My Little Communicator

Kayleigh makes me laugh about a thousand times each day. The way she is learning so quickly to communicate, to share her thoughts, to learn new words is incredible. I'm convinced by the time she's two she'll be easily rattling off full sentences; right now she's combining phrases and learning approximately 5 new words per day. It's hard to remember them all to even cherish on the blog! I feel like I'd have to blog several times each day just to catalogue all that she's describing. It's been several days since I updated on any of that, so perhaps I should catch up.

1. She's increasingly good at following directions ... to the point where I have to watch myself when I'm narrating our day. She has no concept of later, or in a minute, only NOW at this moment. It's excellent for things like: pick up the trash, Kayleigh, or it's time to get in the car, Kayleigh. BUT it's difficult when I say, No, we'll go for a ride later. All she hears is go for a ride. And then is completely distraught when I don't follow the procedures for doing just that. After all, in her mind she heard ... GO FOR A RIDE ...

2. I believe she is a neat freak .. which will be difficult since neither Steve nor I really care much for keeping things clean. Shameful, I know... both of our mothers would be distraught but ... it's the truth. I think it skipped a generation. I had to watch my patience the other day because I was ready to get going somewhere. We were running a little late and Kayleigh was in clean up mode. We COULD NOT think about going for a ride because we had to pick up all of the "tash" (most of which were empty water bottles, Mt. Dew cans and things strewn about that we don't always pick up right away). After the trash, she insisted on turning OFF OFF both of the fans (can't have them running when we aren't in the room). AND we had to clean up all of the papis (pacifiers) from underneath her crib. She WOULD NOT be derailed (well, I could have carried away a screaming, tantrum baby, but I decided there was a lesson for me in this too ...). So, we picked up the trash (she insisted on doing it all herself), turned off the fans (she needed a little boost) and picked up the pacis (after I moved the crib so she could do so). Then, we could leave ... curiously, she doesn't have the same problem with her toys; they can be strewn about ... just not trash, or fans, or pacifiers.

3.  Label everything ... we are at the stage where everything has a name, and my daughter must know it. If she knows it she will shout it and label it for you, no matter where we are. She can see a ball off in the distance and shriek BALL BALL BALL before any adult has come even remotely close to finding one. If she DOESN'T know the names she resorts to her favorite word of all MAMA >>> MAMAMA... MAMAM.. with increasing volume until I say, "yes, Kayleigh?" THIS? THIS? THIS? and she tries to discover the name for whatever new object she can find. She's lightning fast at repeating ... and doesn't take long to re-recognize it in a different context. It's always fun to hear and see her translate her knowledge to a new environment. She's big on "uh-ohs" usually when she drops stuff. BUT she doesn't hesitate to use it when Mommy does, Daddy does, or random stranger at the store does. We were searching for grad cards at Meijers and some unfortunate employee dropped a vase of flowers. We couldn't see it, we just heard the crash. As the manager walked down the same aisle, my baby girl did a HUGE surprise face (mouth wide open in the "OH" expression) and said, UH-OH ... MOMMMA .. UH-OH ... UH-OH. The manager laughed and laughed because she was so worried about whatever had just crashed down.

4. **warning: slightly gross: ** Kayleigh knows all the parts of her face as well as many other items' names that she uses for comfort. We were driving home from the zoo on Thursday and she sneezed. Now, my child can handle sneezes and coughs (she usually laughs) BUT if the sneeze produces any amount of snot on her face she freaks out. Sometimes it's so bad that I have to pull over, put on the hazards and clean up her face or she won't stop screaming. I wasn't able to pull over at this particular juncture, so I said, "Kayleigh, I know you have a "blaghc" on your nose. Can you wipe your nose with your blanket?" (Now, I know ... gross to wipe it on the comfort tool, but .. pulling over on the S curve was not an option). She looked at me, wanted to cry for the gross-ness of it and ... wiped her nose with the blanket. Just for good measure, when she was all "cleaned" up she said in her sweetest voice ever, "Momma, blaghc" It was like she was telling me, "Mom, that was gross."

