Mar 26, 2010
Mar 24, 2010
26 years ago today...
I became a big sister!!! That's right, my baby brother entered this world and I couldn't have loved him any more! We were inseparable when we were little and did everything together. I totally remember asking my mom if it was okay for him to come with me to Kindergarten on my first day and I have a picture of him coming with me - not quite sure how that happened - ha!
I'm quite confident I have the best brother in the world and am so thankful for him in my life. I love you little brother (if you ever read this:)) and hope you had a great time at the Red Wings game! Happy Birthday!
Love,
Big Sissy
I'm quite confident I have the best brother in the world and am so thankful for him in my life. I love you little brother (if you ever read this:)) and hope you had a great time at the Red Wings game! Happy Birthday!
Love,
Big Sissy
Mar 17, 2010
9 Month Well Visit
Gracelyn had her 9 month appt. yesterday. She is doing well but is our petite little girl. Just the way a girl should be!
Her stats:
Weight: 17lbs, 1 oz
Length: 28.5"
Ethan's stats at the same age were 21.9 lbs (whoa!) and 31" - she is definitely a girl. Boys are typically chubbier and bigger plus Ethan was on formula which packs on more weight than breast milk. Ethan was just learning to scoot on his belly at 9 months and Gracelyn has been crawling for months, standing on her own, walking alongside the couch and has even taken a few steps. Ethan would gag on any finger food at this age where Gracelyn chows anything put in front of her. So funny how different kids really are!
The doc said she is doing well though, her head circumference is back to being normal and growing just fine so there's no worries there. Her weight has slowed down but it's fine - he said they will just keep an eye on it and make sure she continues to pack on the pounds. She loves to eat so I don't see that being a problem :) I told him she has accidentally had peanut butter twice (big brother has been so kind to share with her) and she didn't have any allergic reaction so he said I can probably give it to her and she should be fine. He gave me the go ahead to give her pretty much anything to eat other than honey and of course milk. I asked if she could have deli meat, cheese, etc. because I think she would love to start eating those things and he said yes. Now if only I could get my little man to eat deli meat - lunch would be so easy! :)
Jeremy thinks Gracelyn may be left handed because she always seems to pick up her food with her left hand and Ethan always did right. I hadn't noticed until he mentioned it yesterday so we'll see - time will tell.
Well, Ethan never did end up getting a cold like we thought...he had the fever/runny nose because his first 2nd year molar had finally poked through his gums. I looked in his mouth that morning and sure enough there it was...we've been saying he's been getting a molar in for months and now we have the evidence :) He was only feeling bad on Sunday and has been fine since.
Gracelyn has a bit of a cold but it seems pretty mild, I've only had to wipe her nose a few times and she's in pretty good spirits. I caught it too and have had a sore throat/cold for the past few days. It's the first time I've been sick since before the kids were born - I don't get sick often. I'm thankful that it's just a cold.
The kids are so cute together. They play together everyday and chase each other and laugh - it's so precious. Gracelyn also gives kisses now - it's adorable. If you get kinda close to her face and ask for kisses she opens her mouth and leans her face into yours. So cute. I'm thinking she saw Ethan doing this with us and picked it up that way seeing as we did not teach her to do this. She is really growing up! Just a couple more months and I'll be planning her 1st Birthday party! Wow. It makes me a little sad seeing as she may be our last baby. We haven't decided on that yet and I go back and forth all the time. Either way, we won't be having another one for a little while if we decide to have one more. We'll see :)
Tonight I am heading to church to help out with the Baby Closet. We are swapping out the fall/winter clothes for the spring/summer clothes and it's a big (but fun) job so we are always in need of extra volunteers for these times which is only twice a year. My MIL is coming with me tonight to help so it will be great to have another set of hands to help sort and fold clothes. Thanks for coming with me Jude!
We played outside on the swing set with the kids last night and we went on our first walk last night as a family of four. It was so nice out and both the kids loved the stroller ride in the double stroller. They looked so adorable sitting in it and I felt so blessed just looking at them. I mean, how do you get a boy and girl cuter than those two? I don't think it's possible. They are precious. I also felt blessed to have such a wonderful husband who I am in love with still after almost 7 married years together. He's my best friend for life. He's an amazing husband and daddy - I love you JD!
