1st day of 1st grade

Today Lily Bear started 1st grade. I get to go pick her up in less than an hour and I'm so excited to see her and hear about her day!

After sleeping until 8 for weeks and weeks, she was up at about 7 this morning!

We stopped at Dutch Maid on the way to school and picked up a donut for breakfast. Donuts are one of her love languages.

We got to school with time to spare and some of her favorite friends showed up at the same time. She got to walk into the school with two of them, so I know that helped her feel more brave about heading in to a new classroom.

Taylor didn't want to leave her there and laid on the floor in the hallway outside her classroom. He's been the one I've been most concerned about. It's going to be quite an adjustment not having his buddy at home all day.

Andy called me on my way home to see how dropping her off had gone.

We went for a 3+ mile walk when we got home and Taylor rode his bike the whole way!!! He had a great time and it was a good distraction for him. Later this morning he said, "We going to get Lily? I want Lily." I could have cried. He has missed her today.

And when lunchtime came the emotions hit me. Last year I picked Lily up before lunch and she ate with us. This year she'll eat lunch at school. I miss my first grade girl! Andy intentionally texted me at the time that I usually picked her up last year! =) Sweet of him.

So here are a few pictures from this morning.

Standing outside our front door. This is becoming a first day of school tradition.

With her siblings.

Outside her classroom!!!

I am so, so proud of my first grader!

Recent Taylorisms

I just looked back at my most "recent" posts. Wow! Taylor's 2nd birthday?!?! Feels like ages ago! My baby boy is now THREE and is a totally different kid! He's talking so much. His vocabularly has grown by leaps and bounds and he gets easier to understand month by month. Wish you could hear him. He has a deep, raspy voice and a little bit of a lisp. CUTEST doggone thing you've ever heard.

He says some pretty adorable things.

On Monday I told him we were going to the chiropractor. He said to me with a concerned face, "You feel sick, Momma?" =) So sweet of him!

There is a paper mill in a neighboring community. The smokestack can be seen from far away and Lily loves to point it out. Taylor copies nearly everything she says. So when she announces, "Paper mill!", right afterward Taylor shouts, "Purple mill!". Hehe.

My kids have the movie Rio and when Taylor asks to watch it he asks for "Leo".

We saw CARS 2 earlier this summer. Taylor calls Finn McMissile "Finn McWhistle". (And Lily calls him McMcMissile) Taylor also calls Lightning McQueen "Light-ing Queen".

Lately he says that he loves just about everything. For example, if he wants a cheese stick for a snack he'll ask for the cheese stick and then say, "I lub cheese sticks." Or if he wants to ride his bike he asks to ride his bike and then says, "I lub my bike." Or if wants to watch a movie he asks to watch the movie and then says, "I lub that movie."

I couldn't have imagined this kid. He's so fun. I should tell you more about him. =)

It's my hope to start blogging more regularly again. (You should be so lucky!) I feel like this last year is a black hole and I wish I'd been journaling my kids' milestones. But I'm gonna do my best to pull from my memory despite this being one of the most sleep deprived years of my life!

My kids are growing up so fast! We have Lily's open house tonight and she starts 1st grade on Monday! Say what?! I KNOW! My baby girl is going to be at school all day and I'm gonna miss her like crazy!

Talk to you soon!

Shutterfly

I just ordered these cute, personalized thank you notes from Shutterfly! I love Shutterfly and I feel like they have a great selection of cards and stationery. I can always find what I'm looking for!

3x5 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

How Great Thou Art

I saw this video today and loved it so much! I had goosebumps and my eyes were full of tears. I love that Carrie spoke the name of Christ in that place and that they gave a standing ovation! Not to mention that I really enjoyed Carrie and Vince's arrangement of this hymn. Absolutely delightful.

We interrupt this excessively long bloggy break to do a little bragging

My dad has written a book! It sounds fantastic and I'm really excited to read it! I've already pre-ordered a copy from Amazon.

I can tell you that my dad absolutely practices what he preaches on this topic. My entire life my dad has affirmed me. His affirming words have been a blessing to me and are a large component of our relationship. I am so thankful for my dad and for his affirmation!

