Kate's 1 Year Letter

**I had this written before her 1st Birthday on 11/29/13, but didn't get around to posting it until now.**

Dear Kate,

I just cannot believe that you’re already 1 year old!  It simply amazes me how fast time flies.  I really try my hardest to cherish every moment I have with you because I know they’re passing so quickly.  I also cannot begin to tell you how much joy and happiness you’ve brought to our family.  It’s amazing how God allowed our ability to love to grow exponentially when you joined our family.  Not only are you a blessing to daddy and I, but Ian also adores you! 

You have continued to grow so much, in every way, since the last letter I wrote.  Size-wise-, you are now 19 lbs 1 oz. (17%) and 28 1/4 inches long (23%).  You’re wearing 9 month clothes, but are about to move to 12 months…in PJs, at least.  You are finally able to wear some of the little size 3 shoes. You’re just so petite!  I honestly don’t know where that came from!  I love dressing you in cute dresses, hair bows, and leg warmers (with ruffles :).   Your straight, dark-blonde hair is getting longer, so I can finally clip a little bow in now.  You have bright blue eyes, and daddy and I CONSTANTLY have people tell us what a beautiful baby you are!  (We agree! :)

You’ve been crawling for a while now, and sometimes, pulled up on your knees.  In the last 2 weeks, you’ve started  standing up next to the couch, fireplace, bathtub, activity toy, etc.  It’s so cute because you give us the BIGGEST smile when you stand!  You’re so proud of yourself, and we are too!  You love to crawl around with a “baby” (i.e. baby doll or stuffed animal).  You give us a huge grin when we show you one of your babies.   You love playing in the bath with Ian, and like throwing toys on the floor with a smile.  It’s cute for now, but at Ian’s age, it’s not cute any longer. :)

You’re vocab is expanding, as well!  If you pick up a ball, you will say, “ball,” and when you leave, you’ll wave your hand and say, “bye-bye.”  We’ve also thought that you’ve said “hi,” but it’s less obvious.  When we sing “Patty Cake,” you start clapping your hands.  You’ve started standing your ground with Ian.  If he takes a toy that you’re playing with, you squeal and try to get it back.  You love playing with Ian though.  When you see him, you get a huge grin on your face.

You started sleeping through the night in mid-October (10 & ½ months).  Mommy had been nursing you 1-2 times per night, but you really didn’t need it given your good appetite.  We had to give in and let you “cry it out” for a few nights.  It worked!  Ever since then, you sleep from about 8:45pm to 8:45am, with a feeding about 5:30-6:30am.  During the day, you take 1-2 naps: morning and afternoon.  You do pretty good at putting yourself asleep, as long as you have your paci, blankie, and a “baby” in the crib.

You have a great appetite and will pretty much eat anything!  We don’t think you even chew/gum the food because it goes down so fast!  You really like any type of fruit, especially bananas, Gerber raviolis, graham crackers, and oatmeal or rice cereal.  You also like avocados, mixed veggies, and beans.  You’re getting better at drinking through a sippy cup.  At your daycare, you recently had a taste of cow’s milk and apparently did fine!

Lori Chrisman is your babysitter.  She watches you and Ian on Wednesday mornings during daddy’s meeting, and Thursdays and Fridays from 10:30am-5:00pm.  You love Miss Lori, and she loves you!!  All of the kids think you’re pretty darn cute, as well!  On Tuesday  nights, mommy and daddy trade off date nights with Jim and Jessica Lucas.  You love to go over to their house and play with baby Neely, who is just 10 days older than you.  You girls are so cute together!  She gets called “Nee Nee Bees” and we call you “Katybug.”  For Halloween, she was a bee and you were a ladybug….so adorable!!

This year, your first birthday is on a Friday…Black Friday , to be exact.  You were born a week after Thanksgiving last year, but your birthday is the day after Thanksgiving this year.  We’re celebrating with Nanny, Papa, and Daddy’s side of the family at the lake Texoma cabins.  We had your “official” birthday party on 12/3/13 in Enid.  We had the party early because lots of family members were in town for mommy’s cousin, Jill’s, wedding.  The theme was “Ladybugs” since we call you “Katybug.”  You were quite the adorable little lady!  You wore black and white polka dots with a red tutu.  You LOVED your first taste of cake and ended up covered in black and red frosting.  You received several nice gifts, including a new activity walker, a personalized chair, a Minnie Mouse kitchen, a nursery, a lantern toy, a ZooPal certificate, a Care Bear, clothes, Minnie Mouse doll, and money for your college fund.  Several friends and family came to help you celebrate!

