The big 18

Thankfully, we're not talking years.  Yet.  If these last 18 months are any indication of the next 16.5 years, we'll be talking "years" in no time.  Elyse is entering the toddler realm (though still not toddling on her own YET) and seems to be enjoying life.  Her new exclamation is "YAY!" most of the day, and it can be exclaimed over nap time, applesauce, milk, or the prospect of going bye-bye.  We hear "YAY!" non-stop.  I hear "YAY!" when I'm reminding her to obey after a mommy pow-wow.  Encouraging.  :)  No, she's not walking.  I repeat, still not walking.  I am learning that kids do things whenever they're ready, so she just must not be ready! :)  When she is ready, however, I just might give her a bowl of ice cream.  Okay, maybe not a whole bowl...  It's hard to sum up what Elyse is into these days, because she is learning and growing so much!  Her new love is music.  She still loves her books, but music is encroaching.  She has only a few cd's that we put on in her room during "playtime" (which consists of puttin' up the baby gate so mommy can do all the things she can't do when the baby gate isn't up), but she is obsessed with them.  In fact, every time we put her down for a nap, get her up from a nap, go into her room, leave her room, and numerous other occasions, she points to her cd player and asks for a "D.D."  I need to get some new music.  I hear these songs in my dreams, sing them in the shower, find myself writing new words for them... In fact, as I am typing this, Elyse woke traumatized because her arm was awkwardly stuck in the slats of her crib, and when I went in and picked her up, she asked for a "D.D."  *sigh*

She is still taking a morning nap, and I am thankful that she allows me that extra time during the day.  I have a feeling it will be gone soon, but I won't wish it away right now.  She is trying so hard to say whatever we say, but it just comes out hilarious.  Her version of "butterfly" is "peeappee" (?), and "water" is "waywee"...  I don't know where she comes up with this stuff, but it's quite funny.  Most meals we eat together consist of Elyse saying "Mommy?" and "Daddy?" over and over again as she looks back and forth between us.  She's mostly transitioned out of signing, but some of those words are still a mystery :)  She loves to find her bellybutton randomly throughout the day, and she still loves to brush her teeth, thankfully.  She loves to cruise around the house uttering jibberish in a sing-songy voice and sort of gallops like a horse as she crawls around the house.  It's bizarre.

Elyse is now doing very well with Emily, and we're thankful for that.  We've had a great week or so without much jealousy, and Elyse really seems to enjoy watching Emily.  I'll try to narrow down a few of my fun's for this age, and I guess I should include my not-so-fun's, too :)  I'm not going to lie, I am amazed at how incredibly fun and incredibly difficult this age for Elyse is.  We still have some communication barriers, to put it mildly, and a certain little girl is apparently just as stubborn as her parents are!  She is such a joy to us, though, and we're so thankful for the privilege it is to parent her.  I'm still amazed at how much we can love these little girls!

fun's:

* hearing Elyse shout "Emmie" as she plows over to wherever Emily is

* the crazy, goofy facial expressions this girl makes as she eats (just to get our attention)

* hearing "Mommy" when she wants my attention

* singing and praying with her before bed, watching her try to fold her hands

* as we pray at night for our family, seeing her perk up and say "Daddy?" just in case I might forget

* seeing her "that's icky" face as she tries something she hates (I never laugh :) 

* peeking in room during her playtime and seeing her flipping through her books, talking in a sing-songy voice

* watching her laugh and play with Daddy
* watching her dance in her crib (a trick Daddy taught her)

* watching her try to get every last speck of her yogurt out of the bowl
* seeing her take a drink of her milk every time she sees me take a drink of my water

* somehow, she thinks "up" means "please."  We hear "UP" all day :) 

not-so-fun's:

* tantrums.  I'll leave it at that.  I'm so thankful God promises to give wisdom and grace!

* having her say "up" and having NO IDEA what she wants

* she seems to get quite attached to random toys, and more power to the person who attempts to take them away from her!

* she now hates to get her hair washed at bath time.  Ug.

* for some reason, diaper changing is the new form of torture :) 

* peeking into her room as she's sleeping and getting sad just thinking about how soon it will be before she's all grown up.  I love this girl!

Sisters, Sisters...

Do you think Emily looks like Elyse?

