RICH

I am having quite a "feel thankful" day today, and I'm amazed again at all of the simple pleasures in life that God gives us to enjoy.  I started the day being awakened by two happy little girls (yes, that means my husband again coaxed me to sleep in... maybe I'll be sad when Em starts sleeping through this last feeding!), and their sweet smiles in the morning cannot help but remind me of God's precious gifts.  I enjoyed conversation with a thoughtful, loving husband over coffee at breakfast and could not help but think about the preciousness of our marriage.  I watched Elyse light up as she discovered how to say new words, and I was impressed with the thought that this precious stage is so short, and I get to enjoy every minute with her.  I couldn't help but smile as Emily scrunched up her little button nose as she grinned at me after spitting up everywhere, and I determined to enjoy every minute of vacation with this precious family of mine next week.  It's easy in this stage of life to assume that things could or would be so much easier or better with just a bit more money or a bit more time...  It's easy to forget that God's gift to us in the form of Jesus Christ is all we need to begin with.  These precious moments I have with my family are sweet reflections of the joy I have in Christ and the richness I have in knowing Him.  So, as I sit here on the couch unable to nap during the 2.5 hours my thoughtful girls gave me today, I am reminded of this precious passage... and I am determined to enjoy the wealth of God's grace.

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

1 Timothy 6.17

Ahh....  I hear a little stuffed lamb rattling in Elyse's crib, which means: game on.  

Off I go to enjoy 2 of my favorite gifts in life.

News on Elyse

Well, today is Elyse's 19 month birthday.  This month has been a busy one for Elyse.  She has been learning all sorts of fun things, and it's shocked me again and again how quickly little kids pick up EVERYTHING.  Scary.  On a FUN note, Elyse is finally getting interested in walking!  No, we're not there yet, but she is taking steps and enjoying it.  We have a large floor pillow that we put in the center of the living room floor, and that has become our "practice" area for walking.  Unfortunately, Elyse has learned to end each of her walks towards the pillow with a belly-flop :)  Yep, that can get painful!  It's hilarious to watch such a "big" kid learn to take steps, but she is having the time of her life, and we're enjoying the show.  She likes to say "rea-by, set, GO!" as she takes off, and she laughs hysterically when she falls (most of the time).  Yes, it's pretty much a game to her, but that's okay!  She seems to enjoy the challenge.

She's also into asking "Utzzat?" of everything she points at.  Though she knows 90% of what she's asking about, she's still curious for some reason :)  Maybe she's suspicious of us lying to her?  Her vocab is expanding, but much of it is still hilariously "off" and many words end with a "wee" of some sort ("rayree" for raisin, "wawee" for water...) Her newest observation is that everything is "hoT."  Yes, emphasis on the "t."  That has kept Elyse from enjoying much of her food.  If it's not hot, it's "coal" or "worm."  The couch is hot, books are hot, and even Mommy is hot.  Why, thank you, Honey!  She likes to point out & identify doors, fans, lights, butterflies, raisins, water, blueberries, milk, cake, pie (she is no longer naive about desserts), Emmie, blankets, cheerios, grapes, cars, keekee's (for cats), nose, eyes, mouths, tongues, ears, hair, .... I'm not going to bore you any longer.  She also identifies certain things as "yuk," but I won't go into those things.  The word "please" has evolved from "up" to "more" to "pea," and I literally hear that ALL day.  She also does the sign for "more" as she says it.  She asks me for things she can reach herself, but, hey, at least she's polite!  For the last day or so, she's been saying, "Mommy, Daddy, Emmie, Shiloh..."  We might have to break the news to her that her cousin Shiloh is not her brother...  She is also VERY vain.  She loves to have things put in her hair, and I'll find her looking in the bathroom mirror at herself, saying "Elee" and laughing at herself.  Oh, dear.

Elyse is constantly being reminded to "obey" during the day, and it makes me laugh so hard when I see her approach something she's not supposed to touch, and she'll immediately look over her shoulder and yell "obey!"  Granted, it doesn't always keep her from not touching it, but I'm encouraged that she might actually think about her decisions :)  She is still in the habit of confessing when she is doing something wrong... she'll usually say, "mommy?" and get me to catch her as she pulls out all the wipes or throws food on the floor.  Ugh.  She loves to have us sing to her (heaven knows why), so our car rides these days would have SERIOUSLY embarrassed us about 10 years ago.  Yes, we're the schmultz family as we serenade our toddler with the most ridiculous songs.  Ahh, parenthood...