Katybug, we love you so incredibly much.  This year just FLEW by!  Daddy and I continue to pray that you’ll be happy and healthy for years to come.  You bring us so much joy.

Happy 1^st Birthday, sweetheart!

Love, Mommy and Daddy

 

Ian's 3 Year Letter

Dear Ian,

I'm writing this letter the night before your 3rd birthday.  Three years ago, on 9/22, I was checked into Wesley Hospital to be induced.  I had no idea what to expect or how my life was about to be changed forever!  As our first child, your arrival introduced daddy and I to a whole new world of love and excitement.  I frequently think of the first time we saw you...our perfect little boy!

Wow, I know that it will be impossible to document everything that you've done in the 6 months since my last letter.  You have grown up so much!  Daddy and I were just talking the other daddy about how much you look like a little boy now, especially after you've had a haircut.  You're in 3T shirts and 2T shorts, mainly because you're tall and thin.  You still have your amazing smile, and fortunately, you share it a lot!

You are incredibly energetic and keep us busy all of the time.  You're really started using your imagination so much more lately.  We always see you playing with your cars and trains....thinking up different stories and adventures, while each one has a part.  You love to play with daddy on the bed.  He lifts up the covers and you go into the "cave."  You like to get the play food and dishes out to make "soup" and other tasty selections.  Then, you share them with mommy.  Outside, you love to run, kick, swing, and play in your playhouse.  You also enjoyed swimming this summer, including jumping off of the diving board several times.  We got you a "Puddle Jumper," and that really allowed you to be independent. Often, you ask if you can color or draw with chalk on the driveway, race, and play games.

By far, your most favorite things to eat are goldfish crackers and fruit snacks.  You could literately eat those all day if we would let you!  Breakfast usually consists of a breakfast bar and yogurt, lunch is either Spaghettios or PB&J, and supper is usually chicken, cheese tacos, hot dogs, pizza, or mac and cheese. Your food is often paired with on of your favorite drinks: milk or apple juice.  Like mommy, you have a sweet tooth and get excited over goodies like cake and ice cream...and chocolate milk!

You still love to play with the Disney "Cars" toys, and your favorite car is  Lightening McQueen car with a broken spoiler.  You call him "bad Lightening Queen."  I don't know what it is about that specific car, but you love it.  Your Chuggington trains still get a lot of attention, as well as your farm toys and...the iPad.  The iPad captures a lot of your attention.  You love to watch "movies" (i.e. TV shows like Disney Jr., PBS Kids, or Netflix shows) and play games (i.e. Angry Birds, flash cards, painting/drawing, Mickey Mouse Road Ralley, and puzzles).  Lately, you go get your blankie and pillow, crawl on the couch, and play with the iPad.  You also always want to take it in your room for nap and bedtime.  We have to try hard to restrict the time you spend playing on it, otherwise you'd play on it all day!

I can't even begin to comment on all of the things you say now.  It's easy to have pretty long conversations with you...at least when you're still enough to talk to us (usually in the car :).  You really like to invite us to play with you.  I hear, "Mommy, do you want to play ---- with me?" (i.e. cars, trains, etc.) all of the time.  Sometimes you'll say, "Daddy, does that sound like a plan?," and at bedtime, you'll ask "Mommy or Daddy, will you lay with me?"

Your weekly schedule has changed, once again.  Now, you go to Discovery Place from 7:45-11am on Mondays and Tuesdays, then you go to Lori Chrisman's house from 8:30-11:30am on Wednesdays, and 10:30am-5pm on Thursdays and Fridays.  You love your friends at Discovery Place (namely we hear about Liam), and you enjoy going to Miss Lori's house as well. 

Kate is your biggest fan!  She loves to watch you and laugh at you, and you enjoy making her laugh.  Every morning, you want Kate to wake up so she can come in the living room with you.  You always want to know where she is and what she's doing.  She's starting to crawl around now, and you like to have her sit with you and play; however, you're not a big fan of her taking your toys (even though she doesn't know what she's doing).  You really like to be able to see her in the car, and you get concerned if you can't see her.  If you haven't seen her for a while, like when you're at school, you are excited to see her and say, "Hi Kate!"

