Everyday Life

Well, it has been a month since I posted on here and everyday I look at our blog and think...what to write, what to write... Life has just been the ordinary, busy, life lately. No new exciting pictures of things we are doing, just enjoying the regular moments of the day.

The new news is that Selah is now 17 months old! Can you believe it? She is quite the girl. She is talking more and more. She can now associate two words together such as 'good girl' and 'brrr..cold' She isn't quite as good of an eater any more, but still when hungry will eat about anything that we are eating. She loves playing with her kitchen and we recently got her some fake food to play with too so she likes putting it in her grocery cart and carrying it around the room. She still is really into her dolls. She will rock them and has a true fascination with getting to the batteries with the ones that cry and talk. She will bring it over to me and want me to "turn it on!" So that should be interesting once she gets a baby brother and tries to turn him over to get to the batteries :) She is getting really good at the stairs going up and down, but she took her first tumble last week from our loft to the landing before the main level. Oh my, I wasn't far away but hearing the falling sound was awful! By the time I got to her she was at the bottom so I have no way of knowing how far she fell. Of course one piece of candy stopped her crying and we didn't notice any bumps later so it must not have been too bad!

When I try to take pictures of Selah playing or whatever, this is the reaction I usually get...her running and grabbing my legs to whine so she can get the camera. Trust me, I try to be sneaky about it but the second that camera turns on, she is running to get it!

Here she is being a little mother

A little story in the life of Selah...While eating breakfast one morning consisting of some mini muffins amongst other things she was asking for a new muffin to eat, as the one she was eating was falling apart and half gone. I informed her she needed to finish the one she was eating first and then she could have another one. I glanced over and Selah was cautiously watching me while acting like she wasn't watching me (if that makes any sense). Then when she thought I wasn't looking she moved her half eaten muffin ever so slightly behind her sippy cup and proceeded to point to the new muffin she wanted. I just laughed at her and said, "Selah, mommy can see your muffin right there as I pointed to it." She just looked at me and moved her cup at the same time smiling and saying, "Boo!" -Sure Selah, mommy was so suprised by your muffin playing peekaboo :) Actually, I was a little suprised that she could come up with that all by herself at this age already!

Another thing Selah has discovered..her shadow and light beams (when the light shines across the floor). She is scared of them both. It is funny for a while and then a little annoying. She won't cross any light beams and when she discovers her shadow she waves at her, but then will not walk towards it or by it. I tried to explain it to her...hense the waving began...but so far she doesn't quite understand. Oh well!

She loves playing dress up or just getting dressed up for real. I have to say I have nurtured that a little bit, she is just so stinkin' cute! So here she is in her sparkly pink shoes and purse walking around (of course, this is the best shot because if she sees me...no picture then!). The other day I tried on her Easter outfit which includes a very full skirt and some knee socks with lace on the top. Selah tried them on and just kept saying "oooo" so I think she likes it. She had to go prance over to daddy and do some twirls, followed by a look in the mirror. Too funny! I know, we are going to have to work on her not being so proud, but for now it is just too cute!

She loves reading books and yes, she still sucks her thumb...

Remembering...

Well, the day has come and gone and with it the mixed emotions that always come with it. February 1st marked the two year anniversary of our Alayna passing away. It sounds so redundant, but I cannot believe it is two years already. I knew the day was coming and with it would come the emotions, so honestly I was trying to act like it was nothing. You know, that always works, right? Wrong! But, it was an OK day nonetheless. Honestly I try not to let myself fully "relive" Laynie's last moments because they are too raw still, too gut wrenching, just overall memories I wish I could forget one minute and the next cling to because I don't want to forget a minute that she was here with me. So many memories are in the hospital and not enough from everyday life. Her life was just such a gift, such a miracle each step of the way. God blessed us more than we could have imagined with our firstborn. She will always be our first child, our first glimpse of parenthood, and that immense love that comes with it. God taught us so much through her life more than words can even begin to explain. So, to my dearest Alayna - I love you so much. I hold the memories of you close in my heart. You were gone way too soon, but I know that you are safe in the arms of Jesus. I miss you more than I can say. I cling to the truths I know...that someday I will be able to once again sit in a rocking chair and hold you in my arms again rocking you for an eternity. Feeling the warmth of your body once again against mine. Looking into your eyes and seeing the love they hold. And it is then that all these tears and pain of this life and the "bad" memories will be washed away and only joy will remain. I love you Alayna Christine, my Layniebug. We tell your sister of you all the time. Now she can only see your pictures, but as she gets older we will tell her your story of how you changed our lives forever and how you would have been the best big sister ever! Give Jesus and big hug for me and thank Him again for allowing me to be your mother for those short 9 months. You will NEVER be forgotten. Love - Mommy

Selah's 1st Haircut

Well, after much thought Selah got her first haircut. She got to go to Grandma G's shop and sit in the big chair. Grandma G just trimmed the back portion of her hair and you can't really see a difference, but her hair is less knotty back there now :)

Not for sure what to think of the whole thing and wiggly of course, but besides that she didn't seem to mind anything.

Checking out her hair that was cut.

All done - say cheese!

A growing personality

Selah is 15 months old this month and I cannot believe it. That is right, I am fully in denial. She continues to amaze us with her growing personality of sorts. She is really trying to say more words. although I am sure no one else can understand her but us. She can say please and thank you. She even has said it once without being prompted to something I was giving her, so that made mommy and daddy even more proud :) She still loves books, her dolls, and playing her new piano.

The most recent things we have noticed are things she is imitating now that we do (I know a little scary). She imitates Tadd doing pushups which involves blowing out her mouth hard, like she is breathing hard while doing her pushups. And one day while I was getting something out of the pantry she was digging around for something to which I told her to "Get out of the pantry, Selah Malia!" I shut the door and realized she had found the dustpan and was heading to our french doors. Then she begins picking up our dreaded ladybugs and putting them in her dust pan! Too funny! Hey, I am not complaining. Anyone who wants to pick up ladybugs is fine by me. We just have to get her to throw them in the garbage now.


Mommy - "Where are the ladybugs, Selah"
Selah - (Gesturing) "I don't know"

She is quite proud of her accomplishment though!

Time in the snow!

We took Selah outside for her first experience of snow back on the 8th of this month. She loved it. It was quite cold to say the least so this last all of about 15 minutes and then she had snot running down her nose so we went in. We had a hard time finding a spot for her to walk on since it had snowed about 8 inches but we finally ended up on the driveway where she walked back and forth all by herself.


Of course she could barely move, so a lot of the time she looked like this because she would fall down and couldn't get up :)

But she loved it and threw a fit of course when we made her go inside.