Happy Birthday, Gabriella!

I rarely get around to blogging these days, but wanted to post a few pictures from our baby girl's big day. She was sweet, adorable, and adored that day, as always! We got to celebrate with lots of family and friends. What a great way to honor our special little lady!

Gabriella's Baby Dedication

Yesterday, we had Gabriella dedicated at church. Our families were able to come up on stage and share in the moment. First, our children's pastor, Mark Edwards, introduced us and talked about the importance of raising our girls in a home where Christ is the center. He said we're "two for two' with our little beauties and that he knew we were on the right track with raising them, because Mollie has already accepted Jesus! Then our lead pastor, Ray Armstrong, came up and said the same things- knowing that we were getting it right, because he knows how much Mollie already loves Jesus. After that, the other pastors joined us on stage and prayed for our family. It was such a wonderful event, because we have such a wonderful church family, who knows us and supports us. We are so very thankful for everyone who got to be there and pray with us!

Eleven Months

Here's to you, Gabriella! Your last "month" birthday before the "BIG ONE"!!!!

10 Months

Nine Months

Gabriella is getting REALLY busy these days! And SUBBORN, too! She is starting to really have strong opinions about a lot of things. Parenting of this little one has officially begun! :( She has especially strong opinions about food. She loves fruit and will eat just about any variety as a fingerfood, but no vegetables whatsoever- she won't even touch whole grains or cheeses! This makes a mommy (who, unfortunately, has a natural tendancy to worry) a little uneasy. I have known a few babies who have needed physical therapy for developmental delays that have presented themselves in rejection of fingerfoods. Now, I know I'm overreacting. Especially considering the fact that she is not only progressing "normally", she is ahead of the developmental curve in many areas. But, nevertheless, I'm still a little uneasy about it. Hoping that this phase ends soon! Overall, she is still doing very well. She's active, happy, and beautiful. Loving this baby is so easy! :)

Gabriella and Friends

My friends, Melinda and Amy, came over to help me finish unpacking and decorating. And with them came their adorable little girls. These girls were each born a few weeks apart- Gabs in June, Kensie in Mid-July, and Sadie at the end of July. I love that Gabs has little girly friends to grow up with, just like her big sister does. Here the girls are posing on the couch. From left to right is Sadie, Gabriella, and Kensie.

Five, Six, and Seven Months

What a precious girl! Time is flying with our little one. She has two teeth, is saying "dada", sleeping through the night, waving hello, sitting up, and starting to crawl! She has an unexplainable sweetness to her personality that none of us can get enough of- especially Mollie. The girls hug and kiss goodnight every evening. And Gabs' eyes follow Mollie whenever she's in the room. We love this little one so very, very much!

Four Months

Gabs is four months old today. As everyone always says, time sure is flying by. I do have to admit, though that I'm excited she's getting bigger and more developed. She has so much more personality today than she did when she was in the "cute, cuddly newborn stage". I actually really look forward to the days of her being a 1 year old. When I look back on pictures of Mollie at that age I remember how cute and snugly she was, but also how fun she was to be around.

Gabbie had her four month check-up today and the first thing the doctor said when he saw her thighs was, "whoa, she's a beefy one!" Jeremie calls her a beast. Definitely not the petite little thing Mollie was, but her chubs are sweet and snugly. I LOVE it!

These days we're finding that her personality is quite the "oxymoron". I say that because she's a super easy-going, happy baby IF she's being held. She never wants to be put down. And unfortunately, the same is true for night time. She's not managing to sleep much of the night in her own bed. This morning, while I was complaining to Jeremie, he put things into perspective for me. He told me how amazingly peaceful her little face is while snuggling up to me. She couldn't possibly look happier. I know this stage will pass, so I'm not going to stress it. I know I'll miss it when she's a big 2-year-old like her sister!

Hello, Fall!

Tomorrow is the first official day of Fall, although it has felt like late Fall for several weeks now! I have very much missed the beautiful, crisp days of September we typically get in Western Washington, but we have still enjoyed all the Fall related activities we love each year. We did season passes to the Puyallup Fair again this year, and even with all the days of rain, we have gone about five times so far. Mollie and I also added a new tradition to the mix- The Princess Breakfast- put on by Puyallup Parks and Rec. Mollie loved getting dressed up like a princess, with tiara, wand, and sparkly shoes! It was a great time of mother-daughter bonding without the little one. We don't get much of that time these days, so it was greatly appreciated!