In the past few weeks, we've started potty training.  Actually, you did pretty well at first, but you're still wearing pull-ups when we are away from home, and a diaper at night.  If you have one of those on, you don't tell us when you have to go potty.  When you wear your big boy undies, and we're at home with the potty close by, you're good about going.
 
You have lots of little friends, including Brennan and Zoey Lucas, JJ Shinkle, Joshua and Paige Nelson, Paige Gibbs, and Cecilia Monaghan.  For your birthday party this year, we had a double party with Zoey Lucas (her birthday is 9/24).  We rented a moonwalk castle, had carnival games, hot dogs, and popcorn.  You had a "Cars" cake (of course), and Zoey had a "Hello Kitty" cake.  It was a lot of fun!


This evening, we asked you about your favorites.  My goal is to do this each year on your birthday.


Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Toy: Cars
Favorite Fruit: Apples
Favorite TV Show: "Bob the Builder" (this is fairly new)
Favorite Lunch: "Beggios" (spaghettios)
Favorite Outfit: Race car shirt
Favorite Game: Tag Jr.
Favorite Snack: Goldfish
Favorite Animal: Elephant
Favorite Song: ABCs, Apples & Bananas
Favorite Book: Chuggington
Best Friend: Brennan
Favorite Thing to do Outside: Play
Favorite Drink: Juice
Favorite Holiday: Christmas
Favorite Thing to Take to Bed: Blankie
Favorite Breakfast: Yogurt
What you want for your birthday dinner: Pizza
What you want to be when you grow up: "a giant" (first answer), then "daddy" :)

I'm excited to see how your answers change over the years!

We love you sooooo incredibly much, Ian!  You bring us so much joy, love, and excitement.
Happy 3rd Birthday!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Kate's 9 Month Letter

Dear Kate,

I can’t believe that you’re 9 months old!  There are so many changes that happen too incredibly fast the first year.  I was just reading your 6 month letter, and I realize that you’ve come a long way just in 3 months!

You continue to be quite a bit smaller than Ian was at your age.  Last week, I started putting you in 6-9 month sleepers.  We finally retired a few of the 0-3 month pants that we were using as “capris” (hey…that’s one great thing about being a girl J).  I love dressing you up in sweet little dresses and headbands.  You are just a doll baby!

You are a big fan of pretty much any food item!  You’ve eaten peas, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini, apples, bananas, pears, peaches, mixed fruits and veggies, and some meat baby foods without any complaints!  You also love both oatmeal and rice cereal.  You’re schedule usually involves oatmeal for breakfast, 2-3 bottles during the day, another type of baby food for dinner, and rice cereal and nursing before bed.  You have mastered feeding yourself puffs, Mum-Mums, and yogurt bites.  Only about 30% of them end up on the floor now (as opposed to 80% J).  I can’t really tell if you have a favorite because you like everything!  I definitely think you belong in our family!

In the last month, you finally started rolling over…both ways.  It was pretty interesting because one day you weren’t rolling, then the next day you’re rolling all over the place!  You were actually sitting up pretty well before you even figured out rolling.  Now, you get up on your hands and knees and rock.  I think that crawling is coming soon!  I’m a little nervous with all of Ian’s trinkets covering the floor!  We will have to keep a good eye on you.  You generally seem pretty content sitting on a blanket with a pile of toys.  You like anything that makes sound, lights up, or is soft and cuddly.  You always grin and hug any type of doll or stuffed animal…it’s so cute!  You jabber away sometimes, but other times you're content just looking around.  We've heard you say and repeat "dada" quite a bit.  Daddy says that's your first word, but Aunt Carrie says it's normal for a baby to say "dada" first...haha.

To provide an update from the last letter, we learned that you did have eczema.  This was the cause for all of the scratching.  Dr. Hund gave us some 2.5% hydrocortisone cream and a daily ritual (bath with no soap and cream applied within 3 minutes of bath), and it seemed to clear everything up.  I think you’ve pretty much grown out of it because you don’t have any trace of the skin patches now.  Speaking of baths, you love them!  Lately, you’ve been sitting in the whale tub while Ian is with you in the big tub.  He loves taking a bath with you and vice versa!  You like to bang toys and splash.  You’re starting to get fussy when I take you out because you’re having so much fun in there!

