There's not much to write this month, which is probably why I've been putting it off. Lucy is not a baby anymore. That is why I've really been putting this off. She's grown into quite a sweet little girl- big stretch from being a sweet baby girl, huh?! ;)
Lucy's vocabulary is expanding. She knows about 60 words now and about a dozen signs. I love having a toddler because she's so fascinated to learn new things. And it surprises me when she remembers new things. Today, we were singing in the car. Lucy does the hand movements to "itsy bitsy spider" and "pat a cake" without any help or guidance now. What surprised me is that she remembered a song we haven't sung in months (because I forgot about it). She did a motion and it obviously reminded her of the train song, so we had to sing it!
In addition to language, Lucy is also learning a lot socially. She is going to musikgarten again- and taking her brother with her:)! She tried out (and LOVED) Gymboree! She'll be going back. She enjoys watching and playing with other little kids. She seems to thrive in big groups, unlike her momma (and definitely just like her daddy). She takes a bit of time to warm up, but always comes around and makes a friend.
Lucy is growing up but not out in any way. She's weighed the same amount for 7 months (about 25 lb). I haven't measured, but I'd guess she's pushing 33 inches.
One last exciting development for the month is a new favorite game. Lucy really loves to play pretend. She can turn just about anything into a fun game. Her love of make believe lead us to buy a few cheap Halloween costumes. She now plays dress up as a princess, ballerina, bunny, clown, super hero, and even raggedy Ann! It's a lot of fun watching her learn to express creativity!
I'm so proud of the confident and happy little girl we're raising- it is such a blessing to be her momma!!!
Baby Colliver Blog
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
18 months!
I think I say it every month (and I know I mean it every month), but this is my favorite age! Maybe I just adore whatever my daughter is doing at the time, but each month seems to bring more fun and more excitement to our lives.
At 18 months, Lucy weighs about 25.5 lb and she's a whooping 32 in tall! My little thunder thighs has turned into Stretch Armstrong! She weighs just about the same as 6 months ago (about 4oz less today), and she's 2 inches taller! And goodness does she have some hair!!! Curls, curls, curls! Perfect ringlets- adorable bangs (that her daddy refuses to agree to trim!), and it's so curly that it reaches the top of her shoulder blades in the bath hen wet and barely reached retched beneath her ears when dry! She has let me attempt to French braid it (that required the help of Mickey Mouse's clubhouse), a single ponytail and her signature look: uneven, whimsically inspired piggie tails up top as the curls flow freely in the very back!
As I write this, she's playing (rather tormenting) the dogs. I don't know how I would have survived a pregnancy and what I would do with two kids if she wasn't so great at entertaining herself. Since we set up the playroom after Christmas and child proofed the first floor, we have felt confident and comfortable allowing Lucy to run wild between the steps and the back door. If you've been to our house, you know that means she can go anywhere on the first floor. So can the dogs. Lucy and Scarlett especially love running and chasing each other from one door to the other! And I love watching them!
Anyone who has spent more than 10 minutes with my oldest child knows she loves some dog-dogs! Dog-dog was one of her first words. For the past few months, she has been "ruff ruff"-ing when asked what a dog says. She is quickly adding to her animal noise collection. She can "moooooo" when asked a cow, "he haw" (new today and very adorable!) for a donkey, "wee wee wee" for piggies, and makes the silliest face and puts her hands up for a beak when she quacks like a duck.
Lucy is learning shapes and colors too. She can identify and draw a (not nearly nor needed perfect) circle. She can identify a triangle, square and star. She knows blue, green, pink, purple and yellow.
Lucy has never been particularly ticklish, but that's never stopped us for tickling her. She laughs and giggles when we're silly with her. She is now developing her own silly sense of humor! In an effort to save money right now, I wash most of our dishes by hand. In the past couple weeks, Lucy has decided that's the perfect time to sneak attack and tickle momma!!! She will not so sneakily run up to me and "tickle" (a gently smack really) my legs. To my misfortune, she seems to have also developed a talent at booty pinching. And her daddy has an equally unfortunate talent at encouraging that booty pinching. What a lucky girl I am;)
Here are the words she uses (and translations if needed):
-Dog-dog: dog, cat, monkey, bear, lion, goat, brother
-Hello
-Hi
-Hey
-Howdy
-How ya doin'?
-Me maws: Mickey Mouse
-Mamamamamama: mom
-Da!: daddy
-Wee wee wee: what the piggy says on its way home
-Yay
-Yeah
-Me maw (no S sound): we think she's trying to say Grandma to indicate my mom
-Ruff ruff: the noise made by any smallish, furry, four legged creature
-Moo
-He- haw
-Baa
-Bee (new this week!): she is now actually using it to indicate a bee, not just saying "be"
-Eat
-Drink
-Nana: her Nana, daddy's mom
-Don Don: PaDon, daddy's dad
-nana: a banana
-barn
-baby
-bubble
-ball: anything round that can be thrown to (at) a dog-dog
There are more that we'll have to add as we think of them. It's harder than I realized to make this sort of list. (Especially with an unhappy 4 month old needing my attention.)
I should add Lucy signs a few words as well. She can sign all done, down, more, dog (shocking, I know), thank you and please. She is doing so well with please that she understands she can use it to receive things. Today I asked her if she would like a snack and without any prompting, she immediately signed "please". It definitely impressed me!
We have a very smart little chicky on our hands. Smart and funny! I just love seeing Lucy grow into a little girl. She is such a fun, happy child. And we are very, very grateful for her!!!
At 18 months, Lucy weighs about 25.5 lb and she's a whooping 32 in tall! My little thunder thighs has turned into Stretch Armstrong! She weighs just about the same as 6 months ago (about 4oz less today), and she's 2 inches taller! And goodness does she have some hair!!! Curls, curls, curls! Perfect ringlets- adorable bangs (that her daddy refuses to agree to trim!), and it's so curly that it reaches the top of her shoulder blades in the bath hen wet and barely reached retched beneath her ears when dry! She has let me attempt to French braid it (that required the help of Mickey Mouse's clubhouse), a single ponytail and her signature look: uneven, whimsically inspired piggie tails up top as the curls flow freely in the very back!
