It's the little things

So...this is going to be a "randomness" blog with lots of random info., but these days, that's what we have to do! I just can't stand not sharing sometimes the random things that my sweet family does. :) 

I guess that's what a blog is for, anyway....! :) 

So, the first bit of randomness, and also my favorite bit of random things out of all of these is...we have three new family members! Tonight we took Kaleb to the carnival for the first time, and wow, was he amazed at all the sights and sounds and smells! He absolutely LOVES trains, but the choo choo train at the carnival wasn't that "coowa," yet. It just made him sad! We think he was scared by the loudness. But..we did ride the ferris wheel (which, by the way, goes pretty fast for a ferris wheel, if I must say so myself!), and he didn't cry, at least, but just sat still, taking it all in. Then, we decided to try to win some goldfish! Well, we were given a basket full of about 40 balls, total, to try and get one into the bowls on the table. Yeah, that's the chances there are to win these things. Justin won two goldfish, from those 40 balls (it's HARD, I tried! They bounce too easily off the table!) and Kaleb, out of his TWO tries, won! The little guy has all the luck (or Jesus on his side!). So, we came home with our three goldfish. Help us think of names! We are joking around about "Sho," "How," and "Cah." Kaleb has funny names for things. "Sho," is shorts, "How," is house, and "Cah," is a New York accent for "Car". Lol. Love him!

We have also been spending some time at Oma and Opa's house, which Kaleb is growing to LOVE. They live in the country, and Oma has lots of goats. :)

Our Brooke is five months old now, and JUST had her first semi-happy tummy time the other day. BOTH of my children, so far, have really, really disliked this part of the day. Hence, momma, doesn't put them down for tummy time as much as she should. But...oh well. It's just not their happy place! :) This was the happiest face I could get the other day, so I took it. ;)

Brooke LOVES Daddo's goatee. It feels cool! :)

She also loves her pink giraffe Nana bought her. Soft things are the best! :)

Yes, Momma cannot HELP dressing her in zebra print (care of Nana)! What FUN! This is her "I didn't do it!" face.

She is beginning to love that girl in the mirror! Especially when she has zebra print on!

Momma and Daddo went to Midland to visit Nana a few weeks ago, and this is what we came home with - a zebra print paci. Yes, it had to be done. Not sure if baby girl loves it as much as Momma does, though, sadly! She kept it in for a matter of about five minutes, then she didn't want it anymore. So far, the only ones she likes are the Soothies we came home from the hospital with. I cannot get her to take anything else! She is such a girl! (And kind of a diva...I must say, she takes after someone else I know...)

Kaleb has discovered that making faces at the camera is just too fun. Fun for Momma too!

Our princess is sitting up pretty well these days. She can't quite sit on her own, yet, but she LOVES sitting up! Her bumbo chair is her absolute favorite happy place ever! Too bad it does irritate her acid reflux and she spits up quite a bit in it, but...it's okay. Any happy place of hers is okay with Momma!

Momma recently splurged and bought a bow hanger! Yes, there are almost too many flowers on it, and I plan to turn it into an actual "bow" holder soon...but I need bows first. I would LOVE to start making Brooke's bows! :) 

