MY LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN . . .

Marshmallows...

2011-10-26T14:26:00.001-07:00

A few shots from a couple nights ago. Brian made a lovely fire in our outdoor pit & the girls had a blast roasting marshmallows & playing with left over sparklers from last 4th of July. I cherish each of these little moments with my family. The pictures are a little blurry because it was hard to capture a quick shot in the lighting, but you get the point :)

Baby Genius...

2011-10-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

"Look Mom, I'm reading!!" - he may only be five months but he's way ahead of the average baby ;) Just kidding, I'm not one to boast about my kids but I thought this was pretty funny. The girls are always doing interesting things to baby Emerson. Guess that's the result of being a third child AND the only boy. Good luck buddy, good luck haha

This is just another example of what I mean...

(good thing daddy wasn't around for this one!!!)

Pumpkin Patch...

2011-10-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

I know I have a lot of updating to do but my sister asked me to put these photos of our pumpkin patch visit up on the blog...sooo here they are!! We had a lot of fun this year (as a family of FIVE! still can't believe that!) so I hope you enjoy the pictures :)

Emerson Michael...

2011-05-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

So obviously it has been pretty much my ENTIRE pregnancy since my last post. Well ok, I guess I was 18 weeks (but that was a LONG time ago considering my little man has arrived!!) We were induced on May 12th after many painful nights of 4 cm dilation & costant drops in baby's position. I don't think I could have made it one more day so I was very grateful to get the show on the road!! We were admitted to CMC Northeast (amazing hospital by the way) at 5:30 a.m. & by 7:30 a.m. the process was in full swing. Going into this birth experience I had a game plan & I am SO glad I did. I requested my epidural BEFORE my wonderful dr broke my water because I KNEW things would speed up rapidly at that point. The epidural man was a God send. He was an older "grandfather" type & listened to each of my concerns (from past experiences) very intently. He did such a wonderful job and came back to check on me 3 and 4 times (even AFTER the baby was born!) All I know is that after this labor, I can CONFIDENTLY say that my epidurals with the girls did NOT work the way they were supposed to. So after starting the Pitocin and setting up the epidural, my water was broken. In about 3 hours time everything had pushed me to 8 cm & driven my contractions to 3 minutes apart (I arrived at the hospital 5 cm & contractions every 5 minutes apart). My Pitocin was slightly increased and by 11:00 a.m. we were ready to push!!
I had joked with my dr earlier that morning that if she could get me through this labor with LITTLE pain and NO need for any extra medical attention, that I would award her the honorary plaque of 5 golden stars to add to her wall of achievements. She was happy to accept the challenge & after 5 contractions of pushing she certainly earned those stars! Right before we began pushing, I noticed that the heart monitor was dying out COMPLETELY with each contraction I had. I called in the nurse and she assured me it was simply because of how low the baby had dropped in order to deliver (but I could tell by her demeanor & quick action to get my dr that something was wrong). Turns out, Emerson had the cord wrapped tightly around his neck so there were a few moments of concern for sure. My dr talked me through each step however & my amazing son was delivered happy, healthy & without causing ANY "damages" to his mama :)
7 lbs 3 oz & 20 inches long, Emerson Michael Knott was born on May 12th, 2011 at 11:13 a.m. I had WONDERFUL nursing staff during my hospital stay (which was only an amazing 1.25 days haha) and I could not have been any more blessed from the Lord through this experience. For those of you who know me well, you know that my labor, delivery, recovery and breastfeeding journey with BOTH my girls was ROUGH. I am sitting here very happy to report that Emerson has been a breeze. He nurses, sleeps, poops, pees & participates in family life like a champ. God is SO kind & I want to thank each of you for praying for me and loving us. More to come (pictures etc...) once I get the internet re-activated on MY computer. Thanks for reading!!

Just Couldn't Resist...

2010-12-18T16:50:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting far too long to buy something boy to let this pass by me in Target!! First purchase for my little buddy...it just makes me smile :)

Few and Far Between...

2010-12-18T10:02:00.001-08:00

Well, my blogging has greatly suffered lately. Between pregnancy illness & the exhaustion of chasing the girls around, I would rather spend my "free time" napping or being more productive haha Anyways, I thought I would share these ultrasound pictures :) It is finally official, the completion of our family with a SON!! We couldn't be more thrilled and grateful to God for this blessing. Little man is due May 19th (so they tell me). We are still talking about names, but once we DO decided we are keeping it a secret until he is born. It's our last little bundle of joy so we thought we'd keep it interesting (as well as keep any negative opinions at bay...come on now, you ALL KNOW that you've shared your two cents on someone's baby's name when it MIGHT not have been appreciated hahaha). Enjoy!!! He was head down and facing my back so basically the only GOOD shots the ultrasound tech could get were those proving his gender...the manly pride has begun early!! The first picture is his foot (you can see the tiny toes!!) and the second is his arm up by his head. The third speaks for itself :)

Updates Anyone??

2010-09-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

I do realize that this blog is in serious need of an update (or two...oooor three) haha I PROMISE to get at least one on here by the end of the weekend :) Along with fall came a pretty packed calendar but it SEEMS to be settling down so check back Monday...

Counting Cars...

2010-08-04T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today Sophia was quite frustrated while sitting in the car. As we were stopped at a traffic light, I could hear mutterings of a numbered nature..."six, seven, eight...errrrr!!". So it goes...

Me: "Whats wrong babe?"

Sophia: "I just not do it Mom. They just not stopping!"

Me: "What's not stopping? I don't understand!?!?"

Sophia: "The cars Mom. I have to count them and they just keep on driving! I can't count them if they moving!"

Me: **trying not to smile and giggle because she is being VERY serious LOL**

Sometimes I just sit and marvel at the inner workings of a pre-schoolers brain. As if the world is supposed to just STOP in it's tracks at their every whim. Oh, I love that girl :)

L.O.V.E

2010-08-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

A daughter brings a special joy
That comes from deep inside,
And as she grows to womanhood
She fills your heart with pride.

The love she gives so freely
Is a rare and beautiful gift.
She brings the sunshine right indoors
And gives your heart a lift.

With every busy, happy year
She’s dearer than before,
Through every stage…through every age,
You love her more and more.

-unknown

Fresh...

2010-08-04T18:48:00.000-07:00

Brian and I got a RARE date morning this past Saturday!! My mom took the girls overnight Friday and we went into downtown Davidson for breakfast in the morning. We went to my FAVORITE old town cafe called Toast. Love it there...very quaint and historic feeling :) Anyways, they have a farmers market in the surrounding quad (right by the college and library) and I had never checked it out!! So we went and I coaxed my adoring husband into buying me these AMAZING fresh flowers. I haven't had such pretty flowers in a REALLY long time and was super excited. I had to share some pictures of them. They evoked joy in my heart for two reasons. First because the colors had an interesting way of bringing summer & fall into a happy place of acceptable co-existence. Second because my girls couldn't stop marveling at how pretty they were and commenting how they smelled so "nummy"!! Unfortunately when flowers are so "home grown" they die pretty easily. On the bright side, I was able to snap these before they began their droopy decline :)

My Wonderful Little Terror...

2010-07-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

I thought, since I was pondering the miracle of my littlest girlie today, that I would just give a quick recount of her recent mischievous actions :) As each day passes, her "I didn't do it" and "I'm cute, but dangerous!" faces are making more frequent appearances. To summarize what I am talking about, this ALL happened yesterday...

the morning begins WITH...

the removal of a #2 filled pull-up (for the millionth time this week) and by removal I unfortunately do not mean by me or with even a shred of my knowledge

and then progresses to...

a quick trip to the bathroom for ME and a sneaky relocation of the kitchen stool, mounting of the kitchen countertop, removal of every spice from the spice rack & pouring and sloshing of expensive olive oil onto the newly cleaned floor for AUTUMN

and finally ends at...

a purposeful "watering" of the bathroom rug in an attempt to "communicate" dissatisfaction of a much needed tubby AND a revengeful "reorganization" of every clothing item from her dresser drawers in an attempt to "communicate" her disapproval of bedtime.

SIGH...good thing she is so darn adorable and I remembered to have my quiet time ( in which I sovereignly listened to http://www.covlife.org/resources/2671419-The_Lord_Is_In_Your_Boat ) that day!! :) Oh Lord, grant all of us mommies with crazy second born children, MUCH grace and patience, AMEN.

Seriously in Love...

2010-07-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Ode to Autumn's Curls...

Oh beautiful ringlets that adorn her head,

I pray you grow, abound and spread.

Never leaving or fading away,

Please remain, yes forever to stay.

A smile to my face you bring,

A song in my heart you tempt me to sing.

A giggle you inspire as you bounce around,

A grace you provide without making a sound.

One day I am sure my daughter will say,

"Oh these curls they just get in my way!".

And so I'll assure my sweet baby girl,

"Your curls are more rare than a fresh water pearl!"

I love them I love them and love them some more,

I love these curly cues like never before.

