Quick update on the kids

Hi!  We're MOVING on Saturday (hopefully more about that later), so I'm super-swamped, but I couldn't resist taking a quick break from packing in order to fill you in on the kids.

JOSHUA

Joshua's vocabulary has doubled in the last few weeks.  Up till now, he would say Dada (a lot), Mama (only when he wanted something, and usually in a frustrated tone), and NaNa (for "no no" when he was getting into something he knew he wasn't supposed to).

Recently he started saying "CaCa" for "cracker," and he uses this term for any snack he wants.  He will hunt me down carrying whatever he finds in the pantry -- from boxes of cookies or crackers to individual Peppermint Patties, and repeat "CaCa!  CaCa!" in the hopes that I'll open it for him.

He has always loved bananas; they're often what he eats for breakfast.  Recently he has alternated saying "Bana" and "Nana."

His "NaNa" (no no) has become a decisive "no," which is actually a word I'm so glad he knows.  Now if he wants something at mealtime, I can hold up different objects until I find something that he does say "No" and shake his head at.  We've also heard "yeah" on occasion though it's not consistent yet.

He comes very close to saying Grandma and Daniel, two of his favorite family members.  His tone saying "Mama" has softened too, as he's learned how to communicate in other ways.

I'm really enjoying him so much more now than I did just a few months ago.  As he learns to communicate, our times together are much more enjoyable and fruitful, instead of me trying to figure out why he is angry.

I finally weaned him last week (Aug 14) (hooray!  Do you know that I've been either pregnant or nursing since Fall 2006??!!!)  and though he was a bit needy at first, he and I have found other ways to bond.  He is much more snuggly now, and he will snuggle into my shoulder and allow me to rock him, sing to him, and pray over him.  He never sat quietly in my lap before now.  He also sits in my lap and we'll watch TV together -- at least until Katie asserts her right to my lap as well or he eventually gets restless and wants to run.

And run he does!  He went from crawling to running very quickly, and it's so funny to see him go.  I'm so thankful that we'll have a bigger home now because he'll have plenty of space to stretch his legs.  He also is constantly trying to get to the highest point in the house.   If I accidentally leave a chair next to the kitchen counter (which I've done a fair amount recently while packing dishes), he will get up and try to pull everything off the counter.  Once I found him on the floor with my coffeepot, with coffee all over himself.  I can't figure out how he pulled it down to the floor without breaking it, but thankfully he was ok!  And I've learned my lesson about leaving chairs near counters!

I tried hard-soled shoes on Joshua for the first time last Thursday (8/19) before my parents took my kids to the County Fair, and it was fun to watch him navigate with the new sensation on his feet.  (Please excuse the pre-move mess!)



Within the last week Joshua has learned to "blow" kisses -- which consists of simply going "mmm" in my direction, or accompanying that sound with a hand from his mouth into the air.  Simply charming.

Ah yes, and one final new "first" to tell you about with Joshua.  I returned from Home Depot the other day to John and the kids, and John greeted me with a laugh and a "Look what he's doing!!"  I was honestly afraid to look.  Here's what I found.  Apparently he stole the controller out of his daddy's hands.



KATIE


Katie is as delightful as ever.  Though she's had spells of being rude or too rough, she takes quickly (so far) to correction, and a timeout or even threatened timeout is usually enough to change her behavior.

After trying various bribery techniques (lollypops, Disney movies), Katie has started using the potty almost exclusively.  In fact, though she's been wearing diapers all week, her diapers have been staying clean and dry; she always tells me when she needs to go!  Hopefully she'll keep this up!

Initially she was registered this fall in a preschool that required her to be potty-trained, and the nearing deadline was stressing me out.  Then we learned we were moving, and I couldn't imagine trying to enforce potty-training during the already stressful (for all of us) transition of packing and moving.  So I'm so thankful that she's doing this herself.  Plus we transferred her to a new preschool that will be minutes from our new home, and that does not require 3-year-olds to be potty-trained.  So I thank God for relieving that stress from me for now!

Well, I have much more to say but it will have to wait till post-move.  Thanks for caring about us!

Happy Independence Day 2010!

Happy birthday, America! 

