Jubilee Update

Since the last time I was blogging my Jubilee has changed so much! She is 4 and super duper fun! 

She knows how to write almost get entire alphabet, lower and upper case, she can spell some small words and can identify the way letters sound. I love when she says things like "Mom, tree starts with t!!" She can count to thirty and we are working on counting by tens. She has an amazing memory so I have a feeling teaching her by songs will help! 

Her favorite colors are purple and blue and black. She love Darth Vader and watching Star Trek 1966 with us :) she loves carrots and grapes and wearing any kind of dress shoe,necklace, or hat. She loves church and talking/singing/reading about Jesus. 

She is organized and I noticed almost OCD about her toys. She doesn't want her blocks stuck together when she puts them away. She doesn't like puzzle pieces stuck together either. Same with potato heads. She also likes to have a figurine or doll sitting out for decor. So funny! It's nice because she is getting to the point where she will pick up after herself. She is a huge helper and constantly encouraging Her sisters by saying things like "Good job sweetie!" Or "try again hunny". I am super proud of her and thankful that she is my oldest and mommy's helper :) 

Juju is 3!

We celebrated a few different ways...

*painted her "piggies" as well as sissy's

*made a fort made out of a sheet and ate cupcakes in it...in the living room

*played with bubbles...in the living room (gasp!)

*had a great skype and phone conversations

*ate pizza with friends and family

*sang twinkle twinkle with sissy for different people (so she had a concert/?! :)

*ate three, awesome, rainbow cupcakes

*got fun gifts like clothing, books, bubbles, a tiara, princess purse, and darth backpack :)

AND today we are off to chuck e cheese with some friends :)

I love you, Jubilee :) you have completely changed my life and I thank God for that everyday

Updates

Jubilee, Jubie, Juju, Love Bug, Gozer, the Bean-2 3/4 Years


Is practically potty trained! Still having a couple of issues now and then but for the most part we are getting somewhere!


Knows a lot more letters than I give her credit for! I really need to dive into this with her. The other day when asked to point out letters she could verify o t e j r b a k m n w...there were probably more but I remember those for sure!


Loves to play with Sissy and wants to do EVERYthing Sissy does. If we say anything (Sissy, do you want a drink? Sissy you are so cute! Sissy wanna cracker?) she has to do the same! (I want a drink too! I am cute too! I want a cracker too!) LOL it is so cute...you think the younger one would want to be like the older.


She officially has her own room. We DID have a sleeping room for both girls and then a play room but found it more effective and less of a headache to put Juju into the sleep room where she cant play with anything or wake up Sissy and Sissy into the toy room where they can't climb up onto her crib during playtime. Problems solved! I am not going to lie...it did make me a little sad the first day. They just have such a great relationship, I didn't want them to get lonely.


Jubilee loves church! It is her favorite thing and is ALWAYS asking when we are going again.


She likes to walk around pretending to call Grandma, Grandpa (my parents) and Pappy (Jamie's dad)


I can't believe the information she retains. She quotes movies, remembers names and remembers icons. Crazy smart kid!


Justice, Jusi, Sissy, Jusi Mae, Curly Mae- Just over 1 year!


She is now walking! AND she waited to get her technique down! She took three steps her first try! She is a walking fool now : )


She has four teeth in front and a fifth coming in...along with one loner in the back


She is saying things like Hi, Ya and No...she also says CHEESE when you ask her to make her cheese face! (Picture to come soon!) Wait...I have to show you now....

CHEESE!

I WANNA SAY CHEESE TOO!

I have noticed Sissy also loves to nurture baby dolls. Tickling them and hugging them and giving them kisses. So So SOOOOO sweet.
She also thinks it is funny to hear people talk to her on the phone.

She is a huge veggie and fruit lover or even cheese..bread desserts and cookies just aren't really her thing...she'll take a sandwich first

Jovie Christine- Still growing!

She has 6 weeks left!

She has had hiccups three times a day

She moves like crazy!

She is the pickiest of all my babies. Food just isn't the same with her. With Jubilee and Justice everything I ate made me feel pretty good...this one I am having to get pretty creative with!