I gawk, I stare, I squint and I strain,

To etch their image into my brain.

Oh beautiful ringlets that adorn her head,

I pray you grow, abound and spread.

Never leaving or fading away,

Please remain, yes forever to stay.

Father's Day 2010...

2010-07-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

It is widely known amongst our family that Brian and the girls have a very special and unique relationship. On a daily basis, the girls adore taunting and teasing their daddy (aaand vise versa on Brian's end). It amazes me how one moment they are screaming "NO DADDY, GO AWAY!" and the next they are grasping his legs and proclaiming "Oh Daddy, I love you so much!" :) Time has gone by so quickly and I know that Brian will always dotingly remember this stage in our lives. Autumn helped make breakfast in the morning and then the girls presented Brian with their "Daddy and Me" collages. We went to Outback for a late lunch (Brian HAD to have the crab legs) and just relaxed at the pool for the remainder of the day. All in all, it was a successful expression of how much we three ladies love and appreciate our man ;) xoxox

Her awesome shirt says "I get my good looks from my Dad"

I forgot to mention that we got Brian the Avatar DVD...the girls made their own wrapping paper!

Autumn's collage above...

Phia's collage below...

In other news...

2010-07-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

During the months of May, June and July we also had Autumn's 2nd birthday, Father's Day, our 6 year anniversary and the 4th of July (which included a visit from my sister)...

I'll start with Autumn's 2nd birthday, mainly because I can't believe my baby is TWO!! We decided to surprise the girls with bikes to celebrate the occasion. Yes, I know it was Autumn's birthday BUT when you have two kids so close in age it's hard to give milestone presents in quantities of 1 :) So both girls were blessed with their FIRST BIKES!! My mom came with us to "test drive" them and pick out the perfect fit for each girlie. They were delighted when we brought them home but unfortunately it was raining so they had to ride inside.

Dear Friends...

2010-07-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

The second VERY noteworthy event that recently occurred was the visit of our beloved friends, the Whites :) Words cannot express how much their short weekend trip to see us meant to me. I can feel the tears welling up as I type (granted I am horribly overtired) but for both these reasons I will post a few snapshots and simply say:

Tiff, I love you and am so honored to call you my friend. Thank you Bryant for sacrificing your time and sanity to drive your family to see us. Boys (and little incubating girls), you are incredible little people and I love having the privilege of watching you grow...even if mostly from afar :)

I wish I had taken more pictures but catching up seemed more important. I was so happy to be with you all that I just kept forgetting my camera!!

Phia loves her "Tiffnee"

Big boy Jack...

And smiley boy Aaron :)

Special Moments...

2010-07-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

SUMMER IS HERE!! As usual, it has taken me far longer than anticipated to update my lovely blog. So here I am finally doing it (even if it IS almost midnight). Life has gone on as expected over the past few months (basically typical, mundane, daily activity) but there were a few special events worth mentioning. First to report is that we successfully had our annual summer vacation...woohoo!! In May, we were blessed to visit my in-laws at their home in Florida and Brian and I were able to take a whole 4 day cruise to the Bahamas, celebrating an early anniversary! During our two week stay, the girls were treated to a day at Disney World (among other things) which was strategically planned to ease the guilt we felt for leaving them behind on our open sea voyage. Brian will say we took them in honor of Autumn's 2nd birthday but for whatever reason(s) it was, they had the time of their lives :) All of the pictures from our trips are duly posted on my Facebook page so I won't bore any of you "loyal" readers with those again (since if your read my blog than you are clearly a friend of mine via Facebook). I will, however, give you a brief synopsis of each family member's highlights...

According to Autumn, the best part of the vacation was (and I quote) "ducks". In the best possible way a toddler knows how to explain herself, she will tell you that both feeding the ducks at Nana and Papa's AND watching Donald Duck in the Magic Kingdom 3-D movie theater were truly spectacular. In reality, that's my translation of what she mumbles and mimes about "the ducks" but I am MOM so I certainly have literary license :)

If you ask Sophia about her trip, she will tell you (plain and clear) that the beach and Daisy Duck were the best parts of all. Actually, when my mom asked her WHY Daisy Duck in particular she responded as follows : "Cause Meme, Daisy shoes and Daisy dress match! I showed her my Dora earrings! She was REALLY nice." She also noted that Nana and Papa's house was pretty and the sand at the beach was "ouchy" (aka ithcy) in her bathing suit. I mean honestly, if Sophia isn't the definition of a "girlie girl" than I don't know what is.

For Brian and I, it's pretty obvious that the cruise makes the top of the list. Before that first morning aboard the Monarch of the Seas, I could not even remember what it felt like to eat a meal (or even have a cup of coffee) without little utterances and little grabby hands all up in my business haha Don't get me wrong, I love the sound of those sweet voices and the sight of those tiny fingers....BUT there comes a time when a break is unequivocally needed. It was so nice to have quiet time. It was also VERY nice to just spend time as a couple. No distractions, no agendas, no cell phones ringing or e-mails waiting. It was truly a God ordained voyage and we were positively refreshed to say the least. Running a close second was seeing the faces of our little girls as we entered the "most magical place on earth". Priceless :) I know they will definitely enjoy it MUCH more as they get older, but the first time was surprisingly memorable. At times, Brian seemed to be having the most fun of all, but if you know Brian than that comes with little surprise.

In short, thank you Lord for the opportunity and provision for yet another annual family vacation AND thank you Mike and Nelida for your hospitality, generosity and love :)

What's the Deal??

2010-04-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

Ok so Brian was right (yes, folks I said it...Brian was RIGHT) there is certainly something in the pollen this Spring. It's a substance that seems to be in overabundance and I have dubbed it "the nectar of life" haha Every where I go, every time I log onto Facebook, every phone conversation I have, I am inundated with news that yet another blessed young woman I know is indeed pregnant!! Brian says it's conspiracy...I say it's a sign, but who am I right? Yes, I want another one. It's no big secret. Although, I do agree with Brian that we are enjoying this time and season as a family of four. I'm thinking next summer is a good marker to aim for. In the meantime, I shall live vicariously through my besties and I wanted to formally say CONGRATS to each and every one of the NEW moms and the ONCE AGAIN moms of Spring 2010...happy pregnancies to all of you!! You are certainly blessed...

And yes, I will post something about my own kids while they nap today :)

Early Preparation...

2010-03-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

So I am supposed to be cleaning the toy room as I type, but blogging has become addictive...haha A few days ago, the girls decided they were going to play pretend. Not something unusual for them, but the story they came up with was a new one! They were playing "pa-tend goin' to sool" (as Sophia put it...pretend going to school in english). So they grabbed their little shoes, coats and sleeping bag backpacks. They loaded up their bags with randomness (toys, blankies, sippy cups...u know, the essentials haha) and waved goodbye!! Of course the farthest they made it was the front steps (which was soon dubbed the "class"), but it certainly was adorable to watch. I was slightly tempted to tear up just thinking that this day (for real) is only a few years away. My girls might be a lot of work at pre-school and toddler age but I will NEVER get this stage of life back. I am learning to treasure each tantrum filled afternoon in a new way and take as many pictures as I can to ensure a wealth of documentation :) Love you big girls...always and forever xoxo

A good start...

2010-03-22T07:30:00.001-07:00

My big girl has been learning the importance of "hiding" scriptures in her heart. Daddy and I have recently noticed, in Sophia, a regular hesitation to share and a heightened temptation to complain. We are hearing a lot of "me first" and "buuut I don't want to" from her little mouth. We are seeing a lot of angry, frustrated facial expressions towards her sister and "hands on the hips" argumentative attitudes towards mom and dad. So we began to pray on how we could address these issues. In all honesty, the only thing that's going to prove useful in changing my daughter's HEART attitude (not ONLY her behavior) is a correct understanding of truth and a biblical reasoning for adjusting her actions. Something I've always wished I sowed to earlier in life is memorizing scriptures. I cannot put into words how this practice has served me now that I'm grown. So, we began to practice this with Sophia. The scriptures she's finding herself hearing and repeating most often are...

1) "Honor one another above yourself" Romans 12:10

2) "A cheerful heart is good medicine..." Proverbs 17:22

3) "Do everything without complaining or arguing" Philippians 2:14

Adding these principles to the constant instruction of joyful obedience seems like a lot for a three year old at times. She often is very emotional when we go through the process of correction, repentance and "putting on" truth but by the end she is smiling and has a much softer temperament. This is certainly a very busy season of motherhood!! I am learning these scriptures right along with her so I typed up some "reminders" to post around the house. Brian wasn't a huge fan of the new decor, but I reminded him that our girlies souls are more important (and of course he agreed) haha

I have faith that Sophia can demonstrate a good example for her already feisty (yet adorable) little sister!!

Aren't they just the best?!?! :)

2010-03-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

You'll want to turn off the volume on my music player so you can hear the video!!

Finally Spring!! from Lindsey Knott on Vimeo.

SPRING!!