5. Logic and reasoning ... I think this is the part of communicating with Kayleigh that makes me the most excited .. when she understands me. She was having a wretched night the other night ... up for 3.5 hours straight just moaning and whining (I think she got the cold from the Ipema's ... totally fair since they received at least one this year from her too!). When she was sufficiently drugged and had had plenty of chances at comfort we decided it was time for the firm parent approach. Mom got that job. So, I walked in (at approximately 5:45 a.m., after having been up almost all night). I squatted next to the crib and looked her in the eyes (a similar tactic I used on my middle schoolers). I said, "Kayleigh, what is wrong, honey?" She responded, "Momma ... blagch" and pointed to her messy nose. I gently cleaned it off with her rag and then said, "Okay, all clean. Now it's time to sleep. Can you lay down?" She vigorously shakes her head now, whimpers and says, "Out, Momma, out!" I said, "No, Kayleigh" and she whimpered and whined and cried and tried twice more to say that she wanted out. Each time I just said, "No, Kayleigh" until the third time when I figured it was time she knew I meant business. I said, "Kayleigh, Mommy needs you to lay down. If you don't she has to spank you, and Mommy doesn't like that." Kayleigh took one more pathetic little shuddery whimper, hugged me tight around the neck, put her paci in her mouth and didn't make a peep until at least 9:45 a.m. ... We just had to establish that her desire wasn't happening and that sleep was. Once she learned it, she gladly complied. Sigh ... I love being able to talk to her ... it's so much easier than battling the scream out until she drops to sleep.

Well, I suppose that's enough for now on my sweet baby doll. I've been seated long enough. The tingling in my feet and fingers from our exceedingly long walk has finally  subsided. I'm starting to feel slightly more comfortable, and I THINK angelface is ready to be done napping :) ...

Progress … on two fronts

I wanted to combine some cute little Kayleigh learnings with the progress on Baby Boy V.  So, I think, in light of the theme for the week "patience and progress," I can update you all on progress with both of my children. Kayleigh: Woke up this morning (after a rough night) very conversational. She wasn't super patient but she was quick to verbalize everything she wanted (something I'm encouraging as opposed to whining and pointing). These are the words she used all morning long: Toooast, more juice (say please) pwees, more isic (that's music), tee-tee (t.v.), FISHY!!!, dipper (I think that was diaper and she actually wanted it changed!), A BOOK!, bush (brush), pitty (pretty after she pretend applied all of my makeup), TASH (as she cleaned up all the dryer sheets left from putting away laundry, MOMMAAA (when I was trying to work on add.a.lingua and not playing with her), baby baby baby (as she waddled around the house ... I think she's anticipating something too), and my personal favorite "Mommma ... momma ... MOMMMAAAA (yes, Kayleigh), kiss (puckered lips running in my direction)."

She managed to grab my iPhone, bring it to the bathroom sink (where it sits to play music and entertain her while I shower), and run back to me saying MORE ISIC ... MORE ISIC ... MOMMAA ... ISIC!!

All morning long my little helper, read books to me, played with her computer (because Mommy was playing with hers too), and generally exerted so much independence.

I can't believe how fast she grows; each day she learns something completely new and shocks us both with it. (Like yesterday she walked outside to go for a car ride with Daddy and decided that, since Mommy grabs Rice Krispie treats from the box on the way out of the house, she should too. She stopped, picked on out and took it along for the ride). Earlier that day she watched as Mommy had pulled water bottles out of the bulk carrier before entering the house, so she now does the same, helping herself to a bottled water on the way in ... She learns so much each day ... I love it.

Baby Boy: Is now over 36 weeks and just a few days short of being a full term baby. The doctor checked Mommy out and there is a fair amount of progress. I'm further dilated than I ever was with Kayleigh prior to labor (probably a good thing since her labor took 24 hours) and I'm fully effaced. The doctor was able to touch the little man's head today and he promptly squiggled up towards Mommy ... I don't think he's quite ready to make his appearance yet :) ...

The prayers for patience are working well. I'm not wallowing in self-pity, simply preparing as best I can for whatever I can :) ... It's great that tennis is keeping me busy. There's no time to sit around and think about it when there's so much to do. Speaking of so much to do ... I should go hang those diapers on the line ... :)

A little bit of fun …

I felt like today was a breath of fresh air in my week. I had so many encouraging responses to my crazy pregnancy blog, so many people offering best wishes or encouraging remarks (or even just commiserating with me). I have my 36 week appointment tomorrow, and I'm VERY ready to hear if there is any progress by way of effacement or dilation.  I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but I really just want to know what's going on. Anyway, with that appt to look forward to, and today's excitement, I'm finding it hard to get down to business and work :) ... Let me recap for you ... (a). Kayleigh woke up LATE and let me read a little of Grandpa and Grandma Van Dyk's life story. I've had it in the dresser and wanted to begin reading it ever since Grandma passed away. I know I shouldn't be as excited since they really are my Grandparents-in-law, but since my little daughter bears her Great Grandma's name, I want to know as much about her past as possible. It's been a very intriguing read, and I love that Great Grandpa and Great Grandma wrote it down for us.