I am also having braxton hicks with her at least 3 or 4 times a day if not for a couple of hours. SO strange...I have definitely noticed them the most with her :)

My Girls

 I just love my girls. I don't know how often I say that...but I just feel so super blessed to have them both. They are my joy and just make my life so hilarious and fun. When you become a parent your entire life changes...late nights, boo boos and heart aches, potty training, life skills, etc...but I know that teaching them, mentoring them, helping them grow and just being there for them is why I am here. It is my life, my here and now and I am just so thankful that God feels I am strong enough to raise them.

Jubilee is such an adorable, independent, little helper. She is always helping her little sister or mommy with everything! Throwing away trash, grabbing a diaper, putting up the wipes, cleaning up toys, putting laundry in the hamper...she is so stinkin' smart! I love that she plays with her sissy (but is still learning that she is not ruler of the toys! Don't get me wrong...she will share...but it has to be on HER terms)She is also protective of her. If sissy cries she wants to know why and immediately does what she can to help (blankies and toys.) She also needs to know where she is, especially if mommy is away and they are with someone else. All of that with her incredible amount of happy energy and dance moves. She is amazing!

Justice is just as adorable, slightly dependent and my quick little learner. She loves watching and mimicking people, especially her sister. If her sister dances, she dances. If her sister plays, she plays. She can hardly take a nap without her sister in the room. She also is kind of a bully...but in a funny way. She will tackle her big sister to the ground, in a polite funny way, and just crawl on her...all while Juju is in hysterical laughter. She is still a cuddle bug and just likes to sit with you and snuggle up against you. She is tough when it comes to teething and diaper rashes, as long as someone is around. She just loves company.

Can't wait to see what Jovi Christine brings to our little family!

My Kiddos

Jubilee-
FINALLY went "potty" two days ago...but has not gone since...boo

Has a strange phobia of walkin in the grass barefooted...Jamie tried to break her of it and she simply could not move she was so disturbed

LOVES to take walks and be outside

Has a strange OCD of stuffing all of her toys and anything else on the living room floor behind her little rocking chair. (if you lose something over here that's where I would start)

Has an excellent vocabulary and surprises me with her knowledge of words everyday!

Can count to 14 and sometimes 18 but always skips 15?? Oh well she is getting there : )

Pointed out that Dora was spelled with and o!!! WOA!

Is starting to realize the difference between good and bad by pointing out every Disney villan as "Scary"

Relates people to one another...like Rayray to Caleb, Marianna to Bryan, Glover to Ricky, or even Ricky to Pappy

Is starting to WANT to play with her sister and laugh with her which of course just tickles me pink and makes me feel so super blessed.

Justice-
Is rolling everywhere! You really have to keep your eye out for her

loves paper and plastic...as in to EAT...ugh...give me a heart attack!

Has her two front bottom teeth

Is now eating three baby jars of food a day and three to four bottles plus puffs and baby cookies

Loves pieces of sweet potato and banana to feed herself

Sleeps nearly through the night...but gets up really early...still trying to work on that : )

Has crazy insane blondish curly locks and I LOVE them

Has peircing blue eyes

While Jubilee was a grinning fool at Justice's age....Justice seems to have a mischevious smirk about her almost to say "Im ammused but you cant make me laugh"

Justice used to be really bad about need 24 hour attention but now naps, plays, and sits on her own, and can be content.

She also has a tendancy to go from really quite and content to passionately vocal or even angry. There is NO grey area : ) starting to really see a personality with this one.

Chit Chattin'

When I do dishes or cook and a friend is over, they always sit in the barstools....I love it and think it is fun. I turned around the other day and saw this...

She started chatting with me while I was wiping down counters, I had no idea what she was saying but she was having lots of fun

She just makes me so happy...maybe we will have moments like this when she is a little older and she will be telling me about her day or something. I love life

The Kiddos

Jubilee:

So polite
Huge helper
Can put away trash, dirty clothes, dirty dishes
can pick up any of her toys
knows where her books and stuffed animals go
can grab diapers wipes the hairbrush a granola bar and my phone : )
Like I said...little helper
Sings Twinkle Twinkle and ABCs on her own
can count to ten
knows her basic shapes
relates people (glover goes with ricky, grandma goes with grandpa)
She also knows how to pick up a taco or a hamburger and eat it the right way : )
is in 2t

Justice:

Can sit on her own
Can stand while holding your fingers
can roll over
can navigate any direction on her belly
Is starting to actually eat baby food
can pick up a small cookie and nibble on it
laughs
can clap when asked or even just when happy
says mama when she is crying
knows what no means and usually listens when I say not to do something
is in 12 months clothing
she loves any kind of fabric

I love my girls and I am so proud of them for just being them

When I Look Into the Future...