Elyse                             Emily

Elyse

Emily

Elyse

 Emily

Elyse

Emily

Elyse

Emily

Happy Father's Day!

I'm so thankful that this day really does make me truly thankful. It's not a thankfulness I have to "muster up," since I am truly blessed beyond words to have such a great dad and to be married to such a great dad. A good man is hard to find :) Elyse has a book about daddies, and it lists all the great things daddies do. I could go on and on listing all the amazing things that the dads in my life do, but more importantly, it's who they are that means so much more. I'm so thankful that our daughters will grow up knowing that their daddy is honest, trustworthy, faithful, loving, godly, hard-working, etc... Knowing how much that means to me as a daughter makes me all the more excited for the day that our girls see it for themselves. The older I get, the more I realize how precious and rare those traits are. I have a feeling that two certain little girls in this home will definitely want to marry Daddy when they grow up :)

We love you, Daddy!

ONE month old!

Emily Mae is one month old today. What in the world? I know this is only the beginning of how fast she will grow up, and I am determined to enjoy every moment. I don't always succeed, but I keep determining to succeed :) Emily is still quite tiny, and I really have no idea what she weighs... at her 2 week appointment, she was 7.5 pounds, but I can definitely see that she's filling out! I'm enjoying the fact that she is actually awake after eating, and I love to see her look around and check out her surroundings. She LOVES to be held, and, I admit, we indulge her a lot. Most of the time, it's easier to tote her around the house as I care for Elyse, and Em is just fine with that. Yes, it will probably come back to bite us! Emily, from birth, was quite a night owl. We have spent many a night roaming the house with her, praying she will doze off. This is new for us, as Elyse seemed to love sleeping at night (though we had a few really exciting nights with her, too), but I really am learning to nap when and where I can. Each week seems to get better, though, and I think she's getting the hang of this whole sleeping-at-night thing. As desperate as I am for a routine, I will desperately miss having my little girl doze off on my tummy or in my arms. These weeks are so precious! Sleep will come later, right? :) My husband has been a lifesaver in every sense of the word, and there is NO way I can fathom how mommies manage 2 little ones with no help. He has patiently stepped into every realm of this household, including the realm of diapers, cooking, shopping, bathing the girls, and the list could go on. I have truly seen the love of Christ in the love of my husband. We've had lots of quality bonding time. Parenting two really does redefine parenting! Funny story: we were leaving church the very first Sunday we had 2 girls, and we had yet to get a double stroller. I was pushing one girl, and Jordan was pushing the other. He sweetly looked over at me and commented that parenting with me was pretty fun. In many ways, it really does feel like we just started this game :) These girls are so blessed to have such a wonderful dad. Well, I should type out a few of my "fun's" and "not-so-fun's" for Emily to have for posterity's sake...

fun's:

* the dreamy smiles are seriously the cutest thing in the world

* the smell of a newborn

* the way her lips form a little "o" as if she's deep in thought

* the sleepy looks she gives me in the middle of the night when I'm barely conscious

* the REAL smiles I've started to get- can't wait for more!

* tiny fingers and toes

* soft, fuzzy hair

* imagining what fun these two girls will have together in a couple of years

not-so-fun's:

* I miss sleep.

* a lot.

* hiccups that brutally disturb the deepest of Emily's sleep

* flying by the seat of my pants :)

* our car is seriously a baby-mobile. I see the need for a minivan.

* hearing Emily scream after she hears her sister scream... in a totally different way :-/

* waking up and having my first thought be, "am I going to have time for a shower today?"

* I still haven't been able to mesh the girls' schedules... project #1 for this month!

We love you, Emily! I promise, you won't always have to live in a messy house and wear the same outfit two days in a row. Mommy will get her act together sometime! This IS temporary!

The "not-so-careful" family

I came home from a quick grocery trip yesterday to find this picture on my camera. ONLY when Daddy is babysitting would a stunt like this take place, and I absolutely LOVE it. You see, I come from the careful family (a long-standing joke), and a member of the careful family would never do something so foolish as to prop up a newborn baby against a very squirmy toddler (even if Daddy's careful hands are within inches of this frame). You see, Elyse hasn't even really held her sister yet. I know, I know, I'm probably a bit extreme, but if you saw what this girl does to her baby doll, you'd make the same decision. I promise. I'm telling you, she's brutal. Her poor doll. It's just simply not a good idea to have her holding Emily right now. But, that is why it is so important that a member of the careful family marry a normal person: so we can get really cute pictures (and a myriad of other reasons). I love these two pumpkins, and I love their daddy who made this picture possible.

