Monday, December 26, 2011

Sixteen Months

Ensley tries to repeat lots of words that we say now. She tells Kala to get in her bed-"Ka-Ka bea". She tells Kala no-"No No No No No Ka-Ka". Thank you-"NaNu". She askes for "cook-tie" at most meals and she helps us in the kitchen-"cooking" which sounds a lot like cookie. She tells us when she needs to "poopy". She calls my mom who is Mama Zannie-"Mamie", my dad-Papa D-"Papa", EJ's mom JoJo-"Do-do", EJ's stepdad Pop-"Pop Pop". She picks up a phone and says hello-"ay-yo". She rocks her baby-"bebee" "night night" by singing rock-a-bye baby-"bye bye bye bye bye". She asks to read "book". She calls clocks "tock tock". She calls hair dryers, vacuums, dust busters, drills, electric screwdrivers, etc-"zzshzsh" so you have to use context clues to know what she is talking about. She is still quite the diva very interested in her "shoes", "boots", bracelets.She tells us she is hungry but putting her fingers to her mouth and/or saying "num-num". She likes to eat bananas-"nana", cheerios-"ios", crackers-"cacka", tomatoes-"mena" and "juice". She says spoon and fork but it is difficult to understand if she doesn't have one in her hand. Her animal sounds have improved and broadened and she can point out most animals from cats to giraffes to zebras. She has a friend at school named Thomas-"Tata" and our friend's little boy Brennan is "B". We go over our friends' names on the way to school and church and she tries to repeat most of their names but they don't come out consistently. When we tell her it is time for school she says "Tata" and when we ask if she is ready to see Miss Jennifer (her teacher) she says "Tata".

Our pediatrician told me to try potty training as soon as she shows interest, so since she has been telling us when she is pooping we pulled the little toilet seats out. She has only poo-pooed in the potty once in a week and a half but we celebrated big when she did.

Her favorite toys are anything having to do with Old MacDonald and his farm which she calls "EIEI". She still loves "ball". She likes to listen to music and dance, mostly just Old MacDonald but she also likes John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt "Na Na Na Na". She likes to play with her kitchen utensils and tea sets. She loves to swing and she asks to go out to swing by saying "weeeeeeeeee" while pointing at the door. She loves to clean. She pushes the swiffer around and picks up trash and puts it in the trash can and thinks it is fun...hopefully this will continue into the teenage years. A mom can dream, right?

She knows eyes, wink, blink, nose, smell, mouth, ears, neck, hands, feet/toes, belly, knees and knows hats go on our heads. She is a good helper when we are getting her dressed.

This week while we were all sitting at the table she got down and started crawling under the table. I said, "Oh what a cute puppy" and she replied by whimpering like Kala does when she wants something. She makes a vroom sound when she plays with cars or is pretending to ride a car.

She is still a great sleeper getting 10-12 hours most nights and about 3 hours in naps usually divided into a one hour nap and a two hour nap. She loves bath time! We usually have to drain the water and then she still plays with no water in the tub a few more minutes before we take her out against her will.

She is putting things together and remembering things. When she got her flu shot mid-October she started crying as soon as the nurse brought the tray with the needles on it. I thought it could have been coincidence but I know now that she knew exactly what was about to happen. We went in last week to have the doctor check her ears because she has had two ear infections but doesn't show any signs/symptoms so we never know she has one until a check up. The nurses walked in and she squeezed me yelling "owwwie". We assured her she wasn't getting an owwie and she calmed down only to find out, she had a double ear infection and needed an antibiotic injection. She again yelled "owwie" when the nurse walked in with the needles on a tray. Bless her heart! It broke mommy's heart. She is such a trooper and a tough little girl.

She got her first real owwie last week while playing with the humidifier which is a no no. It was wet around the edge and I don't know if her hand slipped on it because it was wet or if I scared her when I told her No but she slipped and cut her chin on the edge. She cried until I asked if she wanted her "boo-boo" bunny and then she just whimpered until we got it out of the freezer then she was fine. When I laid her down in her bed I saw that her chin was cut and when I got downstairs in the light I saw blood all over my shoulders from where I was putting her to sleep. She hardly cried at all and it was a nice sized cut.

She is such a loving little girl giving hugs and kisses freely and unexpectedly. She gets very excited when "Mommy!" or "Daddy!" comes into the room. My favorite things in the whole world are hearing her laugh and getting big bear hugs from her.