2010-03-18T05:40:00.000-07:00

We found these adorable mini flip flops for Sophia at Old Navy!! She loves having shoes "just like mama's fip-fops"!! haha She's still getting used to how to walk in them, but it's adorable to watch her try. I hereby dedicate these shoes to the approaching Spring. High of 68 today...woohoo!!

The Exit...

2010-03-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

Look where Autumn drove us!! HAHA Ok ok, rather look where the Lord drove us!! After many many tears and prayers, we are on the horizon of a new beginning. This week we will finally begin our plan to move forward financially. It is OUR turn to pull off the monotonous, broken highway of debt and onto a calmer, more scenic side road ordained by the Lord :) No more credit card debt!! PRAISE GOD!! Almost two years now away from the dearest friends known to man and a church that blessed us far beyond words...I cannot believe it has been so long!! The road has been wobbly but the Lord has remained steadfast. He has shown us grace and favor in more ways than I thought imaginable. Mini blessings here and there have helped to keep us pressing forward. So undeserved, but our God loves us THAT much. We trust in the Lord for continued strength to begin to build life HERE in THIS place. I am just so thankful for the release of this particular burden. Of course, there are still obstacles to overcome but this is a great first step. Thank you again to anyone who took the time to pray for my family. The Lord is so faithful. In times when it seemed our highway of financial trial would never find the much anticipated "exit", we were consistently reminded to look UP. Our GPS may have malfunctioned but my God's was right on track. "Do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise..." 2 Peter 3:8-9

And thank you to Brian for being the dedicated, hard working, God fearing husband and father that you are. You continue to lead us, although far from perfectly, into the paths set forth by a good and gracious God. No one can ask for perfection, simply a heart that strives after becoming more like Christ each and every day. We love you!!

Trouble up the road...

2010-03-15T10:57:00.001-07:00

Autumn, bless her heart, always wishes she could be just a BIT older than she is. She likes to do everything big sister does and often has that curious look in her eye (those with crazy kids know what I'm talking about haha). Well, seems her latest mission is to conquer the roadways (and daddy was surprisingly more than happy to accommodate!!) I'm sure he will be toting her along to car shows before she turns 5. I'd put money on it!! These pictures came out a little strange due to the garage and reflection from the glass but they still make me laugh...

"Eyes on the road babe!!!"

This is how mommy prefers her little angels ride in the car :) Muuuch better!!

medi-sin...

2010-03-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it is spelt wrong but my children have added a whole new meaning to the word. Medi-sin = alternate spelling of the word medicine...definition = when your kids deliberate disobey your instruction concerning a controlled substance of types. Let me explain...the girls have had colds on and off for about two months now (not fun for anyone). Last time they fell ill, the Dr. suggested that I give them warm apple juice with honey, benadryl to dry them up and apply vicks vapor-rub to the soles of their feet before bedtime. Remembering these techniques this time around I decided to implement them right away. Last night, after a looong day, we had baths. The girls were beautifully cleaned, in their pj's, hair dried and medicine taken. I must note that my girls are OBSESSED with medicine. They ask for it on a regular basis (and I don't give it to them often, honestly!!). Sophia proceeded to ask about a hundred times if she could touch the vicks vapor-rub that I was applying to their feet. I repeatedly told her "no" that it wasn't a toy but medicine and she was not allowed to touch it. She finally "accepted my answer" (or so I thought) and I left them to peacefully read a book together on Sophia's bed. I put the vapor-rub "up high" (or again, so I thought).

I returned to the bathroom to clean out the tub and put the dirty clothes into the hamper. No more than five minutes later, I hear quiet giggles from across the hall. "What's going on in there?", I ask. "Nothin Mama, just div buppa da medicine. Buppa div me da medicine too!", responds Sophia. My heart sinks (thinking they somehow got ahold of the benadryl) but as I am racing towards her door I pass the benadryl safely sitting outside the gate where I left it. Next thing I know I am standing in front of two girls who are COVERED from head to toe with a shiny, whitish, thick and sticky substance. "NOOOOOOO!!!", I screech. My lovely SINFUL three year old had deliberately disobeyed me. She had taken her plastic tinker-bell chair from her bedroom, piled it with pillows and climbed up to the shelf where I had left the vapor-rub. She unscrewed the top and the girls began GENEROUSLY spreading it all over each other. I'm talking in their hair, all over their clothes, covering their faces like masks and I could BARELY see Autumn's ears underneath the globs of vapor-rub. My response was a bit less than gracious as I had to redo baths, redo hair drying, redo pajamas, redo the bedding and was still left with two heads of greasy matted down hair (any suggestions for easily removing vapor-rub from long flowing locks of hair, please let me know).

By the time I was finished it was late, my patience was worn thin and I needed to buy more vapor-rub....sigh. But alas, the crisis is over and it's a memory I suppose. I do believe that the most "memorable" part of this situation was simply remembering that my girls aren't alone in their sin. Inspired by a dear friend of mine, Sophia and I have started to sing the gospel song before bed each night. As I sang it with her after "the ordeal" I was freshly reminded of how my actions towards the Lord are at times just as deliberately disobedient as my little girls are. I guess Sophia and I have a lot to work on TOGETHER. I may be 22 years older but surely not 22 years wiser when it comes to the occasional belligerent attitude. Anyhow, it's a good thing vapor-rub isn't all that dangerous. I did read the label and although it clearly states "not recommended for use directly on the face, in the nostrils or around the ears" what can you do?!?! It's now Monday morning, the girls survived the night and I am starting with a cup of coffee and my bible. Here's to a new day :)

The numbers game...

2010-03-13T10:04:00.000-08:00

So my "lesson" with Sophia today went as follows:

Me: "Ok babe, let's count to ten!"

S: "Ok...1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10"

Me: "Great job!! Ok now repeat 1-2-3"

S: "3"

Me: "No. Say each number" (holding up my fingers)

S: "Letter A"

Me: "No. Not letters...NUMBERS...say 1-2-3"

S: "1-2-7"

Me: "No. Who said 7? No one said 7"

S: "Yes mama. Me did!!"

And so it continued until I about lost my sanity. Am I called to home-school my kids? I think NOT!! Maybe the sugar from her morning donuts caused a brain misfire? Or maybe she's just rebelling against learning on a Saturday?? One may never know. LOL

My Sophia...

2010-03-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

Lately, I have been seeing my little three year old blossom into such a grown up little girlie. She has brought me so much joy and laughter that I get teary eyed just looking at her some days. The things she says are at times HILARIOUS and often far beyond her years. I have to stop and wonder where on earth she gets these things from!! I thought I would share with you a few of our most recent conversations. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did hearing them :)

S: "Mama, I love you sooo much"

Me: "Oh thank you baby, I love you so much too!"

S: "You is my best friend Mama" (small pause) "Ummm well, you and puppy"

She has a stuffed animal dog that my mom bought her for Valentines Day. We tried to get her to name the thing (since she treats it as if it were real...feeding it, putting it to bed and making it talk to her) but she insists that it's name is "just puppy" haha

S: "Mama, are we going to the mail today?" (mail=mall)

Me: "No baby not today"

S: "But how mama?" (she says "how" instead of "why"...I've tried to correct her but yet again she insists her grammar is correct haha)

Me: "Well we just don't need to buy anything there today"

S: "But daddy said mama...daddy said 'I wanna go a mail!!'"

Me: "Well daddy likes to go to the mall, but he was just kidding honey"

S: "But the bible says mama" (with a cheesy grin on her face)

The girl will try anything to go shopping...UH OH!! :)

And lastly, as we were driving home last night we had the song "Never Let Go" by the David Crowder Band playing in the car. Each time the chorus came on we heard a very enthusiastic pre-schooler belting out the words from the back seat "YOU NEVER LEEEET GO...NEVER LEEEEET GO....YOU NEVER LEEEET GOOO-OOOO" and then she would say "Mama I sing it! I sing a song!" haha I was just grateful it happened to be a godly song she chose to repeat (daddy is ghetto at heart and can often find himself wandering to the rap station!! haha)

WEST SIDE!!

2010-02-11T11:17:00.002-08:00

How to sum up our trip to California?!?! We had such an amazing time. The packing and the super long plane ride were horrible and I don't want to do either for a long long time. Overall, however, I am glad we went :) We had some disagreements with the flight attendants on the first flight. In short I ended up having to hold a wiggly, very cranky and irritable Autumn on my lap for 45 minutes. I really didn't hold her. She more like flailed and rolled around on the dirty floor while screaming bloody murder and smacking Sophia because she was sitting in her seat...sigh. By the grace of the Lord, we were able to put Autumn in the car seat (as planned) for all the other flights. We had a two hour layover both coming and going (definitely not recommended with kids) and my legs were so numb from Sophia sleeping my lap that I wasn't sure I'd ever walk again!! haha Anyways, we finally arrived at some ungodly hour on Christmas Eve. My sister-in-laws house is just beautiful. The view from her backyard consists of "snow-capped mountains" and gorgeous dessert with palm trees. I sure wouldn't mind waking up to THAT every day. We had a lot of fun filled family time. My girls got to bond with their three older cousins and they enjoyed every minute of it. Lia and her husband Chris took us on some wonderful day trips (including one to Newport Beach where we were able to meet up with my best friend from Maryland!!). We were so blessed. I am tearing up even as I type about it. I miss Tiffany dearly and the Lord was so kind to orchestrate our vacations to meet each other out west. We all had a very relaxing time and hope to be able to go back when the girls get a bit older. I can't say thank you enough to Lia for housing the mass amounts of family that showed up at her door :) We love you Lia!! This post contains some pictures that I took of the trip. If you want to see some amazing pictures Brian's cousin took (he's a very talented professional unlike myself) than you can view them on his Facebook page (Justin Mein)!!

