The Judson's

Thankful

2012-02-01T08:41:00.000-08:00

I am VERY thankful for health in our family. I complain when my kids are sick, but it is really nothing compared to what a lot of people are going through with their kids...cancer, diseases, autism etc. It is so hard to understand what God's plan is, but I do trust Him! Suffering is only temporary and will not compare to eternal joy.

Bike-a-Thon

2012-01-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

Eli took part in a bike/trike-a-thon at preschool benefiting St. Jude Hospital. Brandon was able to take his lunch break and surprise Eli at the event since I was stuck home with a grouchy girl with a cold. Eli had so much fun and rode his bike prouder than ever! He has gotten a lot better at riding his bike lately. It is perfect timing because the double stroller is getting pretty darn heavy for me with both kids in it and I need to free up some space for Asher pretty soon! I told Eli that from now on he can ride his bike when we go on walks, while I push Cora in the umbrella stroller. He was so excited! We gave it a whirl the other day and he loved it! He likes to pretend that the driveways are railroad crossings, so we do a lot of stopping :-). He is growing like a weed!

Hair

2012-01-25T10:56:00.000-08:00

Cora finally has HAIR! I can put her little mullet in the back into the most adorable pigtails :-) She does not like me fixing her hair, but is very happy to look so pretty afterwards. Eli is so cute about it and will continuously tell her "Cora, your ponytails look so pretty!" Just another fun aspect of having a girl!

Warm Winter

2012-01-17T11:25:00.001-08:00

I have to say...this Winter has been great. It's been exceptionally warm, which has enabled us to get outside more than ever before during these months. Whether it's trips to the park, walks, rides in the bike trailer, Eli practicing riding his bike, the sandbox, t-ball in the backyard, playing with the rabbit, etc. all of it is saving sanity! Kids were meant to be raised outdoors...of this I am sure! Shame on video games and TV for making us lazy parents and turning out lazy kids. I am itching for Spring and Summer and even more opportunities to soak up the sun and have some fun!

It's a BOY!

2012-01-11T04:47:00.001-08:00

We had a great time on Monday at my 20 week sonogram! Both our parents were there and the kids, so it was a joyous and fun time. Eli was amazed at the baby moving on the screen, and when we saw it was a boy he said, "It's a BOY! I will share my trains with him!" My mom had a blue onsie, balloons, and blue ring pops for everyone. Knowing it was my last time to do this made it very special. Asher Graham Judson is our name of choice. Asher is a bible name that means "happy or blessed" and Graham means "abode". Graham is a family name on Brandon's side. I felt like a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders after seeing a healthy baby on the screen. The test showed no defects or problems besides him being breech presentation (which was exactly how Eli was but doesn't really matter since I'm having a c-section). The kids have been kissing my stomach and saying "Night night Asher!" Eli is determined to call him "Leaf" in some way. He sometimes calls him "Asher Leaf". It's hilarious! He declared yesterday, "I REALLY REALLY wanted a BOY!" (When in reality all along he has said "girl"). I have begun the fun process of going through all of Eli's old clothes and the baby gear. I am sorting through all of Cora's clothes and putting aside the ones I want to keep, sell, and give to friends. I am really excited to be in the last half of my pregnancy!

Happy New Year...Welcome 2012!

2012-01-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

We spent our New Years at home sick...but we made the best of it! Eli helped me make cupcakes and we celebrated with a nice meal and sparkling juice. Eli kept saying, "This is Happy New Year's day!" Although we experienced a lot of loss in our family this past year, it really has been the best year for me as far as parenting goes. Eli's been gluten free for a year and healthier than ever in that regard, he started talking, started preschool, and moved out of the terrible two's. Cora became a toddler, stopped nursing, started sleeping through the night, started walking and was fully able to play with Eli and take part in his adventures. Last summer was amazing! I loved having two older kids who could play outside, travel easier, and take part in all of the fun summer activities. I really loved 2011! I know 2012 is going to bring a lot of changes to our family, but I'm ready to take them head on! I know God will provide strength and the guidance we need to become a family of five. Happy New Year!

20 Months

2012-01-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

My little girl is getting close to 2! Pretty soon I will have a 4 yr old, a 2 yr old, and a newborn! That blows my mind! This age that Cora is at, is by far my favorite so far. She is hilarious! She talks like a 16 year old and always has us practically dying at her cuteness. At 20 months: 1. Putting several sentences together at a time (unbelievable to us, considering Eli didn't put words together until he was 3). She has a lot of little sayings she uses frequently like "NOT YET", "You get it!", "My turn", "I want that", etc.

2. She has started throwing her food to the dog a lot or pushing it off the table when she doesn't want to eat it. She is picky compared to Eli. She doesn't like to try new things, but once she does she will eat them. It can be pretty frustrating to slave over a meal for an hour just to see it thrown on the floor!
3. She is the queen of making faces. She is constantly making the funniest/cutest faces. If she's sad she'll pucker out her lip, which is so adorable. She loves to make different faces and we love all the variety. Drama queen!

4. She loves playing outside and can do the slide by herself now. She still loves the sandbox, walks, playing with Rica, and feeding grass to Carrot. She calls him "sweet baby". She wears her bike helmet around for no reason and looks like a bobble head. She can catch a ball and throw pretty well.

5. She can be SUPER clingy to me. We discovered this past week when she was sick she would not go to anyone else, even Brandon. It had to be me all night and day. It was rough. She still won't go to Sunday school on her own without me.

6. She loves compliments from Eli and will go and show him her clothes etc. and he will say, "You look VERY pretty!" They both tell each other, "I love you THIS much" and hold out their hands wide.

7. Cora loves playing doctor. She will claim to be Dr. Barker (our ped) and declare you "All better now!" after working on you.

8. She loves showers and playing with shaving cream.

9. She still loves Elmo and Veggie Tales and Brandon introduced her recently to Barney, which she loved and calls, "Barngy".

10. She loves to pray and reminds us every day at supper. She will cross her little hands and her bedtime prayers go on FOREVER. Usually I have to cut her off because she'll list every family member, cousins (espcially Jackie), Rica etc. It is so cute!

11. She is a little climber and scares us on a daily basis.

12. She still loves hide and seek and is constantly asking to play "GAMES"

13. Cora still loves barbies, dolls (which always have to be wrapped in blankets), but her favorite activity of all is playdoh. She is a playdoh addict!

14. She is wearing 18-24 month clothes or 24 month clothes. She's a growing girl!

Sickness

2011-12-30T12:16:00.000-08:00

It has been a rough week of sickness around here. I feel so bad for my poor kids! They have really suffered. Eli has had croup, a fever, coughing, and starting last night double ear infections. I ended up taking Cora to the ER on Tuesday night for an ear infection. She is a tough cookie, so to see her so miserable was shocking. She has bronchiolitis too. They have felt okay during the days, but the nights have been horrible. I am thankful that now they are both on medication we should see some results and some relief for them. There have been two nights this week that I have gotten 1-2 hrs of sleep (last night being one of them). I have to say, whenever I have had rough times this year, God always gives me beautiful weather to gain back my sanity and get some sunshine to brighten all of our spirits. We have had some great moments outside this week! We have gotten so many things on our "to do" list done and it feels great!

New Camera

2011-12-28T07:43:00.001-08:00

My parents surprised me at Christmas with a new camera. I was shocked and SO excited! I now have a Rebel, and they also got me Photoshop and two books about both. I have started figuring everything out and it has been so much fun! I am definitely learning everytime I break it out and am getting better each time. I look forward to taking lots of pictures of my beautiful children! Here is my first practice run!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T11:51:00.001-08:00

We had a magical Christmas weekend at the farm. We got to have a white Christmas and it was beautiful! We took the kids sledding at my old high school (which was a tradition when we were kids). Eli was such a dare devil. He would go down half way and then let go and dive or roll down the hill. He had so much fun!! This was Cora's first time to go sledding. She ran around in her adorable boots saying "SNOW....SNOW...SNOW". She rode down with Brandon and although she looked petrified she said, "AGAIN!" After going down a couple of times she was done, but she did enjoy watching Eli and the other kids. Our weekend included playing in the snow, building a snowman, enjoying my mom's awesome cooking and steak fondue, leaving cookies and cheese for Santa and Santa Mouse, and opening presents. I should also mention our weekend also included a sleepless night up with Eli and a bad bout of croup and breathing trouble. It was scary, but he didn't let it get him down. We came home early in case he had more problems, but he slept great last night and just has a low fever today. Brandon has four days off this week, so we are enjoying family time and recovering from all the Christmas fun. Thank you God for sending your son for someone like me!

Away in the Manger

2011-12-20T17:12:00.000-08:00

Cora has been listening to Eli sing non-stop over the past month. She loves to join in on the Christmas carols! Could these two be any cuter? They are my joy and I LOVE being home with them every single day!

Christmas Program

2011-12-20T11:29:00.001-08:00

Eli had his first Christmas program at preschool! It was so exciting and fun! He was so excited for us to watch him sing at his "program". He got all dressed up and sang "Away in a Manger", "Angels We have Heard on High" and "We Wish you a Merry Christmas". When he walked out to go up on stage he was all smiles and so proud to see us watching. He did get a little shy and kind of sang the first song with his hand covering his mouth :-). After it was over he clapped with the rest of us. I was beaming with pride! The last two songs he sang more and made sure we were all watching the whole time. Afterwards, they had a cookie/punch reception and the kids got to see Santa. Cora wouldn't sit on his lap, but was happy to see him and get her candy cane. I can't believe Eli's almost four! He is just growing up so fast! He is still loving preschool and doing so well!

19 Months

2011-12-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

Cora is another month older and one month closer to being the teenager she already acts like. She has turnd into quite the character! We pretty much spend our days laughing our heads off at her antics. She's all about the drama, teasing, and fun. At 19 months:

1. She has become extremely expressive. She makes the funniest faces. You can ask her to make any face (angry, sad, surprised, happy etc.) and she will oblige. I love her toothy grin and her cheesy faces.

2. She loves "tickling" and teasing us. Her tickling is more like scratching and punching our necks. She thinks it's hilarious to "trick" us.

3. She still loves Elmo videos.

4. She loves having her nails painted, wearing jewelry, picking out her clips for her hair, and picking out shoes to wear. She also loves to play with my makeup or put on some chapstick.

5. She talks all the time and will say and sing anything. She loves nursery rhymes and will say them a lot. She also loves singing ABC's, Away in the Manger, Pat-a-Cake, Praise Him, Itsy Bitsy Spider, etc.

6. Cora still is our little dancer. I love the fact that she will dance no matter where she is or what she is doing. She doesn't need music or a reason. She has the best moves and will copy anything we show her. It kills us! She still chooses Michael Jackson as the best songs to groove to.

7. She throws the food she doesn't like down to the dog to eat. Little stinker!

8. She can definitely play the part of the "bratty little sister" to Eli. They play nonstop, but she also knows exactly how to push his buttons. She will purposely dump his container of animals out, poke him, steal one of his toys he's playing with and run, etc.

9. She has enjoyed the Christmas lights, treats, etc. this month. She loves the "CHRISTMAS TREEEEEE" and is warming up to Santa. She gave Santa a high five the other day and loved the candy cane he gave her. She loved discovering snow for the first time the other day (she was a baby last year). Eli taught her how to eat it and make footprints.

10. Has started saying some hilarious things. The other day she hit Eli and I asked her "Who hit Eli?" She said, "Daddy did it!" She also ran up to me whimpering the other day and when I asked her "What's wrong?" She smiled and said, "I FAKING!" I also told her to tell Eli sorry about something and she said, "NO SORRY ELIJAH...NO SORRY!"

11. Our biggest accomplishment this month is the fact that she is PACIFIER FREE! Yesterday, was the first day we said, "Bye bye boppy". She is going to sleep fine (I still rock her with her Kitty), but was up at 4:30 this morning asking for the paci. We'll see how the next few days go, but I am very excited that it has already been a million times easier than I expected.