(b). My little girl had some sassy attitude that was just makin' me laugh! (See first picture below). She INSISTED on wearing this plastic headband I stole from one of my tennis players last year. And she made me "apply her makeup" (aka put on chapstick and pretend to put on mascara and blush) before she'd play alone, AND she was feeling SUPER sweet because she was wearing her new Skechers from Grandma today. She would strut along, and stop and look at her feet; she'd get this big grin, and then strut somewhere. She definitely thought she was it and a bit!

(c). Kayleigh napped early (see second picture below) because, for what ever reason (probably all the tennis she's been to in the last week) she was exhausted!! While she was napping Aunt Alaina and RYAN showed up for playdate. I had one excited toddler when she woke up! She was happy!!! RRRYYYYAAAN ... she kept looking and pointing and saying his name. She was enthralled!

(d). After a nice lunch with Alaina and playtime for the kids (Ryan really wants to copy Kayleigh, and quite frankly, I think Kayleigh wants Ryan to follow her around), Kayleigh and I headed off to school to meet the "GGGIIRRLLS" for the tennis match ...

(e). We had only the single biggest dual match of our season tonight .. .Hackett Catholic Central. School rivals (although in tennis the girls all pretty much like each other) and our toughest league, region, and state competition!! Last year we were competitive all through the season but allies for Kalamazoo at the state meet. I like that balance. It keep us sharp all season long, but gives you double support when it comes to the larger, tense State meets. At any rate, we ended in a tie ... Hackett won all of the singles matches and Christian won all of the doubles matches. ... We haven't lost to Hackett since Robin and I have been coaching, so it was nice to not have that as a first. BUT, we also can't count it as a win ... maybe at the league tournament :) ...

(f). Steve and Kayleigh came to cheer us on as we finished the Hackett match and then we had a family dinner afterwards. I love that my husband has learned how to cheer (and enjoy) tennis ... something he really didn't do before we met and married. I truly think he enjoys watching the girls compete and experience success almost as much as I do.

(g). Now ... it's evening time and little baby boy is entertaining me with his acrobatics and intense contractions (all still false labor, I'm sure) as I send in the scores to the paper, prep a bit for the tournament on Saturday, and get to work on the curriculum projects that still really need my attention ... May 11 is coming soon ...

Enjoy these pictures of our day ... (well, Kayleigh's day. I'm not super into pictures right now) :) :)

[caption id="attachment_159" align="alignnone" width="224" caption="Kayleigh sense of "Style""][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_160" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Just hanging out, rocking away ... you know, kickin' back"][/caption]

Abundant Blessings

One of the best parts about staying home is that I get to see the little, tiny miracles that happen each day as my daughter grows. One of the most difficult parts about staying home is that each morning, regardless of whether I feel awesome or not, she's ready and waiting to learn and grow! (There aren't "sick days" or "oops I'm late" mornings in the life of s.a.h.m.) But it's these mornings that God always chooses to show me something new and beautiful in my baby girl.

Yesterday from about 1:00 p.m. until about 4:00 a.m. I was having an insane number of Braxton Hicks contractions. They weren't painful (except when accompanied by lower back pain and pelvic pressure) just LONG and incessant! By 3:00 a.m. I was pacing, timing them using the stopwatch on my iPhone, and drinking buckets of water/OJ to get them to stop so I could sleep. NOTHING was working. Finally, I just laid down and accepted the fact that this wasn't true labor (albeit it many classic symptoms of pre-mature labor) and there wasn't much I could do. I wasn't going to wake my doctor in the middle of the night because I knew (without regular intervals or increasing pain/pressure) there wasn't much they'd do. So I was just frustrated.

