Happy Easter!!

What a fun week we have had celebrating Christ's Resurrection! Easter is quickly becoming a favorite celebration around here. We started with Maundy Thursday service, remembering the last supper Christ had with his disciples before being betrayed just a few hours later. Then on Friday, my brother Andrew and a friend of his, Brian, came to town just in time to go to Secret Church with me - an intense 6 hour bible study (142 pages of notes!) that was really really good and challenging. Then Saturday we stayed close to home but did venture out for icecream and dinner together.

On a side note, it pretty much rained all last week (and is suppose to this upcoming week) so a lot of our original plans of a baseball game and BBQ/Easter Egg Hunt at the park were cancelled.

Saturday night we made Resurrection Cookies. Here's Emelyn beating the pecans as Jake reads/explains to her that Christ was beaten. Then she got to taste vinegar as Jake explained that's what Christ was given to drink on the cross.. and salt (salty tears) ... and then we added some eggs to the mixer that represented new life along with some sugar to remind us that Christ died because he loves us (the sweet part of the story!)

We mixed everything together and it became white! We then added the beaten pecans and dolloped the mixture onto a cookie sheet where it looked like tombs. Next we put them in a preheated oven, taped it shut and shut off the oven. This morning (Easter morning) we opened the oven door and the cookies were (suppose) to be hollow inside. (Lots and lots of rain = lots and lots of humidity = failed cookies.) It was still a fun lesson and Emelyn told us tonight that Easter is "when they beat Jesus and He cried. Then he went into the big rock and came out and ate cookies!"

 It's sort of become a tradition for us to spend Easter with other couples that also have family that lives far away. Andrew and Brian were good sports and joined us for dinner after church for our "potluck." Emelyn was really sad to see them go after dinner - we all really enjoyed having them here!

And a few other pictures from the weekend:

Isaiah is SUCH a smily baby!! 

Andrew and Isaiah in their matching K-State attire 

An attempt at a family picture...

And another...

Thanks for coming to spend this special time with us Andrew & Brian!!

11 weeks

Look at this precious boy!!

 And sweet young girl...

Our kiddos are growing up way too fast. Isaiah turned 11 weeks old yesterday and weighed 15.2 lbs on our scale - not bad considering he started under 7 lbs. Emelyn is 2.5 years and weighs about 28.5 lbs. Since I've done updates lately there's little to say except:

• Emelyn is still in love with her baby brother. She is the sweetest little mommy. If he cries, we catch her singing Amazing Grace to him and saying "What is it little buddy? Are you hungry? Huh? Yeah... I thought so.."
• Today when we were at a friend's house, Emelyn went to the other mom and goes "My baby brother is SO CUTE, isn't he?"
• Isaiah has the sweetest little personality. He's starting to smile and laugh a lot. He also loves his play mat and exercauser (looking at the toys hanging down.)
• He really has the softest, sweetest cries most of the time. The only thing I can compare it to is a cat and we've had multiple people tell us that too.
• He has gone 6 hours between feedings at night a time or two (then every 2-3 hours after that.)
• His hair, when pulled straight, is 2 inches long... seriously... is that normal? I've never seen a 2 month old with that long of hair!
• And to make sure there's a picture or two of me with the kiddos when they are young, here's one from this past weekend when we were reading books:

Talking

It's 2am and someone is suppose to be eating. Instead he prefers to fill his mouth with milk then give me a big smile (letting all of the milk run out) and proceeds to coo and talk to me.

Bubbles!

At a birthday party yesterday, Emelyn was given a bubble blower/flashlight, and Emelyn has been using it every spare moment she has! Thank you, Mrs. Kathlyn!

Friday night has begun...

...With homemade pizza (pepperoni, black olives and lots of cheese, compliments of a certain 2 year old.) Family movie with popcorn to follow. (Notice Isaiah is supervising in his bouncy seat.)

