Birthday Girl

Our baby girl is 2.  I have to get this post in before #3 comes along, for then we will surely be forced to stop calling her 'Baby Jewel'.

How can we stop ourselves?  She still has so many sweet baby characteristics.  Her soft chubby cheeks, her pudgy little body, her style of communication, her love to snuggle and be held...for now she remains our baby girl.

It is true there are things about her that are starting to seem more grown up.  Not only is she potty trained, but now she comes to me to tell me when she has to go.  Granted her saying 'pee' sounds very similar to 'meeee' which is how she communicates most other things she wants, but she is definitely making efforts. 

In the last couple of weeks, when we ask her about the baby she is quick to point to my stomach and say 'bee' (which also sounds a lot like 'meee'). 

She has also become much more decided about her fashion sense.  For her birthday we gave her soft things, a cozy blanket like Silas' that she loves so much, a little carrier for her stuffed dog to be in, a new night light for her room...but others gave her far more girly things like necklaces, bracelets, sunglasses, hair bows and dress up clothes.  She has them on her dresser and picks out which ones she wants to wear every day.  She also got a pair of light up Sketchers...she wants them on every day.  I pick an outfit and she says 'no.  meeeee.' and points to the dress she wants to wear or pulls a shirt out of the drawer that she wants (enter laughter here from my parents, who had many mornings of battles with me over clothing).  It's not that I didn't believe girls would be this way, I just didn't know it would start so soon!  She is highly opinionated about everything from the plate she uses at dinner to the way the shade is pulled down on the stroller when we walk, to how I fix her hair.

The tricky part is that we all know this about her, we all understand exactly what it is that she wants, and the girl literally uses less than 10 words.  She says 'hot' and 'cold', and knows exactly how to use them to express what it is she wants us to do about that.  She points and says 'meeee' or 'that' for anything that she wants.  She says 'no' and 'stop'...mostly when the boys are being stinkers and not giving her enough space.  She says 'Mommy' and 'Daddy', and uses both to woo Jordan and I into doing things as she pulls us around by our finger directing us where to go and what to get for her.  That about sums it up.  A couple weeks ago we were in the car and drove past the apple farm that we love to go to in the fall.  Silas was excited and telling Jewel all about it, then he said 'Jewel, can you say, apple?'...and she totally did.  Jordan almost crashed and we all cheered and clapped.  So, when she wants to impress us, or get us all going, she just says 'apple'.

However, her non verbal communication is off the charts.  She has facial expressions and gestures that are often far more powerful than words.  The look on her sweet little face when her feelings are hurt or she has been corrected is enough to melt an ice burg.  The amount of excitement and glee she expresses when she is happy about something makes you want to stop everything you are doing and live vicariously through her joy.  She may not sing with the music, but she has rhythm and dance moves that will are show stopping, serious ability to groove.  And she is a riot with her physical humor.  The after dinner shennanigans that happen at our house are America's Funniest Videos worthy.  We all chant 'go, Jewel, go' and she runs from one end of the house to the other, alternating arms pointing into the air, with a totally goofy grin on her face.  Then, she'll stop right in front of the table, knock herself on the head and say 'oww, oww, oww' and fall on the ground.  This gets huge laughs from a certain big brother so the dramatics of the fall and the knock on the head get progressively more ridiculous.  There are certain triggers for her that cause automatic fussing no matter what.  Fixing her hair is one of them.  I sit her on the counter in the bathroom and give her things to try and distract her, but the mirror in front of her is too much to take.  She practices making her very pained face, grimacing through squinted eyes, and saying 'owee, owee' as I brush.  On more than one occasion, she has made such a dramatic face that it surprises her and she ends up laughing at her own antics. 

In an effort to prepare the kids for the arrival of the baby, Jordan has been putting Jewel to bed every night this week.  Now, she loves her Daddy, and savors her time with him, but I almost always do bed time for her, so a change of routine is unwelcome.  When he says it is bed time, she runs to me, clings on to my neck shouting 'no, no, no!' and crying loudly (I am telling you, nothing is done half heatedly, she lays it all out there).  He pries her off my body and she reaches for me crying and crying 'Mommy!!".  It is sheer torture for me.  But, soon I hear the music playing in her room.  Then they are giggling and he has found a toy for her to have in her bed for a while (the sing-a-majig...of course).  He talks to her, snuggles and kisses her, and last night she didn't make a sound when he left the room. 

This little girl is nothing short of fantastic and amazing.  I feel incredibly honored at being given the gift of being her mother.  I treasure each moment that we snuggle together, the instants that we catch eyes and smile, the incredible laughter, the reach for me to make her feel better.  I look forward to the moments we will share as mother and daughter, although I don't feel prepared to think on them in specifics without great emotion as I celebrate with her, this 2nd birthday, prayerfully just the beginning of our journey together.