Three Months!

Gabbie is now three months old. She continues to be a sweet little one, but with more personality! She started regularly rolling over from tummy to back, which spells trouble for sleep!!! Every time I put her down she finds it more fun to roll over. Then she can't sleep- and neither can we! :( She's also getting very interested in toys. She's sitting up in the exersauser now and I even hear the jingling of toys when my back is turned! I thought I'd miss the sweet cuddly days of having a newborn, but the more Gabbie does, the more fun she gets!

My Prayer Answered

When I was pregnant with Gabbie I knew I needed a much easier baby than Mollie if I was going to be able to survive the first year. So I prayed and prayed for a peaceful and joyful baby. Gabbie has been such an amazing answer to that prayer. At just 12 weeks old, she already puts herself to sleep at night! And she takes a three hour nap every day at the exact same time as Mollie. And when she is awake she is a true delight. She smiles so big her little body wiggles all over. We picked up a saying for it from Jeremie's aunt- She gets the "all overs". So cute!

Happy 2 Month Birthday, Gabbie!

The little one is getting so big already! She's cooing, smiling, and laughing a lot these days. She continues to be such a wonderfully sweet, calm, and easy baby. So thankful for her!

Gabbie Girl

Gabbie will be seven weeks old tomorrow. She is such a joy. She now sleeps so well and is calm and quiet most of the time. When I was pregnant with her I had no idea what she would look like, but I was convinced that she would be a peaceful little sweetheart. And now that she is here, I'm convinced I was right. We love this girl so very much.

Sister Love

Her are the girls playing together. I LOVE seeing Mollie with Gabbie. She is such a sweet, adoring big sister. I pray everyday that they will love each other more and more and will grow to be best friends. They are so blessed to have each other!!!

Future Cheerleaders

We took the girls to dinner at the Ram on the Tacoma Waterfront and happened to be sitting next to a table full of cheerleaders. The were wearing purple and gold with Vikings logos. Naturally, I thought they were from Puyallup High School. But I started noticing that their attire was VERY nice, with Reebok and NFL symbols all over. So, I started thinking that PHS must have a ton of money...

Mollie, of course, got their attention and they fell in love with her. She even got one of the girls to take her shoe and sock off to show off her nail polish! Finally, I figured out (from their accents)that they were not from PHS, but from Minnesota and are NFL cheerleaders! Super fun! The girls were super sweet and very excited to take pictures with our girls. I think they fit right in and maybe a little cheerleading of their own is in the future! (Well, if they get daddy's rhythm and flexibility!)

Molls and Gabs

(Mollie)

(Mollie)

(Gabbie)

(Gabbie)

Here are two pictures of each of the girls at one month. They obviously look different, but look so much like sisters! Can't wait to see what Gabbie looks like as she grows. Both girls are so beautiful and we love them so, so much! They are such a blessing to us!!!

Happy Fourth!

Here are some pictures of our family fun on the Fourth. We went to City Blast at the Puyallup Fair Grounds with family and friends. Mollie got to play on bounce house toys and we all got to see a fun show and fireworks display put on by Puyallup Foursquare Church. We also had a BBQ at our house. Mollie got to enjoy a smore. Notice how much ended up on her face. Good thing she was wearing a bib! :)

Gabbie Update

It has been almost three weeks since Gabbie joined our family. The first week was a breeze. She was super easy-going. The second week, however, was a much different story! She has had four nights in the last week and a half that have included three to five hours of crying in the late afternoon and evening. We have been concerned that she may be affected by the dreaded colic! Thankfully, though, the last few days have shown positive change. She is starting to have sleep/wake/feeding patterns and routines and I'm starting to find the positions that console her when she's tired and needing to go to sleep. I'm hopeful that things are starting to turn around.

Gabbie is also starting to be more alert and aware of her surroundings. She will try to focus on us and the things around her and even will let out the occasional coo or two. Between the newly found techniques for soothing her and her new desire to study our faces I am starting to feel more and more bonded to her. My love for her is growing each day. I am so thankful for the experience of bringing home a new baby and watching her grow. It is truly a miraculous process.