I see packages of Karma that come in the form of my two daughters

Jubilee: Is so DRAMATIC! Yes, she totally gets this from me. I have always been a little passionate and overbearing in my causes and in my distressful moments. For goodness sakes I was just like that little fish from Nemo "I'm obnoxious!" YES...I told people that. Jubilee is also very accident prone. Running over people, crashing into walls and desks, tripping over things that if she would have just looked up she would have known were there. BUT she is also very outgoing and very loving (when her temper hasn't kicked in) She would do anything for anyone, always says please and thank you and wants to be a good person. I love that about her. She is definitely 2 going on 5. Sometimes I forget she is only 2 and feel I can be a little hard on her. She is doing all of these "big girl" things and talking and singing and calling her father Jamie (totally figured that one out herself) and I just want her to know why we cant stay up screaming while her sissy is sleeping in the room with her, or why we don't eat our books. : ) I cant imagine what I am in for when she is 13....or 19.

Justice: is so peaceful and happy. Until she needs something like food or sleep and then without any kind of warning she breaks down. It's like she knows its coming but holds it in until she just cannot take it anymore and basket case/temper just streams out of her! This is definitely a Jamie characteristic and even Guy and Ricky....While I am more than willing to talk about my feelings over and over again, and over analyze them and squeeze allll the drama out of them (Jubilee), Jamie needs time to himself and just would rather not be mad unless absolutely necessary. As I said, you can find similar traits in her two uncles. I also see her looking at Jubilee running and playing and I see her longing to be that big. You can just tell...she wants to be right there with her. I will often tell Juju to play with her sister, but she is too busy...I really really hope that this will only be until Jusi can crawl around. Now I see how much I probably broke my parents and Guy's heart when I didn't want to hang out with him or just wanted to be my older independent self. I think Justice will always try to be older than she is, to keep up with her sissy. I mean look at the girl, she is already standing with help and wants nothing to do with sitting or rolling. : )

We shall see what happens...I love them both so much

Eggplant is scurry

I am trying to make eggplant pizzas tonight...eggplant is scary if you have no idea what you are doing and that would be ME...the inexperienced eggplant handler. So I will let you know how these lil pizzas turn out and what hubby says....maybe even pics?

And this entry is cut way short because my daughter is puking everywhere : ( ok I think eggplant is even more scary tonight than expected.

Parellels

Yesterday was the first day of a couple of harsh days here in our home. We took away Jubilee's pacifier and as you can see she is very very fond of it.

And isn't she just the cutest with it?! We let her carry it around with her everywhere until she was about 18 months and then it was time to cut back a little. Ever since she has only been able to have on at nap time, bedtime, doctor appointments, or on really bad bad days (like the day we visited the ER.)

Well as you can see she found comfort and joy and affectionately referred to it as her sunny...as Dad had so named it when we bought her first one.

I decided it was time to get rid of it because it is affecting her teeth and she is WAY to dependent of it. She becomes demanding and really mean if she can't find it.

Last night she was up until 3am. She was refusing to sleep and screaming and crying and kicking and just all kinds of mad. We tried to explain to her that she was a big girl now. We even gave her one that I had cut the end off of to show her it was gone and she even threw it away....but still begged for her sunny. About 2 or 3 was when I was trying to comfort her and tell her I understood her being sad and how hard it is to grow up and move on, but she didn't want anything to do with me. Didn't want hugs, didn't want me to talk to her, just mean. I felt my heart breaking. I didn't want to put her through this kind of hurt. I was just doing it for her well being and because I knew it was best. Aside...she has everything else around here! Toys and bears and blankies and books and sippy cups.

