cousins

Thanksgiving

After Rodney returned from China, we made a last minute decision to spend Thanksgiving in Nashville with the Harms and Day families. The 13 hour drive, only took us 14 hours, which is saying a lot since Hannah and Abigail both required several stops in the middle of the night. The time spent with family was well worth the loss of sleep! And I only said, "I don't want to drive North for Christmas!" a handful of times. :)

The girls really enjoyed playing with eachother, and Abigail is still asking to go see her cousin. I particularly enjoyed watching the girls play in the sandbox. Ellie was covered in sand, while Abigail was outside of the sandbox carefully using a spoon to dump sand into a container. But they were happy just to be with eachother. I pray that the girls will become better friends with each year.

Evalina and Charlie took Rodney and I out for an early Christmas present/date. My in-laws graciously watched the girls while we enjoyed a delicious meal. It was lovely to enjoy good food and conversation while not having to keep one or both of my two girls quiet and happy!

I am now even more thankful for such a wonderful family.

Hannah is 5 months!

and is...

• enjoying playing with toys


• taking better naps in the afternoon


• still enjoying the sling and the Ergo


• following her sister around with her eyes. It's only a matter of time before she's truly following her sister. Abigail has a gift for keeping her sister happy!


• not close to sleeping through the night :(


• likes playing in the Jumperoo


• and is still very vocal :)

Superbaby!

cooler weather - finally!

We've finally dropped from the 90s and upper 80s into the 70s! Praise the Lord! I can already tell that my blood has thinned, and I am going to freeze up north this winter! I already sleep in more clothing than I did up north (year round) and often need an extra blanket. Since the girls have been wearing summer clothes for months and months, I'm ready to dig into their Fall/winter wardrobes. So they humor me, and let me dress them up to as I prepare for the winter.

a Halloween of firsts

Some first for Abigail:

• ...her first carved pumpkin




• ...first taste of cotton candy and popcorn. She preferred popcorn.




• ...first time to play games at Trunk or Treat!




• ...not the first time to get dressed up! But she enjoyed it so much more this year!

Illinois fan in the making...

The funniest part about teaching Abigail to cheer for the Illini is that she yells touchdown (with lots of excitement and flair) even when the other team scores.....

Love the mohawk...and the smiles too of course!

This video is for you, mom!

still my baby

ILL - INI !!!

The fighting Illini were undefeated when I took these pictures. Unfortunately, they are now 6-2. But even two consectutive, pathetic losses cannot dampen Rodney's spirits on the weekends. After all, he gets to spend them with his girls!

I love all of these pictures because you cannot miss all of the girls' personality!

She is growing up so fast! Most moms say, "I wish I could just freeze time," but I say, "Bring on the happy baby!" And yes, Hannah is a much happier little lady.

I actually took her in for her 4 month today and she's hanging with her growth curve - meaning she's still in the middle of the bell curve :) She actually enjoys being on her tummy and is quite an active little girl. I'm predicting an early crawler, as she often rotates 90 degrees or scoots forward on her play mate. Only time will tell!

my silly one...

My silly one is growing up so fast. She loves to dance and talk...talk...talk. She is constantly asking me questions and still has a flair for the dramatic. She has a lot of little girlfriends in her class at church, who she gets to see twice a week.As of late, I'm also beginning to think she'll take up cross country running like her daddy. When we walk, we often let her get out of her stroller in a large courtyard. She runs laps upon laps until she is out of breath and likes to race her daddy, who doesn't always let her win:)

my complicated and beautiful baby

Isn't she beautiful? She's super talkative, loves to smile and recently started laughing. But she's complicated. She doesn't like to fall asleep on her own and is nothing like her big sister, as far as I can tell right now. She still cries A LOT. Abigail still occasionally covers her ears, which is kinda cute.

The big thing that she's teaching me is to be flexible and more laid back. I threw "Babywise" out the window a long time ago, so I carry her around a ton, rock her to sleep and occasionally let her cry for short times when I'm about to pull my hair out. Her favorite way to fall asleep - nestled up close to me or in the car. When she's having a really bad "moment" or "day", we go run errands in the car or go for a walk. My conclusion (at this point at least) - some babies do better on my routine and others do better on their own :)

Frailty thy name is...

My two year old honey got between 8-10 ant bites on her foot while we were at the park. The crazy thing is that she acted like it was no big deal, which only shows how much she loves being at the park. The next day they called me to pick her up early from Bible Study because she couldn't walk on her foot and it was hot and swollen; off to the pediatrician we go! With antibiotics, benadryl and several Popsicles, she is now on the mend.

