18 months

This month Haven is 18 months. It's hard to believe that much time has passed since we brought her home with us. I have a slide show on my computer with pictures of my family and in those pictures are ones from the hospital. I look at those and at her now and it's amazing how much she has changed and grown.

Our Precious Haven,
18 wonderful things about you:
1. You love babies and animals - especially ducks (where did this love affair with ducks come from?)
2. You love your brother
3. You and Jadon will hold hands and run through the house together laughing the entire time - what joy that brings to our hearts
4. You don't run, you prance with arms flailing about (picture Phoebe on Friends)
5. Your laughter is contagious
6. Your smile has one cute little dimple in your cheek
7. You are either very free with kisses or very stingy, never in between
8. Your favorite movie is Happy Feet, I think you just like to look at the penguins on the box
9. Before you can go to bed you have to have your blankie, butterfly blanket and your pillows (there's barely enough room for you in your bed)
10. You are very good at picking up your toys when asked
11. You want to do everything Jadon does
12. When you're ready to eat I will find you have climbed your highchair and you sitting on the tray trying to slide down into your seat
13. You have just started talking so much, some of your words - duck, pupu (puppy), ya (yes), ilk (milk), ink (drink)
14. You also have down pretty good the animals and their sounds
15. You are a care-giver, you don't want to see people hurt or upset you will try to comfort them with kisses, hugs and a pat on the back
16. You and daddy have your own version of the slide dance that you both break into quite often together
17. You are an early riser like your daddy
18. You are a princess and a beautiful princess at that!

We are so blessed with our Haven and we love you dearly,

Mommy and Daddy

Thirteen Reasons I Have To Be Thankful

Okay, so I am taking this off of a friend's blog, Erin. Lately I've been thinking of all the reasons I have to be thankful, the things God has brought me through and how I've been blessed by Him. Thirteen doesn't even come close to the many things I could list, but I wanted to start here.

1. The fact that I have been saved by the blood of Jesus.

2. I am so thankful for the family God placed me in that had me in church growing up and instilled in me the things of the Lord.

3. I am thankful for my wonderful man, he has it all - loves the Lord above all else; loves me and shows it in many different ways; loving, fun daddy; and a mighty handsome guy to boot!

4. Karis, the Lord has taught me so much through her precious, but short life.

5. Jadon, his tender heart and boyishness is very refreshing. He reminds me so much of his Daddy.

6. Haven, she is definately a princess and already a compassionate girl, she hates to see anyone cry or upset.

7. Jude, I can't wait to see how his life will impact others around him.

8. Wonderful in-laws who love me like a daughter and for Mema who watches my two children while I go to work.

9. I am thankful for Pizza Wednesdays, Pappa Murphy's delight means a night of no cooking for me.

10. I am thankful that I finally get to be pregnant in the winter, cool days instead of steamy, hot days.

11. I am thankful that my loving, thoughtful husband takes care of the kids on Saturday mornings and lets me sleep in.

12. I am thankful that we finally got a free standing Chick-fil-a this year.

13. I am thankful that I live in a place where I can experience all 4 seasons. I love the changes in weather and the beauty that each season brings.

I've Been Tagged

Erin tagged me!

Here are the rules:Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random/weird facts about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, include links to their blogs. Let each person know by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I love anything to do with Cinderella and plan to pass my collection down to my daughter when she's old enough.

2. Since November of 2002 I have been pregnant for 37 out of the 61 months, and still counting.

3. I love collecting candlesticks from other countries, so far I have collected from 5 countries.

4. I am very, and I mean very, frightened of ticks, I will cry hysterically if I get one on me.

5. I have a secret crush on Bing Crosby, I could listen to him sing all day long and those blue eyes. My husband does know about the crush.

6. I love the smell of rain and when it is storming outside I love sitting and watching it. When I was living at home my dad and I would sit out on the front porch and watch the lightening and listen to the thunder. I find them very relaxing.

7. I love my Friday mornings when the kids will wake up and come join me in bed for a few minutes. That's our lazy Friday, we stay in jammies and lounge around all morning and we eat whatever we want for breakfast.

I don't know who's been tagged and I don't have 7 people to tag... but I tag...

Donna

Costume Carnival

We took Jadon and Haven to their first Costume Carnival at the church this year. It was also the first Costume Carnival at the church. We first went by and saw Uncle BJ, Aunt Karla & Mema & Pappy, after the Carnival we went to Great Gram's and saw Nana & Papa.

