Hey there Peanut –
In the spirit of playing catch-up, here are some amazing pictures from CJ’s MBA graduation party at the cabin!! We all could NOT be more proud of him – certainly Aunti Judi and Uncle Jim were beaming!!! What a wonderful day! All of these people have certainly become our extended family…
Proud Parents
You love your creatures!
“These are my friends!” you enthusiastically told me.
Sweet Similarities
We love you all!
Hey Peanut –
You spent the morning of the 4th with Jim and me – We went to the zoo and had a fantastic time! (Though we seem to have forgotten to take pictures…oops!) Then, in the afternoon, you and Daddy joined Marlie and her parents for some fun at a carnival. At the end of the day, we ALL met up to watch your FIRST fireworks together!!
What a VERY SPECIAL DAY!!
Here are some pictures from the day! Enjoy! I love you to pieces.
As the fireworks began you turned to me and said, “Now Mama. It’s going to make a BIG noise, but it will be okay.” Thanks Peanut. You’re the best!
Wow!! What a special day! We are so blessed.
While I was in the Netherlands for a conference (late June), Oma and Opa flew in from Minnesota to hang out with you. When I got back home, we all hung out for a few days – walked on the canal, had picnics, played in playgrounds… just had a wonderful time! Here are some wonderful pictures from our time together! 
THANKS OMA & OPA!!! We had a FABULOUS time with you!! Come back soon!!
Hey Baby Girl – my brilliant, insightful, sensitive, passionate, athletic, FUN, snuggly girl –
I am so very sorry for this 3-month delay in writing to you. I have written posts to you in my head MANY times, saying things like, “Wow! You are growing up SO quickly – I need to tell you all of the amazing things you are doing so you can remember later.”
Last night we had the sweetest exchange before you fell asleep which began with my putting my nose about 3 inches from yours, looking right into those baby blues of yours and listing ALL the ways you bring such JOY to my day and my life. Some of this list included:
* How much I LOVE the stories you tell me (with a big smile, you interrupted my list to tell me of the BIG bug you saw today at school, it was brown, we decided to name it Harvey. You told me it flew away to go sleep with its family.)
* How you teach me how to appreciate rocks, sticks and bugs more and more every day.
* How you make me laugh out loud with so many things you do.
* How kind you are to your friends as well as random strangers.
* How much you enjoy people and animals… especially “tiny babies!”
* How much fun it is to sing with you everywhere we go – in the stroller to day and from daycare or VeggieTales in the car.
* How great you are with manners.
* How patient you are with my mistakes.
* How great your memory is.
* How proud I am of all the things you can do now that you are a big girl – dress yourself, go potty, help put things away, etc.
Here’s a fun story from about a week ago. I handed you your PJ’s and said, “Go upstairs, please, and get nakedy” (this is one of your favorite words these days… nakedy). You grab the nightgown and say firmly, “Mom, I can do it myself” and headed straight for the stairwell. I followed you up in case I could be helpful. You walked immediatley into the bathroom, pausing to look over your shoulder to remind me, “MOM! I SAID I can do it MYSELF” and you shut the bathroom door behind you.
*warm smile* With a small sigh I decide to sit on the side of my bed and await your return.
After a few minutes I called out, “Maya? You okay in there?”
You call back, “I am fine, Mom. Why don’t you choose a book for us to read.” (I totally cracked up – my 3-year old is multitasking and designating… awesome.) So I obediently choose a book. You come out of the bathroom, fully dressed in your PJ’s (I’m impressed). You look over at me and the book I chose and promptly and tearfully protested, “I DIDN’T WANT THAT ONE!!!” (Whew! You ARE still three. Thank goodness!! 🙂 ) I could NOT love you more Peanut Butter.
Let’s see – let me tell you a few more things that you are doing these days:
* You love to sing, and you love even more listening to me sing.
* You LOVE ice cream and now, gilato… Hehehe… I’m going to try to record you telling me that you want to go get gelato. So very sweet.
* You are coloring shapes now – lots of circles.
