Thursday, November 21, 2013

5 months of "Light" in our lives...


 We can't believe how many changes this little girl has gone through this month.
We see such a different little girl, so many skills that she's mastered and so many that she is working on.
Her laughs and giggles come much more frequently now, and she easily cracks a gummy smile at mommy's dance moves, daddy's funny voices, or alexio and his funny tail.

She is officially tall enough to use the walker and she loves the ability to stand on her own! She has a blast bouncing up and down and moving backwards, which is a skill she figured out this week while working at the church with her daddy. 

 This month, she learned to blow through her lips and make funny sounds.
She does it a lot when she's hanging out in her jumper or walker. Here are some of her silly blowing faces.


One of the most exciting things about this month was starting her on solids.
I was trying to wait til 6 months, but she went through this LONG growth spurt and would eat every two hours (even through the night-sometimes she'd eat every hour!) and she grew 12 ounces in two weeks! And a whole inch. She knew just what to do when we fed her and was so excited to be eating from a spoon. 
Here are some pics from her first time trying solids-daddy got to feed her!:)


 Since then, we've tried lots of different foods, and her favorites are oatmeal with pureed peaches, apples, peas, or carrots and her favorite fresh food are avocados and bananas. (she especially loves avocados though! She has those in the middle of the day as a snack:)) We have a lot of fun trying different stuff and giving her little bits of what we're eating. 

 Lux knows how to travel from point A to point B now, from scooting around on her tummy and rolling from place to place. She is extremely mobile and is never where you put her down-she's always on the move - usually after a toy or Alexio's stuff.
 Whenever she makes it off her blankets, Alexio decides to take over her spot and lounges there for a good long while.
 But this time, Lux made her way back to her blanket and toys and Alexio was still sitting there.
So she tried to get the blanket from under him.
Unsuccessful.


Lux went through a couple days that freaked me out.
She refused to nurse and would only take a bottle.
sitting up.
and watching Xfactor.

For some reason, being a big girl those days were important to her, and laying in mommy's arms and nursing was beneath her!
Fortunately, she forgot about it a couple days later, and now we're back to snuggling and nursing again.
I promise, I'm not a horrible person…i just found her reaction kinda funny.
She has developed a strange fear of the vacuum.
Which is funny, because, the first three months of her life, she was totally soothed by the vacuum.
Now, whenever the vacuum comes close, she kicks and panics and makes screeches noises. 
However, I vacuum every day, because well, between me and the dog, it's just better if i do.
 Lux loves this thing. 
I fill it up with whatever I'm eating or fruit or a veggie and she chews away and gets the yummy flavors.
She has a blast sticking it in and taking it out, sticking it in and taking it back out. over and over and over again.
 She's wearing her bear outfit more and more nowadays. I had used it as a halloween costume, but it's actually her winter outwear. One day i took her out of her carseat and carried her around in her bear suit, and so many people stopped me to tell me they thought i was carrying an actual teddy bear.
hm.
didn't quite know what to thnk of that;).
Although, the teddy bear I did have in my arms was pretty cute and cuddly.
Lux has been doing a lot of fun practice steps around the house. She can take big steps and toddle around while we hold her up. She still hasn't figured out how to do that in her walker going forward.
 Alexio has been reverting back to being a baby.
Lol, just kidding. 
But sometimes, I feel like he is. Like he wants to do the same thing Lux does because he's seen her do that.
Here we have a frequent happening of his: I'll sit there with Lux and a blanket, and Alexio plops down on Lux. Which makes me scream and try to get him off of her, but she's also taking things into her own hands and has kicked him off of her.
 Her favorite toys this month are this monkey that her Auntie Ash gave her when she was born and a fun musical french cell phone that my aunt gave her. She takes the monkey with her when she goes down for naps, and it's sweet watching her hug him and snuggle with him. With the cell phone, she pushes it away, then scoots up to it, then pushes it away, then scoots up to it. 
Well, this was a short preview of Lux and Her wonderful 5th month. Each day is so much better than the last, because of her newfound abilities and skills that she's figuring out! She's such a blast, and both her daddy and I rush over to spend as much time with her as we can.

Lux Ann, You are the most special little girl in the word to us. We love those gummy smiles that you flash at us all the time and those giggles that come out of you. we love how chubby your legs are, and how yummy your cheeks are! We could just nibble on you all day long!
Love you so much little one.

Love, 
 Mommy and Daddy

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Operation Christmas Child week!



This week is Operation Christmas Child week. 
If you haven't ever heard of it, it's a very simple fun and impactful way to give and show love to others during this Christmas season. 
You pack a shoebox full of school supplies, toys, toiletries, and hard candy, maybe put in a letter or picture of you and your family, and drop it off to be shipped around the world.
This little elf has been keeping busy going to work with her Daddy and helping fill the boxes full of goodies.
She, myself, and Alexio hung out at the church today since it's collection week and our church has the fun job of collecting and packing these shoe boxes into bigger boxes.

