Updates in November

Ava at 9 months. She has an easy smile

Catching up...

Ava Nicole Monhollon was born on January 13, 2011 at 1:05am. She weighed 7 lb. 14 oz. and was 21 inches long. The boys were absolutely thrilled to welcome their baby sister into the world.

I don't have internet at home anymore, so I have gotten quite behind in my blogging. I just happened to catch my blog and the fact that I haven't updated it since our beautiful daughter was born.

Life with three is crazy, but fun. Ava is simply a fantastic baby. She is easy-going and happy. She was already sleeping through the night at 2 months old! God knew we needed her to be an easy baby. Let's hope that is a foreshadowing of things to come. Easy toddler, easy teenager...? :)

It's almost Time!

I have 12 days until my due date, and I am feeling fantastic! I have the usual pregnancy aches and pains, so I can't complain too much about that. I am just eager to meet this little girl that our family has been anticipating.

I haven't been blogging much, which has really bothered me as of late. I feel like I'm getting behind! I have so many things I want to write about: my dive into cloth diapers, my sewing projects, pregnancy, the boys.... The list goes on and on.

What I have for now is pictures of the little monsters that I created for Christmas gifts for the kiddos this year. I found a book about how to make monsters, and I thought, "I can do that!" I didn't buy the book, but I made up my own patterns and created these little monsters. After all of the hours of sewing and hand-stitching, I began to think they were going to bomb with the kids. But, I plugged on anyway. Turns out, the kids all loved the monsters! (At least most of them.... I didn't get comments back from everyone.)

These little beasts were fun to make. I believe I made 10 monsters total, which was just enough. I do plan on making more, just for fun, really. Judah loves his little monster (the small blue square one with the backwards arm...). He named it Alphie.

Judah also loved being able to give our little creations to his friends and cousins. He was so proud of the monsters.

More on my sewing projects another time....

Camping on Labor Day

We don't have anything huge to report. Life is moving along at a pretty steady pace. On Labor Day weekend (Jake's birthday), we spent one night camping out. Well...kind of. We set up a tent at Jake's parent's house, and Jake & Judah slept in the tent. Brody and his pregnant Mama slept inside.

Judah was thrilled to have a camp out. We made a little fire and roasted marshmallows and had smores. YUM! Everyone loved that. Judah especially loved putting the marshmallows into the fire. He enjoyed learning about how a marshmallow will eventually just melt and fall off into the fire. At first, it horrified him that his marshmallow was GONE, but then he thought it was cool, so he kept doing it.

Here is Daddy and the boys with the fire in the background. Daddy is holding a smore that Judah made for him. We all had fun with the fire and making smores!

This picture isn't great, but it's merely evidence that I, Mama, was actually there! Brody did great with the fire. He stayed back, even though he wanted to mess with it just like his big brother!

This is Daddy and the boys in the tent. Brody was ready to sleep there, too. He actually fell asleep in the 5 minutes that we were in to say goodnight to Daddy and Judah.

This is another great shot of the boys. I love their smiles. We had a great time that weekend together as a family.

Funny story: Jake and Judah were sleeping pretty good in the tent. It was the middle of the night, maybe around 1:30am. Suddenly, Jake heard the door to the tent unzip pretty quickly, as if someone was coming in. Jake jumped up. Then, our dog, Roscoe, joined him in the tent. He must have gotten his nose in the corner of the doorway and done it just right to open the door. He REALLY wanted to sleep inside that night. And he REALLY wanted to be near his family. So, he slept in the tent with the boys, too.

We will be going camping again in the future. We aren't the rustic type, so I'm sure it won't be much more than what we did that weekend. It was still really fun, and our boys enjoyed it a lot. It was full of star gazing, roasting marshmallows, playing outside, and most of all a close bathroom and shower. :) We all had a great time.

