Walking

Laekin is what I consider a walker now.  She took her first steps on November 3rd, but she didn't really start walking until last weekend, December 1st.  It's still funny to see her walk up to me.  She is so proud of herself, and wants to walk every where.  Yesterday, at Hobby Lobby I let her out of the cart to look at ornaments and she was all smiles...such freedom!  Then she let Brandt and Lucy hold her hands to walk her to the checkout...adorable!!  Yes, those are my children...aren't they the cutest.  She loves putting on shoes, but she always has.  She will take a shoe, doesn't matter whose it is, and will hold it in her right hand and lift her left foot and try to put it on. 

Laekin isn't really talking much just mama, dada, and then a bunch of sounds.  She does her signing and then grunts for everything else.  She is a snugly little girl and loves her mama.  She will push Michael away sometimes when he holds his hands out to take her from me.  It's quite funny!  She lets you know that she wants a sip or bite of something  you have by just opening her mouth and waiting.  She's like a little bird.  She will eat crayons if you leave her with them.  She's my first crayon eater.  She loves to climb up in little chairs to sit, take every book out of her book shelf, get her toothbrush or whosever she can grab from the drawer and walk around brushing her teeth.  Sometimes she will come find you with a toothbrush in one hand and toothpaste in the other.  If you mention brushing teeth or walk by the bathroom, she will look at you and show you her teeth, which means, I want to brush my teeth.  I guess these are all reasons why she doesn't talk much because we all know exactly what she is wanting. 

Our days

Laekin is 14 months old.  She still isn't walking by herself, but she sure is proud when we hold her hands and help her walk.  Laekin is our comic relief.  Oh the faces that she makes at us...and she knows she is funny because she will laugh after making us laugh.  She will pretend to drink coffee and even follow it up with a mmm or an ahhh.  She will snuggle with me so nice and if Michael tries to take her away for his own snuggle time, she will bury her head in my shoulder, squeeze tight with one arm, and push him away with her chubby little hand.  It's pretty cute!  She also will lift my shirt on my back if I am lying on my tummy and blow raspberries.  She doesn't like when Lucy or Brandt try to make her do what she doesn't like.  She has a mind of her own and she will let you know if you are not cooperating with it.  She loves to crawl up in the little chairs or her rocking chair.  She will eat crayons if you don't watch her carefully while we are coloring....never had a crayon eater before, or maybe I just never had so many distractions that they didn't get a chance.  Who knows!  Laekin loves bath time, loves being outside, loves watching Lucy and Brandt and loves being held!!!  Oh my, the things I can do with 1 hand...perhaps that is why she is not walking yet, but I don't care.  She's my baby.  Last night I told Laekin I was sorry because I feel like she is getting the leftovers of me.  It makes me sad, but it's reality, and maybe that's why I will cook with 1 hand, carry laundry upstairs on my hip, hold you while I am on the toilet, and look awful when we go out b/c there wasn't time for a shower.... just so I can hold my girl more.  I love you so much, Laekin!! 

My sweet boy is really turning into a boy.  He will make a sandwich into a gun, find a rock and stick wherever we go and insist we bring it home, listen partially and is full of constant energy.  He is also becoming that brother who likes to annoy his sister...Laekin that is.  He will stand right in front of her when she is trying to walk, pull her down the stairs when she wants to play upstairs, and try to hold her when she doesn't want to be held.  I don't even think he does it to bother her because he will say "mama, I just love her so much."  I've even heard him telling her that he loves her when they were playing on the floor and no one else was around.  It was quite sweet. Brandt started wearing his underwear to bed in October.  He stayed dry long enough that we decided to give it a try, and a month later he is still doing great.  Yea!!!  He said "now I'm a big boy."  He is also learning his letters.  He's been working hard on learning them because he wants to know how to read.  He will write me letters like Lucy does and say "mama, what does it say," so I will make something up and he is quite proud of himself.  We are quite proud of you too, Brandt!  You haven't had a Sunday School teacher yet that hasn't been in love with you :)  I can't blame them, my heart is overflowing with love for you.

