4 months!

It is hard to believe that Joanna is 4 months today! She is growing up so fast! She loves to sit up and be a part of things. If you try to hold her in a reclining position her head is trying to pull her into an upright position. She hasn't mastered sitting up on her own but she is getting close. She is also pretty close to rolling over. She is about halfway and just needs the kick from her leg to pull her all the way. The other day I put her in her johnny jumper for the first time because she has such strong legs. She likes it because she can be up and seeing what is going on around her. I think this weekend I might pull down the exersaucer and clean it up as well. In honor of her 4 month birthday today and because family is asking for more pictures, I am including some of the latest of her.

Joanna loves Caleb. He was doing history on the floor next to her and she stared at him the whole time.

One day I laid her down on her mat and came back in a few minutes later and she had pushed herself over here.

She loves to sit in my lap and play with this mirror so I laid her where she could enjoy it on her own.

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One of her favorite spots is her bouncy seat. She loves to talk to her toys. Here she was also watching a Baby Einstein video.

First time in the johnny jumper

Her crib is in Elizabeth's room and last night when I was putting Elizabeth to bed I laid Joanna in her crib. This picture really shows how strong she is getting.

This weekend my brother and his family are finally able to come down and meet her. They are very excited as are we because we know they will be in love immediately!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy mother's day to all those reading this! Today I have reflected a lot on how the Lord has blessed me as a mother. I still have a hard time believing I am a mother of three amazing kids here on earth and our sweet Gabriel in heaven who has such a special place in my heart. I still think about him a lot. Especially recently he has been on my heart. I look at Joanna and I wonder, "Why her?" or "Why him?". Why did he have to die and she live? But then I think that if he hadn't gone home to Jesus I wouldn't have her. And then I have a moment of guilt for loving her so much. But then it passes because I know that it was God's plan for her to be here with us on earth and for Gabriel to bless our hearts for eternity but not physically here in our arms. I knew him for a such a short time within me but I will love and miss him until I am reunited with him in eternity.

I've thought about each one of my kids and how special they each are to me in their own individual ways. Caleb is my first baby and he will always be special to me for that. In the last year we have developed a special bond through homeschooling. He has become my little protector. It's like being home with me has made him realize how hard a job I have and he is the first to defend me when the need arises. We do just about everything together and I have enjoyed having him around. He adores little Joanna and she has already seemed to form a special connection with him. He has a sweet, gentle spirit and holds his relationship to the Lord close to him.

Elizabeth was my first little girl and she is growing up before my eyes. She loves school and her friends and thrives in that environment. She is full of imagination and loves to go off and get lost in a world that she creates be it with her dolls, her books, or the imaginary friends that surround her at that moment in time. She adores Joanna as well but I think struggles a little with drawing the line between doll and human! I think they will be close as Joanna gets a little older though. Heath and I see her falling a little into the typical middle child and we have been praying about how we can make her feel as special as she is to us in a better way. We will probably be homeschooling her in the fall and I look forward to the changes that will bring about in her.

Then there is Joanna. Even at only 3 months she is full of personality. She is a very happy baby only getting upset if she has been in the car seat too long or is ready for bed at night. She is full of smiles and I think she will take after her daddy as she loves to talk to you. She prefers to be sitting up where she can see everything going on and talk to people. She has definitely brought so much joy to our household!

It has been a great mother's day and I feel so blessed to be the mother of 3 amazing children!

Like brother, like sister!

We knew it could possibly happen soon as she has been trying to put her hands in her mouth for a while now. On Saturday it was official...

She found her thumb!
Much like this little guy found it around the same age...

Everybody thinks it is so cute and it is, until this little guy is 9 years old and can't stop himself from sucking it in his sleep! Most of the time he unconsciously puts it in his mouth and we have tried everything from nasty tasting ointments on his thumb to fabric covers he wears while he sleeps. Eventually he will stop for good but that will be about the time we start paying for all the dental work!
Caleb does like the fact though that his sister is following in his footsteps! And I like the fact that she no longer wakes me during the night because she comforts herself and puts herself back to sleep. For now she is happy and quite cute and I am getting a full night's sleep!