From the Mouths of ......Toddlers

So, Jesstine has been doing and saying some pretty funny stuff lately! We have had some moments where us parents just look at each other and can't help but chuckle!! Sometimes she will go around the house saying, "Uh-oh Sceho!" (Uh-oh, spaghetti-o's) Lately her favorite thing to say has been "Taaahhh Dahhhhhh!" The funny moment came tonight when we were at Freddy's Frozen Custard. Lately she has been asking for our help with things, sometimes incessantly!!!! So, she will either say, "Mamma Hep!!" or "Nee Hep!!" Tonight at dinner we had just placed her cup of frozen custard in front of her. She picked up the spoon and panicked saying "Nee HEP!!!" We looked over to find the ENTIRE bit of custard stuck to her spoon!!! We couldn't help but laugh!

She is certainly growing and changing so much just in the last few days. She has started to use "I" sentences more rather than speaking in third person with "Jesstine do it" type of phrases. She has also really started to master the stairs (a two year-old skill). She can maneuver pretty well going down while holding on to the hand rail instead of sliding down on her belly. She still prefers to have a hand to hold. I think it is more of a confidence thing. Today at Grandmom's house, she had her hands FULL of stuff and made her way down two sets of stairs, standing and walking down with out holding on. It was amazing to watch!

Perhaps the biggest change came the other night. Jesstine has NEVER been a climber. She didn't pull up on things until she was 10 or 11 months. She didn't walk until she was 14 months. We felt that our first try at the "big girl bed" was premature. Just yesterday during nap I heard a HUGE thump in her room. I went in to see that she was on the floor in front of her crib with all of the blankets and stuffed animals piled up as a landing pad. She wasn't hurt. She cried, but it was more of a scared cry. I checked her to make sure she was okay. She said her chin hurt and there is a little bit of a red mark, but she seemed fine. So, that night I convinced my hubby that for her safety, we needed to switch her to the "big girl" bed. The first night went fairly well although she didn't go to sleep until just after nine o'clock. Normal for her is about 8:30-8:45ish. I went to check on her because she got quiet at about 9:50 or so. When I went in she was sitting up, but was teetering and was VERY sleepy. I also noticed a smell emanating from the room. I got her up, changed her and she kept saying "Sooze piyo!" That I later discovered was her way of telling me that she couldn't lay down because her shoes were all on her pillow!! She was basically forced to sit up because not only were her shoes on her pillow, but she had half of the books from her book shelf in her bed with her!!! SO funny! I would still say it was a success though because she stayed in her room. Here's to praying that it continues to go smoothly because my sister called me tonight and said that her son (4 months younger than Jesstine) had just been found out of his crib at naptime! We borrowed HER toddler rail because we have the same rail. So, within a month we will be moving Jesstine to a new room entirely!!! This could get VERY interesting!!! I pray that the transition is easy and that she will transition to a new room easily! There is a LOT to do to get her into that new room! It would have to be done eventually if God chooses to bless us with another baby in the future!

So until next time, Jesstine says "TaaaDaaaaaaah!!" to mommy finishing another blog post where she is again the main subject!!!

In Him,
Lacie

Summer Stuff

Here is just some random stuff from the last few weeks.

Last week, my sister and her family came to stay with us. Stephen and I watched Charis for her while she and my brother-in-law went out on a date. Here are some of the things they were up to.

Jesstine thought that Dumpty needed a nap. What nap is complete for your Egg Pillow Doll without a soccer ball, ladybug bag, bead necklaces, raccoon, and two babies. I had to remove the pillow to the right to even find Dumpty!

Here are the girls playing on the slide!

Charis really liked these "gamer chairs." She pulled the blanket up over her. Her daddy is going to LOVE this picture because she it is a Cowboys blanket she is cuddling under!




One of her favorite toys while she was here.

A few days later, my other sister was in town. She was headed to a movie with her father-in-law, husband and older son. So, I agreed to watch Luke, her youngest, until the movie was over.

Swimming in the pool.