* You say “Mommi” about 72,985 times a day. And sometimes, “Mommi, look at me please.”
* You are acutely aware of the things going on around you – and you are very comfortable sharing your observations – I love it. (examples? the missing tooth in the smile of a man who might want to pave our driveway… just for example.)
* You are pretending to be other people and things. For example, last night you held your Mommy duck and Baby duck. Baby duck hit Mommy duck (both in your hands). You notify me, “Mommi, Baby duck just hit her Mommy. She needs to have a time out.” I said, “sounds right.” You said, “You do it Mommi.” So I put Baby duck in time out for 2 minutes reminding it that we do not hit people and that she needs to think about what she’s done. After 2 minutes, you decided Mommy duck should go speak with Baby duck to let her out of time out. This morning when I woke up and came in your bedroom, I heard you being both voices (Baby and Mommy Duck) – playing out their interactions.
* Last night you asked Grandma Judy (Jim’s Mom) if she would hook the hose up to your pool. She said, “We’ll have to ask your Mommy.” You promptly responded, “She’ll say ‘later.'” *Sigh* You’re probably right.
* You LOVE your friends from school: Chavon, April, Marlie, Elsa, Natalie, Olivia. And if I try to say “Levi? Rudy? Jaydon?” you respond, “No, Mommi, no boys.” When we were thinking about who we would share our toys with, you said, “No monsters, people, or boys.”
* You still LOOOOVE being outside! The other night we came home from swimming and you invited me to lay down in the front yard to watch the trees and the sky, so we did. My head by your feet, your head by mine. We laid there and watched the trees and the sky at dusk on a wonderful summer day. I just LOVE being with you!
Check out all the personality packed in the wonderful little person!
I am enjoying you so very much!! Thank you for being so wonderfully you!
Loving my Peanut Butter,
*Mommi
Chick-a-dee Trail on a BEAUTIFUL DAY!
Potty Training Graduation
Guess what?!?! It’s official. Your teachers sent home a certificate saying that you had graduated from potty training, and you could officially refer to yourself as “A Big Girl!!!!” They sent home ALL of your diapers and pull-ups!! We could not be more proud of you! So, of course we had to celebrate you at Friendly’s with ice cream!! We love you Baby Girl!!
Ellison Park on ANOTHER beautiful day! Thanks God
On a normal Thursday after school and work, we (Macy, you and I) joined Uncle Jim, Madeline and Daniel for some fun at the park!! Daniel and Madeline TOTALLY dig Macy! We ALL got so dirty and had SUCH a great time!!
Then we all came home to our house for a wonderful dinner and BATHS!! 🙂
This is a typical day?!?!?!? We are so very blessed!!!!
Maya’s 3rd Birthday Party
We invited three friends to come over for pizza and ice cream cake on your birthday – Sunday, March 16, 2008. Your three friends were Elsa, Marlie and Apryl.
Easter Sunday Celebrations
We started our Easter CELEBRATION at church with Jimmiqua, Marlie and her mom Leslie. We had surprise company from Delilah and her mommy Martha. We sang in a special choir that morning because it was a special day!
After church, we had lunch with Uncle Jim, Madeline and Daniel and their Mom, Julie at the India House. We had a ball!
After nap, Daddy came over and we hid the eggs that Auntie Amy sent you (thanks for saving the day Auntie Amy!) and you had fun finding them to put them in your “Maya” basket, again, compliments of Auntie Amy. Then you thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate and toys you found in each egg!
Other Fun Pictures
We all met at Buckland Park last Sunday
Uncle Jim’s Shoes – Big shoes to fill for sure!
Mommi went to a conference in New York City and got to hang out with her awesome cousin Jonna and meet Jonna’s beau, Rob.
Okay, this blog post will certainly make the Grandparents smile…
We just finished having your 3-year old “well” visit with Dr. Shipley and Kristy, the nurse who works with her. They were both so fantastic with you as well as with us. The whole hour+ was quite the adventure… let’s see what I can remember…
* First, Kristy measured your weight (30.8 lb; 50%) and height (37.5 in; 60%). Later Dr. Shipley told us that your body mass index is also 50%.