Grandpa's Girl

My Dad is a serious Grandpa.  Not in the sense that he is serious with the kids, but that he is serious about his job of being Grandpa.  Every grandparent is different, and each one brings something very unique and special to the relationship.  My dad brings adventure, laughter, connection, and special attention.  

I had hoped that the week we spent at the beach with my family would also be a time for Jordan to get a break and an opportunity to hang out with us.  However, being the rookie in your job doesn't offer many opportunities for that, and we are trying to save our days off for when the baby comes.  So, that left me with Silas, Jewel and 36 weeks of pregnancy to deal with.  

Thankfully, Grandpa was there.  The day we spent on the shore was busy.  Seven grandchildren with lots of water, sand, and no visual boundaries.  Jewel is not intimidated by surroundings, and she takes constant supervision.  I followed after her for a while, but what she really needed was a partner in crime.  So, my dad happily took her hand and let her lead him where all the big kids were headed.  Across the logs, through the water, over the big rocks, out to the ocean... I find myself starting to roll my eyes and wanting her to pick an activity that keeps us stationary for longer than 12 seconds.  My dad not only led her back and forth across wobbly logs, scooped her up when she fell in, chased her across the sand, and threw rocks with her, but the whole time he marveled at how well she got around and commented that she may one day be an athlete.  He laughed in amazement as she attempted activities far beyond her skill level.  He gently redirected her as she headed to destroy the sand castle or project of yet another unsuspecting cousin. 

For all of those reasons, plus the silly songs, the tight hugs and loud kisses, the available hand and long stories read...he gets these kind of moments with his grandkids.  Not just my kids, but all of the grandchildren.  Jewel, after her busy morning of busting up the beach, can think of nothing more soothing than finding Grandpa's lap and snuggling in.

Thank you, Dad.

The Audrey and Silas Show

My sister, Heather, and I have often joked about the Audrey and Silas show. Somehow these two are always finding themselves in picture perfect moments, or sharing a conversation worth recording and/or printing. Having nearly a week with Audrey was a delight for Silas and a gift for all of us to watch.

Although I have no idea the comments exchanged during these pictures, I am confident that I only caught a piece of the magic. Pink and green umbrellas, a sunny day in the shade of big trees, dress clothes for a celebratory event...even still I know I missed truly capturing their relationship and connection. Thankful for the tids and bits I can observe from afar.

Confessions...

Last night I was in the kitchen doing dishes. Jewel came up behind me and hugged my legs tightly. I reached back to stroke her head and tell her I loved her, when she bit me. I jumped up in shock (and pain) and spun around to face her. My reaction scared her and she immediately started crying. I picked her up and said, "Jewel, do not bite. That is very owie!"

Now, although the incident shocked me, it doesn't really surprise me. She is somewhat aggressive with her affection, and even more so with her frustration. However, just beyond our little interaction was her Dad. I have often thought about how much Silas is like me and how much Jewel is like Jordan. But this time he looked more guilty than usual.

him- "I may have just bit her a minute ago."
me- "What?!?"
him- "Well, we were playing around and she was just so squishy...I couldn't help it."
me- "Jordan, she just bit me."
him- "I know. Sorry. It's just how we love."

Oh. My. Word. We are so unqualified to be parents.

Silas Day

Things have been busy around here lately. After Jordan's parents were in town for a week near the beginning of July, we began preparation for my family coming to town to celebrate our newest Baker family member (more on that to come). Once they arrived we spent a fun filled week out on the coast with the extended family, making each day fully count. The last of the crew left our house early Friday morning, and we spent the weekend trying to recover on the sleep we willingly sacrificed while they were here. Starting Monday I hit nesting mode in full swing. All of a sudden I need baby clothes out, a changing table set up, all the newborn necessities, and of course a completely spotless house. So, our days this week have been full of laundry cycles, floor scrubbing, store running, and list making.

This morning, after a rough night of bad dreams for Jewel and several mid-night wakings (one of those nights that makes a very pregnant mother think she may as well have an infant since she is up half the night anyway), the kids and I were discussing the plan for the day. A run to the store,swim lessons, lunch, naps...

Silas says to me, "Mom, when is it going to be Silas Day?" 
me- "You mean like your birthday?"
him- "No, like 'Silas Day'.  You know, a day I don't have to do anything."
me- "Oh, you mean like 'Mother's Day' or 'Father's Day'?
him- "Yeah.  A day where I can just have a break."
me- "A break?  A break from what?"
him- "A break from everything.  I just really need 'Silas Day' so I can take a break and I don't have to do anything."

Seems to me we have a lot of 'Silas Days' and 'Jewel Days' around here.  He doesn't seem to be too stressed out...with the below picture as evidence.

So, beware...he is petitioning his Dad tonight.  There could be a new national holiday on your calendars next year :)

Corrigan Camping Extravaganza

 All I know, is that when we arrived at our camping destination last Friday, the sign was very clear. 
This is my friend, Lisa, assessing the situation.

