Adah is 11 MONTHS!

What a fun little stinker!  I could hardly get a sit still and smile kind of picture this month but after two different photo sessions, I think I managed to get some to show you!  Sometimes the best ones are of her laughing it up anyway!
Adah gained two more teeth this month.  #7 arrived sometime in the last week of September (top left-next to the front left), #8 (bottom right next to front ) came through October 3rd.  She is lookin' pretty cute with all eight in front now.  I am wondering when her next will arrive at the rate we are going!  Although, we have managed to get through the rest of this month without anymore appearances!
Adah is doing great learning all the things she is watching happen around her.  Kezzie teaches her good and bad things!  How to giggle and dance, how to get frustrated and yell and even hit!  I don't think Adah would like life very much without her big sister.  She thrives so much on everything Kezzie does!  But Adah also likes her alone time.  She doesn't get very much of it but when she is by herself (away from Kezzie) she plays very well.  It reminds me so much of what Kezzie was like when she was her age.  Adah loves to play in her farm pulling the animals in and out and can make several animal noises (cow, dog, cat and sheep).  She also likes to 'drive' things around the living room and make an engine noise.  It doesn't necessarily have to be a car, however, she knows it is a car that makes that noise!  She will also do the razz noise if she is cold (like after a bath I often catch myself doing that noise).  She can sign bath, milk, more, eat, drink, bye/hi.  She gives kisses if you ask her to and if she is in the mood (that's the key-if she feels like it!).
Adah is in an excellent routine right now.  It is as follows:
Wakes about 6:30/7:30am and nurses
Baby cereal with breast milk and culturel around 8ish.
Down for a nap around 9am
Wakes from nap around 10:30
Nurses around 11/11:30
Lunch around noon (whatever we are having-veggie, main dish, fruit and drink)
Nap at about 1:30 (no more nursing at this time!)
Wake around 3/3:30 and nurses
Ready for supper around 5 (similar meal to lunch)
She doesn't get cereal before bed anymore
Nurses around 7:30pm and goes straight to bed!
This month we got a toothbrush and have started brushing her pearly whites before nap and bed time.  She loves it and thinks she is so cool.  She has a stool in the bathroom that she gets to stand on while I brush them and she feels so privileged, you can tell!
Adah is walking more and more with assistance and will even brave a one-handed walk.  She is a pro at walking behind her baby stroller and other things that will move ahead of her (ie: up-side-down hamper, chair, etc.).  I know I lost my 10 month bet, but I am pretty sure Adah will be walking by the time she is a year old!
I don't know if I mentioned that at the beginning of October we got rid of all door handle things (on Kezzie and Adah's doors).  There was one on Adah's door to prevent Kezzie from going in her room the second Adah made a peep, but we took it off.  There are times where this is still a nuisance (ie: if Kezzie hears Adah awake in the morning and gets out of bed and goes to 'visit' her before I am ready to start Adah's day-that is sometimes a problem).  Adah will play in her crib after a nap or waking in the morning really well.  This will sometimes buy me an extra 20 minutes if needed!  So for Kezzie to go in there and let Adah know everyone else is awake makes Adah really upset!  I don't have any plans to put it back on the door handle though!  It can also be really fun for Adah!  If Adah is upset in her crib and I need a few extra minutes to finish something up I just send Kezzie up and she will play with Adah making her laugh!  Sometimes Kezzie even gets in the crib with her and they have so much fun together!
I am so glad that my girls get to go through life together and I can't forget to mention what a great big brother Austin is too and how lucky both girls are to have him.  He is always protecting them and trying to make them laugh.  He will never admit that he enjoys their company as much as they enjoy his, but he does.  I love that they all have each other to grow up with!  My three little blessings-and I can't believe my littlest is approaching ONE!

Where's Adah?