It's a....? Part 2

We were on our way to drop the boys off at Jake's parent's house, and Brody was drinking milk from a bottle. He must have been so tired, because before we knew it, he was asleep. Judah said, "Haha! Look at Brody!" We were all laughing pretty hard for a few miles. He was pretty exhausted after his one-year appointment and getting shots this morning. Poor thing.

On a bright side, he was a really tough little boy when it came to getting shots. He didn't flinch with the first shot, but the second 2 were pretty painful for him. He cried for a quick moment and was done. I was amazed. He was quickly himself again afterwards -- playing and laughing with Judah. He is a tough boy.

We went to our sonogram this afternoon. I was excited just to SEE the baby! Getting to find out the gender was just a perk of actually seeing a real baby in my belly. My belly didn't really "pop" until this past week, so it hasn't felt really real. (Even though I've been feeling some kicks and jabs...)

The question I got most often when people discovered I was pregnant is this: "Are you hoping for a girl?" My answer: "No. Not at all. I'm hoping for a healthy little baby. A boy would be easy, since we have everything for a boy. A girl would be fine, and she would add a little chaos to our little family. But God knows what we need." And I truly felt that way. I wasn't ever hoping for either gender. Just a healthy baby.

The moment the tech put the machine to my belly, I saw the baby. Oh, it was so cool. I will never tire of getting to see a growing baby in my belly. I am always in awe of God and His amazing craftmanship. He knits all these babies (including you and me) together in the most amazing and delicate way. It is just awesome. We got to see baby kicking and moving around. It helped me realize why my side kept hurting: baby feet were kicking away in one particular spot. We have a very active little baby!

The tech kept getting shots of the bottom side of baby, pointing out the bladder, kidneys, and stomach. I just kept thinking, "I don't see any boy parts there." I kept looking at Jake, who was just watching quietly. Finally, the tech said, "It looks like we have a little girl." I was shocked. Happy. A little later, the tech was looking around again, and I said, "Are you sure it's a girl?" She checked again and said, "Yes." Jake chimed in (reminding me), "We've seen a boy on the screen. That isn't a boy."

My mind was having a hard time processing it. Of course I was very happy to have a healthy baby growing in my belly. A girl. I'm having a girl. It just seemed like such a foreign thought after convincing myself it was most likely a boy. I praised God for a healthy little baby girl.

I had my appointment with my midwife afterwards. The nurse took me to get weighed in. She said, "You had your sonogram. Did you find out the sex?" I felt like I was dreaming as I said in a semi-confused voice, "Yes. (pause, because it seemed weird to say aloud) It's....a... It's a girl."

We bought a little pink outfit for her for next summer. I had Judah pull it out of my purse. He looked confused as if asking, "What is this for?" I told him he would have a sister. He smiled. Then he said, "So we didn't get a boy?" I laughed. He is very excited to have a sister, though. Before bed, he asked to see my belly. He leaned over and gave my belly a kiss. Then, after our prayers he whispered, "I love my baby sister." (Universal AWWWWW! please!)

So, that's the whole long story of our day. It's been a blessed day with beautiful weather, fun times with the boys, great news of a healthy baby, and a sunset walk in the beautiful weather!

It's a....?

I can't ever resist putting a cute picture of the boys up whenever I post . . . about anything. Judah is such a fantastic big brother. If Brody is sitting (like here in the picture) and playing, Judah will go and intentionally sit next to him just to be close. I am blessed to have such sweet boys who love each other.

My main reason for writing today is to hear from YOU (whoever might be reading this today...). I go in to the doctor's office tomorrow afternoon for our ULTRASOUND!!! We are all excited to actually see the baby . . . and of course hope to learn the baby's gender, too. We are curious to hear what you think. Are we having a boy or a girl?

I hope you don't fall into the trap that Judah falls into everytime we ask him this question. If I ask it like this: "Are we having a boy or a girl?" His answer is always, "Girl." If I ask it like this: "Are we having a girl or a boy?" He says "Boy." See what he's doing? He just says the last thing we say. It's awfully cute.