I slept from 4:00 until 7:00 a.m. when my cat persisted in waking me (he gets to play in the garage and was NOT interested in letting me sleep late). Locking him out of the bedroom only produced mournful moaning, scratching at the bedroom door, and consistent interruptions. Since I didn't want his misbehavior to wake Kayleigh I got up ... called the dr and was told to stay at home for the morning. To sit down immediately when contractions began and drink fluids. If I had more than 6 in an hour, I was to head in to the office. Well, with a toddler, sitting to drink water and pay attention to painless (though annoying) contractions was not super high on my list. Let alone with tennis, preparations for labor/baby, plus work, I didn't have time to take the morning off. This shot my morning to pieces!

Yes, yes, I'm still getting to the Abundant Blessings part :) ...

Nevertheless, as my daughter woke and I thought about the 3.5 hours I had to entertain her, alone, in the house until it was nap time I was dreading what I'd do to fill those hours (especially knowing was supposed to sit and drink water). I'll admit, I was bawling as I fed her breakfast and that ... THAT ... is where God began to show up in an incredible way.

(1). My baby girl, normally quite focused on her meal, took a moment to stop shoveling in the Cheerios, called me over, and just took my hand and hugged it to her face. I don't think empathy or even sympathy truly develops until kids are closer to 3 or 4 but I believe Kayleigh sensed Mommy was sad and did her best to cheer me up.

(2). In a softer mood after some spontaneous kindness from my 17 month old, I started about diaper duty. K desperately wanted to help me so she crawled downstairs (one of her new found skills) and stood guard over me as I started the wash cycle. She didn't go play in the playroom (though I encouraged her to) . .she simply stood by my legs, rubbing them every so often with her head, saying "Mommmaaaa ... " in the tone she always uses when she's really saying, "I Love you ..."

(3). After that we went upstairs to play where Kayleigh went to her room to get her "anket." Its a morning tradition to be lazy at home and just lounge around all over the living room with her "anket" watching "tee tee." She told me, quite clearly to sit in the rocker. She hopped on the footrest (she's learned that trying to climb on my lap is pointless), covered both of us (as much as she could) in the blanket and laid her head in my lap. She said "bush ... bush" and sat still for almost 10 minutes while I brushed her hair (this is NEVER HAPPENED moment with my little mover).

Most of the morning continued this way with Kayleigh doing her best to be sweet, kind and playful. When it finally came to nap time I found myself surprised at how quickly it really had come about. The morning didn't take nearly as long as I thought (probably because of the sweetness of my baby girl). When I said it was nap time she dropped all of her kitchen utensils (She had been making Mommy "unch"), ran to my arms, hugged me, KISSED me on the lips (also a first) and said, "NIGH NIGH Momma." That was 34 minutes ago and I haven't heard a peep. I hung the diapers on the line and decided that I'd be remiss if didn't take time to thank the Lord (through this reflective, semi-public blog and privately in prayer) for the abundant blessing that is my daughter. She has her moments, but in the last week, she's been nothing short of angelic. She's so ready to be a big sister and helper ... I couldn't be more proud of the little sweet young lady she's becoming.

My heart is full ...  (and my body tired still ... so on that note, I'm taking my swollen feet/ankles/hands and falsely contracting body to bed ... maybe little ______ will stop pushing down long enough for Mommy to rest for a while. If this is any indicator of HIS disposition, the Lord knows I will need to take every advantage I can right now!)

Far too soon …

Maybe it's the little boy kicking in my stomach, getting ready to make his appearance ... Maybe it's the hormone fluctuation ... Could be the busy-ness of tennis/deadlines at work... Maybe it's that stage in my firstborn daughter's life ... These past three days have been FULL of little moments that take my breath away. The kind I know I'll have as Kayleigh grows. I'm already anticipating the difficulties of sending her off to preschool, letting her play at her friends' houses, her first sleepover with someone other than family, her first date (YIKES!)/her first formal, etc. All of those things were in the back of my mind as I watched her take some of her own very independent steps this week ... some age appropriate, some not so much. :) I'll pair them, as I see them in my mind's eye, with equal memories of her as a tiny baby girl. 1. Then: I still remember the feeling I had when, as I was still pushing in labor, my doctor said, "Congratulations! You have a daughter!" I screamed, "WHAT??!!!" because I was so certain she was a boy. Don't get me wrong, I was ecstatic! (just shocked) Now: That same baby daughter met her first "boyfriend" at a tennis match today! (I heard this all through Steve, Bri and my mom who actually saw it. I was coaching 3D at the time). A little boy approached my angel, handed her a cracker and gave her a few of the tennis balls he had stashed away so that they could play together. In return, Kayleigh hugged him ... and stayed hugging him for a while. They chased each other around the tennis court for quite some time after that. She kept calling him Ryan (for her little cousin), but play they did. My prayer: I know I won't be able to stop little boys from liking my little girl. I can't really blame them. She's cute and amazingly fun. It's innocent now,  but I pray that God protects her sweet, trusting heart as she grows and that's she's able to find someone, someday (who's probably still in diapers of his own right now) who cares for her, loves her, and has Jesus as the model for his life. (This rocks my world because I thought I had a while to wait before I had to begin praying for her future husband. Today reminded me that it's not too early to start that prayer ... So, it begins today!)

