While we were cleaning up dinner...

this happened:






Yes, Isaac opened the fridge himself, got in, closed the door almost completely, and had a blast the whole time! Before we told him that this was indeed a "no no", I was able to get these pictures. (And, yes, he is wearing one of Elise's hand-me-down bibs with angel wings on it. He loved wearing it around!)

Raising children is such a wonderful adventure!

Elise is 3 months old!

Our little girl is now three months old! Over the past month, she has changed so much! She is starting to talk much more now and is making sounds like "ma" and "hey", along with her adorable coos. She is also a wiggle worm! She can move herself from lying vertically to lying horizontally while in her bassinet. She also loves to move her arms and legs constantly while she plays on her playmat.

Elise is such a sweet girl, and she loves to smile at anyone who will spend time smiling back at her. She has a huge open-mouth, toothless grin that makes me fall in love with her again every time I see it!

She is sleeping longer stretches at night these days, and we're oh-so-thankful for that! The longest stretch was Monday night for seven hours. Generally, though, she has consistently been sleeping a 5-6 hour stretch for the past couple of weeks. Sometimes this means 9:30 PM - 3:30 AM and other times it's more like 10:30 PM - 4:30 AM. After the early morning feeding, she usually sleeps a little more (eating every 1-2 hours) until 8-9 AM, which is when she likes to wake up for the day. Technically, this means she's "sleeping through the night", although we're not sure how long it'll be before she sleeps through those early morning hours. Sooner rather than later, we hope! For now, though, we're thankful for those long stretches of sleep where we all can get some good rest.

Elise is still a passy girl, and she loves her "pappy" as Isaac calls it. She doesn't even mind if he gives it to her. She loves her big brother!

Here are some pictures from her three month photo shoot:

Monthly comparison shots:
Birth - 9.30.09


One month - 10.30.09


Two months - 11.30.09


Three months - 12.30.09



Just look at this sweet face:





We are so blessed by our family's littlest miracle!

Merry Christmas!

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'"
Luke 2:8-14

Winter pictures of our littles!

Isaac Ryan - 2 years old
Elise Jeannette - 2 months old


Thanks to Lori Jackson Photography for these great photos!

Our little elf!

I walked into the kitchen the other day...

...and found Isaac with his feet up, enjoying his snack, and browsing some of my magazines. Adorable. (Although we had to enforce the "no feet on the table" rule to stay consistent, I didn't like it at all. He was so cute!)

Toboggans!

Isaac calls them "baaduns", and he loves this one that our neighbor passed along to him!

Daddy and his babies!

These babies love their Daddy!

We're still here!

Our blog has been quiet for the past few weeks since we've had a three week looooonnnnng stint of sickness in our home. It seems that we are all on the mend now, and we're thankful that it looks like we'll all be well by Christmas!

I am planning to update the blog with several picture posts over the next few days. Stay tuned!

Five doctor visits in two weeks!

The past two weeks, we've been to the doctor's office for five appointments. Yes, that's right, five appointments in two weeks. Here's the synopsis:

Thanksgiving night, Isaac started getting sick. It seemed like a common cold. He was sick for the remainder of the holiday weekend and ran a low grade fever, so we decided to take him to the doctor on Monday. Steven got off work early so that he could take Isaac and I could keep Elise at home. It turned out that Isaac had a double ear infection. Amoxicillin to the rescue!

The following Monday, we took Elise to the doctor because she'd developed a runny nose and a congested cough. She didn't have a fever, but due to her young age, we decided to take her to see the doctor. She turned out to have a common cold that she most likely contracted from being around her big brother. As the doctor said, "Poor second children... they're always getting what the big brother or sister brings home!" So, we went home very happy to have a good report and continued with our remedies of saline drops, nasal syringe, steaming up the bathroom, and running a humidifier to help Elise feel better.

By the latter part of this week, Isaac was feeling much better, but Elise's cough sounded much worse. She would cough so hard that she'd turn red, and she even started wheezing intermittently. We'd already scheduled Elise's 2 month well visit (and Isaac's 2 year well visit) for Thursday morning, so we knew we could ask the doctor about her cough then. As it turns out, she was indeed wheezing slightly, and the doctor diagnosed her with bronchiolitis. A breathing treatment didn't help, though, so we were told to just keep doing what we'd been doing and let the virus run its course.

