2013 Recap

Hey there! Remember me? I used to blog here, but then life got busy and I got behind. I kept saying I would blog, but I kept putting it off and I got behind. Then it seemed like a lot of work to go back and try and update everything so I just never did it.

But then, I started thinking about all of the things that I didn't post about. I felt guilty for not documenting our memories. So, I have made a goal for 2014 to try and post more often. Ideally I would like to post once a week, but if I can just do once a month I'll be happy with that.

Rather than going back and adding in posts, I thought I would try and do one big "catch all" post and just highlight the big stuff. So, here goes....

Aiden played his first year of baseball in the spring. He was on the Orioles. Baseball was totally new to him, and while he had fun, I don't think it was really his sport. He hasn't asked to sign up for baseball again, he says he wants to try soccer instead. 

Sophia turned one and we had a Minnie Mouse birthday party for her. We had a bounce house for the older kids, but I'm pretty sure Sophia enjoyed it just as much as the big kids. 

Jenny finished second grade, and we had a busy summer. We spent lots of time sleeping in, going to the pool, and hanging out with friends and family. We took a trip to Tennessee with my mom, brother, SIL, niece, and cousins. Kenny and Aiden had a good time at VBS and we also went strawberry picking.

In August, Aiden started his first year of school in Pre-K and Jenny started third grade. I am proud to say that they are both doing really well, and amaze me with how much they learn! 

August was a busy month, because we also moved. I always forget how difficult it is to move. I hope the next time we move I can hire movers!

Jenny turned 8 on August 30. I ate lunch with her at school, and we had a small surprise party for her with a couple of her friends. She didn't think we were going to do anything for her birthday since we had just moved, so she was really surprised!

In the fall we went to a pumpkin patch, corn maze, and we took a trip to Helen Georgia with my family. The kids also dressed up for Halloween. Jenny was Harley Quinn (a character from Batman), Aiden was Robin, and Sophia was a bumble bee. I loved that she was a bumble bee, because Jenny was also a bumble bee the first time she went trick or treating. :)

The holidays passed by too quickly, as they always do. Thanksgiving was spent at my cousin's house. We had a wonderful Christmas, and my children (and Jaime and I) were very spoiled with some really great gifts! We celebrated New Year's Eve at my mom's house with family. 

 2013 was a difficult year with my Dad passing away, but we made it through. It wasn't easy, but I know God was with us every step of the way. 2013 was also a year full of blessings. I am hoping that 2014 brings many more blessings, and hopefully less heartache. I just wanted to say that I appreciate each and everyone of you who said a prayer for my family this year. 

"And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22

Sophia's First Haircut

Last weekend we had Sophia's hair cut for the first time. She and Aiden both had the same lady cut their hair for the first time - she is also the same lady who cut mine and my brother's hair for the first time. Sophia did pretty well. She didn't like to sit still for that long so at times she moved around a little. 

Sophia is 11 Months Old!!

Dear Sophia,

I can hardly believe I am even typing this, but....you turned 11 months old last week!!! You are getting so big! I can't believe you will be one in less than a month!

You weigh 17lbs 14oz. You wear 12 month clothes, a size 5 shoe, and a size 4 diaper. You get 3 8oz bottles a day, and lots of table food. You very rarely ever eat baby food anymore. Not because I don't give it to you, but because you don't want it. Your favorite table foods are: Mac n Cheese, pancakes, hot dogs, and diced fruits and veggies. You prefer anything you can feed yourself.

You are love for us to hold your hands and let you walk. You cruise all over the place and I think you will start walking soon. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that!

You love to sing and dance! Anytime you hear music playing, you dance. I've even heard you sing a few times. You are saying a few words now: dada, daddy, mama, hey, hello, uh-oh, and bye-bye.

You are hearing the word "no" a lot lately. You love to play with things you aren't supposed to. Your favorite thing is the cords by the TV and the Wii controllers. You are very curious! :)

You have started playing the harmonica when we are at Grandma's house, you finally figured out how to make it make noise! You also love books! I read to you every night before bed, and you just listen so closely. I hope you will always love books!

Your first birthday party is in the works! I have decided on a theme, a date and time, and a guest list. I'm still working on decorations and other details. I can't wait!!

You get prettier every day, and we are so blessed by you! It is getting difficult to remember what life was like before you were born. We can't imagine our lives without you in them!

All About Aiden

Isn't that a catchy title? Original, I know. Just like my "Just Jenny" posts, I am planning to do "All About Aiden" posts as well. So, here goes....

