The Wonders of a Family the Communicates

As mentioned in a previous post, our youngest daughter, Ruth, had tubes placed in her ears a little less than month ago. After two weeks of recovery and an ear infection, she went in for her follow up appointment and was given a good bill health.

 Not that we needed the doctor to confirm anything.

Her ears had cleared up from the infection days before her appointment, so that was great. Most importantly, within a day of the procedure her hearing improved 100%. Suddenly, the little girl that would ignore me until I was literally shouting was responding to her name and to basic directions. And she started speaking.

We haven't been able to get a word in since!

I have been amazed how quickly she started communicating since her hearing improved (I never realized just how bad it had been). She started off speaking in a very slow, halting manner as if she wanted to be sure that she was pronouncing the words correctly. After a couple weeks, however, she was speaking clearly and using full sentences to convey her needs. Within a day of the procedure, she started singing songs all the way through with only minor mistakes. Now, she sings countless songs and attempts to sing along at church or when I'm listening to music at home.

Like I stated, I am amazed at how quickly she picked up on things.

And now I have two very opinionated, very stubborn girls that can actually tell me what they want or why they are upset. It's a lot of fun...most days.

The new language development in Ruth (22 months) and the ever-increasing imagination and vocabulary in Esther (3 years, 2 months) makes me a little sad. My babies are growing up. The last few years are almost a blur.

Thankfully, I have another little guy or girl to look forward to and I plan to do my best to enjoy every last second of this baby's development. I am about 14 1/2 weeks along and am eager to feel the baby move regularly and to find out what we're having. Oh, and I can't wait until I actually look pregnant and not just fatter than usual.

Well, good bye for now!

- Meg

Been a while...

It's been a while since I posted on here and a LOT has changed over the past couple of years. First of all, we added a second child to the family in March 2010 and she is an absolute joy. I have never met a happier child. Ruth is nearing two years of age and is growing into such a sweet, joyful little girl. And she is quite the talker!

In terms of Ruth, she has been sick since 2 weeks after her birth and, as a result, was not hearing well. We recently took her in to have tubes placed in her ear and she went from speaking a word or two at a time to speaking in full sentences and singing complete songs. It's amazing what hearing can do for a person!

Overall, parenting two kids has been fun and challenging. Esther has been in her terrible twos (now threes) since 7 months of age and there is never a dull moment where she is concerned. No matter what, I love her intelligence and independence. She amazes me in new ways everyday! Mix that with Ruth's incredibly mischievous personality and I am constantly running (or crawling, jumping, etc.).

In addition to the two we have, we are also expecting our third. Sometimes I feel like an insane person. After all, I'm about to have three kids under three. But I wouldn't change anything. I am so excited to meet the next kid. Will it be a boy? Who will he or she look like? And is there any chance they'll be calmer than the first two? I am a little skeptical about that last one...after all, Tim and I made these children. What can be expected from parents who are independent, opinionated, hyper, and adventurous (that last one is Tim, not me)?

For the record, I would love a boy (got to see what it's like to have one), but I would be absolutely happy with another girl. I'll never understand why people think boys are so much better. My girls rock. Just saying :)

Onto non-kid related things - we moved earlier this year. We now live in a new state far away from our beautiful home. I'm not sold on the natural world here, but I have to say that God is teaching us a lot about faith and frugality. I miss the ocean, mountains, seafood, and my beloved city of Juneau (best place on earth), but I am so glad that God worked miracles to get us here and continues to do great things in our lives. I wouldn't change much at this point (except maybe the size of the spiders).

Tim is working at a facility for incarcerated youth and is doing an amazing job. He loves what he does, even if it means breaking up fights, getting hit on a occasion, and eating prison food.  On top of his job, he is also pursuing a degree in psychology with an emphasis in substance abuse counseling. I admire him!

We have a lot going on and are looking forward to the holidays. This will be the first year that the girls will enjoy Christmas (old enough to care that Santa is coming). Tim has to work the evening of Christmas, so we're making the most of our morning as a family and I will then go and make the most of the evening with my parents and siblings.

I guess that pretty much sums up this past year. More big changes lie ahead, but I think we're brave and tough enough to handle whatever comes our way. I think 2012 will be our best year yet!

Until next time,

Meg

The Many Antics of Esther

Our Daughter....

Sock Hunting under the Changing Table

Pulling Diapers out of the Diaper Box

Playing Hide-and-Go-Seek Under Her Bed...

