I turned 1!

I had a great birthday. My grandma Benson and Aunt Michele came for my party as well as some of mommy and daddy's friends. I got to have my first taste of cake (well ok it was banana bread cake with cream cheese icing because my mommy doesn't want me to have a lot of sweets) but it was still yummy! I got lots of cute clothes and fun toys to play with. Now I get to go have Christmas with my family in Minnesota AND Iowa. I'm so excited and from what I hear they are too! I am walking all over the place, talking a lot and learning new things everyday. Mommy and daddy have even taught me how to go up and down stairs! I have 5 teeth already! Boy those aren't fun to get in! I'm working on getting 2 more right now! I'm on whole milk now which my mommy and daddy love because they don't have to buy formula anymore! Well, I guess they do still spend a little more money because it's organic whole milk but it's still cheaper! I'm a pretty picky eater which can drive mommy and daddy crazy sometimes but I eat enough and my vitamin takes care of the rest. I still need 2 naps a day which mommy loves! But very soon I'll only need 1! Speaking of naps, I need one right now! More later!

We didn't fall off the face of the earth!

Hello all! We are still alive and kickin. Life has just been pretty crazy. We moved to Edgewood, MD and Luke is working at Mountain Christian Church as Pastor of Community Impact. Jael is growing like crazy! She has a 30 word vocabulary (yes Luke is keeping a list). She's a little parrot and it's so fun. She can tell you what sounds a duck, sheep and cow make and will show you what a koala bear and duck look like if you ask her! She crawls all over the place, pulls herself up on anything she can get her hands on and has started to stand by herself for a few seconds at a time. It won't be long before she will be walking and daddy and I will be in trouble! She has also learned the art of throwing small tantrums when she is told "no". She certainly is a strong willed little girl!

We got to see the family for Delaney's 1st birthday which was so fun! Now it's time to start planning Jael's 1 year party! It's hard to believe she's already almost 1. Time sure flies by!

Well that's the scoop from Maryland. More later!

Sad News

Grandma Simons passed away August 6th. The whole family went up for the funeral which was held on August 12th. We will sure miss her and are so glad she was able to see her great grand babies. It was nice to have the whole family together despite the occasion. Jael and Delaney continued to play together although now they fight over their toys. Yes, fight. On one particular occasion they both wanted to play with a teething toy. When one pulled it away the other cried or yelled (in Jael's case) and would yank it back. It was rather amusing! Hopefully they will grow to love each other and share!

Tons of Updates

Well Jael and I got to spend two whole weeks with Briana and Delaney. Mom B also got to be with us for two weeks and one week was spent with family in Illinois. We had lots of fun despite the difficulties with Grandma Simon's health. Jael and Delaney had a blast and taught each other a thing or two. For example, Jael taught Delaney how to YELL. Delaney taught Jael to drive her mother crazy by not finishing her bottles and taking short naps. (Thanks Dee) During our time away Jael learned how to roll all over the place and sit up for more extended periods of time without toppling over. I also learned that Briana does not know how to spell despite her degree in political science. (Hansom) Peanut Butter Pie is now my favorite dessert and Avocados make Jael gag. Nice! All-in-all it was a great trip! Now we head to Iowa in a couple of days for Luke's brother's wedding. Jael+learning to yell+plane ride=UH OH!

Bathtime in New England

I figured if you thought the spoon picture was funny you would get a kick out of this one! I think she discovered bubbles during this bath and was amazed!!

Look at those cute little fat rolls!

Spoon Feeding

Oh yes, we tried to spoon feed her a little cereal. I'm not sure how much she actually swallowed but it was fun!

She's getting so big!

Jael continues to grow and learn new things everyday. She has certainly discovered her voice and YELLS frequently! She has also discovered the art of spitting which she does most of the time resulting in her bib being more of a wet rag around her neck. Daddy continues to be creative with her during the day. As you can see in the picture she is wearing a bib as a hat. (Luke was very proud!)

We took a trip to New England and although it was pretty exhausting she did really well. She slept through the night even though she was completely out of her routine. Once again we were reminded of our weaknesses as parents and got frustrated that she did not always do what we wanted her to. Fortunately we are able to see this about ourselves and learn (and are still learning) patience. She seems to have developed a personality just like her moms and it has come about on this trip. She smiles and giggles at everyone who makes eye contact with her (I'm not saying that I do that!). She certainly likes to talk back and forth with us. She's so fun!

The picture below is at a lighthouse in Maine. We went here our very first day in New England.