Firsts...

We've had several "firsts" in our house these past few days...the most exciting being that Miss Rachel slept ALL NIGHT last night!  She always has one wake up call before she's really down, so she finally went to sleep at 9:30 p.m. and I didn't hear a peep out of her until 6:00 a.m.!  Now here's the difference between your first and second.  The first time Elizabeth slept through the night, I was awake every two hours to see if she was breathing.  With number two, I woke up at 6:00 and congratulated her!!  Maybe Scott checked on her - I haven't asked him yet.  I'm pretty sure we were both out cold!

Here is my beautiful, wide awake baby girl!

I've told you that Elizabeth has been trying her hand at throwing fits, but last night was her first attempt at a full-blown temper tantrum.  I was trying to get dinner on the table and Scott had just gotten home from work when it started.  She told me she wanted to eat ("Eat!!") and I asked her to wait a second - which are the three most dreaded words a 21-month-old can hear.  Well, she started her usual cry/whine and decided to throw in a scream just for fun.  Now, who knows where she picks up these things...she may have heard a kid at the Y cry this way, but it was a new thing for her.  I can see the wheels turning as she throws in the first scream...almost as a hesitation...and I try not to laugh as I set the table.  She keeps going, sending it into the next octave and increasing her volume.  I must have not been reacting like she wanted because she stomped in and tried it on her daddy, who precisely spanked her butt and sent her back in to me.  I take her hand and start leading her to the high chair and she's so into the tantrum that she makes her legs go weak.  Now I'm dragging my screaming child across the floor.  It wasn't until she was sitting in her seat that she noticed the macaroni and cheese in front of her (her favorite) and turned off the scene.  Ahh...I can't wait for the two's. 

As if that wasn't enough, she's figured out how to turn on and off the light in the bathroom.

I was running the vacuum cleaner this morning when I noticed the bathroom door was closed and the light was on.  Not seeing any sign of Elizabeth (it had been all of 30 seconds since I started the sweeper), I marched to the bathroom door, prepared to fuss at my child for closing it.  I open the door and there she is, sitting on her potty, reading a book.  Success!!!  So I sit across from her and we read through the whole book and then she hops up and runs to play.  Now, to try it without a diaper on...ha!  We may be getting close here, folks!

Hymns of life

I've been thinking about the hymns that make up the seasons of our lives lately.  Do you ever find yourself just going through your day with a hymn in your head?  I like to think that this makes God smile - to keep a soundtrack of praise running as you mop the floor or do dishes.  We attend a contemporary worship service and I like everything about it except that I miss the old hymns that I grew up with and that we would sing at our SC church.  A couple Sundays ago, the worship was all music and the band was really jamming.  They did the last song and after the last verse, went into an a capella version of How Great Thou Art.  You should have heard everyone singing!  It's like a universal smile went across the congregation and the song ended with a collective "ahhhh" instead of Amen. 

Lately, my theme song of choice has been Great is thy Faithfulness.  I sing it when I see my baby girl smile...when my husband calls to tell me he's had a good day at work...when we can pay all our bills...!  I remember when the entire meaning of Amazing Grace  changed for me and when I couldn't get In the Great By and By out of my head.  I don't think these things are coincidences and it keeps me focused on what I need in my life.

What is your hymn?   I would love for feedback on this one. 

Flooding the house with babies!

We've been so blessed to have Aunt Anessa and John Wayne in to visit us for the week.  They probably don't feel as fortunate to be in Nashville during the biggest flood in history...especially with Aunt Anessa's fear of tornados!  We are fine here and are so lucky to have our power and cable.  Aside from a little cabin fever, the weekend has gone well.  

 This is our front yard and it's hard to tell with the glare, but the water is up to the edge of the grass because it comes down the hill. 

John Wayne with the crazy hair.  We laughed because it actually calmed down with the humidity!

First walk with the cousins!

We were a little overly ambitious and had some melt downs...

What in the world are you doing to me, mother?

Somehow, Rachel acquired all these toys herself...I'm sure with no help from her sister...

It took two days to figure out how to play.

I think all babies like this ball!

Ok, so they aren't playing together, but they are in the same vicinity, so we'll take it.

Daddy and the girls

By far, my favorite picture of the week so far!

Week in review

Anessa and little John are coming in today and I still need to clean the guest bathroom, so please enjoy the pics and I'm sure I will have adventures to write about once we add a 10 month old to the mix!

Silly me for not specifying which shoes I wanted her to get to go to the Y...  This is also a good shot of what her daddy refers to as 'the rat tail.'  Mommy calls it the curl. 

I don't think Rachel got this herself.

What?  I'm busy!

Really?  You want me to smile when this thing is squeezing my head?!  

We were so blessed to get to see the Dilbecks this past weekend.  Here is Robin with Miss Disgruntled herself. 

Victoria and Elizabeth...chillin' to Sesame Street.

But Mom...you said get ready!

Yeah...I don't really know what happened to that baby...

Language barrier?

To update you on my last posting (since I just left you hanging for a whole week!), we decided that Elizabeth was saying, "drink."  Of course, I'm the only one who's heard it so Scott is doubtful.  He got home and held up her sippy and asked, "What is this?"  "Sappy," she answered.  (Which sounds really funny when she says it fast...sappy, sappy, sappy, sappy...)  Then he held up his water glass.  "What is this?"  "Bup."  (cup.)  He turned and looked at me.  "I swear, she said it!"

On to new adventures...

Learning to talk

I just have to tell you this one. I've written about how Elizabeth is really trying to mimic and sound things out, heavy on most consonants.  She's getting really good at her letters, but sometimes she gets mixed up.  This morning, she said "hib-bup" (hiccup) and she asks for "bibicks" (biscuits) at dinner on most nights, if we have rolls.  I made chili earlier this week and we had chips with them, which of course she wanted, but we couldn't get her to ask for.  She just pointed for them.

Well today, we were eating lunch and she points to the table and asks for the four-letter "d" word.  I'm not joking.  I'll call it "duck" for blogging purposes.  I'm cleaning up the table and she is basically done, but she points to the scraps and says, "Duck."  

I almost choke on my water.  "What, honey?  What do you want?"  "Duck," she answers.  "Do you mean, chip?" I ask, trying desperately to find out what she wants to I can correct her, but there are no chips on the table.  I'm thinking, do not react...do not react...because then she will say it all the time.  My brain is already shooting ahead to family dinners with my grandmother...being called into the church nursery to discuss my daughter's language...what Rachel's first word will be...the first time her Uncle Jason hears it...

So what happened?  I couldn't figure it out and she stopped asking for it.  I kept my face neutral and started cleaning her up and plopped her onto the floor.  She ran into the living room to play and I didn't hear it again.  Crisis aborted...for now...

Have you ever seen anything so cute?!

Peek-a-boo, mommy!

D

Does this onesie make me look fat?

 This is our not-so-smart mighty hunter, trapping a mouse under the garage stairs.  He sat like this for 20 minutes, staring it down.  When I got behind him and looked, I realized he had trapped a leaf.  Poor Butchy.

Forever the considerate big sister, Elizabeth is giving Rachel some "tea."

  Really?!  And then what happened?

 What does mine say? Dude!!  What does mine say? Sweeeeet...

 I'll get the light, mom!

 Why yes, I did my hair myself.  Why do you ask?

 And my heart melts...

O

Our little bathing beauties!