Birthday Picture Extravaganza! (Part 1)

Ok, here are a ton of pictures of how we celebrated Kalia's birthday this year. Enjoy!

we gave her a camera, and a play doh ice cream shop! Both have gotten MUCH use already!

I just had to post this picture of her sticking out her tongue. She does this a lot when she's concentrating - my mom and sister say she gets it from me, ha ha!

Kalia saw spider cupcakes in this kids cookbook that I have and decided she HAD to have them . . . I was not convinced. After a bit of pursuading, I got her to change her mind and we made ladybug cupcakes instead for the family parties.

filling up her new barbie pool. Such fun, but such a mess!

My dad made Kalia this dollhouse bookshelf for her birthday. I painted the flowers to match her quilt. She just loves having a place to display her pretty things!

Jayda, Hailey and Kalia catching up after Kalia's party because of all the time they were apart during the flood. It was so sweet - Kalia and Hailey walked together hand in hand for much of the party.

Kalia 'posed' at the piano with a bunch of her friends for pictures as she handed out the treat bags.

I loved how the kids all gathered around to watch the gift opening! The boys all seemed fascinated at the girlie gifts she was getting.

Scott's mom made Kalia this brown dress for her birthday, and she proudly showed it off to us all

She was also excited about her first dress up clothes!

We had a great birthday with Kalia this year. It was fun to watch how into the party she got at this age, and really see her excited about the gifts. I just love kids' birthdays!

Oliver Turns One!

Oliver's first birthday seemed to fly by in a whirlwind of activity! But that's how first years go anyway, isn't it? So it kind of fits. So much happens in a baby's first year - it is such a beautiful miracle to watch! And I've really found it amazing that, with the second child, how early you take note of their character and how they are different from the first born. Right from the start, Oliver's main concern was sleep! If he was rested, he was happy. His first few days he could hardly be bothered to do anything but sleep - I had to practically force him awake to even nurse! Even if we stripped him down and 'played' with him, he stayed fast asleep, most often not even cracking one eye open to peep at us. Because of this, I found the transition to two kids actually pretty easy. It seemed that all Oliver wanted to do was eat a little, and most of the time, sleep! His first several months consisted of four naps a day ranging from two to four hours each. In the time that he was awake, he was all coos and smiles, content as could be. God could not have blessed me with a happier, more content baby. As a newborn he hardly ever cried. He would just fuss a bit until someone came over or he'd just go back to sleep, funny boy.He also didn't need a lot of entertaining - it was clear early on that he was going to be an observer. It's like he'd just sit there happily waiting for someone to come along, but when we did, we were instantly rewarded with the hugest smile! People have always been amazed at how easily he smiles at just about anyone. Poor second child - he'll take all the attention he can get! (Hee hee, just joking!)
True to his laid-back nature, Oliver really has wanted to take his time with everything. Though he started rolling over fairly early, he sure didn't want to exert himself by doing it too often and only rolled over once every couple of weeks or so, as if just to prove he could still do it! He really only started picking up with moving around in the last couple of months by creeping or pushing himself around on his bum. At five months he started sitting, and looked as though he'd crawl any minute at 8 months - but he crawled for the first time 3 days before his 1st birthday!! He was such a short little chunk for such a long time that I think he had a hard time keeping his pudgy little legs underneath him :) He really didn't seem like he needed to get moving though. Instead of fussing and complaining about not getting around, he loved to just happily sit and watch his busy sister with all she was doing around him. He's very close to walking though, and can stand on his own if he's tricked into it! (Otherwise he doesn't like it and gets scared). The most steps he's taken on his own so far is 5 in a row, and he walks all over the house holding on to furniture or with his hands pressed up against the walls. Ha! And lest I forget, he really took his time sleeping through the night as well! He was 10 1/2 months before he slept his first whole night through!

One thing he did do early was get teeth! He got his first one at five months and by just after 8 months he had 8 already! The funny thing is, though, that he's had no new ones since then. He also loves to jabber. I was totally convinced that he was saying mama and dada at 7 months, but in reality, he actually knew what he was saying at 9 months, instead of just it being baby talk. Now, he also has a little word he uses to say 'outside', and he says 'this' when he's holding something up, and loves to point at things that he wants to see or touch saying 'that'. 'More' and 'num-num' are vital words in his vocabulary at mealtime! And, I have yet to hear it, but other witnesses say that he's also saying 'bye-bye' now! I wonder if some of the things that he does later are because I've simply been so busy that I haven't sat down and taught them to him yet! I'll look through Kalia's baby calendar sometimes and say "she was doing that already by this age? I haven't even started to teach Oliver yet!" Once we do teach him something, he picks it up pretty quick! I can't even remember when he learned where my nose is or how to wave bye-bye, but I do know that it was very shortly after we first showed him.

Oliver absolutely loves music. As soon as there's some kind of tune to be heard, his toes are wiggling and he's bouncing up and down. It's so cute to watch how early he got his little 'rhythm'! He is not as easy to make laugh by doing silly things as Kalia has been, but oh is he ever ticklish! Scott is the best at finding his most ticklish spots, and makes him laugh so hard that it makes us all laugh too. Another thing about Oliver is that he is not a picky eater. He'll happily gobble up almost anything we'll put in front of him. Probably his favorites are bread, fruit, and the newly discovered - CAKE!!!

