Bluebonnets 2016

We took bluebonnet pictures last weekend after church. I thought I had missed the window to get my pictures because of all the rain we had the week prior. In fact, the first place that someone told me had good bluebonnets was BARE. We attempted that one before church and I was so sad because I ALWAYS get bluebonnet pictures every year since E has been born and I wanted J to be included this year. On our way back home from church, we decided to attempt the second place someone told us about but I wasn't hopeful. However, we turned the corner on the street and there was a great little field of bluebonnets to get my pictures!! Yay!!!!

My beautiful girl. I'm so proud to be her momma. 

My sweet handsome boy 

This is what Jason calls his calling down the heavens picture. Ha!

The BEST picture of the two of them together. 

And because outtakes are funny and depict real life....

Weekend activities

Weekend activities (yes I know it's Thursday) in bullet form:

1. Soccer game on Saturday morning. Our second game was this weekend, and I love watching her run on the field. Not much contact with the ball but she is having a blast and that is what matters.

2. We went to Ikea to get an 8 cube storage shelf for our study. Our first time with kids. We got in and out as quickly as possible. 

3.  Jason had a little helper when he was cleaning up the flower bed areas in our front yard. She had fun sweeping. 

4.  E also helped Jason put together our shelf. I'm excited to fill it up!!

5. We went to a park after church on Sunday because we had to be back up at the church an hour later for Group Connect, and so we ate lunch at a park nearby and played a bit. 

6. We made a chart to help E practice her dance. She is going to earn a car truck. So far as of today (Thursday), she has filled up two squares. Oh well. We try =).

 

8 and 9 months!

*second child problems*
I have all this stuff written down in my calendar it's just finding time to write it on here for safe keeping. Ugh. Sorry J, hope you can forgive mommy. Hopefully your 10 month will be up soon before you turn 11 months.

J,
8 months!! You are a joy to our family. This has been a good month for you! Lots of big things for you! You are so much fun and we love to see you grow.

Nothing new to report about your sleeping habits. Ha! You still nurse about 1-2 times in the middle of the night. You like human contact to sleep. You wake up between 6:30 and 7 most days. You are down to two naps during the day. One in the morning that lasts about 30-45 minutes and then your afternoon nap lasts about 2 hours. You eat every 3 hours except in the afternoon when you eat about every 2 before dinner. You had solid foods for the first time this month!! You had your first food of butternut squash on January 2. You mainly just played with it on your tray. Some of it got in your mouth. You gagged and then threw up a lot on food this month but I know you are just trying to figure it out. Other foods you tried this month: pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes, applesauce, pears, banana, and peaches. Favorites of the group: applesauce and peaches, not so favorites: carrots and bananas. You will push the food away when you are done or you will grab the spoon from me and throw it on the ground. You are cutting a tooth but luckily you have an amber necklace and that seems to be taking the edge off as it comes through.

YOU ARE CRAWLING!!! You started crawling a couple of feet at a time on January 7 and then you took off on January 11.  You have been into everything ever since. You think the dog bowls are really fun to play with and poor Lucye now has to move away from you. You love that dog and just think she is so fun. Now that you can crawl, you can get to Lucye anytime anywhere. You can now bang two objects together in your hands. You aren't really wanting to clap your hands together. You love patty cake with Mommy but don't want to clap yourself. You also started pulling up onto surfaces this month too. This has opened up a whole new world, and you can reach things you couldn't. Your sister isn't too thrilled with this development but she will get over it.

You have become a mommy's boy this month. You want mommy if I am in the room and cry if I am not holding you at nap or bed times. Or any time really =).  You smile at anyone especially if they are girls. You are very popular at your sister's dance class. All the siblings surround you and want to play and talk with you, and you just eat it up. You are teething but have no teeth yet. There are days though that you are extra fussy and you chew on anything that you can get your hands on. I know a tooth is coming soon. Toys you loved playing with this month: Your piano that you could pull up on, small cars, blocks, stuffed animals that you can chew on, and your monkey chew toy. You love to play peek a boo. You will put a shirt or a blanket to cover your face and then when we ask where Judah is you will pull it off and smile. You love that game. It can go on forever. =) So precious. You stick your tongue out when you are pulling up or climbing on things.

You are wearing 6-9 and 9 month clothes. No other official stats this month but we will get them at your next appointment.

We love you!
Mommy and Daddy


J,
9 Months! Only 3 months until you are one! My mommy heart can not handle this. Each day we see more and more of your personality come out.

You are a very happy content happy baby. Most of the time you are happy unless you really want your mommy or you aren't feeling well. Other than that, you go with the flow as we cart you around to all of our things.

Sleeping habits are still the same and you still wake up about 1-2 times a night to nurse. You definitely still need to nurse at night because any other time you wake up at night, I can get you back to sleep but then are times that you will not have that and go right back to sleep after you have a little bit of milk. You still nurse every 3 hours or so during the day except the afternoons. You eat solids for lunch and dinner time with us. New foods you have tried this month: avocados, blueberries, puffs, and yogurt. You have one tooth that is fully through and two more that are coming in! Your little tooth grin is so precious!

