It's been a loooonnnnggg time...

I really didn't mean to wait 3+ months before updating this blog again. :( Well, I have quit a bit of updating to do. Hmm... well, Evelyn is 11 months old very soon, and Josiah is a few months away from being 3! They are both just as sweet as can be. Josiah loves Thomas the Train and Sesame Street right now. He is always asking to watch the videos. He currently wants a Thomas the train cake for his birthday, but we'll see if that changes between now and his birthday. His language is really exploding right now, which is exciting. Seems like he is constantly learning new words. He is still being quite a pest towards his sister right now. I often find him locking her into wrestling-type moves. He has just started becoming a lot more affectionate. He is saying "I love you" and "Thank you, Mommy." He likes hugging me more, which I am glad-- since he wasn't much of a hugger up to now! The other day he was playing in his room, and then he came out to get me because he needed my help connecting part of his car track. I helped connect them, and of his own will he said "Thank you, Mommy!" It was so sweet! Before bed we read him Bible devotional stories, and then sing songs. His favorite songs are the "Gum Song" and the "Choo Choo Song"-- I made both of them up, but he likes them anyhow! :) He is also *very* persistent right now when he wants something. He will ask for it over, and over, and over, and over until I get it for him. It can get quite... frustrating. Especially when he sees that I am getting for him-- like a sippy. He sees that I am making it for him, and yet I am just not fast enough or something. And one last thing I'll write about him. He sometimes plays Mr. Bashful (especially when we ask him to say hi to someone he might not know). He flirts those little eyes upwards and bats his eyelashes. Too cute. Just want to scoop him up and give him kisses!

Evelyn is doing well-- she will take a step before falling to her knees. She is so close to walking! It is hard to believe my baby girl is almost a year old. She is babbling like crazy. I so want to know what she is wanting to say! :) She is almost 16.5 pounds. For a couple weeks she had a great appetite and gained almost a pound. Her appetite has slowed down again, perhaps from teething. Hopefully it rebounds again. All tests done so far have come back normal. Looks like her slow weight gain has no medical reason. She is so beautiful-- she has the greatest smile that just warms your heart. I love my children so much! Josiah gets a bit frustrated with Evelyn every now and then, because she is interested in playing with all of the toys he plays with. So she often picks up the track he so carefully put together, making big brother quite upset. It will be great when they can play "nicely" together (does that exist?)!

Okay, hopefully I can get back on board now with frequent updates, and it won't be months until the next one!

Picture Day

This morning we went to JcPenney's for some annual pictures.  It was TONS of fun.  (I'm not being completely honest with that last statement).  We weren't in the best mood to begin with upon arriving.  Then I realized I forgot Evelyn's hair brush (I hadn't brushed it at all yet), and her pretty red bow I was going to put in her hair.  Then Josiah and Evelyn wouldn't smile.  Usually they are pretty smiley kids, but not this morning.  I get a kick out of this-- the one time you *really* want them to smile, they don't.  And Josiah-- the little booger-- everytime we asked him to smile, he closed his eyes and often looked away from the camera.  We got a couple cute pictures, but definitely not all I was hoping for.  Oh well, I guess there is always  next year!

On another note, I did something today that I really enjoyed.  While Evelyn was napping this afternoon, Josiah and I sat on the couch and talked.  Though he is only 2 and still has limited language, I still think we did a good job communicating.  We talked about the construction workers who were digging a hole near our building, how they wore yellow vests, how the sky was blue, how there was a squirrel in the tree and how that squirrel likes to eat nuts just like Josiah does.   It is amazing the conversation you can have with a 2 year old!  I am looking forward to more!

Evelyn is extremely close to crawling.  Any day now I expect her to bolt across the room.  She is such an adorable, beautiful little girl.  However, I would appreciate anyone's prayers though who reads this blog.  She is just extremely slow in gaining weight.  She had some blood work done this past week to check for allergies/digestive issues that might be contributing to this.  As her mom, and her main food source, it has just been a *huge* burden on my shoulders.  It is hard to express in words the emotions I feel-- you just feel like a big failure to your child.  I have cried rivers of tears since her birth (over the many issues surrounding nursing)-- just ask Jason.  Poor fellow has seen and heard it all.  So, long story short, we would appreciate your prayers.  (Part of me feels silly asking this-- especially when I see so many people around me struggling with what can be considered far worse problems.  But, she is my daughter, I love her, and I am asking for prayer even in a "small" matter.)

