TWO!

So my little Selah Faith is TWO! When did this happen?!

From this:

To this!

Cupcake Daze at her birthday party

Selah is currently about 25lbs and 34.5 in tall. She has all of her teeth with the exception of her two year molars. I think. We never know when she is teething so they may be in or coming in. As you can see, she has blue eyes and blonde hair that you can usually find in pigtails. No first haircut yet, but probably soon. Selah never meets a stranger. Everybody is an immediate friend to this little social butterfly!

Selah likes:

• My Little Pony
• Curious George
• Making muffins and topping them with sprinkles
• Pink
• Doggies
• Playing drums
• Babies (aka dolls)
• Bedtime kisses on her elbows
• Roaring like a tiger
• Minnie Mouse
• Animal from the Muppets
• Tea Parties
• Bath time
• Eavesdropping
• Knocking down towers
• Balls
• Story time at the Library
• Playing Fetch with Ellie (though she pronounces Fetch with a B)
• Flowers
• Dresses
• Swinging at the park
• Seeing her friend Holden
• Singing and talking to herself everywhere and anywhere. Even as she falls asleep.
• Getting in your face while speaking Selah-ese, just to end with nodding of her head like she has convinced you of something.

Selah dislikes:

• Vacuums
• Bubble wrap
• Being told No and to Sit Down

Favorite foods:

• Cheese
• Applesauce
• Pretzels
• Strawberries ("Strawbees")
• Popcorn (aka Bubbles in Selah-ese)

Favorite phrases:

• Ha-cha-cha (a la Shirley Temple)
• Whoa!
• _____, Where ah yoo?
• Jah Ta dore.
• SITDOWN!
• Ah-mmy? Ah-mmy? Ah-mmy! Hi, Ah-mmy!
• I wuvwooo. (From us saying "I love you" silly like that)
• Night night sleepy? Go night night? 
• (while patting you on the back) Good job! Awesome! Nice job!

Favorite songs to sing:

• "A B C D A B C"
• "Happy day to you"

All in all, she is a pretty awesome little girl that is growing more and more amazing everyday. These past two years have been some of my absolute favorite and I look forward to so many more with her.

Happy Day to You, little bunny. Happy day to you!

Merry Christmas!

Our 2013 Christmas card (front)

Be Happy Challenge: Note to Someone

Hey not-quite-a-baby Baby Girl.

You, my dear one, amaze me every day. Where has the time gone? Almost 16 months have passed since we held you in our arms for the first time and almost TWO YEARS since we learned you were joining our family. 

You somehow possess most of your daddy's good traits and a couple of mine, as well as a few not so good traits (Stubbornness. Hello?). You've taken over our house with your smiles, your laughter, your chaos, your kisses and your toys, and I wouldn't have it any other way! You are saying more understandable words and phrases every day. You walk as slow as a turtle, unless I'm trying to grab you and then, boy, can you run!

Strange little one, you don't seem to like most convenience foods to the misfortune of your mother who cannot cook. I've recently discovered you like spaghetti-O's (Annies brand) though. You also like fish, both the kind that swims in the ocean and the kind made out of cheese. One day, you were given a choice between mac and cheese and jambalaya and you chose the spicy jambalaya. Perhaps you take after me more than I realize!

I could go on and on about your fabulousness because, girlfriend, you are. You are wonderful. You are fabulous. You are smart. You are beautiful.

And I am so lucky you call ME(!) 'Maa-maaa'.

I love you, bunny. I sure do.

Mama

Be Happy Challenge: Favorite Photo of me that I've taken

You guys have seen this picture before, but I still love it.

Me and my girl

Be Happy Challenge: Favorite quote or saying

Today's prompt is super easy.

William Shakespeare - "Though she be but little, she is fierce!"

That's my girl!

Be Happy Challenge: Something Beautiful to Me

A picture of me and my sweet but messy girl after enjoying cookie cake.

Reasons Selah is Crying

I don't know if you have heard of the blog Reasons My Son Is Crying, but, as most parents know, it is hilariously true.

And it is a genius blog topic.

So, in honor of that blog, I've decided to do a semi-regular blog series called Reasons Selah Is Crying. I will include caption on some most, but some I will let you guys caption and I will make another post with the best captions. I may do a giveaway for the best caption one of these days.* Who knows?

The first picture is an enormously popular picture of Selah from a few months back. Some of you know the real reason she is crying here, but I'm going to open this one up for captioning.

Please post your caption in the comments!

*I'll let you know in advance if there will be a giveaway for best caption.

Rainbows and Sunshine (With Pictures)

Rainbow baby- a baby that is born following a miscarriage or still birth.