As I write this, she's playing (rather tormenting) the dogs. I don't know how I would have survived a pregnancy and what I would do with two kids if she wasn't so great at entertaining herself. Since we set up the playroom after Christmas and child proofed the first floor, we have felt confident and comfortable allowing Lucy to run wild between the steps and the back door. If you've been to our house, you know that means she can go anywhere on the first floor. So can the dogs. Lucy and Scarlett especially love running and chasing each other from one door to the other! And I love watching them!
Anyone who has spent more than 10 minutes with my oldest child knows she loves some dog-dogs! Dog-dog was one of her first words. For the past few months, she has been "ruff ruff"-ing when asked what a dog says. She is quickly adding to her animal noise collection. She can "moooooo" when asked a cow, "he haw" (new today and very adorable!) for a donkey, "wee wee wee" for piggies, and makes the silliest face and puts her hands up for a beak when she quacks like a duck.
Lucy is learning shapes and colors too. She can identify and draw a (not nearly nor needed perfect) circle. She can identify a triangle, square and star. She knows blue, green, pink, purple and yellow.
Lucy has never been particularly ticklish, but that's never stopped us for tickling her. She laughs and giggles when we're silly with her. She is now developing her own silly sense of humor! In an effort to save money right now, I wash most of our dishes by hand. In the past couple weeks, Lucy has decided that's the perfect time to sneak attack and tickle momma!!! She will not so sneakily run up to me and "tickle" (a gently smack really) my legs. To my misfortune, she seems to have also developed a talent at booty pinching. And her daddy has an equally unfortunate talent at encouraging that booty pinching. What a lucky girl I am;)
Here are the words she uses (and translations if needed):
-Dog-dog: dog, cat, monkey, bear, lion, goat, brother
-Hello
-Hi
-Hey
-Howdy
-How ya doin'?
-Me maws: Mickey Mouse
-Mamamamamama: mom
-Da!: daddy
-Wee wee wee: what the piggy says on its way home
-Yay
-Yeah
-Me maw (no S sound): we think she's trying to say Grandma to indicate my mom
-Ruff ruff: the noise made by any smallish, furry, four legged creature
-Moo
-He- haw
-Baa
-Bee (new this week!): she is now actually using it to indicate a bee, not just saying "be"
-Eat
-Drink
-Nana: her Nana, daddy's mom
-Don Don: PaDon, daddy's dad
-nana: a banana
-barn
-baby
-bubble
-ball: anything round that can be thrown to (at) a dog-dog
There are more that we'll have to add as we think of them. It's harder than I realized to make this sort of list. (Especially with an unhappy 4 month old needing my attention.)
I should add Lucy signs a few words as well. She can sign all done, down, more, dog (shocking, I know), thank you and please. She is doing so well with please that she understands she can use it to receive things. Today I asked her if she would like a snack and without any prompting, she immediately signed "please". It definitely impressed me!
We have a very smart little chicky on our hands. Smart and funny! I just love seeing Lucy grow into a little girl. She is such a fun, happy child. And we are very, very grateful for her!!!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
My birthday wish
Lucy and Colt,
When you're old enough to read this letter, I'm sure you'll know I'm full of hot air. I find a soapbox and rattle on like a boss. I'm certain you've had (and will have) plenty of lectures. And I suppose you may be expert eye rollers about this time. But I'll start praying today. I'll pray that we both know the right time for each of you to read this letter. Because I don't think it's gonna be pretty.
Today I'm turning 29. And I'm not quite sure what the world will look like when you each turn 29 but I want to share something very important with you both. I am judgmental.
There I wrote it. Don't ask me to say it. I'm coming clean in written form- that should be plenty enough!
See, I judge people. Pretty much every person. The Olympics are occurring right now. I judge who deserves to win, lose, even fall! Oh, that's right. I'm awful.
I judge lots of people. I judge them and I'm offended by them. And I assume about them. And I decide I know better than them. And I evaluate them. And sometimes I resent them. Sometimes I think unkind things about them. Sometimes I say unkind things about them. I'm ashamed of this, but...
I can't think of one single person whom I know/ have met/ witnessed in public who doesn't do exactly the same. Which caused me to wonder why we do these things.
It's simple. We are human. Terrible, awful, wonderfully made, beautiful humans. Imperfect beings trying to earn our way into the perfect life, pretend ourselves into the perfect reputation, and pray our way into the perfect grace of our God. (Don't read into my theology just yet- that's a topic for another day.)
We are always attempting to look like we're transforming into someone with a more deserving heart, someone with more wisdom, someone with more everything really. Whatever is the highest valued "thing" at the time.
It's pretty much ok though. We're all still learning. Remember that. You'll need to give yourself that grace someday. And you'll need to offer that grace to me every day. ;)
Two things happened recently and I realize I needed to prepare this letter now. This will be a very important conversation in our house, and it may well require years and tears of preparation.
Recently, a man who owns a fast food chain that makes some very tasty chicken shared his opinion on a very sensitive subject. He told a reporter that he believes marriage is meant for a man and a woman. Wow. There's a lot to unpack in this topic.
Let's start with the easy part. This man owns a fast food restaurant that makes yummy chicken. In our house, we support chicken. Chicken that is raised, slaughtered and prepared responsibility and sustainably, that is. (At least, that's our preference. Sometimes, chickens is chickens. Y'all.)
As yummy chicken supporters, we have at times eaten in this fast food restaurant that makes the yummy chicken. And, we will probably do it again. Or maybe we won't. That doesn't really matter. My $3.99 isn't life changing for this chicken making man.
Now, as the owner of the yummy chicken place, this might the person to contact if one has a yummy chicken making question. Probably more like a business question about making chicken. (Maybe I made my point about it being yummy?)
However, I probably wouldn't contact this man if I had a faith question. If I did contact him for some reason, I would never settle for adopting his beliefs. You can adopt kids, pets, bad habits- but discern your beliefs on your own. If you don't know what you stand for, you fall for anything. Can I get an amen, Conway Twitty? (Or whoever sang the song that kinda sounded like my last statement.)
Ok, so easy part: it doesn't matter what chicken man believes. It matters what you believe. And by God, as your mother, you have no chance to believe in anything by love. (The previous paragraph about thinking for yourself does not apply when it comes to your momma!)
So, the harder part. Love. You are being raised in a house that only understands love. Period. Love God. Love one another. Love God. Love gay people. Love God. Love the man who owns the chicken place. (Yes, modern day readers, I know his name. And no, it doesn't matter to my future children what his name happens to be. That's not the point.)
