Tiny Talk: Baby Edition

Trying to remember everything our tiniest talker, Rebekah, is saying! She has quite a loud household to learn from!

• horse - her stuffed horsey
• cow moo - Mr. Nick's cows in the pasture
• cat Fuff - Fluff
• bock - the chickens
• er! - the rooster crowing
  
• out - I wanna go outside!
• up
• eat
• cup
• juice
• baba - bottle
• nana - banana
• fish - Goldfish crackers
• Mama
• Dada
• Dadid

Teeth!

You can tell what's most important to her - animals, food, and family!

Happy First Birthday, Rebekah!

On Saturday we celebrated Rebekah's First Birthday!

Rebekah took turns hanging out with family before the festivities began.

She got some great presents, including
sunglasses and her first Hello Kitty
from Aunt Wee,

some really cute dresses and a stuffed bunny
from Grana,

a Laugh & Learn Purse (which Elizabeth was very excited about!)
from my friend Janet,


a touch & feel Bible story book and

a set of dishes featuring Noah's Ark
from MawMaw,

a shape sorter
from Grandpa & Norma,

and some stackable nesting blocks
from Aunt Erin.

I think that covers it... did I leave anything out?

After presents we moved over to the table for
Carrot Applesauce Cupcakes!

"Why's my food on fire?"

"Uhh, now what?"

Afterward we had an Easter Egg Hunt, but that's not about Rebekah, so I put that in a different post. Read about the rest of our Easter festivities here.

I wrote a letter to Rebekah a few days ago.
David & Elizabeth just love her.

She also got this "Fun to be One" t-shirt in the mail
from her friend Brigid, who turned 1 five weeks ago.

Today we continue to celebrate
Rebekah!
as this is her actual birthday!

I would like to say thank you
to Dad for taking pictures at the party
and to Grana and Janet for
sharing your photos with me!

Tiny Talk Tuesday

When David was almost 1-year old, I would lay down on the couch with him every afternoon and read to him. I figured it might as well be something that would entertain me as well, so I started reading him the Eddie books by Carolyn Haywood. My sister helped me collect a good stash of Haywood's books from library sales and I enjoyed reading them to him. When a recent read-aloud that Sonlight suggested didn't suit David's interest, I pulled out Eddie and the Fire Engine, which was written in 1949. He didn't remember the books from his babyhood, and he has enjoyed hearing the story.

(yes, this is typical)

All that to preface this week's Tiny Talk! Last night while reading, David heard a new usage for a word.
David: What does 'swell' mean?
Mom, thinking of a word he would understand: It means 'cool'.
David: Well, then - Mom, I think you're pretty swell.

Definition understood. Compliment accepted!
Now I wonder how such a sweet little boy ends up looking so grumpy in photos?

Elizabeth: Look, Movher, I made a E!!!

And she did! All by herself she made that E!!! I am so proud! She is 3-years old! For 2 days, she has called me "Movher"... for the last day every time she said it I've asked her to call me Mama or Mommy. For some reason, I don't really care for being called Mother.

Sneak preview to the first birthday photos that I'll try to get up by tomorrow, which is when Rebekah turns 1-year old!!! My, how it flies...

One Year Already

Tonight when I was awakened in the night by your cry, I did not roll over and groan. I did not think, "cry it out." Instead, I thought, "This is not going to last much longer." I was motivated to go to you.

I held you in my arms and rocked as you nursed back to sleep. You were totally relaxed. Totally trusting me. But no longer totally dependent on me.

You move around the house with ease, albeit on all fours. You joyfully follow your brother and sister and absolutely love it when they follow you. You light up with fascination when you realize that something happened because you pushed a button.

You love to be outside, to crawl through the grass, to watch the animals, to watch your family. You love the wind blowing in your face and hair. You love to eat scrambled eggs, pancakes, cereal, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, crackers, bread, puffs, yogurt, bananas, blueberries. You love to feed yourself. You love to eat the crumbs from under the kids' table... especially dessert crumbs! You have 4 teeth - two are center bottom, but the top two are off center.

You say Mama and Dada, Dadid, and just yesterday I realized something was trying to sound like Elizabeth. I wish I could remember what it was, but I'm sure I'll be hearing it again soon. You say byebye with an adorable little wave.

You crawl across me and anyone else on the floor like we're a speed bump that doesn't really slow you down. You are so comfortable in your home. You are happy. You are loved.

Saturday we will celebrate you with a birthday party. Next Wednesday you will be one year old. It was gone in the blink of an eye. The only regret I have for you is that you will not have the privilege of knowing first hand how much Grandma and Papa loved you.

I know the coming years will fly by. Who will you become? I can't wait to get to know you, to teach you, to love on you even more. You are more precious to me than you'll ever know. And no matter what happens, I hope you'll always remember our song:

Mama loves Rebekah, Mama loves Rebekah, Mama loves Rebekah, I love you!
I love you, girl! Love you, girl! I love you, girl! Love you, girl!
Mama loves Rebekah, Mama loves Rebekah, Mama loves Rebekah, I love you!

Baby's First Christmas

Look what I found in our Christmas decorations! Perfect! I just realized today that I haven't bought anything that says, "Baby's First Christmas" this year, except an ornament with the year on it.

Looking beautiful in her first bow!

She
really wants
the tree and has
been crawling across the
room to get to it! Yes, that
Christmas tree was her motivation
to start crawling...
her SS teacher said last Sunday,
"I bet she's crawling by Christmas!"

David thought her bib was cool.
She was making eyes at Dad in this picture.

Rebekah has, by far, been my most active "baby's first Christmas" but it has been fun to see her mesmerized by the lights,
full of laughter at her siblings,
bouncing her body to the carols,
shoveling cookie crumbs into her mouth,
and making tracks for the tree.

Just wait 'till you see her.

Welcome to Christmas Week!

For the first time ever, I have dressed 2 little girls in matching dresses with matching bows. They were sooooo adorable!

We've been getting ready since Thanksgiving! The tree is decorated,


the wreath and lights are up outside,


the porch is decorated and ready to welcome guests,


the bathrooms are decorated,

(my toothbrush tree)

presents are almost done.

Tiny Talk Tuesday Welcomes the Newcomer

Tiny Talk Tuesday welcomes newcomer,
Rebekah!

Rebekah: Mama! Mama! Mama! and repeat...
Sweet, sweet sound to my ears! : ) She says it so much now and it's very obvious that she knows what it means, too! She also says Ba Ba, which I think is what she's calling herself.

Mom: Guess who's on your shirt.

Elizabeth: Guess?

Mom: Yeah, guess who's on the front of your shirt.

I turn shirt around and she replies: OH! That's not Guess! That's Cookie Monster!

Elizabeth, while playing with a little Mary doll: This Mary is wearing a blue dress of God.

Elizabeth: Mom, what's this?

Mom: That's a piece of coral.

Elizabeth: Can we eat it?

Mom: No, it's like a rock.

Elizabeth: Oh. Did you get this when you were swimming under the sea?

Mom: Yep.

Elizabeth: Were you scared swimming under the sea?

Mom: No, it was beautiful under the sea.

Elizabeth: Ariel swims under the sea. Mom, I want to watch a princess movie.

David has really enjoyed singing Christmas carols this year:
Frosty, the snowman,

in a one-horse open sleigh

with a corn cob pipe

and a button nose

and two eyes made out of coal.