Elyse still loves to read her books, and every once in a while, we catch her jabbering to herself, but for the most part she is content to just flip through pages in silence.  Last time she was at the doc, she weighed just over 24 pounds and was 32.5 inches tall.  I've had to start putting conditioner in her hair to keep it tangle-free, and even that doesn't work :)  She has grown out of her morning nap, but we still pull it out on special occasions...very "special" occasions.  If she doesn't take a catnap in the morning, she usually has about an hour to rest in her crib and listen to a cd.  She had another visit to the ophthalmologist last week, and her eyes are looking just fine.  No changes in her prescription, so we'll see the him again in January.  We may have to hunt down some bigger frames for her glasses, though (not fun), since I can tell she is quickly outgrowing these frames!  Emily has become very interesting to Elyse, and she knows she's only allowed to kiss her.  It really tortures her, but most of the time she resists the temptation to pinch her legs or hit her head... Hmm... what am I missing...  Daddy is still the hero, and I hope that never changes!  Oh, Elyse has been quite picky these days with food, and that's a disappointment.  She'll randomly ban certain foods for a few days, but most of the time, she'll come back to them if I keep trying.  She's having a hard time with meat.  She has 12 teeth and just cut three of her four eye teeth (I believe- she won't let me examine...).  Wow, this was an incredibly boring post to anyone other than Grandmas, but I know I need to record these things somewhere, and it's much easier to type this out than sit down and write it somewhere!

Elyse, you make us laugh ALL the time.  This new stage you're in is hysterical to me, but we're praying that someday you learn more than just obedience to Mommy and Daddy- we want you to grow up to love Jesus and learn what real happiness is!

We love you, Elyse!!!

Little Swimmer

Okay, more like little floater... or little cutie pie that hangs on us in the pool.  

We spent a nice morning at a friend's pool, and Elyse loved when 

Daddy would drag her around like this.

And this.

Mommy especially enjoyed hanging out in the water since today's temperature was almost triple digits.

AND we have not yet braved the beach with our two little kiddos.  

*GASP**WHAT?!?*  

Yes, I know, we're wimps.  This was a great way to ease us in :) 

Emily enjoyed the view from her lounge chair...

...we shared lots of giggles and splashes...

...and kisses.

And it's mornings like these that I think:

I am blessed.

TWO.

Months. old.  WOWzers.  My little baby is getting pudgy & reminding me that she won't be little forever.  *sigh*  In many ways, I still can't believe I have a second baby, and in other ways, I feel like we've always been a family of four.  Emily is as sweet as can be.  Something "clicked" with her at about 6 weeks, and she is enjoying a much better routine & sleeping at night.  So far, we've only worked up to a 7 hour stretch at night, but I'm not complaining. I do get a BIT jealous when I hear of all these new babies sleeping 8 (yes, even 12) hours within the first 8 weeks or so, but I will be thankful for whatever Emily gives me over 5 hours :)  We've moved her in with Elyse for bedtime, and that transition seems to be going well *knock on wood.*  She doesn't fuss at all at night, and we're working on getting the fussing down to a minimum for her naps during the day.  As a newborn, Em very much resembled my baby pictures, but NO LONGER.  She definitely seems to be favoring her daddy these days :)  He's so cute, I don't mind.  Here's the scoop:

fun's:

* she's smiling at anyone who will look at her... right after she's eaten :)
* she's into raising her eyebrows in a little flirty look & smirking, too...
* Emily just started cooing, which pretty much melts me
* I love seeing how her legs and arms are getting chubby
* she seems to have a twinkle in her eye much of the time
* she will still choose to be cuddled any ol' day as opposed to being on her own
* it still takes her at least two attempts to truly sneeze
* she LOVES her baths, still, and loves to be naked :)
* diaper changes are also a very fun time, not just for obvious reasons... she loves to squirm all over on the changing table and grin like crazy.  Not, I might add, like her big sister who desperately needs to be potty-trained (after she walks, of course...)  heehee....
* seeing Emily adore her daddy
* I'm enjoying being with her during that midnight feeding now that I'm more rested... I love seeing her little eyes look around and seeing her give me big smiles as I put her back to bed...

not-so-fun's:

* we're at that stage where a dirty diaper comes only once or twice a week.  UGH.  Merry Christmas to whomever discovers that mess!
* I'm having a hard time thinking of other not-so-fun's.....
* okay, here's one: seeing Emily next to one of the newborns at church.  WHAT?!?  She's huge!
* moving her to the crib was kind of hard... kind of...
* I left her in the church nursery for the first time yesterday... Can't say I will do it next week because I missed holding my baby!  Then again, I didn't have to try to justify that any bodily noises coming from my chair were Emily's....  Maybe she should stay in there :)

We love you, Emily Mae!