 Katie Lu celebrated her third 4th at the beach with a patriotic swimsuit and matching sunglasses.

Having spent the last week with John's family at their beach house, we closed out our time with them today enjoying brunch and wearing our patriotic colors.  Note that the kids are wearing star-spangled outfits courtesy of their grandmother, Oma.

We got home in time to watch the D.C. fireworks on TV.  The kids waved American flags while they (sorta) watched the fireworks.

And yes, Joshua is standing independently in this photo.  He took his first steps a few weeks ago and is doing a little better everyday.  (But more on that in a later post...)

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

KatieLu is No Longer Two

Happy third birthday, Kathryn Lucia Biddison!  

You truly are a delight to our hearts, each and every day, and we love you dearly.  

Happiness is...

Happiness is listening to my children laugh together.



And then this happens.

Happy First Birthday, Joshua!

At 3:34 pm on March 24, 2009, we welcomed Joshua Roger into the world.  In many ways, it seems like it's been so much longer than a year!  He's become such a huge part of our lives and our family.

March 20, 2010

Last weekend we had family and a handful of friends over to our house to celebrate.  We were so blessed to have a gorgeous sunny afternoon, so the party was outside.  Hard to believe that just a month ago we were under feet of snow!

My mom and I set up a taco bar for the adults.  It was a lot of work, but the end result was so yummy.

We got an Elmo cake and cupcakes from Sam's Club -- another big hit.  Joshua is mesmerized by Elmo (I'm wondering if someday a study will reveal that Elmo actually has hypnotic powers...).  Party favors were Sesame Street books.

The kids loved eating tacos, nuggets, and cake.  They also loved running around in the sun.  My friend Michelle brought some fun outdoor toys, and my brother Jason helped secure a moon bounce for us to use. 

After most of the guests had left and Joshua had taken a nap, it was gift time.  Joshua's cousins and sister had a great time "helping" him open his gifts.  And Joshua loves each item he got. 

One gift in particular touched Mommy and Daddy's heart as well: John's brother Jamie gave his nephew his own favorite teddy bear and book from when he was a boy.

March 24, 2010

We were supposed to celebrate Joshua's birthday today with our playgroup, but unfortunately Katie has a fever and we had to cancel the festivities.  We still had a fun day though.  Uncle Daniel came over for four hours and ate with us, played with us, and went with us on a walk (it was ANOTHER beautiful sunny day today).  Joshua and Katie got Elmo cake for both lunch and dinner.  And Joshua lit up every time Katie and I sang "Happy Birthday" to him.  He was absolutely adorable and joyful all day long.

Quick and Fun Facts

Joshua: Apparently Joshua pulled up from sitting to standing for the first time last night. He was crawling around in the family room and suddenly he was standing next to the couch holding on. Go Joshua! I was out on a girls' night so John is the lucky witness to this milestone.

Katie: Two funny things that Katie has said recently:

1. On several occasions Katie has mentioned "Joshua's other belly button." It took me awhile to realize that this is how she understands his different anatomical element. :-)

2. Tonight we were reading "I'll Teach My Dog A Lot of Words" by Michael Frith. We read the page below:

Her response to the bottom left picture?

"Is that JESUS??!!!!"

A Poem for John on his 36th Birthday

On November Sixth, Nineteen Ninety Eight,
We met up at ten for our fateful first date.
We both were surprised by our immediate connection
And spent several years deepening this affection.

We were meant for each other, we always knew,
And so, on July Seventh, Two Thousand and Two,
When you sang for me and your intentions professed,
You knew before you asked that my answer was yes.

On March Twenty-Second, Two Thousand and Three,
I was grafted into your family tree.
And though I cried as I said goodbye to our guests,
I knew as we left I was incredibly blessed.

In Two Thousand and Five we couldn’t stop crying
As we disappointed each other and loved ones kept dying.
But our marriage was made stronger by the trials we faced,
And God showed us anew the extent of His grace.

Two years later a daughter brought joy,
And two years after that, along came a boy.
Though parenthood definitely has moments of stress,
The heartwarming moments make up for the rest.

And John, as we enter Two Thousand and Ten,
Please know that I’d happily do this all over again.