Our Baby Is Two

The kids were all sick for Emily's birthday party, but we still celebrated as a family. We were sad their friends couldn't come, but Papa and Nana still braved our "sick" house!

Dear Sweet Emily,

Our baby is growing up! You are two now. I feel like it was just a little while ago that I held you in my arms for the very first time. I was so ready to have you after having a very painful pregnancy. The moment I laid eyes on you I knew the nine months were worth it all. I wasn't sure how we were going to make it with a newborn, one year old, and two year old. But through God's grace here we are! You weren't in our plan, but you were definitely in God's plan. I am so glad God gave us you! The world would just not be right without your curls, giggles, smiles, and the comical way you speak!

As a newborn you were cranky, and just not the laid back baby I was used to having! But you outgrew that at one, and have become the adorable and sweet Em that we know now. You have a personality all your own, and we love it!

You are feisty and comical. Even though you are the third of three you have made it quite clear that you will not be a follower! You have an interesting way of looking at someone as if to assess them. You don't always shy away from people, but you aren't ready to just give your love out to any one new either!! You are my brave Emily. I love your personality for the very reason that it is so opposite my own.

You are very expressive with your face, and you love making funny smiles that make me laugh. Most of the time you are funny, and you don't even try to be. That just makes you more funny!  You can make your Dad and I smile at each other even when we are utterly exhausted!--There is just something about the way you express yourself that tickles our funny bone. You are so unaware of yourself, so innocent, and SO determined!

You have a rusty voice that makes anything you say sound cute!

You love to sing! And oh how I love to hear that sweet voice try to follow mine as I sing songs.

You LOVE the ipad! At one years old you were a whiz at ipad puzzle games.--I sat and watched you in amazement!!! You have only gotten better. You choose the app you want, and you know how to play it. Lately you love an alphabet app that sings the "ABC" song and shows the letter on the screen. It is precious hearing you try to sing along with it!!

You also love to be read to. Your favorite book right now is "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". Sometimes we read it three times in a row, and you still look amazed at the butterfly at the end :0)

You sleep in very late in the morning!!!--I don't think I can give this enough exclamation points! God knew this tired Mommy needed that.

You get up with a smile!--Wow! I love that smile!! I love walking into your room with my smile just waiting to be received by one of yours. So special!

You are a VERY picky eater.--What can I say? I guess all I can say is that I REALLY hope that by the time you read this someday your selection of food will have improved! If it hasn't then I will have failed at helping you, and you will probably be one extremely, unhealthy girl :0)

You do appreciate the food.  You eat like a champion eater when you like the food! For some reason you stuff your mouth as if the food on your plate is going to disappear. If you like the food it is not uncommon that you will out eat both your brother and sister. What is even more funny is when your brother and sister will give you the food that they can not finish, and you yours and theirs!

Bedtime is not your favorite, but you do seem to go down fairly easy as long as you have your fan on, your choice of the stuffed animals, and a sippy cup of water to hold. You cuddle up on your tummy, and love it when I tuck the blanket in around you.

People you love--There is a pretty good list now. You have always been choosy about who can hold you, but you are starting to open up more. For a long time your favorites have been Daddy, Pastor, Papa, and Mr. Degeer. I see a little bit of a trend here!--So I guess "men" are of your choosing, but you make room for Nana and I too ;0)

Daddy's girl through and through. I don't mind a bit that you adore your Daddy because I think he is pretty great too! Madison always wants Mommy so it is special to Daddy that you ask for him. You love to cuddle up to him, and he loves to hold you too!

I know I could go on and on, but this Mom needs some sleep.

I love you, Peanut. I pray that you will accept Jesus Christ at a young age. I pray that you will have a burning desire to be a light for Jesus in this dark world. I pray that you will keep your heart pure, and that God will protect you and keep you safe. I love you sweet baby of mine.

Happy 2nd Birthday! xoxo

Mommy

Reading Emily's favorite book at her birthday party!--"The Very Hungry Caterpillar"

Emily definitely had willing helpers to open presents.

Emily was sick and sleepy by present time. She still had a smile for the bubbles though.

She liked her new coat for this coming winter.

our monkey

The party is over, and this how I find Ethan ;0)

Great picture of Daddy. I guess the b-day girl was tired of getting pictures taken!

This picture could win an award! I laugh just looking at this ;0) You can see why the kids love their Papa. Goofy, goofy!

Emily's theme for the party was "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". I thought it would be fun to do the food that is in the book, but when everyone ended up sick we just decided to stick with hotdogs and mac n cheese.--Emily loved it, and that is all that counts!

chowin down

Since it was just a few of us I needed a small cup cake stand. My cups and some plates worked!--pinterest inspiration I'm sure

I like themed colors for parties, but I must be childlike at heart because I loved using all the different colors of paper for Em's party.

Papa is good at reading to the kids.