2: Then: My little angel from 6 weeks on (after  we figured out her feeding issues), was the best sleeping snuggler ever! Her favorite (and really only) way to go to sleep was to be laid flat, chest down, head sideways on Mommy/Daddy's chest. She truly had no preference to one party or the other, but because I was working so much during the day, I often hogged the night time put to beds. She'd lay curled up for hours like that, never moving, only soft breathing. When that got too space constrictive for her, she'd lay sideways, face in, ears to the side and sleep. It wouldn't take more than one or two minutes when she got in that hold to simply snuggle up and drift off.  I'd hold her MUCH longer than that, just enjoying how much she liked being with Mommy. Now: Little cherub doesn't snuggle much ... when she's tired she will zone out on my lap for 10 minutes or so. But mostly we have to treasure those late night trips in from the van when she's totally conked out. That's about the only stand still snuggle time we get. Steve always gets those ... he's usually more alert after late night trips, and since he gets so little of the snuggles, he steals them when he can. Last night we drove home separately so I got them :) But, as I said, those moments are so rare. Kayleigh now refuses, even, to hold Mommy's hand when we are walking in a public place. She pushes your hand away because she wants her independence. It's as if she's saying, "No, Mom, don't guide me or tell me where to go. Just let me do what I want to do." My prayer: I hope that God gives me the strength to stand back and let her go. It's part of life; I did the same, I'm sure. But, as a mother now, I need to know that her growth is normal and her asserting herself is all part of the plan God has in mind for her. I pray that as she learns to be independent, she will, at the same time, realize her need for God. If she doesn't want me to guide her all of the time, that's fine; let her choose a better guide than me! Let her choose His hand to hold!!

3: Then: Between 4-5 months we watched as Kayleigh began to play in her exersaucer, grabbing at rattles, chewing on stuffed objects, even pushing buttons that made music (her first real love!). I was so proud and would sit and start at her for hours, something I hope I have the time to do with little man ... (haha). I was so worried I'd miss something big, that I made sure I was taking note of all of her little progresses. Now: I wish her movements were so innocent .. :) She grabs at toys, shoes, "ABOOK!," "KTT," chews on "CACKERS," "TOOOAST," drinks "JUICE," opens the doors to go "OUTSIDE," and even (just yesterday) sits down on her butt to scoot "DOWNSTAIRS." She chases and is completely obsessed with "BALLS" and never, ever wants to be apart from people, especially new ones (and BRI BRI). She walks right up to strangers and says, "OUT OUT" because she's completely trusting and hasn't really encountered people who don't like her. And, she dances ... oh does this dutch baby girl dance. She climbs up onto her big girl bed, turns on the stereo and starts moving all over the place. Just yesterday she copied some very suggestive dance moves on the CBS early show from The Pussycat Dolls. My prayer: Just like her growing independence, I pray that God directs her movements. I pray that he helps her to use her movements to glorify Him and not herself or worse yet, other people.

Sigh, I think I could go on, but as it is approaching Kayleigh's time to be "rescued" from her bed ... I should start wrapping this up. I praise God for the little blessing Kayleigh has been to us. I can't believe how incredible she's turning out to be. It makes me so ready for my little man (although with him, I'm sure I'll have to continuously remind myself that he is not his sister!). Either way, I'm so thankful that God has given me the time at home (stressful as it is sometimes) to watch them both grow, treasure each moment, and take time to think about how quickly it all goes. Hopefully you have something to think back and treasure as well this morning. :)