The next day was playgroup at church. Jesstine really had fun! There were several vehicles that she liked riding. This is a newer version of the "big wheel." There is a picture of Stephen at about this age or slightly older in a similar pose on his big wheel.

This last week was Jesstine's BFF (such as it is at the age of almost 2), Kylie's, second birthday. When Kylie's grandparents came into town, we all went to the zoo. Here are the photos:

Kylie's aunt, Stacey, was the spotter for this pose.

A few days later was Kylie's birthday party. Another PAT's playgroup friend, Lila, attended as well. Jesstine as always was SO into the sprinklers. The other girls were not into them so much.

LtoRT: Jesstine, Kylie, and Lila.

Some other miscellaneous pictures from the last few weeks:

Jesstine has become somewhat of a Linus lately. She likes to carry around the things she can't sleep without, her green blanket, Dumpty and raccoon. This particular day, I turned her blanket into a cape.

Stephen and I finally managed to go out on an overnight trip without Jesstine!! We attended the Manchester United vs. KC Wizards game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

This was the Skelly building down on the Plaza. Stephen had to take a picture for his brother and sister-in-law.

Our appetizer at our FAVORITE KC BBQ place.

5 min. later!

Okay, so I know you are probably thinking, "Why are you showing me a picture of a smoker????" Well, we were seated in a booth next to windows that looked into the kitchen. The head cook noticed that we had been looking in the window. He invited us back after our meal so we could get a peek at the smokers where they smoked all of their meat. It was very enlightening and I am interested to see what the next brisket has in store for us!!!

Last but not least, Jesstine was playing with her dollhouse today. I looked up to see this and I think this may be an indication of why potty training isn't happening just yet! LOL! It actually just made me laugh and I needed to share it with everyone! She is such a cute, funny, wonderful girl and I think our trip was harder on us than it was on her!

Until next post....

In Him,

Lacie

23 Months Tomorrow

Well, my baby turns 2 in just one month. I haven't posted updates on her growth and development for a while and thought I would take this time to document it.....even though I will likely do it in a month too.

Jesstine is such an intelligent and inquisitive little girl! She is just starting to really understand stuff and you can almost see the wheels turning in her head. She knows every uppercase letter in the alphabet. She knows at least one sound for each. She knows most of the main colors and shapes. She can tell you when a traffic light is red and you need to stop. She can also tell you when the light turns green and you need to go, or as she says "Go dog! Go!" She also knows a few "sight" words like Stop, Up, Hot, Zoo, and sometimes Cat. She can even recognize her name. Gone are the days that we can spell stuff outloud. A few months ago, our Saturday plans were freed up at the last min. I was talking to Stephen and asking what we should do. I asked him if he would like to go to the Z-O-O (spelled outloud). Jesstine came running in the room yelling, "ZOOOOOOOOO!"

Lately she has taken to saying, "Um..." before she answers a question. I think it is cute. Daddy is sure we will need to break her of the habit. She is mostly all-girl. She LOVES to play! She likes her Dollhouse a lot, especially when there are others to play with it with her. Her other favorite toys are the usual suspects like her egg pillow doll Dumpty (as seen a LOT on this blog) and her "geen bankie!!!" (green blankie). She has also recently latched on to one of the toys that I used to have growing up, my Bright Heart Raccoon. If you are of my generation or earlier you may remember Care Bears. The Care Bears had cousins. One was a purple raccoon with a heart shaped lightbulb on the tummy. Perhaps the thing that she plays with most and takes everywhere though is the little soft plastic animals (pictured below) that she gets from the doctor's office! They are little ducks and bugs. We usually have to have one in her bag that goes with us when we go out. She LOVES to go to the zoo. She is starting to be able to sit through most of a full length movie. She is especially interested in the Toy Story movies. Her favorite is Buzz "Yitehear." She is also still interested in Sesame Street and Elmo, but not obsessed as she was earlier.

Dumpty and green blankie.

All of her "ducks" in a row!