You are a master at crawling now and can get to everything. You pull up on everything but have no desire to cruise and get really mad when I try to help you do it. However, you move between two surfaces really well!! You love to stand at tables and see what you can reach and pull off. You will take a few steps if I hold your hands but prefer crawling. You think banging objects together is the coolest thing ever and do it all the time =). You are getting good at waving to people although it looks like a slap on your leg - it's really cute. You will wave at yourself in the mirror and get really excited when you see yourself. You will also give yourself kisses when you can get close to your reflection. You like to blow raspberries when you place your mouth on my arm or on the couch. You think it's hilarious. You LOVE to play at the dishwasher. You will take the bottom drawer and push it back and forth, back and forth. You like to play with the lid to the dish soap. You have attempted to crawl on the door of the dishwasher too.

You are talking and babbling a lot this month. You said "da, da" for the first time and looked right at your Daddy when you said it. It's not always consistent but you do say it. You had your first swing time in the backyard and in the park this month. You loved it. You discovered knocking over blocks and other tall things is the greatest thing ever and now do it all the time - sometimes with things of your sister's and she isn't too happy about it. You still adore your sister. You have a special relationship with her. She can get to you laugh when no else can and you always want to be around her.

You are still a mommy's boy through and through and want me to hold you all the time and follow me everywhere. You are wearing 6-9 month and 9 month clothing. You are 27 1/2 inches and 19 pounds.

We look forward to seeing how you grow this next month sweet boy!!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Easter Weekend

We had such a fun family Easter weekend together. It was nice and relaxing and we enjoyed celebrating our Risen Lord together!

Jason had Friday off and we had plans to go out to a nature reserve or park and go walking but it was a little chilly so we opted for the local Chick Fil A instead. Always a good option with our kiddos.

We also attempted to dye eggs Friday afternoon but we soon figured out that brown eggs are really hard to see the dye. So we let her decorate them with Paw Patrol stickers instead of dying them. Oh well. Maybe next year.

Saturday was a day spent at home and we played out in the backyard a bit. E and I had fun drawing pictures with chalk and J enjoyed swinging time with his dad.

On Easter morning, the kids opened their Easter baskets before we got ready for church.

E got swim suits, water shoes, a new fun cup, socks, glowsticks, Paw Patrol coloring books, a Paw patrol placemat, and Zuma stuffed animal. Basically her essentials and then Paw Patrol extravaganza. Ha!

J got swim suits, water shoes, some sip cups, a Mickey Mouse stuffed toy, socks, a car, Puffs, and a new book!

The church we go to opened up a new satellite campus and the soft launch of the campus was on Easter Sunday. This campus is 15 minutes from our house so we are excited about being a part of it and knowing more people. PLUS not having to drive 30-40 minutes to the other campus is a major bonus.


We tried to take some cute Easter pictures of E and J at one of the ponds close to our house that afternoon but it was so windy and the sun was so bright. We got the best we could and called it a day.

Poor E was trying so hard to help. She had a hold of J's shirt to keep him from crawling away. He was NOT having any of this picture taking stuff and was so mad about it.

I took some cute pictures of my beautiful girl too. 

I got one picture of Judah. He was over it. He couldn't even look at the camera. 

 J started walking using a push toy on Easter Sunday which was also the day he turned 10 months old!

 He also got to have his first back carry. I was trying to cook dinner and he was just not having it with Daddy trying to entertain him and kept trying to crawl into the kitchen. So I strapped him on my back while I finished making dinner. He was happy in there for about 20 minutes.

Happy Easter everyone! Praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!

Show Us Your Life: Introduction

Hello!!!

I'm glad you stopped by if you are coming from Kelly's Korner link up today! I'm excited to meet some new bloggers and friends!

Let me introduce myself and my family.

My name is Elizabeth. I'm 33 years old and married to the love of my life, Jason. We have been married for almost 9 years.  We live in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.

We have 2 beautiful children - earth side. E who is 3 and J who is 9 months old. We struggled for several years to have children, and after several losses and lots of waiting, we finally had our rainbow baby in E. She is a joy and full of spunk and laughter, and I'm so thankful to be her mother. She loves Paw Patrol, babies, cars, mothering her brother, and fluffy skirts and sparkles.

J was our surprise baby. He is such a blessing to our family. He makes us all smile. He loves his sister, our dog, Lucye, putting things into his mouth, and exploring things especially places he isn't supposed to be.

Things I love:

- Being a mommy - it has been my dream to always be a mom and I'm living it. I stay at home with my kids and while it isn't always pretty - I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
- the mountains and snow - two things very rarely found in Texas
- Europe - England more specifically but I will take any of it
-Traveling in general
- reality TV
- crafting
- reading
- singing and Broadway - Wicked, anyone?
-Jesus
- I love to cook and enjoy it. We have food sensitivities in this house so we have been dairy free for almost 3 years and just recently went gluten free.
- the color purple
- cold or rainy weather
Thanks for stopping by! Happy Friday!