This year is really really dear to my heart, because the shoeboxes from Storm Lake and the surrounding areas, will be sent to the Philippines, where the typhoon had hit and thousands are going through a dark and difficult time.

Operation Christmas Child is an amazing way to contribute to those that lost everything in the Philippines, but also, it's a way that the child that you pack a box for, will hear the gospel, receive a Bible, and learn about what Jesus Christ did for them. 
Here's the story of Ralph, a little boy in the Philippines that received a shoebox in the past:

these boxes are life changing, and you can be involved, simply by packing a shoebox!
I encourage you to consider filling up a shoe box this Christmas!
This is drop off week, where hundreds of shoe boxes will be collected from the surrounding areas of Storm Lake, and will then be taken up to the Operation Christmas Child Warehouse, where they will then be shipped off to the kids that will receive them.
Drop off location is at First Baptist Church of Storm Lake and will be open to collecting boxes until Sunday evening at 5!

Please consider sharing the joy of Christmas to these kids that need it! 

 Not to mention, that when you drop your box off, this little elf will most likely be there to greet you and your shoe boxes!:)

Thursday, October 31, 2013

On a cold halloween night...

On a cold halloween night,
a little bear cub was lost in the middle of the woods.
She searched high and low for a place to belong.
But she didn't know where to go or what to do.
She wished for a place that would keep her warm on cold nights,
a place where someone would snuggle with her,
a place where someone would love her.
She was sad, but kept looking.
The little bear cub met a little lady bug.
She found a friend!
The ladybug comforted the baby bear cub and told her that everything would be alright.

 They spent a few moments together and then the lady bug went on her way to her own place she called home.

 On her search, she came across a scary group of people.
They frightened her and she ran away.
But a big friendly bear stopped her.
She felt so much better because he looked a lot like her.
He had fuzzy ears like her and had a bushy tail.
His nose was black just like hers and he had paws too!
He told her, 
"Little bear cub, I know a place where you could call home.
It's a very nice and safe place.
You'd be taken care of, snuggled with, and kept warm."

The little bear wanted so much to go to that place.
The Big Friendly bear showed Little bear cub the way to a man and woman with friendly smiles.
The man held little bear cub, smiled at her, and said, 
"I'll take good care of you. I'll be your daddy."
Little Bear Cub felt so safe and secure in his arms.
The woman gave her a huge hug and said, 
"I'll snuggle with you and keep you warm."

The man and woman's name were Daddy and Mommy and the Little Bear Cub was so happy to be with them.
Daddy and Mommy promised to love her, snuggle her, keep her safe and warm, and to love her with all their hearts.
She was so happy to have a family.
She even had a brother named Superman.
Finally, the Little Bear Cub had a place to call home.
She finally had a place to be loved.
Her daddy held her and said, 
"You belong right here…in my arms."

Happy Halloween from Lux to all of you!:)
Her first one was an absolute blast!

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Fun Fallish Festivities

Lux was invited to a Fall fun party with a bunch of really fun big kids.
She is intrigued with big kids and even though she thinks they're too loud sometimes, she loves watching what they're doing and where they are going.
It was such a sweet time with these kids and really made me giddy for the days that Lux'll be able to participate in the things they were doing:)

They have a donut eating contest…Lux couldn't quite participate yet because she doesn't have the teeth to chomp the donut off the string;). 
But she watched as the big kids pulled the sugary treats off the string and screamed and squealed as they competed in their chomping skills!:)



Next the kids decorated cookies.
 Lux sat with her friend, Miss Carmen, and together they decorated a cookie for her daddy.







 She looked so tiny sitting with all the big kids! But she was happy to participate, even though she was much more interested in pulling on the table cloth to gather ALL the cookies in her lap. (don't worry, we stopped her before she did!;) I know, I know, her big chunky arms made you think she succeeded.)








While they finished their cookies, the ladies were setting up the next station of fun.
 Here is Lux with her friend, Miss Karen. Miss Karen made yummy yummy apple cider from actual apples! That was my first time ever drinking such an amazing treat.


 Andrew really likes sprinkles.


 After they finished they moved on to their pumpkin decorating.
The kids were really creative as they painted their pumpkins with fun colors and glow in the dark paint!
 Lux and I tackled a pumpkin together, and she gleefully hit the pumpkin with her wet paintbrush.

 She really just wanted to chew on it though. Mommy had to stop her, and got in between her and the paintbrush. (Where I realized how hard she's biting! This girl is teething!)

"YES! I DID DECORATE A PUMPKIN!" She seems to be letting the big kids know.
"AAAAHH!!!! I HAVE A PUMPKIN!" She was very excited.
So there ya have it. This girl had her first fun party ever.
Such a special time for her and for mommy to see the things that we have to look forward to as Lux grows up! I am pumped about what we'll do together in the many falls ahead!