Emily is 2!!

It's official - I now have a 2 year old!!  Well, I had one over 2 months ago....WHOOPS!  Sorry Emmy girl... I actually wrote this blog right on your 2nd birthday, but was waiting on your 2-yr old pics to add to it....and then we got them....and time ran away from me, lol.  It may be late, but it is still very accurate!

Anyway, how did this 2-year old thing ever happen?!

Things you Love:

Bananas

Dancing

Frozen

Fig newtons

Playing outside

Building blocks

Lilo & Stitch (you ask to watch it almost every night)

Cookies

Coloring
Drawing on your Magna Doodle

Hugs, kisses, and backrubs

Sheriff Callie's Wild West

Taking bubble baths

Katie

Climbing in mommy & daddy's bed and pretending to go to sleep

Singing in your microphone

Playing your harmonica

Green beans

Riding horses

Playing with friends

Curious George

Doc McStuffins

Helping Mommy with chores like unloading the dishwasher, feeding Katie, and throwing trash away

Sleeping with 2 blankets, a pillow, and at least 4 stuffed animals

Tickle games
The Lion King

Grilled cheese sandwiches

Flowers

Your family

Playing peek-a-boo with Grandma around the kitchen island on Skype, and talking to "Elmo" aka Grandpa on Skype  ;)  He has you sooo fooled, haha 

Having pink (and only pink) toenails

Pretending like you are drinking coffee
Helping to cook or prepare food

Making your sister laugh
Putting money in your piggy bank after doing your chores

Things you dislike:

Meat

Sitting still

Getting lotion put on you (you always say "Ouch!!", lol)
Daddy's singing (you always tell him to "shhh!")
Sissy running into your feet with her walker

Not getting 'your way'

Since you were a baby, I have always called you my angel...and I really mean that.  You are the sweetest angel that I am blessed enough to call my daughter.  I love your loving nature and your hilarious antics.  You like to tell people to excuse themselves when they sneeze, cough, or yawn, lol.  And don't even get me started on your dancing...let Ella the Elephant or some other song with a nice beat come on, and you start twisting and shaking that little booty from side to side with all your might.  You almost always have perfect rhythm and a great expression on your face.  You are so beautiful, special, and smart.  You can count to 11, label pretty much anything, sing songs word for word and on key, name some shapes, name some colors, and make awesome attempts at writing letters.  You have pretty much memorized your bible verse that hangs in your room (Joshua 1:9) and enjoy reciting it, as well as praying out loud along with others as they pray.  You are improving in physical therapy and enjoy going there to work with your "Chelle" and Mrs. Emily.  :)  You genuinely care about others when they are upset, and you always try to fix it with a hug, kiss, or kind word and your hand against their cheek.  I could go on and on about you, Emily...you sure are one AMAZING, precious little girl.  I want to do my best to make each year as special and wonderful for you and your sister as I possibly can, because you girls deserve the best.

I love you SO MUCH, Emily Grace Kallam!!!! You will always be my first baby, my Emmy, my Gracie girl, my Emilina, and my Lina.....yup, I just put allll your nicknames out there, haha.  Well, I'm going to end this blog now.  I plan to write one for you on each birthday you have, so that you can read about all yourself at that age when you are older.  I hope that you will love reading them as much as I love writing them.  :)  I love you, precious girl!
~Mommy

Sarah - 11 Months

Sarah-Barah!!  This is your very last month before turning 1 year old.  Yikes!

This picture perfectly exemplifies your little personality.  ;)  So full of joy and life! 

And here you are, 2 seconds later....still being adorable!

This past month you:

Went from having 2 teeth to having 6 teeth!!  Whoa baby! (Notice you are proudly displaying them in the pictures above).  

Started refusing to eat baby food...actually pushing it away with your little hands.  You want the good stuff only!  :)

Had your first Thanksgiving

Got caught chewing on a piece of Katie's dog food...yuck!!

Missed your Daddy a bunch, because he went on a TDY to Las Vegas

Got croup  :(   It was so pitiful, but you got much better once you went to the doctor

Started snorting when you laughed.....uh-oh....I may be to blame for that one.  Mommy snorted a lot when she was younger, heehee

Got into a bad habit of purposely head-butting me....all.the.time.  Not cool, baby.

Had your very first little pedicure on those teeny-tiny toes!! You got hot pink polish to match Mommy and big sis.

This is you when you found out that you were 11 months old today:

You just realllllly think you're something, huh?  ;)   I love you so much, baby girl!  You're the sweetest Sissy around!  I am hoping this month won't go by too fast....because when it does, I will have a 2 year old AND a 1 year old!!!  Whoa!

