Kate is 8 Months

I can't even believe I'm typing this, but Kate is 8 Months



She is sleeping again, through the night. I can't believe I'm typing that either (knock on wood).



She is upping her crawling speed and pulling herself up to her knees

She is eating, and eating, and eating- she loves her solids!



She weighs 19lbs, 14oz- which puts her in the 50th % for weight

She is 29 inches long, which puts her in the 95th % for height

She flaps her arms and squawks when we head toward Christian's room she sure LOVES her brother



She loves "T." More specifically, she loves to say "Tuhhh!" over and over. We say it back and forth to each other for a good few minutes after she nurses each morning and it gets us both laughing for some reason.



Kate has 6 teeth. We're having a little breather from teething I think- she's had these 6 for a month or so

For the first time in 5 weeks she does not have a runny nose, bronchitis, or a mysterious rash all over, and she's been back in the church nursery. Also, I sat through maybe my 2nd service without being paged (I love that she's a Mama's girl- actually I get a little concerned when they DON'T page me).



She's a real good sport with all the bows, dresses, boas...

"Mamamamama," "Dadadadadada"- music to our ears!

She is still a finger-sucker. She started this thing where after nursing her, I'll walk over to her crib and she'll suck on her fingers and rest her head on my shoulder. This precious time has prompted me to pray for her- I have such an overwhelming sense of joy, peace and thankfulness for this little girl.

Baby Kate, my prayer for you is that you would someday grasp how wide and long and high and deep the Father's love for you is! Ephesians 3:18

Apple Toddler is on Etsy and Ebay!

Apple Toddler is spreading it's wings and getting out there- we're now on

Etsy

AND

Ebay

Whirlwind trip to Orange County

This past week we took a whirlwind trip to Orange County.

Halloween was a hoot. We had dinner and dessert with good friends and family, and trick-or-treated around the parents' neighborhood. Kate slept through the entire evening's festivities- good thing I had dressed her up prior to Halloween night!

Kate was a banana...


Christian was a monkey...




We bowled and went out for frozen yogurt for Jason's birthday...








We celebrated this pretty lady's (my sister-in-law Mindy's) baby girl who is due very soon


We saw Christian's Great-Grandpa


We got to spend some time with this sweet family (whose boys are almost the same ages as our 2)


And this family, and their super cute son Lynk


Our babies got some precious time with their Nana and Grandpa - who worked very hard to make their home perfectly crawling-baby friendly (time for an updated picture!)


Christian got lots of time with his cousin RiWeee


And lots of wrestling time with Aaron (aka Dunkle Aaron/Steve)


Mom and Emily made the trip down for Mindy's baby shower- what a fun afternoon with them for coffee beforehand. And a treat having my two worlds come together like that!


We ate out at some amazing places







There was also a pizza party, a coffee-morning for the Mills men, a disk golf morning for Jason, a play date at the park, fresh grilled fish for dinners, catching up with friends at church, and Jason had a 2-day job. Phew! Fun, but packed!

Apple Toddler Boy set!

Oh, I am EXCITED about the boy monthly onesies- check them out.

Family fun- Jason day!

In honor of Jason's birthday which is coming up very soon, we had "Jason" day this week!

Christian and Kate dressed up in Daddy's clothes (Kate's wearing his socks)...


The countdown until Jason's birthday continued...


I made this centerpiece out of things I found in the kitchen, and pictures of Jason, of course


For dinner we had some of Jason's favorites- slow cooked pork roast, garlic bread, yams, and one of my favorites- broccoli salad. Oh- looks like Jason's mystery wife makes an entrance to dinner (we had a good laugh at this one, I was trying not to cover up the 'Happy Birthday' sign)!


We gave Jason our gift- a Yosemite adventure, staying in housekeeping camp where his family used to stay (canvas tents with beds). I LOVE hearing Jason talk about his childhood memories in Yosemite- now we'll get to experience it with him in his favorite way.


We had imitation chocolate malted crunch, Jason's favorite (oops- imitation won't do! We'll need to have the real thing, REAL soon).


After the babies went to bed we watched Groundhog Day, one of Jason's favorite movies. Oh, and this is how we watch TV and movies. We've spent many hours together this way!




Happy Birthday Jason- you are pretty loved around here!

He sure makes change pretty, doesn't He?

I love how in this picture there's looming gray in the background- framing the obvious BEAUTY of this house that almost doesn't look real.

Isn't that the way?

A gloomy situation, with bright spots?

The most obvious to me is when we move.

Awwww, I'll miss this top flat view (Airlie Street). AWWWW...but I'll have a garden at the other one (Wilton)!