So, I was sitting in my recliner this morning doing my own thing and I looked over to see that Adah was going after a ball.  I thought, 'ok, that's great, she's going to play with that ball.'  Next thing I know I go into the kitchen to do something and think again, 'I wonder where Adah is and what she is up to now.'  I came into the living room where she was last seen going after the ball and she isn't there anymore.  I noticed the stairway gate was open and started heading up the stairs.  I didn't see her on the first flight so I continued up the second flight.  Low and behold, there's Adah three steps from the top...with the ball in hand!  I sometimes let her climb up in front of me on the way to nap or something but she hasn't ever tried to get on the stairs on her own.  It's just never been a problem.  Plus, the gate is almost always closed.  I guess we are going to have to be extra careful to make sure it gets closed for sure!  She seems pretty steady on them by herself, but when I watched her get to the top she was ready for a rest and almost fell backwards off the top step.  She was way too close to the edge!  It was pretty funny though to see her going up all by herself.  When I found her I said to her, 'what are you doing, miss?' (in a playful kind of way) and she just got really excited and giggled and tried to go even faster.  So sweet!

Playgroup Halloween!

For our playgroup today we met at the New Hampton Nursing Home where Brian's grandpa and great grandma live.  Kathy came with me so she could help me with the girls on such a cold and rainy day.  Plus, she wanted to see her dad and grandma!  It was so much fun to see the joy the kids brought to the residents there.  A lot of them just wanted to reach out and touch your hand or the kids' hands and say how cute they were.  Kezzie mostly just shook their hands and told them Happy Halloween and to have a nice day!  Adah was squirmy but when we put her down she would hold our hands and walk.  We tried to get a group photo but with that many kids, it's hard to get them all looking and smiling at the same time!  The photo up in the left corner is the kids with Selma (Brian's great grandma) and down at the bottom is the kids and I with Dave (Brian's grandpa).  Kezzie had fun playing catch with Dave too!  He doesn't always remember people but since Kathy was there I think it helped him to know that the girls were Brian's kids.  I'm glad we could brighten the residents' day a bit even though it was so yucky outside!

Henry's 1st Birthday!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY SWEET BOY!
We are so blessed to have you a part of our lives.  We can't wait to see you grow and become a strong young boy!  We love you Henry Augustus!

We spent almost all day Saturday with some of Brian's family.  I say SOME because Brian and his dad had tickets to go to the Iowa Hawkeyes game in IC, so they were gone.  It was so much fun for Keziah and Brady.  They play super well together now that they are getting older. 
We wanted everybody to be there to celebrate Henry's birthday so we waited until Sunday morning to do that.  We went back over there for a big breakfast and cake and ice cream.  Brady and Kez still love playing the piano and drive us all crazy when they do!  There's a lot of pounding going on.  As you can see, they like to use their elbows to play until we tell them to play gently and then they use their fingertips!  Henry was pretty dainty about eating his cake at first but then did manage to get pretty messy!  Can you believe how much Brian and Adah look alike?  She is a spitting image of him.  I never noticed how much until I took that picture of them with their heads right next to each other.  Brady and Kez always have a blast on the bean bags.  They played a game that Kezzie was pretending to sleep on them and Brady would come and wake her up.  I love pretend play...it's so fun to have an imagination!  Adah loves to stand up to the window and look out to the back yard where Remi (their golden doodle) likes to play.  Adah gets really excited when she sees Remi and makes a noise that imitates a dog barking!  Henry was off playing with toys when Steph was opening gifts for him...Kezzie didn't seem to mind sitting right in there though! 
I pray you have many more birthdays to celebrate with us, Henry!

Austin's Football!

Austins last three games were good.  They went something like this:
Win
Tie (he kicked the field goal to tie it.  Austin got hurt on his shoulder.  The team was vicious.
Loss (game pictured).  It was rainy, and Austin was injured so all he was allowed to do was kick.

Keziah is 35 MONTHS!

