Iris is 9 months old!

Wow, didn't I just post about her being 3 months old? We are having so much fun around our house. Iris is mobile, Jeremiah is silly and we are busy!

At 9 months, Iris...

*crawls at breakneck speed

*pulls up

*knows what the garage door opening means... Daddy's home!

*love, love, loves her Daddy, I thought Jeremiah lit up when Al came into a room, but there is something special about a little girl and her daddy

*eats solids 3 times a day and so far autumn veggies are her favorites

*drinks water from a sippy cup, but just like her brother she prefers to drink from my water bottle

*now shares a room with her big brother and they love to make each other laugh

*would rather play with a cell phone or remote than her toys

*likes to be kept on a schedule and does not like when that schedule gets changed

*has 7 teeth in and is STILL working on 2 more up top

*loves to have her belly tickled

*makes our lives more fun!

We are so thankful for this beauty that makes our lives more beautiful!

A couple of silly faces for your Friday night

This is Jeremiah at 5 months old and Iris at 8 months old (sitting with Jeremiah, 2 years old). They know how to make us smile!

Iris is 8 months old!

It has been a busy month in our house so I am a bit behind getting this post up!

Iris is 8 months old! At 8 months Iris...

*crawls all over the place!

*she gets into everything. If there are 20 toys in the floor she will find a shoe to chew on, a piece of paper to eat or a choo choo to suck on.

*is not a great solids eater. She gets food offered to her 3 times a day, but would much rather nurse than sit in her chair and eat. When she does eat her solids well her favorites are spinach, zucchini and butternut squash.

*waves bye-bye and says, "ba-ba".

*recognizes her daddy, mommy and big brother by name.

*loves to sing songs and dance.

*has seven teeth and more coming in all the time.

*loves to ride in her stroller with her big brother and as of Monday she will "run" in her first race!

*has her favorite people and when she sees them, she lights up!

*thinks her brother is hilarious, even when he sits on her.

*does not enjoy her car seat.

The George Party!

We celebrated Jeremiah's 2nd birthday with a Curious George theme. Jeremiah loves George so it was perfect for him!

The banana cupcakes were made without any sugar or sugar substitutes and the icing was a delicious whipped cream and cream cheese icing made with agave nectar. They were delicious and healthy enough for Jeremiah to enjoy the leftovers for days without me feeling like I was giving him junk.

We had so many sweet friends come and celebrate with us and while Jeremiah started out overwhelmed, he settled in and was so excited to have some of his favorite people all in one room!

Jeremiah is 2 years old!

The incredible shrinking bear!

Wow. Two years! Part of me thinks this time has flown by while part of me can't remember life without our little comedian! We celebrated his big day with friends, blueberry pancakes, a family run, (okay, that wasn't really to celebrate, but we did shout, "It's your birthday!" several times), his choice for lunch which turned out to be a peanut butter & banana sandwich with veggie sticks and strawberries, then we headed to Sweet Cece's to meet some friends for yogurt, which means a bowl of blueberries for Jeremiah!), then once again his choice for dinner, sweet potatoes, broccoli and turkey sausage. After every few bites he'd say, "Mmmm, dat's so good!". We had a fun day of friends, singing Happy Birthday, over and over again, lots of playing and blueberries! Since the list of things that Jeremiah does would be very long, I think I will just list a few of our favorite Jeremiah stories, sayings and memories from the last 2 years!

*I will never forget the moment I laid eyes on my little warrior. My heart was gone and my awe of God increased massively.

*When I was pregnant with Iris Jeremiah was cuddling with me on the couch one day and she kicked him in the back. He sat up and turned and looked at her and said, "Baby!".

*Jeremiah loves to sing these days. His favorite solos are, Veggie Tales, You've Got a Friend In Me and Grandma's Song (the real title to that one is Revelation Song). When we are driving he asks for these to be played over and over and over again.

*Jeremiah still names his colors based on Sesame Street characters. I finally figured that one out! He has a book that names the colors starting with the characters. Elmo is red!

*Jeremiah's favorite foods consist of sweet potatoes, grilled chicken, homemade pizza, apples, blueberries, bananas, smoothies, broccoli, mangoes, watermelon, fruit bars, sweet potato fries, fries, chicken strips, pb & b sandwiches, spaghetti and chicken flautas!

*Jeremiah does not like mac & cheese, no matter how many people try to feed it to him, he will not eat it.

*As soon as he walks into his Gigi's house (Jeannie's house), he asks for an apple. So far she hasn't failed him.

*When he prays he names people he wants us to pray for and often he'll stop us mid-prayer to add to the list. Chances are, he's prayed for you lately!