* Then we attempted a hearing screening. Kristy asked you to point to different shapes, and you did GREAT! However, when it was time to put on the headphones and “listen to the man whisper,” you were first not so into the headphones (honestly, I tried them on to show you, and I agree – they were heavy and uncomfortable) and then you just decided to point to a bunch of pictures quickly and randomly. We asked if Kristy thought that was a problem of compliance or hearing. She smiled, nodded and confirmed “compliance.” “We’ll try again a different day.”
* Both Kristy and Dr. Shipley asked Mommi and Daddy MANY questions including:
Does she know her shapes?
Does she know her name?
Can she ride a tricycle?
What does she like to do?
Does she formulate 3-word sentences?
Is she a good eater?
Does she like books?
Does she go to bed easily and sleep through the night?
Does she like her school?
yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, oh yes, yes, oh yes and yes (you get the idea.)
* We also tried a vision test for which Daddy held you on his lap and covered one of your eyes. You didn’t like that much, and you kept trying to peak. After a number of unsuccessful attempts, Daddy asked you to choose an eye to have covered, and you chose “Mommi’s.” ( 🙂 We laughed and complied.) So you covered both of Mommi’s eyes while Daddy covered one of yours, and as Kristy pointed to about 7 consecutive shapes asking you to identify them, you said “Star. Star. Star. Star. Star. Star. and Star.” We all laughed and decided we would try this again later with the hearing thing. You totally crack me up. We are now supposed to practice head phones and covering eyes at home… how silly.
As we’re talking, you said “I have to go potty” so Daddy took you and I continued answering questions. The next question from Kristy was “So she is living with you and Daddy?” I surprised her with my first no, and I explained our new living situation. After asking a few questions about how I perceived it to be going, Kristy complimented Daddy and me for being so loving and clearly focused on you. I think Kristy and Dr. Shipley were happily surprised to hear this news after they saw how you, your Daddy and I all talk and interact with one another. Dr. Shipley spent a very long time explicitly complimenting and encouraging us by telling us how good it was that we both made time to be at your doctor’s appointment, how difficult she knows all of this to be (as she had been through it herself) and how well we have done at prioritizing you. She felt it was clear that you know you are so very loved by both of us and our first priority.
After your second request to go potty (see quote below), Dr. Shipley decided to ask us to wait while she met with her next patient. That gave the three of us quite a bit of time to play, laugh and talk. We broke out the “moon sand” and you totally glittered your Daddy. We all laughed and gently and lovingly teased one another. Though we probably would have preferred not to be asked to wait that long, it turned out to be a very sweet and special time. When Dr. Shipley returned, she chuckled at the bit of a mess we had made and assured us that it was nothing to worry about.
She listened to your ears, looked at your eyes with a flashlight, tapped on your belly and asked you to open wide so she can see your teeth. She also took your blood pressure! You did GREAT through all of these! Dr. Shipley said that the most “hugs” they have ever gotten with a blood pressure cuff with kids your age was five. Your Daddy was so awesome with you – he reminded you that this is what he does at work, and he helped you focus your attention on the changes of the needle on the dial – You weren’t nervous AT all, and Dr. Shipley and you set a new record of “hugs!”
Awesome quotes from the morning:
“She is nutritionally very healthy and developmentally advanced” (Dr. Shipley)
“Hey, Miss Doctor, look at me!” (Maya, as she is break dancing, spinning on her bottom in the middle of the floor.)
“My tummy hurts; I have to go potty” (Maya) at which time I took you and you went POOPIES on the POTTY!… You are SUCH a big girl!!
“We usually hope to understand about 75% of what three-year olds are saying, and I can understand EVERYTHING Maya is saying. She is even engaging in conversations!” (Dr. Shipley)
“Though she just turned three, developmentally she has probably been three for a while.” (Dr. Shipley) We agreed.