Here is the hardest part. Love. I know, I'm repeating myself. I'm 29 now- what do you expect?! There's a difference in tolerate, accept, love. Don't confuse those words. Now there are plenty of people who believe marriage is meant for one man and one woman. I have some pretty strict ideas about acceptable marriage and unacceptable marriage. For example, I do not believe a woman should have (to have) more than one husband. And I don't believe two adult men should be married if they're also brothers. Sometimes, mental health should be more closely evaluated. However, I do believe that any person should be able to choose who receives social security payments in the event of death. I believe any person should be able to enter into a civil union with another, receiving the same civil rights an privileges I receive for entering that union with your daddy. This does not involve any church, though. Sometimes, Church gets us all into a lot of trouble.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is love everyone. Without exception. That's why we judge. We pick and choose whom we can and can't love. We make a lot of those decisions based on who scares us, intimidates us, or has enough money to permanently bury us. Keep trying.
Sometimes the people we picked give us the biggest challenge in love. The second big event was probably even more pivotal for me in the past few days. Since the moment you each we alive, within me, you were also judged. Nothing infuriates me more than hearing, seeing, feeling someone compare you two. To each other. To other kids. To expectation charts. To child rearing books. Oh, I have shed more than my share of tears. And I have sworn off the "mommy war" culture. Pardon my language, but I don't give a damn what someone else's kid does and either of you do or don't do. I think it is important to evaluate healthy from unhealthy, normal from abnormal, but not good from bad. I doubt I'm writing this as clearly as I want, but essentially I mean I don't want to try to convince you that my kid is better. Of course, they're better. They're mine. Yours are better to you. I can live with that. Or so I say...
Recently a harmless meaningless statement was made. "X like veggies even more than Lucy." I'm not going to tell you who "X" is. It doesn't matter. X may eat veggies better than Lucy. That doesn't matter either. What matters is how I responded.
I got mad.
And I wasn't able to stop being mad for the next 2 days.
I know. I am crazy.
(Let me assure you. Lucy is an excellent veggie eater. In fact, she is an excellent eater in general. And she is the perfect weight for her height. But in my shortcoming, I expect people to expect that I'll raise an overweight, unhealthy child. One who licks fake cheese off of Doritos and hides candy bars under the mattress. This is a reflection of me and me alone. It's an issue that I need to come to terms with. I know this. Still, it's easier to say than do.)
So I was mad. And I thought. And wrote this blog in my head. And rewrote this blog in my head. And then I needed sleep. Because that much anger eats up energy. And it exhausted me.
In my initial "in my head" blog, I wrote about expressing anger in a resentful and hurtful way. Then I threw that out for a more "let momma protect from the world" approach. Then, I had an Oprah "a-ha" moment. I already told you how to handle these situations. Protect yourself, your self image, your confidence. Lucy, you were very little when I wrote to you about being the giraffe, seeing the whole forest. But I was right. Other people will always pick little insignificant things to evaluate. Know your worth. You'll both find that in Christ and loving people. Guard your heart by giving it to others. It will undoubtedly be trampled from time to time; however, you are called to give it freely. And without judgment.
So I'll continue to try to set a good example by loving the man who owns the chicken restaurant. And I'll always adore the person who said X eats veggies better than Lucy. And I'll learn about myself and my parenting challenges from both of those events. And I'll expect you both to learn from me. And daddy. And the chicken man.
I have one last idea to leave in this letter. Because what I've asked us all to do is hard. So, I want you both to know where to look for guidance. Many people will tell you to read Scripture for answers. I'll ask that you read Scripture to refine your questions. Then seek the voice of Christ deep in your heart. If I do my job correctly, I think you'll find that there aren't really any answers. Just deeper questions. More thoughtful conversations. And transformation of the soul. Never finite answers. Never perfection. Save those for heaven, sweet babies.
I love you, with a lot of judgment, a lot of evaluation, and more expectation than I can admit. But I love you so big and no matter what my shortcomings may be.
~Your crazy Momma
When you're old enough to read this letter, I'm sure you'll know I'm full of hot air. I find a soapbox and rattle on like a boss. I'm certain you've had (and will have) plenty of lectures. And I suppose you may be expert eye rollers about this time. But I'll start praying today. I'll pray that we both know the right time for each of you to read this letter. Because I don't think it's gonna be pretty.
Today I'm turning 29. And I'm not quite sure what the world will look like when you each turn 29 but I want to share something very important with you both. I am judgmental.
There I wrote it. Don't ask me to say it. I'm coming clean in written form- that should be plenty enough!
See, I judge people. Pretty much every person. The Olympics are occurring right now. I judge who deserves to win, lose, even fall! Oh, that's right. I'm awful.
I judge lots of people. I judge them and I'm offended by them. And I assume about them. And I decide I know better than them. And I evaluate them. And sometimes I resent them. Sometimes I think unkind things about them. Sometimes I say unkind things about them. I'm ashamed of this, but...
I can't think of one single person whom I know/ have met/ witnessed in public who doesn't do exactly the same. Which caused me to wonder why we do these things.
It's simple. We are human. Terrible, awful, wonderfully made, beautiful humans. Imperfect beings trying to earn our way into the perfect life, pretend ourselves into the perfect reputation, and pray our way into the perfect grace of our God. (Don't read into my theology just yet- that's a topic for another day.)
We are always attempting to look like we're transforming into someone with a more deserving heart, someone with more wisdom, someone with more everything really. Whatever is the highest valued "thing" at the time.
It's pretty much ok though. We're all still learning. Remember that. You'll need to give yourself that grace someday. And you'll need to offer that grace to me every day. ;)
Two things happened recently and I realize I needed to prepare this letter now. This will be a very important conversation in our house, and it may well require years and tears of preparation.
Recently, a man who owns a fast food chain that makes some very tasty chicken shared his opinion on a very sensitive subject. He told a reporter that he believes marriage is meant for a man and a woman. Wow. There's a lot to unpack in this topic.
Let's start with the easy part. This man owns a fast food restaurant that makes yummy chicken. In our house, we support chicken. Chicken that is raised, slaughtered and prepared responsibility and sustainably, that is. (At least, that's our preference. Sometimes, chickens is chickens. Y'all.)
