House Hunting

As many of you know we have been on the market looking for a new house and I think we found it! It is a 4 bedroom, 1900sq ft, house that has totally been redone. And thanks to Brandon's dad's investments lately we are able to buy it from one of the investors for a great price and no negotiating with other prospective buyers. It isn't a dream home, but it is a great starter home and perfect for our needs. I am just so excited to have our own place that we can do whatever we want to it and don't have to share it. We have loved living with the Stoker's but it is time to move on and spread our little family's wings.

Just thought I should give you all an update on what we have been up to lately. Other than the fact that all of us have colds things are going great. Brandon has been studying for the Series 7 test at work which he should be passing this week. I have been taking pictures on and off of families and I bought a new flash for my camera which I am really excited about. Jackson is talking like crazy now. Still not saying sentences but he is picking up new words every day. Today he said owie, water, and Lizzy. He is also changing into more of a 2 year old by throwing tantrums a lot more. Lizzy rolled over, is sitting up supported, can reach for toys, and is eating rice cereal. She is still such a delight sleeping through the night and rarely ever complains. And the most exciting news is we are searching for a house. Last weekend we spent most of it looking at different houses around the east valley. We have seen some great houses but none that we love. It is hard because either we like the house but there is no yard or there is a great yard but the house isn't right for us. There are a couple of really promising ones so we will see if any of them work out. House hunting is really fun, there are so many different layouts and areas and I love thinking about our stuff in our own place.

Jackson is such a good big brother and loves Elizabeth so much. He is always giving her kisses and saying, "hi Lizzy" and trying to be so helpful by giving her bottles or whatever she needs. However he is a little rough sometimes.

Helmet update

Well, it is official. As long as the insurance goes through Elizabeth will be sporting a Doc Band (helmet with no top). We went for a consult on Thur which was more of an issue than I originally thought it was going to be. First, it has been pouring rain here in AZ for the past 4 days and it is never fun driving or walking in the rain, especially with two children under 2. The office is in Phoenix so I had to drive for 30 min in the rain with Jackson saying, "mommy, mommy, mommy" all the way there. And I also got lost. Then once we got there I realized that I had to park in a parking garage and I didn't bring my stroller. There was no parking in the covered area so we parked on the top level, in the rain, while I carried Lizzy in her carseat and Jackson on my other hip. NOT FUN. But the office was really nice, they had lots of toys, the nurses were amazing taking care of both Elizabeth and making sure that Jackson was happy. The doctor said Lizzy has moderate plagiocephaly and she should only have to wear the band for 8-10 weeks. It is a good thing we caught it early. My only concern (other than my kid's head) is sometimes insurance will not cover it because they claim it is a cosmetic issue. COME ON! This is an infant's head we are talking about. Hopefully that won't happen and everything will work out.

She is going to be the cutest helmet baby ever!

On another note, we are busy looking for houses to buy! We spent all day today looking at houses, which is actually really fun. There are so many options. We are limited because we are on a tight budget which means we will probably not be getting a house with much of a yard, but there are some really great deals and we are hopeful that we can find what we are looking for. I feel so grown up!

Busy Week

We had a really busy week. Elizabeth reached a lot of milestones including beginning to eat rice cereal and rolling over. She is just a little doll. I made her another dress this week. I little red jumper. She wore it to church today and looked so cute. Jackson learned how to give Eskimo kisses. He sticks his little nose out and wiggles it side to side. He also learned how to hula hoop, kind of. He sticks the hoop around his waist and spins in circles. Not quite hula hooping but it is still so cute.Playing so hard she fell asleep.

This is the jumper I made, I had some trouble with the shoulders but I think it turned out well.

My growing flower

Elizabeth is 4 months old already! The time has really flown by. She is such a sweet baby and I love her more and more every day. She has the prettiest blue eyes, I hope they stay so crystal clear blue. She is looking more and more like Jackson every day. She is also drooling and gnawing on her fists all the time which means. . . teething! I really love this age because she is so aware, we are starting to see her personality, but she is still so cuddly and snugly in my arms. We had a doctors appointment today with a new doctor and I really like him. He was great with both the kids, interacting with them and very friendly. I want my kids to love seeing their doctor just like I did when I was a kid. The facility is really nice, warm and welcoming. I am very excited about switching to him.

As for Elizabeth here is her new stats:

Weight 13lbs 11oz (50%)
Height 25.5 inches (95%)
Head 16cm (50%)

She has really chunked up especially in the cheeks. And like her brother she is super tall for her age. Here are some things that she is doing these days:

-she falls asleep on her own and she sleeps at least 10 hours every night
-she smiles at everything and every one
-she likes to play in her exersaucer or on her gym mat
-she hates being on her tummy
-she can hold her head up and likes doing crunches (we lay her down and she will lift her head up like she is doing a stomach crunch, so funny)
-she is ticklish under her arms and thighs; and she has a really funny machine gun laugh
-she loves watching her brother play and watching sportscenter
-she loves the bath tub and kicks like crazy when she is in there
-she likes standing on our laps
-she talks like crazy especially during dinner and church
-she has started reaching for toys, especially ones that make music

She is a delightful baby, so happy and laid back. One issue the doctor was concerned about is her flat head on one side. We have been doing exercises but they don't seem to be making much of a difference so we are going to have to get a helmet to smooth things out.

