Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Four Months

 Beckett Lucas,

You turned four months old on the 16th, and you just seem to get more precious every single day. I feel like the time is flying by, and it kind of makes me sad. I just want the days to slow down so I can soak up every moment and enjoy you in all your sweetness right now. But, I am trying really hard to take the time to slow down when I can. You are so wonderful, my precious son, and I just cannot get enough of you. I think I could just stare at you and kiss your little dimpled cheeks all day long {and believe me, I do both of those a whole lot}!
This month you added rolling from your tummy to your back to your repertoire of skills. I missed it the first time you did it because you were on your tummy when I went to get a toy for your big sister, and when I got back to you, you were on your back. You have done it a couple of times since then. Laying you on furniture without pillow barriers is no longer possible. You have become a rockstar at tummy time too. You pick that head up so high and just look all around. After a while, you get tired and let us know you are ready to turn back over, but you forget that you didn't like it on your tummy and almost always immediately roll back over. Silly boy.
You are using your hands more and more, and I love watching you concentrate so hard on trying to grab a toy. Toys are definitely beginning to get your attention more, so we pulled out some of your sister's old toys. You love to suck on your hands, and you have a super strong grip! One of your favorite things to grab is mommy's hair, and it takes a lot of work to get you to let go :) You are becoming more fond of your pacifier for soothing yourself when you are ready to go to sleep.
Speaking of sleep, you have regressed a little bit. Your naps have become so short this month, and you rarely sleep longer than 45 minutes at a time during the day, unless I am holding you and can help you get back to sleep when you wake up. Your nighttime sleep has also been a little less predictable. Some nights you wake up once to eat and others you wake up at least two times. Mommy is definitely tired, but you are more than worth it. We are going to try to work on getting you on a more consistent schedule and see if that helps. I try to enjoy each moment in the middle of the night because I know that all too soon you won't be my baby boy anymore.
You are still smiling and laughing and talking all the time. You seriously will smile at pretty much anyone if they make eye contact and smile or talk sweet to you. My favorite is when you see your daddy or sister across the room, and your whole face lights up in a huge smile at the sound of one of their voices. You love to coo, and most nights when you wake up, you don't cry but just talk so sweetly. You love to laugh at your sister, and she loves to make you laugh. The sound of you two laughing together has to be the sweetest sound ever.
You love your bath and will kick and kick and laugh. I love it! You also really like your bouncy seat and will just play in it and kick until you put yourself to sleep. You started sleeping in your crib the night before you turned four months old, and I think it has been good for all of us even though it made your mommy a little sad. You still have the sweetest disposition, and people are always telling us how sweet and laid back you are. We love it!
My sweet boy, you are too precious for words. I fall more in love with you each day as I see your little personality grow more and more. You bring such a sense of calm wherever you are, and your contentment is such a blessing. I know you will teach us so much about being content as you grow, and I pray that it is always a part of your nature. You are our sunshine boy, Beckett. Your daddy and I absolutely adore you and cannot begin to imagine life without you. Happy four months, Beckett boy!