Christmas Season

2011-12-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season is upon us and I couldn't be more thrilled. Having two older kids has been a blast! The kids have helped me go shopping and even picked out gifts for each other. Eli was SO excited to get Cora a gift. He picked her out a Hello Kitty nail polish and necklace and wrapped it himself. Cora picked Eli out a matchbox car, and she has already opened it herself once ;-). The kids had a blast decorating and picking out the tree. We put on Christmas music, drank hot cocoa, and enjoyed watching our two big kids put ornaments on the tree. Eli was especially excited to put on his homemade ornaments he did last year. Eli made everyone homemade presents out of wrapping paper and tape. It was so adorable! He made what he is calling "instruments". He also has been wrapping up the little plastic food from the play kitchen and putting them under the tree for Nana and Bum and others. My brother used to do the exact same thing when he was little. It is awesome having kids that can actually understand what Christmas is all about. Even Cora will yell, "JESUS!" if you ask who was born on Christmas day. I am doing a "Jesse Tree/Waiting Tree" with the kids this year. My Mom gave me one that she had made when we were kids. It's sort of like an advent calendar with a scripture reading and felt ornaments that have to do with the scriptures leading up to Christ's birth. The kids loved starting it last night. I made special cookies and a big meal to start it off. I almost have all my shopping done so we can focus this entire month to remembering and focusing on what this time is all about: Our incredible Father sending his beloved Son to this world to save us all. Praise God for this magical celebration!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T10:45:00.000-08:00

Being with family was such a blessing on Thanskgiving! We all missed our grandparents that passed away this summer, but we know they were enjoying an even greater feast in Heaven. We spent a great week in Texas hot tubbing, playing at the Arbors, seeing Santa (which Cora hated), playing with all the toys, and spending time with family. The kids had a blast and were perfect travelers. No crying or whining either way! It was a blessing. Eli and Gavin played like brothers and fought like brothers :-) It was so fun to watch them play together and talk nonstop together. Eli didn't nap the entire time we were there and it made for some tired and cranky moments. Overall, though it was a great time. Brandon spent several days getting his parent's old van cleaned out and fixed up for our growing family. I am excited to have a vehicle that will actually hold three kids comfortably. I pray it lasts long! We sold my little red car and Brandon will take over the Escape. Looking forward to all the changes this upcoming year will bring! We have so much to be thankful for!

Parent Teacher Conference

2011-11-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to go to my first parent teacher conference last night! I was so excited and nervous to find out how Eli is doing. His teacher is wonderful in every way. I was so proud of Eli after talking with her! She basically said he is VERY ahead cognitively and very smart and doing great. He is very good at anything cognitive, but not as strong at activities that involve the fine motor skills, like scissors. I remember our Parents as Teachers rep telling me he might struggle a little bit with fine motor skills since he was an early walker and didn't get his wrist strength built up from crawling. I was so thrilled to hear he is doing wonderfully at following the rules, listening, playing with the other kids, no issues with sharing, etc. She also told me they have NEVER seen him angry, upset, mad etc. Basically, he has never misbehaved! Wow! What more could I ask for? I was oozing pride all over the place (considering several times when I've come to get him I've seen a couple of boys throwing tantrums or getting in trouble). I got to look at all the activities, worksheets, etc. he's done so far this year. It was so fun to hear about what he's like in class. She said he's a little timid when going to a new place or new person and on the things he struggles with (like cutting) he will say, "I can't do this." They encourage him to try and then after he has attempted, then they will help him. It was so fun! Yesterday, the fire trucks/firemen came to the preschool to talk to the kids and show them the truck. Eli loved it! He said his favorite thing was getting to walk through the truck, where he said he saw a special flashlight. They also talked about calling 911 in an emergency, and Eli definitely took it to heart. He was quizzing Brandon about it at the dinner table, "Dad, what do you call if there's a fire? 911!"

2011-11-15T12:48:00.000-08:00

Cora had her 18 month appointment yesterday. I actually scheduled her next appointment, which is when she turns TWO! She is pretty much done with all of her baby shots. Here are her stats: 30 1/2 inches tall (30%), 22 lbs 1 oz (25%), 18 1/4 inch head (24%).

Rock City

2011-11-14T10:31:00.000-08:00

We spent a fun filled weekend at the farm...it was so refreshing! We all had such a great time eating my Mom's awesome cooking, playing outside, being together, and taking the kids to Rock City. Rock City is a park of giant Dakota sandstone concretions outside of Minneapolis. It is our town's only "tourist attraction". The kids absolutely LOVED it! They climbed, played hide and seek, and explored. It was fun!

18 months

2011-11-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

Cora is 18 months old! Honestly, it actually feels like she is older by how much she talks and the way she acts. She thinks she's a big timer! We comment all the time about how amazing she is and how lucky we are to have her in our lives. She is a wonderful gift from God and I am blessed daily by her! At 18 months she is:
1. Constantly saying "Hi!" to people wherever we go. It is hilarious. It doesn't matter where we are, if she sees someone she will yell out to them and try to get their attention. Sometimes she will be shy if they talk back, but she is very friendly.
2. Saying "NO!" and "STOP!" all the time. They are definitely her most used words. If Eli starts bugging her, you'll hear her yell at him. It's so sassy!
3. Loving doing running games with Eli and still loves wrestling.
4. Asking to go "outside" all day long. I think it is going to be a rough Winter, because this girl LOVES to be outside. She loves walks, bike rides, and just playing.
5. Always asking "I come?", "I coming!", or "Elijah COME!"
6. Loving dancing and has a new form of dance we like to call speedy feet. She also does spins and copies our dance moves.
7. Speaking in phrases constantly like, "Chunk of cheese", "Both hiding", "Go hide", "Let's go", "Here ya go", etc.
8. Tattling on Eli. She'll say, "Elijah PUSHED!" OR "Elijah KICKED!"
9. Now recounting what she did while I was gone somewhere. She will tell me exactly what she did with Brandon, my mom, or sister. She'll tell me, "Dada, bike ride, and park!"
10. Naming all of the titles of the book. She'll ask for, "Go to zoo", "Daddy and I", "Wocket in my Pocket", "Messy babies", "Tractors" etc.
11. Talking to the "baby" in my tummy all of the time. It is adorable!
12. Diapering her dolls and loves to feed, shush, and burp them.
13. Throwing herself back and arching her back for tantrums when she doesn't want to do something. Getting her dressed, changed, etc. can sometimes be a challenge.
14. Saying "OW!" all the time if she gets hurt (although she is super tough and has a really high pain tolerance).
15. An absolute DELIGHT!

Halloween

2011-11-02T07:51:00.001-07:00

We are enjoying Fall! We taught Eli how to carve pumpkins over the weekend (he wanted a MEAN face), and roasted the seeds, which he loved. We had fun at a costume party (where Brandon dressed up as a bearded lady and I dressed up in my only costume I have....Ugly Betty). My parents, brother, and sister's kids came over on Halloween and we he gave Jacklyn her birthday presents and went trick-or-treating. The kids had a BLAST! Cora caught on right away and carried her little pumpkin everywhere saying, "Trick-or-treat", grabbing candy, and saying, "Thank you". Eli ran as fast as he could from house to house. We just did our street with our kids, and the cousins headed off for more candy snatching. We spent the rest of the evening handing out candy. Eli took the job very seriously and held the bowl on the porch ready to dish out the goods. It was so cute!

Fall Party!

2011-10-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

Eli had his Fall party at preschool today! All the kids wore their costumes to school, went trick-or-treating throughout the church building, did a paint a pumpkin on a rock craft, read some books, and had an awesome snack time to end it off. It was adorable! I loved watching my little cowboy have a fun time. They had so much fun getting candy and eating all the yummy snacks. I took gluten free cookies and fruit snacks and the director had made rice crispy cookies to make sure that Eli had a snack he could eat (Asbury preschool rocks). They got lots of goody bags from different parents and had fun. He loves preschool and was so happy for me to come to his party. He wanted several hugs when I got there! P.S.-He's wearing my cowboy boots from when I was a little girl on the farm.

9 weeks

2011-10-25T10:49:00.001-07:00

I had my first doctor's appointment to check on little baby A. I got to have a sonogram that confirmed there is only ONE perfect little baby. The baby put its hand out and did a little wave and moved around a couple of times. It's always amazing to hear that strong little heartbeat. Everything looks wonderful and we are very thankful! I do not take it for granted that we have had two healthy pregnancies and babies. I pray this one will be the same! Eli loved looking at the pictures (which don't look very good compared to what I got to see) and talking about how big baby A is right now. Eli and Cora both love to kiss my growing belly and say, "HI!" to the baby. I have felt wonderful for a week now and am praying it lasts!

Fall Festival

2011-10-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

Our church had their annual Fall Festival this weekend. It was so much fun to get to spend it with my sister and her kids! We love driving out to the country and enjoying hayrack rides, pumpkin patch, bonfire, games, awesome food, and great fellowship. The kids all had a blast! Eli and Cora rode the hayrack ride several times and Cora ran as fast as she could when she saw the pumpkins and grabbed the smallest one! Eli also picked a small one. All the cousins picked GIANT pumpkins. Eli got to play with his best friend Seth and they never stopped moving, exploring, and playing the entire night. Cora enjoyed her first hotdog and Eli loved chowing on the GF cupcakes I took!

Love

2011-10-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

No one truly prepared me for how amazing it would be to watch my kids love each other. They are so happy to see each other in the morning or when they wake up from naps. They give each other big kisses before bed. They play running games together or play with toys. They wrestle, they laugh, and sometimes they fight. They take pride when the other does something well. They actually get along better than I would have expected. I can only pray they will be there for each other in the future when I can't be. I don't expect them to be friends, but I expect them to be family. I hope they choose to love each other even if they don't "like" each other.

7 weeks

2011-10-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

Thought I would just post a quick pregnancy update. I had a really rough week last week feeling nauseous and tired all the time. It was hard for me because I had to let a lot slide, and I take my homemaking job very seriously. I couldn't cook big meals and I barely got the housework done. I felt bad about everything and I was grouchy in the mornings. I was so glad to start a new week! I just needed a fresh start! I am thankful I haven't thrown up yet and I have started the week feeling great. I got all the meals planned, house cleaned, and did the grocery shopping for the week. I am on top of things. I feel like time is going very quickly because I have two cuties to distract me. I have also grown a little tiny baby pooch belly. I am definitely already having "cravings" and smells get to me. It is nice to have already gone through this two times before, so I know what to expect!

We ended the rough week with a fun weekend! I babysat my nieces and nephew overnight so my sister and Joel could celebrate their anniversary. We had a blast! Then Saturday, we went to a parade downtown (a herd of giant longhorns led the parade) and we all celebrated my brother's birthday with paletas, Sumo's Japanese Steakhouse, and a haunted house. It's always wonderful to be with family!

Field Trip

2011-10-06T14:53:00.001-07:00

Eli had his first field trip this week to C-Arrow Stables. I am so glad I'm a homemaker and can be involved in all of his school parties and activities! It was so much fun! The kids all played on a little playground first, rode ponies next, learned to groom the horses, fed and pet a whole mix of animals like goats, pigs, alpacas, deer, sheep, etc., and pet a camel. They finished the outing with a snack and juice break and let the kids all pick out a pumpkin before heading home! Eli's favorite part was riding the ponies! He got to ride two different ponies and had a huge smile on his face the entire time. We tried to get Cora to ride, but she was scared! She loved petting and feeding all the animals, though. On our drive home, Eli said, "Next time we come, I am probably going to get to take home my favorite horse!" Not quite! I am so happy with Asbury Preschool! Eli's teacher and co-teacher are amazing! They made sure to bring a gluten free snack for him on the field trip and go out of their way to make things easy for me. When I went to pick him up from preschool today, my heart sank when I saw a mother leaving the classroom with a box of leftover cake pops. The first birthday party. I had been dreading finding out how Eli would do when he didn't get to have the special birthday treats all the mothers will be bringing for their birthday kids. Once again, I shouldn't have worried. I casually asked Eli what he had eaten at the birthday party and he got all excited telling me about the gluten free lemon cookies he had gotten while the other kids ate "wheat". He didn't care at all. He was perfectly happy with the cookies I had left with the director in case of a special occasion. YAY! I am purposely going to sign up to bring a snack for every holiday class party, so I can make sure to bring something gluten free that all the kids will like! Preschool is going wonderfully and Eli is loving it!

17 Months

2011-10-04T16:01:00.000-07:00

Cora is 17 months old! She is so much fun! I absolutely delight in her! She has such an easy, joyful, personality that it makes parenting her so much fun. Physically, she is such a litte girl now. She has slimmed out a lot and her hair is finally in enough to do something with it. I am really enjoying this age with her. She's independent on a lot of things, but still loves to be my little "baby" at times snuggling in the rocking chair with her pacifier that she calls "boppy". At 17 months she is:

1. TALKING in phrases constantly. She will put two words together all the time such as: "I come", "prairie dog funny", "a bite", "hiding spot", "pet Rica", "wake up", "birtday party", "happy birthday" etc. Some of her new words for the month are: earrings, jumping, nice and clean, petting, hiding, jumping, itsy bitsy, snuggle, slides, kicking, kick, Paul, Josh, Dave, Todd, pumpkins, piggies, Rics, penguin, smile, jacket, prickly, zeek, Mimi, Carol, Brittnie, etc. When she is with another kid her age I am reminded at how fortunate I am that she is talking so much! She can usually tell me exactly what she wants at all times! She can also say all of her body parts and colors.