Physically, she is pretty capable. Still not climbing out of her crib yet (of which I am thankful because the big girl bed was a flop). Just last night Daddy found her up on the table downstairs playing with the chess set. She can walk up and down the stairs using the hand rail. She just went up to size 6 toddler in shoes (which seems small compared to other kids her same height and age). She is about 34 inches tall and weighs about 26 lbs. She can jump and get her feet off of the ground just slightly. She has 16 teeth. The two K9 teeth on the top are just barely poking through, but they are their...FINALLY! She only teethed with those teeth for what seems like MONTHS! Perhaps the coolest physical thing she can do is swim without help from another person. She uses a life vest, but loves to try it without one. She is quite the fish! It has to be one of her favorite things to do!

Food-I know this is a tough subject for a lot of parents of toddlers. It seems like as soon as they turn one, they should be able to eat everything like an adult right? Oh, and kids are notorious for being picky, right? I remember not long ago it was SO hard to figure out what to feed her because she couldn't quite eat what most kids eat. She was eating cheerios for breakfast and a little bit of fruit. Then she would have a snack that was basically the same. Then it was turkey lunch meat pulled apart into tiny pieces with a side of cheese and.....you guessed it, Cheerios! Well, the Cheerios part hasn't changed much! She is a creature of habit for breakfast. She ALWAYS wants cheerios which I pair with some fruit or yogurt. Other than that she eats just about anything including a lot of veggies and fruits. She generally won't eat beef. She has an occasional hot dog or some smoked brisket at a bbq place. She LOVES chicken (like her momma!) She also really likes turkey. We are still having trouble with traditional chips, but she can eat Cheetos without choking. I get the baked kind so I don't feel as guilty about her eating them. Her FAVORITE of course is McDonald's chicken nuggets and fries. And at our weekly trip to Freddy's, she is now getting her own custard. She eats pretty well for her age (not just quality but quantity).My girl is growing up!

Sloppy Joes has NEVER been a thing that she would eat...Umm, until this night at least!

So, we only have a month until she turns two. Our little girl is growing up! She is still a sweet girl. She still (for the most part) is a good sleeper (although it usually takes a lot of talking and playing in her bed for her to finally go to sleep). She is laid back and really just goes where ever we go whether it's on a vacation or to the grocery store. She does like her "routine" (hence the cheerios every morning). She surprises us each day with how smart she is! She seems to learn things quite quickly and has a pretty good memory. She can even tell us where we are going if we take a certain familiar route somewhere like church or the Y. Still can't believe that she will be two. So here is my 23 month-old and some of her favorite things.

Jesstine Jonelle at 23 months.

Favorite Things:

Her BFF, Kylie (or as Jesstine sometimes calls her: "Kylie's House").

As mentioned in the previous post, she is very thankful for her Dollhouse!

Swimming or just any kind of water play for that matter!

And last but MOST certainly not least, Dumpty!

In Him,

Lacie

Jesstine's Prayers-Thank You For Dollhouses!

Each night when we put Jesstine to bed, we have a routine. We give her a bath, brush teeth, brush hair, read a book and then say a family prayer. To make it easier for her to learn to pray, we say the same prayer each night. "Dear God, Thank you for a wonderful day! Thank you for Mommy. Thank you for Daddy. And thank you for Jesstine. Please give us a good night's sleep. In Jesus name we pray, Amen." Well, she is starting to be able to recite bits and pieces of songs and especially this prayer. On a side note, to get her to sit still during prayers at church, I tell her to use her prayer hands and I whisper things in her ear thanking God for things/people that are a part of her daily life. So tonight, this was Jesstine's prayer:

Mommy and Daddy: Dear God, Thank you for a wonderful....
Jesstine: Day.
M&D: Thank you for.....
J: Daddy (a little out of order from usual, but still works...)
M&D: Thank you for.....
J: Dollhouses.....

Stephen and I inserted laughs here. It was a convenient moment though because he noticed that he needed to put some lotion on a dry spot. So I let her continue praying for things she was thankful for.....This is what she came up with:
Me: Thank you for...
J: Ummm, (yes she actually said umm. It is something new lately that she does) bed.
Me: What else?
J: Dumpty!!!
Me: What else?
J: Geen Bankie!!!
Me: What else?
J: Ummm, Dowa!
Me: What else?
J: Boots!