As yummy chicken supporters, we have at times eaten in this fast food restaurant that makes the yummy chicken. And, we will probably do it again. Or maybe we won't. That doesn't really matter. My $3.99 isn't life changing for this chicken making man.
Now, as the owner of the yummy chicken place, this might the person to contact if one has a yummy chicken making question. Probably more like a business question about making chicken. (Maybe I made my point about it being yummy?)
However, I probably wouldn't contact this man if I had a faith question. If I did contact him for some reason, I would never settle for adopting his beliefs. You can adopt kids, pets, bad habits- but discern your beliefs on your own. If you don't know what you stand for, you fall for anything. Can I get an amen, Conway Twitty? (Or whoever sang the song that kinda sounded like my last statement.)
Ok, so easy part: it doesn't matter what chicken man believes. It matters what you believe. And by God, as your mother, you have no chance to believe in anything by love. (The previous paragraph about thinking for yourself does not apply when it comes to your momma!)
So, the harder part. Love. You are being raised in a house that only understands love. Period. Love God. Love one another. Love God. Love gay people. Love God. Love the man who owns the chicken place. (Yes, modern day readers, I know his name. And no, it doesn't matter to my future children what his name happens to be. That's not the point.)
Here is the hardest part. Love. I know, I'm repeating myself. I'm 29 now- what do you expect?! There's a difference in tolerate, accept, love. Don't confuse those words. Now there are plenty of people who believe marriage is meant for one man and one woman. I have some pretty strict ideas about acceptable marriage and unacceptable marriage. For example, I do not believe a woman should have (to have) more than one husband. And I don't believe two adult men should be married if they're also brothers. Sometimes, mental health should be more closely evaluated. However, I do believe that any person should be able to choose who receives social security payments in the event of death. I believe any person should be able to enter into a civil union with another, receiving the same civil rights an privileges I receive for entering that union with your daddy. This does not involve any church, though. Sometimes, Church gets us all into a lot of trouble.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is love everyone. Without exception. That's why we judge. We pick and choose whom we can and can't love. We make a lot of those decisions based on who scares us, intimidates us, or has enough money to permanently bury us. Keep trying.
Sometimes the people we picked give us the biggest challenge in love. The second big event was probably even more pivotal for me in the past few days. Since the moment you each we alive, within me, you were also judged. Nothing infuriates me more than hearing, seeing, feeling someone compare you two. To each other. To other kids. To expectation charts. To child rearing books. Oh, I have shed more than my share of tears. And I have sworn off the "mommy war" culture. Pardon my language, but I don't give a damn what someone else's kid does and either of you do or don't do. I think it is important to evaluate healthy from unhealthy, normal from abnormal, but not good from bad. I doubt I'm writing this as clearly as I want, but essentially I mean I don't want to try to convince you that my kid is better. Of course, they're better. They're mine. Yours are better to you. I can live with that. Or so I say...
Recently a harmless meaningless statement was made. "X like veggies even more than Lucy." I'm not going to tell you who "X" is. It doesn't matter. X may eat veggies better than Lucy. That doesn't matter either. What matters is how I responded.
I got mad.
And I wasn't able to stop being mad for the next 2 days.
I know. I am crazy.
(Let me assure you. Lucy is an excellent veggie eater. In fact, she is an excellent eater in general. And she is the perfect weight for her height. But in my shortcoming, I expect people to expect that I'll raise an overweight, unhealthy child. One who licks fake cheese off of Doritos and hides candy bars under the mattress. This is a reflection of me and me alone. It's an issue that I need to come to terms with. I know this. Still, it's easier to say than do.)
So I was mad. And I thought. And wrote this blog in my head. And rewrote this blog in my head. And then I needed sleep. Because that much anger eats up energy. And it exhausted me.
In my initial "in my head" blog, I wrote about expressing anger in a resentful and hurtful way. Then I threw that out for a more "let momma protect from the world" approach. Then, I had an Oprah "a-ha" moment. I already told you how to handle these situations. Protect yourself, your self image, your confidence. Lucy, you were very little when I wrote to you about being the giraffe, seeing the whole forest. But I was right. Other people will always pick little insignificant things to evaluate. Know your worth. You'll both find that in Christ and loving people. Guard your heart by giving it to others. It will undoubtedly be trampled from time to time; however, you are called to give it freely. And without judgment.
So I'll continue to try to set a good example by loving the man who owns the chicken restaurant. And I'll always adore the person who said X eats veggies better than Lucy. And I'll learn about myself and my parenting challenges from both of those events. And I'll expect you both to learn from me. And daddy. And the chicken man.
I have one last idea to leave in this letter. Because what I've asked us all to do is hard. So, I want you both to know where to look for guidance. Many people will tell you to read Scripture for answers. I'll ask that you read Scripture to refine your questions. Then seek the voice of Christ deep in your heart. If I do my job correctly, I think you'll find that there aren't really any answers. Just deeper questions. More thoughtful conversations. And transformation of the soul. Never finite answers. Never perfection. Save those for heaven, sweet babies.
I love you, with a lot of judgment, a lot of evaluation, and more expectation than I can admit. But I love you so big and no matter what my shortcomings may be.
~Your crazy Momma
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
17 months and counting
Lucy is just one month away from 18 months! It's so hard to believe that my baby girl is nearly a year and half old. Where there once was only baby face, now Lucy is all little girl. It has amazed me how much her face has changed this month, really developing her features.
Lucy weighs just about the same amount as the past six months; however, she is growing upward very fast! Just this past week I realized that a pair of pj pants, which used to be so long they tripped her, now fit perfectly. And this week, it seems those pants are getting too short!
In addition to the growth spurt, Lucy's verbal skills has just blown up this month! We have started a list of her words, which totals around 20 (I'll post that later). She is still singing "EIEIO" and loves "this little piggy". She says the "wee wee wee" part at the end. She is now rolling during "pat a cake". And she can make a spider with her fingers for "Itsy bitsy spider". She is recognizing pictures and pointing to them in books. She knows how to sign more, all done, please, down, and train (she really likes the choo choo part!). We are working on signing thank you and saying a few new words. Overall, I think her verbal skills are impressive. And I'm continually amazed by her ability to recognize and analyze pictures
The cutest development this month is barking. Lucy has always "barked" at the dogs, but now she can bark when asked what noise a dog makes. It's a very cute closed mouth bark.