I know I know, enough mushy-mush talk right? Too bad, this is my blog and I will write the way I want ;)
Much Love,
Momma Keri
Her stats:
Weight: 17lbs, 1 oz
Length: 28.5"
Ethan's stats at the same age were 21.9 lbs (whoa!) and 31" - she is definitely a girl. Boys are typically chubbier and bigger plus Ethan was on formula which packs on more weight than breast milk. Ethan was just learning to scoot on his belly at 9 months and Gracelyn has been crawling for months, standing on her own, walking alongside the couch and has even taken a few steps. Ethan would gag on any finger food at this age where Gracelyn chows anything put in front of her. So funny how different kids really are!
The doc said she is doing well though, her head circumference is back to being normal and growing just fine so there's no worries there. Her weight has slowed down but it's fine - he said they will just keep an eye on it and make sure she continues to pack on the pounds. She loves to eat so I don't see that being a problem :) I told him she has accidentally had peanut butter twice (big brother has been so kind to share with her) and she didn't have any allergic reaction so he said I can probably give it to her and she should be fine. He gave me the go ahead to give her pretty much anything to eat other than honey and of course milk. I asked if she could have deli meat, cheese, etc. because I think she would love to start eating those things and he said yes. Now if only I could get my little man to eat deli meat - lunch would be so easy! :)
Jeremy thinks Gracelyn may be left handed because she always seems to pick up her food with her left hand and Ethan always did right. I hadn't noticed until he mentioned it yesterday so we'll see - time will tell.
Well, Ethan never did end up getting a cold like we thought...he had the fever/runny nose because his first 2nd year molar had finally poked through his gums. I looked in his mouth that morning and sure enough there it was...we've been saying he's been getting a molar in for months and now we have the evidence :) He was only feeling bad on Sunday and has been fine since.
Gracelyn has a bit of a cold but it seems pretty mild, I've only had to wipe her nose a few times and she's in pretty good spirits. I caught it too and have had a sore throat/cold for the past few days. It's the first time I've been sick since before the kids were born - I don't get sick often. I'm thankful that it's just a cold.
The kids are so cute together. They play together everyday and chase each other and laugh - it's so precious. Gracelyn also gives kisses now - it's adorable. If you get kinda close to her face and ask for kisses she opens her mouth and leans her face into yours. So cute. I'm thinking she saw Ethan doing this with us and picked it up that way seeing as we did not teach her to do this. She is really growing up! Just a couple more months and I'll be planning her 1st Birthday party! Wow. It makes me a little sad seeing as she may be our last baby. We haven't decided on that yet and I go back and forth all the time. Either way, we won't be having another one for a little while if we decide to have one more. We'll see :)
Tonight I am heading to church to help out with the Baby Closet. We are swapping out the fall/winter clothes for the spring/summer clothes and it's a big (but fun) job so we are always in need of extra volunteers for these times which is only twice a year. My MIL is coming with me tonight to help so it will be great to have another set of hands to help sort and fold clothes. Thanks for coming with me Jude!
We played outside on the swing set with the kids last night and we went on our first walk last night as a family of four. It was so nice out and both the kids loved the stroller ride in the double stroller. They looked so adorable sitting in it and I felt so blessed just looking at them. I mean, how do you get a boy and girl cuter than those two? I don't think it's possible. They are precious. I also felt blessed to have such a wonderful husband who I am in love with still after almost 7 married years together. He's my best friend for life. He's an amazing husband and daddy - I love you JD!
I know I know, enough mushy-mush talk right? Too bad, this is my blog and I will write the way I want ;)
Much Love,
Momma Keri
Mar 14, 2010
Silly Sickness Sunday
Jeremy has been sick with a cold/sore throat the past 4-5 days (boo!) and we think he passed it on to our little man. Ethan woke up this morning with a fever and runny nose, no fun! So far Gracelyn seems fine and no fever so hopefully us girls can stay healthy. We've all been pretty healthy this winter though so I'm thankful - and I'm excited Spring is right around the corner.
