Some Blessings of Mommyhood

Well, being a mommy certainly isn't a cake walk, but there have been some especially sweet moments lately that make it easier to forget the exhaustion. Hopefully this is an encouragement and reminder to other moms out there that there are blessings amidst the splattered yogurt, snotty noses, and poopy diapers. (Or was that just my day?)

A few of my favorite moments:

... Jonah tucking my hair behind my ear
... Abby falling asleep laying on my chest
... Both kids laughing together in the tub
... Watching Jonah diligently rake the leaves with his daddy and then jump into the pile.
... Abby babbling "da da da da" most of her waking hours while searching for her daddy
... Playing "basketball camp" with Jonah when he made me the team and he was the coach. My favorite line was when he said "STOP! No talking and put the balls on the ground please." Can you tell we saw daddy in action last Saturday?
... Abby's adorable squeeking, smiling, and snuggling. She is every bit as cute and precious as she looks.
... Hearing Jonah help recite the three Bible verses that he now has memorized and also repeat to me what it means that God is faithful, eternal, and foreknows. What a blessing it is to watch Brian teach him the attributes of God and see his eagerness to learn!
... Watching Abby take her first steps with a big smile on her face, knowing soon enough she and Jonah will be running around together. I'm guessing she'll become "team" and he'll be "coach" before she knows what's happening. :)

Here are a few of the lastest pictures... Children are a blessing!

The Amazing Race

About a month ago (I apologize for being long overdue), my old college roomie and friend Maggie and her daughter Marie stopped by for the day. Marie and Jonah are 7 weeks apart and pretty much would be best buds if they lived near each other. Here are the pictures to prove it.

We decided running from fence to fence would be fun. Wait a minute... where'd Marie go?

Way to finish strong Marie.
The carry your kid race didn't go so well for Jonah... he wanted to run. Sorry I didn't take more pictures... Maggie's blog is better. Either way, it was a blast to see you guys and you make a great excuse to head on up to Minnesota! Once you get there we'll plan something. Can't wait to meet crazy haired Renee!

Stepping out Against the Opposition

Abby is taking a few of her first steps... American Gladiator style.

Take 2

For Papa

What a big baby

I went upstairs to get Abby up from her nap and do a few other things. By the time I came back down to the basement, this is what I saw:

Watching from Afar...

Abby has become a big fan of watching the boys mow from the front door while mommy cooks. Daddy and Jonah equally enjoy waving at the fuzzy head in the window, so I decided to get a few pictures. Sorry these are a little out of focus...

They are starting to play together! Jonah absolutely loves to have a playmate and the more mobile and interactive that she becomes, the more fun they have.

A Mommy First

I turned a new page in the realm of mommyhood today when I did Abby's hair for the first time. It's been desperately needed, but just a little too short. Today, it's a little too long to just leave alone. So up it went. How'd I do? Not terrible for a first timer, but I'm going to need a better strategy. Do they have something like a baby straight jacket so you can actually get them to hold their head still for 1/2 a second while you put the rubberband in? That'd be great. I'm also realizing that I need to add an extra 10 minutes to the time it takes us to get out the door. She sure does look cute though!