We'll lose a bedroom when we move (Queensborough). But that AWESOME bathroom in the new place- wow (the one prior had a mirrored shower LOL).

I'll miss the neighbors in this apartment complex. But Christian will get a backyard in our new house!

Moving from California to Glasgow- leaving family and the boyfriend that I hoped would someday be my husband (we were engaged 3 months later). Ohhhh, but SCOTLAND. If Scotland doesn't encompass beauty all around, I don't know where does. Who would pass up that opportunity?

When autumn would come in Glasgow it felt like a very sad time to me. Soon, there would be looooong, DARK days. No more gorgeous green leaves. Bare branches, cold hands, and wet feet to come...ALLLLL winter long.

But the leaves! The reds, yellows, oranges- soooo gorgeous.

Just thinking today about how good it is of God to soften the blow of change with beauty and good along the way.

Family fun day - Gardening

Jason ordered some bulbs from Holland, so we had a gardening day and planted them!

We all wore our green...



Jason and Christian dug and dug and dug...



I got to make a plan for where the bulbs would go...blues and yellows over here, reds and purples over there...



We had garden salads for lunch, and the good ol' worm in the dirt dessert



Somewhere during the day a string of ladybugs snuck in (thanks for the spontaneous flowers that went with our theme, Jason!)...



And when it cooled off some, we planted the bulbs



A fun day with my two favorite men, and my favorite little lady!

What we've learned

I am 30 now.

And I like it. Some of my biggest dreams have come true in the past 10 years.

I had this silly thought

"What if our Moms wrote monthly 'updates' on us like we do our babies? Or even yearly ones? hahaha"

I had a good laugh inside about that one.

They'd highlight, I think, some of the things God's done in us the past 10 years that He's going to use our entire adult lives to bless others:

"learned how to cook for tons of people for a ministry event"

"learned how to host people- how to prep the house, prep the bedrooms, work as a team with her husband so they could both be smiling once the guests arrived"

"learned how to breast feed (and formula feed)"

"learned how to get dinner ready and eat at the table despite it's challenges with 2 little ones"

"'learned' how to give birth vaginally and through c-section"

"learned how to burp a baby, get by on little sleep, potty train, change multiple diapers a day..."

"learned how to give when she didn't feel like it. And ask her help when she needed it."

"learned how to live overseas, how to raise support, how to interact with people who aren't real fans of Americans"

"learned how to move multiple times and rely on God instead of digging heals in"

I know God has taught you all the same things and more. We've learned a lot between 20-30. I love the significance of Him teaching us how to SERVE during this time.

Family fun DAY- Pumpkins

Sure, we already had a "fall" family fun night, but we've gotta squeeze out as much "fall" as possible...so on to pumpkin day it is!

We went to the pumpkin patch...Kate's first time



Learned that almost-three-year-olds are very uninterested in pumpkins, and very interested in carnival rides



Also learned that I'm glad I have a husband who I'm a team with. It was actually a terrible pumpkin-patch experience (carnival rides at entrance- which we went on+hungry+past nap time+hot+boring pumpkins)- yet we were able to get in the van, take deep breaths, and laugh about it.



Pumpkins at home are probably more our speed! We set up our pumpkin table...



Pumpkin muffins with pumpkin butter were consumed



We made a pumpkin countdown for how many days there are until Christian gets to dress up like a monkey! It turned out to be WAY taller than I thought!



We put together pumpkin treats for certain someones who are coming to visit



And it must not be forgotten that we had our pumpkin spice candle lit! All in all, a very pumpkiney day with some fun memories made!

"God is Good" struggles

I've been thinking about this for a while. Starting with waking up in the middle of the night (months ago) worried sick about if my Mom would be able to fight this 3rd battle with cancer. This time, stage 4.

God really is good. He is good, despite circumstances.

When we go to an appointment to hear test results, it's the lingering time the night before- when all the symptoms seem strange, and we're waiting. Wait to hear, really, if it's spread. What if it has? God is still good.

Which is why I've held my tongue from saying, "God is so GOOD, her tests are clear!"

God IS good though, of course!

And her tests ARE clear! VERY clear (I say that with tears in my eyes I'm so happy).

But what if they weren't clear?

What about the family who lost their baby who was Kate's age, during a normal morning nap time?

What about the several children who probably died of cancer, today even?

Were their families able to boast that God was good?

I struggle especially hearing others share their medical praises in the same sentence as "God is so good!" when we're lingering, waiting to hear about Mom's results. So maybe it's just my "stuff."

I don't know. I just can't bring myself to sing the health praises in the same sentence as "God is so good!"

I should, I know. It is His mercy that carries us through the day. And it will be His mercy to carry us through any of life's greatest tragedies.

God is so good.