In the real world, a beautiful and bright rainbow follows a storm and gives hope of things getting better. The rainbow is more appreciated having just experienced the storm in comparison. In the case of a rainbow baby, the storm (pregnancy loss) has already happened and nothing can change that experience. Storm-clouds might still be overhead as the family continue to cope with the loss, but something colorful and bright has emerged from the darkness and misery.

 

I think I started planning (and pinning) Selah's first birthday probably before she was even born. You see, I knew she was a rainbow baby and wanted her first birthday party to reflect that. As we got closer to her birthday, our friends and I realized that it would work best for everyone involved to have a joint first birthday party for their son Liam (who was born a week before Selah) and for Selah. Since Rainbows and Sunshine is a pretty non-gender specific theme and I had already done a bunch of planning, we decided to stick with the theme. Works out well because Liam is a rainbow as well. :)

 

I'll, pretty much, let the pictures of the party speak for themselves.

 

"Happy Birthday, Liam & Selah"

Selah and Liam, throughout the year

Handmade felt birthday hat

two 1s for the two one year olds, not an 11 year old

Selah and her friend A with the adopted grandparents

Liam's so serious, but check out that attempted hand holding

Rainbow birthday tutu! (See, Meg? It wasn't that big!)

 And now it's time for a ton of cake smashing photos. Selah LOVED it (hence all of the pictures). Liam? Not so much. I think he ran from the cake and the icing and his crazy little girlfriend who was covered in the cake and icing.

Smash cupcake (from Blushing Bakeshop)

 

 

 Though the ground outside was covered in snow, the party inside was full of love and warmth, courtesy of our rainbows and sunshines and everybody who loves them.

Babies don't keep

"Mother, O' Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth.

Hang out the washing, make up the bed,

Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,

Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,

Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek - peekaboo.

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew,

And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo.

But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?

Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,

But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep."

~ Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

Why God Made Little Girls

Why God Made Little Girls

"God made the world with its towering trees,
majestic mountains and restless seas,
then paused and said, ‘It needs one more thing.’
Someone to laugh and dance and sing,
to walk in the woods and gather flowers,
to commune with nature in quiet hours.
So God made little girls
with laughing eyes and bouncing curls,
with joyful hearts, and beautiful smiles,
enchanting ways and endless fashion styles.
And when He’d completed the task He’d begun,
he was pleased and proud of the job He’d done.
For the world when seen through a little girl’s eyes
greatly resembles paradise."

-Morgan Doe

 

 Found on another blog (Was it yours?)

My sunshine is ONE!

I still find it hard to believe.

Selah loves this video. I hope you do,too!

I have a One Year Old

As of 9:47am on March 6, 2013, I am the mother of a One Year Old. And, wow, has that year flown by!

#69!

Tuesday, I strapped Selah into the Ergo and went to a book signing at UNCC. John and Sherry Petersik were in town signing copies of their book Young House Love (named after their blog). If you read their blog (and you should. It's hilarious.), you know how friendly and gracious they are. It's totally true in real life as well.

I had them make it out to SFM in honor of her first book signing. :)

Pick up a copy of the book! It's worth it!



69. Go to a book signing Check!

Picture wrap up of my 2012

Warning: This post is heavy in pictures. Obviously.

January:

Selah's Advent- Day 11

Today, we put up our (outdoor) Christmas lights!

And then, when we were done with that, Selah and T lit another candle on our menorah (don't ask).

She likes fire. So do I.

Today's Bible verse is:

    And Mary said,
    “My soul magnifies the Lord,
        and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
    for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
        For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
    for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
        and holy is his name.
    And his mercy is for those who fear him
        from generation to generation.
    He has shown strength with his arm;
        he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
    he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
        and exalted those of humble estate;
    he has filled the hungry with good things,
        and the rich he has sent away empty.
    He has helped his servant Israel,
        in remembrance of his mercy,
    as he spoke to our fathers,
        to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
    And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
   
(Luke 1:46-56 ESV)

Selah's Advent- Day 6

Today, a certain little girl is NINE WHOLE MONTHS OLD! She's been in our arms longer than she was in my body, though she's always been in our hearts. :)

Moving on, tonight we are reading One Night in Bethlehem. T actually bought it for SFM last December when we visited the live Nativity at the Billy Graham Library.



Today's Bible verse is:

    For to us a child is born,
        to us a son is given;
    and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
        and his name shall be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
        Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
(Isaiah 9:6 ESV)

30 Days of Thankfulness- Day 26

I am thankful for the little girl I have in my arms. I may have already mentioned her, but I am truly thankful for her still. She has made all of this much more easier to handle.

30 Days of Thankfulness- Day 18

I am thankful for photographers who can take ADORABLE pictures of my little. Selah is certainly photogenic.