Thanks for allowing us to kiss

your chubby cheeks all day! 

Lessons Learned

I'm taking it easy tonight now that the noises in the other room have ceased, and my mind is wandering to the way our lives have changed over the last eight weeks.  Sure, I'd been told numerous times that this change of adding a new little person to our family would be a crazy ride, but there's nothing like first-hand experience.  The first month we had with Emily is kind of foggy, but I do remember being tired :)  Now that Emily is kindly sleeping at night & giving her mom a nice stretch of sleep, those memories fade even more.  I've definitely been stretched during this phase of life, more than ever before.  Going into this, I really thought that I'd remember everything I learned with my first baby.  Sadly, I found that my mommy-memory was a bit foggier than I expected it to be.  Here's the short list of the things I've had to learn again:

* ALWAYS have a clean diaper ready for the switch-a-roo.  I should have learned this lesson after Elyse blessed me on several occasions with the "insta-pee."  Seriously, how do they go just when you move the diaper?  I'd love to know.

* This rule is pretty valid: if baby is crying, she is probably either hungry, tired, or messy.  At the beginning, I was so motivated to get this girl sleeping soundly that I often discovered a nasty diaper after trying to soothe her to sleep for an hour.  DUH.  

* Change baby's diaper before or halfway through a midnight feeding.  Changing baby will typically WAKE HER UP when she is only a few weeks old.  As with Elyse, the lightbulb came on one night when I couldn't figure out why Emily was so awake after eating.  DUH.

* Unless you are fortunate enough to have a baby who doesn't spit up, a burp cloth must accompany the baby everywhere.  The second that you place your baby on the couch or the bed without it, she will spit up.  Keep in mind, if you place your baby on the couch or bed with the burp cloth, she will probably not spit up.

* If for some reason you can plan your day around taking a nap, baby (or her big sister) will almost always wake up just as your head hits the pillow.  Similarly, when you get up to retrieve your baby (or her big sister), your baby (or her big sister) will often go back to sleep just as you approach the bedroom door.  By this point, napping is no longer an option since you are wide awake.  If, on the other hand, you have no expectation of napping on a given day, you will often find that your baby (and her big sister) will unexpectedly leave you a large portion of the afternoon to do with as you wish.  In that case, DROP EVERYTHING and nap.

* You know the most common piece of advice you get when you're a new mommy: nap whenever you can - the laundry (dishes, cleaning, etc...) will wait?  Well, it is true.  Not only will it wait, but it will rise up and bite you.  Hard.  If you don't get a grip sooner or later, you will end up wearing the same pair of dirty pajamas for weeks.  

I'm sure I'll be able to post more lessons learned as I go, but for now, that's enough.  And, since a post would not be complete without a picture, here's a picture of the two little reasons that I love being a mommy:

Seriously, this is the best job ever.

Surprise!

We looked out our kitchen window yesterday morning to find this new little pastime for Miss Elyse!  My thoughtful neighbor passed it on to us since her grandkids are all too big for it.  Elyse loves her new "swoo!"  She quickly figured out how to keep herself in motion, which practically tips the swing over.  I wish you could see the excitement mixed with fear in her eyes as she waits to see if the teetering will stop :)  SO, Daddy might have to figure out how to anchor this thing securely into the ground!  I only wish I were small enough to sit next to her and pass the day away  :)  

This progression...

... makes Mommy smile.
BIG time.

Just remembering...

...what happened eight years ago today.  I wish I had the time to write more, but little ones are beckoning :)  Apparently, I had more time on my hands last year at this time :)  heehee...  To find out what happened (I know you're ALL on the edge of your seats!!!), you can read about it here.  I love you, J!!!

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.