2. Getting jealous if Brandon kisses or hugs me. She will immediately come over and pull at my legs until I pick her up so that SHE can give me a hug and kiss and then does the same with Brandon.

3. Starting to like to lay in the dirt and swim in it. She is one grimy little girl at the end of the day. She LOVES to be outside. She asks "OUTSIDE?" a hundred times a day and I try to get her out there as much as possible. She loves to slide, pet Carrot, climb on the rocks, play in the sandbox, blow bubbles, etc. She will always remind me to go for a "WALK? JACKET? SHOES?" if I forget!

4. Very into animals. She loves Rica and will try to share all her snacks with her. She will go find her many times during the day yelling, "Rica? Rics? Ricky?" She also loves to pet Carrot and feed him dandelion greens. She will say, "Ah, sweet baby!" when she pets Carrot.

5. Loving attention. She charms everyone around her. She will say "Hi" a million times when someone is around just to make sure they are watching her. She will ask them to watch her before she does anything she is proud of. Such a show off! She will jump with her feet off of the ground, dance, sing, etc. just to get attention.

6. Tough. She will fall and scrape her knee or fall and bonk her head and literally she just gives one litte exclamation and that's it. With Eli, he would cry for hours if he got one little injury, but she just gets right back up and takes off running. Sometimes she'll have everyone kiss her boo boo...even the dog.

7. Loving babies. She asolutely loves babies pretend or real. She loves to play babies and barbies. She will rock and make her babies burp really loudly.

8. Only taking an afternoon nap now, and I love it!

9. Missing Eli while he's at preschool. She will talk about him in the car on our drive home after dropping him off. When we go to pick him up she gets SO excited and will be yelling "ELIJAH? ELIJAH?" Don't ask me why she calls him that when the rest of us call him "Eli".

10. Girly. She asks for nail polish, earrings, and clippies for her hair. I love it! The other day she dug through my makeup and found nail polish and wanted me to do her nails. She sat perfectly still holding her hands and feet out for me to paint them! It's so much fun! She is a great balance of both the girly side and the rough and tumble keep up with brother side!

11. Best friends with my niece Jacklyn. I swear she loves her more than ME! She calls her "Jackie" and will say she's her "friend". Jacklyn will hold her and they will play together for hours! They have an amazing sisterly bond. It's really beautiful to witness.

And baby makes 5

2011-09-26T17:48:00.001-07:00

Five. That will be the number of members in our family come the end of May. That's right. I'm expecting. It doesn't feel real to me yet, but I'm sure if I start feeling sick and as I get more and more gigantic it will become REAL! I am only 5 weeks along and far from out of the miscarriage danger zone (I won't be in my second trimester until mid November), but am trusting in God and having faith that whatever happens He will take care of me. I am determined that I am such a driven person that I will be able to be a great mother to three, just as I am to two. I know the first year will be very hard...but I also know it gets better! We are taking a leap of faith!

Arkansas Trip

2011-09-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful weekend visiting all of Brandon's family in Hot Springs, Arkansas and attending his Grandpa's funeral. It was a very bittersweet time. We turned Cora's carseat around for the trip, so that I could sit in the front and not be squished entertaining the kids. It was wonderful! Sixteen total hours of driving and NO crying or whining from either kid. They read books, played with toys, ate snacks, and watched a few videos. What an incredibly beautiful drive through the Ouachita Mountains! We enjoyed every second of it! The kids loved seeing the family and playing with their cousin. Brandon's Grandma and Aunt Carol live on Hamilton Lake, so we enjoyed spending time outside. On our walk, we saw a tarantula and Eli came home sporting a few nasty fire ant bites (if you've never seen one they get pustules on them...disgusting). Eli's favorite part of the trip was playing in Mimi's house in the "secret door". He is still talking about it! He loved a laundry shoot door that he could go through from a bathroom into the laundry room. When Brandon was a kid he would spend time with his brother doing the exact thing! I wasn't sure how Eli would handle Paw Paw being gone. Before we left, we were sure to explain to him why we were going to Arkansas and that Paw Paw was in heaven now. Eli would say, "Paw Paw's in Heaven because he was old and sick. He's not sick anymore in Heaven!" While we were there he said, "When Paw Paw comes back to Arkansas are we going to come back and visit?" So I had to explain that he wasn't coming back, but that we were going to see him someday in Heaven. We can't wait to see all of our family again someday!

Miss you Paw Paw

2011-09-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

Brandon's wonderful Grandpa passed away this weekend. It was a shock, to say the least. His health had been declining in the past month, but we never thought we would be forced to say goodbye so quickly. I feel fortunate that we were able to spend time with him in both May and June and Brandon was able to spend even more time with him in July. We already miss him terribly. This has been a very rough Summer for our families. We have lost three grandparents and it is almost too much to comprehend. Even though we know we will see them all again someday in Heaven, it still is so hard to be without them here on earth. I loved Paw Paw as if he was my own Grandfather. I feel fortunate to have known and loved him for ten years!

First Flight

2011-09-14T11:10:00.001-07:00

Marrying Brandon I knew there would be a struggle between us dealing with him taking our kids up flying. Of course, me being the careful NON-risk taker I am totally against it. Brandon, on the other hand, started flying gliders with his Grandpa when he was 10 (without his mother's knowledge might I add). These experiences sparked a love for flying that ended up with him getting his pilot's license straight out of high school and going to Purdue to pursue aeronatical engineering and mechanics. His goal was to build airplanes, work on airplanes, and support airplanes. Within Cessna, he has been able to do all three, and he loves his job. Every time we have flown airliners Eli has had a blast. He loves every second of it. Brandon finally reapproached the subject with me on taking Eli up in a Cessna a few weeks ago. Even though I am still wary, I had a lapse of sanity and told him he could take him up once, hoping it would get it out of his system. They went last night for Brandon's birthday. Eli had the time of his life, and I think sharing this experience with Eli was probably one of the best moments of Brandon's life. Brandon and his friend/coworker Tom took Eli up in a Cessna 120 and taught him about flying. They even taught Eli how to steer and Eli was able to take over and fly the plane and did great! He loved turning the plane. He told me all about it when he got home and informed me this morning that, "I am a pilot now...not Eli anymore!"

State Fair

2011-09-12T11:34:00.001-07:00

We celebrated my niece Precious' birthday on Saturday, then headed off to play a show. We had a great show this weekend at the Kansas State Fair. Eli was excited ALL day long because he remembered what a great time he had last year with my mom. During our show, my Dad and "Uncle" Kurt took the kids through the animal barns. Eli was so happy to get to see the sheep and other animals. Both kids loved petting everything. It is so nice to have family near to help us when we need it! They are the best! Afterwards, we let Eli do the big giant slide a few times before heading home. He was so upset to have to leave the fair. He literally cried for a long time because he had to go. He actually loves the fair that much! We will definitely have to take him to our county fair next year. Our band's next show is October 1st. I am really looking forward to playing at our church and creating a fun coffee shop type of night for everyone!

Swimming fun!

2011-09-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

Eli did great in swimming lessons this summer, and we wanted him to continue getting better at swimming, so we renewed our Cessna gym membership. For the past few months we have taken the kids swimming once a week. They love it! Cessna's pool has fountains, a mushroom fountain, a water side, a basketball hoop, and is zero entry; meaning our kids can play in the shallows as much as they want. Brandon is usually able to slip in a few laps for exercise while we're there, as well. Both kids are really improving. Cora will jump from the side of the pool to Brandon, put her face under water, and kick her legs in the deep end. Eli swims on his own with his little arm floaties and will put his face under to retrieve water toys we bring. I am contemplating doing Eli's birthday party there next Winter!

First day of school!

2011-09-06T11:51:00.001-07:00

Eli has his first day of preschool today! I have been so nervous waiting to see how he would do and whether he would like it. We had speech this morning then rushed back across town for school! I've talked a lot to him about it over the past few months explaining what he would do, that he needed to listen to his teacher, etc. He definitely looked a little unsure as we went in, but his teacher Miss Ladonna immediately guided him to his cubby and bookbag hook and got him involved in a coloring activity at the table. I snapped a few pictures, gave him a kiss, and headed for the door! There were a couple of kids crying, but Eli didn't shed a tear! I came to get him a little early and saw the kids out playing on the playground. Eli looked like he was having fun and when the teacher told them it was time to go inside, he was one of the first to go get in line (whereas I saw a couple of boys run and try to hide and escape the teacher because they didn't want to stop playing). I was really proud of him! When I picked him up he came out the door saying, "Mom, I did REALLY GOOD! I listened to my teacher!" Miss Ladonna told me he did great! I am one proud Mommy! He told me his teacher was nice and when I asked him if he wanted to go again he answered in the positive! He had fun! I am planning on attending a bible study at my church while he's at preschool, so I am looking forward to that and spending some alone time with my beautiful daughter!

RAIN!

2011-09-05T04:30:00.000-07:00

This summer has been SO dry and hot. We haven't had a good rain in months and all the trees, bushes, flowers, and grasses around town are dead and brown unless they have been watered daily. Some of my flowers have withstood the heat wonderfully, others haven't, even with daily watering. It has been disheartening to be walking and see piles of dead leaves on the ground so early in summer. We have had the hottest summer that has ever been recorded (because my kids get up so early we were still able to be outside every day)! Needless to say, when it started to rain the other day, everyone in Wichita took to the streets to play in the puddles and enjoy the beautiful cold front it brought with it! Eli kept saying, "Thank you Jesus for the rain!"

We were able to move Carrot to his outside hutch that Brandon and Eli rebuilt and have plans to be outside ALL week long!

Meet the Teacher Night

2011-09-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

Last night was Eli's "Meet the Teacher Night" at Asbury Preschool. I was so excited for him to actually get to go in the school (we drive by a lot) and see his classroom. I was so glad to see that he was placed in the brand new room they built that is very large and spacious. There are a lot of different areas for play and learning. We met his teacher Miss Ladonna, who seems very nice and is the same teacher I observed last year when checking out the school. He was a little shy towards her at first, but by the end went up to her to tell her goodbye and that he'd see her Tuesday! He had fun playing cars with the other boys. They had popsicles available for everyone and both kids really enjoyed them! Eli was very happy to get to try out the playground to make sure it was fun! He had a great time! We have some "getting to know you" type sheets he gets to fill out this weekend about himself. A new season is beginning!

16 Months!

2011-09-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

Cora will be 16 months old this week! We are transitioning more and more into the toddler phase and are moving farther and farther away from our little baby girl! At 16 months she is:

1. TALKING like crazy! She puts two words together and is saying a lot of phrases. New words include: Happy, cup, clap clap, bug band, string cheese, gum, trash, cranky, park, bark, stinky, apple, mine, fruit snack, hugs, spankin, naked, clock, pig, cow, duck, kitty, blue, red, yellow, green, back, calm down, jump, jumping etc.

2. Acting like a toddler! "NO!" is her favorite word and she whips her head away from you as she says it. Totally dramatic! It's really hard to not laugh. If she doesn't get her way she will cry or throw a fit. Welcome to the terrible twos! I call her "sassy" or "sassafras" a lot. That is just what she is!

3. Loving jumping on the trampoline into blankets, putting marbles in the marble run or tube, doing chalk or bubbles, holding the rabbit, going to the pool and jumping from the side, playing doctor to her dolls, making her dolls burp, walking to the playground or park, putting her face in the water and blowing bubbles, etc.

4. Eli's little tag along! She rarely plays with toys because she is constantly following him around and wanting to do whatever he's doing. They love wrestling, playing cars, doing marbles together, and running around the house. She chases him trying to kiss him or grabs him around the waist from behind yelling "BACK!". They run and giggle together or bounce like kangaroos. Both kids love wrestling with Brandon. Eli's nickname is "Eli the eliminator/trash guy...taking out the trash!" Cora's is "Cora the destroya".