Oliver sure has a silly, teasing side. He makes funny faces and then ducks his head away, and absolutely loves playing peek-a-boo, especially when he is the one doing the peeking! He has this goofy little thing that he does where he shakes his head from side to side super fast and then stops for a reaction and a big cheesy smile, then does it over and over again. He also has this certain smile when he knows he's being silly and he squints his eyes, scrunches his nose, and smiles so big that you can see all of his teeth!


Oliver is such a little snuggles. He loves touch. I just love it when he leans in for a hug or relaxes for a nice long snuggle. He's been giving hugs and kisses since very early and loves to get them back. He also loves to touch people's faces. He is definitely a people person. He has never really been shy or made strange and will let anyone hold him. When he is tired though, all he wants is mommy, which makes me feel good!
One last thing that has to be said about Oliver is that he knows what he wants and cannot be easily distracted! Once he has his mind set on something, he is very determined - especially if he wants to get somewhere! If we're holding him, he gets this very determined look on his face, grabs a finger in each hand, and takes off. We hardly have a choice but to follow! Even when he wants something, he keeps pointing at it and saying 'that' over and over until someone finally helps him out! Now that he's moving around, he can be quite persistant with trying to get certain things that he shouldn't, but he is so sensitive that a sharp 'no' and a stern look is usually enough. He's been a very sensitive baby all along. If something gets taken away from him, or someone passes him by without paying attention he has very hurt feelings. Nothing that can't be soothed by a bit of affection though!

Oh, little Ollie you warm my heart! It seems as though you never run out of smiles and they make me feel so special and loved. You are the best little boy a mommy could ever ask for, and I look foreward to the fun adventures I know we'll have together! Happy 1st Birthday, monkey! It has been such a wonderful year filled with fun and so many snuggles and I thank God for every one of them!!! I love you to bits and bits!

Three Year Old Kalia

Where do I begin? Is my little girl actually 3 years old? I find that in some ways it feels like time has just flown by and it was just yesterday that I was cradling her in my arms for the first time, smiling from ear to ear and the little blessing in my arms. Yet, in other ways, it feels like we have come such a long way in these three years that I can hardly remember Kalia any way other than how she is.

Kalia is just such a source of joy in my life. Every day I am amazed at the new things that she is learning, and at her loving heart and sensitive spirit. Sometimes I have to step back and remind myself that she is still a toddler because she just seems so beyond her short years. I just wanted to do a quick post about what Kalia means to me and slip in a few (of the many!) pictures from her birthday week, but I find I have so much to say about my little princess that we'll see what comes of it . . .

The last three years have been filled with so many emotions. Kalia is a girl of emotion that is for sure. Ever since she could barely talk, she has been in tune with both her feelings, and those of the people close to her. She was constantly talking about whether she was happy, sad, worried, excited or even (yes the dreaded ones) mad or 'ticked!' And in her gentle way, she is always seeking out the emotions of others as well. She'll be the first to notice if someone is sad or upset, and soothe with a hug, kiss or a gentle touch. On the flip side, sometimes she seems like an emotional teenager! All smiles and giggles one minute, and totally frustrated the next. It's funny because I often think of the nursery rhyme that goes "When she was good, she was very VERY good, but when she was bad, she was horrid!" She is the type of girl that can be so sweet that it makes me wonder if she is even capable of doing any wrong. But when she is upset . . . well, let's just say sometimes I want to tear my hair out! She's such a perfectionist, and when she sees someone do something, or is trying to make something work, help is unacceptable to her. She thinks that if she can picture something in her mind, she should be able to do it on the first try and can get very upset when it doesn't always work out for some reason! Her favorite new phrase is "Mommy, I don't need help with that anymore, because I'm three now!"

Kalia is also a very busy and imaginitive girl. She is always coming up with new things to play or do. Although she is rarely sitting idle, she does love to sit and read stories or play with toys that are interactive like games or barbies. I love listening to her read stories to herself (often from memory), or playing dolls and barbies. Oh the conversations that she comes up with between her barbies! I sometimes can't even figure out where she gets some of the things from that they do or say! She often makes up new words, and when I ask her what they mean, she has a whole definition ready for me.

Kalia is also a social butterfly, and loves action! The more kids around, the better, no matter their age. She thrives off of the energy of a crowd, it seems. She also wants to have a part of any and every conversation even if she has no idea what it's about. She eventually just gets tired of listening and, picking out words and phrases from the conversation, strings together a long jumble of nonsense just so she can be heard!

Kalia also absolutely LOVES being outside. She would stay out all day if she could, rain or shine. Riding her trike, coloring with sidewalk chalks, walking, playing on the playground, or just running around the yard carefree - that is how she would spend every day if she could choose. Sometimes I think it will be a nice break to get outside, but usually end up exhausted from all of the chasing and games that we play! Some of her favorite indoor activities, though, are play doh, puzzles, games, reading. She also enjoys pretend playing things like 'We're Taking a Trip', 'Sunday School' , and store (or as she calls it 'Customer')

Happy 3rd Birthday Kalia Rose! You are the sunshine of my heart and I cherish every day spent with you! The way that you make me laugh, your sweet snuggles, when you say "I love you so very much Mommy" . . . and there are so many more things that I love about you. God has truly blessed me in more ways than I can possibly count just by placing your precious life in my care. I love you so very much, and I'm honored to be your Mommy.

I Love . . .

Warm

Soft
Rosy Cheeks . . .




Kissable Button Noses . . .

Gentle Touches
From Little Fingers . . .

Lazy Snuggles That Seem To Last Forever . . .

Rough, Throaty Voices
Not Quite Wakened From Sleep . . .

These Are Some Of The Things That Make Me Cherish

The Gift Of Being A Mother.