15 months old

It's time for an update on Hannah Beth since she is now 15 months old already!

At 15 months old:

Size: 21 lbs, 31 inches (25%ile for weight, 75%ile for height)

Clothes: size 18 months

Diapers: almost always cloth, or size 3

Sleep habits: 1 nap (you transitioned to just one nap right around 14 months old) - anywhere from 1 1/2 hr to 3 hours (Mommy hopes for at least 2 hours!); bedtime - 7:30 p.m. - morning awake time - 7-7:30 a.m.

Teeth: you have 12 teeth now! your other 3 molars popped through soon after your 1st birthday - the molars were definitely more painful than the other teeth :(

Eating habits: you weaned from nursing (mostly self-led) at 13 1/2 months old and drink whole milk from a sippy cup - you don't love milk too much but you do eat lots of other dairy products. Your favorite foods are any kinds of fruit (especially apples, grapes, and oranges), favorite veggie is broccoli, and you love yogurt and cheese. You like beef better than chicken. Overall you're a really good eater!

Some things you do:

• You started walking at 12 1/2 months and are now running everywhere!
• Talk a lot now! words you learned between 12-15 months : hot, bye-bye, mama, dada/daddy, papa, hi, banana "nana", boo, kitty "tee-tee", quack, one "un", pop, beep, stinky, socks, books, duck, treat "teet", Jesus "de-sus", two, and your favorite word now is Bible!
• You love to read books - and your favorite one is the Beginner's Bible - you love to sit and flip through the pages and look at the pictures - especially the sun, pictures of Jesus, babies, and animals.
• You "read" independently sometimes but mostly love to back up into our laps and bring books to us to read - we have "reading time" before nap & bedtime and in between.
• At 12 1/2 months you started doing the motions for "where'd it go?" by putting both hands out.
• At 13 months you started to say "hi" to everyone you see - you're a friendly little girl :)
• 12 1/2 mos - You point to candles anywhere you see them, say "hot" and blow
• 13 mos - first scribbles with crayons, stacks cups
• 13 mos - you point to different objects/animals in books, say their names, or recognize them when asked where they are.
• 13 1/2 mos - you love to make messes all around the house - opening cupboards and pulling food out, pots & pans, clothes from laundry baskets, or toys - you're a little tornado, haha, and we love you for it!
• 14 mos - you identify lots of different body parts on yourself and dolls and others.
• 14 mos - you know lots of animal sounds
• 14 mos - you can almost always follow simple commands and go bring things or do things when asked.
• 14 mos - you've started to really enjoy watching video clips or yourself or other babies or animals, as well as Barney and Elmo.

Random facts:

• Around 12 mos - some separation anxiety started when mommy would leave you for a little while, but it has gotten better especially if you're in a familiar environment.
• 13-14 mos- your independent spirit comes out and you've thrown a few temper tantrums!
• At 14 months we took your paci away (you had it during sleeptime) - it was rough for the first few days/week, but you transitioned great after that.
• You're a great little hugger/kisser - once you get in the mood you like to kiss everything and everybody! haha.
• You LOVE your daddy - you greet him at the door when he comes home and love to play with him - especially peek a boo.
• You love getting out of the house and going places, as long as it's not when you're tired or hungry.

We love you soo much, our sweet little munchkin!

Hello Again!

Wow, I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since I've posted a blog on here.
Here are a few pics to recap...

Hannah Beth loved any chance she had to get outside this fall ~ she is definitely a outdoorsy little girl...anything from picking up acorns to finding sticks to walking down the sidewalk in front of our house to sitting next to her pumpkin or trying to pick it up to picking the grass to playing at the park - she loves it all as long as it's outside. I'm afraid it's going to be a loong winter inside.

Anyone have any good ideas for indoor activities that a 15-18 month old would enjoy? I would love to hear!

The day before Halloween, our church hosted a "Western Town" event - they spent hours upon hours building it completely out of cardboard and invited the community to this outreach event. We had a great turnout and it was amazing! We didn't take Hannah Beth trick-or-treating this year but she did get to dress up as a princess that night and get a bucket of candy :) I think she was mesmerized by the whole thing!

My dad took part in the "barbershop quartet" and mom was their pianist. Tony also participated with one of the youth group guys at a "Stump the Bible professor" booth. Hannah Beth wasn't sure what to think of Grandpa with his fake black mustache or Daddy with his glasses and goatee.

 The next night, we had quite a few trick or treaters so we answered our door until we ran out of candy! I need to remember to buy more next year. Hannah Beth was fascinated by all these strangely-dressed children coming to our door - she LOVED it!

NOVEMBER brought Betsy the inflatable cow to bounce on (a special gift that arrived in the mail)...

Weekly visits to see Great Grandpa and Great Grandma in their retirement home (it's soo great to have them only 7 minutes away!) - Hannah Beth loves perusing the long hallways, visiting the birds they keep in a cage there, and saying hello to all the elderly people as they walk by (as well as occasionally trying to walk into a stranger's apartment if they happen to have their door open)...

Mimi and Papa visiting us all the way from California!...

A wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends...

