One Year Stats

Molly's first birthday party was a lot of fun! It was wonderful having all of our family (except Kyle) with us. The kids are quickly outnumbering the adults so it's very chaotic when we're all together, but that's the way we like it. I'll post more pictures whenever my camera is not at work like it is now. Thanks for the picture above, Heather!

*******************

Molly (12 months):

• 23 lbs. 4 oz. (slightly over 75th percentile)
• 29 1/2 in. tall (slightly under 75th percentile)
• her head is 75th percentile (I don't remember how big)
• words include "Da Da" "Uh Oh" "Bye Bye"
• is holding her own with Jack and will tackle him to get what he is playing with (he rarely pushes back)
• loves to unfold all of Mommy's folded laundry
• cruising on furniture and is so close to taking her first steps
• hugs her new baby dolls and kisses them (she's gonna be a good mama!)
• is so excited to see Jack whenever they have been apart
• drinks one bottle at night and one in the morning (sometimes those are sippy cups instead)
• her new lovey is Pink Blankey
• is cutting some molars and rarely fusses about them but her gums are really swollen
• loves cheese crackers, cheese, chicken, bananas... pretty much whatever we put in front of her
• her absolute favorite thing to do is shred magazines
• is just so cute I want to squeeze her

Jack (22 months):

• the scale this morning said 29 lbs
• he's got words we don't even realize he knows... "Weawy" (really?); "Yeah yeah"
• says his ABCs during diaper changes (only repeats them after me and really loves the letter O)
• counts to three
• HATES when Molly turns the channel
• will still fall asleep on me when we snuggle
• loves Elmo, LITTLE PEOPLE (calls them Poo Poo), Blue Puppy, outside, tractor, Molly, brushing teeth, bathtime, sweeping and mopping, all music
• really notices whenever anything is different (pulls on my hair when it's curly, finds all the new Easter decorations, etc)
• grabs cotton balls and tries to take off Molly's toenail polish
• is just so freaking cute it hurts

Happy First Birthday, Molly!

Sweet little Molly girl,



The night of your birth was a scary blur of events. As we drove to the hospital, I prayed over and over that you would stay in my belly for just a little bit longer. I didn’t think you were big enough or strong enough to be okay. I cried on the way to the hospital because I was terrified and your daddy just held my hand really tight and drove really fast.

The doctor decided that we were going to meet you in person that night and my prayer changed. You couldn’t stay in my belly any longer so I prayed over and over that you would be okay. I prayed that you would be big enough and strong enough to be okay. Your daddy was doing his own praying and he kept holding my hand really tight.

You made your grand, little, appearance and we were surprised to find out that you weighed almost one whole pound more than they thought you were going to weigh. You had fuzzy, dark hair and long arms and legs. After the neonatologist checked you over, he held you up for us to see and made you wave your little hand at us. You were here and you were healthy and we didn’t have to worry about you. I didn’t have to worry that you wouldn’t be big enough or strong enough. God was and is big enough and strong enough for you.



You were beautiful but so tiny. We could only reach into your incubator to touch you so I stroked your soft, newborn skin and cried the first time I met you face-to-face. Later that day, I was able to hold you for the first time and you felt so right in my arms. We had to learn how to manipulate all your tubes and wires and keep you warm while you were out of the incubator. I felt like I was just borrowing you from the nurses and that I didn’t know how to care for you.

Your stay in the NICU was hard for me. I cried a lot and it was exhausting, both physically and emotionally. I dreaded leaving the hospital without you. The car felt so empty as we drove home. But, you should have seen everything that happened at our house while we were at the hospital. Uncle Kyle painted your pretty room. Aunt Keely and Aunt Carla cleaned (and cleaned and cleaned) and put Mommy and Daddy’s room back together after the carpet was installed. Even though I was sad that you weren’t with us, I was so happy to see all the stuff our family did to welcome us home.

The day you came home,after ten days in the hospital, was so wonderful. It was chilly and rainy outside, but it was full of sunshine for me. You were home where you belong.



Molly, you are such a beautiful little girl. You giggle at your daddy and your face lights up whenever you see him. You love to be tickled and “boo”ed. You love to have clapping competitions and to steal your brother’s Blue Puppy. You bury your face in our necks and snuggle for brief, precious moments and then you want down and to go go go. You have striking blue eyes and the prettiest smile. But, more importantly, you are a joyful and loving baby and that makes you beautiful.

So, Molly, as you grow bigger, I promise to put cute clips in your hair and the love of Jesus in your heart. Always know that you are our precious girl and Daddy and I are praying for you and always here to hold your hand tight.

Happy first birthday, Mo Mo! Mommy and Daddy love you so much.