Here she is...my almost THREE year old!  I can't believe it!  She is starting to love the camera even more and insisted on me taking her picture in these different poses.  She is so beautiful!  She is lacking in clothes that actually fit her so in a trip to target I let her pick one shirt.  I gave her two choices and she of course picked the blue one (this has been her favorite color for a while now).  So this is the shirt she picked and I think it looks so good with her hair/eye color.
Keziah is officially fully potty trained!  It's amazing that almost a year and a half ago Kezzie was mastering staying dry during the day and now, finally, I can say even at night she is staying dry!  Ever since she was sick in early October she has been staying dry at night.  Around the same time she really started to complain about not wanting to wear a diaper at night.  She just didn't like the way they felt.  When she started feeling better she had a little hiccup and wet the bed three nights in a row.  As much as I hated changing/washing bedding I was determined to not give up!  And Kezzie was determined not to go back to diapers (I even asked her).  I decided to try a different idea...no fluids after 6:30pm and I wake her to go potty before I go to bed around 10 (sidenote: I don't want to forget something Brian said...partly because he was the one that said it but also because it is so true.  One night when I went to bed early Brian volunteered to take Kezzie to the potty.  When he came to bed after taking her potty he said something like 'she looks so peaceful when you tuck her back in, almost as if she is smiling she is so warm and cozy and happy to be back in her bed' and it's so true.  She looks so precious).  She hasn't had an accident since!  In the beginning she was waking in the morning between 5 and 6AM because she had to pee so bad and then she wouldn't go back to bed.  During this time she would run down to our room to get us up to help her go, but then we changed some things to allow her more independence.  For instance, she has to have pants on that are tight around the ankles so they won't fall off when her legs are hanging from the toilet.  If we forget this, she will wake us in her sleepiness yelling from the upstairs bathroom.  She has even woke Adah doing this-not an experience I really want to re-live! Also on the same note of how she is dressed-she literally only has her jammies on.  If she has undies on she will have the same frustration/yelling when she tries to pull them up.  She is tired and doesn't want to deal with them bunching up and getting rolled so we just eliminate them altogether.  Requirement #2...she has to have lights.  Lights are key!  When she goes potty by herself she has to have the light on.  In order for her to turn the light on there has to be a second stool in the bathroom (see requirement #3) to allow her to reach on her own.  And also she has to have the potty all set up-meaning she needs her potty seat on the toilet and a stool up next to the toilet.  It seems like a lot more work then it is.  And it is so worth it if she isn't waking me to do something she has been doing so well by herself during the day for the last year and  half!  I sometimes even hear her get up at 3AM to take herself potty and then head back to bed.  What a big girl!  I am so proud of her!
Kezzie has become a SUPER picky eater.  This makes for a very annoyed mommy and a lot of drama at the dinner table.  I mean A LOT!  Any tips in this area are encouraged!  I honestly can't tell you anything I am for sure she will eat.  Her reaction is different from time to time of making the same thing!  I think it is her age because she has also become very demanding.  ie: 'I WANT TO WATCH DORA!' (while hitting her fist on the couch), 'GET ME SOME KETCHUP' (with a very pouty face).  The list goes on!  Let's just say she is taking a lot of deep breaths, taking a lot of time outs, and giving out a lot of apologies!
One of Keziah's favorite things to do with Adah is play on beds or in Adah's crib.  Almost every day when Adah wakes from her nap Kezzie will ask, "Please open Adah's door?"  In a nutshell she is asking me if it is ok to go in Adah's room, put hundreds of toys in her crib, proceed to climb into her crib and then have tons of fun with Adah laughing and giggling and squealing!  I listen to them over the monitor and just smile at how much their relationship is growing!  I eventually go in there to break up the fun and to discover exactly how many toys/stuffed animals Kezzie has carted from her room into Adah's crib and then promptly help Kezzie put all the animals and toys back where they belong so the crib is ready for its next use!  Adah equally enjoys joining Kezzie in her bed.  There is a step stool next to Kezzie's bed that Adah has become a pro at climbing.  She will go straight for it every chance she gets.  You really have to watch her on Kezzie's bed because the only thing keeping her from falling off is a bed rail.  The two of them get pretty wild up there hiding under the covers and plopping on their backs saying 'whoa' (Adah says this with her eyes!).  They have so much fun together!  Keziah equally loves Austin's company.  She is enjoying following his lead and doing pretty much anything she is asked.  He is her favorite wrestling opponent and breakfast buddy and the one person she loves to fight with the most!  And secretly she is all those things for him too!
Keziah is doing excellent with her letters.  She can recognize almost all of them and has recently started to try writing some of the more simple ones (i and l, o, t, etc.)  And she continues to get more confident with counting.  She has even started counting backwards from 10 missing a couple until she reaches 5 and then it's smooth sailing!  Good-bye until next month...it will be here before we know it!