P.S. I also love this picture because Elyse is holding the remote (a known "no-no" in our home) while she watches her favorite movie. Deep down, I couldn't give a rip, but you see now why mommies just aren't as fun, right? :) Stay tuned: you just might see a picture of Elyse holding Emily next :)

Perfection

Well, actually... spiritual perfection. That's what "seven" in biblical numerology stands for. I wouldn't exactly say that we've hit that mark in our seven years of marriage, but these seven years have been perfect in so many ways. Jordan, you continue to keep your vows to me every day of our marriage, and I don't think I'll ever be able to listen to this song without tearing up. Just as we stood in front of family and friends seven years ago tonight and listened to this song, I'm replaying the words in my head today. May we have many, many more years of

being there for each other. Happy Seventh!

I Will Be Here

Steven Curtis Chapman

Tomorrow morning if you wake up,

And the sun does not appear,

I will be here.

If in the dark, we lose sight of love

Hold my hand, and have no fear

'Cause I will be here.

I will be here

When you feel like being quiet,

When you need to speak your mind,

I will listen,

And I will be here.

When the laughter turns to cryin'

Through the winning, losing and trying

We'll be together-

I will be here.

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up ,

And the future is unclear,

I will be here.

Just as sure as seasons were made for change

Our lifetimes were made for these years,

So I will be here.

I will be here,

And you can cry on my shoulder

When the mirror tells us we're older

I will hold you,

And I will be here

To watch you grow in beauty

And tell you all the things you are to me-

I will be here.

I will be true to the promise I have made

To you and to the One who gave you to me.

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up,

And the sun does not appear,

I will be here.

Oh, I will be here.

10 things I love about you:

To my dear Emily,

1. I love your smell. I had almost forgotten how beautiful a newborn person smells.

2. I love the way you sleep on my stomach. Your sister does her best to wake you at times, but you sleep so deeply.

3. I love the dreamy smiles you bless me with in your sleep. Please keep smiling!

4. I love your tiny toes and fingers. You are wonderfully made.

5. I love hearing your little noises (at least the ones you make with your mouth). They are so cute, I could just squeeze you.

6. I love when your eyes are open. You're only two weeks old, so I'll cut you some slack, but please let me see more of those baby blues!

7. I love your fuzzy hair. I love it, love it, love it.

8. I love your squishy temples. I could kiss them all day.

9. I love how sweet and easy you are to please!

10. I love looking at you and being reminded that your Daddy and I are in love for life. We love you to pieces, too!

I made your sister promise in the hospital when she was 1 day old that she would never grow up. She obviously hasn't kept her promise. I don't expect you to keep this promise either, but I'll still ask that you stay newborn forever. I have to at least ask.

Meeting Miss Emily Mae

Two sleeping girls, an empty sink, a quiet house, and a free hour (with "resting" as a great excuse) adds up to an opportunity for me to type out my memories of one of the best days of our lives. It's true: there are certain days that just take the cake. The pictures taken cannot possibly capture the joy that you experience as you marry your best friend or witness the birth of two little girls... In fact, even writing out the memories I have (yes, I'm getting old and the details are already fading) seems in some way to diminish the whole experience. You know? But for little Emily's sake, I'll jot down what I remember. This time, I took a friend's advice and had my husband write down details over the course of our night in the hospital, and I'm so glad I did. There are a few "coincidental" details about Emily's birth that just make me laugh. The first is that I gave birth to her the day after a doctor's appointment, as I did with Elyse, both girls were born on a Wednesday, and labor started with both girls at 38 weeks 6 days.