Little Lessons

I decided this morning during my usual "blogging time" that I had nothing to say. We had a crazy busy weekend getting the house ready and prepped for Jr. But that made for very little bloggable fun. I mean, no one really wants to hear about all of my window washing and room cleaning craziness that has since completely knocked me flat, rendering me relatively useless for other tasks :) (Much less finishing the insanely thorough job I began  ... oh well, maybe this coming weekend ...) :) And no one needs to hear me whine about Kayleigh's awful temper tantrum during Sunday brunch, or her horrible nap schedule following the incident, her waking nearly every hour on the hour all night long, and her massive yeast infection (again). So ... that led me to believe I had nothing about which to blog. UNTIL ... kiddo woke up. Despite her pathetic sleeping schedule yesterday, going to bed almost a full hour later than normal, awful night of sleep, and early wake up ... She was a gem this morning. I can't resist sharing all of the "little moments" that made my morning oh so priceless:

- Kayleigh woke, hugged her mommy, and, after her diaper change, ran straight to her breakfast chair. She said "fast, Momma fast." Indicating she would like her breakfast right away this a.m. (sometimes she waits a bit to wake up completely). She ate very well ...

- We are working on NOT throwing unwanted food on the floor and this a.m. she demonstrated excellent mastery of this by saying, "All done, Momma" and placing each piece of uneaten toast and all bits of leftover Cheerios on the serving plate.

- After she got down, she tore off to her room to put in her "pretties" (aka her strawberry barettes from Aunt Alaina) before running back to clean up the "tash" in the living room. She threw away a few scraps of paper from the floor, the box from Sarah's present left out, and some packing waste.

- She helped me with the laundry (selecting all of her clothes from the dryer and placing them gently back in her hamper for hanging and folding)

- Kayleigh now says her own name (ya - yee is what it sounds like) and she and I have this game where I get down on the floor with her, crawl towards her and say, "Mommy ..... Loves .... Kayleigh" and then attack her with kisses. Usually by the time I change my position and tone she knows what we're doing and promptly lays down ready for the onslaught. Today before I even said "Mommy ... " she SCREAMED "YA-YEEE!!! YA-YEEEE" and laid down giggling for her tickles and hugs ... I smiled. At least she knows at this stage in her life that Mommy loves her.

- She proceeded to snuggle up on my lap and watch the "coupon clipping" segment on the Today show while snacking on her leftover toast (and determinedly trying to share some with kitty ... "Kttt ...toast...mouth ... KTT toast...mouth."

- We listened to music in her room, where I had to wear the "glasses" because she was wearing the "pretties" and she brushed my hair and danced to music while teaching herself a new word "holes..." (She was quite disturbed by the holes in Mommy's (Daddy's really since all of Mommy's tshirts are too small) tshirt).

- Then after another load of laundry, Kayleigh snuggled up and let me read the "Going to Bed" book with her, where she chimed in on a few pages, "BATH!!!" ... "TEETH" .. and "NIGHT NIGHT." Then when I said it was nap time she slid off my lap, grabbed her blanket, said "Mommy ... up" pointed to her room, and her pacis, smiled and said "Papa ..." She happily took it, laid down immediately and said, "Momma night night ..."

I love my toddler so much ... and sometimes she makes being a mommy the MOST fun in the world. Her communication skills grow each day and that makes the bond we have stronger as we learn to share different things. :) I can't wait until she meets her brother and learns to bond with him as well. I am truly blessed.

Thanks for letting me rave about my smart little peanut ... I think I'm going to use her nap time to catch up a little myself. That way I can enjoy the beauty of the day when it's time to coach starting at 3:00.

Hugs, Kristi

Life’s Blessings

As I'm getting prepared for my 34 week appointment with the OB, coming off a very poor sleeping night, I'm slipping into one of those "mad at the world" stages. You know the kind where every inconvenience sends you into its own separate spiral of "life is so unfair." You realize you're being ridiculous and so stupid, but you just don't care. Since I don't really care to dwell on these thoughts or ruin an entire day by focusing on all the "negatives" I'm going list them, get them out ... and then focus on the blessings instead. My stupid, trivial gripes Despite my best attempts at exercise and a balanced diet I have exceeded the weight gain from my first pregnancy! My feet are swollen Sleep is nearly impossible with this giant belly I ache all the time (back, hips, legs, FEET) My toddler is choosing now go through her terrible two's (yesterday we had 3 temper tantrums lasting in almost 20 mins each, accompanied by some of her first spankings) I don't have energy to keep up with the housework that little Kayleigh CONSTANTLY creates, much less make headway on my work for $$.