5. Loving all the cheesy kid songs like "Lord's Army", "If you're happy and you know it", "Father Abraham", and all the nursery rhyme songs. She loves wathing Elmo's World, which I allow for about 20 minutes a day so I can get chores done or supper cooked. She calls Elmo "Momo".

6. She can count to 3 and has counted to 5 once!

7. Saying so many phrases. If you ask her where something is she'll say, "I don't know" or "I know" and take you to it.

8. Loving doing puzzles! She really likes a farm puzzle we have.

9. Able to wear pigtails! Her hair is finally long enough I can put it up into little pigtail fountains. Usually I stick an adorable bow or clip in it when we go out! I love brushing her hair and fixing it. It is so fun!

Memory Verse

2011-08-31T17:56:00.001-07:00

Eli has just been soaking in so much about God lately. He is old enough to understand a lot of our discussions about Jesus, our prayers, and what he learns in Sunday school. He asks us a lot of questions, and sometimes it's hard to find the answers! A few weeks back he randomly said this verse. It really caught Brandon and I off guard because we hadn't taught him it. We realized he had learned it at church in Sunday school. He is so proud of knowing it and says it all the time! It's really encouraging to me that he loves church, loves worship, and is learning about all aspects of God! I told his Sunday school teachers that they are making a DIFFERENCE in these kid's lives and to keep up the good work! I finally caught him saying his verse on video!

Zoo fun!

2011-08-30T13:39:00.001-07:00

After a week of very long hours (Brandon working 12 hr days to fill in for a coworker), we enjoyed a trip to the zoo for my sister's birthday. As a mother of five kids, she is an expert on finding free outings and the special events put on by some of the museums etc. The zoo was having a free weekend, which we knew would be insanely crowded, but we took the risk and had a blast! My nieces and nephew have only been to the Tulsa zoo once in their life, so it was wonderful to see their reactions to all the animals. We all had a great time and it didn't get crowded until we left. The highlight for all of us was the lions. While we were watching them, the lion cub moved over to the glass, which the male lion was not too thrilled about. The male came over and started attacking the glass trying to protect his baby. Once this happened, we all moved back and gave him some space. It was amazing to see. I NEVER want to meet one of these in the wild. I will pass on the safari! I am so impressed with our local zoo! It really is awesome! I look forward to future visits!

Worry

2011-08-26T17:52:00.001-07:00

If you know me, you know I struggle with worry. It is a family curse. We are all struck with anxiety issues, disorders, etc. I feel like I've had a lot to worry about the past year with all of Eli's health issues, etc. I don't think I truly vocalized how much I worried about Eli the past year. Terrible two's + hospitalization + constant digestive sickness until we figured out he needed to be gluten free + speech problems +navigating a gluten free life = one stressed out Mama! I finally just spilled out all the worries that are swirling around in this crazy brain of mine last night on Brandon. He was sweet and just listened and reassured me, which is just what I needed. I guess I need to just say out loud that I am worried that Eli will be ostracised in school because of his speech problems and also because he is always going to be having to eat different things than the other kids. It's like a double whammy. I was feeling discouraged yesterday, and needed reminding of all the steps we've made. Brandon reminded me that Eli has friends despite the fact he isn't always understood. He and his best friend Seth are close as brothers, and his teachers rave about how good he is in Sunday School. I am SO thankful for how far he's come this past year. He hasn't been digestively sick in THREE MONTHS! This is huge for us! It is the longest he's ever gone without getting sick or having gluten issues. Praise God! It is a joy to watch him feeling GOOD for once. Also, in just three months of speech, he can now say several sounds he wasn't able to before. I was frustrated this week because he's started a new bad speech habit recently that the therapist has never seen before and is seeking out help on dealing with (on any word involving an s + vowel he puts an "l" sound after the "s", so sun is "slun" or sock is "slock". I let that one little detail drag me down instead of focusing on the positive. I do feel better saying it all out loud instead of just holding it inside! I think a lot of this has to do with the fact he is starting preschool in a week and a half and there are a lot of unknowns right now. I am in the process of trying to move him over to the public school system's speech program, so that's weighing on my mind as well. God is in control!

Carrot

2011-08-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

I have been searching craigslist for a Holland Lop rabbit for weeks (since Eli and Brandon finished the rabbit hutch), with no luck. They are the best breed for kids because they naturally have very sweet, gentle personalities. I got an e-mail that Exploration Place was having a special rabbit day where kids could come pet rabbits, learn how to take care of them, and there would be some up for adoption. We went not expecting to see the cutest baby mini Holland ever! It was too cute to resist! Eli named him Carrot! He'll be 2-4 lbs full grown. We brought out an old cage we had to use as a little indoor house until Fall when we'll move him to his outdoor hutch. He is already SO tame! Eli has spent all day holding him and talking to him. He is using his litter box pretty well and seems to like us :-). Eli has been fabulous about being gentle, and Cora is doing great most of the time (once in a while she pets a little rough). Eli has declared that he is a "daddy now" and thinks that "Rica needs to die and go to Heaven because she's old and I have Carrot now!" Poor Rica!

3 1/2

2011-08-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

Eli is almost 3 1/2. The thought of "four" being on the horizen just feels SO crazy! In the last six months, we have seen so much change in him! He is growing and maturing and is losing his "baby" look. Every day I am surprised by how much he's grown. We have absolutely LOVED age three. The terrible two's are fading more and more into a distant nightmare! I can have long conversations with Eli now, and it is so fun! He talks loudly and non-stop. He is constantly saying the funniest things and catching us off guard with something he remembers. He is so smart and has a passion for learning. This age is so wonderful because he literally is a sponge soaking up at all we talk about on our daily adventures. At 3 1/2:

1. His favorite things to do are: marbles, cars/airplanes, jumping from the trampoline into blankets, making bird nests, wrestling with Dad or Cora, playing at the park, swinging, playing with Cora, cooking, playing educational computer games, walking Rica, listening to stories, reading books, running in the sprinkler, swimming at Cessna, snuggling, listening to music, playing with toy animals, going to places like Pump It Up, Botanica, and Exploration Place, getting ice cream, playing Memory and other games, painting, playing hide and seek, etc.

2. He loves traveling! He absolutely loves flying and talks about it all the time. His favorite places to go that he talks about ALL the time are my parent's farm, Lake Tahoe, and Texas. Traveling is easy with him now that he is older. He is wonderful on car trips or flying (and has no motion sickness). It's a real treat for him to get to sleep with Brandon when we're out of town (although Brandon never sleeps well because Eli moves around a lot at night).

3. He is SO sweet and affectionate. He gives us all a lot of hugs, kisses, and snuggles. I love that even though he is such an active little boy, he still will take time to snuggle and show us that he loves us!

4. He is talking so well! He has made a lot of improvements with the help of speech therapy and can now say his "s", "f", "v", "sh" sounds. "K" is still a problem, but he is making improvements. We are in the process of getting him into the school system's free speech program before we go broke (insurance doesn't cover ANYTHING involving speech)! During Cora's morning nap, I have always done a little special "learning" time with Eli. Now, we also work on his speech homework. He is such a great sport about it and works really hard! During speech itself, which is half an hour a week, he sits at the little table and does what Miss Emily asks him to! He really has done an amazing job...I am really proud of him! He has a great attitude and really enjoys going to speech.

5. He knows his ABC's, phonics, shapes, colors, numbers to 20, days of the week, can write his name with some help, can write correctly with a pencil, can recognize a lot of different signs and words, can sing a lot of songs, and more. He loves to learn, so I try to make it fun! The only area he has some difficulty in is cutting. I am curious to see how much that improves through preschool.

6. He loves books and reading. We read a lot of books a day. Some of his favorite books are: King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, Nurse Nancy, Doctor Dan, Walter the Farting Dog, all Little Critter books, Elijah the Prophet, Dr. Seuss's ABC's, Ferdinand the Bull, Twinkle and Boo, We Help Daddy, Snuffy has the Sniffles, Big Bird Brings Spring to Sesame Street, etc.

7. He still likes Elmo and Sesame Street videos and Veggie Tales also.

8. He is stuck like glue to Brandon when he is home. He wants to do whatever Daddy is doing. He loves helping him with projects in the garage or even running errands. Brandon loves to take him out on little guy outings to do fun things. They have a great time together!

9. He has a great sense of humor. He says the funniest things all day long and loves to laugh! I love being with him and listening to all the crazy things he comes up with!

10. His favorite sayings right now are, "Mmm...that looks GOOD!" and "That's AMAZING!"

I need to document all of the funny little things he has said over the past six months.

*He prayed, "Dear Jesus, thank you for Mommy, thank you for Daddy, and thank you for Easter Bunny!"

*He got mad and said, "I'm going to eat you Mom, I'm REALLY going to eat Mama!"

*I said, "Stop yelling like that!" and he said, "Mama, I'm yelling LIKE THAT!"

*If he gets mad sometimes say, "I'm not listening to my mom!"

*He went through a phase where he would say, "I ONLY want my Mom/Dad/my Cora"

*We were talking about how Jesus lives inside of us and about him being everywhere and he said, "Jesus is in my heart, Jesus is in my tummy, Jesus is in my penis!"

*He says he "wants to live at the farm" and be a "farmer"

*Before we went to Texas he kept saying, "Papa not working, Papa is getting the pool ready for me!"

*I told him that God has an awesome plan for his life and he said, "To take care of my rabbit?"

*Eli yelled, "MOM ARE YOU DEAD?" when he couldn't find me in the house.

*He said, "I don't want to grow up. I want a LITTLE tiny penis!"

*Earlier I had mentioned we were going to Walmart. Later he asked, "When are we going to Walnut to get our pictures?"

*He said to his lunch, "Nice to meet you grilled cheese!"

*He saw a statue of Elvis and said, "That looks like Dad!"

*I asked him my real name and he said, "Mama." I said no, my real name, and he said, "Mama mia?"

*He was pooping and said, "My poop is sleeping in there, then it comes out my bottom."

*I told him Dad was going out with the guys for a night and he said, "Eli a guy!"

* On Mother's Day he said, "I'm celebrating my mommy today!"

*For a while he was saying everything was "REALLY REALLY ___"

*I asked him what he learned in Sunday school and he said, "Jesus loves me!"

*He sang me Happy Birthday on Mother's Day ;-)

*He was playing kitchen and said, "Eli doesn't like pickles, but Eli likes pretend pickles!"

*He told me he was scared of "sheep" and "scrat (a squirrel he saw on a preview) in the crack between his bed.

*When Brandon's Great-Grandma died he said, "Munnis is NEW, not old anymore!"

*He said, "Jesus in my heart, I really want to take Jesus out to see him!"

*"I see Jesus in Heaven when I'm OLD!"

*Now if he doesn't want to wear something he'll say "That's ANNOYING!"

*He says, "Oh my gosh, oh my goodness, oh my word" a lot.

*If he doesn't want his shirt on he'll say, "My shirt's not listening to me!"

I love him so much!

Together

2011-08-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest things about this Summer, has been the fact that Cora is now old enough to do most activities with Eli. They play together constantly. It really makes my heart swell with joy and pride. They wrestle ALL the time laughing and giggling and squealing in delight (although like with my brother and I it usually always ends with someone getting hurt), they run and spin, they jump on the trampoline, they play marbles, they do puzzles, they do an art project, they play cars, they eat snacks, they watch a video, they play dolls, they snuggle, they take walks, they go swimming, they run in the sprinkler, they do chalk, etc. Cora isn't a baby anymore and it really is showing! They are able to do so much together now. I should add that they also fight a lot, but it always ends with one of them giving the other a smooch and saying sorry. It is wonderful to watch their relationship unfold! I know they may not always be friends in the future, but I pray they will always have each other and that their bond will stay strong!

Cora's 15 month stats.

2011-08-16T12:16:00.001-07:00

I wanted to slip a quick post in documenting Cora's statistics at 15 months. She had her appointment this week and got two shots. Eli kept saying, "Cora is going to CRY!" Very true! It really helped having Eli at the appointment because when Cora got nervous about something Dr. Barker was able to demonstrate on Eli, which calmed her nerves. I was really proud of him for helping his sister and being concerned for her. She weighs 20 lbs 8 oz (20 percentile) and is 29 inches tall (10 percentile) and her head was 17 3/4 (11 percentile). I went back and compared them to Eli. He was a pound heavier, almost an inch taller, and his head was TWO inches bigger. After the appointment, Eli said, "Cora wasn't brave...she cried!"

