Kate {at 12 months}

This little babe is seriously a ray of sunshine in our home.  We all can't get enough of her.

At 12 months, Kate...

...is still the most amazing sleeper.  I think it's safe to say that she is just as good of a sleeper as Isaac {knock on wood!}.  I just wish that she would sleep anywhere, as she definitely prefers her own bed, which I totally understand.  

...is very choice when it comes to expressing her emotions.  She will be perfectly happy and content, yet she doesn't smile all of the time.  But, when she does want to smile and laugh, it's the BEST!  She loves it when I chase her around the house, and she will just laugh and laugh.  Her little giggle is definitely music to my ears.  I guess I'm still used to Isaac...he would, and still does, smile and laugh all of the time.  It is rather cute when she is sitting there watching us, and when we notice her she will just give us a little smile in the corner of her mouth.  It's good to know that she's happy though :).

...will let you know when she's upset.  When she's mad, she will let you know.  Oh boy!  She can be rather feisty sometimes and will get so upset.  I attribute most of this to the fact that she has been teething this month, because her temper is nothing like this when she's not.  I'm praying for her teeth to come in soon!

...is a great little eater.  She is not at all picky with what we feed her.  She definitely prefers table food, and I don't blame her.  She's having a hard time figuring out how to chew food, but she's figuring it out.

...is 19 pounds an 29 3/4"! She's growing like a weed lately!

...is a bottle baby, just like the others.  My kids LOVE their milk!

...is totally and completely spoiled...I still rock her to sleep for every nap and bedtime.  I love those precious moments...they are the best.  Having a baby fall asleep in my arms is definitely high on my list as one of my most favorite things ever!

...does the cutest thing with her tongue...she'll curl it upward on her lip all of the time.  Sometimes she move it back and forth...it's so funny.  And she cracks up at us when we notice it.

...absolutely LOVES to be outside.  When Leah was her age, she wasn't adventurous at all and hated to sit on the grass.  She'd cry and cry until we picked her up.  Kate is so opposite..she loves the grass and will crawl around on it without a fuss.  She's so curious when she's outside and she loves to roam the yard.  I have to keep a close eye on her though, since she still likes to put anything and everything in her mouth.  The moment I turn my head, she's stuffing dirt in her mouth!

...absolutely loves it when I read to her. Lately, she'll go and grabs book and bring it to me, then crawl in my lap and pat the book with her hand. I love that she loves books already.

...can say "mama", "dada", "baba", "hi", "uh-oh"... She pretty much just babbles all the time. And she has the cutest little voice too :).

...loves music, especially if it had a good beat. She loves to dance too, which is so sweet.

...loves to get into everything. She's already a pro at dumping out all of her toys, or emptying the drawer with all the plates and bowls. And she knows exactly what she's doing! The moment I notice what she's done, she starts giggling and starts crawling away from. I can't help to smile every time.

...still loves tubby time. Definitely her favorite part of the day. She pretty much likes water in general. She always freaks out the moment we put her in. So fun!

She's definitely learning and growing so much lately, and I just love watching her discover the world around her. She's pretty special. I still can't believe that she's one...she'll be 2 before I know it, so I need to remember to really cherish this time with her, just like the others. I'm loving my life right now with my kids. Kate's adds so much to our days...we sure love you, little one :).

Happy Birthday, Kate!

Birthday #3 of the month...Kate turned ONE!

It really happened, and I can't believe it.  It was a bittersweet milestone...mostly for me.  This past year has gone by faster than I could have ever imagined.  Kate has added so much to our family and we all just love her SO much.  It's amazing the impact that one little baby has had on us...she really is amazing.  

We started Kate's birthday weekend by having a party with our family to celebrate our precious girl.  I really can't put into words how grateful I am for such an amazing family.  Especially when they have come together THREE times this month to celebrate my kiddos...I sure do love all of them. 

I took these pics of Doug and I with Kate before everyone showed up...

We had a hot fudge sundae bar and cupcakes at her little party.  We definitely love treats around here, so it was fitting.  After eating, we opened her presents, and she got some darling clothes and fun toys.  Thanks, again, to everyone for the sweet gifts.  She'll definitely put everything to good use :).

Then it was time for cake!  Kate LOVES sweets...yep, I've introduced her to sugar and she's in love.  She wanted that cake the moment she saw it.  I honestly had no doubt that she would devour her smash cake, and I was right.  She loved it!. 

I especially like Isaac trying to blow out her candle!

First taste...

And then she just went to town...

She even shared! :)

And then she was *full* and in a little sugar-coma the rest of the night.

The damage...

Kate's actual birthday was the following day, and we honestly had a very laid back day.  Here's our little gal after she woke up...what a cutie!

We decided to have a BBQ as a family, and then we, of course, had more sweets!  Kate was screaming to get her hand on the cupcake.  Oh boy...she's a girl after my own heart.

Then she opened the one gift from us, because, lets be honest, she did not need any more toys.