*He LOVES to run with his daddy around and around the ottoman in our living room. This usually happens just before bed.

*He still takes his bear everywhere we go. It is rare for us to leave home without him, but he is pretty good about leaving him in the car when we go into places.

*Jeremiah is not a homebody. He likes to go and see his people!

*He loves tractors and big trucks. Good thing he lives in this town! This time of year we often pass at least one or more tractors on the road anywhere we go.

*He has always loved being cuddled, but likes to sleep on his own.

*Is still a mostly sugar-free kid. He's yet to have a cookie, bowl of ice cream or piece of candy and so far, it doesn't seem to have dampened his happy childhood. ;)

*Jeremiah loves to go to church and see his friends, but his real desire is to be allowed to play those drums!

I could do this all night, but I am a tired momma so I am going to stop now.

Do you have any favorite memories of Jeremiah? Leave a comment, I'd love to hear it!

This is how Jeremiah prepared to leave the house the other day. He was sick so he wasn't too keen on having his picture taken.

Iris is 7 months old!

Iris is 7 months old and quite the busy girl! She is so much fun to have around, I can't imagine life without her! Everywhere we go she has a smile for anyone who looks her way, but she is also becoming more aware of strangers. Al and I began training for a 10k a few weeks ago so we've been going running about 3 times a week as a family, babies in the stroller with Daddy pushing. Even in the stroller she'll stretch and sit up if someone is passing us! It is adorable. On to the update!

At 7 months Iris....

*has 4 teeth with 2 more pushing their way through

*likes to use those 4 teeth to bite fingers or anything else she can get in her mouth

*eats veggies, fruits and cereal each day, but so far her favorites are sweet potato and zucchini

*squeals and talks all the time and according to Jeremiah, she sounds like a monkey :)

*scoots on her belly or rolls to get where she needs to go, but can also get up on all fours and rock back and forth

*sleeps like a champ at night, but isn't fond of long naps during the day

*still thinks her brother is hilarious and her daddy is awe inspiring

*loves to jump in her monkey jumper

*is super-duper ticklish

*loves music and being sung to

*gives kisses sometimes when you ask, but mostly just when she wants to

*waves hello and goodbye

*wakes up each morning a little cuter than the day before!

Iris is 6 months old!

Iris is six months old! When I was getting Iris ready to take her picture I put her in her crib and quickly realized that it was time to move our monthly picture to the rocking chair. I looked at Jeremiah's pictures and he moved to the chair at six months as well! We are having so much fun with our kiddos, my days are full, exhausting and wonderful!

At six months Iris...

- weighs 16lbs 9oz and is 27 inches long, according to the pediatricians charts she is in the 65th percentile for her weight and 90th percentile for her height. She is a tall girl!

- has one tooth on bottom and a second is making its way in right next door

- loves to sleep on her side or belly

- sucks her thumb when she's sleepy or sleeping

- eats rice cereal once a day (much to her brother's dismay!)

- talks and sings when she's tired

- smiles easily and frequently

- scoots on her belly when she wants something out of reach

- gives the sweetest kisses

- loves her big brother more everyday and endures his "hugs"

- isn't a big fan of her Bumbo chair, but loves to bounce in her jumper

- loves the swimming pool as long as it isn't too cold!

- is extremely ticklish and laughs out loud often

- is very loved by her big brother, mommy & daddy

Wordless Wednesday

bye, bye bottle!

Ten days ago we did it, we took away the bottle! I gave Jeremiah his usual early morning bottle when he woke up and I told him that it would be his last. He was a big boy now and Mommy & Daddy wanted him to drink his milk from a cup. I told him I had a very special cup for him to use. So... all day long I waited for him to ask for him milk like he usually did and he never did. He normally took a bottle when he woke up, before morning nap, before afternoon nap and at bedtime. Well, we went all day without it and he never asked so at bedtime we gave him his new "extra special" Lightening McQueen cup! He was excited about the exterior, but refused the milk inside of it. Over the next 6 days he drank maybe one ounce of milk. Since he normally drinks 20 ounces of milk a day, I knew this wasn't going to work so we tried other cups. We tried milk in our cups. We tried boxed milk and finally on day 7 he tried it with a straw and drank a few drinks. Al handed him the cup while he was reading with Aunt Becky (she was here visiting) and he took a few drinks, looked at her and said, "what's this? this milk?" she told him it was and he made a face and took another drink! He still isn't drinking 20 ounces, but he does drink milk with his meals now as long as it's in a cup with a straw! I thought he would be really upset over no bottle and while he does ask about once a day, he isn't crying for it or giving us a hard time. I guess the lack of milk has left a void in his diet though and he is eating like a teenage boy! I've added more fat and calcium to his diet and I'm making sure he gets lots of green vegetables as well as a multivitamin. I was most worried I would miss the morning snuggles with him as he drinks his milk, but he still lets me snuggle him even if there isn't a bottle involved.