Tuesday, May 18th was kind of a blah-day... I was feeling very large and in charge, but we all packed up and headed to the doc's office for my exam. Jordan was sweet enough to come with me, and Elyse actually cooperated quite well! My doctor confirmed that I could go any time, but as you know, that could mean weeks.... months... years... yes, I was starting to feel that way :) We got home at about 11am, and I started getting the same contractions I'd been having for days: random contractions about 6-8 minutes apart with absolutely no pain and no regularity. I still managed to take a nap that afternoon, which convinced me that these silly contractions weren't going anywhere. After Elyse was in bed, I cleaned up the house and the contractions started back up again with no change. I kind of had a hunch that real labor might be close, so I washed up diapers and started to pack up our things. I was getting kind of uncomfortable, so I blew up my exercise ball and started bouncing around the living room (yes, that mental picture still cracks me up!!!). Since labor started very obviously with Elyse, I had NO idea what to expect with these contractions. They were now about 4-5 minutes apart and lasting for almost a minute each. At about 9:30, I called the doctor on call to just see what he would recommend, and he suggested I head in to get it checked out since my labor with Elyse was fairly fast for a first baby. I waited patiently until Jordan got off work at 10pm and called him at 10:01pm to tell him to hurry home. By this point, I knew this was definitely the real thing! My sweet brother-in-law Izaak was kind enough to swing by the house to pick up Elyse, since by this point, I knew I'd have a very hard time saying goodbye to her over at their place, if I even made it there without crawling to the backseat to writhe around in pain :) Yes, I still had a hard time saying goodbye to her at our house :( By the time Jordan got home, I had showered and had most everything packed. He calmly loaded me up in the car and we headed in.

We got to the hospital at 11:10pm, and I had my first wheelchair ride EVER. I learned that it's really not that fun. We arrived at maternity, and I was getting quite miserable. After they confirmed that these contractions were indeed doing the trick, we got settled into our room just before midnight. The nurses were great, and they called the anesthesiologist right away so I could get my fun epidural :) The anesthesiologist arrived at 1, and by 1:20, I was feeling quite lovely. Jordan dozed a bit, and I laid there wondering how long this was going to take since my water still hadn't broken...? At 2:30am, or so, I started to feel that not-fun feeling again: PAIN. The nurse was kind of in disbelief, but she did call the anesthesiologist again and she attempted (to no avail) to alleviate my pain. Oh, well. It was fun while it lasted! Apparently, there had been too much of a delay in starting my epidural drip, and it had just enough time to completely wear off. Poor Jordan :) No, actually, he was amazing. I had not planned on having Emily without meds, so I didn't exactly have a birth plan (except to get the baby OUT by the time I left the hospital). Note to self: be prepared. My bad! Anyway, it was a "neat" experience (in hindsight) that thankfully didn't last that long.

My doctor arrived at about 3:15 and broke my water. He then took off to help another patient. I missed him because I was ready to meet Emily! The nurses were very calm and Jordan had this look of horror on his face... Okay, just kidding about the look of horror. He was so empathetic during the whole process that I just wanted to stop pushing and hug him... but I didn't. Anyway, I informed the nurse politely (I'm keeping this clean) that I was ready, and she politely informed me that the doctor was on his way (as she was panicking into her phone for him to get his bum over to room 12). Doc literally walked into his gloves and mask and had about a minute to get settled before Emily jumped into his arms at 3:31am. She weighed in at a whopping 6 pounds 12 ounces and she was 19.5 inches long. We were both so surprised at how quietly she entered the world. She squawked a time or two and then patiently endured all of the nurses' prodding and poking without a peep. You might have noticed that she does not look much like her big sister because she really resembles her mommy! Shock of shocks! :)

I have to say, I was a bit apprehensive about meeting a second child. I really had no idea what to expect when it came to that. Would the love I have for Elyse divide to cover Emily? It took about 1 second to realize that there was plenty of love to go around. And, as it did when I had Elyse, my love for Jordan grew even more. We are so thankful for a healthy little girl. God's kindness to us is overwhelming and we pray that she will grow to love him.

Well, today was day one of my adventure with two. I had prepared for the worst possible, and I was pleasantly surprised. I'm surprised that Elyse really has no idea that a new little lady is living with us! She meanders around the house just as she did last Tuesday and stops every once in a while to giggle and point at baby "Emmie" (as she calls her). I'm sure life will get more interesting as I will soon need to start cooking again (SO thankful for a generous church & family!), doing my own laundry, cloth diapering, and inevitably, Emily will realize that sleeping all the time isn't so fun. But for now, I will enjoy it. I desperately miss my mom, who was kind enough to spend the first week with us, but I guess I need to a big girl and get settled on my own now.