I love you to the moon and back!
Your Mommy

Sunday, December 18, 2011

two years old

Micah,

You are two years old, and I can hardly believe it.  You are not a baby anymore but are becoming more and more of a little girl.  I could never have imagined how amazing it would be to watch you become a little girl or just how your heart would capture mine each day.  Staying at home with you and your brother is seriously the best gift ever. Being your mom these past two years has been a bigger blessing than I could possibly explain, and I am in awe of the little person you are becoming.
I can vividly remember the first moment I laid eyes on you, and you have been taking my breath away ever since.  In some ways, the time has passed so quickly that it doesn't seem possible that it has been two years.  But at the same time, I honestly don't remember what life was like before you.  You make every moment more fun and more full.  I can only begin to imagine how much more blessed my life will be over the many years to come.
There are so many things I want to remember about you right now, about two year old Micah, because as I have been told many times, things are always changing.  You are definitely no exception to that, my dear.  So, here goes.
You are talking nonstop.  There is no way I could list all of the words and phrases you know and say because you add more every day.  You talk in complete sentences most of the time, and your daddy and I can {almost} always understand what you are saying.  Between 21 months old and 2 years old, you began saying your name correctly.  You used to say "cacah," and it was slightly sad to me when you started saying "Micah."  I feel like that each word you begin to say correctly is another sign that you are growing up.  So, I will probably continue to mourn each "ook" that turns into "milk" for quite some time.  I honestly think we talk almost all day long, and I love it.  You got your talkative side from your daddy.
Two other great things your daddy passed on to you are your friendliness and your passion.  You love love love people, and even if you are having a bad day, I know that you will cheer up in an instant if we go somewhere with lots of people and especially people you know and love.  I hope you never lose your ability to be kind and loving to ALL people.  It is one of the ways God has gifted you, and I love it.  You are one passionate little girl.  You have been intense since the moment you entered this world, and most of the time, this is a great thing.  I pray that your passion will serve you well in your life and that you will pour into something with great passion for the Kingdom.  However, your passionate side can make things difficult when you are upset.  We are learning to love you through it :)
You are becoming more and more creative and imaginative in your play.  I absolutely adore watching those precious moments unfold when you are playing so contentedly and creatively.  You still love to do puzzles, and you love to read books.  You generally find one book that you love for a couple of days and only want to read it over and over and over.  You enjoy coloring and having mommy and daddy draw all kinds of things for you {and you make us feel very good about our poor artistic abilities too!}.  You can count to 13 in English and to 10 in Spanish, thanks to your current favorite shows Dora and Go Diego Go!  Your brain is constantly absorbing and soaking up everything you see and hear.  It is amazing.
I love watching you as a big sister.  You love to make Beckett smile and laugh, and I know you look forward to the day that he can play with you.  Anytime he cries, you tell him that it will be okay, and you are quick to let me know he is upset.  You are almost always gracious about sharing my time and energy with your brother, and I am so thankful for that.  I pray that your relationship with your brother is so strong and important to both of you.
There are so many more things I could write to you, but no words could adequately express all the love that is in my heart for you.  You are the greatest gift, and you bring me immeasurable joy.  You teach me about Jesus everyday.  I am honored to be on this journey with you.  I pray that I will not be consumed by my desire to protect you in every way from everything but that I will be most concerned and burdened by teaching you and guiding you to love the Lord passionately and serve Him unabashedly.  Praying that justice and mercy would abide in your life, no matter what that looks like.  You are such a beautiful little two year old girl, and I am so thankful that you are my daughter.

I love you to the moon and back!
Your Momma

Monday, December 12, 2011

Two Sweet

For Micah's 2nd birthday party, we went with a "two sweet" theme and had lots of yummy sweets and treats.  It was the perfect party for Micah because she inherited a sweet tooth from both of her parents!
I had lots and lots of fun planning and decorating for Micah's party.
Most importantly, I think the birthday girl loved it, too!
 
These little jars were the party favors.  Everyone could fill up a jar with candy to take home.
 
She definitely really enjoyed the balloons.  Her face lit up when she saw them.
I got the idea for making a 2 out of pictures on pinterest, and I just used different pictures of Micah over the last year.  I loved making this and all the memories it brought up.
Micah was blessed with many friends and family that joined us to celebrate her sweet life.
All the kids decorated cookies to take home with them.
Micah LOVES the "Happy Birthday" song and sings it all the time.  Every time we asked what she would do at her party, she would talk about singing the "Happy Birthday" song.  So, we knew she would be excited about that part.  But, I never could have predicted the sweetness of her reaction.  She sat and looked all around the room while we sang with the most precious expression on her face.  It was like she was just soaking it all in.  I never want to forget that sweet look.
Blowing out candles is a tough concept for a 2 year old :)
She, of course, loved her cupcake.
Our little family of 4 celebrating our sweet Micah Elisabeth.
We had a great day and are thankful to everyone for loving our girl!

Friday, December 2, 2011

So Are You To Me

As the music
at the banquet
As the wine
before the meal
As the fire light in the night
So are you to me
As the ruby
in the setting

As the fruit
upon the tree
As the wind blows over the plains
 
So are you to me.
 
