It’s official!

Joshua has three teeth. :)

(Admit it, some of you thought I was announcing something else. LOL.)

Well it’s true, Joshua has hit another milestone- his first top tooth came in this week. So my little guy is well on his way to eating steak. Like next week at the rate he is growing. :)

Here’s the proof of little man hunt’s newest achievement.

He’s teething like a pro. No mood swings or crying in the middle of the night. What a stud. Way to go, Joshua!

Speaking of studs, check out this picture I took of Josh the other day. I love it because I think it really captures his joyful spirit. You are a blessing, son. :)

 

Can you tell from the photos?

A LOVE of SOCKS. (Taylor is holding hers in her hand.)  :)

I don’t know if I’ve just got Harry Potter on the mind because I’m leaving for sunny Orlando a week from Friday or what- but the obsession this little lady has with her socks is no fantasy.

Yesterday she ran around barefoot all day long carrying her baby doll and her pair of socks. Every time I tried to put the socks on her she had a mini meltdown. I’d say she was pretty clear that she did not want to wear them. No she just wanted to carry them all around the house. She tried putting them on her elmo, then she tried putting them on Josh, and then she tried cleaning the coffee table with them. She even insisted on taking a nap with them – not on her feet-  but in her arms right next to her doll. It’s weird. But it’s funny. I love discovering these little quirks about my kids. It’s part of what makes being a stay at home mommy so sweet.

Also, I think it’s no coincidence that the reason Dobby loves socks (and any other article of clothing for that matter) is because it’s a sign of his freedom. For those of you who don’t follow the books or movies- house elves are slaves to their wizard families. The only way they can be freed is if their master gives them a piece of clothing. Dobby loves socks because it was the piece of clothing that gave him freedom. I wonder if my little two year old is trying to tell me something…  :)

Here’s the munchkin playing with her socks this morning.

You sure are a silly goose, Taylor Christine. And I love it.  :)

(Post from Jeff)

Came home the other night, had dinner with my family, played with the kids, got them to bed, had a quiet time, and fell asleep on the couch for 90 mins. Was remarking to Nicole how challenging this past year has been. Having more kids on a single income has pushed us to work harder than we ever have. Saw this video. Made me tear up. We might both be exhausted – but it’s totally worth it.

This month the kids had their doctor check-ups. Taylor had her two year visit (hard to believe it’s already been two years since we welcomed this little lady to our life!) and Joshua had his 9 month check-up. Both kids are making great progress developmentally. Taylor is 33 inches tall and Josh is not far behind at 27 inches. They are less than a pound apart in weight. Taylor is 20 lbs, 15 oz and Joshua is 20 lbs, 5 oz – also their heads are basically the same size. All that to say- I don’t think it will be long before people start asking me if Taylor and Joshua are twins!

Taylor has started potty training. We are off to a good start. Mostly, she just sits on her potty with her clothes on while reading books to help make her comfortable with the idea of sitting on the potty. No successful use of it yet though. I think that may be a little while off still. One HUGE milestone for Taylor lately has been her change in attitude towards food. I have absolutely no idea what happened. But within the last month she has decided that she doesn’t mind eating food after all. We went from trying desperately to get her to eat anything other than graham crackers to her eating chicken, meatloaf, celery, bacon, banana chips, olives, etc. It’s amazing. She is still very sensitive to food- so if anything hits her throat funny she will almost immediately begin gagging which usually means everything else is coming up. This usually only happens about once a month- hopefully it will be less and less.

Joshua has been making huge strides. Not only is my son a champion eater, but he is also a self-feeder now- at least when it comes to Gerber Graduate Puffs.  One or two puffs at a time isn’t enough either. He has to have an entire fistful of them at once to be happy. Joshua has even started drinking out of a sippy cup! No crawling yet- but he seems like he’s getting closer and closer to crawling every day. I guess for now he is content with rolling around to get to the toys he wants. Lately, Josh has been going through some significant separation anxiety. Most of you know, I stay home with the kids so it may sound weird for me to say he’s got separation anxiety- but it’s true! If I leave the room or just go out of his eye sight for a second, Josh has a mini meltdown. Not until I come back does he calm down. I started putting him in my moby wrap and toting him around the house- but let’s be honest- when your kid is over 20 pounds you can’t really do that for long. Not to mention I can’t really get anything done cause I have a 20 pound kid strapped to me. Taylor has been a good helper in this regard. If I do have to leave the room and Josh starts to have a melt down she will go over to him and start handing him toys and talking to him. It’s really sweet. :)

Below are a few pictures I took of the kids this week at our neighborhood park. So glad it’s finally warm enough to get outside and play with them. I see lots of visits to the park in our future!

Last weekend we celebrated Taylor’s life with family and friends. Taylor loved seeing all her buddies and especially loved having everyone sing happy birthday to her. :)

Here are a few pictures of our fun afternoon.