We are having a great time these days, and K and B are getting more and more fun. They are interacting SO much more, and SO fun to watch as they grow. This momma can't wait for them to get a little older so I can enjoy them communicating even more!
And every day, Kaleb gets cuter. He is saying so many things. His vocabulary is actually pretty advanced, I think (trying not to brag here, but it's kind of hard not to!). He is even beginning to put two words together. There are SO many cute things he does these days that I wish I had time to list them ALL on here right now. But one of the many is, when we go to the car wash, he gets pretty scared. But, he has learned the phrase, "Good job," and, I think, as a sort of survival mode he goes into, he says, "Good job," over and over, and claps his hands, in between cries while the car is being washed. It's so sad but so cute at the same time! He'll like cry for a moment, look around with this really pathetic look on his face, and then say, over and over, and smile while he does, "Good job," "Good job". Then kind of nervously laugh! It's the funniest thing! Both Justin and I were scared in the car wash when we were his age, so it's no surprise he takes after his parents in that department! :) But anyway, another thing is when we go to bible club every Thursday, and we sing songs, he says, "Good job," after every song is done, and claps his hands. It's so fun! He has also just started doing this thing we call the "Old Man". It is very funny. He bends over like he is a hunchback, and groans over and over, his arms hanging down by his sides, walking that way. We joke that it started this week because Granny (Justin's grandma) came to visit us, and he is mimicking her. We joked with her about it when we saw him do it...but the first night he did it was like Tuesday, and she had come to visit this week! Anyway, "Old Man" is hilarious. We just love this boy. He is truly a joy. 
Brooke is starting to eat carrots and rice cereal. I cannot believe I have two babies eating solids now. Wow, how the time flies. But she is so cute. She has begun "grunting" every time she wants more, and today she was in a crazy grunting mode! Every bite of carrots led to an even bigger grunt! It's too funny! I tell her that's not very lady like but she doesn't listen to me, for some reason! And yes, the messiness begins...! Lol. She is still taking bottles, but I am adding rice cereal to them more, and giving her at least one "regular" meal of carrots or rice cereal a day now. Maybe this will help with spitting up, too, as the doctors say. The doctor did say it sounds like she has a bit of acid reflux during the last checkup we had, but that it wasn't a concern, if she's a "happy" spitter. She pretty much is, so I don't worry too much. Plus, she's gaining weight. She does spit up quite a bit some days, but it's not like Kaleb's was. Thankfully! His was pretty projectile, and all the time. Glad to be done with that!
We have some pretty crazy days, though, and some are definitely easier than others. Dinnertime has proven, from day one, to be the hardest time for me, since I am not very good at keeping a crying baby calm, a toddler from destroying things and/or himself, and getting dinner on the table at the same exact time. But, I manage, and Justin, when he is not on nightshift or unavailable, is a very good daddy, and helps me so much. He and Kaleb are good buddies, and they do things together a lot while Momma is making dinner, or lunch. So blessed to have a husband who helps me with things! :)
There is SO much more randomness to say, but...I better go get some sleep! These days the only time I get to write blogs is at about 11:30 p.m., and I'm not very good at writing short ones! But...I do believe that documentation of our babies lives is more important than a bit of sleep sometimes, and, yes, these days, sleep deprivation is a norm, anyway. :)
 So...that said, I think I'll....yawn...leave you with that, and go to bed. :) G'night! :)

So...it's been a good month! We are doing so many new things these days...

Riding the boat with Opa was on our list of favorites!

Seeing the "helicop" at the park was another favorite...

Giving sister kisses and sitting next to her is one more...

We are doing so many fun things these days! Although our computer is being strange at the moment and I can't upload the photos I'd like, these will have to do for now. I will try and see if I can get the others to load soon. There are so many fun pics of things we've done lately!

Kaleb has gotten to ride the boat with Opa at the lake, and see helicopters at the park, and go on the bike with daddy. He loves to hang with "daddo". We have made more trips than I thought we would in the short time we've had Brooke also, including going to Fort Stockton to visit Granny, going to Lake Amistad to the lakehouse, and going to Midland to visit the grandparents. Every trip is very, very big for us. We (I) tend to pack way, way too much for our little family, but I am still in the process of figuring out what we really need, and what we really don't need to bring with us, since it feels like we need to pack everything but the kitchen sink when we just head to the store these days! Lol. I always thought having one baby was hard...until I had two! Wow. Now when I head out the door with just one, I think to myself, "What did I ever do with just one baby? This is a piece of cake!" Hehe. It's a whole new ball game with two!