The Blessings God gave me that make those seem ridiculous * Baby Boy __________ - a clean bill of health for him so far, he's getting to the point where he responds to Mommy (Kayleigh used to "snuggle her little body into my hand when she felt me. ____ does the opposite and squiggles away, pretty sure he's not gonna be the snuggler that she was), I will only have 6 more weeks until I can hold him with my arms!, he's a treasure given to us from God who will enrich our lives daily ...

* Kayleigh - is growing into a little person a little more each day!! She is so verbal! She understands almost everything Mommy says and, usually, follows instructions VERY well. Her favorites include: eating Ritz crackers (it's usually the first word out of her mouth each morning), drinking juice, shaking her head "no," sitting on big girl couches and big girl chairs, being independent, doing ANYTHING that Mommy does (see picture below), swinging a tennis racquet, chasing balls of all kinds, "reading" books to Mommy, watching t.v. (for about 10 minutes at the most because she can't sit still longer than that), emptying out every cupboard she can find, giving herself baths (without water), talking to her cousin, Ryan (who isn't even usually there), and following Bri around constantly.

* Steve - my patient, loving husband who senses in an instant when he needs to "take on dinner" or take Kayleigh on an errand so Mommy has 10 minutes alone, who never complains (and even offers more often than not) about hunting down whatever food I crave, who works odd hours (like 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.) so I can assist with tennis matches without my daughter tagging along, and gets Kayleigh when she does cry at night because he knows how difficult it is for me to get out of the pillow pile, past the cat, and into K's room without killing myself :)

Yeah, I've got plenty to be thankful for and not many long term gripes ... :) Now it's 8:04 and sunshine is up, flicking her fan/light on and off, on and off and repeating to herself each word ... Click .."OOOONN," Click "OFFF," Click "ONNNN," Click "Off...." MOMMMAAA ... and it repeats again. I think it's time for breakfast :)

[caption id="attachment_142" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Anyone studying my mother's photo albums will see a striking resemblance here ... "][/caption]

Springtime fun …

I love these girls ... so so much ... Sometimes it's hard to balance motherhood and coaching; these girls make it worth it. I <3 K Christian Tennis!

[caption id="attachment_139" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Mud splatter + high ponytails = my love"][/caption]

Easter Sunday

Our Holy Week has been less than traditional this year. We are sandwiched between two Spring Break schedules (K Christian ending on Easter Sunday and Zeeland Christian/Wyoming beginning on Good Friday!)! Therefore, we were busy last week with our dog sitting and we are back to the usual this week while our families are scattered abroad. In addition to that, Steve was all set to play his trumpet for church in the brass band, and Kayleigh got a cold. Since I have a HUGE problem with people who bring children to the church nursery sick, I thought it would be most hypocritical to take my coughing tot to church ... even on Easter. I was longing to celebrate the greatest holiday (in my opinion) in the calendar year with friends in a place honoring God's sacrifice and triumph! BUT, it seemed that that was not what God had planned for me this Sunday. So today, while my daughter enters into the 3rd hour of her Sunday nap and my husband passes his first hour marker, I'm going to reflect on the discombobulated ways God reminded me of His blessings this week. (1). Our Easter season began with Palm Sunday last week where we were able to attend church with Jordan :) It was good to hear and sing praises to God, and it was nice to have an extra member to the family to make that feel extra celebratory (2). We left to Mom's right after Palm Sunday and had plenty of joyous moments during our "Early Easter" dinner. Ryan smiled and cooed and blew lots of bubbles. Kayleigh hunted Easter Eggs, dished out hugs to Grammy, and "kisses" to Ryan, and even little _____ was awake, alert and active as we took loads of pictures of the kids in their Easter garb. (3). Throughout the rest of the week God blessed us with gorgeously sunny weather and beautiful opportunities to explore and experience his creation. As I walked the dogs every day past the church we attend, I was reminded to reflect on the sacrifice made to atone for all of my shortcomings. (4) On Friday, Dan and Alaina came to spend some time with us ... I know it's no replacement for a Good Friday service and there was really nothing about their visit that reminded me of Jesus's death. But I know they'd agree that the giving up and sending away of your first born child takes on a whole new meaning when you have a first born child staring you in the face. Ryan and Kayleigh are precious treasures that both of their parents would die defending ... thinking of God's sacrifice to willingly surrender his first born, only son is incomprehensible. (5). This Sunday, when I discovered we wouldn't be attending church as a family ... Steve suggested I live stream Calvary's service. Since nothing spells Easter Sunday service to me like full choir, orchestra, and lots of joyfilled singing, I think this was a perfect suggestion. So, from the comfort of my own glider (now ready for little ____ in the living room), with my toddler snuggled on the footrest at my feet, I listened to the anthem with soloist Corey Niemchick (not sure he even goes by that anymore), sang along with the choir to Christ the Lord is Risen Today, listened to Jim's sermon and the powerful testimony of a brave couple, and watched baptisms along with their professions of faith in Jesus. I was blessed by the service in a way I didn't think I could be watching it on television! (It didn't hurt that Kayleigh was snuggling and dancing with freedom that only comes when you're home with Mommy.