You still aren’t the best sleeper.  I shouldn’t complain too much because you usually get at least one 5-6 hour stretch in every night.  Mommy just needs to learn to go to bed earlier, so I can take advantage of it!  You’re going to bed around 8-8:30pm, waking at 11pm or 1-2am, then again at 5:30-6am.  I typically have to nurse you to get you to go back to sleep.  Dr. Hund said that if you go right back to sleep after eating, then it’s probably what you need!  I’m not too bothered by it because I enjoy my one-on-one time with you (and I can go right back to bed).  You usually have a morning nap and an afternoon nap.  Sometimes, you’ll take a really short (30-60 min) evening nap before bed, especially if you’re really fussy.  You have two teeth on the bottom now, and it was pretty rough getting them in.  You were fussy and had a temperature around the time you were teething so I’m sure we’ll get to visit those times again when more teeth start making their way to the surface.

Lori Chrisman is still watching you on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, and all day on Wednesdays.  She treats you just like her own child!  You are the only baby at her house, so that makes you really popular with the kids.  Ian is going to start joining you next week when he changes to morning-only preschool.  You will like having your “bubba” around.

You’ve been really busy this summer!  Daddy got to celebrate his first Father’s Day with both you and Ian.  You had your first trip to Colorado to see Grandpa Dick and Nana’s house, you went back to Red River, you’ve been to Tulsa, Norman, and Enid.  You’ve also been swimming several times this summer and love to be in the water! You seem to like being in the floatie things, but also like to be held in the water.  We have a lot of fun events coming up in the next year too!  You were asked by Chelci and Jeremy to be the flower girl in their wedding next June.  I can’t wait to see you all dressed up! 

Well, now that you’re 9 months old, “Let the birthday planning begin!!”  The theme of your 1^st birthday will be “Ladybugs” since we call you Katy Bug.  We’re going to have the party at the Oakwood Activity Center in Enid.  Aunt Carrie is making your invites.  All of the rest is still up in the air!  Mommy is excited to start planning!  Your birthday this year will be the day after Thanksgiving (i.e. Black Friday) and we will be at Lake Texoma with Nanny and Papa, so we’re having your party a few weeks earlier.  We’ll probably do something special on your actual birthday, too.

We love you so much, angel!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

My Angel

She's almost 9 months....our beautiful little angel.  Thank you, Jenny, for your amazing ability to capture such special moments!

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Okay, so maybe I don't really remember this, but I have a box of my old baby clothes that I used to use for my dolls.  Most of them aren't in very good condition, but I found one that looked pretty decent.  I thought that it would be special to snap some pics of Kate in this little dress/bonnet duo.  Pretty adorable, if I say so myself!

Leonardo's Discovery Warehouse

Enid has a really awesome learning center called Leonardo's Discovery Warehouse.  We went there last weekend, with my cousin's wife and daughter (Avadelle and Haley) and her sister and her kids.  They have so many fun, unique things for kids to do!  Ian really enjoyed playing with the giant Lite Brite...(remember those fun toys?)  He also liked looking at at all of the animals.  

In my opinion, one of the greatest parts of Leonardo's is their AMAZING outdoor play area, called Adventure Quest.  It is the WORLD'S LARGEST, community-built outdoor play area!  Check out the full view at their website: www.leonardos.org.      Here are some pics from our day!   

Kate's 6 Month Letter

Dear Katy Bug,

We finally gave in to a nickname...Aunt Heddie called you Katy Bug before you were born, but we resisted for a long time.  Now, we just think it fits you!  You're small, feminine, sweet, and beautiful...just like a little ladybug! :)

You've been growing and changing daily.  You're in 3-6 month clothes, but still wearing some 0-3 month onesies.  I have no idea how you turned out so petite with parents like us.  Maybe it will catch up with you!  It's so much fun to dress you up in all of the various, cute clothes...complete with it headbands and bows.  Daddy's not a big fan of the accessories, but boys just don't understand, do they?!  You started eating rice cereal at 5 months 5 days old.  Mommy was hoping that it would help you sleep a little longer at night, but it didn't really seem to make much of a difference.  You weren't too sure about the rice cereal at first, but you're learning.  This past Monday, you tried your first baby food....sweet potatoes (per Ian's request).  You really seemed to like them!  It is always fun to try the different foods.  I wonder what your favorite will be?

