Jonah [two months]

Oh sweet cheeks..you are two months old.

You seem to be growing like a weed these days. You are filling out those 3 month clothes quite nicely, and are moving up to size 2 diapers as soon as the package of 1's are finished.

We weighed you on the home scale the other day for an idea of how much you are...almost 14 pounds.

At night you sleep in our room, in the pack n' play next to our bed. You sleep well in my opinion. You usually have a 4-5 hour stretch, occasionally 6 hours..then wake up, eat and go back to sleep without much of any effort. Good job little buddy.

Noah is still a HUGE fan of yours, always wanting to know where you are..instructing us what to do with you..."Jo-nah, sit in chair" and then he will try and reach to hold you to 'carry you' over to your chair. He has lots of love to give you..and so far, you don't seem to mind the fact that he invades any personal space that you may or may not want.

This picture just makes me laugh...

we enjoyed several days outdoors this last month. 

You like to go on walks in the baby wrap carrier, and don't seem to mind being outside when we sit on the deck to watch your brothers play.

Probably the biggest highlight of this month, is that you started smiling! 

It melts my heart...your sweet little face just so happy. You started smiling at 7 weeks..you don't hand them out a whole lot...but especially if someone you know is close and talking to you, your face can really light up.

You still have blue eyes. They are a dark blue..but still definitely blue. Your hair has gotten a little lighter, I think, but there seems to be the same amount of it as it was from birth.

I love this picture of Christian and you. Christian was just a-talking to you, asking you to give him a smile...and you obliged. He would get so proud that you did this!

Jonah, you are a good baby. 

You sleep nicely. You eat well. You are overall quite content...and super snuggly. And we think you're pretty cute too.

We just really love and adore you!

Snow!

It snowed!

A bit random..we went to church last night, and when we came out it was snowing hard.

It snowed several inches. 

Christian said prior to going to bed, "Well I don't mind going to bed tonight, because when I wake up...I AM PLAYING IN THE SNOW!!!!"

Sure enough, first thing..I mean FIRST thing he said when he woke up is, "can I go outside now??"

He stayed outside from about 9:30-11:45 when I told him he should come in for a warm drink.

Oh man, he was just so happy to out there in it..his face is priceless when he is so genuinely happy.

And when he "got" me with snowballs..oh, he laughed and laughed!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!

Christmas Program

Christian was in the church Christmas program on Sunday evening. 

The 2 year old-kindergarten sang several songs.

"Away in a Manger"

Noah joined him for a couple pictures afterwards...

this one is my favorite.

Our Year [2014]

Merry Christmas!

[Photos taken by Katherine Bach]

A bit of a recap of our year...
there are links throughout that you can click on to see the pictures that go with it.

Our year began with Ben finishing the kitchen remodel (completely finished in February)...and oh my goodness, there isn't a day that goes by that I'm not grateful for it AND the dishwasher!! It was pretty funny how just the other day, Christian found a piece of the "old" flooring from the kitchen/dining room that remains in a closet and he said, "I just wish we had this same floor, it's so cool." The feeling is NOT mutual..the flooring was an image of stone on vinyl. We will not being going back to it.

Our summer was spent outside as much as possible. Ben worked for Preferred Builders from June -most of July. He also built a deck and tree house/swing set for us. It has been very handy to have the deck..and the boys love the tree house, it is not completely finished..but still very useable the way it is. A big highlight for us was our trip to Mexico with friends. We left the boys with Mom and Dad, and we spent 4 days relaxing at a resort in Cancun with 3 other couples. After we returned, Ben's school year started and he is still teaching spanish at McPherson High School. I continue to work prn at Wesley Medical Center in labor and delivery...always many babies to be born it seems!
In October, we celebrated Ben's 30th Birthday. October 18th, we welcomed Jonah Timothy into the world. He is so sweet and is loved, loved, loved! He is such a blessing to our family..and a really good baby. I'm glad he doesn't seem to mind the noise and constant attention he gets. These three boys will keep us on our toes I'm sure..but they sure are worth it!

Christian finished his first year of preschool in April. And since he turned 5 late this summer, we decided to go again this year. It is amazing how much of a difference we've already seen from last year to this in what he participates with and understands. He really likes to figure it out, and has a very good memory (crazy good!). Recently, he has been enjoying writing..on his own, he will ask how to spell out sentences and then get his own paper and write it out. Its a different level of 'developmental overload' than a toddler. I know it is a typical thing for this age, but it amazes me how 'all of the sudden' they learn how to write, and then soon read. Click here and here to see classic Christian conversations.
He thoroughly enjoys spending time outdoors, helping his daddy, playing with Hot Wheels, playing any kind of sports, reading books (or looking at Waldo ones), going on bike rides, swimming (he is a little fish!) and recently drawing/writing. He is very social, although he informed me when asked if he played with his friends at school, "only Owen is my friend." I later found out, a "friend" by his definition is if he has been to their house :)

Noah is such a fun-loving, go-getter kind of little boy. Ever since he has learned to get around, he has not stopped. He likes to get into this and that..not really being destructive, just messing. This drives his big brother crazy...as their personalities are very different when it comes to playing. They now share a room, a bunk bed..which occasionally makes for interesting bedtimes. He is just now starting to talk in sentences more clearly and say SO many more things. He has his favorite people he likes to talk about. He is very passionate about his love for babies, especially HIS baby brother. A couple weeks ago, he started wearing glasses..and it has been such a smooth transition and seems to be helping him!