At that same doctor's appointment, we got a great report on Elise's and Isaac's growth and development. Elise weighed in at 10 pounds, 9 ounces (50th percentile) and 23.25 inches (75th percentile). Isaac weighed 28 pounds (50th percentile) and 35 inches (75th percentile). They both got shots and were troopers! Thanks to my Dad being there with me, the double appointment went very smoothly.

The next morning, our friend Lori came by to take some pictures of the kids. My mom was there to help and while changing Isaac's shirt, she noticed some raised red spots on his belly. We figured it was just a small reaction to something he'd touched. We went on with the photo shoot, but afterwards, we noticed that he seemed to be getting worse. He had redness around his belly button, red spots on his belly and chest, and his joint areas (ankles, knees, elbows, wrist, hips, and neck) were all inflamed and red. I placed a call into the doctor at that point, and we got Isaac into the bath to wash off any allergen that might have caused this reaction. While he was in the bath, Isaac's hands and feet started to swell more and more. As they were getting bigger, I started to get very concerned so I called the doctor again and asked to speak with someone immediately. I was told to give him some Benadryl and bring him in to be seen. We got him out of the tub, gave him the Benadryl, briefly nursed Elise (what a flexible girl she is!) and headed out the door. When we got there, the doctor examined Isaac and determined that this was an extreme eczema flare-up (Isaac has had exzema almost since birth, but we've never had a flare-up quite like this one). I didn't realize that swelling was also a symptom of eczema, but it is, and thankfully Dr Colyer was able to diagnose this reaction so quickly. We were prescribed a regimen of Zyrtec, Derma smoothe oil (a prescription steroid oil that works wonders for eczema!), and lotion regularly until the eczema is calmed down. Whew!

Two days later, Isaac is looking much better. The redness and swelling have subsided and he seems much less itchy. (For the record, the Zyrtec has worked much more effectively than Benadryl. Plus, it's grape flavored, and who doesn't like grape flavored medicine?!) Elise's cough has gotten better, and she seems to be feeling better overall.

We are so thankful for Dr Colyer and the staff at Southlake Pediatrics who have taken such good care of our kids over the past couple weeks. And we're thankful to *hopefully* be over our illnesses and flare-ups just in time for Christmas!

Elise loves her sling!

Elise is definitely a sling baby. Thanks to my friend Laura, I have this cute little purple lightweight sling that is very comfortable and stylish. Elise feels right "at home" in it. :)

Isaac's Art Adventures

In the past few weeks, we've been having lots of fun with Isaac's art projects. We've helped him with his Color Wonder markers and crayons, introduced water colors, and reintroduced Play Doh. Isaac enjoys them all!

Here is some of Isaac's artwork:

Marker drawing:


Crayon drawing:


Another crayon drawing (yes, on our hall closet door. yes, that was a "no-no!". yes, we got it off with the miracle I call Magic Eraser.)


Water color painting:



We tried introducing Isaac to Play Doh a few months ago, but he was scared of it and then only wanted to eat it. So we decided to put it on hold for a while. Last week, we reintroduced him to it. The second time around, he still thought it was for eating, but I told him no, and he eventually started playing with it. He enjoyed tearing a large chunk into smaller chunks and then putting those small chunks into the Play Doh container.

Here's a little video of Isaac playing with his Play Doh:

Elise batting her toys!

Elise has started batting at the toys that hang above her when she's playing on her play mat. She also makes the cutest little sounds while she's playing. Here is a little video of her while she plays:

Isaac bakes with Mommy!

Last week, I had an Amish Friendship Bread starter that needed to be made into bread. I had put it off in hopes of a time when both kids were asleep and I had enough energy to do the baking. Well, since that didn't happen, I made my mind up to include Isaac in the baking (inspired by my mother, of course. She's already had Isaac helping her bake/cook for a while now.) I pulled one of our kitchen chairs up to our counter and taught him all about measuring and explained what each of the ingredients were. He helped me by pouring the flour, sugar, etc. into the bowl and then helping mix it. It was a wonderful time! He loved it, and now he can identify all of the ingredients by name. I did let him taste a little of the sugar and butter when he asked, and of course he wanted more sugar! The butter by itself wasn't so much of a hit thankfully. :) Later that week, when I was making Dirt Pies for our Thanksgiving lunch, Isaac asked to help. I pulled the chair up again, and he watched and helped me make the desserts. One of their ingredients is crushed Oreo cookies, so Isaac got his first taste of this delicious sweet treat. And he wanted more. And more. I only gave him a couple bites, but once he got down from his chair, he noticed I had dropped some on the floor. Needless to say, I didn't have to sweep afterwards...