Grandma Hunt came for a visit this month. The kids had a wonderful time visiting with Grandma. Thanks, Janice, for all your help! Can’t wait to see you again!

Both Taylor and Joshua had another first this month when they got their hair cut. We planned to take Josh in to get his hair cut but Taylor’s hair cut was a little more impromptu. I think I was more nervous about getting it cut than she was actually. Her hair has been so slow growing in so I’ve been really reluctant to cut it. But once we got there I was persuaded to give it a try on the theory that it will help her hair grow faster.  So Taylor got a hair cut too. :)

Here is Joshua’s before picture:

The process:

And his after picture:

And here are a few of Taylor getting her hair cut.

Taylor’s after shot:

Both of the kids did great. Josh actually really enjoyed it. Taylor tolerated it. They both look so cute.

Another great memory. :)

This month we got to visit with one of my sweetest girlfriends and a bridesmaid in my wedding, Aubrey Bettencourt. Aubrey was in town for work- so we got to steal some time away to go out to dinner- thankfully she didn’t mind that our children screamed, cried, and even threw food on the floor (even though we did!). This was her first time meeting Joshua and of course he won her over with his cute little smile and dimple. :)

Lucky for me, Aubrey happens to love the Harry Potter series. So she and I will be heading to Orlando, Florida this April to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. Should be a lot of fun. This will be my fisit time away from Jeff and the kids since Taylor was born over two years ago. Feels weird to be leaving the kiddos- but of course I am really excited. The trip will be about 3 weeks before final exams so it’ll be my last hurrah for a while. :) Watch out Orlando…. here we come!

Hard to believe that it is already March of 2011. This year is flying by. The kids are really growing up now… it seems like each day there is a new milestone met or more firsts. It’s a ton of fun, but also reminds me of just how important it is to live in the moment and cherish every day with these kiddos.

First new milestone: Josh has really mastered balancing while sitting on his own. He loves sitting up on his own and playing in his ball pit. The best part is that if he does lose his balance he falls onto a bunch of soft plastic balls. In fact, I think he falls over on purpose just to laugh as all the balls surround him. It’s really funny to watch.

Next new milestone: Now that Josh is sitting up on his own really well we can finally bathe the kids together. It’s a win-win. The kids love playing and splashing in the water together and we love the fact that it saves us time bathing the kids all at once.

Memories: The first warm day of the year I took the kids to the park. It was nice to get out. This cold winter weather really makes me miss CA. While at the park I took the kids swinging. It was Joshua’s first time on the swing. He really loved it. Here are a few pictures.

 

BIG GRINS!

I think Josh was so happy about swinging he was doing a little happy dance while sitting down. :)

 

A few days later Jeff and I took the kids to the park and had a great time playing on the slides.

Josh sure does love his daddy.

Taylor going down the slide all by herself.

Looking good.

Uh-oh. Wipe out.

My handsome little guy.

Love this face.

Taylor showing off her pretty scarf that Grandma Darlene made for her.

Being home with the kids to make all these memories together is such a blessing. It is an honor to be their mommy and I can’t wait to make many more memories with them. :)

Happy 2nd Birthday, Taylor! You are such a blessing in our lives. We thank God for you every day!

Love, Mom and Dad

Reflections from Jeff on Taylor’s Birthday

Last night, as I tucked in my little girl, she told me about her toes and the stars. She’s a big fan of both and is proud to correctly identify them for her daddy. Two years ago today, I found myself on my knees in an empty hospital room. My daughter, whom I had never met, had been whisked up to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. All I had of her was a faint cry. A cry from lungs too small to make much of a sound. The love of my life was still unconscious from the surgery. And I was alone. I had spent 7 years of my life studying theology and yet all I could do at that moment was beg. On my knees and in a way I have never done before or since, I begged God. I begged him for the life of my little girl. Her small cry in the operating room was so familiar – I felt as if I had known her my entire life. So on the floor of that hospital room – and with my entire soul heaving – I begged God for her. I had nowhere else to turn. I had nothing to offer. All I could do was beg and plead.

God took us through a terrible wilderness. A wilderness I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. 94 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We had many more terrible moments. Entire days full of begging and pleading. But we made great friends and saints including doctors, nurses, pastors, and friends helped us along the way. Two years later I write this and tears still come to my eyes. God heard my prayer. He answered. It wasn’t easy but He was always present. Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

God delivered to this world the most wonderful little girl. She takes after her mother in all her remarkable ways. Today, my wife is healed, Taylor is a rambunctious two year old, and we have an amazing little boy. That day, two years ago, seems so far away. Like a bad memory. Yet, I will never forget. While I was on my knees with nowhere to go, He heard my cry and was faithful. When I had nothing to offer him, He had everything to offer me. He is mighty in His love. All glory to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.