Hungry McCranky

 After work this afternoon, I just wanted to soak up Adeline's quickly passing baby-ness. I wanted to be 100% present and attentive, ready to give kisses and hugs in abundance. Well, she was having none of that. An hour before her usual dinner time, she was throwing fits and eating lint off the floor.

We brought out the puffs, which were a very temporary fix. She did survive until dinner time, but not without a few meltdowns. She saw the strawberries coming before I could get them to the tray and she started doing the dance-of-impatience in her chair. No part of the meal could come fast enough for her! It was all I could do to cut up the noodles before she shoved three at a time in her little mouth. I even had to give her part of my meal because hers would not suffice.

Many handfuls of ham, noodles, mixed vegetables, strawberries, yogurt and raisins later, she was practically a new woman. Emotional eating or growth spurt? 

She ended the evening with a bath. Lately, she's been feeling the need to tell me she's done by climbing out of the tub herself. She gets her chubby little leg up on the ledge and grabs me around the neck to pull herself out. We both sit there dripping wet while Gerrit gets the towel ready.  Then there's teeth brushing, which she hates right now. More meltdowns and body flailing....mostly from Adeline. ;) Praise the Lord, she went to bed without a fight. Goodnight!

Memorial Day

 Up at my parents' house for the weekend, we had a full, loud house! Besides the usual immediate family, we had my grandma Rosalie, Aunt Dawn, and her three granddaughters. Ten adults and eight children under one roof make for a cozy time. The weather cooperated and we were able to be outside.

One of our favorite things to do is walk the Bearskin Trail. But right after we crossed the first bridge, one of the kid's bug nets (from the dollar store) flew into the lake. My brother-in-law, Paul, climbed down to rescue it. I told him it wasn't going to happen, and that just further motivated him. Of course, Greg and Gerrit had to get in on the action too. And wouldn't you know? The net was saved.

The Rascals: Take 1. Chantriss, Owen, Sophie, Aundrea, Asia, Jozie, Addie, and Aubrey.

The Rascals: Take 2. They are all too funny. My little cousins kept calling my dad "Mr. Bill." For the record, his name is Gordon. Poor Aubrey was sick most of the weekend and was quarantined to the basement. Sophie was basically toothless, she's lost so many teeth lately. Jozie and Asia sang show tunes together. My nephew Owen wore his shirt backwards each day to make it a solid color. He then referred to himself as that color + ninja. Example: I'm an orange ninja!

  The kids loved their time together. They got along great. Adeline badly wants to be a big kid, but this time I think she was happy to be in the stroller. She was almost asleep by the end of the walk. 

I realize this is blurry, but it's the best I could do with two very active little girls. Two-year-old Chantriss saw that Addie had the same shirt as she had packed. So she started yelling at me and my aunt, "Baby got my shirt! Baby got my shirt!" She was not comforted until she was wearing her own. And as my aunt was doing all the little girls' hair, there was an extra headband, so on Adeline's head it went! She fit right in.

 We finally got a four-generations picture! *sigh* These women are s-a-s-s-y. Watch out!

We also got to check out this photo from 1944 of my grandma with her mother and siblings. My parents think I look like Grandma (she's the one on the far left). She has aged beautifully, so I'll take it!

For Family and Fans: The Cupcake!

Since our families don't live close, we are sharing this video. It's longish, but I know the grandparents will appreciate it! We had a great time celebrating Addie's birthday today. Adam, Maria, and Delia were there with us. In June, when our families are able to be here for Adeline's dedication at church, we will celebrate again. so I'm sure there will be more messy-cake fun. There are lots of pictures from the day, so I've created an album on face.book for your viewing pleasure. 

The Bean Turns One...Tomorrow

This year has gone by in a blink. Here are the highlights, month by month.

Day One:

May 13. Arrived at 5:43am. 7lbs 1oz. 

 One Month

Fussy, fussy, fussy. 

Got chunky :)

 Two Months

She rolled.

Smiles and coo's. 

 Three Months

Very chatty.

Loves the TV and sitting up with help.

Four Months

Rolls in both directions.

Laughs for the first time!

Temper, temper.

Five Months

Loves music. 

Will still sing after the music stops at church.

More content.

Six Months

Loves passionately! 

Pulls hair, pinches, screams in our faces when excited.

Loves the bath!

 Seven Months

Bottom teeth came in. 

Jumps HARD in her exer-saucer.

Liking more foods.

Loves her daddy.

Eight Months

Clapping and so proud!

Saying "da-da."

Army crawling everywhere!

Nine Months

Eats tiny bits of fuzz off the floor. Naughty!

Practicing with sippy cup and solids.

Ten Months

Pulling books off the shelf! Uh-oh

Learns how to shake her head "no."

Could live in the bathtub. She loves it. 

Crawling for real now and into everything!

Pulling up on things. Time to move the crib down!

Eleven Months

Says "uh-oh" and signs "more."

Likes to dance to the "oldies."

Likes to be chased!

Still a daddy's girl.

Favorite food is blueberries.

This year has been the fastest, most challenging, and most rewarding we've had yet. Addie Rose is a delight and we are so proud to be her parents. We love you, Bean. 

Epiphanies

I had a couple epiphanies last night. They may be obvious to others; but for some reason, I hadn't had this revelations before.

1. I'm Gerrit's One and Only Wife. As such, I need to love him like no one else will.

Lord-willing, Gerrit and I will grow old together and never be married to another. I'm the only one who gets to kiss his lips romantically. I'm the only one giving him foots massages and back rubs. We share a home and a daughter. Of course there are several other things that come along with a marriage. But it's MY responsiblity to keep up my end of the relationship. No one else gets to be his wife. Naturally, if you know Gerrit you love him. But you aren't his wife. So, you can't (and I hope you don't) love him as a wife does. That's my job. Shouldn't I be the best darn wife I can be for him?

2. I'm not a perfect mother. My mothering will never look like Pinterest thinks it looks.



This is not us. I've never looked like that.

 I am not uber-crafty. I do not take amazing photos of our family. I do not serve Addie gourmet, organic meals. I don't do the laundry enough. I don't hand-stitch onesies (God bless you, if you do!). I am not stimulating her little brain at every moment with infant, educational flashcards. But goodness gracious, I love that kid. And I'm doing my best! She will never have to wonder if she's loved by Gerrit, me, or the Lord because we'll tell her and show her everyday. And I think that means more than a million personalized onesies.



Our Reality. But with fewer naps.