~Love, your Mommy

Sarah - 10 months

10 months already?!  Stop the madnesssss!!  Haha.  Just kidding, baby.  But really....I cannot believe that you are 2 months away from being ONE.  You still look like a little baby to me, which is partly why it is so hard to believe.  You are my itty-bitty cutie-patootie!  :)

Come on, how cute are those tip-toes?!

This month you:

Started getting your 2 top teeth!  They are hurting you coming in, and it breaks my heart.  I wonder how cute you will look when they come down all the way.  :)
Had your first time swinging at the playground!  Same swing that Emily first sat in.
Liked trying all the foods we were eating
Loved going all the way up both flights of stairs as often as possible!
Pretended to sing into a microphone
Liked watching Baby Einstein and Mickey Mouse in your DVD player while riding in the car
Became obsessed with finding/picking up TINY little specks of things off the floor
Wanted any and every toy that your sister had, lol.  And then if she picked up something else, you changed your mind and wanted that, too!  ;)
Bounce up and down when good music is playing...it's so cute!
Really improved on your finger-food skills

I love you, Sarah Noelle!  You are a precious, sweet little girl!
~Mommy

Sarah - 9 Months

Sarah girl, here we are at another milestone age - 9 months old!  3/4 of a year....wow....it will be here before I know it.  A lot has changed with you this past month.  It is definitely obvious that my itty bitty baby is growing up.

This past month you:

Cruised furniture all around...sometimes you just hold on with 1 hand and stand there like it's nothing (you even stood without holding anything one time!)
Started climbing up the stairs!!  You know it's something special, because you will look at us with a mischievous grin before you do it. Then I have to race over to climb with you and make sure you don't fall.
Supported Mommy by being there to watch me run my first 5k!  My own little cheerleader!
Said "Dada", "Mama", and "Hey" (while waving your hand)
Loved to eat blueberry puffs, bananas, and chicken noodle baby food
Did NOT like eating chocolate cake...is it possible that a child of mine doesn't like chocolate??!
Saw your first parade that the fire department put on
Had a great time at your sister's 2nd birthday party  :)
Loved to play with bubbles!
Tried to chew on crayons as often as possible...and you get sooo mad when Mommy takes them away
Grew more beautiful brown hair!

I love you, sweet princess! Let's learn lots of new things this month.  :)
~Mommy

Sarah - 8 Months

Hi Sarah, my 8-month old girl! In case you're wondering, yes, you are still a very HAPPY, sweet baby.  You get compliments everywhere we go about your calm, sweet nature and how beautiful you are...I can't say I disagree!  These people are smart!  ;)

This month you:

Love snacking on baby crackers and making a huge mess  ;)
Try desperately to get your hands on any cell phone around
Screech and make silly noises that make you laugh at yourself
Laugh at us all the time, if we raise you up in the air over us, or tickle you
Are crawling!!  Your little booty swings side to side, and it is so cute!
Love getting attention from anyone, but especially your sister  :)
Have pulled up on furniture 1 time!  The other times you tried and couldn't quite make it....I'm sure you will be doing this a lot soon.
Love being outside in the fresh air...we all went to a fall festival yesterday, and you loved it!
Like to hide from us under the table and chairs
Have no fear of leaning over anything...if it wasn't for us holding you, you would fall off of everything!
Like to find shoes to chew on.  :(  We have to do a better job of hiding them.
Got Daddy's attention by leaning over and biting his nipple!  HAHAHA!  Now he knows how I have felt for 8 months.  ;)
Think it's fun to sit in laundry baskets (with or without clean clothes)  :)

Although most of the time you are sweet and happy, there have been several times lately when you scream and cry if I leave your side.  Even if you are fed, well-rested, have something to play with, and have a dry diaper on, you still aren't satisfied unless I am either sitting beside you in the room, or holding you.  Sometimes, this makes it very hard for me to get things done around here, but I try to remember to cherish these moments, because one day, you will probably not care about cuddling with me or wanting me around all the time.  That is just a natural part of growing up, but I hope underneath your "cool" teenage exterior one day, that you will still give me a big hug whenever I want one.  Maybe our roles will reverse and I will end up being the one crying when you don't give me the attention I need. I am starting to get weepy.....please don't grow up too fast!

I love you Sarah!  ~ Mommy

Sarah - 7 Months

Sissy, you are 7 months now!!  You are such a sweet baby girl.