Ok so I lied...I HAD to put up some of the pictures Justin took...he's so talented and they are so great, I had to share...these first eight are his...

Now are mine...the difference is saddening right?? LOL

2010-02-11T11:17:00.001-08:00

Detour...

2010-02-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

Alright, so I know I SAID the next post was going to be of the California trip. However, I forgot to post about Sophia's first hair cut!! After over 2 1/2 years of combatting Brian to let me take the girl for a hair cut, he FINALLY agreed that it was time. I must admit I was really nervous. She doesn't always take well to new situations and I did NOT want to scare her off!! I ended up being sooo proud of my girlie. She was very excited when I told her where we were headed. She had remembered me telling her I was going to get MY hair cut not too long prior and automatically grabbed at the chance to do something mommy had done!! The place we went to was awesome. It is designed for kids and caters to them in every way. She got to watch a special video, hold a princess mirror and even get a surprise from the "magic machine" when she was done. She sat very still, gave her opinions and politely thanked the stylist!! We didn't cut much of,f since she has such gorgeous hair. We did get a cute little trim though. Here are the pictures!!

Where has the time gone?

2010-02-11T10:06:00.001-08:00

It has been quite a while since I posted on this blog...or my personal blog...or on anything for that matter!! I tend to go through periods where I just simply forget :) Many months have passed since fall (although I guess I never did finish my pumpkin patch post) and winter has been showing its chilly personality. For the very first time since we moved, this past week I was able to say "I am glad we don't live in Maryland anymore!!". They got hammered with loads and loads of snow. It did snow once here but all was virtually melted in the next 2-3 days. Good old southern sun :) Anyways, the most recent events that have transpired were of course Thanksgiving, Christmas and Sophia's 3rd birthday!! I'll just put up a few pictures from each. We were able to spend Thanksgiving here at our house with my mom and Brian's brother's family. Christmas we were so blessed to be able to travel to beautiful California to spend time with Brian's sister's family (and his parents and grandmother and aunt's family and again his brother's family!!). And for Sophia's birthday we played it low key with a few days of special birthday surprises and a mini family party. As we sang to her and cut her cake I was reflecting on how much my girls have changed just in the past few months. Sophia's most commonly used phrase has become "I do it a-self, mama" (aka "I'll do it myself"). I can't believe how independent and grown-up she is becoming. Although she can still be a bit hard to understand, she has amazingly intelligent conversations with me and just LOVES to play pretend. It brings me such joy to listen to her pray at night and to hear her new found excitement over going to church to play with the other kids. She has come a long way in the social sphere so thank goodness for that!! Autumn's new favorite past time (besides eating and mimicking all that big sister does) is taking off her diaper and declaring "No no diii-paa...pee paw-ee" (aka "No no diaper...pee potty"). She loves to say it but isn't so fond of actually following through haha She'd rather play with the toilet paper and flush than be productive with the process. Anyways, they have both been sick with colds and stomach bugs for about three weeks now. Today they are finally feeling much better and back to their usual energy level. Praise God for his healing :) Enjoy the pictures I will post more specific updates later today.

I apologize for the brevity of the account and images of each of these events...once you get this far behind in posting it's hard to catch up unless you just bundle things together!! haha

Happy 3rd Birthday Sophia!!

(We went to the build-a-bear factory as a special treat...she built a birthday bunny as you can see!!)

"Christmas" Morning in NC (we did our own mini christmas before heading out to California...I will document the Cali trip in the next post)

Thanksgiving festivities (Sophia really enjoyed making pies with us!!) :)

A Preview of Our Pumpkin Patch Visit...

2009-10-03T17:42:00.000-07:00

I've been uploading and editing pictures all afternoon and therefore I am posting this mini collage as a sneak peak of the pictures and story to come. For those of you with access to FB, I have more pictures up there if you can't wait!! Enjoy!! :)

"Mouse a scare you!!!"

2009-10-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

So we decided to take Sophia and Autumn for their FIRST trip to the stimulating world of Chucky Cheese. Every kid HAS to go there at least once in their life right? I mean we all did it as kids. The rides, the tokens, the games, the tickets, the prizes, the pizza and THE MOUSE!! Well, we were excited but we performed the parental "no no" number one!! We went on a Saturday afternoon...haha What were we thinking?? Craziness ensued. That place was packed out!! Brian was a nervous wreck that we were going to lose the girls, older kids were pushing my poor Autumn down the slide and then there was our Sophia and her flair for the dramatic. I have never seen a child throw such a fit over an animated character!! She thought it was the devil (I mean literally). She saw him...her eyes became HUGE and glazed over...her mouth dropped open...her lip quivered...her knees buckled...and she screamed "MOMMMMYY!! MOUSE A SCARE YOU!! IT SCARE YOU!! IT GET ME!! IT SCARE YOU!!" Needless to say we left immediately in order to avoid any permanent damage to her childhood memories. Soooo these pictures are taken from two separate trips to Chucky Cheese. We had so many tokens left over from our first disaster that I took the girls up again (with a friend and her cutie kids) during the week when NO ONE else was there. As soon as we pulled up Sophia said "Uh oh Mama!! NOOO!! Mouse a scare you!!" So we had a long talk about how the mouse was nice and she didn't have to go see him if she didn't want to. I explained how she could stay in the play area and watch him dance and that Jesus and myself would protect her from anything scary. She finally agreed and actually had a fun time. I think her favorite part was the skeet ball!! That's my girl!! Anyways, enjoy these pictures I managed to snap and keep my sensitive little toddler's soul in your prayers...haha

This first one is my favorite...the little boy just popped out and Autumn thought it was hilarious...so glad I captured it!!

Cereal...

2009-08-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

Sophia has recently discovered that her new favorite food is cereal. She does not, however, like ANY kind of cereal. It HAS to be Honey Bunches of Oats for the most part. Every now and then she ventures to eat Kix or Cheerios. As you can see she thoroughly enjoys this food. It was too cute to not quickly share!!

It's Official...

2009-08-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

No more bottles for Autumn!!! The day has come...she has moved on...and so away they are packed...it is sad but true. I am torn between being nostalgic and just simply grateful that my life is slowly getting easier as the days pass. Don't get me wrong, we are still at a TOUGH intermediate stage in the little munchkins lives, BUT God is gracious. Each day He shows me more of himself in my precious babies. So this post is a so long and farewell to the "bubba" and hello to the "cuppy" (as Sophia endearingly calls it). Autumn is just getting so big!! Can you believe it??

Happy 4th!!

2009-07-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

We had the privilege of being visited by Brian's family from Maryland for the 4th of July weekend. We were also blessed, by my husbands diligent searching, to find a boat to rent on Lake Norman! It was a BEAUTIFUL day on the 3rd and we had an amazing time enjoying each other and the Lord's creation. On the 4th, we had a great cookout here at our house and then were again blessed to find the most amazing fireworks ever! A few neighborhoods over (the "mansion community" as we call them) dropped thousands on some killer fireworks. They closed down their culdesac and shot them off right there in the street. We were maybe 50 feet away from the "launch zone" and those bad boys were RIGHT up over our heads. These were no home made fireworks either. They were what you would see at a professional display. The neighbors behind them and around the corner also had a great show going on. It was like "fireworks wars" between these two streets. We were surrounded 360 degrees by beautiful fireworks (and nasty smoke but beggars cant be choosers!!) The girls loved them but were sooo exhausted that they both fell asleep! How they could sleep through the bangs and cheers who knows but they did. Here are some photos of the boat trip on Lake Norman that Justin Mein (Brian's super talented cousin) took. His website is www.jmeinphotography.com if you ever need a professional in MD! God Bless America (Lord knows we need it)!

Our New Favorite Things to Do...

2009-07-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

As of last week, my girls have found their own new favorite activities. I am sooo pleased to report that Sophia's new favorite past time is GOING TO THE POTTY!!! She is almost completely potty trained and I couldn't be more proud of her. She hasn't quite gotten the concept of TELLING me when she has to go, but if I watch her every few hours she does the "wiggle and grab" as we have named it. She marches with me to the potty emerges with a beaming smile after she completes the pee pee task...haha She has only had 2 accidents in the past 4 days (one of which was my fault) and she is very emphatic that "Diapa for Buppa Mama, Phia big dirl unda-wea!!"