I had some last minute inspiration with my paper, and made a caterpillar. The kids loved it so much that it is on Ethan's school wall now.

big hat, little girl

She only ate a couple bites, and then she was done. That is how we KNEW she wasn't feeling good!

Sick kids with sad faces :0(  No one wanted to be in this picture, and I guess I can't blame them! 

I remember watching this when I was a child!

Emily loves her Nana!

Noah's Ark

Making mud pie

It has been too long!  Life is going SO fast...  Seldom do I have time to sit and just think over my day and write about it.  I guess I need a good course on time management because mine seems to be all over the place! 

Tonight my wonderful hubby is gone on an overnight trip for work.  We have all been missing him.  Every night he helps me tuck the kids into bed.  Whenever he is away I realize how much he does to help keep up with the big "to-do list" of raising a 4, 3, and 1 year old.  I admit I don't always feel spoiled because I am so exhausted, but when I think about how much Jon does I realize I truly am one spoiled wife!  Anyway I need to get back on track.  Rabbit trails are a HUGE downfall of mine! 

Our precious Ethan has always required a lot of care when it comes to his bed time routine.  For the first couple years his bed time was difficult to say the least.  It wasn't too hard when he was in a crib because we could just say good night and close the door.  But, when the crib days were over, the calmness of bedtime was also over!  Now that he is four years old we have finally gotten past the days of much screaming, crying, and disciplining.  SO THANKFUL!!!  Now every night there is a good routine that we go through.  Unlike some children who "think" they need something more at bedtime, we have FINALLY come to realize that Ethan really does "need" some extra attention and care.  So we have learned to help him with whatever it is that will help him feel secure enough to rest his head in peace knowing that he is loved and cared for. 

Their "new" sandbox!  It is a "little" small, but I only paid $3.99 for it, and they LOVE it ;0)

Although we have a basic bed time routine for all three kids.  The girls really don't need any "extra" help.  They are one and three years old now.  Once they are in their pajamas we pretty much just tuck them in, pray, and kiss them good night. SO easy I KNOW!  Ethan however has a different routine he made up all on his own :0)  That is okay because Ethan is a different child and has some special challenges to face.  Every night for a VERY long time Ethan has asked Daddy to tuck him in first.  YES, the "key" word is first!

For the last couple weeks Ethan has asked Daddy to tell him "Noah's Ark" every night.  Ethan "LOVES" routine so Jon rolls with the punches and tells him the same story EVERY night.  However since Ethan knows the story backwards and forwards Jon has learned to make it interesting and leave out details and purposefully make mistakes so that our very perceptive, little guy can quickly correct him and tell him what was left out.  This part of Ethan's bed time routine is usually filled with lots of giggles and laughter.  Sometimes I'll stand outside the room and just listen in smiling to myself!  Ethan has to remind Daddy that there were not "three", but "two" of every kind of animal.  And it was a "dove" that came back with the leaf, etc.  Ethan's grand finale is always making sure Daddy "remembers" the promise of the rainbow at the end.  Ethan is my "detail" man, and catches on to ANY mistake.  For instance: Tonight I had to tell the story and Ethan had listed off all the animals he could think of.  I thought I would remind him of some animals he missed and started saying different animals including the octopus.  Right away Ethan said, "Nooo, those didn't go in the ark.  They live in the water!"  Love it!

Can you tell he is having fun?

Number two tuck is next.  Once the Noah's Ark is over, Daddy kisses Ethan, tells him good night, and then it is Mommas turn!!!  (NOTE:  Jon and I usually come out of Ethan's room with a smile, but sometimes when we are VERY tired we look at the other, sigh (there may or may not be rolling of the eyes ;0), and say, "You're up or your turn!")  Now for some reason when I go in next Ethan has picked my time to be the prayer time.  I do feel "honored" because this is really the sweetest, best, most precious time of the day I have with my big four year old!  No matter how difficult the day--THIS time is sacred.

The "land" of dinosaurs.

 Before Ethan prays I almost always ask him who he wants to pray. He ALWAYS says, "ME!" He falls into that sweet, "Ethan" voice and starts his prayer.   I find his prayers so precious and very interesting.   Ethan has always had a pattern for everything he does, and his prayers definitely show that.  But the fun thing is that he has really started to add his own thoughtful requests and thankful praise every night.  I am always amazed at how thoughtful his prayers are for other people.  He remembers when someone close to him is struggling with a tummy ache, headache,  or boo boo.  It is sometimes a rebuke to me that I have not yet prayed for that person during the day! 

Ethan especially remembers his Pastor, teachers, family, and friends.  He prays for us all every night.  His prayers also consist of a "bucket load" of thank yous!  Most of these are in the same order every night.  "Thank you for my home, my bed, my room, food, my teachers, Na na and Pa pa, church etc."  The interesting part is that he has started adding in something from each day that he is thankful for.  I am learning what things mean a lot to him through this.  Most nights he ends by saying thank you for Pastor, and then he pipes up and says, "and Miss Kay too!"  The way he says "Miss Kay too!" always makes me smile. (Miss Kay is our sweet Pastor's wife.)  Usually once Ethan is through with all of his many "thank-yous" he ends his prayer.  I have to add that his prayers can be very lengthy at times.  He he!!  I guess I am not suppose to be thinking that though ;0) 

Play dough fun

It is side ways, but this is Ethan's "E" from play dough.