Sometimes I can see why we are called children of God. God does something and instead of seeing the well being of it or knowing He really does have the best intentions, we go into our "MINE!" modes and becomes little frantic two year olds looking for our sunnys when we have so much else we could find comfort in. He even tries to reach out to us and we are just so upset that we don't want to listen to Him. I can truly see the parallel now. And I know I have broken His heart. Even not reacting in a bad way and just being sad I can see how He could grieve with me over things that I have lost. This all just really opened up my eyes.

Poor Juju...she has been in there an hour today and still won't take her nap. She HAS to be exhausted. LOL We will see how day two ends!

Jubilee's second birthday

Sorry I haven't been on here! I have been so busy! Textbroker.com had some directorders for me and so I have been trying to do that and clean and we just has Juju's bday party!

Her party was a success! Everyone that we thought we would be there showed up at some point in time. I was kinda of nervous for some reason. I get like that though...I just want everybody to be happy and to like each other : )

I had Marianna even start us off with Happy Birthday because I was nervous and I GLARED at Angel and Jess when I told people to get punch and no one moved! LOL it was fun/ny. Barbara's kids were so cute helping Juju select a toy to open and Dad just sat bat and took in the chaos of 9 children 3 of them under 8 months!

Jubilee got dress up stuff and books (if you know how much she loves books then you would have expected this) soooo many cute clothes (that was like MY gift) and food and teapot party stuff for her little kitchenette.

This weekend Jamie is hoping to have a Star Wars marathon so we will see : )

PICS TO FOLLOW!

Day three of Diet and other random stuff

Today is the third day of counting calories and working out! And I have lost three pounds as of this morning : ) Today I made oatmeal again and tried it with chocolate chips and marshmellows (5 calories less than with a banana) but next time I will pass on the sweet tooth and take the banana as it is more filling. Jamie is working out with me and cutting back to and he has lost 6 pounds....silly men and there lack of hormone : )

Justice is in 9 month clothing! Isnt that crazy! I think I am goingto start her on veggies soon. I think she can handle it:) haha She can stand with support now too which just blows my mind. She has rolled over once...so if we can get her to keep rolling and wiggle a little more and sit up lol i shouldnt put so much pressure on my 4 month old.

Jubilee is saying the funniest things
"Thank you guys"
"What's wrong"
"Where is ____"
"Justice be quiet" (in a nice voice...lol smart lil booger...say a not so nice thing in a nice voice confuses mommy)
"Where did it go"
"Your malcom (welcome)"
and the one that Jamie and I were cracking up at
"Oh wow! Look at that!" (pointing at a glow worm that Justice was playing with for the first time)

She also has learned to hide things but retrieves them when I ask for them...her doodle pen, my camera, the remote control, etc. And LOVES throwing things away and has a pretty good sense of what goes in the trash and what doesnt, but always asks first.

Today I am not going to clean as much as I have been this week, think I need a break : ) Till next time!

Being a Mother

I feel so blessed. I love being a mother and I feel so thankful that the Lord allows me to care for and teach my girls. It. Is. The. Best. : )

Today we put allllll of the toys in Juju's bedroom away while organizing them. I found several of my own belonging in there as well....hmm wonder how that happened : ) Then we sat in the bedroom and red some books and sang some songs. Justice was just in awe by all of it but I could tell she was enjoying it. Jubilee LOVES reading with her, sharing with her, and bringing her "Sissy's" belongings. (Jusi's blankie, dog, kittie, book...that's about all that is only hers) We also watched Beauty and the Beast today which was pretty cool...Jubilee sat through about 3/4 of the movie without talking...then she wandered off to play with the cats while I watched the rest with my cup of joe. (lol I almost typed my cup of hoe). Jamie is working late all this week so I am trying to find ways to keep the girls entertained. Justice sleeps enough that its not hard to find ways to keep her busy (normally she is just content with gnawing on her feet) but Jubilee will be way bored hours before Jamie gets home. Sad that the week of Christmas is the week he works late isn't it? oh well...just thankful for jobs for sure!

Will type more laterz!

Life as we know it-back to Peru

Jamie- is amazing....such a supportive guy and always loving. He's doing pretty good with his job at Verizon and we predict he will become assistant manager within the next week or two. He's totally into black ops right now (and maybe me as well) and hanging out with our neighbors (Aaron and Retta+kids) and his brother. It so nice to be near the majority of our friends (all of you others know that we miss you and just wanna squish you into our world) The girls also love his new beard..they are both always trying to pet it. Did I mention we recently celebrated 4 years together?! : ) another 76 to go!