So, you have until tomorrow early evening to post a comment and add your two cents. What is your vote?

Don't be afraid to tell me what you think! It's no big deal if you're wrong! You have a 50/50 chance here.

Which Way?

Judah has great faith in Jake to catch him when he jumps off the diving board. He loves to do this!

I love the look on Judah's face here. He is so trusting and fearless. He is having a blast!!

While we are driving, Judah has been very interested in "which way" we will be turning at every intersection. He just wants to know "Right" or "Left." Jake and I tell him, and he's happy to know exactly which way we are going. He doesn't ask why (this is a BIG thing, because he asks "WHY?" to EVERYTHING!!!). Judah is just okay with knowing which direction we are going.

This concept seems kind of advanced for a 2 year old, but we are glad to help him learn his directions whenever he's ready for that.

Not too long after Judah started asking "Which way, Mommy/Daddy?" I heard a sermon in which the pastor just merely mentioned letting God sit in the driver seat. It hit me that I should be exactly like my 2 year old: I should be in the back seat (securely fastened into my seat), and simply ask God, "Which way?" at every intersection of my life. I should also just simply say, "Okay, God." and stop asking Him, "Why?"

I am so thankful for the life-lessons that my young boy teaches me. He just opens my eyes to the way I should be with my Heavenly Father. He amazes me. (Both God and Judah!)

Hilarious

This is Brody playing with the cars. He is pulling himself up on everything with EASE. He does it so fast!!! And then he is soooooo happy about it! It's adorable to see him so proud of himself!

Judah wanted to feed Brody tonight in a BIG way. He was insistant. I gave in, thinking he might actually surprise me. He did.

Not only did he do a great job feeding his little brother, but he really enjoyed it. He made it a pretty messy meal, but it was fun for everyone.

Judah manages to make us laugh so much every day.

Tonight, I wasn't feeling good (head-cold, ugh!), so I asked Jake to put Judah to bed so I could get ready for bed and rest. Jake came to me after awhile and said Judah was asking for "My Mommy." Jake told Judah, "Mommy doesn't feel good. Should we pray for Mommy?" Judah said, "Yes." And then he prayed, "God, make Mommy -- My Mommy feel better, pleeeeeaaassseee."

Sunday, I went to church early for worship team practice, and when I left, both boys were dressed and ready to go to church. Jake told me before Sunday School that Judah changed shirts. (Even though I put him in the shirt he asked for. Anyway...) He wanted to wear his dinosaur shirt, Jake was telling me. Jake put it on him, and Judah shook his head and said, "Mommy's gonna be mad." Jake asked him why, but he just kept repeating, "Mommy's gonna be mad."

So, Jake asked me why I would be mad that he was wearing that shirt. I had to explain, because it really is funny that Judah thought him wearing it would make me mad.

Judah wanted to wear that dinosaur shirt maybe a week or two ago. It was just a normal day at home, and we were going to be playing outside. This shirt is new (not something we have a lot of -- "new" shirts) -- one I bought on sale a year ago. This particular shirt is also WHITE with dinosaurs on the front. I realize now that when I bought it, I wasn't really thinking about a young man wearing WHITE. But, live and learn.

So, when Judah wanted to wear it, I just flippantly said, "No, we aren't going to wear the dinosaur shirt now. It's a nice shirt and we don't want it to get dirty. We need at least one nice white shirt."

So, Judah thought that since I told him he couldn't wear it then, that I would be upset with him wearing it AT ALL. After Jake told me that Judah repeated, "Mommy's gonna be mad," I busted up laughing. (I laugh out loud - literally - now just remembering it.) Everyone in our Sunday School kept looking at us, wondering what our deal was, but I just couldn't stop laughing.

Oh, the beautiful mind of a 2 year old!

This is a picture of Judah showing me his dirt on his hands and knees. So proud of that dirt!