On a silly note, remember when Ethan used to scrunch his face when he was about 8 months old? Miss Gracelyn started doing the same thing today - cracks me up! I captured a few pictures of her doing it and she looks so funny! Here are both of their scrunchy faces! Enjoy :)
On a silly note, remember when Ethan used to scrunch his face when he was about 8 months old? Miss Gracelyn started doing the same thing today - cracks me up! I captured a few pictures of her doing it and she looks so funny! Here are both of their scrunchy faces! Enjoy :)
Mar 5, 2010
Mashed Potatoes Anyone??
This girl loves to eat! We let her get messy last night and eat Mashed Potatoes and boy did she love them! She would give us her "hyena" scream every time she was done and wanted more - it was too funny. The last one is my new favorite!!
Mar 3, 2010
Teaching Two's
Spring is getting closer and I can't wait to open the windows and smell the fresh air. It will be so great to be able to take walks downtown and play outside with the kids - I'm looking forward to it!
The kids are well. Ethan has definitely entered the two year old season of life. It's the season where they are learning to express themselves and the season of temper tandrums when things don't go his way. He's been hitting and pushing Gracelyn when he gets mad or will pick up a toy and throw it across the room. Time-out always follows! Ha. I remember this season with so many of my daycare kids - fun times :)
They refer to this season as the "Terrible Two's" but that term rubs me the wrong way, I feel like it implies "terrible kids" when it's simply part of how they learn. They are starting to become their own person, they are starting to express their emotions, feelings, etc. Boys tend to express themselves in a more physical way (throwing themselves down on the floor, hitting, etc) where girls tend to express themselves more emotionally (crying/whining). So, I refer to this season as the "Teaching Two's" instead. Teaching him what is right and wrong, what is acceptable behavior and what is not acceptable behavior. You know, raising a child. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it."
We are focusing on spending extra time with Ethan during this "teaching two" season and learning to direct him in Godly ways. He's learning to make his own decisions and our job as parents is to teach him about his decisions - good and bad and to just love him. Jeremy and I are watching a DVD series right now on Biblical Parenting, it's called, "Loving Your Kids on Purpose." We haven't gotten through much of it yet but one of the things the guy says that I wrote down and love is this: "The most important thing you can do as a parent is not teach your child to comply and obey. The most important thing you can do is build a strong lasting connection. Your heart to their heart. There is no fear in love. There is no fear of punishment in love."
I just love that. I want to get it written on a plaque and hang it in our house until the kids are grown and living on their own. I think it applies to when they are 2 and when they are 13. He is not saying you don't teach your children to obey, he's saying that it's not the most important thing and I couldn't agree more. I think sometimes parents focus so much on their child obeying them and not enough time building that strong connection with them and loving them. You know? For us, this is why spanking is not for us. I'm not against it and if families feel it's the right choice for them then that is totally great but for us it is not. We feel it instills fear in them and it's just not the way we want to teach our kids. So, for now, we are doing time-out's and focusing on giving Ethan extra love and attention during this season.
He's our sweet and sensitive boy and we are so in love with him - he's such a joy to us and makes us laugh everyday by being his silly self.
Ethan playing in the laundry basket :)
Miss Gracelyn is doing well. She is such a go getter. I know I say this all the time but it is just so funny. She goes after what she wants, whether it's a toy, a cracker that Ethan has in his hand or mom or dad - she goes for it! She doesn't give up easily either. She is still mainly crawling but is getting better at standing on her own for periods of time and we are always walking with her and letting her try and take more steps. She's such a beautiful little girl and has such a sweet personality. I definitely don't think she will be shy - I see her being outgoing. I think both of our kids will be actually. Time will tell.
Gracelyn's latest thing is screaming. It's not because she's mad, she just likes to do it throughout the day because she's figured out how too and thinks it's fun I guess. At first I thought it was cute and now not so much ;) Haha! I took a little video of her this morning and you can see what I mean a little bit. She also likes to throw her head back in her highchair - again, not because she's mad but because she can. She's been doing this for months. She's kinda silly like her brother. I see lots of fun times growing up with these kids in our future ;)
She's been teething we think the past couple days because she's been more fussy than usual and her hands are in her mouth, rosy cheeks - all the signs of teething. Her bottom two are definitely in and wow does this girl love to eat!! She loves table food - anything we have given her so far she chows and eats as fast as she can, it's so funny. So different from Ethan at this age (well, and now! Ha!) She is definitely our eater and Ethan is a very selective eater :)
Anyhow, here's the video I took of her this morning. Such a ham she is.
