Big Day for the Big Girls

Jewel and Jane had asked us several months back (probably like last summer) if they could get their ears pierced (or, rather, punched). I said to Jimmy, "What about if they got them pierced for Valentine's day?"....which seemed so far away at the time. Well, here we are at Valentine's day and it was time to follow through with our promise!

So this past Saturday we had a family outing to get the girls ears "punched!" They did GREAT! Jewel went first, and the expression on her face in the picture below was as bad as it got...and it only lasted for a couple seconds. This was great encouragement for Jane, who I assumed might back out if she saw Jewel crying.

Jane did great as well. The little ear piercing gun got stuck on one of her ears for a few seconds, but she made it through just fine without a wimper or a tear!

Here are two girls who are super excited about having their ears pierced!

On the way home we were going over some of the rules and guidelines to follow. One of them was to not change their earrings for 6 weeks. I explained that this was to let their ears decide to get used to having holes in them so that the hole wouldn't close up. Jane prompty responded, "Oh, my ears have already decided that they want to have holes in them." :)...as if this would supersede the 6 week rule! :)

Overall, it was a fun and memorable experience!

Jewel's cute-"ish"-ness

Jewel has never lacked for thinking of something to say. She can ALWAYS find something to talk about. Her newest thing is to add the suffix "-ish" on to the end of words. I just handed her a little bowl of peanuts, dried cranberries, and a few dark chocolate chips sprinkled on top. She said, "Oh, thanks, mom! I always save the chocolate chips for last because they are kind of sweet-ish." Due to my "blank" pregnant mind right now, I can't think of another quote to share, but she has been using the "-ish" sound pretty regularly for the past week or so. Very cute-"ish!" :)

Jane's cuteness

Here are a few cute things Jane has been saying lately...

When she is ready to get dressed or just to change out of "dress up" clothes, she says, "Can I wear my normally clothes now?"

The girls are a little obsessed with Tums since I have been having heartburn so frequently during the last couple of months. They just don't quite understand what heartburn is, but they are always ready to give me Tums even when I don't need them! The other day Jane came up to me, handed me a Tums, and said, "Here, Mommy, this is for your sun burn." (Apparently those two words were introduced to her about the same time!) :) A couple of days ago in the car she said, after taking a big drink of ice cold water, "Oh, that gives me sunblock!"

Bad Dream

Last night Jewel came into our bedroom for the first time because of a bad dream. She dreamed that we were getting on an elevator and Jane got her foot "chopped." In her words, "We were telling Jane to hurry and get on, but she couldn't!" She wasn't crying about it, but she was pretty sad, and wide awake. I snuggled her next to me and told her how sorry I was that she had a bad dream and that it was only a dream. She said, "Yeah, I think I am going to dream about a Bible story now. Don't you think that would be better?" She paused for a second, then said, "I think I will dream about Jonah." (Of course that is not scary at all! :) )

I think that Jane has only called out because of a bad dream once; I think she though "soldiers were coming." During the day, one of the girls favorite things to play with their babies is "soldiers are coming."

Jewel regularly says our prayers at the table. She does a good job making her prayers really thoughtful. Yesterday she was praying for the salvation of the "baby in mommy's womb." She said, "Please help the new baby to trust in Jesus and not Santa Claus."

The other day Jane was wearing her bunny pajamas, and we were calling Jane "Jane Bunny" after she asked us not to call her Little Bunny Fufu. Jewel said, "Jane Bunny is kind of like John Bunyan, but a little bit different!"

New Names

Jewel has been coming up with names for the new baby.

Jewelly
Jeweofl
Jewelmom
Jeweljane

Do you see a pattern here?

Guys, I am sorry I am behind on pictures. Because nausea kicked in while I was in Idaho, looking at pictures of snow is just really nauseating to me. The picture below of the girls on the plane isn't much better. I don't know why pictures and thoughts of things can cause me to feel queasy, but they do!

Update

So, I finally got all 399 pictures downloaded yesterday. I will try to get some posted shortly.