I've seen firsthand as he has affirmed the people in his realm of influence, including employees, co-workers, church members, extended family, my sister, my mom, my husband, and now my children!

I can't encourage you strongly enough to read his book. I am certain it will be beneficial to your own relationships!

In case you couldn't tell I AM SO EXCITED TO READ THIS BOOK! And I am so, so, so proud of my dad!

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy

It's Taylor's 2nd birthday today!

I just can hardly believe that two years ago today at 12:42 pm I gave birth to the most wonderful little guy I've ever known. He truly lights up our lives and we are blessed beyond measure to have Taylor in our family.

Taylor adores his sisters. He loves to give Ryleigh kisses. He follows Lily around and wants to do anything that she's doing. If she's getting her shoes on, he wants his shoes on. If she's having a snack, he wants a snack. If she's looking at books, he's looking at books. If she's coloring at the kitchen table, he wants to color at the kitchen table. Etc, etc, etc. =)

He is a finicky eater - eating one thing one day but not the next. He still usually eats whatever fruit is on his plate first and then moves on to the rest. The first bite is the hardest! If you can get him to take that first bite he'll typically eat the rest with no problem.

His vocabulary has just exploded. He's talking a ton and communicates pretty well.

He counts to 10, but skips 6 and 7. =) He walks around the house saying 8, 9, 10. 8, 9, 10. 8, 9, 10. It's cute.

He loves his puggy (pacifier) and bankies (two blue blankets). He carries those blankets around the house and likes to hold them when he watches a movie and definitely sleeps with them. I'm not sure when to get rid of the puggy. I originally thought about trying to do it by age 2, but with having a new baby and all the changes he's had to adjust to I thought it would be okay to let him keep his puggy as a comfort. So now I'm thinking maybe by Christmas? We'll see...

He is such a lover. He gives lots of hugs and kisses to all of us of his own initiative. It's so sweet. And most of the time when I ask for hugs or kisses he's very willing to oblige me. I love to hug and kiss this boy!

He still takes a wonderful afternoon nap. He's usually ready to go down around 12:30 or 1 and sleeps for about two hours. His big sister went through several phases where she was nearly impossible to get to nap and he is the total opposite. When asked to lay down he says, "Kay." It is such an ice change of pace after "fighting" with our firstborn!!!

He is an early bird. He's usually up around 6 am. And our summer schedule and getting to bed later hasn't changed that. Bummer.

He can reach the ice and water dispenser on our fridge and loves to get his own water. However, there is almost always a spill and so I don't like to let him do it. It's only water, but it drives me crazy wiping up spill after spill!!! But he sees Lily doing it so he wants to do it too. =)

He can reach light switches now and likes to turn lights ON. He also likes to close doors. So he goes around the house turning on lights and closing doors. Not ideal. =)

He has big feet. Huge, actually. He's wearing a size 9. It isn't because he needs the length but because his feet are so THICK. They're like blocks. Chubby and so cute.

He wears 2T and 3T tops and 24 month and 2T bottoms.

Still allergic to eggs as far as we know.

He recently had a CRAZY reaction to sunscreen. His entire torso was covered in an awful looking, red, splotchy rash. It took him about 10 days to recover entirely. Poor baby. I haven't yet figured out a sunscreen that we can use for him, so for now he wears a hat and one of those sun protective shirts

He loves to play at the park and the splash pad. He's pretty fearless and tries lots of things that Lily wasn't attempting at his age.

He's all boy and loves to tackle, jump off of things, run at/into things, etc.

Lily and I somehow started calling Ryleigh "Ryleigh-boo" and it stuck. Taylor's version of that is "La-Boo" and it is just so precious to hear him calling her that.

He has just a little bit of a lisp. His "s" sound is really more of a "th" sound. I like it.

He has his two year check-up on Monday and I can't wait to find out what he weighs and how tall he is.