...And under the Guest Bed

And Falling Asleep at the End of a Busy, Running, Hiding, Mess-Making Day...

These pictures were taken on different days (and are not even in order), but, as you can see, we have one very goofy girl on our hands! She's getting so big and is so imaginative! I can hardly believe she is almost a year.

To my little bug: I love you so much! I love every laugh and every smile. You make mommy's heart happy!

Exciting for Esther, a sad moment for mommy...

Children grow up way too fast.

As of today, we are exactly two months and six days from her first birthday. I will start planning her party soon and already have the theme: Little Bug's Garden Party. My plan is to make a mini-cake for her in the shape of a lady bug and maybe something like that for the guests, although I am not sure I want to make a billion little cakes :) But it will be fun. And I'm starting to scout out gift ideas at the toy store here in town. I'm shooting for cute, educational, and fun.

Anyway, it's happening way too soon. This time last year, I was 7 months pregnant and counting down the weeks to seeing her for the first time. I had no idea how precious she would be (but I had a hint). And now here she is, getting bigger by the day, and making my world brighter with every smile. We've had challenges along the way, but overall I love being a mommy and I love my little girl. And I'm also very excited for this next one. I'll get all the newborn cuteness again!

That being said, Esther is developing, as usual, like the overachiever she is. She's chatting up a storm, even saying new words like "kitty" or "dog" from time-to-time. And, drum roll, she's starting to walk!

No joke - she started taking 2-4 steps at a time about one-two weeks ago. She'd get a little ways and then either sit or tumble over. She's been cruising for about a month and half now and a couple weeks ago started getting brave enough to take a step or two between pieces of furniture. It escalated from there.

As of last night, she was walking 6 to 10 steps at a time in open space. Her balance has suddenly improved and she is very determined to continue trying this new skill. Once she gets an idea in her head, there's no stopping her. Experienced parents are telling us that she'll likely be a pro within the week! EEK!

So we're now doubling our child-proofing efforts :) I'm excited that she's learning to walk, but again, I'm sad because it's proof that she's not my little newborn anymore!

I'll just have to cope because there's no stopping time! And I'll enjoy our second baby until he/she grows up...in which case, maybe I'll need to have #3? Kidding. We're going to wait a couple years for that!

Anyway, I will sign off for now!

Love you all!

Update

Esther has been getting bigger and a thousand times more active. She is now practicing standing up from a sitting position and then standing unassisted. She's becoming incredibly balanced and I don't think it will be too long before she tries a few steps. Then again it is hard to predict that kind of thing! But she loves standing and cruising. She can get from point A to B in no time flat, as her mommy, daddy, and nana have witnessed on many occassions. It gets scarier to one degree, because she seems discover every little thing in sight.

Separation anxiety has also reared its head once more. She gets very panicky at night when we lay her in her own bed. She would much rather be held be mommy all night long than be in her own bed. I have say, though, that I love how cuddly she has become. She'll crawl to me every few minutes just to hug me or cuddle with me.

She changes constantly and quickly. I hardly recognize her :). But she has such a great personality and is so beautiful. I am so in love with her!

I wish everyone could see our little star - she is incredibly special, sweet, and funny. A true gem :) Pictures will never do her justice, although they are pretty cute! The Esther in-real-life is a firecracker and comedian. She can make you smile, even on the cloudiest day. She has no problem telling you what she thinks and makes the funniest faces when she doesn't like something. God blessed us with such a precious child!

Speaking of cameras (in a round-about way), I seem to have lost mine and have not been able to take any in the past couple weeks :( Fortunately, I was able to locate it briefly, just in time to print a couple pictures for Tim's Father's Day present. Esther picked out a very cute frame for him, which I am hoping to get up on the wall some time soon.

Well, that is all for now!

Love you all!

Vacation Pictures - Finally!

Almost a month after the fact, here are some pictures of our trip. As stated previously, we had a lot of fun down south...




Jesse and Susie cuddling in Starbucks


Our little cowgirl at the Bass Pro Shop...she was a hit with the other patrons (and, yes, we did buy the hat)




Horseback riding at Robber's Cave. It was my first real ride and I loved it...

Tim and Esther outside of Robber's Cave (at the beginning of the trail)

Esther and Opa sharing a moment...

JP Feeding Esther ...

Another cowgirl moment..so cute!