This month you:

Started sitting up by yourself (still a little wobbly at times, but you're really skinny and therefore don't have much weight to help bear you down, haha)
Love playing with toys (FINALLY!)
Have yet another "new" squeal noise that you make....you also say "uh uh uh uh uh uh uhhh uhh uhhhh" when you have a story to tell us  :)
Started eating more new baby foods
Scoot backwards on the floor instead of going towards something
Still love going on long evening walks with friends
Enjoy going around the house in your walker
Started getting some hair growth back in your bald spot  ;)
Absolutely refuse to take a bottle (still), yet you drank water from Emily's sippy cup
Started sleeping through the night in your own crib!  WOO-HOOOO!!!
Enjoy reaching out to yank on my lips or pinch my cheeks...usually to get attention  ;)


One of my favorite things about you is that 99% of the time when I make eye contact with you, you give me the biggest, brightest smile in the world.  It seriously melts my heart and makes me want to kiss your little cheeks for all of eternity!!

I love you sweetie!  I'm ready for another great month with you!  :)

~Mommy

Sarah - 6 Months!

Sarah, can you believe you're 6 months old now?!

Ughh, Mom, please don't mention my age!

No honey, it's a good thing!  Soon, you will be able to sit up and play, and do all sorts of fun new things!

Really, really, REALLY?!  :)

Yup!  And you will have so much fun with your sister!

Well now I'm so excited, I'm gonna bust a move!

This past month was full of new experiences for you!  Here they are:

You met TONS of your family members and friends for the first time! (Grandpa, uncles, aunts, cousins, great grandparents, great-great grandma, etc..)
You went to the beach for the first time and put your toesies in the ocean!
You watched the chef at the Japanese restaurant make fire and do all kinds of tricks.
You went to White Lake and the arcade.
You tried so many foods that you weren't supposed to yet....I hate to even mention them, haha...pudding, ice cream, etc...you even sucked on a rib bone!!
You started eating baby oatmeal (this was OK for you to have).  ;)
You hurt Mommy so bad while you were nursing but you REFUSED to take a bottle....thanks a lot!
You were able to stand and play in the exersaucer without being stuffed in with blankets.
I tried to give you your first pedicure....got 2 toes in, polish got everywhere from your wiggly toes, and we had to stop.
You had your first ride on a merry-go-round!
You had your first 4th of July with lots of friends and fireworks!  You didn't even get scared.
You took another 19 hour trip back to Missouri.  You spent the night at Arnold AFB, and got to see even more new states!  All in all, these are the states you were in to, from, and during this trip: Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, NC, SC, Georgia, & Tennessee.  WOW!

I'm so glad you had such a fun month and got to experience so many new things!  It makes me heart happy to see you and Emily happy.  I love you sweet girl!  I still can't believe you're half a year old!  Don't you dare grow up on me too fast...

Love, Mommy

Sarah - 5 months

Well Sissy, your 5 month blog is EXTREMELY belated!!  In fact, tomorrow you are turning 6 months old and I will be writing that blog, haha!  I am late writing this because we have just returned from a month long vacation to North Carolina to visit all of our family.  : )   We had a great time, but more about that tomorrow.

This month you:

Had your first Memorial Day
Went to the mall for the first time
Said "Da-da"! You are so ahead of the game, baby girl!
Spent the night at Fort Knox
Traveled 16 hours in the car to go see your family in NC...this was not a fun task for any of us.
Got pinkeye TWICE in a row....my poor baby!
Stood up in your exersaucer a lot...but we had to stuff lots of blankets around you, because you're still pretty small.
Loved getting tickled!  You would giggle and smile so hard just like in the picture above.

I love you, sweet baby Sarah!  You have continued to be the sweetest, happiest baby we could've asked for.  Stay tuned tomorrow to read about all of your many adventures this past month!

All my love,
Mommy

Sarah - 4 Months

Sarah,

No matter what is going on around you - even if you have just been woken up - it is never long before we see a big, beautiful smile creep across your face.  You are the BEST little sissy ever, and you are growing WAY too fast!

This month you:

Went on tons of walks with Mommy, "Aunt Apple", and your buddy Blake
Rolled over by yourself
Loved standing up on our laps
Went to a birthday party
Laughed so hard!
Love to watch your family...you are very observant!
Absolutely adore when your sister comes over to you to talk, play with you, or give you a hug
Are still blowing lots of spit bubbles
Had your first Easter
Were a sweet girl to me on Mother's Day
Love getting your diaper changed
Had fun smiling in the mirror at yourself
Made lots of "talking" sounds, as well as cooing and squeals  :)

You were laughing so hard that you started to roll over  :)

You must be the sweetest, happiest baby in the world.  Your whole family loves you so much and you definitely brighten our days.  Keep this personality, sweetheart...it will take you far in life.  :)

I love you SO much!
~Mommy

Sarah - 3 Months

Wiggie, you're 3 months old!!!!  Wow, baby girl!  You have become the sweetest, most easy-going baby this month.  Mommy really appreciates that!  What a sweet personality you have!