I have such a blessed life. I am in love with my man of almost 7 married years together and the mom to 2 adorable kids and most importantly I am loved by God, what more could I ask for? Nothing!
Momma Keri
The kids are well. Ethan has definitely entered the two year old season of life. It's the season where they are learning to express themselves and the season of temper tandrums when things don't go his way. He's been hitting and pushing Gracelyn when he gets mad or will pick up a toy and throw it across the room. Time-out always follows! Ha. I remember this season with so many of my daycare kids - fun times :)
They refer to this season as the "Terrible Two's" but that term rubs me the wrong way, I feel like it implies "terrible kids" when it's simply part of how they learn. They are starting to become their own person, they are starting to express their emotions, feelings, etc. Boys tend to express themselves in a more physical way (throwing themselves down on the floor, hitting, etc) where girls tend to express themselves more emotionally (crying/whining). So, I refer to this season as the "Teaching Two's" instead. Teaching him what is right and wrong, what is acceptable behavior and what is not acceptable behavior. You know, raising a child. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it."
We are focusing on spending extra time with Ethan during this "teaching two" season and learning to direct him in Godly ways. He's learning to make his own decisions and our job as parents is to teach him about his decisions - good and bad and to just love him. Jeremy and I are watching a DVD series right now on Biblical Parenting, it's called, "Loving Your Kids on Purpose." We haven't gotten through much of it yet but one of the things the guy says that I wrote down and love is this: "The most important thing you can do as a parent is not teach your child to comply and obey. The most important thing you can do is build a strong lasting connection. Your heart to their heart. There is no fear in love. There is no fear of punishment in love."
I just love that. I want to get it written on a plaque and hang it in our house until the kids are grown and living on their own. I think it applies to when they are 2 and when they are 13. He is not saying you don't teach your children to obey, he's saying that it's not the most important thing and I couldn't agree more. I think sometimes parents focus so much on their child obeying them and not enough time building that strong connection with them and loving them. You know? For us, this is why spanking is not for us. I'm not against it and if families feel it's the right choice for them then that is totally great but for us it is not. We feel it instills fear in them and it's just not the way we want to teach our kids. So, for now, we are doing time-out's and focusing on giving Ethan extra love and attention during this season.
He's our sweet and sensitive boy and we are so in love with him - he's such a joy to us and makes us laugh everyday by being his silly self.
Ethan playing in the laundry basket :)
Miss Gracelyn is doing well. She is such a go getter. I know I say this all the time but it is just so funny. She goes after what she wants, whether it's a toy, a cracker that Ethan has in his hand or mom or dad - she goes for it! She doesn't give up easily either. She is still mainly crawling but is getting better at standing on her own for periods of time and we are always walking with her and letting her try and take more steps. She's such a beautiful little girl and has such a sweet personality. I definitely don't think she will be shy - I see her being outgoing. I think both of our kids will be actually. Time will tell.
Gracelyn's latest thing is screaming. It's not because she's mad, she just likes to do it throughout the day because she's figured out how too and thinks it's fun I guess. At first I thought it was cute and now not so much ;) Haha! I took a little video of her this morning and you can see what I mean a little bit. She also likes to throw her head back in her highchair - again, not because she's mad but because she can. She's been doing this for months. She's kinda silly like her brother. I see lots of fun times growing up with these kids in our future ;)
She's been teething we think the past couple days because she's been more fussy than usual and her hands are in her mouth, rosy cheeks - all the signs of teething. Her bottom two are definitely in and wow does this girl love to eat!! She loves table food - anything we have given her so far she chows and eats as fast as she can, it's so funny. So different from Ethan at this age (well, and now! Ha!) She is definitely our eater and Ethan is a very selective eater :)
Anyhow, here's the video I took of her this morning. Such a ham she is.
I have such a blessed life. I am in love with my man of almost 7 married years together and the mom to 2 adorable kids and most importantly I am loved by God, what more could I ask for? Nothing!
Momma Keri
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