I go crazy many days, but in the end, I love my boys. They make messes and get dirty, and undo all the cleaning I do. (Read: Brody managed to get ahold of an almost-empty sleeve of crackers and shake it all over the floor. I cleaned it up saying, "Oh, I love you dear. I love you.") But, I wouldn't trade any of it for anything. The fact that they make me laugh with such simple things is worth more than anything you can offer.

Being Sensitive

As most everyone knows, it has been raining a ton here in Kansas. Last week, we went to the park after a day of rain. The woodchips under the playground were very waterlogged and messy. The sandbox was completely full of water. It was awful.

What was worse was that someone left a little baby doll at the park on the ground, missing an arm. I moved the sopping-wet doll to the bench to dry out and hoped the owner might return for it.

As we were leaving, some Jr. High kids came into the park to play. A boy took the doll by a leg and started making sarcastic comments like, "Anyone want to play with a doll? Haha!" He then went on to take the doll to the "pool" of a sandbox and flung the doll into the water with great gusto.

Judah watched the whole thing with shock. I didn't really think anything of it until bedtime many hours later. We went on about our walk and the rest of our night.

Then, Judah and I began talking at bedtime about the day. He was stuck on the baby doll being flung into the water. He was really upset about it. I could see the worry and pain in his eyes in thinking about the well-being of the baby doll after it had been thrown so thoughtlessly. It pained me to see him so worried and upset about the doll. So, I drove (in the dark) to the park and "rescued" the baby doll from the water. I also retrived the doll's arm from the water.

I got home and Judah was still awake. So, I talked to him about the doll. I told him that mommy had taken care of the doll and it was downstairs ready for mommy to clean. He seemed instantly relieved that the doll was no longer in distress.

This morning, I fixed the doll's arm and found some clothes for it. I asked Judah what the baby's name was, and he seemed indecisive. He started by saying, "Mommy. Daddy." Then he said, "Mitch." I have no idea where he got that, but that's what he said. After lunch, he kept going back and forth between "Mitch" and "Rich." We'll see later what he finally settles on.

This is Judah cuddling with the baby (and Monkey). He really enjoys taking care of the baby.

I love seeing Judah's care and concern for a "baby" that he thought was in distress. I know it won't last, but I enjoy seeing such wonderful innocence from him now.

God is ALWAYS here

The things Judah says on a daily basis never cease to amaze me. He is so cute and funny with his wonderful imagination.

I was working on mixing paint in the garage while Brody was napping, and Judah was with me, just playing with the jogging stroller (the old one) while I was busy working with the paint. I was talking with Judah while I worked, as I always try to do just to keep communicating with him even though I'm busy with something.

So, Judah latched the seatbelt part of the stroller and started saying he had a baby in the stroller. He was talking to the baby in a high-pitched (moreso than he usual high pitch - ha) voice, "Hi, Baby. Want to walk, Baby? Okay!" It was adorable.

He kept showing this "baby" things in the garage. Judah saw the paint tray from Jake painting the house, and he said, "Daddy's paint!" Then he worked SO HARD to turn the stroller around so "the baby" could see Daddy's paint. I asked him about his baby a few times, and he would answer and then keep talking to the baby. Finally, I said, "Judah, what's the baby's name?" He quickly answered, "God." I was dumb-stricken. God was sitting in that stroller! Judah kept going on with his game, completely unaware of the power of his words and his imagination.

I kept working, well aware that God was sitting in the stroller, watching everything going on. A few minutes later, Judah almost knocked some paint over. I started to get upset, then I remembered -- God was sitting in the stroller. How should I react? What should I say? I directed Judah and his stroller in a different direction and explained that he almost knocked the paint over and needed to watch where he was going. "Okay, Mommy," he said and went on with his game.

This very small part of the day stuck with me, though. I should ALWAYS act as if God was sitting in the room, watching everything I'm saying and doing. My little 2 year old convicted me in a big way today, and it is an experience that will stick with me for a long time.