Things I hear...

It seems like every day Jeremiah adds words to his vocabulary. Sometimes they are right on and other times they take some imagination. I absolutely LOVE this age and love being able to communicate with Jeremiah, but it also reveals the things Al & I must say often... I told some friends at lunch today about something Jeremiah said to Iris this morning and my friend suggested I be writing these things down before I forget, and I thought, I should put it on my blog as well!

Jeremiah to Iris, Hi, gurl! Guess what? Wuv you!

When you point out colors he recognizes and names them in his own special way, Red=Elmo Red, Green=Oscar Green, Blue=Cookie Blue, Yellow=Big Bird Red (yes, I mean red)

One of his favorite phrases that we hear at least 20 times a day is, C'mere a minute

He calls Iris, my gurl or baby gurl

When he wants a fruit bar (his favorite snack) he says, Growger fuit brr The packaging has Grover on it, so of course they are Grover fruit bars!

This week we met some friends at a frozen yogurt place and his friend was shouting, I want ice cream! So of course Jeremiah excitedly said, ice cream! ice cream! Well, I filled up a cup with fruit from the toppings bar. When we sat down he took his first bite of blueberries, smiled, tilted his head back and said, Mmmm, dat's good ice keem! (don't tell him fruit isn't ice cream!)

When he accidently hurts Iris or if he gets too rough with her, we tell him to apologize, in the cutest voice he says, Sawwee Baby.

When Daddy is at work he is, dwivin' da big twuck!

He is really pretty good with names, but he calls his friend, Cooper, Pooker.

Aubrey introduced him to the movie, Cinderella when she was over last week and he calls it, Pwint, (as in princess).

He is quite the little prayer warrior and after witnessing Aubrey having a rough night he prayed, Aubrey gurl, happy, Aubrey.

Terms we must say often, because we hear them often, Oh gosh (that's Mommy!) & Awesome (that's Daddy!)

This weekend we will begin, Operation No More Bottle! I know, I know, he's too old for a bottle, but our pediatrician said not to push it until he was 2. Jeremiah isn't a fan of drinking his milk from a cup, water and juice are great in a cup, but milk? No way. Since he is a skinny-mini Dr. E said it was best that he get his calories from his milk, even if it came from a bottle. But, I really feel like the time has come to switch to a cup. So... pray for us! The plan is to let him choose a new fancy milk cup from the store and he can trade it for his bottles. For once I am thankful Iris refuses the bottle, at least there won't be any jealousy there!

Iris is 5 months old!

Iris is 5 months old and she is a happy, smiley, snuggly baby!

At 5 months Iris,
*is cutting that first tooth (still!)
*loves her big brother, but thankfully has quick reflexes already
*smiles at anyone who looks her way
*is so, so, so ticklish on her belly and under her chin
*doesn't love her car seat, but does better than she used to
*loves to play in her monkey bouncer
*loves to take showers
*thinks her daddy hung the moon
*sings herself to sleep
*talks all the time
*drools just like her brother
*rolls over both directions and is often on her belly when she wakes up in the morning

We had such a fun trip to Chattanooga this weekend for Al's birthday! I will post pictures soon!

Easter in pictures

Iris is 4 months old!

Iris is 4 months old! We are having so much fun as a family of four. Just last night Al & I were talking about how this time last year we were about to discover she was coming & we didn't think we were ready. So thankful that God moves behind the scenes! Life is more fun with surprises!

At 4 months little Miss Iris,
*loves her big brother & thinks he is hilarious!
*isn't a fan of her car seat
*sleeps great in her own room every night
*loves her bath time
*supports herself enough to enjoy her walker & Bumbo seat
*loves to play with her baby dolls
*sucks her thumb, but isn't a big fan of the paci
*rolls over from belly to back and can ALMOST go back to belly
*loves to make people smile

Iris is 3 months old (well, she was when we took these pictures)

I am a little behind, but we are having fun at our house, staying busy with play dates, making each other laugh, traveling the neighborhood in our new spiffy stroller & just living life! There is always time to take pictures, but there isn't always time to post them. Here goes....

At 3 months old Iris,
*sits up with support for short periods of time
*laughs out loud
*is very ticklish and sometimes just changing her shirt will get her wiggling and giggling
*loves to talk
*loves her big brother
*sleeps through the night consistently, but isn't a big fan of long naps
*lights up when she hears or sees her daddy
*has completed her first road trip to Oklahoma, but has asked not to ride in her car seat for that long again anytime soon
*loves to sit in her bouncy seat and watch her toy owl wiggle
*still likes being swaddled when she sleeps
*has started visiting the church nursery when Mommy is serving in the other classroom
*has the most kissable, chubby cheeks
*is the sweetest, most precious, cute, little girl we could ever imagine!