Aiden is four years old. I will be registering him for Pre-K soon, and he will start Pre-K in August. I'm not sure how he has grown up so quickly. I heard someone recently say, "the days go by slow, but the years go by fast." Anyone who has children will tell you, that is so true!!

Aiden is my wild child. He is ALL BOY! He loves Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, and Batman. He would play video games all day if I let him. His favorite game right now is his newest one, Lego Batman 2 on the Nintendo Wii.

Aiden recently started playing pre T-ball. It is almost the same as T-ball, but they don't keep score. It's just for fun. He has been to several practices and his first game was supposed to be last Saturday, but it was cancelled because it was too cold.

Aiden knows his ABCs, counting, and colors. He is learning to recognize letters and can recognize most numbers up to 10. His favorite letter is the letter A, which he points out whenever he sees it! He can also write his name. We are working on forming the letters better.

I feel like Aiden is going to do great in school! He learns quickly, and behaves well (especially when I'm not around). We are looking forward to seeing how he grows and develops!

On the Go!

We better watch out! Pretty soon we are gonna have a walker on our hands!! There she goes....

 

Pushing her baby doll in the stroller!!

 

I guess she really wanted to go bye-bye, because she even put herself in her carseat! This child keeps me on my toes, that's for sure! But, seriously, have you ever seen anything cuter in your entire life??? Her smile just makes me melt....and she knows it, too!!! :)

Just Jenny

As I said in one of my previous posts, I am going to try and document each of my kids' lives a little better. Lately my blog has turned into "The Sophia Show". Which is great that I am documenting her milestones and her growth, but I have two other children who also need their lives documented. So, I am hoping to do a post about each child at least once a month. I'm starting with Jenny, since she is the oldest.

Jenny will officially be 7 1/2 on February 30 (if February 30 actually existed). It's a good thing we don't celebrate half birthdays, because I'm not really sure when we would celebrate hers.

Anyway.... She is in the 2nd grade. She is a wonderful student, and almost always does very well! She got all A's and one B on her last report card, and she also got a 100 on her last math test! She just finished addition and subtraction of 2 and 3 digit numbers, and she just started adding and subtracting money. She is also learning about complete sentences, punctuation, and parts of a sentence. She is reading above her grade level. In science she has learned about states of matter, animals, and outer space.

She is currently involved in a program at church called Awana. She is also involved in Girl Scouts. This is her third year. She completed her first two years as a Daisy, and she is almost finished with her first year as a Brownie. I am the co-leader of her troop. We are going on our first camping trip in May, and we are both very excited!!

Jenny is a very sweet, loveable young lady. She is also an AWESOME big sister!! Seriously - she is probably the best big sister I have ever seen. She helps Aiden, as much as he will let her, and she is great with Sophia! She and Sophia already have a very special bond that only sisters can have. I pray that they will always be close and that they will grow up to be best friends.

Out of all three of my children, Jenny is the most loving. She loves attention, and loves to be hugged and loved on. She also likes when I do things like write her a special note in her school agenda or send notes with her snack at school.

Jenny isn't at our house all the time, but she is just as much a part of our family as Aiden and Sophia. We love, love, love having her here at home! We all miss her so much when she is not here - especially Aiden and Sophia.

That is pretty much everything going on in Jenny's life lately. I am looking forward to documenting her life more often!

Sophia is 10 Months Old!

Dear Sophia,

You turned 10 months old yesterday!! Oh my goodness, I can't believe how close you are to turning one! I already have a date set for your birthday party, I just have to start planning!! :)

You have grown up so much this month, you seem like less like a baby with each passing day. You are all over the place, and there is no stopping you! I can't leave the room without making sure you are in a safe place or that someone is there to keep and eye on you. You still army crawl, but you have started crawling the regular way too. You are getting closer to walking on your own. It's just a matter of getting over the fear of letting go of the table or whatever you are holding onto.

You wear 9-12month clothes, a size 4 shoe, and a size 3 diaper. I think you weigh around 17lbs. You have 4 teeth, and you are getting 4 more. 4 teeth at once seems rough, but you handle it well!

You had a double ear infection this month, but antibiotics cleared it up. You ended up being allergic to the antibiotic (Augmentin), and you got a rash. Benadryl cleared it up.

You got a first cousin this month! Your cousin Allie was born just a few days ago! You haven't met her yet, but you will tomorrow. We have already decided you will have to look at her from a distance since you LOVE babies so much! I think you might be too rough with her given the opportunity. I can't wait for the day y'all can play together!