Lucy is also stacking blocks, learning shapes, and coloring quite often. Her favorite thing to do is still read books. If given the choice, Lucy almost always picks to read a book over all other toys.
Lucy's personality is blossoming. She seems to enjoy giving and receiving attention, laughing with grown ups, and hollering along with her brother. She isn't bashful, but takes a bit of time to warm up to new people.
Lucy Belly,
I think I say this every month, but this month is my favorite! You are so much fun to be around and with. I adore our individual time together. You always seem happy and willing to come snuggle or hug when asked. Lately, you have been giving me kisses when asked. It absolutely melts my heart when you reach for me and want my attention. I know this won't last forever, so I'll try to soak up every bit while I can! I love you sweet girl and all your precious funny moments!
Lucy weighs just about the same amount as the past six months; however, she is growing upward very fast! Just this past week I realized that a pair of pj pants, which used to be so long they tripped her, now fit perfectly. And this week, it seems those pants are getting too short!
In addition to the growth spurt, Lucy's verbal skills has just blown up this month! We have started a list of her words, which totals around 20 (I'll post that later). She is still singing "EIEIO" and loves "this little piggy". She says the "wee wee wee" part at the end. She is now rolling during "pat a cake". And she can make a spider with her fingers for "Itsy bitsy spider". She is recognizing pictures and pointing to them in books. She knows how to sign more, all done, please, down, and train (she really likes the choo choo part!). We are working on signing thank you and saying a few new words. Overall, I think her verbal skills are impressive. And I'm continually amazed by her ability to recognize and analyze pictures
The cutest development this month is barking. Lucy has always "barked" at the dogs, but now she can bark when asked what noise a dog makes. It's a very cute closed mouth bark.
Lucy is also stacking blocks, learning shapes, and coloring quite often. Her favorite thing to do is still read books. If given the choice, Lucy almost always picks to read a book over all other toys.
Lucy's personality is blossoming. She seems to enjoy giving and receiving attention, laughing with grown ups, and hollering along with her brother. She isn't bashful, but takes a bit of time to warm up to new people.
Lucy Belly,
I think I say this every month, but this month is my favorite! You are so much fun to be around and with. I adore our individual time together. You always seem happy and willing to come snuggle or hug when asked. Lately, you have been giving me kisses when asked. It absolutely melts my heart when you reach for me and want my attention. I know this won't last forever, so I'll try to soak up every bit while I can! I love you sweet girl and all your precious funny moments!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Just on time
I considered waiting to write this, but after today- geez do I need an outlet! Lucy Bug, you tricked me! Couple months ago, my sweet little girl sprouted all 4(!!!) first molars within a week- without me knowing- because she's awesome- a rock star- didn't complain once, didn't even drool much! You're making up for it now, little girl!
So I mentioned that I was going to wait to blog this month- here's why. It was June 15, 2010 when my life changed forever. I never thought I'd live that day. It seemed like a distant dream. For the week prior to that day, I did things a touch differently. I had to visit CVS for work, and looking through the baby things for a client, I decided to buy a pacifier that was being discontinued. Why? I didn't really know. I thought I knew but I wasn't completely sure. On June 14th, I asked Jason if it was too early to take a pregnancy test. His answer was the same as always- yes. Those things were my drug back then. I bought them like crazy, hid them from others, snuck around and used them when I knew I'd be alone. Because they were always negative. Always. I'd see a single, solitary, pitiful not pregnant line. I'd get an instant reading yelling no, you're not pregnant! And then I'd sink deeper and deeper into my depression. I'd pray that God would give me the strength to talk to my husband at night, get me through classes, help me smile at people, and mostly keep me from losing it with my clients (people who abused and/ or neglected their kids).
That morning, June 15th, I went to work in a fit. I couldn't think of anything else. Where was my period?! Why was it late again?! I knew that the more I worried, the later it would be. Experience taught me that disappointment. But this felt different. And that scared me too. What if I tested too soon, saw I was pregnant and lost another baby? I'd be lost too. I couldn't let Jason live with all of that. So, I brought up my dilemma in supervision. The solution reached: check at work. Then there are people around in case it's bad news.
Lucy, that day, I bought a pregnancy test and it announced one simple word that made my life new again: yes. When I saw that word, I knew you were living, growing and becoming within me. Instantly everything felt ok.
So, here I am nearly two years later. We have no idea what is next for us. Your daddy lost his job very unexpectedly two weeks ago and these have been two very scary and challenging weeks for us. We have vowed to make sure you and Colt feel no long term effects from this, and so far we are in good shape. Your grandparents are helping us and we are cutting every expense possible. We won't compromise for either of you though- there's no question you both get the absolute best. There are a few things I want you to know about this time though. Just in case...
This isn't easy. Daddy and I are giving up the things that we like and want. We are working hard day and night. We aren't sleeping much. Aren't spending much. And are really starting to feel the effects of this much stress. It's ok though. We can do hard things. Remember that because you can do hard things too.
I want you and Colt to know how to survive without luxury. You don't need a dishwasher, clothes dryer, multiple phones, etc. Be happy with who you are and you'll let things go easier if need be.
Don't give up. There are big plans for us all. The story I told above was evidence that God has a plan for each of us. When I lost Poppy, God knew I'd get you and Colt soon. Likewise, now that Daddy's job was lost, there's more to this story. God isn't done with us. And while I don't expect our accounts to be filled with money without working hard, I know that faithfulness is rewarded.
I know that because June 15, 2010 taught me so. There will be a "YES" in this too, just as you were my "YES" in that time of heartbreak. These things aren't the same- losing Poppy was so much harder than losing an income. But, I knew what I wanted, I prayed hard and researched and charted and met with my doctor to ensure my body would allow God to work big miracles with it. And God did just that. God gave me you and then God gave me Colt. What miracles you are and what a testament you are to courage, faith and love!
So even on this day- when it takes 2 hours to get you both down for the night- when you scream in teething pain and Colt cries to nurse again- when I'm getting cabin fever because we can't afford to go anywhere and it's raining- when the air conditioner isn't working and the window unit sounds like a train- when my head, back, neck, etc., etc., etc., hurt- you still remind me that life has a lot to look forward to! Because I'm your mom and that's what I prayed to be. I didn't ask to be rich or famous or idolized. I asked for you, Colt and Poppy. So, I'll hold you when it hurts, rock Colt to sleep four times, sing Old MacDonald for an hour- whatever I can do to keep being your mom, that's what I want to do forever!