Emily Mae, we love you to pieces and are so thankful that you're here. We've been praying for you and will keep praying that you grow into a lady who loves Jesus.

p.s. Thank you for being a small baby! :)

" Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from

the Father of lights . . . "

James 1:17

SO BIG!

Elyse has been reminding me a lot in the last couple of days how big she is. . . and NOT just because I'm still carrying her around while being ready to "EXPLODE" (as my thoughtful neighbor so aptly put it today). She LOVES to try to say "big" whenever I compliment her on her latest trick, and all this praise might be coming back to bite me. I already hear her say "yay" to herself upon her small accomplishments. Soon enough, we'll be regretting all of this positive reinforcement, but, hey, she's still a baby, right? :) For now, I'll enjoy hearing her tell herself "yay" when she gets the cow's sound right.

It's just too fun and I can't stop.

The best things in life...

... are free :) Friday night, we headed over to Rita's to utilize some good ol' freebie coupons and enjoyed Italian ice. Of course, we had to head over to the park and enjoy some of the pre-summer weather to go along with it! Elyse didn't mind a bit. She's still a bit timid with slides, but the swings are a HIT.

Of course, as I watched my hubby and daughter playing (I'm not exactly great on slides these days), my mind drifted to how much life changed in the last couple of years. Can't help but think, as well, of how much life will change in the next two years! I must say, the park was never so fun before Elyse.

Books-a-million

Well, there's been a lot of reading going on in this house all week. My neighbor dropped off an armload of books from her playroom that weren't being used anymore, and Elyse is in book-heaven! Some of them are still a bit old for her, but she is fascinated by all of the new stories and pictures. My new favorite is Corduroy, but I love the way Elyse is addicted to the two books with princesses in them (much to my poor husband's chagrin). I didn't have the heart to hide them from her :)

In such a little thing, I am so grateful for God's gifts. I'm not too picky to buy used books, but they are very hard to find in good condition. These are in beautiful condition. I have been a bit on the sleepy side this week (I LOVE my naps these days!), so nothing suits me more than having Elyse drag her books over for a good read. I have probably spent hours with her this week on my ever-shrinking lap as she giggles over her favorite pictures. I know I won't forget these special moments with her as long as I live. She probably doesn't notice how I just have to play with her curls or smell her hair, because she's far to wrapped up in the little bear without the button. I love it, love it, love it. . .

Have I mentioned that I love being a mom?

Sweet 16

16 months. 16 months! Wow!!! It has been sweet, too. Elyse is growing like a weed and I am enjoying all of the new fun! She has been progressing so much in her mobility, which has strangely started/accelerated with the arrival of the cute pink glasses... ?? I don't know enough to correlate the two, but it definitely has made me think about what the vast living room floor looked like with very poor vision: a bit intimidating, perhaps? Either way, in the last two months, Elyse has been doing all of the things that babies do between 6-12 months. I think it's adorable to see her actually care about the toys that sit in the next room, explore the house like there's no tomorrow, and giggle when she achieves something she's worked hard for. It's mostly adorable because she still adopts crawling and scooting, and although we know she can cruise around on furniture, she has deemed that it's just not for her right now. Let's just say Jordan and I do a lot of chuckling at our little miss lazy pants :)

She will try to repeat just about anything you ask her to say, and it usually comes out in a one syllable grunt. She loves her books more than ever and is often found in her room at the base of her bookshelf "reading" Jordan's old collection of Sugar Creek Gang books. I'm amazed they aren't shredded to pieces. She is very passionate about grapes, peas, yogurt, and jam (we blame Daddy for that one). She is pretty independent in her eating these days, but cannot master the fork to save her life! Silly forks. Who needs 'em? She does have moments when her bowl of cereal and milk is just TOO tempting not to tip. Ugh. I feel in the last few weeks, something has REALLY clicked in much of her understanding of what I'm saying regarding sometimes "poor" behavior :) For that, I am thankful, but it hasn't exactly made this new phase a piece of cake! She enjoys testing us more than ever, and it does keep us on our toes! Here are some of my fun's and not-so-fun's for this stage:

fun's:

* She will repeat "mommy, daddy, mommy, daddy, mommy, daddy" until she has to literally catch her breath. This is usually done while plowing down the hallway as quickly as she can move (which isn't that quick).