Here are some of his current cute little words and phrases:

hepoo (help you)
holber (hold you)
nack (snack)
tiss (kiss)
bate (grape)
moonie (movie)
thoot (swimsuit)
poot (pooped)
sockgame (softball game)
oh no
oh my
oh man
bubbeer (bubbles)
cub (golf club)
booby (blueberry)

I know I'm forgetting a bunch of cute things, but it's late and I'm tired. It's hard to express just how wonderful he is and how much we love him! I'm so excited to see what God will do in his life and what he'll become. It's truly a joy and privilege to be his momma! I love you, Taylor Baylor! Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!!!

Taylor's Birthday ~ July 15, 2008

First Birthday!!!

2nd Birthday!!!

The Prodigal

My cousin posted this video on fb. I have the CD from Sovereign Grace so I was familiar with the song, but I love the video!!! (Please remember to pause the music at the bottom of my blog)



Here are the lyrics:

You held out Your arms, I walked away
Insolent I spurned Your face
Squandering the gifts You gave to me
Holding close forbidden things
Destitute a rebel still, a fool in all my pride
The world I once enjoyed is death to me
No joy, no hope, no life

Where now are the friends, that I had bought
Gone with every penny lost
What hope could there be for such as I
Sold out to a world of lies
Oh, to see Your face again, it seems so distant now
Could it be that You would take me back
A servant in Your house

You held out Your arms, I see them still
You never left, You never will
Running to embrace me, now I know
Your cords of love will always hold
Mercy’s robe, a ring of grace
Such favor undeserved
You sing over me and celebrate
The rebel now Your child
© 2009 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP).

Thank you, Jesus, for your unfailing love!!!

Anguish for Brothers

So I talk about my parents a lot. They're just so amazing.

My mom has been up here weekly since Ryleigh was born. She just fills in the gaps and makes things go more smoothly around here.

She loves on the kids with snuggles, playing, stroller rides, reading stories, etc.

She does laundry.

She makes beds.

(I don't believe in making my bed)

(Unless people are coming over)

(And even then sometimes I still don't make it)

She watches kids so that I can run errands.

Or so that Andy and I can go on a date!

(These weekly dates have been VERY important and VERY much appreciated)

I could go on and on! My mom just keeps giving and giving to us. I don't like that I'm in a stage of life where I feel like I keep taking and taking. I hope to be a in a position to give back sooner than later. Because I'm just so grateful for all she's done. I truly don't know what I would do without her!

And then there's my dad.

I got an email from him recently with something he had written in his journal. It made me cry. It's just so beautiful. We are so blessed to have him in our lives! My kids have the BEST grandpa in the entire world!

Here is what he wrote:

Anguish for Brothers

Romans 9:1 I am speaking the truth in Christ- I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit- 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

Paul is speaking specifically of his deep love for his Jewish kin from the tribes of Israel. But in principle he speaks more widely. Nearly all of us know what it is to love someone with a pained love, to so deeply desire the welfare they are not yet enjoying that it hurts us. Parents of prodigals, wives of unbelieving husbands, and pastors of sinners in their congregations know the ache of longing for happy belief to arrive in the lives of their loved ones.

It is a pain known by this grandfather whose earnest longing is for Lily, Taylor, and Ryleigh to know the love of Jesus.

Lord Jesus, fix your love on these grandchildren. Bless them in such a way that they latch onto you by faith as you latch on to them with unshakable faithfulness to your promises. Give them eyes to see your unsurpassed beauty and worth. Give them ears to hear the word preached and to hear your Spirit’s promptings with obedience. Give them an appetite for your word, a delight in your counsel, and a glad-hearted inclination to worship you and love your people.

Let them look straight on, not glancing to the right or left, but walking in your ways. Bless them with every spiritual blessing, taking them to maturity that is only in Christ Jesus.

Enable them to honor their father and mother and bless the generations to come. Make them gifted and fit members of the body of Christ, joined with others in ways that are upbuilding. Bless them by the church and make them a blessing to the church. Take their hearts, minds, and tongues into captivity, causing them to serve the truth, and joy, and blessing.

Give them a solid theology of suffering so that they are content in any situation, no grumbling or murmuring, seeing your good and loving hand at work in any difficult situation. Give them rest at the right time, and energize them at the right time.