There is a mall near by that has a lovely little choo-choo train. The train is kiddie sized and gives rides around the mall. It really is super cute (but a major rip off I might add!! $3 per person and adults have to pay!!). My mom wanted to treat the girls one day so we got aboard the choo-choo. Sophia was thrilled right up until it was time to actually board the train. She cried and yelled "NOOO CHOO CHOO MAMA!!". I'm not quite sure what made her change her mind but she surely didn't want to ride! Autumn on the other hand could not get enough!! She took a ride with my mom and was in her glory. She now gets overly excited when anyone mentions "the choo choo". I hope she doesn't throw a fit every time we enter that mall now!! Here are a few pictures of her sticking her head out the windows. I'd have included some of the proud potty power Sophia but these days she hides her face when I try to snap any pictures (hopefully just a phase).

The Girls Rooms Continued...

2009-07-06T09:28:00.001-07:00

We went with more of a simple butterfly theme in Sophia's room. She loooves her "fuffa-fies" and "fliiii-as" (butterflies and flowers for translastion)!! haha

The Girls Rooms...

2009-07-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

For Autumn's birthday, Brian and I decided to decorate her room. It has been pretty boring and highly non-stimulating for the first 7 months we lived here. So we loaded up the troops and headed to IKEA for a little shopping spree. Here is what we came up with!! I cut birds and such out of some scrap booking paper that we got at AC Moore and the big white flowers are actually lights!! It was fun to create a little space for our munchkin. Of course we had to spruce up Phia's room in the process so the following post will be pictures of her room.

Father's Day...

2009-07-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

I decided to take my lovely hubby to Carowinds Amusement Park for a father's day surprise. They were hosting their first annual car show and if you know my husband you know he LOVES cars!! And well, let's be honest, who wouldn't want to go ride some crazy roller coaster and water rides!! He was very surprised and had a great time. We haven't done a lot of "fun" things together since we moved here to NC. It has been an insane past 9 months and it was nice to just simply enjoy one another. We felt like little kids again, screaming and hollering as we whirled around. I haven't heard my love laugh so hard in quite a while. It was a blessed idea that the Lord supernaturally knew we needed and placed into my little brain. Thank you God for your graciousness and for a wonderful day of memories!!

Some pictures for fun...

2009-07-06T08:30:00.001-07:00

More on Autumn...

2009-07-06T08:23:00.001-07:00

I thought I would continue to theme and finish the updates on Autumn. I am sad to report that she had her first major incident about a week ago. She was playing happily outside with Meme and Sophia one minute, and the next she is screaming her head off!! In the blink of an eye she apparently launched herself face first off the mini lounge chair and onto the concrete patio. My poor little girlie split her top lip and got some nasty scrapes across her little nose. By God's grace she did not need stitches. Just lots of tylenol and tlc :) One week later, you can't even tell anything happened. Some might think I'm crazy for making mention of all this, but for me it was a noteworthy milestone (every first needs to be mentioned!!). Here is a shot of her injury. She was eating at the time I took this so don't be thrown off by the bits of food on her face...haha Poor thing!!

Catching up big time!!

2009-07-06T07:50:00.000-07:00

So this is going to be update post number one of eight. Yes, count em eight!! :) It has been a long time since I got on this blog. Sorry to those who have been bugging me to work on it. Our life just got busy, as it often does. Now that I know how to shrink my pictures, I am hoping it will take half the time to load them. However, since I am attempting so many posts they will be short and sweet. I hope you can still get the gist of what's been going on with the Knotts!!

I guess we will start with an update on Autumn. She turned one!! June 4th was her big milestone day and we had her cookout/pool party on the 6th. She is getting bigger and "older" every day. She is weighing and measuring average at the doctors and is still eating with a furious appetite...haha The ONLY thing she hasn't been a huge fan of is watermelon. She has taken a maximum of 5 steps on her own and is quickly working her way to "walking" status. She is learning things such as how to brush her teeth, comb her hair, attempt to put on her shoes, tell me when she's "all done" eating, respond with "yes" or "no" and give kisses!! How fast they grow. Personality wise, she has unfortunately developed quite a temper. Some of it is due to the need for self defense against her pushy big sister (we are working on loving one another!!) but it's mostly that innate sin starting to ooze out. Oh the joys of shepherding our children's hearts. God has been faithful to give us wisdom on how to guide a one year old through a bitty fit of rage (though we still have much to learn!!). Anyways, here are a few shots from her birthday party.

Oh Sunny Easter...

2009-04-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

For the most part, Easter day was pretty uneventful. Church was amazing and the mini Easter carnival was great fun. But after those quick festivities, we had a very relaxing day at home. Meme bought us a grill!! Woohoo!! So we grilled hotdogs (Nathans of course) and played outside in the beautiful sunshine. Phia LOVES being outdoors, as you can see. Autumn was sleepy but really enjoying the fresh air and special time with daddy. Here are a few snap shots of the day :)

Brian's replica...only more adorable!!

2009-03-13T07:46:00.001-07:00

What can I say? she's my sweet Autumn Joy...

She certainly has spunk like that of a boy...

She's crawling, she's babbling, she's eating like mad...

She's crazy, she's BUMPA!!, she's just like her dad :0)

I thought we left the white stuff behind?!?!...

2009-03-13T07:13:00.001-07:00

Well much to my dismay, it snowed a little over a week ago. Of course, now being a "southerner" I was not too thrilled (but Sophia sure had fun!). As school principles panicked, businesses shut down and grocery stores were packed with crazed hillbillies, I enjoyed a warm cup of cocoa and a small backyard adventure with one enthusiastic two year old.

Oh Buuuumpa....

2009-02-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

So my little munchkin has now fully surpassed all of my wildest dreams. She eats WHATEVER I put in front of her chubby little face. I should say, rather, that she attacks and devours all foods...haha I am thrilled beyond belief that the Lord has rewarded my struggles with picky little princess Sophia and given me a child of great ease and flexibility (in the food department at least!!) Here are a few pictures of bumpa chowing down. (And just to give you a sample of her new eating habits, today in total she ate all of the following...)

Cheerios
Half a Bagel
Banana slices
Puffs
Veggie Cheese Doodles
5 Mini Meat and Veggie Raviolis
1 1/2 Chicken Nuggets
Chicken and Stars Gerber Graduate soup
Half a Pancake
AND 4 bottles totaling 12 oz of whole milk and 12 oz of formula
(at least that is all I can remember...)

GOOOOODNESS CHILD! :)

A New Addition...

2009-01-20T11:06:00.001-08:00

Just a quick note to announce that I have started another blog. A more personal blog. THIS one here is dedicated to my girls and family life in general. So for all those who would like to keep tabs on ME (in a different capacity I suppose) than feel free to visit and follow along with the OTHER one also. The link is www.aprayerandapromise.blogspot.com. You can also simply access it if you click on the image of Brian and I to the right of this page. If you want to return to this page, just click on the image of me in the other blog.

My Little Picasso...

2009-01-17T19:11:00.001-08:00

It was a cold, dreary, rainy day...what to do while stuck inside with a bored 2 year old?? Well, thankfully, Auntie Angela bought Sophia a very special paint set that provided at least an hours worth of entertainment. It's a wonderful no mess creation that no mom should go without. The paints are clear and only show up in color on the special paper provided. Sure she can still make a gooey mess on the table, chairs or whatever else her paint brush comes in contact with (including her face...which she was so kind to explore) BUT at least it just wipes away in one easy step. It really was a perfect gift. Sophia is becoming quite a little artist. We started putting up her work on the pantry door. Every time she goes to get a snack she points up and smiles with such pride :) Love you big girlie xoxo

Oh the Wonder...

2009-01-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

Sophia immensely enjoyed all of her gifts (which were lavished upon her in large quantity...haha) Brian and I only bought her THREE things and her toy room is filled to capacity!! Meme and Auntie Angela bought her some of the most adorable little girl dream toys that I have ever seen (included the above dress up shoes!!). Much more than either of us could have imagined. Auntie Lia bought her some treasured monkey slippies (which she insists on wearing almost every morning). Aaand Nana and Papa furnished her with many more things along with princess dresses to top it all off. Thank you to everyone who loves and adores our littles as much as we do. We are eternally grateful!!

New Year and New Friends...