As we walked out to our cars, I held out my fist to Daddy to congratulate him and said, “Go, Team, Go.” Daddy and I agreed, that of all the things we could be getting right right now, we’ve been blessed to get the most important thing right – YOU. He bumped his fist on mine and said “Go team go.” You immediately offered your little fist to both of us saying, “Go, Team, Go.” And our hearts melted as we laughed.
God is so very good.
January was such a crazy month for both us – transitioning into our new life with the love and support of so many amazing friends. I’ll try to work to get caught up on some of the pictures over the next week or so, but let me see if I can remember some of the highlights:
New Year’s Eve Party with Hannah and her family – Thanks!!
* Uncle David flew out to spend the first week of January with us. Our treasured friend, he was such an incredible support to Mommi and you and he had a great time playing together.
* We went to Strong Museum with Rachel and her mommy, Laura. We had a blast – and Rachel wanted to use some of her gift money from her Grandma to buy you a toy, so you came home with a “Princess” ball – what a special gift.
I swear you grow up OVER night, Baby Girl!! It’s crazy!
This morning we followed our regular routine where you come and tell me that it’s “wake-up time” at 6:30am and we tease back and forth about how dark it is and whether or not it REALLY is wake-up time… and we giggle.
After I set our clothes for both of us and I took a shower, you came left your TV show and walked over to me and said, “Mommi, I have to go potty.” “Great, let’s go!” You then went poopies on the potty! (Big deal!! NICE!) After adequate celebration, I went back to getting ready….
Next thing I know, I turn around and you had COMPLETELY dressed yourself – taken off your pj’s and put on your shirt, big-girl-underwear, pants, and socks!! All by yourself! CRAZY! Where did my baby girl go? You are such a big little girl…
Quite a day!
I love you, Peanut. I continue to be amazed by you more and more each day….
I know I am SO behind in posting pictures and events – even BIG events like a CA visit from Uncle David, but I’m trying to get my camera to play nicely with my new computer, and I just never seem to have the time to troubleshoot it… so, for now, I’m going to just write about tonight.
You had spent the weekend with Daddy. When you got home at 5:30pm you were FULL of hugs and kisses and playfulness. We had a fantastic time making snacks of cheese, crackers and black bean towers as well as cherry tomato chipmunk cheeks which I squished and you giggled. You played “sink or float” with many different types of toys in the sink, and then we headed up to bed earlier so we could read plenty of stories.
The new FAVORITE is a beautiful book loaned to us from “Uncle Jim,” our dear friend from church. it could NOT be more perfect for you! The writing is so fantastic for kids, and the illustrations are gorgeous. The BEST part? The stories are core Bible stories of Jesus’ amazing love, caring and power: Little Zaccheus; Bartimaeus’s sick eyes; the Boys and Girls and Jesus; Jesus shushs the winds and waves; and finally the one man who came back to say “thank you.” You asked for almost all of the stories to be read “again, Mama.”
After the last story of the one of ten who came back to said Thank You, we had the MOST PRECIOUS prayer time ever. You were sitting on your bed and I in the rocking chair. After I asked you if you wanted to thank Jesus for something, you started by looking up and saying “I love you Jesus.” I again asked you if you wanted to say thank you to Jesus for something. We took turns looking up toward heaven and thanking Jesus for something. You began “Thank you Jesus for chocolate.” I repeated it. Then you said, “Thank you Jesus for this book.” I repeated it. “Thank you Jesus for ALL my books.” I repeated it. “Thank you Jesus for my candy.” I suggest Daddy. “Thank you Jesus for Daddy.” “Thank you Jesus for Mama.” Thank you Jesus for Maya.” (all your prayers). “Thank you Jesus for purple B.” I almost cried… You words and your heart were so sincere.
Then you jumped to my lap and gave me the biggest hug and kiss.
Thank you Jesus for the love that you show both of us in the joy that is uniquely ours. We feel your love – it’s so clear. And it makes ALL the difference!
Peanut, you are exactly what Jesus was talking about when He said, “let the little children come to me… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.” I have so much to learn from you in how you thoughtfully and sincerely receive the Kingdom of God. I will be humbly watching…
Good night Baby Girl… Thank you for a night I will treasure forever… Your Mommi