And in closing, I have read and heard some edifying words during this stressful time as a mom.  I thought I would include them, too.  Unfortunately, I do not have the source of these quotes-- I have just been writing them down here and there as I have heard them:

"Don't try to crawl out of your problems and hard times.  Are you looking to God because you want a quick fix out of your troubles?  Stay in them-- God is wanting to *change you* in these difficult times.  He will move you out of them when it is time."

"I will never be enough-- because only my God is enough."

"My focus needs to be on Jesus-- He will keep me at peace and still through the ups and downs of life.  If you keep your eyes on the situation or on people, you will ride the waves up and down.  Keep your eyes on Jesus, and He will keep you steady."

and finally, a Scripture:  Isaiah 61:3

"To appoint to them that mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."

A Whole Month-- Yikes!

I can't believe I have waited this long to write another post-- sometimes life just gets the best of your blog! Well, things are going pretty well on the home front. Josiah and Evelyn are as cute as can be. Evelyn is 7 1/2 months now, and weighs about 15 pounds. She is a petite little thing weight-wise, but she is so active, just like her brother. She is so curious and attentive, and really reaching at anything in her grasp. She is doing great with sitting now-- hardly ever falls over. And it looks like any day now she will be crawling. She is just about there-- then watch out mommy! It will be *very* interesting to have a teeny home with a crawling baby and energetic toddler in it! This Friday she goes for another weight check. If she is still falling in the weight percentiles, the doctor said that they would be "obligated" to do some blood tests and make sure that there are no allergies or other problems that are causing the slow weight gain. I am hoping and praying that she is doing well enough that she doesn't have to go through blood tests. Josiah went through the same round of tests, and I thing he handled it much better than I imagine she would.

Josiah is enjoying the first snow this season. Last year he was still young enough that snow wasn't all that exciting yet. But this year, I think he will have lots of fun in it. We got out of the car today after preschool and he stood in the same snowy spot for about minute, and jumped up and down in it. Then he stuck his fingers in it, and then looked at it closely and smelled it. Snow is curious stuff! I am looking forward to playing in the snow with him this winter-- and maybe even sledding!

They are such blessings-- Thank you Lord for my children!!

And one more post...

Josiah has been doing such a wonderful job lately with speaking.  It seems like language is really starting to take shape-- yippee!  Here are some of the words that he enjoys using right now:

car

bike

bob (veggie tales character)

pop (for popcorn-- just introduced him to it, and he is hooked)

yellow

sissy (sounds more like "ditty")

broccoli

juice ("duce")

It is so fun to hear your child say his/her first words-- yeah Josiah!!!

And Evelyn is officially sitting up on her own.  She will be going for her 6 month check-up on Friday, so I will type out all current stats then!  Until then... have a great rest of the week everyone!

Bath Time...

I have been meaning to post some bath time pics of Josiah and Evelyn.  Josiah very much enjoys having his little sis join him for baths now... even though he can pester her a little too much... as you will see in the pics.

Pumpkin fun...

A few weeks ago we visited my sister down in Indy and took the kids to an apply orchard for their fall festival.  We enjoyed the really tasty apples-- the "Crispin" variety was excellent-- I'll have to remember to get more of those next year!  We attempted to get some pics of Josiah among the pumpkins, but sometimes he just isn't in the mood to stand around.  They also had a blown-up activity thing that he enjoyed bouncing in...

It's been awhie...

Sorry for the long time since my last post... I'll try to stay more consistent in my postings from now on!!!  Well, I'll catch everyone up on the latest and greatest events, and work my way back from there.  This past Friday we went to a party at our friends' house-- the Jordan's-- they live on a nice piece of land out in the country.  Since we are not (and they are not) really in to Halloween, they invited us and several other families over for a party.  It was a great time-- food, fellowship, campfire, and lots of activites for all the kids.  They hand-made a pumpkin pinata, and all the kids-- from the youngest to the oldest could take a whack at it if they wanted.  Josiah (assisted by daddy) had a total of 6 whacks at the thing.  I would think that with his active gusto that he displays at home, he would really get into hitting it.  However, he mainly just showed a huge grin, looking at everyone looking at him, and gave some gentle taps.  He enjoyed it though, and we are expecting a harder hit next year.  He also enjoyed throwing bean bags into buckets to get candy as a prize.  Yes-- he really enjoys his candy.  Unfortunately, we have no pictures to show... wish we did!