2009-01-07T06:56:00.000-08:00

This post is in honor of an adorable little guy named "blue bear". This little blue bear became a dear friend to our little Sophia over the past week. A hospital is never a welcome place in a two year olds heart, but having a cuddly pal to share the experience with makes things a little easier. On the Tuesday before New Years, we took Sophia into the ER (due to the fact that she could not stop throwing up and became so dehydrated that she was actually producing blood in her throw up). It was a scary sight and a scary 12 hours. We sat for a long long time in the waiting room (from 10:30 pm to 3:00 am to be exact) and waited to be seen by some tired and not so friendly nurses and doctors. Fortunately, one nurse was nice enough to recognize our little girls sadness and fear, and gave her little blue bear for comfort. We held our baby down while she was given a catheter for a urine sample and stuck with needles for blood samples and IV fluids. She was SUCH a trooper. The Lord gave all of us special grace amidst exhaustion and pain. I laid in the hospital bed with her for nearly 6 hours until her little body was deemed viable enough to return home. Luckily we had Nana and Papa visiting to care for baby Autumn and provide us with support and REST when we got back. I know it was just the flu and many parents have gone through far greater trials with their little ones, but for ME it was a trying time. I become more aware of our weakness and fragility as humans and how strong and mighty of heavenly Father is. We prayed with Sophia while I held her close and paced the hospital floors. She has grown to cherish closing her eyes and folding her little hands in reverence to the Lord. She is such a great blessing (in sickness and health) and I am so proud of her. Love you little mama. We are glad your feeling better!

A Glimpse into our Holiday...

2009-01-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

So, as we planned to sit and reflect on this past year, to meditate on God's goodness, to enjoy our little bundles of joy and the gracious family visitors from both sides, we were quickly reminded that our plans are not exactly God's :) We had a very pleasant and eventful Christmas but soon after the glories of December 25th faded we were struck with chaos of epic proportions. Leaving out the gruesome details, I will simply say that the horrid stomach flu invaded and invaded hard. We had ten people staying with us through New Year for the celebrations. To give you an idea of the damages, SEVEN out of TEN of us ended up spending AT LEAST 24 hours making very good friends with the porcelain throwns of my home. Two emergency room visits (one including my precious Sophia), hours of disinfecting and sanitizing, billions of nasty diapers and a million loads of laundry later, we are just about free and clear. We are still recovering but I wanted to share a few pictures and brief updates before I forget. Soooo here are a few posts for you to enjoy. Merry Christmas and Happy 2009 to everyone we love!

Please pray...

2008-12-09T12:12:00.001-08:00

I am writing this post for a few reasons. Simply because my heart is heavy today and yet it is filled with such joy and gratefulness at the same time. A family we knew back in MD recently had their precious five week old daughter taken home to heaven. We weren't super close to this family but I can't stop shedding tears and feeling a pain in my heart when I think of them. Heather is an incredible woman of God who has been walking through this trial with a grace and strength like none I have ever known. When I look at my girls lately I am again brought to tears in thankfulness for them simply being. They are here, they are mine to care for and they bring me great joy. Please please pray for the Castro family if you have a moment. Their burdens are the burdens of the body of Christ and we want to join with them in celebrating and grieving their little Alivia Sandra Castro. May God's faithfulness shine upon your family Heather. I wish we were closer to help you practically.

I encourage you, if you are walking through a trial of any magnitude right now, to visit the Castro family blog at www.castroclan.blogspot.com It has been such an amazing example to me of God's REAL and EVIDENT love to his children.

Playground Fun!!

2008-12-09T10:57:00.001-08:00

We took the little pumpkin heads to the park the other day. Sophia had such a grand time!! It is the park in our neighborhood community and it is the PERFECT toddler size. She can climb and jump and slide all on her own (which you must know by now, she likes to do things ON HER OWN...haha) Here are a few cute shots I captured. I'm sure the grandparents will have fun bringing her here on the holiday break. Enjoy!!

6 month stats on baby...

2008-12-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

Weighing in at a whopping 17.4 lbs (75th percentile) and measuring 25 1/2 inches long (50th percentile) "little" Autumn certainly isn't very little anymore...haha As she incessantly blew spit bubbles and made raspberry noises during her appointment, the doctor's words were "well she is clearly a very happy, healthy and BIG girl!!" haha She is definitely much happier and mostly acid reflux free. She downs about 30 ounces of formula per day (6 ounces more than Sophia ever put away!!) Praise God for my healthy munchkin. She is joyful, energetic and always smiling. We are so blessed. Happy 6 month Birthday Bumpa!!

Tranquilizing Turkey...

2008-12-01T17:44:00.000-08:00

After much excitement, laughter, turkey, potatoes and pie...Autumn just couldn't keep those adorable eyes open one minute longer. She passed out on Shelly's mom (a virtual stranger mind you...haha) and was completely content at her first Thanksgiving Day celebration. She takes after her daddy...this is what the holiday's do to him too...haha

Sophia on the other hand had much too much pumpkin pie and turtle ice cream cake to keep her going and going and going (just like the energizer bunny...haha) Here she is trying to look innocent while sticking her entire fist into the bowl of melting ice cream cake. At least she ate her turkey before she forced me into giving her dessert. Who can say "no" to that face huh?

Good Morning Sleepy Head...

2008-11-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

Sophia has finally upgraded to a toddler bed!! My little girl is not going to be so little forever. We drove out to pick up the bed (we bought it off craigslist) and Brian's first reaction was "THIS is the bed? Are you sure? It looks like a doll bed!! It's sooo tiny!!". Upon further reflexion however he realized that it is JUST the right size for a two year old and Phia agrees. She LOVED the bed from day one. Once we brought it home and reassembled it she climbed on in and exclaimed "OH WOW! ni-ni mommy ni-ni" as she waved to me with her head on the pillow (of course ni-ni is toddler talk for goodnight). I asked her if she liked her new big girl bed and she smiled and emphatically answered "YAH!". She slept in it that first night, and every night since, without a single complaint. She didn't even mind that we gave her crib to AJ. She simply pointed to it and said "Bumpa ni-ni". So here it is in all it's glory. Sophia's bed complete with monkey and her matching Sophia dolly from Auntie Donna :) We are blessed to have a child who transitions so easily.

After a good night's sleep in her new bed, she decided to start the day with a bad case of bed-head and a yummy apple cinnamon waffle. I had to capture her in the act of actually eating considering she is still a PICKY PICKY girl when it comes to food.

We are here...

2008-11-05T14:45:00.000-08:00

My little photographer...believe it or not, Sophia took this picture all by herself!!! haha

Well...we are here in NC...finally!! We just moved into our new home this past weekend. Things have been hectic but I am so grateful to finally have the house hunting complete. Once the boxes are gone I will take some pictures and post them. After living with Andre and April for a month, God has graciously blessed us with a lovely 4 bedroom rental and the girls are loving it!! Autumn has her own room with a crib to sleep in (at last!!) and Sophia has her own space along with a large play room to run free through. We can breathe a sigh of relief as we venture into our new journey down south. I miss my best girl friends terribly and still have hard days, but the Lord has proven himself time and time again. I have no doubt it will feel like home here sooner than later. Our new address is 10818 Traders Court, Davidson NC 28036. Feel free to send us mail!! We are anticipating being with family for the holidays and just taking things one day at a time. Love you all, thanks for your support and I will update whenever I get a free moment. These days they are few and far between but I will find them!!

Bumpa!! As Sophia so endearingly calls her...

2008-11-05T14:37:00.000-08:00

It doesn't get much cuter than this!! She is looking more like a mini version of Sophia (only with much less hair...haha) She is still daddy's little girl however. She has such a sweet spirit. She loves to cuddle and smiles at everyone who will smile back. Love you bumpa!!

The Harvest Festival...

2008-11-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

We took Sophia to the Harvest Festival at Freedom House church. She just couldn't get enough of those goats!! The staff let her pet (and kiss...haha) a little baby bunny. And she ever posed for a photo with daddy and the Rita's Italian Ice cup!! She had a blast eating funnel cake for the first time and following around the other kids. Happy fall baby girl :)

Being silly :)

2008-10-21T11:52:00.001-07:00

Growing up so fast...

2008-10-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

Well since the move Brian packed my camera adaptor in the POD. Therefore I cannot post any pictures of my baby girls!!! But I took a few of AJ using my computer camera so here she is!!

So Much To Say, So Little Time...

2008-08-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

Well, as many of you know, much has happened over the past few weeks!! As soon as I get my new camera (woohoo for birthday's and generous family members!!) I will post more pictures of the ever growing angel babies. Since there is so much to update you all on, I will start today with the happier side of things. And the news is....we finally cured the troubles of my little AJ (I know I have said this before, but this time I REALLY mean it!! haha) As I was praying for my baby girl, I had an impression to go online and search for ways to help soothe her discomfort. I began researching different formula options to help with the reflux symptoms, and I randomly came across a very interesting blog. A father had written about his son (around AJ's age) who had basically the same symptoms and "diagnosis" as her. He commented on his blog that his son seemed to have a sensitivity to the DHA and ARA that they are now adding to infant formula. I thought, at first, that this was a bit strange. But the more I looked into it the more convinced I became that there was validity behind his claim. I researched where this imitation DHA and ARA comes from and found that it is extracted from plant algae and fungus and really bears very little similarity to the DHA and ARA truly found in breastmilk. I found reports from the FDA stating that there is very little conclusive evidence that these added elements truly do help support healthy brain and eye development (like it says on the can). I also found an article by the Cornicopia University (I'll include the link) that had documented over 100 reported cases of ADVERSE affect of the DHA and ARA on infants. I read through the reports and realized that most of them described exactly what my little girl was suffering from. So in short, I immediately went and bought the Nestle Goodstart formula WITHOUT the added DHA and ARA and started her on it. As of 48 hours ago, we have had a newly healthy and happy baby. She has had less fussier days, less spitting up, less needed medication, easier bedtime routines and she has even slept ALL through the night the past 2 nights!! Praise God for the internet and for His grace and guidance. If you happen to know a mommy who has a baby on formula and suffering from any symptoms related to acid reflux, excessive gas and/or colic please refer them to these sites. It may be a huge lifesaver!!

www.cornucopia.org/DHA/DHA_NewsRelease.pdf
http://usfoodpolicy.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-safe-and-effective-are-dha-and-ara.html

18 month check-up...