At this point we started the prayer over and did it routinely! It was such a fun moment I didn't want to forget so I had to add it here! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

In Him,
Lacie

Birthday Girl!

What little one doesn't like balloons on his/her birthday?!

(The little one is from Jesstine.)

The closest thing I will get to having my girls together.....for now anyway!

We miss and love you Babe B.......to the moon and back!

In Him,

Lacie, Stephen and Jesstine

Babe B. Hutchins- Born into Heaven July 11, 2007

This is always such a hard time of year for me. It has been easier over the last couple of years, especially with Jesstine around to bring joy to my life. It was three years ago that we lost our firstborn child before she even drew a breath of oxygen outside of the womb. She was fully formed (aside for a small part of her tiny heart), beautifully and wonderfully made. She had dark hair like her daddy and it was curly around her ears. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on, yet she had obvious signs that her earthly body was deteriorating. The days all seem like a blur now that I look back on them. From the moment I found out there was no life in her to the moment her earthly body came into this world, all seemed to drag by at the time. But looking back it was such an emotionally charged moment in our lives, that it seems like it went by quickly. I still remember how many people were there to hold our hands. I especially remember how strangers were crawling out of the wood work to offer their condolences and tell us their own stories of losing a child so young or even stillborn. It seems so surreal.

The days after we buried her seemed to be the longest days of my life. We just seemed to be living, but not doing much or accomplishing much. I tried to pass the days by finding ways that I could remember my little girl in my own way; a way to carry her with me so I would remember her at least once each day. I remember just a few days after burying her, in those days where we were just kind of getting through each day, I cried and prayed to God that I could just see her one more time! I wanted to see her whole though, not all wounded and broken as I had in the hospital. I remember closing my eyes and seeing my grandmother holding a small baby dressed all in white. The baby was resting on her shoulder with the most peaceful look on her face. My grandmother had her eyes closed and was resting with her. I will never forget that last look that God blessed me with.

I was also blessed through one of the avenues that is so dear in my life; music. The day of Babe B.'s memorial service and graveside service, we were given one of my prized possessions. It was a dvd containing a slide show of pictures of my little girl. They were very tastefully done and set to music. The music stuck with me so long and I began to grow obsessed with it. I found it online, downloaded it (and others from the same artist) and created a picture in my mind of what my daughter must be experiencing in heaven and what it will be like for me someday to be with her. I remember each year. Here it is for you. You can find the music on iTunes, or if you are around me I will be glad to share it with you. For now, here is the vision that I have of my firstborn, my sweet Babe B.

Babe B., we love you to the moon and back! Love, Daddy, Mommy and Jesstine

A Mother's Prayer

By Laura Kaufman

Little white dresses and curls in her hair.

Running through fields without a care.

Light streaming over her eyes and her face.

You could see, the Savior's grace.

Pink clouds dancing, in the sky.

Night time falling on your skin.

Catching those fireflies, one by one.

Lighting the way, through the night.

Walking the pathway that leads us to home.

Holding your hand as the starlight grows dim.

Resting you softly into your bed.

Kissing your cheek and singing you this song.

Angels guard you, all your life.

May Jesus guide each step you take and hold you tight.

But most of all I pray that you might feel.......

His love tonight.

Visions are coming, your eyes slowly close.

Love is the mystery, holding you now.

Believing in hopes while you sweetly rest.

OOOO, OOOO, OOOO, OOOO.

Angels guard you, all your life.

May Jesus guide each step you take and hold you tight.

But most of all I pray that you might feel....

His love tonight.

But most of all I pray that you might feel.......His love tonight.

In Him,

Stephen, Lacie and Jesstine

Yes! Jesus Loves Me!!!

Sorry for the poor quality of this video. I grabbed my cell phone because it was more readily available!

Jesus does love me and I am blessed that I have such a beautiful family to share in the joy of Jesus' love each and every day!

In Him,

Lacie