Jubilee- IS NUTS : ) she is saying the most random things!

cat-meow
Juju- meow! COMING!

Me-whats your fav color?
Juju-I don't have one
Me-you...you like all colors?
Juju- yePPPP

Man at Target-Hello
Juju-How are you?
M@T *funny look* uhm...I'm good. how are you?
Juju- Tired

Always asking for "Uncoo Guy" or "Rickeeeee"

Tries to help Justice with her bottle, blankie or eating cheerios. Yea. "Jubilee are you sharing? NO HUNNY DONT SHARE THAT!

She is super smart and almost knows her alphabet and can count to ten, but can be rather shy about it. She LOVES accessories and calls jewelry "pretties". Insists on her hair being up and having a purse with her at all times. (Did I mention she isn't two yet?)She also LOVES Rylan and Landon, our next door neighbors who are around her age. If you are looking for a circus just invite us two families over for dinner. I promise you, you will feel entertained!

Justice:She is so cute! getting so big! She loves being held and talked to and is almost always smiling. She hates laying down anymore. Wants to be sitting up and seeing all the commotion. At 3 months she is in 6 month clothing and had the widest variety of a purple wardrobe I have ever seen. Did I mention she has strawberry hair and blue eyes! (One time someone said they were devastating...what does that even mean? "Your daughters eyes are so blue they destroy continents and conquer far off lands!)

And then there is Me: Just trying to keep it together over here with my awesome hubby, my not even two year old, and my 3 month old. I am loving coffee and chai to keep me sane. Laundry, cleaning, dishes, and such are like breathing air to me. Organization is a desire of my heart but something that has not been established here yet. I am not currently working but am praying I get a job at starbucks or something where I can work a couple of third shifts a week and still feel cool. I love catching up with people and chit chatting so if you are in the area and wanna catch up just let me know!

"Motherly" advice

THE worst thing...you can ever do...like ever... is compare some one's kids. I have had one too many times now "I cant wait for her (points at littlest one) to be her(points at toddler) age" I wont go in to detail, but way too many people have told me that now. I know they do not realize they come off that way...but for me, my daughters are both equally adorable and equally holdable....so please...treat them equal. "oh well she isn't really at the stage I like (pointing at Justice)" Please...break my heart. Once again people don't realize how often they say this and how it comes off. And no, I do not feel I am being to emotional about it because I know of other mothers who feel the same. I think this is why people say I "spoil" Justice and why I won't put her down. Because I am making up for everyone else who runs to Jubilee instead. Both of my daughters are fantastic....size, shape, weight, and age factor into that.

OK. I have said my piece. How would you deal with this?

Nicknames

Jubilee has been known as:

Chuggs (because Daddy that she was adorable and hilarious whenever she would get her bottle)
Gozer, the destroyer...I think that explains itself
Juju
Jubjub (another name from Daddy)
Love Bug (my pet name)
Juby (Joyce and Dad Jim primarily call her this)
the little one

And Justice:

Squeaker (as she sounds like a guinea pig in her sleep lol)
Jusi (Juju sometimes calls her that and I find myself wanting to call her that now)
Sissy
Lovey (another pet name)
Captain Hammer (Stacey thought of this one and I love it)
the littlest one (dad usually says this one..."its the littlest one!" and he has this hilarious voice that goes with it)

So far Juju and Sissy are the ones we use primarily. This blog has no informational value and is just so I can look back and smile, as are most of my blog entries. Ok then.

Jubilee and Justice

AH! My girls are so great!