You are so sweet! You love to give us kisses and hugs. Sometimes you even do it without us asking. You wave bye-bye and try to say bye-bye anytime you hear the word bye. You also love music! If music is playing you will sing and dance. It's so cute! You say "Dada", "Daddy", "Mama", "Aiden", "Baby", and "Bye-Bye".

 

 

You sleep every night from 9:00pm-9:00am. You usually take one nap a day, between 1:00-3:00pm. You have decided that you don't like baby food anymore. When we give it to you, you usually only take a few bites and then you get mad. You have had lots of table foods so far, but your favorites are: peas and diced carrots, brown rice, asparagus, avocado, Cheerios, graham crackers, mashed potatoes, and of course, anything sweet.

You are really starting to get to such a fun age! We are just having so much fun watching you grow up!

Love always,

Mama and Daddy

Sophia is 8 Months Old!

Sophia, you are 8 months old! You turned 8 months old on December 4, 2012. 8 months just seems so big! You are doing so much, and it is very bittersweet.

You are very mobile! You crawl anywhere and everywhere. I can't keep you in one room for very long! You love to follow people around - especially Aiden and I.

You have started to pull up on things. You love to stand up. We had to lower your crib mattress because every morning we find you standing up in your crib. It looks like you will be walking before you turn a year old, just like your big brother!

We have started giving you table foods. You love mashed potatoes! You have also tried oatmeal, and sweet potatoes.

You have two teeth on bottom, but I know there are some on top that have been bothering you. You are chewing on things like crazy, and slobbering everywhere.

You wear 6-9 and some 9-12 month clothes. You wear a size 3 shoe and a size 3 diaper.

You are still a very happy baby. I am so lucky to have such an easy-going child. I can take you anywhere and you are almost always good. You just go with the flow which works out great with our schedule (or lack of a schedule).

I can't believe how fast you are growing! I am going to start planning your birthday before I know it! Your Daddy and I love you so much, and we are so Blessed by you!!

Love always,

Daddy and Mama

Sophia is Seven Months Old!

Sophia, you turned 7 months old on November 4! You are obviously keeping me busier and busier each month, which is why these posts are coming later and later each month.

You are seriously the happiest baby I have ever seen! You only cry if you are hurt or hungry. You smile all the time, and you have started to laugh all the time too! You are also really starting to "talk" more and more. You have said "Dada" and "Mama" but you haven't connected those words with your Daddy or I yet.

Your favorite foods are sweet corn casserole and cinnamon raisin granola. You still aren't crazy about fruits, but you have no problem with veggies. You also love oatmeal, and your bottle. I have started giving you water in a sippy cup, but you haven't quite figured out how to use it. I really need to be better about trying more often with the sippy cup. You also like the fruit puffs and arrowroot cookies.

You are still an awesome sleeper! You sleep 10-12 hours overnight and take 2 naps a day. You usually wake up around 9am, and then take a 2 hour nap from 1-3pm, and then another 30 minute nap around 5:30pm. You usually go to bed between 9 and 10. It just depends on our schedule that day.

You are moving all over the place now! You crawl all over the house, and you can sit on your own. You are trying to go from a laying position into a sitting position, and you have almost figured it out. Just last week you pulled yourself up onto your knees. It won't be long before you are standing!

You have gone from being a Daddy's Girl to a Mama's Girl! I love it! You are still crazy about your Daddy, but sometimes you will cry for me if you see me. You are also crazy about Aiden! He makes you laugh like no one else can.

You love to look at pictures of people, especially pictures of yourself. You also like to see yourself in the mirror.

You have two teeth on bottom, but I think the top ones are on their way. You chew and slobber on everything!

We are teaching you to wave bye bye and I think you are starting to get the hang of it. Just today you dropped a toy and then you waved bye bye at it. Haha!

It is so fun to see your little personality coming out. You have started making silly faces this month too. It cracks me up!

We love you so much! You are growing up too fast, and I wish I could slow down time. It is almost time to start planning your first birthday party!

We love you Sweet Girl!

Mama & Daddy

Seven month pictures coming soon!

Sophia is Six Months Old!

Sophia,

You turned six months old on October 4! I am behind on getting this post up, but that's what happens when you have three very busy children. You have grown so much this month and you are doing so many new things!

Everyday you seem older than the day before. It is bittersweet. I love watching you grow and do new things, but it also saddens me that you are already doing so many things for the first time. Each "first" is also the last time you will experience something for the first time. I'm sure that makes no sense to you, but you will understand when you have children of you own.