We've been giving you lots of tummy time lately in effort to help you learn to roll over.  You still haven't really done it yet!  I guess you're just content where you're at...although you prefer your back to your tummy.  You just found your feet, so you bring them up to your hands now.  Maybe you'll figure out how to roll soon.

Sleep hasn't been your forte.  Some nights are pretty good...waking up one time around 2-3am after going to be around 9-9:30pm and waking at 6:30am.  Other nights, you'll wake up around 1am and again at 5:30am.  Mama is tired after nights like these!  I know they won't last forever, so I don't mind too much.  I like spending quality time with you. :)  Lately, you've been really fussy.  I keep thinking you're teething, but haven't seen any of those pearly whites poke through yet.  You also have a habit of scratching your head...especially when you're tired or fussy.  We have to cut your nails daily and keep your head moisturized in case it's itching that's causing you to scratch.  I think it's probably eczema-related, but not positive.  We keep you swaddled with your hands down, or we put little mitts on your hands to keep you from doing too much damage.  Your normal schedule is to wake up around 8-8:30am, eat around 9:30am, play, nap, eat around 1:30-2pm, play, nap, "dinner" (rice cereal) around 6pm, play, short nap, then bedtime around 9:00pm.

You still love bath time!  Ian likes to share his toys by putting them in your little tub.  You love to kick and splash!  You're also really enjoying your exersaucer and jumperoo!  You talk and babble to all of us.  You love playing/chewing on Sophie the Giraffe, your Little Einstein music player, and the plastic links.  I think that you also like to participate in reading time with Ian.  You like to help turn the pages. :)

Lori Chrisman has been watching you when mommy and daddy are at work, and you seem to really like her!  She watches you from 2-5pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, then 8:30am-5pm on Wednesdays.  Ian joins you there on Tuesdays.

In the past 2 months, we haven't done much traveling except to Oklahoma to visit family.  You went to Chelci's graduation and Muskogee/Coweta to see the Herringshaws and Scott, Ashley, and Hudson.  Mommy enjoyed spending Mother's Day with you!

We love you sweet girl!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Moore Tornado

Such devastation! This is a pic that my friend, Ashtin Taylor, sent me. She works at a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market pharmacy in Moore. She was not at work on 5/20/13 when the tornado hit, but this is the view outside of her store. It represent the tragic loss of many homes and lives. My prayers are with all of those affected, and all of the caring volunteers.
Sent from my iPhone

All Fenced In!

 

 

We have been toying with the idea if getting a fence ever since we bought our house. After we got the playhouse, I realized that it wasn't as fun as I had hoped because I was having to follow Ian around everywhere to ensure he didn't run to the front (and the street)! We decided to go for it, and we are really happy with the results! It was just completed on Tuesday, and we've been outside every evening since then. Tonight, we babysat the Lucas kids, and everyone had a blast being able to run free.  Well...except the babies, but they enjoyed being outside and watching the crazy, older kiddos. :)

 

 

Enid Trip

Yesterday, the kids and I made a quick trip to Enid.  Jason works from 11am-11:30pm on Sundays, so I thought it would be nice to get out of the house.  It was a beautiful day, and it's a pretty quick drive!  Every trip to Enid involves "making the rounds" to see everyone.  My dad and stepmom were out of town, so we spent the time with my mom & stepdad and my grandparents.  Here are a few pics from our trip!



                                  

       

Canola field near Enid...so pretty!!

Kate loved watching the trains with Great Grandpa Frank!

Some of my favorite girls

Grandpa was so excited to show Ian his trains!

Ian loved spending time with his Great Grandpa Frank

Grandma Donna with her little froggy

Friends!

Neely and Kate are just about 2 weeks apart! Here they are enjoying some girl time. :) Aren't they precious?!

Go Shockers!

Although Jason and I are big OU fans, it's been hard not to jump on the Wichita State University (WSU) bandwagon lately.  The Shockers are headed to the Final Four!  It's a HUGE deal around here...not only is WSU a small school in comparison to all of the other schools, but they're doing so well!  I'm pretty sure I saw more Shocker gear on people out and about today, than I have since we've lived here!  I hope that they do well tomorrow!  Who knows....maybe they'll make it to the championship game.  It sure is gonna be good for the school and the City of Wichita!

