Libby Jean is 11 months old!

In less than a month Libby with be one year old. Where has the time gone? I feel like it was yesterday that I was getting ready for her to come and nesting like crazy. I have really enjoyed the baby stages and now that she is getting older and will be a toddler soon I am not sure I am ready to let go of the baby stage! However with each stage Libby gets more cute and more fun! She is getting around all over the house and standing up around the furniture but in no hurry to venture out and walk. She loves food and eats almost as much as the big kids. She is starting to speak and will mimic many things that we say.

I finally got the baby locks on the cupboards but before I did, Libby got into some markers and had fun! Here is the pic of her in the bath getting cleaned off. She looked so happy I had to take a picture!

Hawaii

Not more than a few weeks ago, Chris was given the opportunity to do some work in Hawaii. Neither of us had ever been to Hawaii so naturally Chris was ecstatic. He wanted me to come with him but initially I was worried about how I was going to juggle everything with Maddie's birthday, my Disney mystery shop that I'd committed to and our trip to Palm Desert for Thanksgiving that had been planned for months. Chris went ahead with his plans and I started to get a gut feeling that I was going to kick myself later if I didn't jump on the chance to go to Hawaii with Chris. After all our hotel and rental car were paid for, as well as his flight and his meals. What could be a better deal than that. My Mom offered to watch the kids and Chris and Amanda said they would watch Sawyer so she didn't have to watch all 3. So 2 weeks before the trip we booked my ticket and it was final, I was going to Hawaii. I was so excited, I kept telling people, "I'm going to Hawaii!"

I was able to reschedule Maddie's party a week earlier to make things a little easier and I met Chris out there on Tuesday so I could go to Disneyland with Maddie on Monday. We made sure we would arrive home Friday night so we'd be home on Maddie's actual birthday and just in time to get ready for our trip to Palm Desert and Thanksgiving!

After only 2 hours of sleep I got up early got the kids off to a friends house before school and Libby and I embarked on a great adventure. It was her first plane ride and a long one at that. It was hard I'm not gonna lie. She doesn't fall asleep in anyone's arms ever, so it was tough getting her down for a nap and she didn't stay asleep long but woke up in a happy mood. Once the plane ride was over, I felt the excitement of being in Hawaii and quickly forgot about the miserable plane ride.

Chris was working so this was not much of a vacation for him. He worked 16 hours the day before I got there. Luckily he was able to get done at a decent time the rest of the week so we could do a little sightseeing. He picked me up from the airport and we went to Peal Harbor. This was one stop I definitely wanted to make. The boat rides out to the monument were done for the day but we toured the area and watched a film about the attack at Peal Harbor. It was a sobering experience and I have a lot of respect for the men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedom every day.

We drove to our hotel after stopping at Costco to get some macadamia nut chocolates to bring home. As I stepped out of the car I saw the most beautiful view of the ocean and our gorgeous hotel. I literally ran down to the sand which was just steps away and took my shoes off. It was heaven, I was in paradise and I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming! Libby also got her first touch of Hawaiian sand, and she loved it!

I could go on and on about our amazing resort. I took lots of pictures and rather than bore you to death with them I put them all in a collage. If you click it you can see it bigger.

I would definitely recommend staying at this resort if you are going to Oahu. It is called the Ko Olina Beach Club. The pools were simply amazing. They had all kinds of waterfalls and caves, they even had a slide that was inside the rock so it was dark and fast.

The two full days I was there I spent the entire day basking in the sun and playing on the beach with Libby. We also enjoyed swimming in the fun pools. Chris came back on
Wednesday just in time to enjoy the end of this beautiful sunset with me.

That night we drove in to Waikiki and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the big city. I couldn't believe all the shopping they had there. It was amazing. I really enjoyed the international marketplace which reminded me of Olvera Street, with all the vendors. We bought the kids each a few souvenirs.

On the streets of Waikiki they had street performers. I took a picture with this newspaper guy. He was very good at keeping still.

Waikiki wasn't like I would imagine Hawaii at all. It was more like San Francisco with Tiki Torches. Even though it was fun for an evening, I was glad we stayed outside of the big city.

I have always wanted to try Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and we were excited to find out they had one there in Waikiki. It was a little risky taking Libby there (and it was 9 o'clock at night too!) but she did great. She was very pleasant and allowed us to enjoy our delicious meals.