At your six month check up you were 14lbs 9oz. and almost 27 inches long. You are in the 25th-50th percentile for your weight, and 75th percentile for your height. Your doctor says that your weight is a little lower than average, but you are gaining weight at a good pace, so it is nothing to be concerned about. She told us to go ahead and start you on baby food (although we have already started). You should be getting 2 fruits, 2 veggies, 1 dinner, and cereal twice a day. You should also be getting formula. Honestly I don't see how they expect you to eat so much, but we are doing our best. I'm not really concerned about you getting it all in one day - I worry more about you getting enough formula. That is where most of your nutrients come from.

You love veggies! So far I haven't found a vegetable that you won't eat. Your favorite is peas and sweet potatoes. You're not real crazy about fruit. You make funny faces and sometimes you get mad. We just keep trying though. Usually you will eat them, but sometimes you get so mad and spit them out. Recently you have gotten better about eating them.

A few days after your 6 month birthday, you started crawling! It is sort of an army crawl, but you get where you want to go! Jenny and Aiden were both so excited to see you start crawling. They can't wait until you are old enough to play with them.

You also started using the Jumparoo this month. I had no plans of getting it out until I started looking at pictures of Aiden at six months old and I saw that he was in the Jumparoo. Even after seeing the pictures I debated getting it out for you. I guess it's because I know you are my last one, but you still seem so little to me. You definitely don't seem big enough to be crawling and using the Jumparoo. Finally, I got it out, and now I'm glad I did. You love it! At first you were a little unsure of what to do, but you caught on quickly. Now you jump so much that sometimes Aiden will ask me to take you out of the Jumparoo because it makes too much noise while he is watching TV. Haha! You have also used the walker a few times, but you prefer the Jumparoo, so you don't use the walker very much.

You are such a good baby!! I get compliments all the time from people who tell me what a good baby you are. You have recently started going to the nursery at church on Sundays (you also go in the nursery when we are at MOPS). Every week when I pick you up from the nursery, the ladies in your room go on and on about how good you are. Sometimes they don't want to give you back to me. I love hearing people tell me about what a good baby you are. I am so Blessed! I am so glad you are such a good baby because we are on the go so much. Daddy also works a lot, so I have to take you almost everywhere I go. You go with me to Girl Scout meetings, Girl Scout Leader meetings, doctor appointments, dentist appointments, etc. I can't remember a time when you weren't good!

You are wearing 6-9 month clothes, a size 2 shoe, and a size 2 diaper (we started using size 3s today). Lately you have been getting this really bad diaper rash that takes FOREVER to go away. Once it goes away, it comes right back. It was driving me crazy! I asked your doctor about it at your six month check up, and she told me to use Triple Paste. We have been using it ever since, and your rash is completely gone!

Sophia, you are just the sweetest little baby girl! We love you so much! You are growing up way too fast, and we are loving every minute of it! Except for all the times I wish you would slow down. Haha!

I haven't taken your official six month pictures yet, but I will do that tomorrow and get them posted soon. For now, here are a few pics from my phone.

 

 

 

 

 

Aiden's Pumpkin

I have been trying to work with Aiden on some skills to get him ready for school. He will start Pre-K next August. Today we worked on cutting and glueing.
We made pumpkins today since Halloween is coming, and Aiden loves pumpkins. Here is Aiden's pumpkin....

He cut out the pumpkin, colored the eyes, and glued the eyes and stem on. I think it's cute! Not too bad for his first time using scissors and glue!

Jenny Is 7 Years Old!!

Dear Jenny,
Wow! 7 years old already! Where has the time gone? You just started the 2nd grade, and we could not be more proud of you!

Jenny, you are so smart! You can read very well for your age, and you are a wonderful writer too. You love to write stories! We have so many notebooks at home that you have filled up with stories and drawings. You also love to make "tests" for me. Math tests, spelling tests, grammar tests, etc. You also like for me to make them for you. I have always known you are very smart, but sometimes you really surprise me!

You have learned how to ride your bike without training wheels!! What an accomplishment! Your Daddy and I have been practicing with you for at least a year off and on, and you have finally mastered it. You used to get so frustrated and discouraged with riding your bike, but now you love it!

Some of my most favorite times with you are: meeting you at the bus stop in the afternoons. I just love to hear all about the daily happenings in your class. Sometimes you come home and tell me that someone was mean to you, which just breaks my heart. Offering you helpful advice has been a challenge at times. It is so easy to tell you to just treat that person the same way they treated you. But that isn't teaching you anything. It is also hard not to just go to the school and talk with your teacher. I don't mind doing that, but I want you to handle some things on your own. It is so hard sometimes to guide you, without leading or pushing you. Another favorite time of mine is our "girl moments". Whether it be a girl's night at home, a girl's trip to the mall or movies, or just dancing in your room with the stereo blaring, I just love our time together!
This is your third year in Girl Scouts, and also my third year leading your troop. You are a Brownie this year! Girl Scouts has been so much fun, and it is something that I hope to continue to do with you until you decide you don't want to do it anymore.