Mr. Kaleb is getting older! He will be 21 months on the 22nd of this month, and I literally cannot believe I have an almost-2-year-old. Well....I say that, but sometimes I can, because the tantrums have seriously started. I am having to reread some of my BabyWise books (Toddlerwise, really) to remember just what to do with tantrums. Wow. I never thought that motherhood would be harder on the momma during the disciplinary times than it is on the child...but I think so, now, having done some of it. I am still learning so much about how to deal with them! There is a lot of info. out there on it, but I want to make sure Justin and I handle it in the most appropriate manner. Mr. K is EVERYWHERE, and he has started to have an opinion about EVERYTHING. Wow. ;) It's definitely a learning process for us all! Right now, we are spanking during big tantrums, and sometimes we send him to his room. It's hard! But I know that in the end, we know what we want, and what the Lord wants in our baby boy - a kind, loving blessing to those around him, and we are working on that. :)

But despite the tantrums, he is a complete joy. Every day is full of adventure and curiosity, and I love being his momma. His world is fun and new and exciting, and he LOVES being outdoors. He is very much boy. ANYTHING having to do with trucks, cars, helicopters, airplanes, and TRAINS is "Wow, coowa!" (Translation: "Wow, cool!") Trains are especially "coowa," and momma is thinking that a trains 2 year old party might be in order. We will see. He LOVES Thomas the Train, and asks to see the "choo choo" anytime he is next to the t.v.  (Gotta love Netflix!):) 

He also LOVES to play peek-a-boo. He will let me chase him around the house for hours, and it never gets old, because, if I hide behind the door, he will NEVER find me. It's so funny. He will go into the closet and shut the door, and, wanting to play peek-a-boo, he opens it, and begins to look for me. This is his way of saying he wants to play. Well...needless to say, I hide behind the door, and he never looks that direction (to the left), which is funny.

He loves to eat cheese. That is still his favorite thing, above all else. Cute, I think...but sometimes will trigger a tantrum if he doesn't get it. Macaroni and cheese has sort of become a staple. We eat a lot of it. We eat chicken, too. I am in the middle of seeing how creative I can be in the cooking department. It's interesting! Of course, he loves sweets. We try and limit them. ;) I think he still has yet to get coke. He does get the occasional Sprite though, and LOVES it. Of course. Who wouldn't? Momma is giving him V8, Carnation Instant Breakfast, and PediaSure, (not all at once or on the same day - we rotate for variety!) to make sure he gets the vitamins he is lacking.

He is still on the 24-25 pound mark on the scale. He is looking more "boyish" these days, and I love it. We get our big boy hair cut at the salon and it's a buzz cut - Momma likes it because it's easy and cute.

He can say tons of things these days, and loves to wow me with a new word almost every day. He still loves to say, "Wow, coowa!"
"Yum, yum," has also become a favorite at the table. ;)

He sleeps well. He goes down about 8 without any problem, and then sleeps all night til about 8 the next morning. Couldn't ask for anything better than that!

Momma is also teaching him how to put his hand into a "2" to tell people how old he will be in September. Cannot BELIEVE that, and I don't want to! We are also working on counting to 10, and on our ABC's, and on colors right now.
He has JUST started telling Momma when he goes to the potty in his diaper, so...I think we may start down the potty training road soon. I think it may be easier than I'm anticipating, since he is already telling me! We have bought him a potty, and Momma just needs to set aside a few days to work really hard on the process. :) He is a smart boy and I think he'll learn fast. Whatever he sets his little mind to learning, he usually learns fast, so I'm kind of excited! 

 As for sister...Miss Brookelynn Faith turns 5 months today!! Momma can't believe it. But she is getting bigger and I can't stop it. :/

She is still sweet as ever, and all girl. Her cry is soft (most of the time, until she gets ravenous...then, watch out!). But she is doing all sorts of new things too. She and brother are interacting more and more, and it's the sweetest thing to see them together. He loves to give her kisses.

She is cooing, and talking to us more and more, just lots of jibberish. I love to listen to her talk! She has the sweetest, cutest little girlie voice I ever did hear. :) She is just starting to get more hair, and I still can't tell what color it's going to be. :) It looks like it might be blond, but it's still hard to tell. Come on, hair!!

 She has also just started some rice cereal this month, and the first time she was NOT having it. Pushed it out of the mouth with her tongue and made the funniest face! But the last few times she has seemed to sort of like it...so momma is going to try some other things now, such as carrots. :) We shall see how that turns out! Probably a very messy task, but oh yes, there will be fun!

