Our little girl turned 2

Blueberry pancakes and two candles that she didn't know what to do with helped us kick off Zoe's birthday. She opened gifts and eventually seemed to understand that there was something special about this day.

She got lots of phone calls, cards and happy birthday songs from family, and extra hugs and kisses from us. We went out for dinner to a local Mexican place because quesadillas, rice and beans is one of the meals we can count on her eating :) plus mommy and daddy love Mexican so it's a win-win.

Zoe Paige, you make us pull out our hair and tear up with love within the same moment it seems. You crack us up with your spunk and attitude and melt our hearts with your "I love you"s and cuddles. You are a wonderful big sister to Kellen and your taking on of that role has made us love you all the more. You grow more and more each day it seems and while it's hard to watch you get bigger, it's exciting to watch you learn and discover and master new things. We love you more than you could possibly know. Happy second birthday sweet girl.

It's a boy!

On December 30th we welcomed Kellen George into our little family via planned repeat C-section. His name is a tribute to our fathers-- Kellen from combining my dad's name (Keith Allen) and George which is Geoff's middle name and his dad's first name.

He weighed in at 7lbs 11oz. Zoe came to see him 3x in the hospital and has welcomed him into the family with lots of hugs and kisses. "Baby" is her first concern upon waking in the morning, while mommy has to beg for a kiss and hug :) she loves helping with anything baby related and has lots of opinions about what he should be doing - play time on the mat, in the swing, open eyes...

Kellen is an easy going little guy. He doesn't cry much- he whines to let me know he's hungry and otherwise grunting is his main form of communication. Typical boy? Ha. He lost a pound before his first pediatrician appointment but at his 2 week checkup was up to 8.8lbs so you can see he is a good eater! He had some occasional irregular heartbeats before and after birth which we were told isn't uncommon in newborns and at his follow-up EKG everything was normal; we are very thankful. 

Geoff is able to take 6 weeks of paternity leave which has been so helpful and we love having him at home. We're enjoying our family of four and while it's been (and will continue to be) a big adjustment, we love our new normal!

It's taken 4 weeks to get this update online so more posts will be coming but clearly don't expect them to be punctual;)

23 months and almost a big sister

Hard to believe that in 3 weeks time Christmas will be over, baby will be here and Zoe will be turning 2. Oh and it will be 2014. Right.

So this post will be short and sweet. Zoe's vocabulary is blowing up and every day she is picking up new words and sounds. "See you soon" is probably her most common phrase. She keeps us laughing although she is definitely also testing her limits.

She can be quite whiny at times and full of joy and mischief at others. Curious George is her favorite right now and since mommy is 9 months pregnant she watches more than she should, I'm not too ashamed to admit. Its just for a time.

She successfully moved into her toddler bed right after Thanksgiving and hasn't looked back. Twice she has fallen out somehow, and once or twice she has gotten out of bed in the morning before we went to get her but she doesn't get out otherwise or put up a fight about bed. She points to the crib and says "baby" and seems content with the transition. Yay.

She loves drawing (coloring) and playing with her doll. I'm excited about the toys she is getting for Christmas- doll accessories and a play kitchen- that will help keep her occupied as we add a baby into the mix around here.
Speaking of which, unless baby comes early which does not look likely, I am scheduled for a c-section on December 30th. We'll have a quiet Christmas, just the three of us, and then my parents will come down that following weekend to celebrate with us and to keep Zoe while we're in the hospital. So yeah, just over a week to go! We can't wait!

Happenings

In October, during Geoff's furlough while the government was shutdown, we took a few family adventures! We spent time drinking coffee and walking around Old Town Alexandria, one of our favorites; we spent part of a day in Annapolis; and we spent a day "out west" in the mountains, picking pumpkins and enjoying a picturesque picnic. We loved the extra time with daddy home, and Zoe got quite used to all the attention - she had a bit of an adjustment when he went back to work.

 The second weekend of November, Geoff and I got away for a little babymoon while Zoe stayed with my parents. Mom and Dad had given us a gift certificate last Christmas for a B&B in Lancaster, where we stayed the first few days of our honeymoon, so we figured we had better use it before Baby2 arrives! They of course loved having lots of grandparent time, and we enjoyed 2 days of eating out, relaxing, and not following any sort of schedule. It was delightful.

Zoe was 22months old on the 12th of November, and her development continues to astound us. There is no way of keeping track of all the words she says now -- many of them sound the same so context is key, but its just amazing how much her vocabulary has expanded in a month! Some of her new words or phrases: "brrrzy" for cold, "bye mama, dadda" for goodnight, apple, draw, potty, phone, pray, and "yumyum" for hungry. We've introduced the potty but haven't started "training" yet. We also got her a toddler bed which she slept in once for nap (her request) and then refused to sleep in the next few days. After Thanksgiving and we're home again for awhile, we will (hopefully) make the official transition. We do have a bassinet for baby so we'd have a few months til we need the crib, but we're trying to make that transition before its necessary. Lots of changes coming and I don't want them all happening at once!

Zoe has spent the last few days in Lancaster with my family, and Geoff and I plan to join them tonight. I've been able to get some freezer meals prepared, cleaning and organizing done, and some relaxing, too. Plus we've had date night:) Its been a nice little break but we're anxious to be with her again soon.

Thanksgiving in my Heart

I'm sure its remarkable the number of blog posts, Instagrams, facebook statuses, tweets, texts, emails, etc. that will deal with "giving thanks" in the next few days... and the general absence of those types of messages during the rest of the year. I'm glad we have a day set aside to remember, to reflect, to focus on the things and the people and the gifts we have been given that we often overlook and take for granted the other 364 days of the year, but I know, for myself anyways, that being focused on giving thanks throughout the year makes a world of difference in my attitude and outlook on life. So I know its a bit early for resolutions, but I hope that between this Thanksgiving and next, my life will be marked by the giving of thanks for the big and the little, the momentous and the mundane, the ordinary and the extraordinary. I live a blessed life and I have every reason to be giving thanks on a daily basis, and my desire is that I would not get distracted by the misbehaving child, the mountain of dishes, the meals that need prepared... but that I would find something to praise God for each day. I don't have to look that hard.

So for today, I'd like to give thanks for just a few things::: the changing seasons, a warm cup of coffee, clean water to drink, the ability to work hard and the opportunity to relax, salvation, a healthy baby on the way, a loving husband, a precious little girl, family, friends near and far, technology, the quiet, a warm place to call home, grace, & chocolate:::

Happy Thanksgiving!