Lucy is doing great in school.  She works diligently most of the time.  Reading is her favorite.  She doesn't really like writing stories in English, but she is starting to like is a little more each time.  She is pretty good at it when she can just write and not follow rules.  She also took another Young Rembrandt's art class this semester.  She enjoyed the 1hr a week drawing and learning new skills.  It's amazing to see what she can make it an hour.  My Mom has given Lucy a few piano lessons, but we need to get it tuned before she has anymore.  The other day she told me that "she just knows she is going to be really good at playing the piano."  She's got the confidence down. When Lucy is done with school, she is excited to run off and play with Brandt.  They will build forts, play outside, play house, color, fight, be best friends, and then start again!  Lucy loves Jesus!!  No question about that...today she saw a shirt at the store and it had stars on in and she said "mama, I think you will love this shirt because it is full of the stars that God made."  She makes up songs about His love for us and then performs it.  She even loves to tell Brandt about Jesus.  It's amazing to see how she has grown spiritually in a 6 year old body in 1 year since asking Christ into her life.  Sweet Lucy, Jesus has big plans for you!!  You make my heart sing... I love you so much!

Each day is full and my list (mostly mentally these days, and I forget 1/2 of it until I sit down at night) is never completed.  I pray about how I can do better tomorrow each night as I am lying with the kids after prayer or driving to workout. A lot of days I feel like I failed, but I am trying.  The Holy Spirit gently comforts me and guides me!  Lucy, Brandt and Laekin... I will fail you a lot.  I don't mean to, but I am a sinner only saved by grace.  I love being your Mommy, teacher and friend.  There is no other place that I would want to be except home with you.  These days are precious to me and they fly by too quickly.  I pray you always feel the importance you have to Daddy and me!  We are so thankful for each of you.

Muscle shirt

I was upstairs with Laekin and I heard the back door open.  Brandt was putting something outside.  Then I heard him trying to lock the door.  I was just about to ask Lucy to help him, when he said "Sissy, I can't get the door locked.  I'm going to go get my muscle shirt on then I can get it."  Lucy said "it's called a muscle shirt because it shows your muscles.  It doesn't make you stronger."  He didn't believe her!   He came and asked me if he could get dressed, and that he wanted a muscle shirt.  I love this boy!!

Laekin's 1

I'm not sure where the year went.  I keep looking at Laekin's newborn picture in her room and then at this big girl sitting on the floor grinning at me with all 4 teeth.  I love those days and I love these days!  It's just such a blessing to be a mama.

Laekin is a very busy girl.  She loves to crawl upstairs and explore Lucy and Brandt's rooms.  They are very good about letting her do that.  We try to block Laekin in the living room because she can go up the stairs, but she hasn't learned how to go down backwards yet.  So we block all the main areas off, which worked with Lucy and Brandt, but this stinker discovered the hole between the chair and end table very quickly and makes her break.  She has to crawl through the kitchen and around to the stairs, so we have about 1 minute and she is crawling back up the stairs again.  She is quite persistent too because we will pick her up, put her on the other side of the ottoman and she goes for her break out again.  What's funny is that she will pause at the bottom of the steps and wait for me to grab her up, or right when I am bending down to grab her, she will laugh and try to take off up the steps.  This girl of mine is crack-up!! 

Miss Laekin started cruising on her birthday, and every now and then she will be busy with something in her hand and stand on her own for a little bit.  I think she will be like Brandt and start walking around 14 months, but I guess we will see.

Laekin loves her Daddy...she says "Dada" all day long.  She will give him kisses and lay her head down on his shoulder for a while when he comes home from work  I will say "say, mama" and she will say "dada."  We have this conversation often throughout the day... I really think she likes teasing me.

Laekin loves butterfly kisses...she will giggle and then lean in for some more after she stops laughing.  She also loves the BIBLE, just like Brandt did.  We finish the song and she signs for more.  I love the way she signs more...she does it so carefully and with her 2 pointer fingers.  It's quite cute!!