Our day to day lives are filled with lots of playing, building, "being nice" talks, reading, wild moments, and the 'messiness' that goes along with raising children. I am glad for these days (definitely some more than others!)..they go by WAY too fast, as we are almost starting a new year! I hope as we start a new year and reflect on this past one, that we count our blessings and make the most it. For we have much to be grateful for!

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!
Enjoy celebrating the birth of Christ Jesus.

Preparing for Christmas

Christmas is my favorite.

Its full of hope, joy, and anticipation. I've enjoyed doing the advent readings with the boys again this year. The past two years I've read the Jesus Storybook Bible version..but this year I've followed the verses off of something I saw on Pinterest, and read out of The Message and NIV Bible. Noah doesn't get it yet, but Christian is very inquisitive. Questions about the Virgin Mary and how people get pregnant...oh man, he's maxed out my creative answers. I've held in many laughs :)

Here are a few other things we've done to prepare...

put up the tree. Christian helped alot with this. I didn't put up the glass ball ornaments this year..its primarily a very kid decorated tree. It gets something added to frequently...paper chains (C), snowflakes from pipe cleaners (C/N), cinnamon ornaments that were painted (C/N), snowflakes made from colored popsicle sticks (C), and crayon melted ornaments (basically me...won't do that again) so far.

The boys separating out the broken crayons by color to make the melted crayon ornament (the idea seemed a lot more fun than what it really was..for us anyway).

Making cinnamon ornaments. 

They both loved making these. Well, Noah just played with it like Play Doh. 

They made the house smell really good!

 Painting the ornaments once they dried. 

Making and packaging his preschool teacher gifts (peppermint sugar scrub..found on pinterest).

We did the same for our Sunday School teachers too.

 This bunting was a project that I did..I had fun making something too!

 Making sugar cookies. I found my favorite recipe this year...and it was so easy!

You can click on this link for the recipe from Love Grows Wild.

I guess I didn't put a picture of them frosting them, but they did. We used some baking squirt bottles (also recipe and recommendation from that same site), which made it WAY less messy and very doable for both Noah and Christian. 

Christian said he was a "gingerbread man".

And baby Jonah..he's usually a good sport while we're doing these things..he hangs out in his chair by the Christmas tree so he can look at the lights! 

His first year ornament is hanging there in back of his chair :)

Noah [a new look]

Noah has a new look...he now has glasses.

He got them just before Thanksgiving and is doing so good with them.

We noticed on his second birthday that his right eye was turning in, and it started doing that more and more at different times throughout the day. When I took him in to the Dr. for a cough, I mentioned I was actually more concerned about his eye than the cough. We followed up with an eye doctor...and long story short, he got glasses. He may or may not always need them, but for now...this is his new look! From how we understand it, he doesn't need them necessarily to see "clearly", but just to help his eyes from working so hard to focus on things. They must help, because he leaves them on for the most part...he will take them off when he's tired and when we're driving in the car. 

I'm so proud of him..he is just such a sweet boy.

His first time trying them on...

silly boy.

 He likes "painting" (using markers!)

So innocent..on the way to Topeka for Thanksgiving. 

His glasses are hanging around his neck :)

And sometimes they are used as a toy....not encouraged, but very glad they are next to impossible to break!

Showing off his new "elf" diapers. He is so proud.

He has started to talk SO much more lately, and will repeat alot of what he hears. Some days, his conversation does not stop..whether someone is listening or not. He will go from one thing to the next, and I catch glimpses of what he is talking about. "Baby Jesus seeping (sleeping). Manger. Jonah, gone?? Jonah seeping. Build tower, knock doooowwnn! Mitch-ell coming. Tri-shen!! Tri-shen!! (yelling for Christian)."Whhyyy?????" (which is somehow not the annoying kind of 'why'), and "Noo??" (when being asked something, he answers in question form no) are very common for him to say. He refers to himself as "me" and just the other day said his own name for the first time. And lastly, the way he says someone's name that is teasing/tickling him is just priceless, he lowers his voice, and makes a sheepish face..."Pa-paaaa" (grandpa) is the usual one for this but "Ga-maaaaa" (grandma), "Da-deee" (daddy) and "Mitch-elllll" have also gotten this.

He absolutely loves this snow globe. It is of santa, and it plays "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". 

His interpretations of it are "Frosty!!!! Jingle BEELLLSSSS!!!"

Everything exciting about Christmas usually is referred to Frosty and Jingle Bells. It is quite funny. He loves books, and will grab one, then back his little bootie up to your legs and wait for you to pick him up and start reading. Currently, Frosty the Snowman and a book about the "old barn" that Jesus was born in are his favorite. He will say, "Frosty No-man, read it? or "Baby Jesus, barn. Door shut (in the picture the barn door is shut). Read it??"

He likes hats/helmets...and is a big time goof.

He definitely looks more grown up with his glasses. Part of me is sad that he needs to wear them, just because I think it would be a hassle for him..but truly he doesn't seem to mind, and I'm so glad that they help him. 

I am so proud of my handsome little-big boy.