Jubilee(21 months):
is saying her ABC's nearly by herself : ) wow!
Saying please, thank you, your welcome
she recognizes Superman symbols now : ) hahah
working on putting her on clothes on
can totally eat with a spoon or fork now
asks for things like blankie, cheese, drink, pizza, brush
recognizes Mom, Dad, Sissy, Ricky
can say grandpa, grandma, Guy, Rayray, Nana, and Glover
Asks to get up, go to sleep, and watch movies
sandy brownish blond hair
green eyes! yes they are totally changing
size 5 diaper

Justice(almost 2 months):
Completely sleeping through the night (for a couple of weeks now)
Eating ALL the time
in 3 month clothing and 12+lbs
eating almost 6 ounces with baby cereal (otherwise you cant do anything but fees her)
smiling a LOT : ) which totally melts my heart
lots of eye contact and less of the cross eyed stuff
holding head up by herself and is a supported sitter
doesn't cry for tummy time, baths, or diaper changing (unlike Jubilee at that age:})
cries if she isn't constantly with food...like literally...always hungry (also unlike Jubilee at that age)
Nearly size two diaper!
reddish blondish hair
BLUE eyes

Life As We Know It

Well, I am sitting here blogging for a minute before I take a deep breath and start all over with this house. Yesterday I CLEANED it...spic and span...and now it is half way back to where it was. BLAH. Sometimes it gets a little repetitious around here. Clean the kitchen, pick up allllll the clothes everywhere, change diapers, feed Justice, make Jubilee some food, clean the kitchen, pick up all the toys, get the girls to nap, pick up all the clothes, change the diapers, take out the trash (that happens almost everyday), make them some food, clean the kitchen, baths for everyone, put them to bed....by this time I don't want to clean or pick up anymore so the kitchen and the clothes are all ready to start again in the morning. HAH and in the meantime you have blues clues, wonder pets, Elmo, or some pixar motion picture playing in the background. Over and over and over again : ) I started going through some stuff yesterday to condense clutter...I would say it was successful.

I need a cup of coffee from Caribou and a grownup conversation. Just for like an hour. And then I can go back to being Supermom! ; )

Mommyhood

I know I am always blogging about my kids. Really...they are my life. Today it has hit me just how big of a responsibility my life is. I am leading two little girls through the foundational years of thier lives. Im not really scared....Im more honored that the Lord has blessed me so much. Sometimes I think things like "I wish I had been more successful with my career at family video" or "I wish I had time to just sit and read/write/sing" or "I wish I was more thrifty/artistic" because really all I do is feed the girls, change the girls, bathe the girls, clean, cook, clean, breath, clean and sleep (if I am lucky)....oh and clean. But honestly? I love that my life is what it is right now. I am so blessed to be able to stay home with them. Yes, sometimes we suffer a little bit financially because I have opted to stay at home, but isnt that worth something? If I can raise my girls to be honest, whole hearted, caring people who love the Lord...I think that is completely worth the time, effort, and lack of financial glory : ) I am doing the ultimate volunteer work right now. I am a mentor, teacher, guide, comfort, and friend. There will be time for other things later. BUT for now I will just fold clothes or teach Jubilee the alphabet....stay up in the wee hours of the morning trying to get Justice to sleep. Get up after an hour of sleep and make my hubby lunch. AND I will be thankful for it all.

Babies, babies, babies

I feel like all I have posted about lately is my family and babies...but I guess that is where I am in life : )

I love the newborn stage....Jamie get on to me because I am constantly holding Justice but I just know how fast Juju's first year and a half went by and I just can't stand the thought of losing the infant stage. Jamie and I have talked about being done with kids...but I just don't know. It is completely unrealistic to try to decide that now with a newborn and me still trying to heal from my csection. But when I hold Justice and think...could this be the last time you do this, Jean...I honestly don't know if I could say yes this is the last time : ) I told Jamie he has a year to decide if he wants another (and I will think as well) because I think if we are going to have another we will keep them close in age.

I am starting to really embrace the reality that I am a stay at home mother of two little girls. I have been really trying to reflect and focus and I am excited about being a constant influence in my girls' lives and I am excited about helping them grow and learn. It's funny I always pictured myself with boys. Not only because I am not the girliest person on the planet but also because Jamie has brothers and his brothers have boys...there aren't any girls : ) But I love my girls and I wouldn't trade them for anything. Funny how things work out.

In other news: it's funny that I was saying that no one has really been able to come and see us and also that it can be lonely being a housewife....two days later I find that my brother in law is here for nearly a week, next my mother in law will be coming for a few days, and hopefully another friend of two from Indiana : ) ALSO I has a Dr. Appt today for the girls, one tomorrow for myself, and a wic appointment and more to follow later in the month. Once again...funny how things turn around!