You are a wonderful daughter, stepdaughter, big sister, student, and friend. We love having you in our family and we can't imagine our lives without you!
I hope you have an awesome 7th birthday!!
Love Always, Daddy & Katie

Cubbies

Aiden has moved up in the Awana program. Last year he was in the two year old class called Puggles. This year he has moved up to the three and four year old class called Cubbies. He was nervous at first about being in a new class, but now he really likes it. In Cubbies they are learning the Pledge to the American Flag, the Pledge to the Awana Flag, and the Awana Song. They also get to go on the playground for a little while. He has a vest, bag, and handbook this year, too. His handbook has Bible verses in it for him to memorize. He earns patches for each group of verses memorized. So far he has earned two patches.

Sophia is 3 Months Old!

Sophia, you turned 3 months old on July 4, 2012! Oh, what a joy you are! You have changed so much this month, and have started doing so many new things! You are such a gift! You are such a good baby. You're very laid-back, and you have adapted to our "on the go" lifestyle so well. I take you everywhere we go, and have never had to worry about how you would react.

You have gone with us to the pool several times. You still haven't really gotten in, but we have put your feet in the water and wet your hair to try and keep you cool while your big sister and big brother swam. You have also gone to the movie theatre with us a few times. We have taken you with us to see Madagascar 3 and Brave. Both times you started out watching the movie, but then ended up falling asleep. We also took you with us to Stone Mountain this past weekend, and you did really well there too. You seemed to spit up more than usual, but I think that had a lot to do with the heat combined with how often we were passing you around from person to person. You rode in your stroller a lot too, but for some things we had to leave the stroller and carry you. You took your first trip to the top of Stone Mountain in the Sky Lift!

You have the sweetest disposition. You rarely every cry, you are a great eater, and a great sleeper too. Honestly, I was expecting you to be a little feisty. Your big brother was a good baby too, so I was expecting you to be a little more difficult. When I was pregnant with you, everyone would tell me that if your first baby was a good baby, the second one would be more difficult. Boy, were they wrong! If anything, you are an even easier baby than Aiden was.

You are such a happy baby. You really seem to be enjoying your little life so far. You smile all the time, and coo almost every time someone talks to you. When you first started "talking", the noises were random and unintentional. Now, you know how to control the noises you make and you are making them more often. You are also getting much louder. Sometimes you're so loud that you scare yourself. Silly girl! You have also started getting excited in the mornings when you see me coming to get you out of your crib. You smile and kick your little legs until I pick you up. You seem to be the happiest in the mornings.

You have started laughing out loud. So far you have done it 3 or 4 times. The first time you did it I was so surprised! I wasn't expecting you to laugh, and when you did, I could have cried. It was the sweetest little sound!

You are starting to watch Aiden and Jenny more and more. Aiden is still very jealous of you at times, especially when we are a Grandma and Grandpa's house. We have to remind him to back up a little bit sometimes as he likes to get right in your face to talk to you. He seems to be getting better about it. You have really started cooing at him lately. Jenny loves to help me take care of you! She has fed you a few times and has helped me change a few of your diapers. You have started smiling at Jenny a lot lately too. You really seem to be recognizing her more now. Since Jenny isn't here all the time, it took you a little longer to recognize her. We have been trying to make an effort to let Jenny spend some time with you every week that she is here so that you will know who she is. It seems to be working, and Jenny loves it that you smile now when you see her!

You are eating 7oz of formula every 4 hours during the day. You get your last bottle between 7pm and 8pm every night. I add 1tsp of rice cereal to this bottle. You sleep all night, not waking up until usually 8am-9am the next morning. I am so thankful for such a good sleeper! Occasionally you will wake up in the middle of the night, but I just put your paci in your mouth and you go back to sleep. This rarely ever happens, but when it does I don't give you a bottle. Your peditrician says that this is just a phase that babies go through around this age, and if I feed you, you will start waking up every night.

At your 2 month appointment you weighed almost 11lbs. I am curious to see how much you weigh now. You go back for your next check up at 4 months old. I am eagar to watch you grow and continue to discover this amazing little person that God created and gave to me.

Happy 3 months, Sophia! Your Daddy and I love you more than words can explain.

Love always,
Mama