Kate's 4 Month Letter

Dear Kate,

My, oh my…time sure does pass quickly!  You are changing more and more each day!  Daddy and I are finally getting into the “routine” with two kiddos…and you’re getting more and more used to your new family! :)

You are much more alert now, and you’re falling into more of a schedule.  You usually wake up around 8:30am or so, eat at 9:30am, play, nap, eat around 1:30pm, play, nap, eat at 4:30pm, play, nap, then eat around 8:30 or 9:00pm before going to sleep for the night.  Some nights you’ve slept up to 7 hours…but usually you have about one 5 hour stretch and one 4 hour stretch.  We’ve learned that you sleep MUCH better if we swaddle you with your arms down.  Your little hands like to move around and wake you up!  You’re sleeping in your crib now with no problems.  You’ve had a little flat spot developing on your head, so we try to put you to sleep on your side with a little blanket behind your back to keep you in place.  You’re a little wiggle worm, though, and always end up on your back again.  When you eat, you like to mess with your head/hair, and this has resulted in lots of little scratches on your head (despite mommy trying to keep your nails clipped), so I’ve been putting little mittens on you when you eat…haha.   Despite this little “issues,” you are still a beautiful baby!  You still don’t have much hair, but the hair you do have is a light brown.  Your eyes are bright, big, and blue!

You LOVE your baths now!  Every time I put you in the tub, you kick and splash water all over the place…with a big grin!  Even if you’re upset before your bath, once you hit the water, you’re happy!  Ian always tries to give you his bath toys.  He’s such a good big brother, although, mommy has to remind him that you’re still too little to play with them. :)

In the last 2 months, you had your first trip to Dallas.  You were loved and cuddled by Aunt Heddie and Cousin Edie.  You also got to meet Ashley Gonzalez and her little Wyatt, as well as Sarah Ussery and her baby Wyatt!  It was fun to show you off to our friends.  We’ve also had a few more trips to Norman and Enid.  You generally do great in the car, as long as you’ve been fed and changed.

You are “talking” up a storm!  You babble back if anyone talks to you.  You love responding to mommy and daddy’s questions.  You also like to talk to Ian!  You’re smiling a lot, too!  During the times when mommy and daddy are at work, you go to Lori Chrisman’s house.  This happens to be Mondays and Tuesdays from 2-5pm and all day on Wednesdays.  She says that you are such a good baby and happy most of the time.  She’s pointed out that you’re much more talkative now, too!  You’ve been going to the nursery at church now for about a month & do really great.  The workers say that you’re an angel baby! :)  You’ve rolled over a few times (tummy to back), but I almost think it was accidental.  You really don’t like tummy time at all, but I think that this is pretty normal for a lot of babies.  You last about 5 minutes, max, before getting upset.  You like being in the bouncy seat and “talking” to the animals on the little mobile that goes to the seat.  You’ve also started holding little toy rings and reaching for things.  You’re coordination isn’t too great, yet, but I’m sure it will improve!

You’re still wearing 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers.  I think that we’ll need to move you up soon…at least on diapers.  It is so much fun to pick out your outfit each day, and to choose your headbands and bows for special occasions. Daddy doesn’t realize the importance of a girl’s accessories, but that’s okay…it’s hard for boys to understand those things. :)

This Sunday will be your first Easter!  We’re so excited to get you dressed up in your Easter dress.  Last weekend, you got to meet the Easter bunny with Ian.  You were such a good girl, and you looked so pretty!  As we remember Jesus dying on the cross and being resurrected for the saving of all mankind, we are eternally grateful.  Not only for God sacrificing his Son for us, but for Him blessing us with you.  We love you, Kate!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Ian's 2 & 1/2 Year Letter

Dear Ian,

I'm in the habit of reading the previous letter I wrote before starting on a new letter.  Mainly, I do this to see what you were doing during that time of your life.  After reading your 2 year letter, I realize that there's not a whole lot that's different now, but you're more advanced in the traits & abilities that you had at that time.

