do yet and one that neither Eric nor I can do either! You have to listen carefully, but he does this thing that's like a really fast vibrato or something. Sometimes it's in the form of a half-laugh, sometimes it's when he's being impatient, and sometimes he's just being silly :) And then MJ likes to grunt b/c he usually copies her, and it makes us laugh :)

Visiting With the Fraziers

Yes--this is another late one :) About a week and a half ago we had dinner with our friends the Fraziers and the Hurds. Unfortunately, we didn't even think about taking pictures until we were on our way out, and the Hurds had already left. The Fraziers live in India right now and are in the States visiting for a few weeks (except for Brian who already had to go back home). It was good getting to see them. Mikaela's always wanting to see Corban, Haddon and Kai on the computer. She had so much fun playing with them! Today we were looking at our pictures with them, and afterward Mikaela kept calling Elijah, Kai--on purpose! My little stubbornness :)

Pink Head Turban

Father's Day Pictures

Yes--I know this too is really late :) But here are a couple of pictures I took on Father's Day. Mikaela and Elijah love their daddy so much. It's one of the greatest things to see them get so excited and run/crawl to him when he comes home. And Sundays have definitely become Daddy days with Mikaela. Half the time she doesn't even want me to hold her when she wakes up from her nap (at church)--it's all about her daddy :) We love you Daddycakes!

Cousins, Sisters, Brothers, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents!!

Ok--so I know this is coming kind of late, but it just takes time to do these kinds of things that I don't always have the energy to do at the end of the day :)

Mikaela, Elijah and I made a trip to College Station (and Hearne and Calvert :) ) June 8-14! Yes--you read that right--we were gone for an ENTIRE week (without Eric)! We had a good time. It's the first time since Matt's wedding last year that we've all been together at the same time. But this time we actually got to talk and really spend some time with each other. I got to talk to my newest SIL--really--for the first time, so that was good to get to know her a little better. And Mikaela seemed to have a lot of fun with her cousins whose pictures we look at all the time. She still wouldn't quite warm up to her uncles (unless they happened to be the only one around to get her a cup of milk or something :) ), but she had fun swimming and petting the kitty (ugh!)

I tried to put captions below some of the pictures to kind of tell the story of our time there. One day, my parents got a pool for the bigger kids and filled it up that night. Evan wated to get in, which meant other kids started getting in--you know, with their clothes on, but it was really just to get their feet wet. Well, Evan had other ideas :) He got ahold of the waterhose, and it was way more than just feet getting wet :) Mikaela FINALLY joined in on the fun and ended up having a good time.

When we got back home, Eric was glad to see us, but after a couple of days he said I left with Mikaela and came home with Amelia :) Just kidding--but he did say that I didn't come home with our little sweetiecakes :)

We gave my dad some frames filled with pictures taken from the week. One was the family pic we took at the very end of all the pictures. Overall, it was a very tiring week but fun at the same time. Oh--and Anna--next time, just let Daddy keep on doing his Sudoku :)

Elijah's Newest Trick

Well, I guess it's not really a trick per se, but he finally figured it out, nonetheless :)

Just a few days ago I'd put the raisins or honey scooters (cheap brand of Cheerios :) ) on his tray but would have to hand feed them to him--now he's a pro at eating them all on his own--so long as he eats them before Mikaela snatches them all :) So did you catch his little wave bye bye at the end? :) He'll wave hi and bye and usually even says "ba-ba" as he waves :)

Mikaela's New Trick

Here's Mikaela's newest trick--she's been practicing so hard and finally got it today :)

More From the Mikaela Dictionary...

***Trump seps--I thought I'd figured this one out, but I can't remember what I came up with for the trump part--...says

***Lips (while pointing to her lips)--means she wants some purple, grape lipgloss on her lips (usually after she's put on all her princess paraphernalia)--Eric is THRILLED about this one :)

Buddies

But...

I also get to see this little sweetness playing very happily :) Mikaela found two cars at Grandma and Pop's house and was kind enough to "share" (let him play when she wasn't looking) with her brother. What is it with boys and cars?? He LOVED it! And he knew exactly what to do with it without being shown. He was just crawling on the floor, pushing the little car along! Ok--well, sometimes it got pushed around on its backside, but it was being pushed nonetheless :)

It's My Party...

I know blogs can sometimes come across as if you have children who never cry or misbehave or anything like that. So just to bring us all back down to earth, here's a little clip that you might not be able to make it all the way through :) It's only a couple of minutes--multiply that by about 10 or so, and you'll get an idea of what I get on my end a lot of days (sometimes multiple times a day) :) Before I started the video Mikaela was joining him in his endeavor but decided to pose for the camera once she saw it was on :)

These bouts are especially prone to happen right after naptime??? Isn't the nap supposed to be refreshing? It's really not as bad as it may seem, but it can definitely drive a mama to insanity if it weren't for praying to the Lord that He would help her to remain calm and not scream (or cry) herself :) Thank you Lord for the strength to endure crying, fussy, hungry babies and to be able to video them rather than lose my cool! And thank you for making them so stinkin' cute that I want to get up each and every day to spend one more day with them--even if they do cry for a bit!