Tuck three is the last.  As soon as prayer time is over Ethan right away asks for Daddy again.  It is kind of the sandwich effect: Daddy, Mommy, Daddy.  I've come to think of it as the "Daddy Security Effect."  This last time that Jon goes in to say "goodnight" is very brief.  It is basically a kiss, a stern "goodnight", brief hug, "I love you", and a "Go to bed son!"  And once that is done Ethan literally curls into his blankets, closes his eyes, and goes to sleep.  Whew!!!  By that point Jon and I feel like two tired puppies!  That is the routine EVERY single night come sunshine or rain, rain or hail, headache or no headache,  migraine or no migraine, flue or no flue.  Am I starting to make my point?!!!  :0)  It doesn't matter how much pain one of us is in because that little/big boy just "ain't" goin to bed without that "Daddy Security Effect!"  I'm giggling as I write because I see the humor in it all.  Yet it HAS to be done if this house full of big and little people are going to sleep!  Thankfully the "have to's" can be enjoyable too.  Now I am going to end with one of my Mom's funny "sayings" that she used on me while I was growing up: "Well, just bless his(your) little, pee-pickin heart!!!

Love this boy!!!

Kids Rooms

I love decorating on a dime! I think it is fun making old things new again. I also think there is big satisfaction in being creative with what I have or what has been handed down or given to me. What I enjoy the most from doing the kiddos rooms is hearing my 2 year old say, "I like my pink room, Mommy!" She has also said, "Mommy, thank you for my room!"--Although I think that statement was after she got her little kitchen set :) I also loved hearing Madison's big, loud "WOW!" after she saw the shelves of books in Ethan's room! I like the kids rooms, but I LOVE that my kids like their rooms and want to play in them.

I

My amazing, wonderful, incredible husband made these magazine shelves!--Honey, I hope you are reading this ;)  I fell in love with a picture of these shelves on Pinterest.   They are a nice display, but also practical because I can put up to 7 or 8 books behind one of these books!  It is perfect for keeping books in sets, and keeps books from getting banged up in the basket or bookcase!

I wanted to paint these shelves in a week, but it took me 3 months to get all the sanding and painting done!  I guess there was a little bit of procrastinating too :)  It turned out to be a bigger job than I intended, but it was totally worth it to see the smile on Ethan's face!

The bottom shelf is Emily's!  It is all board books.

I used my Cricut and cut out some paper to update some pictures for the girls room.

The little kitchen set I from Craigslist.  It came with the tent, and Melissa and Doug kitchen accessories!!!

My girls are growing up too fast!  They are one and two today, but tomorrow 21 and 22...

I bought the wooden letters 50% off, and painted.  The shelf was free, and just needed a little paint, and a 97 cent Princess decal.  The bookcase was a hand me down which I stained espresso.
 

We had a piece of trim in our shed.  I stained it, and painted some clothespins which I hot glued to the trim. (Another pinterest idea!)  Ethan is very proud of his art pieces that get pinned up :)  I love the Mr. Potato Head picture so much that I might frame it.  He purposely tried to pick colors that matched his toys.

This little art desk has some nice storage.  I bought it for 3.99, and it was filthy.  But some bleach, magic erasers, and a little black spray paint made it look new again.  I marvel at how good God is.  This very desk (in different colors) was on my Amazon wish list!

This book case is from Target, but I got it for $15 brand new at Goodwill!  It had a small crack, but wood glue fixed it.

I feel blessed that both of my kids rooms have two full-sized closets.  I never knew how much I would need them!

The pink room!

She is a great little Mommy to her dolls!

One, two, and three!

My girls love their little tent house!

Peek-a-boo!

I had to laugh when Ethan was outside the tent vigorously trying to blow the tent down! He was scaring the girls, and doing a great job playing the big, bad wolf!  Jon and I had a hard time not laughing, but we realized that the two piggies inside the tent didn't find it funny at all.

This crib was a gift from Jon's parents.  It was a cherry wood, and I painted it espresso to match the room.  I love the character of this crib. 

Ethan's first drawing of himself.  I kept asking him to put the paper down so I could see his face.  I finally figured out that he wanted the picture to be his head!

These kiddos love markers, and markers love them :)

This was the unhappy face. 

She has her Bible, and she is ready to go to church!

Emily has really surprised us, and the cranky baby has turned into a very, happy toddler!!!

It can be miserable to get pictures taken when it is hot outside :(

I found this cabinet for $10.  I had to paint the doors white and we had to find a pin for the door from a cabinet shop.  Now the girls have a special place for their tea set!

I had a hard time deciding how to space the shelves, but I'm happy with how they turned out!