Help them walk with the wise and in doing so become wise. Fill them with faith and by your Holy Spirit, producing the fruit that corresponds – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Protect them from the evil one, mishap, vulnerability to the influence of fools, disease, and anything that would weaken their faith. Rescue them from false philosophies and vain disputations. Provide them with all the suffering that would refine their character in your sovereign love.

Make them shine as lights.

Give them a grandfather who loves you and loves them – genuinely and deeply.

Grandpa and Ryleigh interacting with each other. So sweet!

The Great Minnes*ta Air Show!!!

The air show was in town over the weekend. We live pretty close to the airport and we were able to see parts of the show really well from our house.

The Blue Angels were here as well and they were SO AMAZING! They practiced on Thursday and Friday and then the show was on Saturday and Sunday. So we had four consecutive days of awesomeness!!! It is so hard to describe. The noise is deafening. Ear splitting. So insanely loud. They're seriously one of the coolest things that I have ever seen. I was jumping up and down and squealing like a little kid!

So here are a few pictures and videos that I took from our deck. They don't quite do it justice, but at least you get the idea. (Please remember to pause the music at the bottom of my blog. And turn up the volume on your computer!!! Enjoy!)

I ♥ The Blue Angels!!!

The Great Minnesota Air Show 1 from Dawn Becker on Vimeo.

The Great Minnesota Air Show 2 from Dawn Becker on Vimeo.

The Great Minnesota Air Show 3 from Dawn Becker on Vimeo.

The Great Minnesota Air Show 4 from Dawn Becker on Vimeo.

Lily is five

I am SO behind on blogging! There are so many posts that I've intended to do and I just can't find the time.

Our darling daughter #1 turned five on June 14th. It's so hard to believe that she is already five! We had a friend party on the 12th and a family party on the 13th. I'd love to do a big post with pics from her parties but I can't promise that I'll get to it. If you're friends with me on fb the pictures are there. =)

Here is a brief review of Lily's birthdays. Enjoy!!!

Our firstborn

June 14, 2005

Just a few days old. Doesn't she look like Ryleigh?!?!

AGE 1

AGE 2

AGE 3

(I'm 8 months pregnant with Taylor here!!!)

AGE 4

AGE 5

My wonderful, adorable, amazing, precious friends Amber and Jodi were here the weekend of Lily's parties. It was SO FUN to be with them for the weekend and to have them here. They were a HUGE help with Lily's party. They cleaned up EVERYTHING afterward including sweeping the floor and climbing under the table to wipe down the table legs.

I KNOW!

They are absolutely awesome.

Auntie Mandi and Uncle Bryan

Grandma and Grandpa Becker

The Uncles

Eric and Mark

Grandma and Grandpa Crabtree

Great grandma Irene

Random Ramblings

Last week marked the one year anniversary of living in this house!

The empty house next door sold! And the new neighbors are moved in! They're our age (yay!) with two little boys (yay!), one just a little older than T and one just a little younger than T. They have a dog. They drive a minivan. =) Looking forward to getting to know them better.

The moldy house is as moldy as ever. And there are lights on in there now! WHAT?! How is there even electricity in that house and who is paying for it??? That house is so weird. And I am so obsessed.

Lily is going to be five in nine days. She has her birthday ON THE BRAIN. The girl just wants to be five in the worst way!

Lily starts swimming lessons on Monday morning and soccer on Tuesday night.

Ryleigh is doing great. But sometimes it's hard to get her to burp. If there's a burp that's stuck she wriggles and wiggles and grunts until you can get it out. And she can toot with the best of 'em! Once in awhile she finds her thumb and it's pretty cute. She is not a huge fan of her pacifier but sometimes she can be persuaded. Her eyes are becoming more blue and they're beautiful.

My mom has been up here numerous times for days at a time and she is SO AMAZING. I don't even know where to begin. She blows me away with all she does for us. Thank you, Mom!!!

I'm so thirsty. Nursing makes me really thirsty and I'm drinking lots of water.

I'm not being as strict about caffeine as I was while nursing Taylor. Sometimes Momma needs a little charge!