 And working it...  I don't know who is behind that window, but they are getting a Lisa show like they've never seen before.

 And, consequently, here we are on the beach just a stone's throw from our husbands who are assembling our tents in the campsite. 

 OK, actually, the super Corrigans made the reservations for this highly sought after spot in Nahalem Bay on the Oregon coast like...a year ago or something.  And despite the fact that we were on our way to Arizona for the winter, they extended an invitation for us to join them for this past weekend.  We accepted, having no idea that we would be back in Oregon (or that I would be 34 weeks pregnant), and by God's grace we shared the most amazing weekend with our pals!

This is Max, their youngest, he is just a couple weeks older than Jewel and the two of them shared their first camping adventure together.  All in all they did remarkably well!  Naps and bed times in the pac n play in the tent, covered in dirt and sand all waking hours, and shouting unrecognizable demands at the older kids when they weren't getting their way.

 Not only were we right near the beach, but we had FABULOUS weather the whole weekend.  This is a rarity on the Oregon coast, so the bright sunshine and t-shirts did not go without a lot of thanks to God for this blessing!  This is my boys with Maddie, the Corrigan's middle child, she is 6 months younger than Silas and they are such a sight to see together.  Lisa brought Maddie with her when she made her trip to Arizona in January.  As the kids were playing at the campsite on Saturday afternoon, Maddie turned to me and said 'I love Silas, he is the only boy I know who I like.' Silas overheard the remark and came to the table where Maddie was sitting.  With total sincerity he looked right at her and said 'Maddie, I will love you all the way until Jesus comes back.'  The genuine care for one another that these two share is priceless!  I am so thankful for their little friendship.

 Here are Max and Jewel, being snickery, almost 2 year olds.  But don't worry, we had Marin babysitting them, and she is 5 (and a 1/2). 

 We had treats and yummys GALORE!  One of our biggest delights (literally) were the marshmallows that Lisa brought.  They were a hit with the kids and made amazing smores.  I think my kids pretty much just ate as many as they could straight out of the bag.

 How can you say 'no more marshmallows' to these little faces??!!

 Another cool dynamic between our families are these little boys.  Silas is without a little brother, and Max is without a big brother.  So the guys really bond together.  Which is why they can both look cooly at me as I snap pictures while Jewel is on the ground next to them throwing a full fit...they are unaware. 

 Check out this diva on the beach.   Love her.

 Lisa and Maddie (you can see just from this picture where Madeline gets her amazing-ness)

 And Marin, coordinating outfit and matching sunglasses. 

 Jewel snagged the sun glasses too, I seriously don't know what to do with this girl.  I see this picture and want to snatch her up and squeeze her, smothering her with smooches.  And yet I remember the antics she pulled on this trip and I want to strap her to her pac n play and take a nap just thinking about the exhaustion it causes me!

 Jordan took a day off of work so he could spend the whole weekend with us.  A treat of course.

 Oh yeah, and I turned 30.  Not only did Lisa make me a rhubarb crisp for birthday celebration on Friday night, but then my sweet friends the Powells drove all the way out to the coast bringing two delicious cakes for birthday celebration #2 on Saturday night.  So spoiled and so loved (and SO pregnant, and SO loving sweets!). 

We had such a fun weekend.  Thank you to the Corrigans for inviting us, sharing this adventure with us, and being such amazing friends...you really are our family, and we are SO THANKFUL for you!! 

A Marshal Hair Cut

The sand, sunscreen, and sweat factor has led to a new fashion statement around here for the boys in our family.  Jordan shaved his head shortly after being accepted into the academy, and has been trying to convince me to buzz Silas ever since.  I was reluctant, I love his spikey hair, but this summer Silas was finally interested in doing it.  So, we took him down to zero guard.  The day we did it he was so excited he was in the bathroom rubbing his head in the mirror every time I turned around.  But, the following day we were scheduled to see some friends and he started to get nervous.  He didn't want to be the center of everyone's attention with this new fashion statement, he didn't want to go.  So, we talked about why people make comments about new hair cuts; they like them, the person looks different, they think it is cool.  Then we practiced what he could say when people point it out; I got a hair cut like my dad, I have a US Marshal hair cut, It's for the summer time.

The next day his friends barely noticed, and when they did say something he was right on cue, "I got a US Marshal hair cut, just like my Dad."  Later he told me he liked two of the things to say that we had talked about, so he thought he would just combine them.  Amazing.

I have to say, although I think the buzz makes him look older, it is still pretty darn cute, and the good news is that hair grows back so we can always revisit the spikes!

And this...well, this is just a typical dinner at our house.  Jordan asked me to get the camera to take a picture of Jewel with her messy-ness, and this is what it turns into...