...and yes, "Frailty, thy name is Katie." Tuesday night, in an exhausted stupor, I gave my daughter an overdose of her antibiotic, as if I didn't need any more drama in my life. I now know Poison Control's number by heart. Thankfully, Abigail didn't have any side effects, my guilty crying was short-lived, and my pediatrician nurse (her name is Dori -- we talk quite often) assured me that she even overdosed her 18 month old years and years ago. So there you have it, as if you didn't know I was a less than perfect mommy anyways. Sigh. Busy week.

the Spirit...

This year in BSF we're studying ACTS (of the Holy Spirit), and I am being challenged to truly rely upon the Spirit's work in my life. I am a "do it in my own strength" kind of lady until I'm exhausted and flat on my face in desperate need of the Lord. This last week, our teaching leader painted a picture of how God worked miracles through the apostles and they were met with opposition which led to greater opportunity to spread the Gospel for God's glory. The Spirit gave them the peace and power to persevere with much joy.

Okay, so I'm not being flogged for my faith, nor are my eyes WIDE open to the Spirit's work around me day by day (that is an area for much needed improvement). But I am exhausted and beat down by my circumstances. I am so thankful that the Spirit offers peace and power to persevere with much joy! I am more challenged to push the Gospel plough here in my home - planting Gospel seeds in my daughter's heart.

Speaking of my two year old. She has recently amazed me with her quick mind and ability to memorize scripture. We have this great devotional book that has a verse and devotion for each letter of the alphabet. Abigail has memorized 4 verses just this week - "A soft answer turns away wrath," "Blessed are the peacemakers," "I am the way, the truth and the life," and "Keep your tongue from evil." She loves to sing, another great way to plant truth in her heart. This leaves me trusting that seeds of God's truth will transform my daughter into a little girl after His heart.

So thank you for your prayers. I am a pretty deformed lump of clay most days but I am thankful that God has promised that he'll keep his hand on me until the Day of Christ Jesus, for "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the Day of Christ Jesus."

3 months

"Hi, my name is Hannah, and I am growing up way too fast for my mom. I like to smile and coo, and recently discovered that I like to chew on my hands. My goal - to stick my whole hand in my mouth! When my mom holds me, I even like to stand and bounce around. My mom tells me I'm a drama queen like my big sister because I'm either happy or sad. I'm sad, usually because I'm tired. Sleeping during the day is WAY overrated, so I catch cat naps here and there and like to be held or carried around in one of my mom's many baby slings or carriers. My big sister likes to hold me too. I like to be held until all of her hair gets in my face. She has so much hair! All in all, life is good. I have a great family that loves me, and I love them too."

rainy day self portraits...

Rainy Day... Rodney Gone... Three Colds... 5 minutes of toddler entertainment...

tiny toes...

happy baby...I can't believe she's 12 weeks old...

As I'm sure you can tell from the photos, we're doing much better! Cutting out dairy has done wonders for Hannah's mood. She still has a hard time sleeping. This little goober wouldn't even fall asleep nursing or in the rocking chair. But with a little bit of sleep training this week, she's actually getting some of the rest she had been missing. She even fell asleep once today without any tears. She still wakes up once at night and once in the early morning (between 4am and 6am). This leaves me sleepy, but I know she's healthy and growing. She'll sleep through the night someday, right?

hannah - two months (a month late...)

Hannah was 11lb6oz and 23 inches long at her 2 month check-up. She's starting to smile and coo, which is a welcome addition to my fussy baby's repertoire!

...and her Hannah trademark...the whale of a birthmark...

I really do think it looks like a whale. The pediatrician isn't super worried about it. Birth marks run in the family. But I do need to make an appointment with a pediatric dermatologist sometime in the next month.

two and a half going on...

Lately, my toddler has been very much two going on thirteen. Two because she talks absolutely non-stop and asks questions over and over and over again. She has such joy for life, and she makes me laugh, a huge blessing these past several months. Thirteen because she talks very matter of factly about life and likes to be the boss. "Being the boss" gets her into trouble, often leaving me trying to either stifle a laugh or keep my frustration in check.

Being a big sister has been/is an adjustment for Miss Abigail. Now that Hannah is settling down some, I can take a deep breath and remember to nurture my oldest little girl. She is such a beautiful little girl, and my desire is that I nurture the character qualities that will make her even more beautiful and truly a little lady that loves the Lord.