To 3 or not to 3

2011-08-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

We are in this struggle right now trying to decide whether to have a third child or not. Neither of us looks forward to going through the newborn phase all over again, or dealing with the stress financially or just the general chaos that a third child would bring. On the other hand, children truly are a blessing and we're both afraid we would regret it if we didn't take the plunge. At this point, we are in prayer and hoping to receive some answers. Pray for us please! I am a super practical and organized person...slightly OCD, so here is my LIST:

Pros:

1. Another playmate/friend for the kids

2. A sister for Cora or a brother for Eli

3. More family joy

4. Group activites and games

5. Experiencing pregnancy again and bringing a child into the world

6. We already have ALL boy and girl clothes

7. We already have all baby supplies

8. Wouldn't have too many baby costs besides medical bills and diapers.

9. Would give me motivation to rid Cora of the pacifier and rocking, and get her into a toddler bed

10. We already have a carseat, swing, bouncy seat, bathtub, crib etc.

11. We have experienced a lot already parenting two kids with completely different personalities and know a lot of parenting tricks etc.

Cons:

1. Health risks of pregnancy and another c-section (although I don't have any scar tissue)

2. Going through the newborn phase again (nursing, lack of sleep, recovery etc.)

3. Stress and anxiety of 3 kids in all aspects (cooking and day to day activities)

4. Would be harder for me to go places with the kids on my own (for the first year)

5. Would have to buy a van (even though I REALLY want one it would be a financial strain)

6. More medical bills.

7. Eli has a difficult personality and health issues and needs a lot of attention

8. One of our kids would have to share a room once the new baby was sleeping through the night

9. We would have a baby in our room again until the baby was sleeping through the night.

I realize now this list could probably go on forever! Here are at least a few of the ideas swirling around in my head! Dear God give me an answer!!!

I'm Happy When I'm Hiking!

2011-08-12T09:19:00.001-07:00

I am really happy to say that our kids are finally getting old enough to enjoy hiking! Eli was resistant to even going to Spooner Lake, but once he got there he had a ball searching for tracks and trying to figure out what animal it was (most common he claimed to find were bear or deer). He loved hiking in the aspen forrest and my mom even hid and jumped out at us pretending to be a bear (which he loved). We came across some deer and enjoyed the beauty of the mountain meadows on this traditional hike. We ALWAYS hiked Spooner Lake with my Grandma, so once again it was fun to pass on the tradition to my kids. We didn't have room to bring our backpack carrier for Cora, so we were limited to hikes that we could bring her in the stroller. We took another hike with the kids (where my brother got an end of a pine needle in his eye when he was Eli's age). It is the last place my Grandma hiked. Eli found a special pine cone that he carried the entire hike, and Cora even hiked part of the way! We spread some of my Grandma's ashes along the creek and Eli was able to help. We picked snake grass and got to show Eli how fun it is to make bracelets and ropes with it! The neatest part of hiking with the kids was introducing them to a song that my Grandma always sang while she hiked, which is "I'm Happy When I'm Hiking". By the end of the trip Eli was singing it to himself while he hiked! Talk about adorable!

Tahoe Fun

2011-08-11T18:05:00.001-07:00

The kids absolutely had a BLAST in Tahoe! It was so awesome NOT traveling with a baby! Eli was fabulous on all flights and would raise his arms and yell, "WOO HOO" or "YEE HAW" when we would hit turbulance or take off and land. The only issue with him is that he talks very loudly and I'm sure that could be kind of annoying to someone trying to sleep. I kind of figure that anyone would prefer loud talking to screaming right?? Cora was great as well. Both kids took naps on the planes and we kept them entertained with books, snacks, and little toy surprises. I am very excited to say that neither of our kids inherited my terrible motion sickness (I can't even get on a swing without getting sick). Praise God! It was a joy to not have to deal with nursing or frequent diaper changes. It was just another reminder that my kids are growing up and I LOVE IT! Eli was thrilled to get to Reno. Eli was very excited to see Papa Buck and gave him a big kiss when he saw him. Both kids loved playing the pinball machines and player piano at his house. In Tahoe, the kids spent their time playing on the porch, catching crawdads and minnows, hiking and looking for animal tracks, smelling sage brush, playing at the park, playing at the Harrah's playplace, feeding the blue jays and squirrels, throwing rocks in the lake, digging in the sand, kyaking, floating on a floatie, and wading. Both kids warmed up to all of my family and enjoyed playing with them. Eli kept shaking everyone's hands and saying, "Nice to meet you!" It was so cute! It is such a special feeling for me to get to watch them enjoy all the wonderful activites Tahoe has to offer. I am so glad they love it as much as I do!

Eleanor Buck's Memorial

2011-08-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

We are home from a wonderful trip to Reno and Lake Tahoe, NV. The purpose for our trip was my Grandma's memorial. It was incredible! We all hiked to the base of Cave Rock to celebrate my Grandma's life overlooking a beautiful view of Lake Tahoe. There were a lot of tears, a lot of laughs, and a lot of memories shared by all. Cave Rock is a very special place to all of us. It sits right above our cabin and we always hiked it with my Grandma. It was both painful and soothing to be on all hikes and places that we always spent with her. At the memorial, we sang a medley of little songs she always used to sing and her favorite quotes and prayers were read. It was absolutely beautiful! In conclusion, we all went to different areas of Cave Rock and spread her ashes. We enjoyed a lovely lunch down at the cabin with all of the family and had a great day. It was wonderful to spend time with my cousins and wonderful to share all of our memories and funny stories about Grandma. I have never been to a more beautiful memorial!

2011-08-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

Right now Cora is really into fixing hair! She is our little hair stylist. When Brandon came home from Arkansas he brought Cora a princess hair kit and Eli a pool. Cora will now go to her room and come out carrying her little hair kit ready to fix hair. Both kids love the little blow dryer and Cora will spend a lot of time brushing our hair and she will then declare that you are "pretty". It is adorable! She also will get out her little pretend "makeup" (which she says SO cutely) and pretend to put it on. We loved playing hair stylist when I was a kid and now I realize why my parents always wanted to play...it feels so good! I love pretend play and to watch her imagination emerge. She follows Eli around all day wanting to be just like him, so I have pull her aside for "girl" play, which we both enjoy!

15 Months

2011-07-29T07:21:00.001-07:00

Is it just me or does 15 months sound SO old??? Cora is truly a little girl now and not a baby anymore! Time goes so quickly with two kids! She is such a delight to everyone around her; none of us can get enough of her. At 15 months:

1. She has a way of kissing where she sticks out her bottom lip in the cutest little kissy pout. She will run up to me with that little lip sticking out ready for a smooch and I just burst with love for her! She loves kissing her friends and everyone around.

2. She has learned about time out and will actually put herself there if she does something bad. She just sits perfectly still waiting for me to tell her to come out and she will go say "sorry". She has pretty much stopped hitting, but once in a while will bite Eli if they are fighting.

3. She has the most adorable sweaty curls at the back of her hair. It is the only perk of this terrible heat wave! Because of the heat and humidity her hair is always curly!

4. She loves playing hide and seek with Brandon and Eli and wrestling with them both.

5. She is currently obsessed with marbles (just like Eli) and loves to play with the marble maze. She calls marbles "bobbies". If you pull her away from her beloved "bobbies" get ready for a fit! We are finally getting out of the "put everything in the mouth" phase.

6. She still is our little singer and dancer. She breaks out the most hilarious dance moves; her pelvic thrust move always brings laughs. It doesn't matter where we are, even the grocery store, she will be dancing if there is music playing. At church the other day, she yelled "YEAH!" after one of Brandon's songs. It was so cute! She sings parts of "Baa Baa black sheep", "Abc's", "Have patience song", "Rock a bye baby" and more!

7. She is a TALKER! Since Eli was such a late talker, it has been a joy to marvel at her growing vocabulary. These are her new words/phrases of the past couple of weeks: Rice cake, my turn, mine, glasses, Jackie, flower, cool, spin, ice, butterfly, Rica, found you, hi guys, belly button, HI, insert name, HI!" Every day she is saying something new. It is wonderful and makes things so much easier.

8. She has great manners. If you give her something she will say, "Thank you" and if she wants something she will say "Please". If she has wronged you in some way she will always say "Sorry". I am really proud of both my kids manners! I feel I have succeeded in one area for sure, ha ha.

9. Cora loves all animals, babies, sprinklers, her water table, walks, the bike trailer, the Cessna pool, barbies, coloring and dolls.

10. She absolutely LOVES her cousins and squeals in delight when she sees them. She always yells, "JACKIE" and runs into her arms. They have the most beautiful sisterly connection. It makes me feel a lot better about the fact she might never have real sister. She loves playing with her friends (as long as they don't steal her toys then watch out). Her best friend is Avary Owens and she loves playing with Eli's friends Seth and Jesse. I look forward to Sophie Horst growing up a bit so they can play, but already Cora is enamored with her.

11. She is a bookaholic. We read a LOT of books and she is always bringing one to me at the worst possible times. Of course I feel guilty and read it to her anyway!

12. She loves praying and always says "mAmen" and will sometimes cross her hands at dinner.

Great-Great-Grandma

2011-07-28T12:16:00.001-07:00

Brandon's Great-Grandma Munnie passed away this week :-(. When I came around she welcomed me into the family with open arms and I really enjoyed visiting with her. She was still a firecracker even in her 90's! She always had the sweetest and funniest comments at family get togethers and will be greatly missed. She had really gone downhill healthwise the past year, so we are glad that she passed peacefully and is enjoying her new life in Heaven. When we told Eli that she was in Heaven now he said, "She is NEW now...not old!" Amen!

Special Day

2011-07-25T07:21:00.001-07:00

Our 6th anniversary was GLORIOUS! We enjoyed a fun family day spending time together and then Brandon and I were able to escape (thanks to my sister's family) and go see the last Harry Potter in 3D at the Imax theater. It was a blast! We loved the movie and I LOVED the chance to eat a delicious over priced pretzel and cheese. It was amazing and I learned something new about Brandon that I never knew...he had never eaten a pretzel with cheese. WHAT? I thought I knew everything about him, so I was stunned. I thoroughly enjoyed my wheat treat. I obviously avoid eating anything "wheat" related in front of Eli (besides sandwich bread). Let's just say because of this I crave carbs like none other. I would probably kill for a cinnamon roll, muffin, pastry, cookie, etc. so watch out! After the movie, we came home and put the kids to bed and headed to Bel Ami (where we had our rehearsal dinner). We love the candle lit atmosphere and the delicious steaks! It was a treat! Brandon surprised me by having the waitress bring out my present on our dessert plate. It was such a surprise and I love my black diamond ring! We have labeled this anniversary as the "impractical one". I am not one to ever buy anything I don't really need. We always usually get something for the family or for the house that is needed. This year we decided to be impractical for once. My gift was allowing Brandon to take an entire weekend doing motorcycle classes and getting his motorcycle license (which he did a week ago). My gift from him was a black diamond jewelry set (ring, necklace, and earrings). It totally went against my nature, but it definitely was a lot of fun! I am so thankful to my family for watching the kids. Cora did really well, considering she's never been away from us for very long, and leaned on her best buddy Jacklyn for comfort when she needed it. It felt wonderful to spend time together without the distraction of the kids! We definitely need to do it more often!

Happy 6th Anniversary!

2011-07-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

I'm sending out an early Happy Anniversary to my love, Brandon! I can't even imagine where I would be without you. You've made ALL of my dreams come true (so cheesy...gag). We have had so much fun and so many adventures together. Navigating parenthood together has been incredible and I love seeing parts of you in Eli and Cora. You are the best hands-on dad and an amazing friend. I love your integrity and your gentle spirit. Thank you for choosing ME! I love you!

Botanica

2011-07-18T18:01:00.001-07:00

We live right down the street from Botanica, so when I saw a half off membership listed on "Groupon" I snatched that right up! We have definitely been getting our money's worth! The kids are in love with the butterfly house (Eli makes sure to remind himself that "butterflies DON'T have teeth") and spends a lot of time squealing when they fly by. I love it too! There is nothing more beautiful than watching hundreds of butterflies fly around you! Our second stop is the brand new Children's Garden! It blew my expectations right out of the water. I never expected it to be so big and so hands on! There are lots of fountains and water features for the kids to play with (including watering cans to water the flowers), a farm house that is a playhouse with a kitchen and play food, a barn that has an educational station in it, a water feature where you can paint with water on the rocks, a musical maze featuring a lot of hands on instruments like chimes, drums, etc., a sand and fossil digging area, a tree house fort, log and rainbow tunnels, an ant sand and water playing area, a learning center with a craft, and more! The kids absolutely LOVE IT! The kids and I have gone a few times, but Brandon has yet to see it. I can't wait to take him!