So, instead she got her very own pillow pet!  Ok...the kids were all very insistent that she have her own, since they all have one and she loves them!  She'll go and cuddle up on them all the time.  And, I must admit, that it's pretty dang cute when we watch a movie and they all go and grab their own to lay down on...no more sharing, no more arguing.  I guess it was worth it ;).

 

Needless to say, we had a great weekend celebrating our little gal.  She adds so much sugar and spice to our family, and we love it all!  Happy FIRST Birthday, baby.  We love you!!!

Noah is SEVEN

Birthday #2 of the month...Noah turned SEVEN!

Seven years ago, I had just had my first born...

It's crazy how fast the time goes by...man, he was a cute baby!  This is me holding him for the very first time!  One of the most special moments of my life!  Noah made me a mommy, and I can't thank him enough for giving that to me.

Of course, Noah has been looking forward to his birthday for a very long time.  The two things that Noah asked for was a bike, and to go bowling with his friend and cousins.  We tried our best to deliver.

Noah's birthday was on Friday, so he woke up to balloons everywhere and all of us singing to him.  Isaac actually wouldn't stop singing happy birthday to him..."Happy Birthday Noah...cha cha cha"...over and over again.  It was great!  Noah opted to have his birthday breakfast on Saturday when dad was home, so we just loved on him all morning and made him feel super special on his actual birthday.  We got ready super early so that we could run to the store to get donuts for his class.  He was SO excited to take a treat to share.

I really wanted to spend most of the day with Noah on his birthday, so I checked him out of school at lunch!  After Isaac and Kate's nap, we all jumped in the car and headed up to my parent's house.  Noah's other request for his birthday was to go to dinner with just Doug and I.  I really, REALLY, cherish one on one time with my kids, so I was pretty excited for this dinner.  Noah chose to go to The Cheesecake Factory {yum!} and we had such a wonderful time.  Noah was just loving having our full attention, and we kind of liked it too :).  I told the waitress that it was Noah's birthday, and at the end of our meal, she came out with a hot fudge sundae with a candle...and she brought along a group of people to sing to him.  It was great...mostly because he was being so shy ;).  

After dinner, we headed back to my parent's house to have some cupcakes...complete with seven candles :).

Noah knew that he wasn't going to get many presents on his actual birthday, because his bike was going to be there a few days later.  But, when we got home that night, there was a package from my mom...a Swoop Pillow Pet.  He was so excited for this gift ;).

On Saturday morning, we had our traditional birthday breakfast...a big pancake in the shape of a seven.  I think it tastes better that way ;).

Then it was time for his party!  Three of his cousins, and his best buddy in our neighborhood, came over for and we had cupcakes and opened presents.  They were all so thoughtful and Noah just loved having them all there!  

Then it was off to go bowling.  Now, I have to say, that this was so much fun!  The boys had a blast, and I had a blast watching them.  We were all giggling the entire time...it was great.  And it was fun watching them bowl and see the silly positions they would do!  Ha!

What a handsome group of boys :).

After bowling, we gave each of the boys a card so that they could go play some games.  Boy, oh boy, they had a great time!  Noah especially loved playing air hockey.

We sure do like these boys a lot!  They made Noah's little party so special for him :).

And then...the day FINALLY came when we went to get his bike!  Oh man, he was SO excited when we went to pick it up.  His other bike was so small for him, so he was thrilled to have a bike that actually fit him.  This bike has gears, so Doug had to take some time showing him how it worked.  He's still learning, but he sure does love this thing!  He is especially looking forward to this summer and going on some bike trails with his daddy up in the mountains.  

I think it's safe to say that Noah had a fabulous birthday this year.  I try my hardest to make it as special as I can, and can I just say that it just warmed my heart when he came up to me on his birthday and thanked me for making his day special.  This child, he's pretty special, and I love him more than words. Happy Birthday, Noah.  Love you to the moon and back!

Soccer

Noah started up soccer again a few weeks ago. He loves playing that game and he was thrilled once practices resumed. His coach is *amazing*! He is so focused on each kid and he makes it so much fun to learn the game. Noah has been so receptive to everything his coach teaches him, and I'm amazed at how far he's come. He understands the positions, and he's so focused on the game when he plays. Doug and I really enjoy watching him play...and, of course, Isaac does too!!! He's constantly telling me he wants to play soccer like Noah...I can't wait until he starts playing too ;).

Leah ~ 5 Years

To think that my precious little Leah is FIVE is beyond crazy to me.  Time flies when you're having fun, and we definitely have lots of fun with this little one!  At 5 years old, Leah...

...is a crazy ball of energy 98% of the time.  Seriously, this girl is on the go all of the time.  She is very rarely just sitting and doing nothing.  She likes to keep herself busy doing *something*...

...absolutely LOVES to draw and color.  Not a day goes by that she doesn't create some sort of master piece for me.  She also loves to take her time when she's making something.  She's quite the perfectionist ;).