Twins?

Most of the time I don't think Lizzy and Jack look that much alike but check out this picture I took of her today! TWINS! I think she is looking more and more like him every day. Especially now that she has the cheeks!

Happy Birthday to Me

My birthday was last week on Wed. but since it was the middle of a busy week we decided to celebrate it on Sun. The weekend actually started out going to the Suns game on Friday night. It was the best game I have been to even though the Suns lost. It was so loud and electric in the Purple Palace. Everyone was really into the game cheering with the music blasting and the Suns making outrageous last minute shots. It was really nice to go on a fun date with my husband and no babies to worry about.

Then on Sunday my brother-in-law made me a very yummy cake and Brandon's mom made my favorite dish, Thai Shrimp Pasta and orange rolls. Jackson just learned how to blow so he was really into blowing out the candles. Brandon kept lighting them and Jackson kept blowing them out. He must have blew them out 20 times before the candle wouldn't light any more because it was so wet from his spit. Thankfully after the first blowout we took it off the cake so there was very little spit on the cake. He had a blast singing, and opening my presents. He is such a good helper. I got some scrap booking stuff, a day of shopping, a coupon for another date night with Brandon and no babies, and diamond earrings. It was a great birthday and I feel very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.

I was reflecting on my life and the things I have accomplished by my 27th birthday and I realized I have really lived a lot so far. Here is a short list:

• I graduated from college
• I am married to a wonderful husband who loves me and tells me that every day
• I have two amazing children with their own hilarious personalities
• I have lived in 3 states and moved about 10 times
• I taught high school health for 2 years to 10th graders (Sex Ed to teenage boys. . . need I say more)
• I am continuing my career while being able to stay at home and raise my children
• I am starting a new career and learning a lot along the way

I have a great life and I wouldn't change one year so far.

One more day

Have you noticed that as you get older a birthday turns into just one more day. Today is my 27th birthday and it felt like an ordinary day. People wished me happy birthday and I had some cake but really, isn't a birthday just another day as we get older? There are no present surprises, singing is not as much fun, and lets face it the fire alarm might go off if I really lit all those candles. I'm not trying to be a downer I'm just saying that in my very old age (: I am not excited about a birthday and it just becomes another day on the calendar. I think I am actually more excited about other people's birthdays more than my own. Today was a great day with my family and I got to see an old friend which was fun, I even had someone sing to me in a restaurant so it was a good birthday. I'm just not so happy about being 27th and entering my late 20's. I guess I better make this year count and do something impressive and wonderful in my life.

What's New With You?

With all the holiday posts I thought it would be good to give an update on the kiddos. First is Jackson. Jack will be 21 months on Sat and has really advanced in the past month. He still isn't talking a lot but every day he uses new words and has even started some phrases. He has also developed his understanding skills by answering my questions. For example I asked him if he was hungry and he went to the fridge, opened it, opened the drawer, and brought me a block of cheese to slice for him. Or I asked him if he was done in the bath tub and he said no. He is really good at doing chores like bringing me diapers for Lizzy (he even tried to change her diaper the other day and was actually pretty good at it expect he couldn't quite get the flaps to stick), he can take off his own shoes, socks, pants, pjs, and diaper and he can put his shoes and shirts on. He also likes to feed the dogs. The other day I caught him in the pantry filling up the doggie's bowl with dog food all by himself. If he spills something he goes over to the paper towels and points to a paper towel to clean it up. He throws his dirty clothing in the laundry basket and dirty diapers in the diaper bind. He also knows to throw garbage in the garbage can. As you can see he is very helpful around the house.

I feel like any day he is just going to start talking in full sentences. He is eating better too including carrots, sliced apples, and dinner with the family on most nights. But my favorite developmental milestone is that he will play outside by himself now. The other day I watched him from the window he played in the sandbox for awhile, then he road his big wheel around, then he went over to the pool and threw some ping pong balls in and proceeded to bend over and get them out of the pool (which was really appreciated), then he mowed the lawn with his bubble mower, went down the slide a few times, and played a little golf. He was outside for about 30 min total which was really nice to have time to get some things done in the house. And it makes playtime with mom more enjoyable. He is such a great kid and it is so much fun watching him grow and discover new things each day.

Alone Again

We are never alone living at the Stokers but the house feels a little bit empty without all the family. We went from 13 to 8 in one day and I have to say it is a little quieter, a little less messy, but a little more lonely around the house. Jackson is definitely missing his aunts and uncles and I think Lizzy is too. But I have to admit it feels good to get back on a regular schedule doing regular things. I like being on a schedule.

Before everyone left we had one last hooray complete with campfire and smore's. Filipe played his guitar while we all ate and had good conversation about our favorite part of 2009. Mine was having Lizzy obviously but I have to say 2009 was a great year for our family. Jackson has been such a blessing and now having Elizabeth is such a wonderful gift. Brandon has a great job, my photography business is improving and I still love teaching online. Life is good and I feel like 2010 will be even better (no babies planned for 2010 which is good too because we have our hands full). Here are some last pictures of our campout and family gathering. Who knows when we will all be together again.