Thanks be to God for my sweet girl (even when she's a teething devil!)
Now- for the month:
I have no idea what you weigh or your height. You are healthy, growing and such a great eater. Today you asked for an apple before eating your chicken nuggets. You still prefer veggies and fruits to meats and carbs. You love your nightly yogurt and are enjoying the casseroles I've been making. You eat better than your father! I can count on you to try new recipes with me. And 9/10 times, you want to exactly what I have.
You still aren't saying a whole lot of words that others hear clearly. The newest is "mimi" though we aren't sure if you mean Mickey mouse or mommy. You kinda use it for both. You love to sing "EIEIO" and "weeweewee" to indicate piggies.
You're signing all done, more, please, down, and pointing a lot. I think the verbal stuff will check up with you once you get these next two teeth in. They are really giving you some trouble.
You are tall enough to wash your hands in the bathroom sink. That makes me cry. Literally. Because you're already so tall and independent!
You really point out people in pictures well now. You know mommy, daddy, Colt, Nana, PaDon, Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Laura, Blaine, Molly, Grandma and Aunt Tiffy. You want to see pictures more and more. You recognize people from various angles, also. And you know every Mickey mouse character.
You are still in love with dog dogs. You sleep with a stuffed dog and you'll play for up to 2 hours alone, in bed if you have that dog. I know because sometimes you refuse to nap. You just rest in bed and talk to dog dog, sing about your piggies and then holler for "Mimi".
Lucy, you're a funny girl. Such a big personality. You know you're funny and entertaining. And like me, stubborn as a mule! You want to do things for yourself and do not like asking for help- and you don't always like receiving help. You're quite strong willed. I'm proud of how strong you are sometimes and how gentle at others. You like to stop by Colt and wave to him, say "howdy" and blow him kisses. I'm convinced that the greatest gift I'll ever give you two is each other. It's a very tender relationship that's budding between you. You love on him; he stares and smiles at you. My heart overflows and melts at the same time!
I love you little baby girl. I've been saying that for almost two full years now. Thanks for being mine!
Loving you so big,
Momma
So I mentioned that I was going to wait to blog this month- here's why. It was June 15, 2010 when my life changed forever. I never thought I'd live that day. It seemed like a distant dream. For the week prior to that day, I did things a touch differently. I had to visit CVS for work, and looking through the baby things for a client, I decided to buy a pacifier that was being discontinued. Why? I didn't really know. I thought I knew but I wasn't completely sure. On June 14th, I asked Jason if it was too early to take a pregnancy test. His answer was the same as always- yes. Those things were my drug back then. I bought them like crazy, hid them from others, snuck around and used them when I knew I'd be alone. Because they were always negative. Always. I'd see a single, solitary, pitiful not pregnant line. I'd get an instant reading yelling no, you're not pregnant! And then I'd sink deeper and deeper into my depression. I'd pray that God would give me the strength to talk to my husband at night, get me through classes, help me smile at people, and mostly keep me from losing it with my clients (people who abused and/ or neglected their kids).
That morning, June 15th, I went to work in a fit. I couldn't think of anything else. Where was my period?! Why was it late again?! I knew that the more I worried, the later it would be. Experience taught me that disappointment. But this felt different. And that scared me too. What if I tested too soon, saw I was pregnant and lost another baby? I'd be lost too. I couldn't let Jason live with all of that. So, I brought up my dilemma in supervision. The solution reached: check at work. Then there are people around in case it's bad news.
Lucy, that day, I bought a pregnancy test and it announced one simple word that made my life new again: yes. When I saw that word, I knew you were living, growing and becoming within me. Instantly everything felt ok.
So, here I am nearly two years later. We have no idea what is next for us. Your daddy lost his job very unexpectedly two weeks ago and these have been two very scary and challenging weeks for us. We have vowed to make sure you and Colt feel no long term effects from this, and so far we are in good shape. Your grandparents are helping us and we are cutting every expense possible. We won't compromise for either of you though- there's no question you both get the absolute best. There are a few things I want you to know about this time though. Just in case...
This isn't easy. Daddy and I are giving up the things that we like and want. We are working hard day and night. We aren't sleeping much. Aren't spending much. And are really starting to feel the effects of this much stress. It's ok though. We can do hard things. Remember that because you can do hard things too.
I want you and Colt to know how to survive without luxury. You don't need a dishwasher, clothes dryer, multiple phones, etc. Be happy with who you are and you'll let things go easier if need be.
Don't give up. There are big plans for us all. The story I told above was evidence that God has a plan for each of us. When I lost Poppy, God knew I'd get you and Colt soon. Likewise, now that Daddy's job was lost, there's more to this story. God isn't done with us. And while I don't expect our accounts to be filled with money without working hard, I know that faithfulness is rewarded.
I know that because June 15, 2010 taught me so. There will be a "YES" in this too, just as you were my "YES" in that time of heartbreak. These things aren't the same- losing Poppy was so much harder than losing an income. But, I knew what I wanted, I prayed hard and researched and charted and met with my doctor to ensure my body would allow God to work big miracles with it. And God did just that. God gave me you and then God gave me Colt. What miracles you are and what a testament you are to courage, faith and love!
So even on this day- when it takes 2 hours to get you both down for the night- when you scream in teething pain and Colt cries to nurse again- when I'm getting cabin fever because we can't afford to go anywhere and it's raining- when the air conditioner isn't working and the window unit sounds like a train- when my head, back, neck, etc., etc., etc., hurt- you still remind me that life has a lot to look forward to! Because I'm your mom and that's what I prayed to be. I didn't ask to be rich or famous or idolized. I asked for you, Colt and Poppy. So, I'll hold you when it hurts, rock Colt to sleep four times, sing Old MacDonald for an hour- whatever I can do to keep being your mom, that's what I want to do forever!
Thanks be to God for my sweet girl (even when she's a teething devil!)