And then it was time to think about Christmas - so we got out the Little People Nativity Set that Hannah Beth got for Christmas last year - she loves it! It's super cute. [My only complaint is that it's missing shepherds...oh well.]

We set up our Christmas tree on the Monday after Thanksgiving. I've got my Christmas shopping pretty much finished up and we're looking forward to driving down to see Tony's family before long.


I think of and miss Alethia Joy every day but something about the holidays makes me miss her even more. I'm sure any of you who have lost a loved one have experienced something similar...when the family gets together, we are always missing someone.  She would just be a couple months shy of 3 years old now...hard to believe. Life "moves on" but the grief will always be there...changing with time but never lacking heartache.


The words "the joy of the Lord is your strength" were ringing through my head today - I didn't realize that those words came from Nehemiah (chapter 8, end of verse 10) until I looked it up. This reminder to the Israelites still holds true today - so thankful for the reminder that we can have JOY in the Lord no matter what the circumstances - and that JOY gives us strength to press on through life.


May you all have a truly JOYous Christmastime celebrating the birth of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ.

Fall Fun!

These past 2 weeks have been so gorgeous - beautiful, warm, and sunny days and cooler evenings.

We've (especially Hannah Beth) enjoyed the outdoors and are trying to soak it all in before it cools off and winter arrives before we're ready for it  :(

Hannah Beth is girly and yet also a tom-boy ~ she looves digging in the dirt!

Playing at the park with Grandma

One of her favorite activities is climbing our front steps. The only problem is she hasn't figured out how to [safely] get back down the steps.

Our little sweet-heart!

She's soo happy to be walking!

Finding some "treasures" (acorn shells)

"Look mom, I found one!"

"Ok, time to move on.." [never in one place for too long - she's a busy girl!]

She would walk down the sidewalk into the next neighborhood if I let her!

At my parents' house last weekend we thought it would be fun to give Hannah Beth her first experience of "jumping" [sitting] in a pile of leaves. As you can see, she wasn't too fond of it.

It was a little better with Mommy nearby but still not a big fan...

But she loved riding on Grandpa and Grandma's horsie!

Never Forgotten : 2 years, 8 months

In just a few short months our firstborn Alethia Joy would be turning 3! In some ways it's hard to imagine having a 3-year-old in the house, but in other ways, I often feel lost without my little toddler who I miss and think about every day.


The pictures in this post were taken this summer during our visit to North Carolina. This was the second time that we brought Hannah Beth to Alethia's gravestone but it was the first time that she was awake and interested in the beautiful flowers decorating the marker. It was very sweet to see her crawl up to the flowers and try to touch them. We have only been able to visit the cemetery twice in the year since we moved to the midwest. It was hard not being able to go there on special days throughout the year - her birthday, Mother's & Father's Day, etc. But we're thankful to know that this is just an earthly reminder and symbol for us; her real soul and life is in heaven, not stuck deep in the ground.


Hannah Beth and I recently spent a couple hours at a friend's house for a playdate. My friend was providing childcare for two other families and the little girl who she was watching was born within a month or two of Alethia Joy. As I watched this little girl "E" talk and play and most of all interact with Hannah Beth, I couldn't help but wonder if my Alli would interact in a similar way with her little sister. It was so sweet to watch "E" give Hannah Beth so much attention, try to be her little helper in any way possible, and hold her on her lap. So touching and heartbreaking at the same time.


We've been taking weekly trips to the public library to check out books [Hannah Beth loves it! - she's already a little bookworm, to my delight.] This past week, as I often do, I selected a book with photographs of babies and children. Hannah Beth's first word was "baby" and she LOVES looking at pictures of them or seeing them in person. I didn't realize until I got it home and started reading it to her that this particular book is filled with photos of toddler and baby siblings - on every page the words and actions in the photos have to do with the older children helping the younger or the secondborn imitating the firstborn, etc. Once again...touching and heartbreaking.


We were recently over at my aunt and uncle's house for lunch and my aunt said something to the effect of "I wonder what Alethia would look like - I wonder what color hair she would have..?" Ah yes, the things I wonder so very very often. And so my mind wandered back to the day that we met her and held her in our arms for hours ~ and we briefly talked about how her hair was a strawberry blonde color and curly, and how we wonder if she and Hannah Beth would look alike. It still means the world to me when other people talk about Alethia Joy - when they are not afraid to mention her name - reminding me that she has not been forgotten by them. Because she is certainly never far from my mind - never forgotten.


I wonder what she is experiencing in Heaven right now...
I know from what the Bible tells us that she certainly is NOT experiencing any of the pain, sorrow, or suffering that this life on earth [results of sin] brings us. And I know that she is in the presence of my Savior, my Jesus, my reason for living each day - for not giving up when days are hard or times are tough.

I can't wait to get there and see for myself.

Great is His Faithfulness

I should never be surprised by the awesomeness of God and the ways that He works.
But I am. 
I believe and know that He is all-powerful, all-knowing, always forgiving, always loving, and always providing. The list could go on and on...
But so often my feeble, human mind cannot comprehend and understand the fact that He cares for me - for my family - and even the teeny, nitty-gritty details of our lives.