Happy 2nd Birthday, Micah Elisabeth!  I did not understand many things before you were born, like how to truly love sacrificially and to always put someone else's needs before my own.  
My life is so much better for it.  I love you so very much, precious girl!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

three months

Beckett,
You are three months old, and what an amazing three months it has been!  Some days it feels like I am living in a dream with you because you are such an incredible blessing and a sweet, sweet baby boy.  Every day with you is a gift, and I am so thankful that I get to experience all of it with you and your big sister.  These past three months have flown by, and I am trying to soak up each moment with you.  I just cannot get enough of you.
 In your third month, you went on your very first overnight trip to Houston where daddy performed a wedding.  You traveled like a champ and were true to your easy going nature.  You never minded being passed around, and you slept whenever you were ready no matter whose arms you were in.  Your daddy and I were so thankful that you handled it so well.  You have even begun to tolerate the car and your carseat better, which makes trips to the grocery store and to restaurants a little easier and less stressful for all of us!
You rolled over from your back to your tummy for the first time this month, and we were so proud of you!  I cannot believe you did this so soon.  I was super excited because I love experiencing new things with you, but it made me just a little sad that you are growing so quickly.  You are a very strong little boy.  Once you get on your tummy, you start to get a little frustrated because you cannot figure out how to roll back over.  You start to let out your "complaining" grunts, so we just help you roll right back over.  Your big sister loves to help you roll.
This month you have also really started to discover more things with your eyes.  You have started locking your eyes on the toys that hang above your play mat, and it is pretty cute.  I think we will have to start pulling out more of sister's baby toys soon!  You also follow us around the room more with your eyes.  You love to watch Micah, and I think you already cannot wait to play with her.  I am so excited to watch your friendship with her grow.
You are still smiling all the time.  My absolute favorite is when I can hear your beginning to whine when you wake up from a nap, and as soon as you find my face, you get a huge gummy grin on your face.  Melt this momma's heart!  You smile at almost anyone if they talk to you just right...it really doesn't take much.  But, you definitely know your momma, daddy, and sister and give us the most smiles.  You are still talking and laughing a lot too.  I love to hear your sweet voice, and you love to use it, especially when you are getting your diaper and clothes changed.  Your laugh has got to be the most precious thing ever, and your daddy is number one at getting them out of you {just like he was with your big sister}.  You are just one happy baby!
Sleeping is another thing that has been great during your third month.  You sleep an average of 7 hours during the first stretch at night {about 9:00pm-4:00am}, and then you will eat and sleep until between 7:00am and 8:00am.  You have given me one 9 hour stretch, and I am hoping that trend with pick up soon :)  You are still sleeping in the pack and play in our room, but I think that's about to come to an end.  You nap well, but it's fairly inconsistent.  Thankfully, you generally nap at the same time as your big sister in the afternoon.  We swaddle you when you sleep, and that seems to really help you to sleep soundly.  Your daddy and I are definitely grateful for how well you sleep.
You eat about every 3 hours during the day.  You wear size 3-6 month clothes and size 1-2 diapers.  You are one big boy, and we love every single little roll.  You still have the sweetest disposition and are such a calm, happy baby.  I am so in love with you, sweet boy.  I cannot imagine our lives without you.  You add a perfect sweetness to our family, and your daddy and I thank God every night for you.  We also pray that you will be filled with the Spirit and be a mighty warrior in the kingdom of God.  You are precious and the perfect fit for our family.  We absolutely adore you, and you make us more happy than you can imagine.  Happy three month birthday, Beckett Lucas!

I love you, to the moon and back!
Your Momma

Monday, November 14, 2011

Guess Who???

Guess who started rolling over from back to tummy on Monday, November 7?
This guy.
And, he hasn't stopped since.  I wondered if it was a fluke at first, but now every time I put him down on his back and leave him for any amount of time, he will throw that little body right on over.
 
I love watching him learn new things, but I'm not sure I was quite ready for him to be this big yet.
I guess I will just have to cuddle him a little extra these days!