9-10 Weeks

I just downloaded pictures from my camera and here are a few of the pictures from the last few weeks:

A doting big sister (that requested everyone wear purple.) This picture makes me laugh because I wonder if it's a sign of what's to come - a big sister constantly trying to entertain an uninterested little brother. :)

 

2 month check up

Yesterday was Isaiah's 2 month check up, and, as always, it felt good to know he's doing well. We had a few concerns, and the Doctor eased them all. :)

• 13 lbs, 6.5 oz (90th Percentile)
• 22.11 inches (50th Percentile)
• Developmentally, he is right where he should be.
• This past week he has been fussy, gassy, refusing to eat and just not feeling great. Since we had just switched from Enfamil's Newborn to Infant Formula, we thought that was the problem (even though I called Enfamil's headquarters and they assured us the ONLY difference between the two was the Vitamin D levels (from 75 to 60.) So, we switched him to Gentlease thinking he has a dairy/soy issue and it seemed to help for a day, but then he went back to not wanting to eat. The day before his appt he actually threw up all over me (and the floor, and himself, and everything near us.) I was relieved when the doctor looked in his throat and said he has a virus that has caused a small ulcer (hence the reason he isn't wanting to eat.) He already seems to be feeling better, and we can go back to using the regular formula again. There's nothing to do for the virus - just let it run it's course.
• While there, he received 7 vaccinations and so now he really isn't feeling well. I'm sort of kicking myself for letting them give him so many vaccines when he wasn't feeling good to begin with, but it's too late now.
• Also, we were glad to know his belly button is normal/fine. For about a month now, he has had a slightly herniated belly button, but our doctor said she hasn't seen an African American boy without one; it's very normal and should disappear by age 2. She also said his was very small compared to most. So again, we're glad to know all is well!
• All in all, a very healthy, sweet boy!!

I heart Chuck E

I'm really behind on posting these pictures, but better late than never. Last Saturday morning, Hayley called and asked if she could take Emelyn on a little "date." They went to the new Chuck E Cheese in town, shared a pizza, went to Maggie Moo's for icecream and all kinds of other fun stuff (like an "I heart Chuck E" tattoo that is still there a week later!) Here are some of the pictures Hayley took:

Thank you Hayley!

Spring!!

Today feels like a typical spring day - 83 degrees - a little muggy - and every where I look, tulips, daffodils and irises are in full bloom. Loving this season of "newness!!"

Yesterday

No April Fool's jokes around here yesterday, just a fun day! It was in the 70's after a week of misty, cold, overcast weather, so we tried to enjoy the spring weather. A friend of mine came over Thursday and Friday to can strawberry preserves (neither of us had attempted them before) and they turned out amazing. I'm definitly going to be watching the farmer's market this summer for "clearanced" super ripe strawberries to make more preserves. It literally only took 30 minutes from start to finish to make.

 Then yesterday, Emelyn's friend Benjamin and his mom came over to play for a few hours. The kids were begging to go to the park (maybe Jamie and I were too to enjoy the sun?!?) so we got in the wagon and went.

 Emelyn enjoyed every minute of it!

Benjamin is such a sweet boy - he calls Emelyn "Miss Emelyn" and always asked her if he could help her. He wanted to pull her home in the wagon:

 When we got home, we made fruit smoothies and the two of them broke out in song a time or two singing songs they both new. So sweet.

2 Months

I'm trying not to blink because time is flying! Isaiah turned 2 months old yesterday, and he has changed so much from the day we brought him home:

• He eats eight 4 oz bottles a day (the one before bed is sometimes 5 oz.)
• He still wakes up twice at night - usually 4-5 hours after his evening bottle and then every 3 hours after that. (typically 7-8pm, midnight, 3am, 6am)
• He's smiling and cooing now.
• He's outgrown most of his 0-3 month clothes.
• We have a few size 1 diapers left that we're using then we'll definitely need to move to size 2. No leaks yet, but I don't want to chance it. :)
• Unofficially he's around 12.5 lbs.

A sweet moment I want to remember. I went to the dentist this week and long story short, took both kids with me. They were both great and it wasn't a problem, but I ended up holding Isaiah on my lap/knees while the hygenist cleaned my teeth. Everytime she would use the polisher he would get a HUGE grin on his face and even try to laugh. My sweet hygenist has a 4 year old daughter that is adopted, and our dentist is in the process of adopting a 12 year old boy from Uganda. All that said - we had some neat conversations about the Lord, adoption and even practical advice on caring for children of diferent races. (Isaiah's hair and skin requires completely different care and products than Emelyn used.)