Tim and I sporting our free Cabela's ball caps...

Esther petting a kitty-kitty at a farm...she loves cats!

Esther getting attacked by goats and loving it!

I'll post more pictures later! We're all doing well. We had a pretty good weekend, despite Tim having to work half day on Saturday. I took the opportunity to buy two rose bushes for our porch and get Tim a Father's Day present. On Sunday, we walked to church, went out the road and fished (nothing caught, though), and went to the Everyday Sunday concert (which was awesome!). It was all pretty great and just what we needed! This week agenda involves cleaning the yard and the house and maybe catching some fish...we'll see!

Love you all!

- Meg

We're Back!

I have not had a chance to download my photos from our trip, but we're back and not too happy about it either. Don't get me wrong - we're doing well and love Alaska, but God really worked some things in us on this trip (something we were both praying for) and now we're getting itchy feet :). Who knows where God will take us in the future, but we are definitely praying that He'll open doors for us to start walking in His destiny.

That being said, we had a wonderful time in Oklahoma and Texas. I got to see old friends and teachers, which was wonderful (and, my, how everyone has changed!), and we got to relax and enjoy a whole new world. Esther, Tim, and I absolutely loved the heat and humidity. We had to take extra precautions with Esther, which is not something we're used to doing, but she did great for the most part.

Here is an overview of what we did on our vacation:

• Met Jesse's girlfriend - a very sweet girl who loved Esther. She's perfect for Jesse and managed to handle my parents and my family with great finesse!



• Attended Jesse's graduation. Congrats little brother! He was the only graduate, but he got the highest honors! I'm proud of him!



• Had breakfast with one my close friends, Holly, who is now mommy to 3 year-old Liam and twins Luke and Leia (yes, she is a Star Wars fan).



• Spent 4 days in a cabin near Robber's Cave (made famous by Jesse James)



• Rode horses through the mountains. My horse loved the leader, so I hardly had to do more than slow it in order to prevent it from running into the leader. The only problem was when he got excited to return home and tried running. Since I am not skilled at horse riding, this made it very interesting! But it was a blast!



• Tim fished for most of our time at the cave. He caught bluegill and 1 crayfish. He also tried snagging snakes in the water, but stopped after he told that they may be water moccasins (note: I just discovered that the snakes we saw were harmless).



• Spent a day on a boat on a huge lake. Tim and dad caught at least 10 bluegills (such small, cute, blue fish) and we had a little adventure. Our boat broke down and we were stuck on the water for about an hour. It was fun sitting around, getting sunburned, splashing each other with water, and cracking jokes about our situation. Good times!



• Shopped like crazy and ate good food! Doesn't get better than that! I got an iPhone, which rocks, and we stocked up on clothes for us all. Esther got a pair of Early Walker shoes and they are helping her along nicely! And I got to take Tim to Mardel's, an awesome Christian book store, which we enjoyed. Bought some great CDs and t-shirts. Yes, I love to shop and so does my little girl (and apparently, so does Tim...)



• Visited Bass Pro and Cabelas. Tim's life-long dream came true! He was in heaven when we went inside Cabelas. That look of awe was priceless. We spent a bit there, but it was worth it :)

I know I am leaving things out, but they aren't that important, I guess! Esther really did love it. She LOVED Susie and she loved the things she got to experience - sitting in the grass, blowing bubbles, shopping for new books, clothes, and toys, meeting new babies, etc.

Speaking of our daughter, here are the things she has started doing the past couple of weeks:

She can now say "Mama," "Dada," and "Nana" and apply those names to the correct people, although Nana can also mean "banana" (when she's eating them, she'll go "Nana" when she wants more) or "no-no."

She can balance on our shoulders without hands, although she likes to use Tim's ears for handles, and she has decided that sleeping on his shoulders is fun. She'll literally fall asleep up there! Below is a picture I took with my phone. It is too cute!

Lastly, she is standing more and more unassisted, letting go of our hands and taking a step unassisted, and is cruising more and more. Oh, and she's officially getting teeth in. They're starting to poke through now! All I can say is nursing is starting to hurt!

The trip had a bonus attached - Esther's sleep schedule shifted as a result! She goes to bed earlier and sleeps hard until about 2-3 a.m. Tim and I get at least an hour to ourselves! And we get to sleep a solid 5 hours!

Well, this has become very long! Hope you all stuck around and read this :)