Grace you are 10 months

 This is a big month for my chunky monkey!  She weighs 21 pounds and has another cold right now and we might possibly be getting tubes in her ears next week, depends on insurance...  Isn't she lovely??

• She kicks her legs so excitedly when someone she knows and loves walks in the room like her daddy or a sibling.  
• She is so so happy when she wakes up
• She waits excitedly like a puppy at her crib to be held and to play
• You can tell she is thinking about walking but for now she enjoys holding onto stuff as she stands around the home.
• She is a great crawler. 
• She hasn't really discovered climbing up stairs yet.  Fine by me.
• She says "mama" or "dada" in the cutest way when you tell her to.
• She loves roughhousing still 
• She is tall 
• We love her so much.

Sometimes when Paul is stressed I bring her to him to make him happy.  It works.  We love you Gracie Lou.  How quickly a year has gone.  

Getting in my groove

I'm getting into it y'all!!  I am really starting to dig into this motherhood thing and I am starting to really love it so much.  That sounds all wrong.  I've always loved it but I get overwhelmed pretty constantly by the importance of it all, as I mentioned a few posts ago, but I've been pushing myself and have discovered what annoys me is when I am not living the day deliberately with my family.  This week I have made a very concerted effort to be a deliberate mom.  We have done fun and interesting things like really appreciate nature and walk in a stream with our feet in the water and listen to the birds and I'm feeling it guys and gals.  Really feeling it!  Thank you to our Lord.  I have prayed to find help and direction and I am.  I am being more mindful and really living in the moment and I love being a mom.

Moses you are two!!

Our little Mo got his check up today he will be 6 feet tall and is 29 pounds (only 7 pounds heavier than Grace, my she is a chunka munka!).  He is the bill of health.  We do need to wean him off of his binkie which he only sucks on at sleeping times and I guess they are messing up his teeth a little but besides that all is well.  Oh little Mowie how I love you!!  I love you.  I love you.  Every morning, he gives me a big hug after diaper change.  For his birthday we got him a little potty which he really likes.  We have kept the other presents for next Saturday because we will be taking him to Tracy Aviary which I think he will LOVE.  He is always pointing out "a bird!" to me.  Paul had a crazy work schedule this weekend (as in I am grateful he still has a job! ay ay ay!) so we had to move around his birthday so that we could make it special for him instead of half-hearted.  But I did make my healthy banana bread cupcake muffins for him and we sang him happy birthday and he seemed to kinda get it and be happy.  What else is new??

• He still does everything Lizzie does.
• Is starting to get a little bit tantrum-y when I have to take him from a situation he loves.
• Is still a cuddler but not as cuddly willlingly.  I think he is so excited about discovering life these days.
• Loves to sing along to songs.
• Gives the best open mouth kisses there ever were.
• Loves to lick batter and solemly eats muffins and cookies.  Has a sweet tooth for sure.
• Is good at helping mommy clean up.
• Seems to be a little gentler to Grace these days. 
• Loves to lay down and watch a show with Lizzie and daddy sometimes.  
• Loves to dance
• Sometimes just gets tired of it all and wants mommy to hold him while she walks around prepping food. 

Oh Mowie I love you soooo much!!  Thank you for being my darling baby boy. 

Lizzie you are four!!

Welp.  There ya have it!  A lovely photo dump of everything Lizzie and birthdays.  So fun!  It was the Frozen party (her request) of her dreams, I think.  I asked her later what her favorite part was and she said "being with McKenna."  She sure loves that cute little one.  I think it went really well.  It was pretty crazy whilst it was happening the kids seemed happy and no one cried (that I can remember).  Moses had fun hanging out and Lizzie got oodles of presents, most of them Frozen related.  The games went by fairly quickly and the kids would look at us like "what do we do now?"  but we were able to keep up.

So Lizzie is four.  My sweet, sweet girl.  She never really had any terrible twos and if anything, she has become sweeter and more responsible with age.  She is so good at obeying and helping mommy (mommy needs a lot of help) and is such a great big sister to Moses and Grace.  You know what she has in heaps?  Empathy and a certain maturity.  I see it already.  I don't see any meanness in her.  Maybe a touch or two of bossiness to Moses at times but that's what big sisters do best, right?  Ha!  Mo worships the ground she walks on.  So cute.  She also just began Suzuki lessons.  I get really excited watching her learn something completely new like this.  Oh golly gee, I am just so grateful for her patience.  I feel very very blessed to have an angel like Lizzie in my life.  I will love you forever Lizzie. Love, mommy.

P.S. Ok so I am no Pinterest queen but I must say I did a pretty dern good job with the deco.