Happy Adoptiversary...I don't think that's a word!

2011-07-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

My nieces and nephew were officially adopted ONE year ago! It seems like I've known them forever and loved them forever. I can't believe it's only been one year! Adoption is never without challenges, but the kids are thriving, they have adjusted wonderfully, they have caught up in school, and have had the opportunity to experience so many new and wonderful things over the past year thanks to my sister and Joel. I am so proud of them! I have struggled with a lot of different emotions when thinking about their past, their foster care, and their birth parents...anger, frustration, sadness, etc. I really feel a deep sadness, especially for their biological mother. I look at these five beautiful and joyous kids and can't imagine being in her shoes. I just see all that she is missing and think of the deep regret she probably already has. I pray the kids and her will both have peace about their situation in the future. I am so honored to get to be a part of their lives and am so glad that God guided Becca and Joel to them (even though everyone thought they were crazy). Praise God for His perfect plan!

The Beach

2011-07-15T12:51:00.001-07:00

We did a photo shoot last weekend at the "beach", aka a river sandbar, where Brandon proposed to me 7 years ago. I will never have photos done by anyone other than Jessica Rozof (an old friend). She is the best, and her daughter Sammy has officially stated that she is going to marry Eli when she grows up (they have our blessing). I'm really excited to have grandchildren with curly hair :-). I think Jessi's photos are just beautiful. She always makes us look so good and captures the greatest emotions. It was really special having photos taken there, considering our anniversary is next weekend! Here is a little taste.

Rock a bye baby...

2011-07-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

I still rock Cora to sleep. Pathetic? Maybe! Please just let me hold on to the last thread of babyhood! Eli never let us rock him...not even when he was a little baby, so this is a whole new experience for me. Cora was such a terrible sleeper for the first year, I would love to know how many hours I have spent in my glider (but now she is sleeping through the night like an angel). I really enjoy our time rocking before naps and bed, and I'm pretty sure it won't lead to me having to rock her when she's 10 (although the books might say differently ha ha). She snuggles up to me with her paci and kitty and I pat her back or booty until she's super drowsy and then move her to the crib where she always wakes back up and I pat her back a couple of times and escape. I think the reason I enjoy it so much is that A) She might be my last kid, so I'm cherishing every moment and B) She PATS my back tenderly until she falls asleep. It is so sweet and I feel so loved! When she gives hugs, she will also pat our backs sweetly. I can't get enough of it! Yesterday, we sat down in the glider and she put both her tiny little hands on my cheeks and patted them. Oh, how I love her! She also will say, "mAmen" if I forget to say prayers to remind me. I am just treasuring the last aspects of babyhood with Cora ! I love looking at pictures of my kids sleeping. They look so peaceful, innocent, and sweet! They are beautiful!

MIA

2011-07-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

There are a couple of reasons I have been MIA from my blog. The first, is that I am creating Cora's scrapbook! It is the girliest thing you will ever see...bows, flowers, pink, frills, etc. I am working on it during the kid's naptime and am almost finished. I love how it has turned out. The second, is that my sister and her family MOVED IN last weekend. They are officially living in their new house (which is perfect might I add) and are already unpacked. I offered to watch all the kids for the weekend, so they could get moved in. This meant I had 7 kids under the age of 9! It was exhausting, but we had a lot of fun. I did a spa/movie party for the kids and did manicures and pedicures (we also did professional pictures down on the sandbar). It was a blast! Moving went great. I am forever grateful to the awesome men in our church. Moving is so HORRIBLE, but around six guys from our church came and helped unload once they got to Wichita. I even took the kids over to swim in their pool yesterday, and it was great to see all the kids having so much fun in their new backyard!

Why, Mommy, WHY????

2011-07-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

Eli is full blown into the "what, where, WHY?" stage, and I LOVE IT! Most people are driven insane by the millions of questions asked by their inquisitive youngins, but not I. I answer each question and try to expand on it. Why, you ask? Because my kid is TALKING! It took him so long to just get started in full sentences, so I appreciate every single word out of his mouth. He talks in paragraphs, tells stories, sings songs, and asks thousands of questions. He never stops talking! I am so grateful! In the car, he might ask what every single sign we pass says. He actually knows what a lot of the signs say or mean now. He is learning so much by asking all of these questions. Speech is going wonderfully! He can now say his "S" and "F" sound, but still needs to be reminded when he slips back into bad habits. The "K" sound is going to be his most difficult challenge. Whenever he masters that, we'll probably be done with speech. What a change we've seen in Eli over the past 6 months. It blows my mind really. We went from dealing with the terrible two's and dealing with tantrums, digestion issues, attention issues, talking issues, etc. to having this enjoyable, easy, healthy kid. What a relief! It seriously is like the second he turned three everything changed. I would love to know how much of it has to do with him being on a gluten free diet. It kills me to think that a lot of his challenges might have been because he was feeling crappy a lot of the time. I guess that is part of life. You learn as you go! His attention span has grown immensely since we've gone gluten free and he's gotten older. Our six hour drive to Texas was SO easy, and we can now successuly eat in a restaurant as a family without wanting to pull our hair out. He is phenomenal in Sunday school and fabulous at swimming lessons and speech therapy. I am so proud of him! He has come a long way in a short time. He is funny, thoughtful, and has great manners, most of the time. He's always the first to say "thank you" and let you know how much he loves you. Eli loves to swim, play with marbles, listen to stories, help cook or build, play with his sister, run in the sprinkler, read books, play cars, play at the playground, etc. He has become a delightful little boy. I couldn't be prouder!

4th of July Weekend

2011-07-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

We celebrated 4th of July by spending the night up at the farm and having a big Corman bash, as usual! The kids had a wonderful time with their cousins and grandparents. The kids enjoyed: playing with the kittens, 4-wheeler rides, turtle races, catching horned lizards, watching the cattle, playing on Bum's semi, going to Salina's new amazing waterpark, doing poppers, and being with all the Cormans!

14 Months!

2011-07-02T18:10:00.001-07:00

Another month has passed by, and Cora is growing and changing daily! Oh, what a character! I feel like she just blossoms more and more as she gets older. As a baby, she was so shy and quiet and cried when people tried to talk to her (which led me to believe we might have issues with shyness etc. when she was older). Now, she is overly friendly and yells, "Hi there" or "Hi ya'll" and "Bye Bye ya'll" waving to everyone she sees in the store. I am so proud of her and enjoy her so much! At 14 months:

1. She has a hitting issue. Early on this month, she was hitting like crazy (even kids in the nursery) and I had to put her in time out a couple of times (where she sat completely still with her lip quivering then would get up and go say, "Sorry!") Now at the end of the month, it is a LOT better. She rarely hits and most of the time she hits the ground when she's mad instead of us or other people. She does throw fits when she doesn't get her way (especially while she's cutting a tooth) and will throw her head back, kick her legs, go dead weight, hit one of her toys, or throw her cup. It is hilarious, and it is really difficult to keep from laughing at her. There have been several times where Eli just burst out laughing at the absurdity of it.

2. She loves art. She loves coloring with crayons, chalk, markers, pencils, paint etc. I let the kids use fabric markers and decorate shirts and they LOVED it. I also let Cora do fingerpainting for the first time recently and she thought it was great!

3. She got her toenails painted for the first time to match mine! Now that it has worn off, Eli keeps telling me that she needs hers painted again!

4. She is talking like crazy! New words and sayings include: "Bye bye ya'll", "Hi ya'll", "Hi there", "Mess", "Box", "Book", "Amen", "Blake", "Brittnie", "Mimi", "Lance", "Found ya", "Night night", "Poppers", "Shoes", "Jellies", "Excuse me", "Thank you", "Nasty", "Bouncy bridge", "Car", "Help please", and "Help me"

5. She pats my back when I'm rocking her, as well as the backs of her dolls and stuffed animals. She also pats your back when you give her a hug. I think it is one of my favorite things about her! It is just precious!

6. She and Eli are fighting more. Now that she is capable of stealing his toys etc. there is a lot more fighting than there used to be. If Eli takes something from her, she will take a swing at him. In the car, they will purposely try to annoy each other by reaching their arms and legs out towards the other person. On the flip side, they love one another deeply! They are best buddies and are very affectionate towards each other. Eli is a wonderful big brother and tries to help her and explain things to her when she gets upset about something. It is adorable!

7. She still loves all things girly! She loves playing with dolls and barbies (she makes them lay down and go "night night" and waves at them, as well as showers them with affection). She loves purses, hair clips, dresses, and shoes! She LOVES showing off new shoes and especially her beloved jellies. She asks to put them on all the time. She loves showing off her pretty clothes to Daddy too!

8. She loves all the parks, going for walks, swinging, and especially slides. She also loves playing "store" and "kitchen" with Eli. She has warmed up to swimming and loves playing in any type of fountain. Her favorite thing to do in the pool is to climb in and out of the water on the side and jump in with my help.

9. She is still a mover and a groover when it comes to music! She even manages to dance while eating in her high chair! Her favorite song right now is "Keep Your Head Up" by Andy Grammer and she still loves Adele and Justin Bieber.

10. Her hair is growing so much she is getting a curly mullet at the back! I am thrilled, even if she does have a mullet :-)! The back was curling so much the other day that she actually had a tangle. MY BALD BABY HAD A TANGLE! YAY! I never leave the house without a clip or bow in her hair...it is so much fun! The entire back of her hair flips out identical to the way Brandon's did as a baby. She looks JUST like him. She looks a lot like Brandon's dad's baby picture too!

11. She is now the queen of funny faces. If you ask her to make a "funny face" she will give you the cutest little glare (which I secretly refer to as her bitch glare), which she thinks is hilarious. She is always doing some funny face trying to get us to laugh. She does this thing where she clenches her fists and jaw and shakes. It always gets a laugh. She also loves to copy funny sounds, tongue clicking, etc. She loves animals too, so she is always yelling "PUPPY!" or making animal sounds. She loves attention and will find a way to get it. Reminds me of how I was as a kid!

P.S.-The black and white photo is Brandon's dad and the other two older looking photos are Brandon as a baby.

Vacation=FUN!

2011-06-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

We just spent a glorious week on vacation/business in Plano, TX with Brandon's family. Brandon had to go for work anyway, so we tagged along for the ride and spent the week there. It was the just the vacation we all needed! The kids were amazing in the car. Brandon and I are so excited that our kids are finally old enough that car trips are actually fun and not dreaded like usual (although I should add it wasn't all joy considering Cora pooped all over her carseat and we had to listen to Old McDonald on repeat for 3 hrs). Both kids are at such fun ages to do vacation. They were both excited about everything we did and it was a great adventure! Here are some of the highlights:

1. We went swimming every day in Brandon's parent's pool! Eli had so much fun jumping in, swimming around by himself in his life jacket, floating on the noodle, hot tubbing with Papa with their special juice drinks, and got even more comfortable in the water as the trip went on. We just have to barely keep a hand under his stomach when he's swimming. He had a blast! Cora wasn't too thrilled with swimming at the beginning, but by the last night she had warmed up to the idea and had fun jumping in, throwing balls into the pool, floating in her little floatie, and eating popsicles on the deck!

2. We took the kids to Hawaiian Falls Waterpark. Cousin Gavin had a blast doing the big slides and our kids had a great time on the Lazy River and Wave Pool.

3. After Eli's lymph nodes swelled up huge, we took him to the doctor and he was tested for mono and strep throat. Luckily, it was Strep Throat and he started some antibiotics. We were fortunate that he acted like himself the whole time and never had a fever. It was strange, but I am glad it didn't really affect our trip. I must add that Cora had the runs almost our entire vacation from a virus or teething we aren't sure, but once again we were fortunate because she never acted like she felt sick!

4. We spent the cool mornings at different playgrounds around the area and the Willowbend Mall play place. We also all took the kids to ChuckeCheese and the boys played games together.

5. We spent a lot of time with all of Brandon's wonderful family! Brandon's grandparents and aunt Carol came down from Arkansas to visit, so we enjoyed time with them. We saw Brandon's brothers Paul, and Blake, and Brandon was able to visit Lance. We spent a lot of time with Brandon's sister Brittnie and our nephew Gavin. The boys had a blast playing and swimming together. They are great friends. It has been a joy to marry into such a wonderful family! Our kids absolutely adore them all.

