Adorable

I haven't posted any pictures of my kids lately. So for those family and friends who want to see how much they are growing. These are for you. :)

Emma's first snow experience. She had been watching her brother play in it through the window so I had to get her dressed and let her experience it for a little bit.

I couldn't believe the coloring Michael had, while he had a cold. Look at those rosy cheecks and red lips!

Michael being adorable, as he rides his bike outside. He came in telling me he needed a big bicycle. (He must have been watching the big kids ride there bikes around)

And last Emma, cuddling with her Daddy. How cute!

The Language of the Internet

So I feel very new to these new modes of communication. I just started with facebook and blogging in ummm… I think late September, early October. And at first I thought, great it will be like emailing… but oh I was so wrong. I think like everything else, there is also a learning curve with learning the language of communication via the internet. It is not like picking up the phone and catching up on the last 5 years with someone. It’s hard to have back and forth dialogue with people. Or so I have found. And everyone has busy lives that one may have to wait a while before seeing updates, and receiving replies.

But I am thankful for those who have helped me with this learning curve. So I am able to learn the communication. It is much different, but still good. I am so glad to be able to have the communication to see how different friends and family members are doing, to be able to get glimpses in their lives. I still miss the more personable communication, such as face to face and phone calls. Yet, those are harder and harder for me these days with little ones. But I am oh so thankful for all this new technology. Thanks to it I have been able to reconnect with two friends who I haven’t seen, and actually lost touch with, for many years. What fun it was to find them and to actually realize that they were close by. I am so grateful that we had the chance to find each other and get together. And to think if we hadn’t had these modes of communication, we would be living near each other and never had known it.

I saw something on the news the other day about “Twitter” a faster way to communicate via the internet, sesh... I think I will stick with facebook and blogging for now until I get a better grip on these. I’m sure more and more modes of communication are on the horizon and soon I too will learn there language. But for now I’ll enjoy what I have and understand. :)

Happy Valentines Day!

We made some cookies just for you! Now all you have to do is come by and get them. :)

If I’d Only Known!

So I’m a bit behind in the news of our life. And actually I have been saving this blogging story, not wanting to jinx myself. But there is grand news. Emma is sleeping through the night! How did it happen, I know your asking yourself (ok, probably not, but I’m going to tell you anyways ;)

It all started with Kent’s birthday. One of his gifts was the gift of moving Emma out of our room. I was willing to give him (and me) the space, and sacrifice stumbling across the house in the middle of the night to get Emma before she woke up Michael and bring her back to our bed to nurse her and then walk to the other side of the house again to put her to bed. And as it was she we needing to be fed 2 or 3 times each night, so to me that was a sacrifice, but I was willing to do it for my loving, wonderful husband.

In addition to our needing space Michael was also getting lonely. Every morning he would sneak into our room and on our bed. I knew he was thinking that everyone else slept in this room why couldn’t he? And I had told him that eventually Emma would sleep in his room. I’m sure he had ideas of grand parties together.

So I told Kent this gift, and the next day he helped me move the crib and rearrange the furniture. We set it all up and Michael was so excited to have her in his room. So the next day I realized that Emma was taking 2 hour naps instead of a 1 hour nap. Maybe being away from the laundry room and the kitchen helped with this. And because of her longer naps, she was only eating every 4 hours instead of every 3 hours. Sure it’s only an hour difference, but to me it is all the difference in the world! I love it. And then she started going 6 hours at night instead of 4 hours at night! I only had to wake up 1 time in the middle of the night. That lasted about 3 nights. And then…. she slept through the entire night going from 7:30pm to 6:00am! I had felt so very rested the next day. This happened for 3 nights and then she slept all the way to 8am! I couldn’t believe it, and was actually a little worried (I do worry too much).

But there you have it. Emma is taking longer naps during the day and sleeping way better at night. If I’d only known that all I had to do was move her into another room I would have done this awhile ago. Now I will have to remember this for the next child. If I forget with all the sleep depravation of the next baby will someone please remind me?

Enjoy the Growth, Cherish the Memories

You love to see them learn and grow, yet each step of the way you miss the youth that is slowly slipping away.

Just the other day I went through Emma’s clothes. Putting away all her adorable 6 month outfits, morning the loss of those precious times. But then I got to pull out all of the 12 month size clothes, and excitement filled me knowing wonderful things are still to come.

Kent mentioned how Emma doesn’t cuddle anymore like she did so completely and totally as a little baby. He already misses that. And so do I, how can you not? But then I look at the little signs of growth and I feel like celebrating every little thing she does, how can you not?

I love it now that she can help me when I am dressing her. All I have to say is the position I am putting her in to get her clothed, and she helps me out. I enjoy our little babble conversations as we are “talking” to each other. And even though tough at times, I am so happy that she misses me and wants to always be where I am.

So time for a few cute stories of my adorable growing baby girl.

She has recognized that we do say prayer before we eat. And as we have our heads bowed and arms folded saying the blessing on the food, she quietly waits and stares from bowed head to bowed head (ok, so I have peeked :) and then as we all say “Amen” she is right there with us babbling her amen as well. I actually got it on video, but need to figure out how to edit it before I put it on a blog (I feel uncomfortable putting a video of a full prayer on display).

And here is one that I can put on for others to enjoy if they wish. Just a lunch conversation with Emma, she sure is a talker, but even more so I love how much she already understands, and it is evident in the video.



So I guess this is just a reminder to myself, to enjoy every precious moment with my little ones. They grow up so very fast! And to just enjoy each step of the way. Enjoy the growth, cherish the memories. What a blessing it is to be a mom!

Following the February Light

Following the February sunlight. How many times have you looked at the light stream into your home and got the cozy warm feeling all over. Like the promise of warm days to come. I have always loved the look of my home as the light streams in the windows. And you can always catch me playing on the floor with my kids in the sunlight through the windows. But I had never thought of photographing it, until I read a friend's blog. So today, I decided that I would follow the sun and take pictures along the way. I would love for anyone reading my blog to do the same and post their pictures. It really shows your home in a beautiful way, and shows more about you (what little things you keep out, etc). I basically let things be where they were and just enjoyed the beauty the light created. I hope you enjoy.

You should try it

Ok, so my many apologies for not including the recipe. It is more work than a pre-made mix, but in my opinion very much worth it. Now this recipe actually makes more than what we use, maybe because we always have eggs and bacon with them, so anyways, we half it and it works out great.

Waffles
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 ¾ cups milk
½ cup cooking oil
2 egg whites

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of dry mixture; set aside.
In another medium mixing bowl beat egg yolks slightly. Stir in milk and oil. Add egg yolk mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (Batter should be lumpy).
In a small mixing bowl beat egg white till stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gently fold beaten egg white into flour and egg yolk mixture, leaving a few fluffs of egg white. Do not overmix.
Pour 1 to 1 ¼ cups batter into grids of pre-heated, lightly greased waffle baker. Close lid quickly; do not open till done. Bake according to manufacture’s directions. When done, use a fork to lift waffle off grid. Makes 12 to 16 (4 inch) waffles.