Here are a few pictures of Libby on the beach the third day of my trip. She loved the sand and really allowed me to relax on the beach. She even fell asleep while I was walking around so I carried the stroller out to the sand and let her sleep while I read a book.

Chris came back to the hotel around 2 pm that day and we swam for a little while so he could get a chance to go in the ocean. We got ready and then headed up to the North Shore for our last evening there. We really did a lot in the short amount of time we had since Chris was working. We stopped and looked at the Dole plantation. Since Libby was asleep and we were in a hurry to get to the Polynesian Cultural Center we just got out snapped a few pictures and hurried on our way. It was neat seeing all the fields of pineapples growing along side the road.

We also stopped in an old town called Haleiwa. We went to Matsumotos for their famous Hawaiian ice with Ice cream.

We also pulled off the side of the road to look at the ocean on the north shore. It was beautiful and the waves looked huge.

We got to the Polynesian cultural center around 5 pm so we missed a lot of the fun things to do there. We were able to see a Samoan show and eat dinner and then go to the big show that evening. It was magnificent. After visiting the PCC, I have such a great appreciation for the Polynesian culture. I find it fascinating and want to learn so much more about it.

After we left the Polynesian Cultural Center we drove by the Temple in Laie. It was late so the visitors center was closed. It was beautiful and I had such a calming feeling just walking onto the grounds.

What a marvelous place Hawaii is. Chris and I can't wait to go back. We did so much in a short amount of time and would love to go back and take it all in more. I feel so lucky I was able to go. As we left on Friday I felt sad leaving such a beautiful place not knowing when and if I'd ever come back. I'll never forget the sights and sounds of this paradise. Watching this short clip of Libby on the beach helps me to reminisce.

We were however happy to go home to our other 3 adorable children who were very excited to see us. Thank you Mom and Dad, and Chris and Amanda for taking care of our precious ones while we were gone!

Nine is Fine

I better hurry up and post this before Libby turns 10 months! As sad as it makes me that Libby is growing up, I am really enjoying each and every stage. She is at such a fun stage. Here are some fun things that she is doing.
-She says Mama and Dada, Ball, Sawyer. When daddy says one she says "two, three".
-She is starting to really love toys. When we shop if I grab a doll or anything with a face she lights up and gives it a big hug.
-She is eating just about everything and has 6 teeth.
-She waves Hi and claps her hands
-She pulls herself up in her crib
-She just learned how to drink with a straw!

When I took her into her Dr. appointment she weighed 19 lbs, 15.5 oz. Just a half an ounce shy of 20 lbs! Maddie was 20 lbs at 1 year. She is in the 65% for height and weight.

One thing that Libby is not doing is crawling! All of our other kids crawled at 7 or 8 months. We aren't sure what to think of it. She seems pretty physically agile. She can back up and sit down when she is on her tummy but doesn't crawl. Maddie says she is not going to like P.E! Here is a sample of what she does when we try to get her to crawl. The kids call it the "butt maneuver" Watch and see why...



We really are having the time of our lives with Libby. She is simply a perfect baby and has been so easy so far. Her temperament is very good and she is always happy. We just love having her in our home. She adds so much joy to each and every one of our lives. We all just love her so much and are excited for what the future holds (hopefully that includes crawling).

It's Great to be 8 months old

On Saturday Libby turned 8 months old. I know I say this every month but where has the time gone? She is growing so fast I just can't slow her down. Her two central lateral teeth are now coming in on top so she no longer looks like a vampire. I can't believe she has 6 teeth already. My other kids didn't even have one tooth at this age. Libby is still not interested in crawling though. When we put her on her tummy she just gets mad when she can't get anywhere. Libby has started waving at people and it is adorable. One thing that Libby always does when she is sitting is cross her legs (see collage above) it is simply adorable and she is such a lady. She also is eating many more foods including being able to feed herself small cut up food. Libby loves her siblings so much. She cracks up laughing at them when they act silly. It is just the most precious thing to watch, makes my heart melt. Libby is in love with her Daddy. Whenever he comes around she lights up and gets so excited.

Here is a picture I took of Libby the other day. We had a brief stint of Fall weather so she wore her pink pea coat (which was Maddie's too.) I'm looking forward to some more cool weather so she can get lots of use out of it.

Libby also started taking big girl baths the other day. Sawyer loves taking a bath with her and makes her laugh the whole time. She is totally a water girl and loves her bath time.