Here are some pictures of Isaac helping me make the Friendship Bread:




Here's to our little baker!

Our new wheels!

Thanks to my mom and dad, our family now has a double jogging stroller! It was an early Christmas gift, and we absolutely love it! I've always been an outdoor walker, and this stroller enables me to take the little ones along on my walks! Also, this will be great to use when we are hiking or walking on rugged terrain, where it might be difficult to push a normal stroller. We look forward to having lots of fun with our new wheels!!!

Elise Grins and Coos

I caught Elise smiling and cooing this morning on video:

Elise is two months old!

Elise is two months old today! She is such a sweet little girl, and we are so very thankful for her life.

She is growing well and still eating every 2-3 hours round the clock. Within the past month, she has had one night of sleeping a 5 hour stretch, and for that we are very grateful! However, she hasn't kept it up, and her schedule seems to be going as follows:

Wake around 7ish, eat and play
Morning nap around 8:30ish
Eat around 10:30ish
Another nap
Eat around 1ish
A little bit longer nap
Eat around 4ish
Play for a while
Eat around 6ish, and then cluster feed for the next few hours (eating around 7:30, 8:30, 10ish)
Go to bed 10:30ish
Wake up Mommy at 1 AM; sometimes eat, sometimes just takes a passy and goes back to sleep
Wake at 3 AM, eat and stay awake for a while (usually back to sleep around 4:30)
Wake around 5 AM, eat... and then up again for the next day at 7ish

Elise is smiling lots and lots, too, these days! She is definitely a charmer. She loves to coo and make smiley faces at Steven and me. (And we love it, too!!) Here is a video of some of her sweet sounds:



She loves to swing in her big aquarium swing in our kitchen and watch the fish mobile above her. She also enjoys time on her playmats, looking at the hanging toys and batting at them.

She's still taking a passy, and she very much likes it! We'll see if it's a keeper or if she disowns it early on like Isaac did...

Elise is a well-traveled girl at such a young age. We've taken her to several restaurants, Target, Walmart, the movies, and the mountains! Everywhere we've gone, she's been such a gem. She really seems to have a laid back personality and goes well with the flow of our lives.

Here are some pictures from our monthly photo shoot:


Our monthly comparison shot:


At one month to compare:


Sweet little face:





Thank you, Father, for our precious baby girl!

Thanksgiving Weekend for the Mauneys

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

It started out on Wednesday night when Isaac went to his Nana and Gramps' house to spend the night. Elise, Steven and I went to see the movie "Blindside" in the theatre. We loved the movie and highly recommend it!

On Thanksgiving Day, we picked Isaac up from Nana and Gramps', and then we got ready for lunch at my grandparents' house. Granny and Pawpaw were perfect hosts, and we had a great time visiting with our family and eating lots of yummy food. I made a Dirt Pie, which was Steven's favorite dessert growing up. (I also made an extra one for our family to enjoy over the long weekend! Which we have...) After lunch, the ladies chatted and the guys went outside to play football. It was a glorious day. Here is a little clip that I took during our lunch with a new little video camera from my Dad! Thanks Daddy! (the lady beside Isaac is my uncle Mike's mother-in-law, Mary)



Here are some photos from the day:

Isaac playing with his football:


Elise and me:


The guys playing football:


Steven, in the air, catching the ball:


Elise napping in Gramps' arms:


Isaac watching cousin Katelyn play her harp:



