30/60

Neither looks a day over 29!

5 Months...Unbelievable

It is truly unbelievable to me how quickly time passes. I was thinking back to this time last year. I had just found out I was pregnant after such a long journey of faith and hope. Sometimes I just stare at this little lady in awe of the fact that she is here with us. We had pictures taken last year at this time, and it hit me that she was inside of me, growing into this precious girl that would complete our family. I am still blown away...and beyond thankful for such a wonderful blessing.


Mailey is still learning and growing like crazy! Here are some things she's been doing this month:

-Plays "Night-night, baby" and puts her head down.


-Is completely uninterested in peek-a-boo.
-Eats about 5 times a day, so that is getting better and more spread out.
-Sleeps 8-10 hours a night...but still likes to have her pacifier stuck in her mouth around 5am.

-Lifts up onto her hands when she is on her stomach and rolls all around everywhere.


-Has some screaming fits in the early evening...like sobbing...and we have no idea why.
-Wants her momma!
-Hides her head in my shoulder when people smile at her, like she is shy.

-Loves sleeping in her sling during those fussy hours when mommy has to cook dinner.


-Spits up a little less than last month.
-Drools buckets that string all the way from her mouth to the floor. hilarity.

-Finally gave it up and fell asleep on her tummy after a month of rolling fits!


-Looks at the mirror to see where that baby is.
-Is so close to sitting up.

-Discovered that the exersaucer is way too fun.


-Finds her thumb with her hand on her face sometimes...but never when I need her to!


-Scratches her fingernails on everything and everybody.
-Loves her little Pooh soft blanket with his head on the top.

-Is nosy rosy into whatever is going on...tv, games, drinks, food, etc.


-Has her hands...or feet...in her mouth at all times.
-Smiles most of the day with her mouth wide open like she just can't contain herself.

-Is definitely the third kid...she has to take a nap whenever and wherever she can!

We LOVE this 5 month old girlie!

Review Week

This week we are reviewing our last verses.

John 3:16
I Thessalonians 5:17
I Peter 4:8
I Corinthians 13:4a

Yay! I think we were a little stuck on the "I" books of the Bible!

Happy to be Here

Today is Halloween, Fall Festival, or whatever you want to call it. People seem to freak out about all the things people do to celebrate, and I agree that some of it is valid. But tonight we experienced Trick or Treating in our neighborhood, and it was such a sweet and fun time! We tried this out last year, but went too early and not many people were home. This year we decided to avoid all the crowds at pumpkin patches and festivals and just walk up and down the street together. There were kids everywhere with their parents, looking for porch lights to be on, ringing doorbells, and hollering, "Trick-or-Treat!" I felt for a moment like it was 20 something years ago, when it was safe to run all over your neighborhood ringing every doorbell and being scared silly. Then I realized that some things can just simply be the same as "in the old days" if you let them. We have an annual block party each summer, so we know most of our neighbors, but it was great to meet more. Some of the older people just looooved seeing all the little kids come to their door. They were sitting there waiting for the next ones to come. It was so sweet. I could see that regardless of what we believe about celebrating some holiday, THIS is what it means to "love thy neighbor as thyself." We were out having fun, getting to know each other, meeting some new people, catching up with some old friends, and loving on the kids that we passed on the sidewalk and who came to our door. We were being "neighborly," and building relationships. I know this is how Jesus wants me to love...unconditionally...just giving what we have away to the ones around us that want and need it, even if tonight it was in the form of a Nestle Crunch bar. I feel secure with my kids on these streets, knowing most would watch out for mine as I would for theirs. Don't you all remember not being able to wait any longer to go wear your costume, to be someone else for a night, to ring a doorbell, to have so much fun?? I remember a Halloween that I was dressed as a clown. I had my face completely painted and a purple clown wig on. We were done in our neighborhood and went to see my Nanny so she could see our costumes. When we rang the doorbell she was so excited to have some cute little people to give candy to. She gave us our candy and said to have fun and started to shut the door. She didn't know who it was!! I asked her if she was going to let us come in, and she got a confused look on her face. I told her, "It's me, Nanny! It's Melissa!" She just laughed until she cried, hugged us and let us in. What a great memory. I am so happy to be in a place that we can go and trick-or-treat with friends and have a wonderful time making memories. Here are some pictures of our night!

Spiderman gone bad


Hannah Montana


Hannah, Little Lamb, Good Spiderman


Trick-or-Treat!


Ky singing the Mailey Baby song


Mim and Pop prizes!


Too cute for words...

And Another One Gone...

Makenna on Tuesday...just had to get a pic of buck-toothed lady! Her other dead top tooth finally decided to give up the fight. Instead of the classic wiggle-loose, it just went downward about half a centimeter and still would not budge all the way out.



When I picked her up from school she was soooo proud because she was wiggling it and that silly dead since age 13 months old thing came right out! Here is her new smile! I cannot get over the fact that she has no teeth in the front. The last one on the right is loose, too. How will she eat when that one falls out? She is already having some issues with the "f" sound. Hilarious!



This is the adorable note I found on her nightstand that she wrote to the tooth fairy(click to read.) We had a conversation about how big a tooth fairy could be, what she does with the teeth...we decided she just might chomp them...and if a fairy could ever be a boy. Why she is just now wanting to know all these things is beyond me. When she was 3 and that first tooth was knocked out, she completely freaked about some lady coming into her room and reaching under her pillow. We told her that we would email the tooth fairy and tell her not to come, please. That was the only way she went to sleep that night. Things have definitely changed!

A Verse a Week: Week 9

This week we are working on a small, but important verse that we have been needing some work on.

1 Corinthians 13:4a
Love is patient, love is kind.

I'm not sure if it is the weather or the fact that everyone has been sick in the last two weeks, but we are needing some patience in this house! We will talk about and model how to be patient...for a toy...for a child to get their shoes on...for your turn to swing...for mommy to get your dinner...for a child to get buckled in the car...for daddy to read you a book or rub your back or get you a drink....I think I should stop because obviously I could go on and on.

The second part of the verse is just as important. If we are trying to be patient but using unkind words or thinking unkind things, it really negates the effort. I want the kids to realize that being kind can make everyone feel better about themselves and can keep a situation from becoming a yell-a-thon. I am a yeller...I always got voted the loudest teacher of my grade level...and the coolest...heehee. I don't mind hollering in a good way, but when the words go from kind to unkind to downright mean, that is when it has got to stop.

Both of these attributes, or fruits of the spirit, can only be accomplished through love. The love of Jesus that He puts in our hearts will come out of our hearts (and mouths) if we will let it.

compare/contrast