August Happenings

                                     Troy and Eliana up above
If you click on the picture, you can see her growing locks in the back.

GramE, Kallie, and Eliana to the left

 August has been a blur of events.  I had a baby shower in the middle of the month.  I didn't bring my camera, but I'll get some pictures of the shower from my sister some time in the future.  If I haven't had the baby by then, I just might put them up on the blog. I'm not promising a whole lot of blogging once our newest wee one comes.  We had a lot of family come up from our hometown.  It was great for Eliana to see them, especially her cousin Kallie who she played very well with.

 Eliana and Kallie

 I found that I took my camera several places in August only to realize that I hadn't charged it.  Here are a few shots from the zoo with GramE and Rachelle.  Eliana loves the tigers and the Dino Dig.

 When Aunt Marcie visited later this month, we went to the zoo again.  We were there for the grand opening of the new sea lion exhibit.  It was AMAZING and so much nicer than the former one.  There is a whole section on the other side of the exhibit where you can see through glass into the underwater world of the sea lions and seals.  I meant to snap a picture of Eliana and Aunt Marcie, but alas I didn't.

 Eliana turned 26 months last week.  My how time flies.  Overall I love having a two year old.  She's been having a hard week with her two year molars coming in.  The top two are in, and the bottom two are partially in.  Eliana loves being outside.  Yesterday while Kyle, Eliana, and I were walking in the "cool" of the evening, Eliana said, "Look, I found it!"  Curious as to what "it" was, I asked and she smiled with glee, pointed, and said, "Clouds!!!!!!!!"  Awe.  I too enjoyed the clouds multiple times on our walk and was glad that Eliana pointed them out.

Eliana's memory is cracking us up.  In July, she saw Thomas.  Thomas showed her a giant stuffed animal tiger which happened to terrify her.  If you mention Thomas, she says, "Thomas. Tiger."  After the baby shower, which was nearly two weeks ago, Taylor was holding Eliana when she had an accident (which hasn't happened to anyone else while they were holding her).  Here and there she brings up, "Pee Pee on Taylor."  She is very sorry that she did so.

Things Eliana reads or is read to are very important to her.  She regularly goes looking for the moon outside since in one of her books a bear and the moon play hide and go seek.  She can tell you just about all of the words for Kitten for a Day as you turn the pages.  Dr. Seuss's ABC An Amazing Alphabet Book cracks her up on the "c" page because the camel is on the ceiling.  "Silly camel" is her response.  Her new favorite series is the Little Bear series.  We picked up another story today at the library.  It amazes me how she can sit and listen for such a long time.  It is such a blessing, because she isn't whining due to her teeth if she is sitting and listening.

We've reached the 35+ week mark in pregnancy!  Eliana often says, "The baby is growing!"  One night a week or so ago she said, "Baby sister.  Baby sister come out and play!"  I told her baby sister needs to keep growing for a few more weeks.  We love at night when after giving me a hug and a kiss, she kisses baby sister by kissing my belly.  We've been getting some of the baby gear out, and she loves playing with it all.  Her dollies have gone in the stroller, the car seat, and had their clothes changed multiple times thanks to Aunt Marcie's handy sewing work.

Elaine, Grant, Jaxon

 There are many reasons why my first year as a stay at home mom was very difficult.  Maybe one day I'll share those reasons, but that isn't today.  Today is about some very special people who helped me soon after being home for over a year.  We met Elaine, Grant, and Jaxon at a BBQ hosted by our apartment complex last fall.  A few weeks later, Elaine and I with our kids crossed paths while going to the mail box, and I asked if she and Jaxon would like to join Eliana and I for a walk later that week.  That was the beginning of friendship in which we walked for nearly an hour almost every week, and I found my first new friend since being a mommy.

 Jaxon and Eliana played well together and learned to share together.  Just recently Jaxon learned how to walk, and it was hilarious watching them play peek a boo/hide and go seek around corners and in rooms.  For months Eliana has loved helping Eliane to push Jaxon's stroller during parts of our walks.

Elaine and her family moved back home to New Zealand last weekend.  We will miss their close proximity dearly.  I look forward to Skype catch up calls in the future.  I am so very grateful that technology will aid us in staying connected.

You can see a photo of Eliana helping to push Jaxon in his toy car a few months ago here.

Sleep

Sleep

Sleep, oh how I miss thee

Let me count the ways

Sleep, your waning quality is poorly timed

For 'tis the season to toilet train

When you left

You took the great virtue

Patience

Sleep, why did you confiscate my 

Sense of humor too?

Taking everything literally is

Problematic for my marriage

Sleep, I received your replacement

Hormonal Surges

I'd rather you return

Being near tears for no apparent reason

For hours on end

Is

Not

My idea of a good time

Sleep, your absence has been noted 

By

My 

Two year old

"Tired mommy?"

Sleep, your recommendation for

An earlier bed time has been noted

What about my application sent to the 

Uninterrupted department?

Sleep, I understand that these

Multiple wakings in the night

Are part of God's preparation for the

Coming baby

Please know that you are

Dearly

Missed

Sleep, even if you can't stay long

A visit now and then

Would be

Much

Appreciated

Sleep, I remember when you

Took a vacation about two years ago

Your replacement

Near Delusional

Was not

Welcome

My application to the uninterrupted department

Wasn't granted for

Over

A
Year

Please don't take such a long vacation

When baby sister arrives

*** I wrote this poem last week after several days of little sleep.  I figured writing a funny poem was better than lashing out at Kyle and Eliana.

I paint, Daddy

This past weekend I had been working on the laptop for awhile when Eliana woke from her nap. She ate her snack while I got in a few more minutes before coming over and insisting, "My turn. Share, Daddy." So I opened up MS Paint and told her that she could not hit any buttons, but she could move her fingers on the touch pad. We played with many different colors and techniques, and I am proud to unveil her first masterpiece.