* She adds new inflections to the words she says: "baby" & "happy" can be said in about 10 different ways as if she's telling a really dramatic story :)

* She's as bad as a puppy with the phrase "bye-bye"

* She is VERY chatty.

* Her animal noises are hilarious, but they all sound about the same :)

* She now pushes her glasses up if they start to droop by smashing her hand against the lenses

* She likes to clap along with "If You're Happy..."

* The word "banana" comes out "nanana"

* She will dig up the smallest specks of lint on the carpet and hunt me down in the house to "give" them to me. I wish she would pay more attention to the big stuff. :)

* Waiting for daddy to come home as we sit on the porch steps. LOVE seeing her face light up when he pulls into the driveway!

* She still lets me rock her, despite the growing sister between us :)

not-so-fun's:

* watching Elyse beat a toy to death trying to get it to "cooperate" in some way.

* seeing her little "practice" baby experience head trauma in her crib repeatedly...

* playtime in her crib before bed and naps can sometimes last almost 2 hours since she has officially figured out her baby and animals can keep her company!

* she knows how to remove her diapers

* she knows how to weasel out of her strap that should keep her confined to her changing table

* Her "sign" for "all done" is evolving into speaking the word "done." Sadly, it comes out "die, die, die."

* Disobedience has a brand new intentionality :-/

* I've known girls are moodier than boys, but WOW! This girl can go from sobbing to giggling in a split-second!

I've cherished these months with Elyse, and I'm so excited that her little playmate is on the way in a few weeks. I can't wait to see how she will interact with Emily and learn to love her :)

My girls

Just as I suspected, poor little Emily will have very few shots of her pregnant mama. Alas, it was not as much due to a lack of time but a lack of motivation :) But, Elyse is very interested in where her baby sister is (I like to think), so I figured Emily should see how happy her sister is to meet her soon! Okay, I'm not kidding anyone. Elyse is actually very interested in how far out my stomach can really get. She is utterly fascinated with the torpedo that is overtaking Mommy's lap in the rocking chair. Emily, we can't wait to meet you next month! I sure do love my girls.

35 weeks and counting!

Sacred

Amidst being "housebound" this weekend with a sick, fussy little darling, I listened a bit more closely to this song. The melody is catchy, and I'm a huge fan of Caedmon's Call to begin with. I'll soon be joining the ranks of those of you moms with more than one child, and I know within a matter of weeks, I'll soon be able to relate to this song even more! It doesn't take long for days like these to drive my mind to how much I have to be thankful for (admittedly, after a bit of grumbling). Elyse's cold will go away, unlike many ailments children suffer from in the world. I get to take care of my baby, a privilege many moms without working husbands don't have. I have the Lord to remind me that each action in my day can be done for his glory, even when no one is watching. AND, I can remember that everything is sacred. There is no "banal" task (I admit, rinsing out Elyse's cloth diapers will test that truth) in life when all of life is worship to our God.

"Sacred" from the album Overdressed

This house is a good mess:

it’s the proof of life.

No way would I trade jobs

but it don’t pay overtime.

I’ll get to the laundry;

I don’t know when.

I’m saying a prayer tonight

cause tomorrow it starts again.

Could it be that everything is sacred?

And all this time. . .

everything I’ve dreamed of

has been right before my eyes.

The children are sleeping,

but they’re running through my mind.

The sun makes them happy,

and the music makes them unwind.

My cup runneth over,

and I worry about the stain.

Teach me to run to You

like they run to me for every little thing.

Could it be that everything is sacred?

And all this time. . .

everything I’ve dreamed of

has been right before my eyes.

When I forget to drink from you

I can feel the banks harden.

Lord, make me like a stream

to feed the garden.

Wake up, little sleeper!

The Lord, God Almighty

made your Mama keeper

so rise and shine,

rise and shine cause

Everything is sacred!

And all this time. . .

everything I’ve dreamed of

has been right before my eyes.

Words and Music by Randall Goodgame and Andrew Osenga (c) 2007 House of Mirrors Music (ASCAP) admin. by Simpleville Music, Inc. / 2007 Mighty Molecule Music. (ASCAP) admin by Music Services

Some things...

... never change. And, I hope this thing never ever changes!

Can I just say that I love sleeveless dresses and bare feet?

...and chubby ankles and neck rolls...

ALL, of course, on Elyse... not myself.