6. Eli followed Papa around when he was home from work wanting to learn and help him. It was so cute! Papa taught him all about how the pool works and the pump house, so Eli told us all about it the whole time. He also helped Eli feed the rabbit that comes to their yard carrots. Every day several times both kids would want to go out and feed the rabbit. It was hilarious! There are probably millions of rabbits in their yard this week munching on all the carrot pieces the kids threw. 7. Brandon did the balding walk of shame and had his mother Donna shave his head. She did a great job and I love it! Now Brandon and his brother Paul look like twins! Brandon paid it forward and shaved his grandpa's head too!

8. Cora turned into a true southern girl! Everywhere we went she would say, "Hi, Ya'll!" and "Bye Bye, Ya'll!" It was so cute! She also learned to say everyone's names.

9. Eli is obsessed with TEXAS! The entire time he wouldn't leave the house unless we assured him that we were staying in Texas...such as we're going to a "TEXAS Walgreens, TEXAS mall, TEXAS playground, " etc. We all got such a kick out of it. He was really upset about leaving Texas and cried for quite a while when we left. He said, "I don't like Wichita, I want to stay in TEXAS!"

I am truly thankful for our little family and our extended family and the time we get to spend together! We all cherish it!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-20T03:56:00.000-07:00

I want to wish a very Happy Father's Day to my amazing dad, Jim Corman, my father-in-law, Bob Judson, my grandpas Bill Buck and Don Louks, and of course my wonderful husband, Brandon Judson. These men have all been huge influences in my life and the lives of my children, and I am forever grateful! I always knew Brandon would be an amazing dad. He was already so hands on with all of his friend's kids and loved playing and rough housing with them! He is the same way with our kids. He is always willing to help me in any way with the kids and is the support I need to take care of them while he is working. He lets me vent my frustrations and gives me time away for sanity. We get to share in the amazing joys of parenthood together and learn from our mistakes. We laugh A LOT at our kids ;-) and with our kids. I think we make a great team!

Praise of the Day

2011-06-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

MY SISTER FOUND A HOUSE!!! I am stoked! They will close at the latest in 3 weeks! I can't wait for my awesome nieces and nephew to be only a short drive across town! Our kids are going to get to grow up together and spend countless hours playing and driving each other crazy ;-). What an answer to prayer. They are all here this weekend and the cousins are playing together like crazy. Nana brought Cora a water table and some toys for her birthday. Both kids love it! I am really excited to have something else we can do during the heat to stay cool and have fun!

Lazy weekend

2011-06-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

We had one of those rare weekends where we didn't have anything officially planned. We were able to take the kids to the park, take Eli to play at the River festival, run errands, go to church, the mall (where Cora hit two kids, might I add) etc. It was wonderful (minus the hitting)! We even tried out the new restaurant Noodles and Company at Eli's begging, which turned out to be great because they will substitute rice noodles for anything on the menu! Score! We have a busy couple of weeks coming up (including our vacation/business trip to Texas), so we soaked up every second of this awesome family time.

Gluten Free Living

2011-06-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

Discovering that Eli needed to be eating gluten free was very overwhelming at first. I looked around my kitchen and all I could see were the foods he wasn't able to eat. I could only see the negative side. The truth is, eating a gluten free diet is very healthy and low fat. It pretty much eliminates processed and frozen foods as well as a lot of the junk foods. I spent a lot of time on the internet researching and figuring out what I was able to feed him and what we would have to learn to live without. I printed off some lists to help me get started that listed foods that were okay and foods that usually were hiding gluten. It didn't take me very long to get it figured out. As a person who cooks all the time, I spent time searching through my recipes and figuring out how I could adjust my recipes. The main struggle I've had is finding great tasting desserts. I'm slowly building up my gluten free dessert cookbook and enjoying trying new recipes. This week I decided to organize and make a list of Eli's favorite gluten free meals and reorganize my cookbook so it is only featuring the options that are available to us. These are Eli's common GF foods and meals around our house:

Breakfast:

1. Oatmeal

2. Honey Chex or another GF cereal

3. GF Waffles or Pancakes (GF Bisquick tastes better than homemade)

4. Eggs and bacon

Lunch:

1. Quesadilla with corn tortilla

2. Grilled cheese with GF bread

3. PB&J with GF bread

4. Turkey and cheese

5. Majority of our lunches are leftovers

Supper (these are Eli's favorites, although I make a lot of different recipes):

1. Any Mexican food using corn tortillas (Enchiladas, tacos, burritos, tortilla stack etc.)

2. Pot Roasts with veggies

3. Chili or Mexican soups

4. Veggie Soups/Chowders (w/out flour)

5. Any Italian food using GF pasta (Lasagna, Spaghetti, Goulash, Macaronietc.)

6. Grilled hamburgers, chicken, and other meats.

7. Chicken and rice dishes

8. Baked chicken (Crushed corn flakes make a great GF coating)

Sides:

1. Mashed, roasted, or baked potatoes/sweet potatoes

2. Roasted veggies

3. Creamed Corn

4. Steamed Veggies

5. Grilled veggie skewers (our favorite is mushrooms)

6. Salads

7. Fruit

Snacks:

1. Corn chips

2. All fruits (our main snack...such as grapes, strawberries, watermelon, bananas, etc.)

3. Dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, blueberries etc.)

4. Yogurt

5. String cheese

6. Dry GF cereal

Desserts (we only have dessert if we are having company):

1. Ice cream

2. Fruit juice popsicle

3. Betty Crocker GF cupcakes/cake

4. Baked apples

5. Betty Crocker GF chocolate chip cookies

6. WOW Baking Company cookies

7. Strawberry shortcakes out of GF Bisquick

8. Caramel Flan

Ode to Summer

2011-06-08T11:45:00.001-07:00

I have to say Summer 2011 is turning out to be a blast! Cora is finally old enough to do a lot more of the fun activities that Eli loves to do. We've been going to the park a lot, playing in the fountains, enjoying the Wichita River festival (where our band played last weekend), going to the pool, many playdates with friends. etc. We are all having a blast and keeping busy! Eli went on his first roller coaster this week and his first ferris wheel ride! He loved them both! We met the Racchinis at the theater to watch a performance of Chicken Little this morning and all the kids loved it! Eli is finally able to sit still for longer periods and it is a huge help. By the way, he is making huge strides in speech and is improving in swimming lessons as well! He's been working hard at home with me, which I know has helped. I'm enjoying every second of Summer and planning a lot more exciting activities!

13 months

2011-06-03T12:25:00.001-07:00

I thought I should continue on with the 1 month updates on Cora, since she is still changing SO much and so quickly. Both my kids are at really fun ages! My days are just filled with so much joy and laughter. The frustrating parts of parenting are diminishing more and more (newborn phase of no sleep, terrible twos with Eli etc.) The kids are so close and miss each other when they have to be apart. They are so excited to see one another, even if they have only been apart for naps. Eli shows great pride in all of Cora's accomplishments and gives her lots of snuggles and love. Her being older, walking so well, and communicating has added to their closeness. They love to play games (like hide and seek), wrestle, go on walks, and play outside. While we were gone this weekend and my mom was babysitting, Cora fussed and asked for me a couple of times and each time Eli came over to her, patted her back, and said, "It's okay, Mommy always comes back!" Cora is such a funny little girl. We all laugh at the cute things she does. At 13 months:

1. She still loves to dance and has some interesting pelvic thrust moves, waves her arms, bounces, and lifts one leg up really high while she's dancing.

2. She says, "Yeah" to everything, and her new words include: Yes, Tanya, Aunt Becca, first sentences include Bye-Bye Dada, and I love you, Night night, Sorry, Puppy, Nap, Shoes, Barbie, and more.

3. She will mooch off anyone with food. She loves to eat and it is hard to resist sharing with her cute little self! She really loves hamburgers right now!

4. She is officially WEANED! I cut her last feeding a week ago and she has done great.

5. She is sleeping through the night! As soon as I stopped nursing, she started sleeping better.

6. She got her 9th tooth, a big giant molar!

7. She is starting to hit a little. She will get mad, hit the floor or hit me (then I put her down and tell her it's not nice and I will only hold her if she's sweet to me). When I pick her up she will pat my shoulder and say, "Gentle!"

8. Loves climbing stairs, chairs, etc. and loves waking Eli up from his nap or getting him up in the morning.

9. She has started coloring with crayons and loves doing it!

10. She has this furroughed browl scowl she does when she's mad, which Brandon and I secretly refer to as her "bitch glare"...I wonder where she learned it?? ha ha

11. While she was getting her molar she had so many loose stools (which Eli never had issues with) and kept getting diaper rashes from all the pooping. She got to run around naked quite a bit that week!

12. She still is super affectionate and loves snuggling, kissing, hugging, and rocking. We still have to rock or pat her to sleep. While I'm rocking her she will lovingly pat my back. She does it to her dolls and stuffed animals too. She also will sweetly pat someone's shoulder who is holding her.

13. She is eating with a spoon and fork! She can feed herself her baby cereal in the morning, which has been easier for me! She also will blow on her food if I say it is hot.

14. She loves playing barbies and dolls and brushes their hair, puts them to bed, rocks them, kisses them, and plays with them.

Old Jim Corman had a farm...

2011-05-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

We joined my sister's family at the farm Friday night and Saturday. The kids were in heaven! The weather was incredible, so we spent all day just lounging outside having fun. The kids rode the 4-wheeler, explored, had a tea party in the lilac secret garden, enjoyed swinging/spinning on the tire swing, and smothered the kittens with love! Cora and Eli both loved the kittens! They are at that adorable fuzzy and playful stage. Cora got a little rough (picture her trying to pick them up by the neck, squeezing them, and choking them) and she would get SO mad if the kitten left her. There was one little kitten that especially bonded with Eli, and he spent the whole time snuggling and playing with it. He would roll around in the grass and the kitten would chase him. It was so adorable! Eli has officially decided he wants to live at the farm! The beautiful scenery and country air did us all some good!

Tanganyika Wildlife Park

2011-05-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

Last week Eli was sick ALL week. Not only was he having a gluten reaction (stomach pain, cramps, bloated stomach etc.), but he also had an ear infection and an uncomfortable fever all week long. I am in the process of scheduling an appointment with a pediatric gastroenterologist for more support. I know what to do to keep him from getting sick, but I'm not sure what I should be doing when he does get sick. I'm looking forward to getting some answers! Needless to say, when Saturday rolled around I was VERY ready to get out of the house since Eli was feeling better. We decided to go to a place on my Summer "to do" list. Tanganyika Wildlife Park was a LOT of fun. It was very small, but very hands on. The kids loved getting to pet the rabbits, turtles, guinea pigs, goats, and the lemurs. We loved walking in with the kangaroos and the bird area. We had a lovely family picnic and just enjoyed the time together. Getting to sit amongst the Lemurs and have them climb on us was amazing! We bought Cora a stuffed Lemur she could snuggle and got Eli some more animals. For those who don't know, he LOVES those little animals/whales that come in the little plastic tubes. He sleeps with around ten of them at night and ALWAYS has some with him wherever we go. Later that weekend, we actually took the kids to the little carnival in town. Cora and Eli both rode the carousel and Eli rode the big slide and little motorcycles. It was just what I needed after a terrible week! One great piece of news is that Eli finished his first month of swimming lessons (and got to go down the water slide) and started speech this week (and did fantastic). I was a little discouraged when I got his speech report back from his screening. It ranked him as "severe" in both phonological deviations (a normal score is between 85 and 115 and he scored 139) and "severe deficit" in phonological patterns of speech. Instead of waiting for them to call me for scheduling, I went ahead and called immediately when I got the report in the mail (I'm a control freak if you haven't noticed). I am so glad I did! The lady told me that she was dreading calling me because there was a waiting list of 40 kids ahead of Eli. I just simply asked her if there were ANY openings at all, and she was surprised to find something had just opened up with the teacher I'd REALLY wanted and she GAVE it to me! It was pretty much a miracle! Eli had a lot of fun at his first speech session and I'm looking forward to watching his improvement!