Yesterday we received news of a way that the Lord has continued to provide for our needs in a tangible way. I would be happy to share more details on a individual basis. We're still in a little bit of shock - in a good way.
But as a follow-up to this post, I wanted to encourage any of you - we serve a God who promises to supply all of our needs [not necessarily our wants!]- and He will keep His promises. It may not be in our timing or the ways that we expect, but He will always come through for us if we remain faithful to Him.

"Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
 Morning by morning new mercies I see;
 All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
 Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"

Some verses popped out at me last night - from 1 Timothy 6:17-19 - and after reading them over I could see how much I need to pray to this end - so I turned these verses into a personal prayer.
- May I never fix my hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.
- May I do good, to be rich in good works.
- May I be generous and ready to share. (my husband is a very generous person - but generosity does not come easy for me - I so often struggle with this and my selfish attitude) 
- Lord help me to store up for myself the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that I may take hold of that which is life indeed.

I love that phrase "that I may take hold of that which is life indeed."

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6 (emphasis mine)

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread & Mozzarella Meat Loaf

2 yummy recipes that I made today that I wanted to share:

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
**I'm not even a huge pumpkin fan like a lot of people are, but I loved this recipe!
I halved it since I just had 1/2 can of pumpkin puree to finish, but I used the regular amount of chocolate chips - you can never have too much chocolate, right? I also used unsweetened applesauce for half of the oil, and the bread turned out soo moist and delicious. I think next time I'll try substituting applesauce for the whole amount and cut down on some more calories and fat.[but it's worth it when it comes to the chocolate, right? ;) ]**

3 cups white sugar

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

4 eggs

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) (*I didn't put any in mine)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 1 pound size coffee cans, or three 9x5 inch loaf pans.(I used one 9x5 pan and 2 small loaf pans) 
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill cans 1/2 to 3/4 full.
3. Bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from cans or pans.

-----
Mozzarella Meat Loaf
**I halved this recipe as well since it makes a lot. Tony and Hannah Beth both loved it (so did I)- I think next time I will go ahead and make the whole recipe and have some leftovers to put in the freezer**

• 2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup saltine cracker crumbs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 can (8 ounce) pizza sauce
• 3 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese, halved
• Green pepper rings, optional
• Sliced mushrooms, optional
• 2 tablespoons butter, optional
• Chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions

• Mix beef, eggs, crumbs, milk, Parmesan cheese, onion, salt and oregano. Shape into a loaf and place in a greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 1-1/4 hours or until no pink remains; drain.
• Spoon pizza sauce over loaf and top with mozzarella cheese slices. return to oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
• Meanwhile, if desired, saute green pepper and mushrooms in butter; arrange on top of meat loaf. Sprinkle with parsley if desire. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Hannah Beth is walking!

Here's a video of our little walker! She has been walking a few steps at a time for the last couple weeks but tonight she really decided to "take off!" And then apparently she wanted some privacy in her room... haha :)

3 Little Birthday Bashes

Hannah Beth's 1st birthday - August 31, 2011
For breakfast she had one of her favorite breakfast foods - waffles :)

Grandma Smith came over after naptime and gave Hannah Beth her first present of the day -  a ABC book.

Then it was time for her birthday treat - a butterfly cookie!

Yumm.. pink frosting!

Then it was time to open some more presents - from out-of-town grandparents and a few small things from us. Hannah Beth loves playing her kitty piano.

Hannah Beth getting to know her new little doggie "Hank"



Birthday Bash #2 --

September 1, 2011 - My grandparents weren't going to be able to attend Hannah Beth's butterfly birthday party, so they had us over for dinner and we had a little celebration with them at their apartment.

Chillin' with Daddy

A new book from Grandma and Grandpa VK

And a new little doll that she loves! [this picture makes me smile!]

Then it was time for cake! Grandma VK made a special little cake just for Hannah Beth.

She didn't hesitate in digging right in! :)

Birthday Bash #3-- September 10, 2011

We sent out quite a few invitations, but many people were unable to make it, so the guests ended up being basically close family - a total of 13 people.

I chose a butterfly theme since that's HB's nursery theme. Bright pink and green were my colors of choice however, as opposed to the pastel pink and purple in her bedroom.

The youngest and oldest cousins - Hannah Beth and Isabelle - playing with one of her new birthday toys.

Nehemiah, Isabelle, and Kindra

Time for cake and cupcakes - I had so much fun making these!

On the menu was sloppy joes, chips and salsa, broccoli almond salad, cake, ice cream, cupcakes, and pink lemonade. (Thank you to my parents for hosting the party - they have much more room at their house - and to my mom for buying the meat and ice cream and putting together the salad!)

Nehemiah enjoying his cupcake.

I wish I would've gotten a picture of the whole group - but I totally forgot!

 (My mom's arm is in the picture because she was trying to prevent HB from touching the lit candle) Beautiful banner made by my sweet friend Kristi.

After all these sweet birthday treats, I think we're all gonna have to stay away from sugar for a while!!

Blessed to have a sweet little 1 year old!!