You are such a talker...still!  You are saying 5+ word sentences all of the time.  Everyone continues to be impressed with your talking ability.  Even the PA at your doctor's office pointed out that you're speaking very well for your age.  You love to sing & know lots of words to your favorite songs.   You're starting to express your emotions through words.  You'll say things like, "Mommy, I missed you," and "Daddy,  I love you."  It's so sweet to hear you tell us these things! Some funny things that you've said include asking if the diaper bag was "daddy's purse" after mommy picked up her purse, as well as calling the shed in the backyard, "Daddy's house."  When you want to be held, you'll say, "Mommy, I want to hold you."  I love it!  I know that's not exactly what you mean, but it makes a mommy feel special. :) You'll ask questions like, "Where's daddy? At work?  Oh, okay."  Yesterday while we were in the car, you said, "Mommy, I'm talking to you."  When we leave your school, you'll say, "Bye friends!  See ya next time!"

Probably the biggest change in your life since in the past few months is the addition of your new sister, Kate.  You are such a good big brother!  You've wanted to hold her, play with her, tickle hear, and give her toys.  If she's laying on her play mat, you'll want to lay down beside her and snuggle.  When mommy and daddy were in the hospital, you came to visit and were excited to see your new baby sister.  You weren't too sure of all of the commotion she was creating, though.  Nanny and Grandma Donna said that on the way home from the hospital, you said, "I don't like that baby Kate."  They couldn't stop chuckling!  I think you like her a lot, now...at least until she's old enough to take your toys.  You tell mommy and daddy when she's crying, or say, "Kate's happy" when she's smiling.  You're also a big help at giving her a paci or throwing her diapers in the trash.  You love to tell her "hi" when you've been away from her, and like to "baby talk" to her like mommy and daddy.

Your favorite toys right now are your "Disney Cars" cars and anything else that's "Cars" related.  You LOVE Lightening McQueen, Mater, and all of their friends.  You constantly want to watch the movie, and you've probably seen in 50 times!  You mostly watch it in the car when we're traveling.  After school, you say, "I want to watch cars and have a sucker."  You love to drive them around and make sound effects, but you're not too keen on sharing them with your friends.  We had a big tantrum the other day at JJ's house when Shelby pulled out a big Lightening McQueen car and we told you that you'd have to share it with all of your friends.  You would not have it!!  I think you're just passionate about them. :)  You also like to look at books, play with your Tag Jr., drive you big yellow dump truck around, and play with balls.

Your diet hasn't changed much at all...hot dogs, mac and cheese, pizza, chicken nuggets, "beggios" (spaghettios), and PB & J.  Your newest thing is that you want a "banna" each evening before bed, so mommy will give you 1/2 of a banana to have with your milk.  You always insist that it's in a little bowl, too.  You want a "big banna," meaning you don't want us to cut it up.  You love milk and apple juice, and occasionally get to enjoy some chocolate milk.  You love sweets, especially ice cream and cupcakes...although, you're idea of eating a cupcake is to lick the icing off then ask for another. :)  Last night, you asked for some "chocolate chip ice cream."  This made us laugh because we probably haven't even bought that kind before, and somehow you knew about it.  Your favorite snacks are goldfish and fruit snacks.

You're schedule has changed a little now.  Since Kate is here, we had to find a daycare provider that would take infants.  We found a sweet lady named Lori Chrisman to watch her, and she watches you some, also.  You go to Discovery Place Preschool all day on Mondays and Wednesdays, then you go to Lori's house on Tuesday afternoons from 2-5pm.  When I come to pick you up from school or Lori's, you say, "Mommy, I'm ready to go home and play."  If you're in the car when we pick up Kate, you always welcome her by saying, "Hi Kate!"  You still wake up around 8:30-9am and go to bed around 8:30-9pm.  Naps are a hit and miss for you.  You generally don't want to take them, but you're a lot happier in the evenings if you get your rest.  You're sleeping in your "big boy bed" now and doing great!  You always have to have your glow seahorse turned on and your Dreamlites bug that projects stars all over your room.  You also have to have your cars in bed with you. :)  You still like to read books and have mommy sing to you before bed.  You love, "This Little Light of Mine," "The Wheels on the Bus," "Alligator Eyes" (aka - Mommy's Soup Surprise - a song that I learned in elementary school), "Jesus Loves the Little Children," "Chuggington," and "Little Einstein."