On Friday, our little family took a drive to the Blowing Rock/Boone area in hopes of seeing the snow that had been forcasted. We didn't see any snow (except on the very tops of the highest mountains), but we still had a great time! Isaac turned out to be getting sick, so he actually enjoyed riding in the car so much since he wasn't feeling too well. We had a delicious lunch at the Chetola Manor House restaurant (which also proved to be a wonderful place to nurse Elise...on a super-comfy couch in a semi-private area.) After lunch, we drove around the mountains and ultimately to Valle Crucis and the Mast General store. After another nursing break and a little bit of exercise time for Steven and Isaac, we headed home. We got home mid-afternoon and had time that evening to put up our Christmas trees. Our bigger one is upstairs in our bonus room, and we have a little one (thanks Momma and Daddy!) in our downstairs den. Isaac sat in Steven's lap while I decorated. He wasn't feeling well at all, but I think seeing all the lights and listening to Steven and me sing helped him feel better.

Here is our little table-top Christmas tree downstairs:



Thank you Lord for all of your incredible blessings! We are thankful for our relationship with you through Jesus...we are thankful for our family and friends...we are thankful for how You so beautifully protect and provide for us and for all the good and perfect gifts that come down from You alone. We love you!

Isaac's 2nd Birthday Adventures!

Isaac's Birthday weekend has been a blast! It started off Friday night with a family party, where we had wonderful homemade chocolate pound cake (made by Granni!) and ice cream. Of course, we also had a little cake with candles and also a little doggy cake (supplied by my Pawpaw). Isaac loved licking the icing off the doggy cake and got quite a good dose of sugar. After the cake and ice cream, Isaac opened his gifts! He received a toddler drum from Kati and Ray, a My Pal Scout bear from his Grammi and Granddaddy (Steven's parents), a go-fishing puzzle game from Granni, a big-boy tool chest and tools from Gramps, a personalized book made by Gramps, and also a gift of money from Pawpaw and my Granny, who is known as Gi-gi to Isaac. He loved all his presents and has already enjoyed playing with each of them (well, except for the money. We put that up for later!)

Here he is, getting ready to blow out his candles:

Mommy and Daddy with the Birthday Boy:

After eating his cake:


Opening presents! YAY!


Playing with the rolled up wrapping paper: (so much fun!)


Learning to play his drum:


Playing with his new tool chest:

Wearing his new tool belt:

After a great night of celebrating and staying up way past bedtime, our entire family slept in on Saturday morning, which was wonderful for us all! Later in the morning, we had a visit from our friend Erin and her little ones, Nathan and Anneliese. Nathan is a bit older than Isaac, and Anneliese is a couple weeks younger than Elise. Remember our zoo trip with Erin, her husband Mark, and Nathan? Erin and the kids were in town, so we got to have some face-to-face time, which was very nice since most of our communication is online. Nathan and Isaac played around the house with Steven, and Erin and I visited while cuddling our little girls. After that, we all went out for a birthday lunch at the Sports Page. Isaac and Nathan did great, the girls slept, and Steven, Erin, and I were able to have some uplifting conversation. It was a fantastic time.

Isaac at his birthday lunch:

Erin and Nathan at lunch:


Steven and me with the Birthday Boy:


Anneliese and Elise (born just two weeks apart), sleeping soundly during lunch:


Nathan, Isaac and Steven sitting on the bench outside Sports Page:


Later in the evening on Saturday, Steven and I gave Isaac our gift to him - his first pair of in-line skates! Of course, they are made for two-year-olds and up, so they're very toddler-friendly. They have two wheels at the heel for stability and they also have three settings that "grow with your child." Isaac loved trying them out, and he did very well! He can successfully move about in our kitchen with the skates on his feet! Hopefully he'll be confident with them by the spring so that we can venture out onto the driveway. We also got him a Thomas the Train helmet and knee pads.

Steven and Isaac just after opening his skates:


Trying the skates on (Isaac was a little nervous to put them on at first. We then told him that they were just like boots, he got excited and wanted to try them out!)


First steps with the skates on:


After a few minutes of walking in the skates, we showed Isaac how to move his legs in a skating motion. He picked this up quickly and was skating across the kitchen floor in no time! Of course, he likes to hold our hand or skate a short distance between us.


With all his gear:


Doesn't he look like he had a blast on his birthay?!



Happy Birthday Isaac! We've loved every moment of the past two years with you, and we look forward to even more adventures this coming year! You are an awesome blessing in our lives, and we are so very thankful for YOU!