Haven't tried the scale in a while, but last time we went to the doc for our four month checkup, she was 12 pounds, but she feels like she has gained weight since then. In fact, I know she has! You can tell by looking at her little body! I need to do the whole weigh myself then step on and weigh myself with her, but I haven't done it recently due to time...Can't imagine why! :)

Little Miss also hangs out in lots of places around the house these days! These include, but are not limited to, hangin' out in the bouncer, which she continually does her "crunches" in (she does NOT like to be laying down much anymore - she is all about sitting up!), the exersaucer, which she just laughs and stares at all the toys in (which is still too big for her little body, but she doesn't complain - she loves it even though she is too small for it!), the crib, which she is sleeping in every night except for one time when she wakes up to eat, her blanket on the floor with her toys, and the bumbo, her absolute favorite. She would stay in her bumbo all day if I let her, until she spits up...then  she gets kind of sad. The only problem with the bumbo is that it seems to irritate acid reflux, which she has a bit of, but not too bad. She doesn't fuss too much about it, anyway, which is so nice for momma!

Our "Sweet Pea" loves to grasp toys these days, too, and to hold onto soft things. She will bang a little teether around, but her favorites are soft and cuddly. She also loves holding momma's hand. When she is dozing off, her favorite thing to do is to hold my hand while doing so. :) Of course, momma loves it! ;)

Her normal doze routine is to be rocked. Yes, I know, it's "spoiling," but...she won't always want that, and momma wants to take advantage of it as long as I possibly can. So we rock, in a blankey, with our paci, and hold momma's hand while we go to sleep. So funny, because Kaleb didn't really like being held, and still doesn't. Such a boy! He is very much on the move all the time, and it's part of who he is! :) But every once in a while, when he wakes up, he wants to grab his blanket and sit with momma and watch some t.v. in the morning.

Little Miss has just recently developed an interest in Momma's hair - pulling it, that is. She doesn't intentionally pull, but she loves to play with it, and in the process, it gets pulled. Guess I will have to stop that soon. :)

Love that girl...

To end, I will leave you with the name of a song that's awesome for Father's Day! It's called, "One you Need," by Shane and Shane. Check it out. It's a favorite of mine right now! :) 




Love ya'll! 

...And a great few verses...

"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised with circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead." (Colossians 2:9-12 :) 
 



 

Our two little blessings!

Happy almost 20 months!

Kaleb Lee (a.k.a. Lil' Monkey)

These days, you are so active, and learning so much. You keep momma on her toes, and every day is filled with laughter, joy, and lots of activity! 

I am having lots of fun, learning WITH you, learning what makes you happy, and the ways you learn. 

You light up a room with your smile and your baby blue eyes. Right now, you:

*   are saying two word sentences! These include, but are not limited to, "Wow, cool," "I go," and, "Oh, boy!" 

*   are loving your bath. You would stay in there for hours until your feet get pruny if momma let you!

*   are really, really, REALLY into trains! When momma feeds your sister, you always like to get right up there with us and watch the "Choo Choo," on my IPhone. Of course, I let you, because I love you! 

*   are a pretty picky eater! You have some pretty good days, but you LOVE cheese (especially the Kraft cheese slices or string cheese), crackers, chicken nuggets, fries, fruit, and "juice". (Anything that tastes good is "juice," but we don't let you have too many carbonated drinks!) 

*   eat "Nanas," (bananas) and Cheerios and Carnation Instant Breakfast  every morning. That is YOUR breakfast of Champions. 

*   have discovered bugs! And you LOVE them! Yesterday you saw a moth on the floor, and ran over to your blocks that have pictures on them and brought one over to the moth that had a bee on it, and said to momma, "Bug?" and were comparing them. You are so smart!

*   LOVE going anywhere at all that has to do with outside, or in the car. Anytime we get your shoes, we are "going," and you get very giddy with excitement! 

*   call Daddy, "Daddo." I am not sure where you get this from, but we are deciding to go with it for now because it is kinda cute!

*   love playing "Peek-a-boo". One of your favorite things to do is to be chased around the house by momma. 