My sugar and spice

A year ago, I found out Selah was going to be a girl, though she knew it all along. ;)

In honor of that, I am posting a list of things I want to teach my daughter that I found on the internet (here).

1. Music is universal.
2. You can make the world a better place by being a better person.
3. Kindness can never be overdone.
4. Never chase a man.
5. Be the brains, and the beauty will follow.
6. Respect your body.
7. Respect yourself.
8. Never trust a man who is unkind to his mother.
9. Never depend on a man (or anyone else) to give you what you want. Get it yourself. 
10.  "There is no one alive who is Youer than You."
11. Dance like nobody's watching.
12. Love with passion.
13. Bad hair days happen- wear a headband.
14. Listen to lyrics- they heal broken hearts.
15. Use writing to vent frustration, rather than speaking mean words.
16. A good book can change your perception.
17. "You is kind.
18. You is smart.
19. You is important."
20. Good girls are good, not boring.
21. Make mistakes.
22. Learn from your mistakes.
23. Travel.
24.  "It isn't what we say or think that defines us, but what we do."
25. Play fair, fight fair. 
26. Wine should be sipped, not chugged.
27. Tea and poetry are better than coffee and talk shows.
28. You can always borrow my clothes, if I can borrow yours.
29.  Find your own voice- write it, speak it, be it.
30. Stand up for what you believe is right.
31. Don't gossip, unless you want to be gossiped about.
32. Your daddy will love you more than any man you ever meet.
33. Decide who you want to be and be confident in your decision.
34. Define yourself by your own attributes, not by what other's expect from you.
35. Pick flowers and put them in your hair.
36. Be the kind of friend you want to have.
36. Dare to be different.
37. Life is fast, live slow.
38.  Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. 
39. Bad haircuts will grow out.
40. Days without laughter are wasted.
41. Shel Silverstein's books are not just for children.
42. Read everything by Nicholas Sparks. 
43.  "I'll back you up."
44. Go barefoot.
45. Always share secrets with your mother. 
46. Do unto others as you'd have done to you. 
47. It hurts to be beautiful. (my mother use to say this when brushing my hair...it's not metaphorical)
48. You are not entitled to anything, it has to be earned.
49. Promises are always worth keeping.
50. Secrets should only be shared with your mother. 
51. Happiness is a choice.
52. Fairytales are real if you believe in them.
53. You make your own fate.
54. Dream big or don't bother.
55. Big rewards are made from big risks.
56. "Anything can happen child, anything can be."
57. Someone else is happy with less than what you have.
58. Girlfriends- the real kind- are better than therapy.
59. Find a way to create art, it can save your soul. 
60. Take pictures & cherish every. single. memory.
61. Apologizing takes strength. Be strong.
62. Forgive, but don't forget. 
63. Sometimes you have to fake it.
64. You will always remember your first kiss- make it worth the memory.
65. Sometimes I will choose to be your mother, not your friend.
66. All you have is your word- make it stronger than oak. 
67. Find friends who become family.
68. If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is. 
69. Never wear clothing to attract boys, it will attract the wrong kind. 
70. "A room without books is like a body without a soul."
71. Be a lion, not a lamb.
72. Imperfections make you perfectly you.
72. Water-proof mascara is necessary when watching Steel Magnolia.
73. Choose what you eat to be healthy not skinny.
74. Choose the path less traveled, I hear it makes all the difference.
75. You don't need long hair to be feminine.
76. Your brother's will scare off any boy who does not treat you with respect.
77. I will love whoever you choose to love.
78. You will always be my girl.
79. The key to looking "naturally" beautiful is great mascara and a little blush.
80. A pint of icecream and a chick flick will make it better.
81. Daddy will probably never say no to you, so get his credit card and let's go shopping.
82. Daddy will help you with Math homework.
83. I'll read you novels.
84. Let the sun shine on your face.
85. Life can change in an instant, hold on like hell to what you have. 
86.  If you're trying to convince yourself you're right, then you're probably wrong.
87. "Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously."
89. The secrets of life can be found in the novels of Jane Austen. 
90. When you say, "no," mean it.
91. Ponytails are just easier.
92. "For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness."
93. Money does not buy happiness, but it sure is nice.
94. Mommy and Daddy will love you regardless.
95. Guardian angels are real.
96. Sunshine on your shoulders will always get you high. 
97. "Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall- all you have to do is call."
98. Daddy will always be home.
99. I will always be home.
100. "Home is where the heart is."

I love you, Selah Faith.

As Selah Grows

I've started a blog over on Tumblr called As Selah Grows for pictures of little miss Selah Faith. By doing so, I can begin to prepare for a facebook shut down and I can, hopefully, get this blog back to what it used to be before people expected Selah picture updates through here.

Not that I won't be putting her up on here because you know I will. :)