Besides the "Cars" movie, you love watching "Little Einstein" and other Disney Jr. shows.  You also like "Curious George," "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," and "Doc McStuffins."  Grandma Donna got you a little doctor's kit and you like to give everyone a "check-up" with your stethoscope, just like "Doc McStuffins." You still like to watch "Chuggington" and will always want to go downstairs to play with your train table.  You like to ask, "You play trains with me?"  When Uncle Alan and Aunt Carrie or Papa came to visit, they played trains with you, so you continue to ask them and everyone else.  You love to have an audience! (You just don't want to share your trains...hehe).

You still have a few close friends that you love to see, including JJ Shinkle, Joshua Nelson, Brennan Lucas, Paige Gibbs, and Silas and Karly Kemper.  Wesley Ashour came to visit recently, and you enjoyed seeing him again, too! You're generally very sweet and friendly, but you all usually "parallel play," and don't really play together well (nobody really wants to share what they have...haha).  You love going to the Cove at church to play with your friends.  In January, we went to Red River, NM with the Herringshaws, and you loved playing with Cole and Conner.  You continued to ask about them for a long time after we returned.  You went sledding with them and loved playing in the snow.  Speaking of snow, we recently had a record-breaking 14.2 inches in one day here in Wichita, so you got even more snow time!  You love to play outside and will probably be out a lot more this Spring.  Santa got you an outdoor swingset for Christmas, and Papa is coming next week to help daddy put it up in our back yard.  You're going to love it!

You're still tall and thin.  You're wearing 2T clothes right now, and love wearing your "Cars" and "Chuggington" shirts.  Your hair grows so fast, so we usually have to get monthly hair cuts.  You look forward to them because you get a sucker.  We've been trying to get you interested in potty-training, but you won't have it.  You told us you don't like the potty because "it's too cold," so you won't sit on the little potty chair or the big one with a foam ring.  Hopefully you'll change your mind in the near future!  You're starting to get bothered by your wet/dirty diapers.  Mommy has a feeling that potty training is going to be a challenging task with you, so we haven't really even started yet!

You know all of your family, and love to see your grandparents and great-grandparents .  When we go to their houses, they all have a special toy stash for you, and you know right where to go!  The funniest thing is how you interact with Grandpa Chuck.  If Grandma Donna is around, you always want to know, "Where's Chuck?", "What's Chuck doing?", and say, "Hi Chuck, how are you?"  You like to pair everyone up.  If Nanny is around, you ask about Papa, and vice versa.  We recently went to Dallas for a visit, and you loved playing with cousin Edie and Aunt Heddie.  Uncle Alan likes to call you, "Eee-on," and you say, "I not Eee-on, I Ian!"  It's hilarious!

Oh, I feel like I could go on forever, and I'm sure I'm leaving stuff out.  I'll add it later if I think of it.  We just want you to know how much we love you, sweet boy.  You add so much to our lives, and we can't even begin to imagine it without you.  We continue to look forward to the light you infuse in us each and every day.  We constantly thank God for the blessings He's provided us in you!

With Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Snow & Back to Work

Today was my first day back to work after an amazing 12 weeks of maternity leave. It was interesting, to say the least, due to the snow! I left to work 40 min early and made it there safely. There were quite a few people that called in (employees and patients).

Cousins....

We just got back from a trip to Dallas! We stayed with Jason's sister, Heather, and her family in their beautiful new house. Ian had great fun with his cousin, Eden. Heather snapped this adorable pic while they were out playing.

Kate's Baby Dedication

Today was a special day!  We were able to dedicate Kate's life to the Lord.  As her parents, I know we have a huge roll in her upbringing, and one of the most important things to Jason and I, is to raise her in a way that honor's God.  He has provided us with sooo many blessings by following Him, and we want our children to experience the same type of joy.  We dedicated Ian when he was just about a month old.  As it turns out, he was dedicated at the same time as Zoey Lucas, and her mom, Jessica ended up babysitting Ian during several months out of his first year!  We didn't know the Lucas family at the time, but looking back, it's so neat to share that special day with them.  On that note, they dedicated their daughter, Neely, today also!  We did ours at the 9am service and they were at the 11am service; however, it's so neat to share in this special day together.  There were a total of 6 children being dedicated today!  Praise God!

 

The church provided each of the children with their own little personalized cake!  So sweet!

They also gave Kate a storybook bible and a dedication certificate with her precious little footprints

Lots of family came to witness this special day!

Isn't she adorable?!