Jace 9 months!

Our little man is getting too big and too fast! (Pictures are 1 week before 9 months).

JACE AT 9 MONTHS:

*20 lbs and 29 inches

*has 3 teeth- two on bottom and one on top (the other is coming)

*eats anything we give him (unless it feels kinda slimy haha) but is still a little impatient when it comes to feeding him.

*goes to bed at 7:30, wakes up at 6:30.

*Is going through a phase of not wanting to take long enough naps. 

*quit doing the army/worm crawl and started for-real crawling right at 7 months. (Now he's pretty fast)

*shortly after crawling, started pulling himself to stand up holding onto things.

*"cruises" all over the house holding onto the couch, shelves, chairs, etc. Walks pushing the toy shopping cart or laundry basket around.

*in the last week, definitely has the words "momma" and "dadda" down and uses (and sometimes over-uses) them appropriately!

*is super happy and smiley all the time.

*is very very calm (calm like he needs to freak out more if a stranger picks him up ha.)

*has found his fingers, tongue, belly button, ears, and is always intently trying to figure it all out. So cute. 

*is starting to play peekaboo and other fun chase games.

*gets more compliments on his pretty blue eyes than I ever get on my anything.

*has a favorite toy that looks like a little remote but is really a prank-noise-maker that we got in a white elephant gift exchange a couple years ago, haha.

*makes a big loud squealy noise when he's excited (especially when he sees me turn on the bathtub, or when Garen gets home from school)

*still loves to just kick and kick like crazy. He does it laying in bed at night, against the seat in the car, randomly during play time against the wall or couch while laying down, kicks me while I change his diaper, or in the pool or tub. I've even seen him just sitting up and put his on top of his toys, and try to move them around with his feet!

*frequently closes the door on himself in the bathroom or laundry room and then just sits and yells for "momma!" When he can't get out. 

*is always opening cupboards and pulling everything out of them (but we recently put some baby locks on them so that should be over with.)

*is the CUTEST BESTEST baby boy we ever had and we all love him to bits!!!

I can't believe he's 3/4 of a year old!

Crafting

We really REALLY needed a better place for all of Lainee's bows so I finally made one of these but... As you can see, it still barely fits all her bows and headbands.

Maybe I'll start giving some away so I can have room to keep making more :)

My friend Carly found these wrist key fobs online and we all thought they looked useful but I decided to try and make one instead of ordering it. Tried and succeeded. Soo easy. (This one needed to be a teeny bit longer but still cute and useful.) Credit to Carly for the inspiration! 

While I was making my key fob and a couple of bows, Lainee finally got to paint this rock she found days ago. She loves artsy fartsy stiff!

Friday morning I got together with friends and we made these awesome coasters! So easy, cute, and cheap! (I'm saving these two sets for Christmas gifts.) Again, thanks to Carly for the idea!

I've really been wanting to do this and finally did! I painted some cheap tray tables. These will be perfect since we don't have a coffe table or even a real end table, and there's not a ton of aeating at our kitchen table either. We can use them for snack time, extra seating when we have company for dinner, set drinks on while watching movies... Now I need to make more of those coasters for my own :)

I admit I'm not the world's greatest or most talented crafter, but I really enjoy doing artsy-crafty things!

Big eater

Hi my name is Jace Garen, and I just ate my whole 6 oz jar of baby food, AFTER a big handful of mini graham crackers and some strawberry slices!

(My mom never even thought about buying one that big for my big sister.)

I love food!

August 5

... Is one of my favorites days of the year because it's the day our Lainee girl was born!

On her birthday, she:

Went to Gymnastics.

Played with friends at Sophie's house.

Watched "Jake" during rest time.

Had homemade Mac and cheese for dinner.

Opened presents from Mom and Dad and grandparents, and got super spoiled!

LAINEE AT THREE YEARS OLD

Favorites- according to Lainee herself 

Favorite color: blue 

Favorite snack: carrots and ranch

Favorite dinner: spicy chicken (Hot and Spicy Kung Pao Chicken)

Favorite veggie: corn on the cob

Favorite treat: candy (what kind of candy?) CHOCOLATE!

Favorite brother: Jacer

Best friends: Sophie and Emma

Favorite place to go: the park

Favorite thing to do when it's hot out: play in the sand

Favorite cartoon: Jake and the Neverland Pirates

Favorite movie: Merida (Brave)

Favorite thing at gymnastics: handstands

Favorite animal: tiger

Favorite thing to play with: Paisley (doll... Even after all the new birthday gifts)

Favorite new presents: my bike and my new princess dresses! (Good work by both grandmas.) 

Favorite thing to do with Dad: um he picks me up sometimes

Favorite thing to do with Mom: paints

Favorite song: ABCs

Favorite season: when it's cold and play in the snow

Favorite thing to learn: writing my name

Favorite book: Barnyard Dance

Scared of: your big vacuum and when Jace is coming in on the floor with the big vacuum

More about Lainee

Writes her name all by herself.

Sings constantly (as long as she thinks there's no audience).

Loves to dress up and dance.

Loves the slide but not the tunnel slide.

Is a girly girl. Loves painting nails, wearing lotion and lipgloss.

LOVES shoes!

Is about 3'1" and weighs about 29 lbs

Still loves her a big cup of whole milk.

Is getting better at saying please and thank you and taking turns.

Loooves to take care of other people or stuffed animals and babies.

Can be a little bossy (but that's what you get from the oldest child of an oldest child right?)

Wants to have two dogs someday when we love  in a big house.

Is the best big sister ever (most days).

Makes her own bed and puts her laundry away.

Sang Jace to sleep last night. 

Is a snuggler. Always wrapping up with stuffed animals and as many blankets as she can find.

Is a little bit of a perfectionist. Won't try something unless she knows she is 100 percent sure she will be able to do it right. 

Memorized quickly and easily. 

Speaks very well for her age. If people can get her to talk and not be shy, they always think she's older because she sounds older. 

Loves to play ball and catch with DAd or whoever.

Is a deep deep sleeper.

Quit taking regular naps a year ago but sleeps 12 hours most every day and is a happy girl all the time. 

Started gymnastics with Gymcats through parks and rec since we can't afford the real class but she loves it and is doing fantastic especially as the youngest in her class!

We love this munchkin and are proud of her everyday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAINEE GIRL!!!

Peter Pan Pirate Pixie Party!

Lainee is three! We had a party on Saturday where Lainee and her friends got to wear fairy wings and play pirate swords. They played a game and had a treasure hunt for their booty bags, and of course she opened gifts, and we all sang to her, had cupcakes and yummy snacks!

 THANKS EVERYONE!!!!!

All the little pixies and pirates.

Thanks for celebrating Lainee with us, PA family!

The treasure box containing all the "booty" at the end of the little treasure hunt.

Pirate treasure hunt map/clues.

The birthday girl chose rainbow chip cake and I frosted the cupcakes to look like Peter's hat!

Our cheap-but kinda cute cupcake stand we decorated.

A little lost boys banner.

Never never grow up banner.

The snack counter(not complete in this pic but it's the only one we took). 

-Indian trail mix

-Mermaid shells (pasta salad)

-Crocodiles crispies (green rice crispies)

-Pixie dust (pixie stix)

-Lost boys' grub (veggie tray)

-Hook's gold doubloons (chocolate coins and Rolos) 

-Darling drinks

Peter and Darlings flying over the gift table.

Stars above the movie on the tv.

"When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies."

 Of course the pants were off as soon everyone left.

Cute curly pony tail when we took out her Tinkerbell bun.