Now when she sees me at the laptop she shouts, "I paint. I paint, Daddy."

Locks of Love Donation

 This is the last photo taken of my long hair.  Eliana was "helping" me do the dishes.  This is at least my third time donating to Locks of Love.  My hair was getting pretty long after Eliana was born, but I had Kyle chop it off soon after she was born because I just couldn't handle all of the weight of all that extra hair.  It wasn't quite long enough to donate, but I was tired of the headaches.  This time around Trisha cut it.  She didn't know she'd be a hair dresser when she came to visit, but I was thrilled to have her do my hair!!!

 Eliana's vocabulary now includes, "Careful, baby." as she is gentle around her growing baby sister.

 We've hit 30 weeks already!  My how the times flies.  If this little one is early like her big sister, then we have less than 7 weeks to go.  I guess it is time to pick a name or at least narrow down the options to a handful.

 I am so very grateful for our growing family.  I'm getting less sleep now, but I know it is all God's way of preparing me for the new little one to come.

I recently was in a conversation with man who I realized had no compassion for his wife when she woke up in the middle of the night in severe pain with a charlie horse.  I am so very blessed to have such a gracious and loving husband who willingly, and gently, rubs out those knots.

Updates on Eliana:
*She is 25 months old.
*Sometimes she goes days with out an accident, and I PRAISE the Lord for that!!!  She can sleep through the night and wake up dry.  She went to the toilet two times at church with child care workers yesterday.  That is a first.  Normally she just goes through the motions with them a handful of times.  She has done well over the past few days about going to the restroom while we were out and about for a couple of hours at a time.
*A little over a week ago Eliana found me crying.  Her little, tender heart stirred and she went and got me her blanket.  She told me to lay down.  She covered me up.  I was resting my arm holding my head up.  Nope, that wasn't good for her.  She wanted me completely resting on the floor covered in her favorite blanket made by Aunt Marcie.  I was so touched by her compassion.

Sunflower Farm

On Thursday, a coworker and I went to visit a client’s facility. On the way back he noticed rows of sunflowers on the side of the road in a half maintained garden. He commented, “Nice. Someone has a little sunflower farm.” I asked why he automatically went to that conclusion. I continued, “That is a great example of evolutionary progress. The soil, seeds, insects, and water all wanted to be more organized. The soil did its part by raising itself up and dropping itself down in long runs. The seeds did their part by dropping into the raised soil every so often. Making sure to stay on the raised run of soil the full length that the soil provided it. The good insects made sure to remove the bad insects from the area. They worked to removed the weeds without disturbing the sunflower sprouts…” By this time he wanted to know why I was being crazy. I stopped my fanciful tale and said, “Because where there is order, there is a designer.”

Colossians 1:15-17

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Our Growing Girl

I don't remember the last time I took Eliana outside just to take pictures.  Although this trip outdoors also including getting the mail, I hoped I'd get a few nice shots.  I think there was such a long season of Eliana being a blur in initial photo shoots that I took a break.  Trying to get her to smile for a photo isn't happening much, but she did stand mostly still while I took a few photos.

 Thanks Elaine for the special necklace from New Zealand!  I'm hopeful that it will help her as she has her 2 year molars coming in any time now.

 These photos above and below were actually from June, but the outdoor look matched this post.  Plus I really don't know how much longer Eliana will nap, so it made sense to me to put them all together.  Eliana loves to be outside.  Drawing with chalk is a current favorite hobby.  She enjoys "helping" me with whatever I am drawing.  So there is often an animal with lovely stripes or spots on it from her handy work.

I'm amazed at how much she has grown from her 1st to her 2nd birthday.  In that year she learned to walk, run, and is currently working on jumping (which is hilarious to watch).  She feeds herself pretty well when she is interested in the food set before her.  Just last night I noticed that she is taller than the kitchen table.  I remember the season of her hitting her head on the underside of the table.  She loves to help do the dishes, switch the loads of laundry, sweep the floor, and just about anything else we do.  This morning she wanted moose in her hair since I was putting some in mine.  I tried to explain that she needs to wait until she has long curly hair, but she persistently asked for moose.  Needless to say she wasn't thrilled when I said no and put it away.  She figured out how the baby locks work on the few cabinets we keep them on.  She hasn't unloaded a cabinet for us, and she doesn't get in them unless we are talking about something she knows is in them.  For example, I mentioned needing to her some medicine, and she went and unlocked the cabinet for me.  We moved the medicine up to a top cupboard that she can't reach.  We'll continue to train her not to go in certain cabinets, but I wasn't willing to risk having the medicine in the same location.  This morning Iheard her saying parts of nursery rhymes,"Baa Baa Sheep.  Have any more?  Yes sir, Yes sir."  and "Twinkle, twinkle... twinkle, twinkle... wonder and then repeated"  which she says for all the words but in different sing-song voices.  Our little girl is growing, and we love her dearly.

July 4th, a Zoo day!

We were super blessed to get a zoo membership for Eliana's birthday!  We went as a family on July 4th!

 Eliana enjoyed the dino dig area where she and Kyle worked to uncover a t-rex before the amazing bird show.

 I love Eliana's facial expression here!

 I really enjoy taking pictures of macaws.  They are show such a brilliantly bright array of God's creativity.

We spent the evening with Rachel, Ruli, Sarah, and church family.  It was great to enjoy the fellowship and talk with other moms about pregnancy.  We're 28 weeks along!!!  The baby is growing and should weigh around 2 pounds now.  She is getting stronger and we can visibly see her stretch out and move across my belly.