A couple of days ago I went to the "general doctor" to get a referral to my OB (that's the way my insurance requires things to be done). While I was in the room with the girls waiting for the doctor, the girls were excitedly talking about the new baby. They wanted to know when they would get to see their new little brother or sister. So I said, "Well, when we go to a different doctor in a couple of weeks, you will get to see a picture of the baby." With a sparkle in her eye, Jewel excitedly said, "Maybe I can help take care of the baby while the doctor is taking the picture!" I, then had to go on to explain that the baby would be staying inside of me while getting its picture taken. Jewel was a little disappointed.

Silly Girls!

Yesterday, while we were walking at the mall, Jewel asked me, "Mom, can we go on the eskimo-lator?"

Yesterday, as I was getting up, I said, "Oh, mommy is getting too old!" Jane asked, "We get a NEW mommy?"

And if you are wondering why I am "getting so old," I went to the first volleyball practice for our church volleyball team Jimmy and I are going to play on this spring. The practice was on Tuesday night, and I am still sore on Friday! Apparently, I used muscles that don't normally get that rigorous of use.

The Trinity

Jimmy relayed this conversation to me that he had with Jewel while they were walking to the mailbox together:

Jimmy: Jewel, what do you think of when you think of God the Father?
Jewel: His glory; that He is glorious.

Jimmy: What do you think of when you think of Jesus, God's Son?
Jewel: The forgiveness of our sins and that He died on the cross for us.

Jimmy: What do you think of when you think of the Holy Spirit?
Jewel: That's who helps us to remember what the Bible says so that we can obey His Word.

What a grace upon grace that God's Word is penetrating her heart. Thank you, God!

A Child's Honesty

Upon arriving home from a day of running errands, Jewel asked me, "Mom, can Jane and I watch a movie while you work hard?"

Sweet Jewel

Jewel can never be accused of not being social or not speaking whatever she is thinking about. If there is any moment of silence, I think she feels compelled to ask a question, request a story, ask people what their favorite (fill in the blank) is, sing a song, or tell us what she is thinking about. So this morning when she came up to me and said...

"Mom, my mouth is getting kind of tired of talking."

...I found it rather funny! :)

Heart-warming...

Just within the last few days, my family has rose up and "called me blessed." Well, not exactly in those words, but in a subtle way. The last time we ate out somewhere, Jimmy said after we had gotten back into the car, "That meal was OK, but I just like your cooking better." Ahhhh! The ultimate compliment! Then today, as I served my children some fabricated food (something I wouldn't normally...or never...buy but was purchased for pennies) that was probably actually designed for children, they both didn't show much interest in what I served them and didn't clean their plates like normal. Although, it would have been nice for them to like what I served them, I kind of felt a warm, fuzzy feeling that they actually like what I "make" better. Jewel has also said, when asked what her favorite thing that I cooked was, "Everything you cook, Mommy!" So whether I actually cook well or not is irrelevant. My FAMILY likes MY cooking...and that is all that matters!

Potty Training Update and Jane's Personality

Jane is doing really well with potty training. She only wears pull-ups (or plastic pants) for naps and bed time. She still has an occasional accident, but she is still doing really well.

The past month or so she has only worn dresses (except for once when we went to the park and I encouraged her to wear shorts and a shirt). She not only likes to wear dresses, but she likes to change her dress multiple times per day, and she has specific preferences of which dress she wants to wear (her favorites are her sister's dresses). I know it is just her personality so I am trying to be gracious with her, as long as she is having a sweet attitude about it! Thankfully, she willingly puts on her pajamas at bedtime! :)

She also likes to have "two tails"...meaning two ponytails, dog ears, pig tails...whatever they are called! :)

Jane is talking so much more lately. At the park the other day as we were getting ready to leave, she asked me, "Mommy, what was your favorite part?" (it probably sounded more like, "Mommy, your part?") We periodically ask the girls what their favorite part of an activity was (I guess this is from Dora). Her little personality is definitely developing!

Conversations with Jewel

Sitting at the dinner table...

Jewel: "Daddy, do you know what my pizza takes like?"
Daddy: "No, what does it taste like?"
Jewel: "Like YOUR pizza!"