Now- for the month:
I have no idea what you weigh or your height. You are healthy, growing and such a great eater. Today you asked for an apple before eating your chicken nuggets. You still prefer veggies and fruits to meats and carbs. You love your nightly yogurt and are enjoying the casseroles I've been making. You eat better than your father! I can count on you to try new recipes with me. And 9/10 times, you want to exactly what I have.
You still aren't saying a whole lot of words that others hear clearly. The newest is "mimi" though we aren't sure if you mean Mickey mouse or mommy. You kinda use it for both. You love to sing "EIEIO" and "weeweewee" to indicate piggies.
You're signing all done, more, please, down, and pointing a lot. I think the verbal stuff will check up with you once you get these next two teeth in. They are really giving you some trouble.
You are tall enough to wash your hands in the bathroom sink. That makes me cry. Literally. Because you're already so tall and independent!
You really point out people in pictures well now. You know mommy, daddy, Colt, Nana, PaDon, Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Laura, Blaine, Molly, Grandma and Aunt Tiffy. You want to see pictures more and more. You recognize people from various angles, also. And you know every Mickey mouse character.
You are still in love with dog dogs. You sleep with a stuffed dog and you'll play for up to 2 hours alone, in bed if you have that dog. I know because sometimes you refuse to nap. You just rest in bed and talk to dog dog, sing about your piggies and then holler for "Mimi".
Lucy, you're a funny girl. Such a big personality. You know you're funny and entertaining. And like me, stubborn as a mule! You want to do things for yourself and do not like asking for help- and you don't always like receiving help. You're quite strong willed. I'm proud of how strong you are sometimes and how gentle at others. You like to stop by Colt and wave to him, say "howdy" and blow him kisses. I'm convinced that the greatest gift I'll ever give you two is each other. It's a very tender relationship that's budding between you. You love on him; he stares and smiles at you. My heart overflows and melts at the same time!
I love you little baby girl. I've been saying that for almost two full years now. Thanks for being mine!
Loving you so big,
Momma
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Birthday baby
I never posted a birthday blog, but I keep planning to do so... Here goes...
Lucy's first birthday was on a Sunday. We planned for months! When Lucy was 4 months old, she started to show an intense interest in books. She adores reading, so we decided on a baby bookworm theme. Our plan with both kids is to have a theme that is different and thoughtful each year. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a common theme and very cute, but was a bit too common for us. Same with Dr Suess. So, we combined it all!
I'll include the photos at the bottom, but I will do my best to describe the day...
The morning was crazy busy. After an emotionally taxing week, it was nearly impossible to get the house in order for company. And we really wanted everything to be perfect for our little girl! We woke up and had Lucy's favorite (at the time) breakfast- blueberry pancakes. We also gave Lucy her gift from us at that time. I knew it would be her favorite (being the mom helps in finding the perfect gift), so I wanted her to play with it before the company brought other gifts. Jason and I found a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse book. But not just any book. It came with a music player, the book had the song lyrics and the first song (therefore the only song Lucy ever plays) is the Hot Dog dance from the show. Lucy adores Mickey mouse and she loves dancing to the hot dog song- this book was totally a hit!
When we came up with the party theme, we decided to ask for books instead of toys. We borrow books from the library almost weekly, but our personal collection wasn't too extensive. We decided that any doubles would be donated to our library.
After lunch and some extra helping hands from Grandma and Aunt Tiffany, it was time to party. We had snacks- a menu fit for a bookworm! We made little menu books that described each dish and the book that it corresponded to. I don't quite remember them ll, but Lucy's birthday book has a copy as a keepsake.
The gifts were great! Lucy received so many books with sweet notes written in them! (We asked that people sign the books instead of getting a card.) And Lucy also received some cute clothes, a great set of book ends, and other goodies like her cute handmade UK bear!
After snacking and opening gifts, it was time for cake. I was really nervous. I made Lucy's cake from scratch. I didn't want to give her a crazy sugar rush, so she had an apple carrot cake (I thought it was super yummy!). In my family, there was a tradition of having a panda bear as a smash cake. I'm the oldest of of 13 grand kids and I'd say 11 of us have had the exact same cake made by my Aunt Judy. Knowing that Judy was busy this year, I bought the cake mold and have it a go myself. It was very important to me that Lucy, and in a year Colt, have the panda cake! She wasn't sure what to make of it all. Lucy enjoyed sticking her finger into the icing and licking it off, but never did any smashing (even during her second attempt after everyone was gone).
Since the mess was minimal, we let Lucy play and enjoy the time with her cousins and friend Evey before we headed out to a quiet dinner with the Collivers.
It was probably the best birthday celebration I could have imagined for such a sweet girl! I think everyone had a good time and we were so happy to see so many people come to celebrate our little miracle!
Photos will come later- I need some sleep now...
Lucy's first birthday was on a Sunday. We planned for months! When Lucy was 4 months old, she started to show an intense interest in books. She adores reading, so we decided on a baby bookworm theme. Our plan with both kids is to have a theme that is different and thoughtful each year. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a common theme and very cute, but was a bit too common for us. Same with Dr Suess. So, we combined it all!
I'll include the photos at the bottom, but I will do my best to describe the day...
The morning was crazy busy. After an emotionally taxing week, it was nearly impossible to get the house in order for company. And we really wanted everything to be perfect for our little girl! We woke up and had Lucy's favorite (at the time) breakfast- blueberry pancakes. We also gave Lucy her gift from us at that time. I knew it would be her favorite (being the mom helps in finding the perfect gift), so I wanted her to play with it before the company brought other gifts. Jason and I found a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse book. But not just any book. It came with a music player, the book had the song lyrics and the first song (therefore the only song Lucy ever plays) is the Hot Dog dance from the show. Lucy adores Mickey mouse and she loves dancing to the hot dog song- this book was totally a hit!
When we came up with the party theme, we decided to ask for books instead of toys. We borrow books from the library almost weekly, but our personal collection wasn't too extensive. We decided that any doubles would be donated to our library.
After lunch and some extra helping hands from Grandma and Aunt Tiffany, it was time to party. We had snacks- a menu fit for a bookworm! We made little menu books that described each dish and the book that it corresponded to. I don't quite remember them ll, but Lucy's birthday book has a copy as a keepsake.
The gifts were great! Lucy received so many books with sweet notes written in them! (We asked that people sign the books instead of getting a card.) And Lucy also received some cute clothes, a great set of book ends, and other goodies like her cute handmade UK bear!