It seems like she does something new everyday now but I can't think of all the stuff she is doing. I need to start doing short posts weekly with her development so I don't forget things...we'll see if that happens.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Lunch Time Stories

I made Ensley chicken nuggets for lunch and since she is a dipper I squirted a little ketchup on her plate. It made that squirty sound and she said "poopy" as she raised her eyebrows in surprise. I thought it was hilarious but she want quite sure about it. I think she was trying to figure out how the ketchup went poopy.
While we were eating she suddenly placed her chicken nugget on her plate and dropped her head. I thought she was going to play an impromptu game of peek-a-boo, but she raised her head up and said "amen!"
I love her so much!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

What Are You Doing?

9 Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do.10 So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless.
Eccl 11:9-10 (NLT)
1 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky.3 Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.
Eccl 12:1-4 (NLT)

Youth: what is that. When I first read this passage I thought "yeah to be young again and have not a care" and I thought back to my high school days. But youth is a relative term, I am still a youth to my parents age group. My parents age group are considered youth to my Papaw's age group and my 85 year old Papaw would be considered a youth to many reaching the ripe age of one hundred.

With each day I am getting older and that much closer to meeting my Creator. This was a good reminder to make every minute count for Him because a time will come that I don't have the abilities to do the things I can do now. It also reminded me that things of the earth that I get so busy with each day like the chores around the house are meaningless. I must do better about putting His Kingdom work first.

These were the challenges He questioned with me today...How are you using your abilities for Me? What are doing for those around you? If I bring you home today at your ripe young age, will your one life on this earth have been well spent?

Friday, November 25, 2011

Ensley is thankful for...

During tonight's bedtime routine we were saying prayers and it went like this-Thank You God for Daddy. Keep him safe on his way home. Thank You for Mama Zannie, Papa D, Uncle Andrew, Uncle Austin, Aunt Misty, Chali, Karis, JoJo, Pop, MeMe, PePaw, Mo, Jack, Liam, Connor, Meg, Uncle Jeffy, Aunt Trish, Kelsey, Kasey, Clancey, JuJu, Uncle Sam, Kathelyn, Evelyn, Nelson, GranPapaw, Aunt Tonya, Uncle Hal, and Matthew. Thank you for a fun day today. Thank you for...at which point Ensley took her thumb out of her mouth and said Momma! Momma! Momma! I kissed her sweet little forehead as she put her thumb back in her mouth. I tried to finish the prayer while fighting back tears.
What a little sweetie! She knew I left Momma out and she knew she was thankful for her Momma. I continued rocking her while the memories of the past year played in my head. I cannot believe how fast the year has gone and how much she has grown and learned. I pray that the Lord gives me wisdom as we go through each day and that Ensley continues to have a thankful heart.
I love that sweet little girl more than words can express!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

I am thankful today for my precious little Ensley. She is such a blessing. I could not ever have imagined how sweet and happy our daughter would be. It is amazing to me how she can bring a smile to my face no matter what is going on around me. I understand now the sacrifice of God's only Son on a much deeper level and I am most thankful for Jesus and His unconditional love.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Thankful-Day 4

I am thankful everyday but I just haven't had time to post everyday. Today I am thankful for my church family. I have been so blessed all of my life with men, women and peers who have encouraged me and prayed for me along the journey of my life. I grew up in such a loving church home. I don't make it home often but when I go home the highlight of my trip is always seeing those familiar faces and getting warm hugs from them. When I went to college God blessed me again with a great church family. I met some of my best friends there and I can't imagine my life without them now. They encourage me and pray for me and are transparent in their struggles. When EJ and I were married we struggled to find where God wanted us but when we settled we were again blessed with a family of believers who walked with us during our first few years of married life. We are now in a church home with a pastor who is not ashamed to live what he believes and who encourages us to do the same. We are blessed with the children's ministry and we never have to wonder if Ensley is being loved on while in the nursery. All of our church families feel like extended families and we are so thankful for the example set by many of them and the encouragement given by all of them.

Friday, November 11, 2011

I forget how big I am blessed

O God-when I have food,
Help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
Help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a warm home,
Help me to remember the homeless;
When I am without pain,
Help me to remember those who suffer;
And remembering
Help me to destroy my complacency,
And bestir my compassion.
Make me concerned enough to help,
By word and deed, those who cry out-
For what we take for granted.
Anonymous

Prayers not felt by us are seldom heard by God. -Philip Henry