(Jewel has said this about several different things we have eaten over the past week. SOOO CUTE! She used to tell us what she thought the food tasted like, and it was always a random totally different food... like fruit snacks tasting like chicken!)


Driving in the car...

Jewel: "Can we get a chocolate tree?"
Me: "Well, I don't know much about chocolate trees...I am not sure if they even would grow here. I will have to look into that, OK?

A few minutes later...

Jewel: "Mommy, can we get a TALKING chocolate tree?"

(Someone has been watching Dora a little too much, I think!)

"Like Daddy..."

Jane came up to me and said, "Like Daddy..." and pointed to her (very little) pocket on her dress with a pen stuck in it.

Me: Jewel, how did you get to be so stinkin' cute!?!?
Jewel: (shrugs shoulders and answers cheerfully) That's just the way God made me!

"I have some more time..."

We have always had a bedtime routine. This is what it looks like right now.

1. Pajamas--even if we come in really late at night, Jewel can not sleep in her normal clothes, even if they are just as comfortable as pajamas. The few times we have laid her down after she has fallen asleep in the car, she has woken up...some times in the middle of the night crying because she didn't have her pajamas on.
2. Brush teeth
3. Get the "last tinkle out"--this phrase developed after we would ask Jewel if she needed to go potty or even told her to go potty. She would so, "No thanks, I don't need to go potty." So, we developed this phrase to encourage her to get the very last tinkle out.
4. Get water sippie cups ready
4. Read a story (see below)
5. Pray. Jewel's prayers will vary but they ALWAYS include a prayer for Pastor Hobbs.
6. Tuck into bed with sippie cups for both girls and Melanie (Jewel's baby doll) for Jewel and just the right amount of blankets and occasionally a book for Jane.
7. Turn on a Jesus Lullaby tape (that we ONLY play when they go to bed) and night light.
8. Kiss them goodnight and close their door all the way...they literally can't fall asleep with the door open or even cracked open.

About bedtime/naptime books:
The last few months, the girls have been asking Jimmy to read at bedtime and me to read at naptime, AND Jewel requests specific books for each of us. Jimmy is reading through (for the 2nd or 3rd time) The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, and I have been reading through My ABC Bible Verses: Hiding God's Word in Little Hearts (for the 3rd or 4th time). They are both perfect for Jewel's interest level, but Jane sometimes must supplement with a more picture oriented book where she gets to turn lots of pages. It is cute; she wants to sit right by Jewel, but if the story isn't interesting enough she will have her own book in her lap to look through. Then when we are done reading the storybook, she will close her book and get ready to climb into her crib. One time a few weeks ago, Jimmy asked Jewel if she had time for one more story. Even since then, she will say to us when a story is over, "I have some more time for another story." It is cute and very hard to resist!

Shopping Date with Jewel

Last night I took Jewel shopping with me. We went to the library first then to Family Dollar (to look for Cilantro in hopes I wouldn't have to go to Wal-mart...they don't have it, but they DO have cheap spices!) Target, Walgreens, Wal-mart, and CVS. We had such a fun time shopping together. At our first stop, I got Jewel a little thing of candy (an off brand tic-tac thing). She was so excited. Her first question after thanking me several times was, "Mommy, is this healthy food?" I said, "No, it is full of sugar, but on special occasions it is fun to have a little candy." She had a great time with that little container. She stored it in her pocket and enjoyed the shaking sound it made as we walked through the stores.
When we got home, she wanted to show Jimmy her "little container of candy" (as she kept calling it). I didn't realize that she had saved two pieces, one of Daddy and one for Jane. She told Jimmy, "I shared one with Mommy, a lot with me, and then one's for you and one's for Jane!" As she handed Jimmy his piece she said, "It's NOT healthy food. It has a lot of sugar. But it's OK to eat a little bit!" Since Jane was already asleep she had to wait until this morning to give Jane her piece. This morning I heard her running to find her "little container" and then go straight to Jane's crib to give it to her. She said, "Jane, look what I have for you! Mommy bought it for me. What do you think about that!?! It's not healthy food. You like it, Jane? What do think about that!?!?" It is so cute to watch the girls interact with each other.