Laekin loves to take her bows out of her hair...she will check the top of her head sometime to see if it is there, so she can take it out, even if she doesn't have one in. 

Laekin will be crawling across the floor and if it is carpet, she will all of a sudden lay her head down on the carpet to take a rest.  If you say something to her, she will pop her head up and flash you her smile.  She's just such a happy baby girl!

Brandt loves his Laekin...he's very protective of her.  He will lay across the steps and yell for me that Laekin is trying to get up the steps and I need to come quick.  When she wakes up from her naps, he always runs up there to give her toys and talk to her before I get her out of bed.  He is always giving her kisses and telling her that he loves her.  He takes his big brother job very seriously.

Lucy is very proud of her, and she loves to match Laekin.  She takes very good care of her, gives her a lot of kisses and hugs and always tells her that she loves her. 

Laekin has so many expressions...she just makes us laugh at all the faces she makes.  She loves music.  Whenever she hears music she starts moving and smiling. 

Laekin signs please, more, thank you and all done by herself now...well, thank you and please need reminding :)  I find signing so amazing at how they communicate with us.  She looks so pleased with herself when she does it. 

Laekin, we love you so much and have enjoyed this year with you!  You are loved by everyone you meet, and the Lord truly answers our prayers that you will bring joy to others each day.  We can't imagine life without you. 

Brandt's imagination

Last night I laid in bed with Brandt for quite a while because he was in such a talkative mood.  He started out by telling me that he and Daddy were going to build a tree house.  He was going to work on the roof and Daddy was going to work on the brick.  He said it was going to have a big round slide like the one at the North Pole (the amusement park in Colorado Springs that we were just at).  He then started talking about that he was glad that we didn't have tigers in the house, but he wished we had elephants in the backyard.  I wish I would have come and written it all down last night after I got up from laying with him because he talked non-stop for over a half hour before I told him he needed to go to sleep.  He's a funny boy with a great imagination.  He also told me that he was my buddy and gave me a kiss.  I love my boy!!

Crawling

Laekin started crawling on July 18th at my parents.  She's been on her hands and knees and pushing herself forward, or else army crawling, but she figured out how to move those hands and knees together.  So I told Mike that night since he was not with us.  Then the next night I was giving Laekin a bath and I had her lying on the bathmat while I was running the water, all of a sudden I looked down and she had pulled herself up and was looking into the tub.  I screamed, and she sat back down.  I told Mike that night and he said good grief, she's crawling one night and standing the next, what is she going to do tomorrow?  Thankfully, she hasn't done anymore milestones.  There's only so much a mama can take!!  She sure is a happy little girl.  Whenever you ask her a question, she just nods her head yes.  It's so cute.  We just keep asking questions to see it.  She also got her 3rd tooth while up in Wisconsin.  She's almost 11 months old.  Time is going by so quickly and each day she blesses us so much.  We're so thankful for our 3 precious gifts!!

Shooting

Brandt is a typical boy, he likes guns.  My Mom bought the kids a bunch of balloons while we were at their house.  Brandt took a really big one, tucked it under his arm, and said "mama, this is my gun, I shoot you."  I said, Brandt you don't shoot people, what should you shoot, and he said "animals."  So a little while later Lucy comes running through the kitchen and into the back hall and shuts the door.  Brandt comes running in and says, "where is sissy."  Grandma is pointing to the back hall, and Lucy is yelling "don't tell him where I am" like he can't hear her, but obviously he didn't pay attention because he went downstairs to look for her instead.  So Lucy comes in the kitchen, puts her hand on her hip and says "do you know why I didn't want Brandt to find me?"  We said no.  She said "because he said I was a bird and was trying to shoot me."  I just started laughing, which Lucy didn't like, but Brandt figured out a way to shoot his sissy and still just shoot animals.  Oh what a little boy!!