2008-07-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Weighing in at 25 lbs 6 oz and measuring 31 1/2 inches tall, Sophia sure has grown!! She is in the 75 percentile for weight (nooo surprise there) and she's just about average for height. The doctor says everything looks great and she even suggested beginning the potty training process!! My little girlie is growing up so fast, but I'm excited for her to be older and for us to be able to develop our relationship. The message this past Sunday was so challenging and encouraging at the same time. It was about raising our children to be the best possible version of themselves by committing to love them, discipline them, train them and have them spend as much time with us (in the company of the wise) as possible. It's work that's for sure but even at 18 months we are beginning to see the fruits of our labor. Sophia loves to pray and worship. She folds her hands and bows her head at every meal and every nap/bed time without even being prompted!! God is so good. Our babies are such blessings and we are so grateful.

Spitty Update...

2008-07-29T06:24:00.001-07:00

Alas, I believe we may have truly discovered the secret behind my little Autumn's fussy demeanor. At her five week check up the doctor mentioned that her tongue looked a bit white and she thought she had mild thrush (which is a yeast infection in the mouth). She said to watch and see if it gets thicker or spreads and if so than she would call in an RX to treat it for her. Well, I hadn't noticed any significant change (so I thought) as the days went on. But the fussier she became the more worried I became. So one day I happened to tilt her head back and take a good look in her mouth. WELL let me tell you...she had white patches EVERYWHERE!! On the inside of her cheeks, the roof of her mouth, on the inside of her lips and her tongue was a solid block of whiteness. Needless to say I got the RX right away and started her on it. It's kind of nasty stuff but already less than 24 hours later she seems soooo much happier. I looked up thrush online and found that it can cause great fussiness and irritability. I mean think about it, its a yeast infection!!! Ohhh my poor lovey. But thank the Lord for treatment. Keep praying with me that she will get better in a week's time or less and that she will transform into a more content child :)

Oooooh Autumn...

2008-07-23T05:34:00.000-07:00

Precious Teeny Tiny One...

Wow, so that myth about second babies being easier than firsts??? WRONG in my case...haha. My new little girl has already proven to be quite the handful and she is only 7 weeks old!! Talk about a high maintenance kid. She fusses and spits up more than any baby I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She fusses even when her eyes are closed!! We switched her formula to soy after about 5 1/2 weeks because she just seemed so unhappy. That worked for about a week and now I feel that we are back on the same boat again. She stays awake from about 9 p.m.-12 a.m. EVERY night and when she finally falls asleep it is a sweet thing!! haha Now I don't mean that she is just awake. This child will squirm and wiggle and grunt and fuss and want her pacifier than suddenly launch it across the room and cry for it again...sigh. Lately she has been sleeping until about 7 in the morning (which is great!!) but going to bed so late is taking its toll on me. She does much better during the day so I am figuring she just has a touch of night time colic. In short, pray for us!! These past 7 weeks have been tough on Brian and I. Trust in the Lord has taken central focus as we slowly remember what it was like to have a newborn. We also have moments that we stare at our big girl in disbelief that she got so big so fast!! We are filled with mixed emotions of both wishing we could skip past all the hardship of early baby life and desperately trying to savor every moment for as long as we can, knowing it will end all too soon. Luckily Sophia has been a champion sleeper in the mornings (not waking up until 8:30 sometimes 9!!) On that note, I hear her now!! Anyways, a plea to my little AJ to end this post...please don't grow too fast but just fast enough to keep mommy sane!!! xoxox Any suggestions for help are welcome :)

Sophia Funnies...

2008-07-21T16:23:00.001-07:00

Recently Sophia is becoming a bit more vocal and definitely more entertaining. Her favorite thing to do is watch Blue's Clues after her nap. She happily pulls up her little bean bag chair and prepares for the TV to be turned on by clapping her hands and pointing up at the TV while proclaiming "Oh Woooow!!". During the show there are multiple little jingles to which she dances by spinning around in circles and bobbing from side to side. She also sings select words from each song (yelling them out at random...well more like babbling them out in some slightly discernible way...haha) And at the end of the show she throw her hands up in the air and exclaims "Taaa Daaaa!!" It is quite the site and one I have grown to love observing everyday. Hopefully I will capture it on video soon and you can enjoy it with me!! In addition to this, she has also suddenly become fond of mimicking daddy (sometimes good and sometimes bad...haha). Every night at dinner Brian says "Hey Bambi" (his nickname for her) and when she looks over this is what ensues...he raises and lowers his eyebrows (she copies)...he smiles and then frowns (she copies)...he blows her a kiss (and she copies). This continues until she can't contain her laughter anymore and ends the charade with a "Daaaaady!!". Gotta love the father-daughter bonding :) More Sophia funnies to come so check back!!...

Changes...

2008-07-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

To my dear friends and family...
As I had some time to sit and ponder yesterday (for the first time in 7 weeks!!) I came to a realization. I have officially decided that I am not dedicating enough time and energy to this blog!! So from here on out I promise to update my blog every other day with stories, girlie girl updates and fun filled pictures!! Lord willing, my husband will be getting me a lovely new camera for my birthday that will upload pictures MUCH faster. Than I can keep up with all this. There is so much to show and tell about my beautiful family so I commit to doing so. Today will mark day one of the transformation so stay tuned for a post when Sophia takes her nap!!

Autumn Joy

2008-06-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

She's finally here!! So things have been a little crazy this past week and half and I haven't had ANY time to post pictures of our new addition. Here is one to hold you over until things calm down. I never thought life with two kids could be so insane!! haha God is good and we are so blessed. Autumn was born safe and healthy on June 4th at 4:30 p.m. She was 6 lbs. 5 oz. and 19.25 inches long. I only pushed for 10 minutes and was only in active labor for one hour!! They broke my water at 3:30 p.m. when I was 4 cm dilated and by 4:20 I was already 10 cm and ready to push!! Good thing I got induced or my doctor says I wouldn't have made it to the hospital in time. Please continue to pray for grace as we adjust and thank you all who have made us food and helped in any way. We have the best friends any family could ask for. Especially you Tiff, you're my super hero!!!

Random Smunchie...

2008-05-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

Isn't she just the cutest thing ever? We went into Rockville to the new town center and listened to a band play for a bit. She got to blow some bubbles and dance around. These aren't the greatest shots but my camera battery was dying so I had to hurry and sneak them in!! I'm so glad it's summer and we can enjoy some family time outside!!

Happy Mother's Day!!

2008-05-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day Meme and Nana!!
I love you and miss you and can't wait to see you soon when baby sister is born :)

In the meantime, here is a flower to say how much I care...

You make me smile and I think your really great!!

First Birthday...

2008-04-16T17:56:00.000-07:00

Alright, so these are a little over due but better late than never right??

The birthday girl in her tiara with some delicious frosting strategically planted on her nose!

This is the lovely last minute birthday cake creation that mommy made...not bad huh? haha

And a family pose during present time to remember the special day :)

A few favorite vacation memories...

2008-04-16T17:45:00.001-07:00

I'm so grateful to have a mother-in-law who can't get enough of taking pictures!! They add wonderful diversity to my collection and Sophia loves posing for Nana's camera...

Talk about a picture to treasure forever. It's great to see my baby having a heart felt laugh with Papa...

You can't see them, but she is checking out her new shoes in the mirror. Nana and Papa blessed her with her first walking shoes!!...

And a great shot of mommy and mini-me at the beach...

Beach Babe

2008-04-16T14:28:00.001-07:00

Here are some shots of my beautiful girlie on the beach. I wanted to retouch them but since EVERYONE is complaining that I haven't posted for so long I thought I would just put them up. Enjoy!!

Date Day Blessing

2008-04-16T14:15:00.001-07:00

Brian's parents were so gracious as to allow us to have a whole day alone!!! It was a tremendous blessing and one we don't often get a chance to partake in. We went into Downtown Disney and saw a lot of fun things. I thought this tremendous Lego dragon slightly resembled my husband so we captured them together...haha. Love you babe (P.S. the entire thing was literally made out of Legos. It extended into the water and beyond!!)

Brian forced my pregnant self onto the Harley. I was resistant but it made him happy and it turns out I don't look so bad on a bike!

He is still not getting one however...haha.