*   love wearing our shoes. I find you always trying mine on for size! 

*   love going through cabinets! When momma does her make up, you are always there to help me see what's in the cabinet that day...because it's spread out on the floor within minutes! :)  

*   weigh about 25 pounds now and are in size 5 diapers. You have just started getting VERY interested in the potty and what you do with it, and are even "pretending" to use the potty sometimes now. We are about to start down the potty training path..eek! We bought you your first potty a few weeks ago. 

*  are very blond! You have beautiful, thick blond hair, and momma gets it trimmed in sort of a buzz cut at the salon every month or so. You also wear gel in it when we go out. It's fun. You like to play in the gel when momma puts it on. 

*   love, love, LOVE giving kisses. Today you gave sister kisses every time you went up to her, and you have started loving on her more and more. You are pretty gentle with her, and you love to pat her, sometimes like you do your stuffed animals. It is very evident that you think she is special, and this warms momma's heart! Oh, and kisses go with "I love you." When momma says, "I love you," you give her a kiss. 

*   have really just started calling me, "Momma," and it makes my heart happy!

*   love hanging with Daddy. He has seriously become your buddy since you have had a sister, and you love it. You and daddy ride the bike together (Daddy installed a seat for you on his bike), you play outside together, you go to the park together, and you generally just hang out. :) 

We love you so much, and every day you are blessing us with more of who you are. 

 

Happy almost 4 months!!

Brookelynn Faith (a.k.a. Sweet Pea)

 From day one of your little life, you have been a joy. You are so peaceful most of the time, and, until recently with your cooing and talking, momma had to make sure you were still breathing when she was away for a bit, because you were never crying! 

You are sweet, sweet, sweet. You still never cry very much, and when you do, it's short lived. You are a happy and content baby. You are our little sweet pea! 

Right now, you:

*   are cooing up a storm, and most of your awake time is spent doing just that. You talk to your toys mostly, and sometimes patterns you see on your crib bedding and the monkeys in your mobile.

*   are smiling and laughing up a storm, too! Especially when momma or daddy comes up to you after they've been away for a bit - you are sure to give us a show! 

*   have just begun to grab your toys. Your activity gym has become very fun for you! 
*   have also just begun to blow raspberries!! Lots of them! :)

*   get very "tickled," when momma takes off your clothes. For some reason, clothes changing is very funny to you!

*   laugh when momma gets you ready to eat and you know it's coming! 

*   go to sleep at about 10 p.m . and sleep THROUGH THE NIGHT. Wow? Well, with one or two wake ups for some more milk. But...momma is loving this. 

*   are doing great - you are in the fiftieth percentile in weight and height. 

*   are breastfeeding and supplementing. You love both and have no problem where your food comes from, as long as you get it. :) 

*   are pretty portable. You hardly ever cry, so taking you out is a breeze.  As long as you've had your dinners, of course!

*   haven't been weighed in a while, but last time you went to the doc you were around 10 pounds, and you have grown since then and are wearing size 2 diapers!

*   have lots of fun hand me downs from several sweet people, and LOTS of bows. Momma makes you wear them all the time, but you don't mind. Yet. 

*   also have lots of shoes. About two drawers full to be exact. A girl's gotta have her shoes. :) 

*    still are getting your hair...which is confusing momma. She is not sure what color to call it. Right now...it's still dark and thick on the back of your neck on the bottom, with a completely bald spot on the back middle where you sleep! But on the top, it's looking a bit lighter, but it's hard to tell what color it will be yet, because it simply has not come in yet. ;) 

*   are still kind of considered "petite" but hey, you're a girl. :) 

You are our lovely sweet pea, and you are living up to your sweet name. :) 

There is nothing better than being called, "Momma". It is the best thing in the world, and, although it's the hardest job I've ever had, it is by far the most rewarding...every single day. :) LOVE these babies! 

 

 

 

 

Ahhh, the best moments in life

GiGi and Brooke on Easter!

Daddy takes K on the bike all the time now and they have daddy time. It's wonderful for all of us! Momma gets B time, and Daddy and K get to bond!
Kaleb and his cousin Andrew are buddies. :)
Grandpa and Nana and Brooke time. :) Precious!