This month you:

Laugh every time we make "funny noises" to you...it is soooo cute!
Smile all the time at the people you love: Mommy, Daddy, Emily, and your grandparents
Are in awe of everything your big sis does.  You just love to watch her every move.  :)
Rock yourself in your chair all the way across the room, haha
Love to cuddle with Mommy in bed
Enjoy cooing and making the "k" sound just like Emily did at your age
Blow spit bubbles
Still wiggle all over the place, all the time.  Sometimes you will raise your arm up & down for 5 minutes straight for no apparent reason, lol

Sarah, we love you so much and are so glad that God let you be a part of our family!  I can't wait to see what happens this month, my beautiful princess!  :)

Love, Mommy

Sarah - 2 Months

Sarah, Sarah-girl, Wiggles, Wiggs, Wiggie, No-No...your list of names goes on and on.  : )

I love how much personality you have gained this month!  It makes my heart melt when you smile that big, BEAUTIFUL smile at me.  What a pretty girl you are, with that beautiful smile and those big, bright eyes!

This month you:

Love getting kisses on your cheeks
Got a bald spot on the back of your head, but you still have quite a bit of hair!
Smile more often
Went to Daddy's promotion ceremony and were so good & quiet!
Giggled when Mommy sang patty-cake and fake sneezed
Visited Mommy's old co-workers
Went to a baby shower
Made sweet cooing noises
Your second bottom tooth is coming in more!
Took some naps in your crib

Mommy loves you, Sarah!  You are such a little sweetie!!  Can't wait for your personality to blossom even more this next month.

Sarah - 1 Month!

Well, I'm back to writing monthly baby blogs, but this time, it's for Miss Sarah Noelle.  It is really crazy how fast a month flies by!

Sarah, today is extra special, because you share your 1-month birthday with Valentines Day!  <3  Having you here the last month has been a real change, but on the bright side, Daddy and I didn't have to go through the "newbie parent" phase again.  We know what to do now...it's just a matter of having the time and energy to do it, haha.  You will continue to grow and everything will adjust itself before too long.  : )

This month you:

Grew your first tooth (wow...)
Kept a head full of beautiful dark hair
Went to church for the first time
Felt a little bit of snow from the big ice & snow storm we had
Sat through your first Superbowl (probably the least exciting game everrrr...) (Broncos vs Seahawks)
Cried so much and so loudly...you even snort when you cry!
Loved watching your big sister talk to you.  That really melts my heart!
Had your first photo-shoot
Spent lots of time with your Grandma and Granny
Had your first Valentines Day  <3

I can't wait to see all the new cute things you'll do next month!  We love you so much, Sarah!  Your big sister sure does love you, too.  She talks to you a lot, shows you her toys, and gives you as many hugs and kisses as we let her.

I love you Wiggles!!
~Mommy  

Our Second Sweet Blessing

Well hello everyone!  I have been away far too long from this blog, but I have been busy having this precious little girl you see above.  :)  Sarah Noelle Kallam was born at 1:50 a.m. on January 14th, weighing 8 lbs, 3 oz, and measuring 19" long.

Overall, I can easily say that my labor and delivery this time around was much less traumatizing.  I prayed very specifically about things that I wanted to go differently this time, and God was merciful in answering those prayers the way I'd hoped for.  While Sarah did arrive 4 days past her due date (only half as bad as her 8-day overdue big sister), at least she came on her own and my fears pertaining to getting induced again were put to rest.  I had a wonderful team of professionals taking care of me, and was blessed again to have my husband on one side of me and my mom on the other.  :)  When this beautiful little girl was placed on my chest, I felt an overwhelming joy as I did with Emily.

*Fun Facts*
-I got to help pull Sarah out myself!  It was an awesome experience!
-Sarah was almost born still in the amniotic sac.  My water never broke, and my midwife was ok with the baby coming out still in the sac (she said it was a sign of life-long good luck).  As Sarah's head got closer, the sac did rupture, but NOT before it first looked like a balloon was being blown up out of me!  lol.
-Sarah was born with 1 tooth already beginning to emerge and the tooth beside it not far behind.  It took Emily 7 months or so to get 1 tooth, and Sarah is born with one?!  Are you kidding me??  So not only are we dealing with a newborn, but we are dealing with a teething newborn.  Lord help us...

Look at that peaceful, sleeping angel.  It almost makes me laugh, considering how opposite of that she was last night, and most nights before.  Jordan and I are back into the reality of what life is like when you have a newborn.  Hopefully we can get back into a good routine sometime soon, but that's probably just wishful thinking.  Emily has adjusted just fine and loves her baby sister!  She enjoys giving her kisses all the time, and always points and says "Sis!" when she sees her.  I can't wait to see the beautiful friendship and sisterly bond that my two girls will form over the years.

I love you Sarah, and you are definitely the best "surprise" Daddy and I have ever been given.  :)  God must have a special plan for your life, little one!  Welcome to the family!