All Things New

Here's what's new with..


..new love of letters and the sounds they make. I realize this is an age-appropriate thing but yesterday he sounded out D-0-C to spell my dad's name!
..gymnastics class on Mondays. Here he is on the balance beam.
.."Mommy school" on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings while Kate naps.


..new love of telling jokes. Next time you see her, just ask her to tell one.
..gymnastics class on Mondays. Her favorite so far is hanging from the uneven bars with her feet on the bars. She's so strong! In this pic she's so focused on listening to her teacher. I love the way she is sitting.
.."Mommy school" on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings while Kate naps.


..weaning to whole milk. It's going ok so far.
..12 month well visit this week. She's still our petite princess but so healthy and happy. Here she is at the doctor sharing with the baby in the mirror.
..this is her "check me out" face. It looks to me likes she is posing. Sometimes she claps after she makes it, so I guess she knows it equals a good response!

Tulips, Ice Cream and "Pure Joy"

What a fun weekend to celebrate our Katherine Joy!



It started with a garden party on Saturday....tulip sugar cookies, "dirt" ice cream, tulip-shaped watermelon, and gummy bugs! It was a sweet time with family and friends at our house. After eating ice cream and getting sticky, the kids splashed and rinsed off in a few pools. Fun was had by all. I will never forget Kate eating the ice cream cone like she knew exactly what to do!



Then on Sunday we dedicated her to the Lord at church. I love how our church does this. It is a special time that really focuses on one child - praying for them, asking for the Lord's blessing on their life, and encouraging the church to pray for them. Will spoke a beautiful blessing over her while I held her and Jack and Josie stood beside me. It was a sweet time as a family as Jack looked up at her adoringly.


(This is Pastor Bill as he encourages and challenges the church to pray for Kate as she grows.)

Will said that the name Katherine comes from the Greek word "katharos" meaning purity. Our prayer for her is a life of purity, following Jesus Christ and being set apart for Him. Her middle name Joy speaks for itself...and we do pray that she would know the joy that only comes from knowing Christ, all the while sharing His joy with others.

ONE of a Kind

Dear Katherine Joy,
Happy birthday to you, dear one. You are one of a kind and we thank God for your birth a year ago. God made you with a strong will, determination, and an outgoing, joyful personality.
We are learning new things about you every day. Just today I learned that you know exactly what "no" means and like to test your boundaries anyway. You climb at an amazing speed but haven't let go of things to take your own steps. Take your time!
I awaited you with great anticipation, and from birth, felt like you were my kindred spirit. I, too, was intense by nature from the beginning, so I welcome your passion for life!
I have so enjoyed the sweet, quiet moments we have shared the past year. You rarely slow down, so nursing you has been special. It is the only time you are willing to sit and just be. Some of your loves right now are books,(reading and chewing on them!) food, and Jack's toys. We are constantly trying to think before you...making sure bathroom doors are closed, stair gates are locked, and wipe lids are closed. You have been my daily dose of exercise for sure.
This weekend we will celebrate your birth with a party and by dedicating you to the Lord at church. Many have asked me if I am sad to see my baby turn one. I say with confidence that I am so excited for you! You were born independent and ready to grow up. I expect great things from you....our little fireball.
Happy birthday to Kate. You are one of a kind, and we love the way God made you.
Love,
Mamamamama
ps. Here you are eating our traditional birthday breakfast - a blueberry muffin. You immediately reached for the burning candle! Just another reminder to me of how one of kind you are. Jack and Jo didn't think of this!

Before Kate

A year ago I was waiting on our baby Kate....wondering, hoping, praying.
I was longing to hold her and see her sweet face.
I was excited to see who she resembled and how much she weighed.
I dreamt of bringing her home to our new house, putting Josie's old clothes on her, and swaddling her.
Before Kate, we were a family of four and we were happy.
Who knew that adding this third child would....
add new life to this house, grow new dependence upon the Lord, and bring more laughter(and tears!)than ever?
Before Kate we didn't even know what we were missing.
What a difference a year makes.

two on one with jo

As parents of multiple children, we are realizing how important it is to spend quality time with each kid. We are also finding that it is difficult and rare. Last night we had a special visit with our middle child....our carefree spirit. Big brother was at VBS with Ethan and Kate was already down for the night, so we just laid down with JoJo in her bed and we talked, laughed and prayed with this sweet gift. She was so happy to have our attention, and we were glad to give it all to her! Will asked her on a daddy/daughter date when she turns 3 next month, and she said, "Can we go to Red Robin Hood?" We talked about her upcoming dance and gymnastics classes, and what she wanted to do the next day.
I don't think I will ever forget just lying next to her, rubbing her sweet face and talking. Thank you, God, for one on one time with Josie. We really needed that, and so did she.

quite the character....

Some kids are just dress-up kids...meet Jack Davis.
I look forward to seeing what Jack becomes every day.
We have a huge bag in their closet, full of random costumes, accessories, wigs, props, hats, jewelry, etc. We start each day by just dumping it out, because in one day, Jack and his sidekick might be ten different characters.
I have decided that I need to keep a running record of Jack's aliases.
Today alone he has been: Spider-man, the Big Bad Wolf, (poor little piggy sisters!) a fisherman, an animal scientist (see photo) and a giant.
All three are napping right now, but just minutes ago we were on a bear hunt and Josie told me to "watch out for boobie traps, Mommy!" Welcome to our world...it's a crazy place!

Diaper = pocket

When Will was placing Kate in the bathtub tonight, he noticed something purple stuck to her bottom. It was one of those kid-flosser-thingys. Jack and Josie both looked surprised but we knew who was the guilty one. Will said, "Josie, why did you put that in Kate's diaper?" Very innocently she answered, "Well, I didn't have a pocket and I needed to put it somewhere." Already multipurposing - I love it.

11+

Can it be that this girl is eleven months plus a few days?
Our baby girl is a mover and shaker, a squealer and babbler, and a joy.
She is often the center of attention, and likes it that way. All of us find ourselves laughing at her and nodding our heads with disbelief when she destroys something for the 10th time that day or manages to open the door to the bathroom and play in the potty!
At eleven months, she is still short but so strong and can stand alone without holding onto anything. No walking yet but she may just skip to running! She loves real food, her brother and sister, and going to bed early. It is so endearing to see her show affection....she crawls up to you and buries her head into you and smiles. This means she wants to snuggle! She has three teeth with one on the way. She can climb stairs, wave, clap, and sign "all done!" I have noticed that I am taking more naps than ever thanks to this high energy girl.
We love you today and forever, Katie-girl.