Not Me! Monday

This week, I definitely did not:

• Hear my cruising-on-furniture daughter fall down and cry. I definitely did not tell her she's okay and to shake it off without looking at her. I definitely did not look up once she was done crying to discover that she had a bloody lip. I am always attentive to my children's every move.
• Repeatedly put in Little People dvds because it kept my kids quiet while I had the flu. When I say "repeatedly" I mean about 10 times a day (and I do not exaggerate).
• Pawn my children off on their wonderful grandparents all day Saturday while I dealt with said flu. I am Super-Mom and a little sickness would never keep me from playing with my kids all day.
• Let my kids eat cheesy popcorn before lunch to the point where they didn't want lunch. I always adhere to strict dietary guidelines when feeding my children.
• Have a two-hour delay on Thursday and wasted the extra time in the morning by reading blogs. I always put housework before fun.
• Criticize my husband's ability to sweep the floor. I am ever so grateful for the help around the house no matter the quality of help and our floor is never dirty and covered in french fries and Fruit Loops, anyway.

Everyone says I will miss these kid-filled, mess-filled, sickness-filled, cheesy-popcorn-filled days. They're probably right.

This is My Life by Jackson Wolfe

I love macaroni and cheese!!!!!!!!!

So much that I fall asleep in my coat and hat!

Don't I look like a big kid compared to my sister?

She's cute and loves mac and cheese, too!

Have you met my best friend, Blue Puppy?

Here he is.

I like to chew on his face...

and his tail.

And I get mad when he has to take a bath in the washing machine.

Molly got in trouble yesterday.

Mommy yelled at her but then she cheesy-smiled and Mommy kissed her all over.

She's not always cute, though.

The End

The most wonderful time of the year!

Christmas was a whirlwind of activity with lots of fun and very few naps. Jack and Molly were spoiled and it's fun to watch how they interact with all the new toys around the house now.

Jack (20 months):

*26 lbs. 9 oz. and 33 in. tall

* jabbers constantly and throws words around but is stubborn and often won't say words when we ask, even though we know he knows them
*climbs EVERYTHING (I found him standing on top of the table...)

*gets jealous when we give Molly a sippy cup

*insists on calling Molly "Mo Mo"

*loves to dance and sing and jump and run and never stops moving from morning until night

Molly (10 months):

*21 lbs. and 10 oz. and 28 1/2 in. long

*now crawls

*said her first word "DaDa" and associated it with Andy

* drinks real milk with one bottle of formula before bed

*is transitioning to all table food

*claps her hands when we cheer for her

*loves to be thrown in the air (what a little daredevil!)

What I'm Thankful For...

Jack is intensely concentrating on Sesame Street

Molly at 8 months (it's hard to believe she was once as little as that baby doll)

Jack dressed as Fonzie for Halloween
Molly dressed as Joni (as in Jonie loves Chachi)

Molly really hates having pigtails in her hair

Jack's favorite hobby... making messes!

My sweet baby girl's sweet smile

***

Jackson (18 months):

• favorite foods are bananas and raisins
• tries to get in the onion drawer for the "apfels"
• plays "hat" with Molly
• loves his "shooshs" (shoes)
• constantly wants to "brush teesh"
• wears a size four diaper
• tries to plug everything in (thank God for baby proofing)
• is still scared of the vacuum, but doesn't cry anymore when he sees it
• favorite TV show is Sesame Street
• still loves his Blue Puppy and takes it everywhere (if you ever see a Blue Puppy at Target that is made by Carter's Just One Year let me know... we need a replacement puppy)
• LOVES Mommy and Daddy's room and the Bathroom
• takes one two hour nap in the afternoon but sleeps from 730 - 7 at night
• sings Old McDonald, 5 Little Ducks, Happy and shakes his little butt to the beat
• melts Mommy's heart because he still loves to cuddle

Molly (8 months):

• is currently getting four new teeth, but you would hardly know she's teething
• loves baby yogurt, cinnamon raisin granola, and corn cassrole
• always wants a spoon to chew on
• cracks up at Jack when he throws a fit
• just started playing "hat"
• doesn't crawl yet but still manages to get all over the room
• pulls books off the shelf
• wears a size three diaper
• takes two naps (but is a cat napper)
• sleeps from 7 ish to 7 ish at night
• belly laughs when I wipe under her chin
• is very ticklish
• has the sweetest disposition and is such a content baby
  
  
  

Long Overdue

Here's what's been going on in the past month:

• Molly got her first and second tooth and loves to show them off.
• Jackson got tooth #13, 14, 15, and 16 and managed to fall and cut his lip twice in three days
• school, school, school, school, and repeat
• Andy started his new schedule of T-S 7-5... we are loving this!
• My sister-in-law and brother-in-law had their pretty baby girl
• I got rear-ended and broke my nose and got a couple stitches... the Vitara is totaled and the other guy wasn't hurt
• we're car shopping (SUV with 4 wheel drive-- if you know of one for sale!)
• Molly sits all by herself and has graduated to three meals a day. She also loves playing peek-a-boo and to "dangle" upside down
• both Jack and Molly are doing great at their new sitter and they love going to her house to play
• Jack fed Molly a goldfish cracker... she gagged and threw it up and I retrieved the rest of it. She's fine and Jack was scolded! But, he just loves to share everything with his little sister.
• Jack now says "my pretty, pretty baby" to Molly (he's probably heard me say it a time or two)
• Jack sings several songs including New Kids on the Block, E-I-E-I-O, and the pancake song

That's about it for our little family!