Florida Vacation

2008-04-16T11:44:00.001-07:00

Sophia and Papa Mike at the Florida Zoo!! Papa loves the zoo and wanted to share the experience with his little princess...

Here she is intrigued by one of the monkeys....

And this was her favorite animal. Don't ask...haha. Some kind of over sized rodent. I suppose she thought it looked like kitty :)

The Verdict Is In....

2008-02-08T16:24:00.000-08:00

IT'S A GIRL!!!

Autumn Joy is due on June 11th (or as we all know, whenever she pleases. Hopefully sometime around that vicinity of a time frame). Pray for Brian, he is a bit out numbered now :) Also, if you are thinking of making a joke regarding her name and a certain candy bar, please don't!! We have heard them already and, as for now, the name stands!! Thank you for your concerns however...haha

And So It Has Begun...

2008-01-26T12:25:00.000-08:00

It's official...she is crawling!! This little video clip is proof of her adventurous spirit and mischievous ways (although Meme says mommy was the saaame way). And yes, since this video post we have invested in cabinet locks!! haha

Pajama Cheerios

2008-01-26T06:19:00.000-08:00

As a result of the new found freedom of crawling, Sophia has managed to get into EVERYTHING under the sun. Normal...and truly hilarious at times. Here she is worrying over her spilled cheerios. Courtesy of Brian's cousin Justin, these brilliant photographs capture the moment...

Mommy pretends to be disappointed for dramatic effect...haha. Aaaand as you can see here, the belly is growing!! Baby K is on the way and going strong. Stay tuned for the grand announcement (boy or girl!!) on February 8th. Don't miss it!!

Pumpkin Picking!!

2007-11-05T13:39:00.001-08:00

We took Sophia to Butler's Orchard over the weekend so she could pick out her very own pumpkin!! It turned out to be quite the adventure...

She sat amongst the pumpkins until she found the perfect one...

"I've got it daddy! I want this one!" (She ended up with two actually...she just couldn't decide which was better...haha)

Harvest Party Highlights...

2007-11-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

Rakel and little Faith in some ladybug fun...

Butterfly baby Sienna...

Doesn't get much more adorable than Gianna as an elephant...haha

Suuuuperman to saaaave the daaay, baby Briiiian's oooon his waaaay!!!

Fishy Face....

2007-11-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

Sophia had her very first Harvest Party at church yesterday and she sure had fun!!! She couldn't quite eat the candy yet but she enjoyed showing off her adorable self all decked out as a baby goldfish. She just couldn't get any cuter!!

She was pretty tired so she basically sat there and gazed into space...but it made for some good photo ops!!

A Few Pictures for Fun...

2007-09-28T06:54:00.001-07:00

I JUST LOVE HER TO DEATH...

I HOPE THE REST OF THEM ARE AS ADORABLE AND JOYFUL AS SHE IS!!

Smunchie Tubby Time...

2007-09-28T06:41:00.001-07:00

All soapy and getting clean...

Singing "Ruuuber Duuuckyyy Yoooouurrr the oooonne..."

While Giving Kisses!! (she is multi-talented! haha)

There's No Doubt about it Mom...

2007-09-28T05:45:00.000-07:00

Miss Sophia definitely has Trementozzi blood in her!! She loooooves to jibber jabber, especially in the morning. A little shy at first but just wait until she gets going!! Take a look at this amusing conversation we had. It almost seems as if she is answering my questions haha. She's a smart cookie this one. Love you all and enjoy....

Auntie Lala and Phia

2007-08-23T12:08:00.001-07:00

The Look...

2007-08-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

In Sophia's words "Mom...whaaaat are you doing?" haha She already thinks I'm crazy and she's only 7 months old!!

Vacation in Cape Cod...

2007-08-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

Beautiful ocean view...compliments of Carla's excellent photographic skills! haha

Smunchie girl being smunchie...

Posing for the camera as she splashes in the lake with Meme...

Such a cute little bathing suit don't you think??

Amused by herself...

2007-06-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

Sophia has discovered that it is tons of fun to see pictures of herself. Here she is looking at some photos and a slideshow on the computer. She thinks seeing herself is hilarious for some reason! Enjoy...

Vacation in Florida...

2007-06-18T15:49:00.000-07:00

Swimming in the pool with daddy...She's dozing off here. Nana kept her so busy she was tired and fell asleep in the pool!!!

Looking cute in her sundress...

Smiling for Nana...

We had lots of fun visiting Nana and Papa in Florida!! Can't wait to do it again :)

More Father's Day...

2007-06-18T15:39:00.001-07:00

Sophia and her Daddy at Starbucks to celebrate Father's Day. She's such a Daddy's girl, I love it! Brian looks a little wasted but it's just because he doesn't take the greatest pictures. He tries to hard to pose! haha

Father's Day...

2007-06-15T18:43:00.000-07:00

So I finally got Uncle Justin to take Sophia to Black Hills Regional Park and take some photos to give to daddy on Father's Day. She is such a little model!! Here are some of the beautiful shots we got...

Sunny Days...

2007-05-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

Posing for the camera with Tiger in her beautiful sundress that Auntie Angela bought!!

A special note...

2007-05-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO MEME AND NANA!!! LOOOOVE YOU!!!

Visit with my Meme...

2007-05-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

Here we have three generations of ladies. Can you see the resemblance? My mom recently came down for a quick visit. We wish she lived much closer so she could spend more time with the baby but Sophia loves her Meme and enjoys every chance she gets to be spoiled by her. Love you mom!

Another person Sophia loves is her Daddy. She recently began smiling everytime he comes into the room! She enjoys his silliness and can't seem to get enough of him. Her favorite place to fall asleep is in his arms. Love you daddy!

Helping with the laundry...

2007-05-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

Today Sophia decided to help mommy with the laundry! Growing into a godly woman already...

At first we thought it was "loads" of fun...

But after more careful consideration, decided that it was just too tiring....Mommy agrees!!!

Sophia and her friends!!

2007-05-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a few cute pictures from our playgroup! Playgroup has been a great way to keep in touch with my friends and provide some "adult time" as well as let the kids experience making friends. Sophia loves her buddies Julia and Faith. As you can see Sophia looks like she is generally the same size as baby Julia. Only problem is, baby Julia is 2 months older than her!! haha What can you do right? She is taking after her daddy!!

10 weeks!

2007-04-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

Sophia is almost 10 weeks old. She went for he 2 month check-up this past monday and she had definately grown! She now weighs JUST under 12 lbs and is 22 and a half inches long. The doctor says she is chubby and has a big head...haha. I'm sure she will grow into it ( I hope at least! ). She is excited because Nana, Papa, Auntie Lia, Uncle Chris and her little cousins are coming to visit her for the very first time this weekend. I will be taking lots and lots of pictures of their visit so check back for those! She has started accomplishing some fun milestones such as smiling, laughing, "talking" to us, squealing VERY loudly for unexplained reasons, holding her head up more, lifting her legs when she's on her back, watching TV (not such a good habit!), grabbing onto some of her toys, following me around a room with her eyes and the best of one of all...calming herself to sleep with very little assistance from me!! This makes the night time ritual a little bit easier. She has, however, begun getting up around 5:30 a.m. Luckily she will go back to sleep within an hour or so, but never having been much of a morning gal myself, it is not the easiest task to wake up with her that early!! I love her more than anything though and would gladly sacrifice my sleep just to see her smiling, giggling face looking up at me as I lean over her crib. Keep us in prayers that she will continue to grow into a strong and healthy little girl who will love the Lord with all her heart. Thanks!

Cutie Pie!!

2007-03-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

Just sitting around in the cute little outfit Auntie Lia sent me!! Sorry some of these are sideways, but I couldn't figure out how to rotate them!!

I got a little carried away with the photo shoot...her eyes say "Ok mom, enough already!!" haha

7 weeks into our journey...

2007-03-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

Sophia is officially 7 weeks old today. Time has gone by so quickly. She is outgrowing many of her little outfits and surprisingly even fitting into some 3 month clothes!! I guess the doctor was right when she said the baby was "chubby"...haha. The older she gets the more comments we receive that she is looking like Brian. Personally I can't decide who she resembles more. She has features of us both. I just hope the Puerto Rican and Italian mix will equip her with a great tan and fun (but not TOO crazy) personality. God has given us much grace in figuring out how to be parents. I'm still trying to establish some sort of routine and ease back into normal life. There are still days I feel like I have no clue what I am doing but that seems to be the norm for first time moms :) We started a few play groups which has been a blessing for us both. Friend interaction is VERY important and much appreciated. Sophia's next doctor's appointment is April 2nd and we will see how much more she has grown. At her one month appointment she weighed 9 lbs. and 5 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. I would update you more but she is crying for my attention!! Keep checking in for more fun Sophia facts

Some more pictures...

2007-03-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

All bundled up with her wild hair!! It's a challenge trying to get it to stay down but it's kind of cute all sticking up :)

Posing for photos with pooh and friends...isn't she adorable? haha