After snacking and opening gifts, it was time for cake. I was really nervous. I made Lucy's cake from scratch. I didn't want to give her a crazy sugar rush, so she had an apple carrot cake (I thought it was super yummy!). In my family, there was a tradition of having a panda bear as a smash cake. I'm the oldest of of 13 grand kids and I'd say 11 of us have had the exact same cake made by my Aunt Judy. Knowing that Judy was busy this year, I bought the cake mold and have it a go myself. It was very important to me that Lucy, and in a year Colt, have the panda cake! She wasn't sure what to make of it all. Lucy enjoyed sticking her finger into the icing and licking it off, but never did any smashing (even during her second attempt after everyone was gone).
Since the mess was minimal, we let Lucy play and enjoy the time with her cousins and friend Evey before we headed out to a quiet dinner with the Collivers.
It was probably the best birthday celebration I could have imagined for such a sweet girl! I think everyone had a good time and we were so happy to see so many people come to celebrate our little miracle!
Photos will come later- I need some sleep now...
15 months
Lucy is now 15 months old! I sure can't believe how big she is getting!
Because I'm already a few days late, I'll keep it short this month. You're overdue on pictures, so I'll post a LOT!
Lucy is now all little girl:/ (I'll probably say that every month for the rest of her life and secretly still think "not true- she's just my baby still").
We have a kids table with chairs in the playroom. Lucy has been climbing into chairs by herself for a couple of months. She knows to sit with her bucket on the seat and her feet under the table. Today, we used her butcher block paper for the first time. Lucy's not great with crayons (she prefers to chew on them so I don't let her practice much), but today we colored for 45 minutes. She scribbled and colored in the shapes I drew for her. This has inspired a new art station. We'll be getting some safety scissors and maybe I'll brave some paints in the next week or so.
Lucy isn't just learning to hold crayons. She's doing better with forks and spoons. Most meals are still finger foods but we're headed towards eating independence in the very near future. Currently, Lucy's favorite meals are cream of wheat, sausage casserole, Daddy's peanut butter pancakes and griddle sticks for breakfast (that's the favorite meal of everyone in this house!); lunch is usually time for fruit, some grilled chicken, and pasta; and favorite dinners include lasagna, broccoli rice casserole, and any veggies (tonight she was loving squash and zucchini!). In other food news, Lucy is finally starting to appreciate the almighty French fry! She has never really liked white potatoes, unless it was a baked potato with broccoli and cheese!
Lucy is all about walking- and RUNNING!- these days. I can't even picture her crawling anymore! Jason and I get such a kick out of her running. She will take off from the entry way to come tell us that she heard a dog dog outside, but she always takes the turn through the dining room really wide. It's as though she has to cover as as much ground as possible. And she is always so proud of herself! (As are we!!!)
At this month's doctor visit, Lucy has lost about 1.5lbs. She is now 31" tall, and about 24lbs. At 12 months, she was pushing 26lbs. The pediatrician has expected to see this change in her growth for a while. Now that Lucy is walking and is so so mobile, her height and weight are in the same percentile. She had been in a higher percentile for weight- and we never worried! Who would worry with those adorable baby love handles and chubby cheeks?! Now, Lucy measures in the 77th percentile for all directions (except her head- that has always been in the 96th percentile).
We are doing our best to keep a list of words that Lucy says. Clearly,she says "dog dog" (her fav!), "hello", "hi", "dad", "maaaama", and she sings "EIEIO" during old McDonald (she sings it at the right time nonetheless!). Lucy understands almost everything we say. It amazes us how much she grasps! She can also sign a few things: more, all done, down, up, baby, and she points like crazy!
Jason is working on posting photos now, so look out for those! :)
Because I'm already a few days late, I'll keep it short this month. You're overdue on pictures, so I'll post a LOT!
Lucy is now all little girl:/ (I'll probably say that every month for the rest of her life and secretly still think "not true- she's just my baby still").
We have a kids table with chairs in the playroom. Lucy has been climbing into chairs by herself for a couple of months. She knows to sit with her bucket on the seat and her feet under the table. Today, we used her butcher block paper for the first time. Lucy's not great with crayons (she prefers to chew on them so I don't let her practice much), but today we colored for 45 minutes. She scribbled and colored in the shapes I drew for her. This has inspired a new art station. We'll be getting some safety scissors and maybe I'll brave some paints in the next week or so.
Lucy isn't just learning to hold crayons. She's doing better with forks and spoons. Most meals are still finger foods but we're headed towards eating independence in the very near future. Currently, Lucy's favorite meals are cream of wheat, sausage casserole, Daddy's peanut butter pancakes and griddle sticks for breakfast (that's the favorite meal of everyone in this house!); lunch is usually time for fruit, some grilled chicken, and pasta; and favorite dinners include lasagna, broccoli rice casserole, and any veggies (tonight she was loving squash and zucchini!). In other food news, Lucy is finally starting to appreciate the almighty French fry! She has never really liked white potatoes, unless it was a baked potato with broccoli and cheese!
Lucy is all about walking- and RUNNING!- these days. I can't even picture her crawling anymore! Jason and I get such a kick out of her running. She will take off from the entry way to come tell us that she heard a dog dog outside, but she always takes the turn through the dining room really wide. It's as though she has to cover as as much ground as possible. And she is always so proud of herself! (As are we!!!)
At this month's doctor visit, Lucy has lost about 1.5lbs. She is now 31" tall, and about 24lbs. At 12 months, she was pushing 26lbs. The pediatrician has expected to see this change in her growth for a while. Now that Lucy is walking and is so so mobile, her height and weight are in the same percentile. She had been in a higher percentile for weight- and we never worried! Who would worry with those adorable baby love handles and chubby cheeks?! Now, Lucy measures in the 77th percentile for all directions (except her head- that has always been in the 96th percentile).
We are doing our best to keep a list of words that Lucy says. Clearly,she says "dog dog" (her fav!), "hello", "hi", "dad", "maaaama", and she sings "EIEIO" during old McDonald (she sings it at the right time nonetheless!). Lucy understands almost everything we say. It amazes us how much she grasps! She can also sign a few things: more, all done, down, up, baby, and she points like crazy!
Jason is working on posting photos now, so look out for those! :)
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