It's busy around here with three. But at the moment I would say that the transition from one to two was harder than two to three. Not sure why that is, but two really rocked my world. This time around so far, so good.

We've received many loving cards, meals, gifts, and visits and I just want to express my gratitude! All the ways that people have reached out to us mean so much to me. I truly appreciate your kindness! The thank you notes are a work in progress, but know how thankful we are!!!

A Baby Story

This'll be short and sweet. Because my labor and delivery with Ryleigh was the fastest of my three babies. It was pretty amazing.

So here goes...

On Tuesday morning, May 18th, Andy and I headed to the hospital at about 6:15. We checked in at 6:30. I got changed into my attractive hospital gown, peed in a cup, and weighed myself. I'll keep that precious little number to myself. =)

A couple of nurses got me hooked up to the fetal monitor, put in my IV, and asked me a million questions. I got a little nauseous when they put the IV in which is normal for me. I am NOT a fan of needles! I never even actually looked at it, but I still got really lightheaded. Yuck.

And then I sat there and waited. My doctor was supposed to come and break my water and it felt like it took FOREVER for her to get there. I was getting so impatient. I kept thinking that the later she got there the later my baby would be born. And I just wanted to get the show on the road!!!

So my nurse started me on pitocin at 7:45. And then my doctor finally showed up at 8 and broke my water. She said that I was dilated to a 4. My contractions became strong, regular and painful almost right away. I wasted no time asking for the epidural and I had that at 8:30. (right around this time my sister called to say that she was leaving the cities and was on her way to the hospital)

A short time later the nurse checked me (I don't remember the exact time) and said that I was dilated to a 6 or 7. She asked if I typically progress pretty quickly and I said yes. She said she was going to call my doctor and have her come back to the hospital so that she wouldn't miss anything. I was thinking, "Are you serious?" Even I was amazed at how fast things were going.

So when my dr got back she checked me again and said I was about a 9. This was probably at about 9:40 or so. And my sister wasn't there yet and I was starting to get nervous that she was going to miss it because I was beginning to feel lots of pressure.

Dr B went and changed her clothes and when she came back I was fully dilated. She asked me to breathe through a contraction or two. And then my sister showed up!!!

And then, I NEEDED TO PUSH. My bottom felt like it was on fire. I started to push and it hurt so bad that tears came to my eyes. And I was thinking, "I really need her to come quickly because I don't know how long I can do this."

Two contractions and five minutes later Ryleigh Adele was born at 9:59!!! I was absolutely stunned and majorly relieved. Andy and my sister couldn't believe how fast she had been born. It was unbelievable. Andy just kept saying, "Wow!"

Ryleigh's face was very bruised and they said it was because she came so fast. 24 hours later her little face already looked much improved and within a couple days the bruising was all gone. She is a perfect, healthy, beautiful baby and we are SO thankful!!!

If you'll recall, I had some issues with my bottom when T was born. And I did not have those issues this time! My recovery has truly gone so well. I just feel like God has been so good and gracious to me in every aspect of my labor and delivery with Ryleigh. Thank you, Jesus!

Here are a couple of Fun Facts for you:
* I was induced with all three of my babies.

* With Lily they broke my water at 7 am and she was born at 11:27 am.
She weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 19.5 inches long.

* With Taylor they broke my water at about 7 am and he was born at 12:42 pm.
He weighed 8 pounds 14 ounces and was 21 inches long.

* With Ryleigh they broke my water at 8 am and she was born at 9:59 am.
She weighed 7 pounds 15 ounces and was 20 inches long.

* All three of my babies were born on a Tuesday!

Here are a few photos from Ryleigh's birthday. Enjoy!

Ryleigh in my womb on the morning of her birth. I cannot believe that less than four hours later she was in my arms!!!

I wear my stretch marks proudly. And I love how sexy my bottom looks in this photo. Ha! =)

She's here!

Getting her id bracelets.

Her poor little black and blue face!

Skin to skin with my precious baby. Unforgettable. Awesome.

Adoring our new baby.

Daddy is excited. Mommy is tired.

Proud Papa!