Enjoy a few pictures from our Palm Sunday dinner, courtesy of my excellent photo taking sister-in-law, Alaina.

[caption id="attachment_129" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="K was laughing and giggling and Grammy rocked her back and forth"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_130" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="It's hard not to love these two, even if you aren't biased. "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_131" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="We're working on perfecting Kayleigh's technique ... She has the idea but not the execution"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_132" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="I adore this baby boy!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_133" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Dan, Alaina and Ryan "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_134" align="alignnone" width="200" caption="Steve, Kristi, Kayleigh and _____ "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_135" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Grandpa and Ryan, Grandma and Kayleigh"][/caption]

He is RISEN; He is RISEN indeed!

Our little helper

Steve and I have been so blessed since Kayleigh was born with her sunny disposition. Even when she's sick, she's far more likely to snuggle or ask to sleep than she is to be fussy or irritable. Our baby is growing up into a very good little mother's helper. She passes me clothes from the laundry, dishes from the dishwasher, and picks up her toys and clothes to the best of her ability. When I'm putting away her clothing after laundry she gets most frustrated because she can't reach to hang the hanger by herself. As our playdates with Ryan have increased, she's learning to give him his pacifier (instead of stealing it), share toys, and kiss the baby. She's learning what babies look like, who they are, and how much they need a gentle touch and not aggressiveness. It's truly a blessing as we anticipate our new little one in approximately 7 weeks. Today, after we moved back into our house from Ipemas, Kayleigh wanted to help her daddy paint little _____'s room. Daddy was working hard to measure out the block M just perfectly before he started applying the maize colored paint. After the measuring was done, Daddy lifted Kayleigh up to paint a little piece of her brother's room. She was thrilled (and a little bit sad that she couldn't keep "helping") to be a part, even if she doesn't completely understand all of the ramifications of what is to come.

Here's my photo of the day of my favorite little helper.

[caption id="attachment_125" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Kayleigh helps to paint her little brother's room"][/caption]

Woof Woof

This week, starting on Friday afternoon, we took over "parenting" the animals owned by our good friends, the Ipemas. We have "adopted" (for the week) a senior golden retriever, Star; an older long haired (not sure on the breed) cat, Smokey; and a young gun Bernisse Mountain Dog, Zoey. Within the first 12 hours, I quickly learned that walks would be (at minimum) a twice daily routine for Zoey. She's FULL of energy and not quite ready to let it loose in the yard like her big sister, Starlight. So, Zoey and I (and Kayleigh) are getting our exercise this week. :) I'm not sure I'd recommend beginning to parent a large breed dog at 32 weeks pregnant; I just can't waddle fast enough, no matter how hard I try :). BUT we're getting through it. Kayleigh is learning all about dogs this week. She's already an avid cat lover and climbs the stairs to see Smokey the (K .. K...) several times throughout the day. She knows her way around the upstairs and can "sniff out" the kitty's hiding place without much trouble. BUT since Andre is the ONLY pet in our house (and probably a fairly lonely one this week), Kayleigh is learning about dogs. Her Grammy Creswell taught her how to say Woof Woof when referring to Brittany, but Brittany is far more cat-like than the dogs Kayleigh is living with right now. It takes quite a bit of courage for a 16 month old to look Zoey in the eye and not go screaming for your Mommy :) ... BUT we're learning because, Kayleigh, no I will not pick you "Out Out" every time the doggie comes towards you.

Catch the latest image from Zoey and Kayleigh ... they were watching "Daddy" make burgers for supper and Starlight was playing loose in the backyard. Both of them seem to be saying, "How come SHE is so lucky?" or "When is it MY turn?"

[caption id="attachment_117" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Kayleigh and Zoey scheme about how to get "OUTSIDE""][/caption]