Speech

2011-05-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

Eli had his speech evaluation at Heartspring last week. I was really excited to get it DONE and figure out what we need to do! He was perfectly cooperative and sat and said all the words and sounds they wanted him to say. I am still amazed how willing he is to learn (he is rocking swimming lessons and Sunday school now) and am encouraged that he will do great in preschool. He definitely qualifies for speech therapy, but isn't even close to being severe. The speech therapist said she doesn't think it will take him very much time at all to correct the bad habits he's started with his sounds. She said he is great at imitating, so it should go quickly. In her opinion, he only needs one 20 minutes session a week, and that preschool will probably be the best thing for him. I am waiting for them to call me and schedule some sessions throughout the summer. In the Fall, I'll see about getting him in the public school system's free speech therapy. I am very encouraged after this evaluation and am looking forward to getting started (especially after seeing that he'll sit and do what they say). He is growing and changing so much! I am amazed at how his speech has improved just since he turned three, and my talkative niece being here has improved his speech by a TON! He talks in very long sentences now and is getting clearer by the day. When we work on phonics, he is getting better on the sounds he has trouble with (k, s, sh, ch, z). At night, he tells us long stories and his improved talking has pretty much stopped his frustration, tantrums, screaming, etc. I am absolutely LOVING this age! The 3's have rocked so far! The two's were definitely TERRIBLE in so many ways and most of it stemmed from his frustration in not being able to communicate effectively as well as all of his health issues. Most likely, he was feeling sick a lot of the time from gluten issues and we had no idea. I felt so bad for him. I just feel so excited to watch him grow into a little boy who is so active, who loves learning, adventurous, sweet, affectionate, and thoughtful. I am proud of him and how far he's come!

Cora's Birthday Party

2011-05-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

After a very rough sleepless week grieving and my Grandma passing away, it was time for Cora's birthday party. I had to literally just put all of my emotions on pause and focus on what I had to accomplish to make it a special day for her! The kids were SO excited for their family to come visit! Brandon's parents, his grandparents and aunt from Arkansas, and Brandon's sister's family from Texas all came up for Cora's birthday party. It was so wonderful to see how much Eli appreciates and loves them all. Cora (being her shy self) was actually quick to warm up to everyone and had a great weekend. We had quite a few friends join us for the party as well: the Horsts, Racchinis, Childress, and Owens families came. The theme of her party was "You are my sunshine!" We had sunflowers on the table, yellow streamers and balloons, yellow sun cookies, punch, and sunflower cupcakes. For food we had Texas brisket, jalepeño sausages, cream corn, and Mark Owen's homemade salsa. It was a wild party with the kids playing everywhere having a ball! We sang Cora "You are my Sunshine" and "Happy Birthday" while she ate her cupcake! She enjoyed all the attention. She loved opening presents and was thrilled with all her new loot (she got new hair clips/caboodle/brush, a sun dress, a doll, tons of clothes, a purse, and a percussion set). It was so much fun celebrating my little girl and sharing the joy with our friends and family. It was been a wonderful year! I really am so grateful to God for all the support we have and for giving us Elijah and Cora! I feel like our family is just absolutely "perfect"!

Eleanor Buck

2011-05-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

My grandmother passed away on Friday night. She died peacefully in my very dedicated mother's arms. I miss her so much, but am so glad she is not suffering from Parkinson's anymore and is getting to taste the fullness of God's glory right now! Although my grandparents have always lived in Reno, NV...we were fortunate to get to spend time with them every summer at Lake Tahoe and every Christmas on a trip with all of the family, and every Spring they would come visit the farm. I have millions of wonderful memories that have been running through my mind all week. I think there have been many moments where I have just burst out laughing or burst out crying while praising God for the time I had with her. She was such an inspiration to me as a homemaker, wife, mother, and grandmother. I love her so, and am so glad that my little girl carries on her name! This isn't goodbye Grandma, it's see ya later!

Weaning

2011-05-12T04:11:00.000-07:00

Now that Cora is officially one, I have started cutting feedings and pushing whole milk in her sippy cup instead. She really likes her sippy cup and is doing well drinking out of it, so that has really helped. She is down to nursing three times in the day. She was nursing twice in the night, but over the past couple of weeks we have cut BOTH feedings. This week we just decided to end it. She has been sleeping so much better and almost sleeping through the night and it was time. The first few nights were a struggle. She's woken up once each night this week and we have rocked her with her pacifier and "Miss Kitty". She was not too happy about not getting to nurse. I think the first night she fussed for around 40 minutes. The next night it was a TWO HOUR struggle. That night both Brandon and I kept taking turns until we finally got her down. I'm proud of myself for not giving in. This is one of those "not fun" parenting things you just have to do. Last night, I am happy to report, she didn't even wake up until 3 a.m. and I rocked her for less than 5 minutes before she was happily sleeping. No fussing! My milk supply is dwindling and I am so happy! I have had wonderful nursing experiences with both my kids (besides the bad pain that always comes at the beginning, clogged ducts, and mastitis...ha ha) and am so fortunate that I was able to nurse and that both my kids were great at it. Neither of my kids have ever had to have formula of any kind, and it's so nice just to go straight from breastmilk to whole milk at a year! I know many aren't so lucky! I have been taking prenatal vitamins + DHA for FOUR years because of pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and nursing! It is going to be very strange to stop taking them. Over the next three weeks I will slowly cut out the last three feedings and we should be good to go!

Mother's Day

2011-05-11T15:43:00.002-07:00

I am very preoccupied this week with Cora's birthday party coming up and my Grandma doing poorly...so forgive my lack of posts. I had a glorious Mother's Day this year. I couldn't stop holding and snuggling my two little blessings and just thanking God for them. I also was just praising God for the wonderful Godly women in my life! I am so thankful for my incredible mother, Louise Corman, my mother-in-law, Donna Judson, my grandparents, Eleanor Buck and Barbara Louks, and my sisters Rebecca Isaacs and Brittnie Bragg. They are all wonderful mothers or grandmothers and I am forever grateful for their influence in my life. For the first time ever, Eli cooked me breakfast! He was so excited! Brandon cooked eggs and put Eli in charge of the toast. It was so rediculously cute. He put the bread in the toaster, and when they were done, buttered them. We couldn't stop snickering because he just loaded the toast with butter. He was so proud and I really enjoyed my breakfast! Brandon had to lead worship, but instead of resenting it, I truly enjoyed the morning with the kids. Eli has moved back up to the older Sunday school class at church and is doing great! The comments from his teacher afterwards (about how wonderful he was and how excited they were to have him back doing so well) were a Mother's Day present in itself. When I inquired what he learned he said, "Jesus loves me!" Also in the car ride home he said, "Celebrating MY Mommy today!" What a sweety! I gave the boys a "to do" list of chores I wanted them to do and they picked up Olive Garden for supper. Another "present" for me was the fact that Cora finally has enough hair for BOWS! I am thrilled! It was a wonderful day and I never wanted it to end! P.S.-Eli did amazing at swimming lessons this week (he wanted Brandon to take him so I didn't get to watch) and had no problem doing them on his own without us being in there with him. The teacher even made a point to come out and tell Brandon how wonderfully he did! YAY!

Swimming Lessons

2011-05-07T03:58:00.000-07:00

I was super nervous getting Eli ready for swimming lessons, but all he showed was excitement! I was afraid he wouldn't be able to sit still on the side of the pool or wouldn't listen to the teacher. He was placed with a teacher and 2 other little kids for the lesson. He listened SO well to the teacher and did exactly what she said. Unfortunately though, they told me they don't like the parents to stay in the room. I watched for a little bit and then left. BIG MISTAKE! He totally freaked out that I wasn't there and eventually ended up getting out of the pool and sprinting as fast as he could to the door he saw me leave from! At that point, I said screw them and stayed in there the rest of the time. As long as I was there he was fine. I am really proud of him because he did so well swimming! The teacher said she could hardly believe it was his first lesson because he did so great. She said he could do everything she suggested. I'm curious to see if they'll let me stay this week????

Cora's birthday

2011-05-07T03:49:00.000-07:00

We started off Cora's real birthday by singing her "Happy Birthday" as we walked in her room in the morning! When Eli came down he immediately told her "Happy Birthday Cora!" and he kept saying all day, "Cora turning ONE today!" I played her favorite songs all day so she could dance and have fun. We listened to Cee Lo Green, Adele, and her new personalized cd. She was dancing all day! In the evening, we had friends over to celebrate with a delicious meal. Paisley and Cora played and we all had a good time visiting. We officially do not have a "BABY" anymore! Our good friends Tanya and Chris Horst were induced on Cora's birthday, and she had her baby girl Sophie Noelle on Thursday. We are so thrilled! Now Seth, Jesse, and Eli can play and Cora will have a little playmate too! I watched the boys on Friday while they were still in the hospital. We had a great day! All the kids played so well together, and I manged to get all four kids in the double stroller to walk to the playground. It was surreal watching our good friends drive off in their van with their THREE beautiful kids!

Cora is 1!

2011-05-03T11:47:00.001-07:00

I am going ahead and posting Cora's 12 month update a day early because I am so busy this week! We had a little birthday party for her last weekend with my sister's family since they won't be here for her other birthday party. Cora ate her sun cupcake and enjoyed all the attention! There are just no words to describe how blessed I feel having Cora in my life. She puts a smile on my face on even the gloomiest of days. The first time we saw her we immediately noticed how big of a baby she was compared to Eli, and how much her big blue eyes and identical nose reminded us of her brother. The first few days, weeks, months it was so exciting to get to know her and discover her wonderful personality. At first I had a hard time understanding her...honestly I found her somewhat boring (in a fabulous sort of way). It was strange going from a fire cracker extremely passionate child to a laid back, happy-go-lucky observer. Don’t get me wrong, she was like a breath of fresh air, but not what I was used to. One thing is for sure though, we have all been in love with her from the moment we met her and she has been the absolute perfect addition to our family. I absolutely and utterly delight in everything she does. The older baby stage/beginning of toddlerhood has been SO MUCH FUN! She is charming, funny, more passionate, joyful, and so sweet. I love watching her with Eli and their interactions. It is fascinating how quickly she learns how to do new things or say new things just from watching him.
1. She is amazingly musical and will sing and dance all day long if we let her. She shuffles back and forth on her feet and waves her arms while dancing. She loves her new personalized CD we got her for her birthday and hearing them sing “Cora” throughout it!
2. She will say “gibberish” sentences and actually will chew me out in baby language if she doesn’t want to do something I tell her to (like sitting in the bath tub). She does the correct facial expressions with the “gibberish” talking, so it’s hilarious!
3. She can climb stairs! We have a new baby gate up to keep her from going up to Eli’s room on her own. She also has learned to back down the two stairs at the bottom that aren’t blocked.
4. New words include, “Knock knock”, “Dog”, “Moo”, “Night night” “Bye Bye Dada”, “Hosanna”, “Cat”, “Tricked ya”, “Snack”, “Yes”, and “Gentle”
5. She can stand from sitting without holding on to anything.
6. She will throw small tantrums by running, crying, and throwing herself on the ground and sometimes throwing her head into the ground when she doesn’t get her way.
7. She chipped her front tooth on one of many falls she has during the day! Dentist says he would do nothing about it, and I’m glad it’s only a baby tooth!
8. She is not as much of a “mama’s girl” like she used to be and will go to Brandon equally, but will only let me deal with her in the night.
9. She is sleeping SO much better, and only nursing once or twice in the night.
10. She will smack her lips at you if she wants a kiss and gives MANY kisses and hugs throughout the day.
11. She loves wrestling, playing hide and seek, and playing “monster” or chase.
12. She will color with chalk or a pencil.
13. She is getting her 9th tooth (a molar) we think.
14. She loves playing dolls and barbies and rocks, dances, and kisses them.
15. She LOVES phones! She will try and sneak mine whenever she can and actually drooled on it and broke it the other day.
16. Whenever she sees Brandon in the morning she immediately starts waving and saying “Bye Bye” for him to go to work. When I tell the kids that Dad is home from work, they both start screaming and running for the door. She will run as fast as she can yelling and waving her arms and wants to be held by him the second he walks in the door.
17. She has a comfort object named Miss Kitty and still sleeps with a pacifier. She likes snuggling stuffed animals as well.
18. She absolutely loves reading books, and if I am sitting down, she will bring a book, back up until she is right in front of my lap, and then plop down ready to read.
19. She will run and turn on the bath tub faucet and then run away giggling.
20. I think from being around a boy so much, she is fascinated by girls. She will walk up to random girls wherever we are and try to be friends with them. She loves cousin Korey and plays with all the little girl babies in the church nursery, especially Avary Owens.
21. She loves food of any kind!
22. She is starting to wean and doing fine with it. I have cut a couple of feedings and will be introducing Organic Whole Milk soon in her beloved sippy cup that she can’t get enough of.

Attitude!

2011-04-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

I should be scared for when she's a teenager right? She can already chew me out!