Iris is 2 months old!

Time flies when you're having fun! Iris is two months old and is growing, growing, growing! She is a sweet little girl who gives smiles freely, loves to "talk" if you'll listen & loves to stare at her daddy. Last week we went to the doctor for her 2 month check up and she weighed 11lbs 12oz which puts her in the 65th % for her weight. I don't remember her length at the moment, but she is in the 90th % for her height so while she is a bit chubbier percentage wise than her big brother was, she is keeping up with him in the height department!

At 2 months Iris,

*loves her big brother as long as he keeps his fingers out of her eyes!

*eats every 2 hours during the day, but sleeps 7 to 8 hours through the night!

*seems to be intolerant to Mommy eating eggs, so they've been cut from my diet to stay out of her milk. When Mommy eats eggs, Iris's face breaks out badly.

*loves to ride around in the front carrier on Mommy.

*laughs out loud.

*loves to nap on her tummy, but her favorite spot is on Mommy or Daddy's laps.

*is wearing size 3 month clothing.

*doesn't like riding in the car at night (this is just like Jeremiah was at this age!).

*loves to sit in her bouncy seat and talk to the owl.

*smiles at anyone who talks to her.

*loves to be carried on her tummy.

*stares at Daddy if he's holding her no matter what else is going on.

*is ticklish on her tummy.

*is such a sweet, content and happy baby, (as long as she feels she's getting enough attention!).

Chubby baby!

Playtime in the snow!

It snowed here in Spring Hill & while we did get a good amount, we didn't get out to play in it until most of the yard had melted. As you can see from the video, Jeremiah loved it!

Jeremiah is 18 months old!

One year & 6 months has passed since this cutie changed our lives forever! He fills my day with fun, laughter, sometimes frustration (he is a toddler) and so much joy. We laugh so much in our house & most of the time it's at our buddy, whether he's intending to be funny or not. Today while I was nursing Iris he crawled onto the couch and snuggled up to me & said, "wuv you". That was the first time he's said it without us saying it first. sniff, sniff...

Here we go!

At 18 months Jeremiah:
*loves Elmo, Cookie Monster & Curious George
He can read any book that has them in it over & over. In fact, if they aren't in the book, he will find something in the book that might relate to them. He loves the videos as well and hunts for them at the library. He will snag any ad or magazine to see if he can find a picture of any of them, his detective skills crack us up!
*talks really well and adds more words to his vocabulary daily
*loves blueberries, grapes & blackberries & will beg for them at every meal
We've started to have to save them as a special treat if he eats other things first.
*loves to play his drums
*wants to push any button he finds; microwaves, light switches, remote controls, the coffee pot, cell phones, if it has a button, he wants to push it!
*has lots of favorites foods, but a few are sweet potatoes, scrambled eggs, oatmeal & turkey sandwiches
*played in the snow for the first time this week & loved it!
*loves to play ball with his daddy
*loves to read books and has started "reading" out loud to us & to his baby sister
*loves to take baths
*helps Mommy prepare meals by sitting on the counter or standing in a chair where he "washes" things.
*starts his day by snuggling with Mommy in bed
*makes a face we call his silly face or his George face (Curious George) that is sure to make anyone laugh and beg for more
*loves his Aunt Gigi (our friend Jeannie) and he knows when we drive passed her office & gets very upset if we don't stop to say hello & play
*loves to pray
We of course love this and encourage it, but it is awesome to have him ask to pray and then make suggestions of who we should pray for. His favorite subject of prayer? His friend, Hey! Also known as our dear friend & Pastor, Jordan Roe.
*loves his little sister & is ensuring she will never have a dull life
*is our favorite little guy & it is a privilege to be his parents. Everyday holds new surprises & lots of fun!

Iris is one month old!

Wow, a month has flown by! Iris continues to be a happy baby, she cries very little and when she does it typically means she is hungry, wet or wants to be swaddled. Jeremiah loves his little sister, but often gets in trouble for pushing her swing, bouncing her seat or squeezing her hard a little too hard. It is precious to catch him holding her hand or stealing kisses. Bedtime isn't complete until he's told her night-night and given her kisses.

At one month Iris,
*sleeps great at night, but wakes up twice to eat
*loves to be swaddled tightly
*smiles often, but reserves the best ones for her daddy
*is quickly getting too long for newborn sized clothes
*loves her swing
*has had her first cold & was a trooper
*is loved by everyone who meets her!