So Big!

Just a little bit of an update on our Big Girl Lizzie Grace! She is such a joy and has been a wonderful big sis to Elaine! She is quite eloquent for a 2 year old and has incredible curiosity. She is also becoming very independent which is most of the time a good thing. The other day, after her shower, I sent her to get each article of clothes she needed. She would quickly run to her room, get the item and return to me, so I could either watch her put it on or assist. So great!!! She is also potty training:) For the most part, pooh always ends up in the potty! Tee tee is a little harder for her, but we are getting there! (I will gladly change a wet diaper vs a dirty one!)
The coolest thing about Elizabeth these days is that she is beginning to understand truths about our Awesome God! Around her birthday, I began teaching her Ephesians 2:10 (the verse on her birth announcement that we have been praying over her). She picked up on it very quickly and began talking about being God's workmanship in the aisles of Wal Mart. So, I went ahead and taught her the two preceding verses which clearly lay out salvation. After she had those down, I moved on to Colossians 3:12 and we talked about some of the qualities of a follower of Jesus (compassion ,kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience). During November, we memorized Psalm 100 and talked about how we show our thanksgiving to God (see last post for whole psalm). Now, Elizabeth has memorized Galatians 4:4-5 (But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons.) This has been really great as we talk through the Nativity story and God's redemptive plan. I confess that initially I bought into the lie that she was too young to "get it" with the whole scripture memory thing. However, she has proven me so wrong and it is amazing to see her taking away nuggets of truth and asking some challenging questions. Not only is she growing in her knowledge of God, but as I have to put concepts like humility, redemption and salvation into two year old language, I too am falling more in love with my Lord! It has become such a special time to open the Word each morning as we eat breakfast and talk about our good and faithful God. I encourage you to do the same if you are not already! Helpful tip- for Galatians 4:4-5, I printed out little pictures to help her remember each phrase (clock, baby, woman, stone tablets, cross, daddy with little boy). These have been awesome, and she really likes them!
Two quick stories and then a few pics.
Elizabeth loves to grab a measuring tape and have us measure her height and step on the scale to measure her weight. Our response to her is usually, "Wow Elizabeth! You are SO BIG!" The other day, she came in while I was standing on the scale. With great enthusiasm, she shouted, "Wow Mommy! You are SO BIG!" Thank you my love:)
We recently did a little photo shoot of the girls for Christmas cards. That same evening, Aunt Jenn came over to hang out. Here is the conversation.
Jenn: Lizzie, what did you do tonight?
Lizzie: Took pictures.
Jenn: Who was in the pictures?
Lizzie: Me!
Jenn: Who else was in the pictures?
Lizzie: Me and my pretty face!
Oh dear! No lacking of self confidence, huh? I guess we assure her of her beauty often:)

Books are a very important part of potty time!!
(If you have not yet had the pleasure of potty training, I would encourage you to skip the little potty!
It is a booger to clean!)

Look at all of those stickers!!!

Elizabeth wanted a turn in the moby wrap!

6 Months

Are you kidding me? My baby is getting to be a big girl! Lots of firsts this month. Elaine has mastered sitting up without support and purposefully rolling/scooting to get where she wants to be (or sometimes stuck!). She has also ventured into the world of real food! Rice cereal, green beans, sweet potatoes, bananas, and apple sauce are all we have tried so far. My crazy girl loves her veggies but is still not as thrilled about fruit. I have to mix it with rice cereal, so the taste is not so strong. She has started saying da-da-da-da which is super cute and fun. No teeth yet, but some days I wonder if there is not something trying to poke through. Still spitting, but not nearly as bad as it used to be! At her 6 month check up, she weighed 15 lb 8 oz and was 26'' long, just below the 50th percentile in weight and about the 70th percentile in length. Although she does have a few rolls, she is a pretty petite little thing! Elaine's favorites these days inclue her Lamb Chop snuggly friend, pulling Lizzie's hair, hearing herself "talk," giggling, Kyleigh, books, playing with her friends (a serious game of tug o' war broke out between her and Juliet the other night!), sitting up like a big girl, being able to see and hear Mommy and blowing raspberries.

Here is our little cutie patootie!






ps-If you have a little one, these flowers are an awesome toy! They were Lizzie's, then borrowed by another family, and now Elaine's loves them! (Thanks Martha, Matt and Mae for a great toy!) Lamaze is the maker.