Jadon played every game there was and Haven, well, she hung around the duck pond. She honestly preferred to just take home the duck, but the nice lady kept giving her candy (which thrilled Daddy because he got her candy.) I think if she could have put the duck in her princess bucket she would have. They did truly enjoy themselves and it was fun chasing after them and watching them interact with their friends who were also dressed up.

Jadon was a train conductor and when we introduced him to a man in our church who is a train conductor this is how the interaction went: "Jadon this is Ed he drives big trains." Jadon's response, "I can drive big trains too." Not too impressed with an actual man that drives an actual train.Haven was our pink leopard. It was the cutest thing I could find that was also warm. She didn't seem the least bit fazed by anything that went on. She followed Jadon's lead very well.

Jadon and Gavin, Gavin was the black spiderman.

At Great Gram's we met up with cousins on my side of the family, Noah & Adrian, and got to have pictures.

Who says cats and dogs don't get along? Probably helps when the dog isn't real.

Their mom is phenominal, every year she makes their costumes. I definately think they are the best dressed! The boy is a pirate and the girl is a gypsy. You can't see very well, but her costume is very ornate.

Haven and Her Food

The love story continues between Haven and her food. There was a couple of weeks in there that I thought maybe her appetite had come down to a little girl size, but no it is still the size of a grown man's.

The issue was she wanted to feed herself. So, I've handed over the spoon and she is now the feeder of her mouth. My mom jokes that when we were little she did not let us feed ourselves until we were old enough to say, "mom let me feed myself". She was afraid of messes. I do believe she did that although I don't remember actually having said that to her.

Haven makes messes, but she also loves food enough that 90% of it makes it into her mouth. I've been very impressed with her food shoveling skills. How she stays so petite with her man-atite I have no idea, so for now Mommy and Daddy will be her full button.

One great thing for Mommy having Haven feed herself is my mornings are so much calmer. I can get up and get Jadon & Haven's food together (or actually Daddy gets Haven's food together, they're both early risers unlike me and Jadon) and they eat while I eat or clean up around the house or the list can go on. I feel freedom, at least for a few more months. Then I will again have another mouth to feed.

Warning: Mom you may not want to look! Haven's gone from this to a spoon in just a few short months.

Under 100

I am now under 100 days to the birth of Jude Ezra. I am really praying that he decides to come a few days early, as long as he's ready. The pregnancy is going really well and Jude is an active little guy, thank you Lord for that. I have, however, been having braxton hicks for the past couple of weeks. I never remember feeling them before with any of the others.

I will be taking the lovely gestational diabetes test this month. I hate the stuff you have to drink, it's suppose to taste like orange soda. I really hate orange soda to begin with and this tastes even worse than orange soda. I don't know what my wonderful doctor was thinking, but when I was putting the appointment on the calendar I realized that he had scheduled the gd test for the day after Thanksgiving. I quickly called and rescheduled, I really don't want to be tested the day after I indulged in all that good food, let alone be weighed.

I am again thankful for a pregnancy that is going well and for a baby that loves to move. I just wanted to update on our little Jude. Maybe we'll have more ultrasound pictures to post later on.

Pumpkin Patch

Our first annual (hopefully) trip to the pumpkin patch. We all ran through the haybale maze, ran through the pumpkin patch and Jadon picked out a small pumpkin to take home and paint and Haven patted a dog. It didn't take Jadon long to figure out the maze and Haven had to use a little help from Daddy, but she did a really good job getting through it.

The lady that worked there loved Jadon and Haven. Jadon informed her that the pumpkin he picked was his favorite and then gave it a big hug. Going back to Haven petting a dog, this is a big deal. She loves animals as long as there is something between her and them or they are on tv. If they get too close to her she starts screaming. We thought we were going to have to get a dog to help her get over her fear. The first thing she saw when we got out of the car was the dog and behold she ran over to it. We were a little shocked and even more so when she reached out to pet it. The dog was so good and just layed there.

Jadon got to take his pumpkin home and paint it that night. Next year Haven will get to pick out a pumpkin to decorate. She still puts way too much things in her mouth to be given paint. We had a great family day and hopefully going to the pumpkin patch will turn into a Wallace tradition. I'm all about traditions in the Wallace household.

Haven petting the dog, still amazed she went near it.

Jadon going through the maze and then when he made it through. Haven and Daddy going through the maze.

Jadon working very diligently on his pumpkin and the finished project.