She's amazing

Things are going well. Ryleigh is an absolutely wonderful baby. She's making things pretty easy for us.

So far she is the best sleeper of the three. Yay! She's been giving me a 3 or 4 hour stretch of sleep almost every night for the past week. We tried the bassinet her first couple nights at home but she was waking up almost hourly. Not good! We tried the carseat last Friday night and she slept for four hours straight! It's been working pretty well, so we're gonna go with it. =)

She loves to eat! Nursing is going well. The first couple weeks are always interesting. Enough said. =)

She is really peaceful and content. It's so new and different for us! Lily had colic and cried A LOT. And Taylor was fine as long as he was being held. I don't get to hold Ryleigh as much as I'd like to simply because there are two other little people to be taken care of! But she does really well propped up in the boppy pillow or in her swing or bouncey seat. I am so grateful for a happy baby!!!

At her 3 day check up she was only down four ounces from her birth weight. And at her two week check up (she won't be two weeks until Tuesday) she weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces - four ounces over her birth weight! Oh, and her cord stump fell off last night.

Taylor is having a hard time. And that's hard for me. He LOVES Ryleigh, but he is letting us know that he's not getting as much attention as he's used to. He's a totally different kid right now. He melts down SO easily. He cries about the smallest things. And he's being naughty - throwing things, antagonizing Lily, etc. It's so unpleasant. Please pray for him as he makes this adjustment to being a big brother. And that we would know how to respond to him.

Lily is an absolutely wonderful big sister - again! She loves Ryleigh and gives her tons of kisses. And she says things like:
How cute is she?!?!
She's so cute!
I'm so happy we have a baby.
We waited a long time for her!
She's a little angel baby. (She gets this from my mom who calls Lily an angel baby.)
Little chubby toes. (She calls Taylor this as well. I have no idea where it came from, and Ryleigh definitely doesn't have chubby toes, but it's a term of endearment.)

She is a wonderful helper and will run and grab anything I need. She's such a trooper and I'm really proud of her.

My recovery is going well. What I say next could qualify as "too much information" so don't read any further if that bothers you!

My back is doing SO MUCH BETTER! It's amazing how much better it felt soon after she was born. My bottom feels fine. I did tear a little and I have a couple stitches, but all that seems to be doing fine. Within a couple days I was feeling really good down there. I pooped the day after she was born and almost every day since! Wah-hoo!

I went for my first post-baby walk the other night with my girls. Lily walked with me as I pushed Ryleigh in the stroller. It felt great! But my legs were a little stiff the next day! It didn't surprise me because of how badly my back hurt the last month of my pregnancy. Some days I could hardly walk.

Andy went back to work on Monday and it's pretty crazy being outnumbered three to one all day long. But I think the first week went pretty well! The days have gone pretty fast and it seems like Andy is home before I know it. I think this summer is going to fly!

So here are a few pictures from the past week or so. Enjoy!

T giving Ryleigh one of many kisses!

Sweet Ryleigh girl. I just love her little hands - they're so delicate and she has long, pretty fingers.

My awesome sister and her wonderful husband came to see us on Monday. It was an unexpected and fabulous surprise!!! They "made" me take a nap and I appreciated it SO much!

I took the kids to the park for a picnic on Tuesday. All by myself. Am I crazy?! It actually went well and they needed to get out of the house.

She has the best smile!

This little slide is perfect for him. He must have gone down the slide 20 times!

Having fun!

Ryleigh's one week birthday

Lily really wanted to make cupcakes this week. One night after T was in bed she and I made them together. The next morning we frosted them and she did the sprinkles. =)

Ta-da!

My mom was here on Wednesday and we picked up Wendy's and headed to the park for lunch. I just have to say here that I have the most amazing mom in the whole world. She is so supportive, so loving and so helpful! She's a delight to be around and I'm SO thankful for all she does. I can't imagine what I'd do without her! She is an incredible grandmother! She's a huge part of my kids' lives and they are blessed to have such an amazing grandma.

Wrestling with daddy!!! This is pretty much a daily event when Andy gets home from work. They love it!

T loves to hold her!

My precious babies.