Just a short blog this time. :o)

Today was awesome! Momma and Daddy and Kaleb and Brooke went to the park with the double stroller, then to Wal Mart. At Wal Mart we bought daddy a few shirts to "play" in. It was warm and we all got a bit of a burn, except for Miss Brooke who was shaded in her stroller carrier. :) Kaleb wore sunscreen but it was so hot it didn't matter!

And Brooke laughed for the FIRST time! It was soooo precious. She has made laughing sounds before, but nothing like this...Momma would consider her first official laugh....and not just one, but several! :)

It was definitely a beautiful moment - brother Kaleb was there to hear it too! Miss Brooke loves it when Momma comes and plays with her, and this time, she squealed in delight! But it scared her a bit, because right afterward, she frowned...Did that sound come from HER mouth? Yep. It was SO precious and warmed Momma's heart. :) Then she did it again and again while Momma talked to her. :) She squealed, and she kicked, and squealed and kicked some more.

Greatest. Moments. Ever.

Good times

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

We have recently received a new member of the family. Auntie Amber could not be more thrilled or excited.

This picture reminds me of all of God's greatness, wrapped up into a tiny, precious little darling girl. She is 5 pounds of perfection. I am so, so honored to be able to say that my sweet friend Sarah has finally given birth to her Grey Danelle. She reminds me of a God that is great, a God who can redeem, a God who can bless beyond measure and turn something so horrible into something so beautiful. :) Thank you, Lord, for such a perfect gift from above. For her, we are so thankful, so grateful to You, Sovereign Lord! Sarah's story is a beautiful one and one that keeps getting better. Miss Grey was born on March 22, World Water Day, which is pretty ironic. Her brother, Holden, was born on August 28, 2010, and is Kaleb's cousin in the Lord, just a few weeks older. He went to be with the Lord that day, and waits for us in his eternal home in heaven. Because of his sweet soul, his parents Sarah and Chet started Holden Uganda, now providing life giving water wells to those less fortunate in Uganda. Because of this, it is amazing that his sister was born on World Water Day. There's no doubt in my mind that Holden was up there having something to do with this! :P

So, many congratulations to my sweet sissy Sarah, and their new, precious, God-given addition to their family. That is the most exciting news I have to share! Onto other important, but not quite as exciting, but just as sweet, news...

These last few months have proved themselves to be very, very busy! We are adjusting to life as a family of four, and two kiddos under the age of 2. Our days are filled with laughter and joy, and a few owies here and there. :)
Since his sissy has arrived, Kaleb has gotten to watch a bit more t.v. while eating crackers on his couch. He thinks having a new sister is pretty cool because of this. :P

Sister LOVES her daddy and has JUST started smiling, cooing, and even laughing. It seems that she is getting too old already! I feel like her little life is flying by before my eyes because I am so incredibly busy! I only wish I could take moments and freeze them in time. Ya know? I guess pictures will have to do!
She enjoys her milk. Momma is breastfeeding and actually doing some supplementing because of necessity. She seems pretty satisfied though. ;)
Kaleb is learning to eat on his OWN. This is a pretty new and big concept for this little man. He loves it but boy, is it messy!!!
He recently discovered that pear juice makes great hair gel.

We have really enjoyed these last few months. There have not been too many hiccups, literally, or figuratively! :) Adjusting has been a big thing, though - and just a few tears have been shed, both by me and the babies. Some days are obviously easier than others but every day is good in it's own way.

Last weekend we went to the mall and Kaleb got to experience a bunch of things he hasn't yet. ;) He got to ride the escalator, a little bulldozer ride that takes quarters, a fire truck stroller that daddy pirated, play with all the puppies in the pet store, and make lots of new friends. We realized pretty fast that Mr. K does not know a stranger! :) It makes life really interesting at the mall!

It has been an awesome last few months. Thank the Lord for so many good times.

*I will post more pics soon (hopefully!) of our good times at the mall and hanging out with great grandpas...We have had a fun time visiting relatives recently too! :)