Adah is standing unassisted!

She's been doing this about a week now and thinks she is pretty hot stuff! I, of course, do too!!

Adah's first REAL meal!

Over the past couple of days Adah has started to eat a little more people food (see previous post), but today she really had a full meal: cut up chicken, peas and mandarine oranges.  She loved it all and ate almost every last bit!  You can tell when she has a full belly because she starts pushing all her food off the edge of her tray!  She also enjoys a sippy cup of water at this time!  My baby is growing up!

Silly Girls!

Lunch time around here has changed a bit for us...Adah has decided she is liking people food now so we all sit together and enjoy the same food!  It's pretty nice!  We are blessed to get to spend this time together goofing off.  Here are the girls just being silly.  The definitely feed off each others silliness! 

Pumpkin Carving Time!

We had so much fun carving pumpkins. I think this is the first year Keziah has been a part of it.  Last year we pretty much didn't even celebrate Halloween because we were out of town visiting our newest nephew, Henry!  Kezzie thought the goo was really gross!  But she loved the pumpkin seeds once we got them washed and baked!  Delicious!  Kezzie wanted her little one to be carved like a sun so Austin took liberty of doing that!  The big one (mine and Austin's) was carved into a wolf.  We sat together and poked the holes and then took turns carving it.  It didn't turn out the best but it was ok.  And that wasn't because of Austin either!  But to be fair, he did leave the hardest parts for me to do!  Better luck next year!

Scrunched Noses!

Adah has quite the look going with her nose!  This is pretty much what she looks like most of the time!  She will add in the 'snort' sort of noise to go with it!  It's pretty cute! 

And of course Kezzie had to show off her ability to do it as well!

Playgroup Pumpkin Party!

Today we had our playgroup again.  We met at one of the mom's houses and had a fun little pumpkin party.  She did a great job planning some fun pumpkin activities!  When we got there we enjoyed decorating our pumpkin (we only took the little one) with happy face stickers.  Keziah really liked doing this and Adah really enjoyed the finished product!  We also sat around the table and decorated pumpkin shaped sugar cookies with green and orange frosting (and of course we ate them too).  We enjoyed really yummy pumpkin bars and hot apple cider.  And when we were all done inside we went outside for a pumpkin search.  The mom hid little plastic pumpkins filled with candies all over the back yard and the kids went looking for them. I think the girls' favorite part would have to be the kittens that were there.  They both couldn't get enough of them.  In fact, all the kids really enjoyed the kittens!  Who wouldn't?  They are so precious!

Fall time Pt.2!

 
Later in the afternoon Brian was even feeling good enough to get outside for a while.  It was such a gorgeous day and the perfect opportunity to get some fresh air after having the flu!  The kids had so much fun!  Kezzie's hair was standing on end at the top of the slide.  She would climb up it from the bottom and as she approached the top her hair would stand up more and more...it was so weird!  Adah was on pins and needles every time I set her near a pile of leaves but really enjoyed sitting in the grass!  Me, Keziah and Austin all played some good kick-ball too, as well as shooting some hoops and playing catch.  While the girls napped I helped Austin practice his kicking!  Even though we didn't want to expose my family by going to CF (and everybody else at church) it turned out to be a wonderful day!  And I am praising God that we are all feeling so much better!

Fall time!

Well, Austin is home and feeling much better.  He feels too weak to play in his football game today so we decided to play outside instead.  He got the rake out and he and Kezzie jumped in leaves together!  Keziah had such a great time!  Her and Austin have been having so much fun together lately and playing so well (Austin actually begs me to let her do certain things with him)!  I brought Adah out to see what was going on and she enjoyed watching them but the second I tried to put her down for a picture, she got scared.  She was deathly afraid of the leaves and how noisy they were.   I guess we won't be getting any good fall pictures of the kids this year!!  See part 2 of our day in a later post!