...is reading!  Noah didn't have much interest in reading at this age, but Leah is all over it.  She can put together sounds so well and absolutely loves the fact that she can recognize words when we read together.  Reading has been so much fun lately!

...has a crazy good memory!  Before she started to read, I would read a story to her and after some time she would have the entire book memorized...like, word for word!  It was pretty amazing, and fun, to watch her retell her stories.  I often catch her in her room reading books to herself, all from memory.  She also has movies memorized, which is just hilarious!  She's pretty animated when she repeats lines from movies...so cute, and impressive!

...would eat macaroni and cheese for every meal if she could.  She also LOVES chocolate milk...just like her daddy!  She's still a picky little eater too.  She's getting better, but not great.  I've noticed that I can't let her snack very much during the day, since snack foods are her favorite foods, because then she won't eat her meals.  She likes to avoid eating dinner at all costs...she always has to wash her hands {again}, go to the bathroom, go get a toy, etc...

...is very picky about the clothes that she wears.  She does not like wearing jeans because of the elastic around the waist.  She'll always undo the elastic synch, which means her pans are always falling down. Great!  She doesn't care about what she wears so much, just that it's comfortable for her.  If something is uncomfortable for her, she'll cry and cry, and whine and whine...even if it's something really little.  She doesn't like to wear socks because they hurt her feet!  Seriously!  I sometimes wonder if they actually hurt her, or she just doesn't want to wear them.

...is such a girlie girl!  She loves to play with her dolls and barbies.  She loves dressing them up over and over again, and doing their hair, and just being their mommy.  She also loves to dress up herself, and will often recruit Isaac to get dressed up too!  That's always fun to watch!  She also loves getting her nails painted and loves lip gloss and any make up that I let her touch.  Like I said...she really is a girlie girl!

...is such a happy little thing.  She seriously is smiling and happy pretty much all of the time and she is has a knack for finding the good in things.  I'm so thankful for this, and it really does add a lot of light into our home.

...absolutely loves to learn.  I've already said that she loves to read, but she also finds so much joy in learning anything and everything right now.  I know that this pretty much comes with the age, but I just love her thirst for knowledge.  She's a good little thinker and will ask me questions about anything and everything.  It makes me happy that she thinks so deeply about certain things.  She's a little smarty pants!

...is SO excited to start kindergarten next year.  She is constantly asking me if she can go now!  I'm not too excited about her being at school every day and I always tell her that we need to really cherish these moments when she is home with me, but she still would rather be in school ;).  She really does love to learn.

...is the social butterfly of the family.  She can make friends so easily and is not at all afraid to go up to people and make friends.  Whenever we go to the park, she will always find someone to play with...always.  And she so friendly about it and has so much fun with whomever so plays with.  Noah was not like this at all, so it's interesting to watch Leah put herself out there so easily.

...is such a great sister to her brothers and sissy.  She and Noah have really started to get along well lately, which is SO great.  They actually play for long periods of time and really enjoy one another's company.  She and Isaac have always had a great relationship and they seriously love spending time together.  Leah is so good at keeping him happy and so enjoys making him laugh...they always have a good time together.  And Kate...Leah LOVES that girl more than words.  Their bond is amazing and it makes me so happy that they have one another.  Leah just loves having a little sister and is always wanting to hold her, that is when Kate will let her.  Leah has always enjoyed being her little protector and will always sit with her and play with her.

...love, love, loves music!  My parent's gave her a nano for her birthday, and it was seriously one of the best gifts for this girl.  She pretty much goes around the house all.day.long listening to music and singing.  It's so adorable.  Just today, she was listening to some children's hymns, and I was amazed at how she had all of the words memorized.  I think that music really is a calming influence for her...she really enjoys it.  I'm thankful for this, since music is such a big part of mine and Doug's lives :).

...loves to dance!  We got Just Dance for Christmas and she absolutely loves to play it.  I'm surprised at how good she is too!  She's also in a ballet class, that she just loves.  I started her in a younger class, but her teacher came to be after 2 months and told me that I needed to put her in a level up because she was catching on so easily.  She's now learning so much more and just loves going each week to dance.  I LOVE that she loves to dance, since that's what I did as a kid and through high school.  I really hope she wants to continue dancing :).

...loves to express her love for everyone around her.  She is constantly giving all of us hugs and kisses, which is so sweet.  She also tells me that she loves me to the SUN and back all of the time.  She says the sun instead of the moon because she knows that the sun is farther away!

This girl means the world to us.  She has taught me so much as a parent, and I'm thankful for her and her presence in our home every day.  She's precious beyond words, and we love her to the SUN and back :).

The Park!

This week was spring break for Noah. We had a stay-cation at home, but I tried to fill our days up as much as I could...even if it meant staying home and playing. One day we were lucky enough I go to the park twice...once with cousins, and once to my childhood park with my mom. We really love playing outside, and we especially loved this day of fun. Made us long for nice warm days even more :). As you can tell by the last pic, I really wore them out ;).