Back to a routine!

School's been back in session for 3 weeks now and were getting into a groove. The days go by much faster and it seems were much busier. The kids go to school from 8-2:30. I'm loving having both kids on the same schedule. When they get home we usually do homework. I am amazed at how much more work Maddie has now that she is in 4th grade. Her homework usually takes an hour and a half or so. I don't remember having that much homework in high school (however I did go to Duarte High). She does take a few breaks and doesn't sit in one place the whole time but I still think it's way too much.

I love being able to put Libby back on a schedule. Summer was so hard because she couldn't stay asleep very long in our small noisy house. She is so much happier on the days she gets two good naps!

Maddie and Carter have started Soccer! Even though it keeps us super busy I love soccer season. I love sitting in the grass with the kids and watching my kids play soccer. It is such a great sport, I hope they continue to enjoy it as much as I do. We have soccer practice Monday - Thursday and once the games start, our Saturdays will be busy as well! (AYSO- All Your Saturdays Occupied)

We {Heart} Chick-fil-a

We are huge fans of Chick-fil-a and just love their chicken nuggets and diet Lemonade. Their waffle fries are yummy too! Last year I discovered Cow appreciation day and went with Carter and Sawyer and enjoyed some free food. This year we really went all out and the whole family got dressed up like cows (yes even Chris, sorry he wouldn't let me take a picture to prove it!) It was well worth it because we all got to choose any combo meal we wanted, even the kids got to have adult meals. (except Libby she dressed up but didn't get food since she can't have that kind of food yet) Of course it was all free because we dressed like cows. We got $40 worth of food free! We had a great time and plan to do it again next year!

Libby is 5 months old

Libby turned 5 months old on June 11. She keeps on growing and sadly growing out of so many cute outfits. Luckily I have Janelle who's pregnant with a girl to pass them down to. She is such a pleasant baby, I am having so much fun with her! She still sleeps like an angel. She goes to bed around 9 each night and falls asleep alone in her crib. She wakes up each morning at about 7 am. Sometimes I even have to wake her up if I need to get going earlier.

She recently got her first tooth which is much earlier than my other kids. The other kids got their first tooth around 9 or 10 months. Libby's appeared just before she turned 5 months!

Libby has discovered her feet and it is adorable to watch her put her feet in her mouth. It has been so fun watching her grow. The kids are so excited for each milestone she reaches. They can't wait until she starts eating solids. I'm hoping to start right around 6 months.

Rolling over

 

Just after Libby turned 4 months she started rolling over. I knew she was getting close because she'd start to arch her back and reach with her arms to the side. One morning while the kids were at school I was busy doing laundry while Libby was in the front room on her play mat. I came out to see her on her tummy! She looked very pleased with herself and I grabbed the camera! Sure enough I rolled her back and she did it again. She did it for daddy when he got home too! Ever since then she is rolling all the time!

Home buddies

The other day I found Sawyer holding Libby's hand on her play mat watching cartoons. Made my heart smile. Sawyer misses his big brother and sister when they are at school but loves his alone time with Libby.

Libby is Four Months old!

Its hard to believe that my newborn baby is 4 months old. She's not much of a newborn now but I still like to think of her as one. She truly has been such a joy in our home. I cannot even begin to express how much love and joy she has brought to our family. Our children just love an adore her. They all are so proud to have her as their sister it makes my heart melt. I had no idea how wonderful having 4 kids would be. I'm so glad we didn't stop at 3.

Libby is such an easy baby. She has slept through the night since she was just a couple weeks old. She goes to bed so easy and wakes up so happy. I couldn't have asked for a better baby.


She is such a smiley girl and LOVES interacting with people. She loves attention and wants to be talked to or played with all the time. I'm guessing it comes from all the attention she gets from the kids at home.

At four months she is starting to roll over, she's bringing toys to her mouth and she's babbling and cooing and giggling.

She had her Four month appointment at exactly four months. She weighed in at 15 lbs. 2.5 oz. Her length was 25 inches. She was in the 80% for both height and weight. She's our little porker!


She's really starting to notice mirrors which is lots of fun. She loved playing in the mirror in the exam room at her appointment.

This next picture was taken after her shots, once she was calmed down and bundled up. She was so upset and I felt so bad for her. She is definitely a dramatic child, and I thought we'd maxed out on dramatic children with Maddie and Sawyer!