Seriously HOT!

I can't believe this weather!  It was seriously HOT today (88)!  After being confined for this whole week, we really needed some fresh air to rid ourselves of the germs!  Adah started puking on Tuesday at 3AM and Brian was puking last night (friday). Austin is with his dad this weekend, but he called and said he has been throwing up as well. Kez and I started puking Wed. in the middle of the night.  Today is a new day and the girls and I are feeling much better!  What a beautiful day it is!  And look at the purple flowers!  They are so gorgeous, I love them! And you have to look close to see the giant bumble bees that love them too!

Silly Kiddos!

Adah found a new place to play...the quilt rack!  It is covered in blankets and apparently it is a blast to fall into!  Her and Kezzie played there for quite a long time tonight!  I guess when the flu hits your house and you are confined for several days, you find things to do!  Austin is also feeling a bit bored-here he is rough-housing with the girls!  Adah and daddy look so sweet together (with her finger up her nose).  And I bet you can't guess who got a hold of the camera...she took a pretty good picture of her baby, huh?  And the last one is Kezzie being goofy with stickers!  I think Austin might have helped in the placement of them directly over her mouth!

Pumpkins!

The girls and I are in a playgroup for moms and kids and we meet once a week.  Today we went to a nearby pumpkin farm.  It was perfect for Keziah because there wasn't a lot to do and not a ton of pumpkins to look at.  She pretty much just walked right up to the pallet and grabbed one.  She's not too picky!  We picked one big one and one little one.  Adah was at home taking a nap (Brian stayed home so Kezzie and I could go).  Normally I would take Adah with to playgroup but she woke up at 3AM puking so I thought I would let her have a normal rest at home.  Kezzie got a few free stickers out of the deal too!  When we got home Adah was just waking up!  She really enjoyed seeing the pumpkins we picked out.  She thought she was pretty big stuff being able to lift the pumpkin!  Next weeks playgroup meeting will be to decorate our pumpkins with faces.  Later in the day Kezzie and I made some yummy caramel apples!  We love that fall is in full swing!

Austin's 3rd Ftbl game!

Austin played well today, however they didn't win.  They didn't lose either though!  The game ended in a tie of 8-8.  Nobody scored anything in the first half and then right away in the third quarter the other team scored.  They also got their kick for the two extra points.  It wasn't until the fourth quarter that New Hampton scored.  Austin made the kick for the two extra points to tie up the game just before the time ran out.  Austin said it was a good thing he read the scoreboard wrong because he thought it said 6 to 6. He thought that if he made the extra kick he would win his team the game but that if he didn't make the extra kick that they would still be tied and it would still be an ok thing.  He said he didn't feel pressure under those circumstances so he thinks that is why he made it!  I guess a couple of the bulbs were out on the scoreboard making the 8 look like a 6!  If he hadn't made it, his team would have lost!  I am so proud of Austin!

Sorry there aren't any pictures...I didn't actually get to attend his game because it was during the girls' nap time.  The game was in Fredericksburg at 3:00.  Brian was able to go and even Austin's dad and Linda were there!

Austin's Tree-Fort

This was our project today!  We woke up this morning and I told Brian that our tree just had to be trimmed TODAY!  It's been a huge eye-sore all summer and every time I back out of the garage, the branches hit the top of it.  We went and rented a chainsaw from our local hardware store and chopped away.  When Brian's arms got too sore/tired I took over with a manual saw.  When it was all said and done, this is what we were left with. Austin saw it as an opportunity to climb!  We ran back to the hardware store and bought a box of nails.  With the wood that we had laying around he was able to build a ladder on the side of the tree to reach the stumps.  He climbed up there on several occasions today and sat there.  He even built a little platform!  Kezzie stood by and watched him build the whole thing (when she wasn't napping).  There was only one occasion he sent her inside because 'she was being annoying'!