forever and ever amen...

Dear Jude, 4:

2016-11-25T07:39:00.001-06:00

Dear Jude Monroe,

FOUR! You are four years old today, I can't believe it! You have been so excited for your birthday this year and have planned yourself an elaborate (and imaginary) birthday party that you've invited everyone we know, and every stranger we come across. Happy Birthday, darling boy!

Judesy, you are a big boy now! You are toilet trained and you go to nursery school! You love to learn new things and really enjoy painting and drawing as well as singing and dancing. You are a very out going boy, but still somewhat shy. Your shyness often rears its head in rudeness, (we refer to you as Rude Jude sometimes, sorry) but you are working on it.

You are the type of person who knows who he is and isn't likely to change. I'm positive you will be just a stubborn and adorable at 80 as you are at 4. You remind me of my precious Peepaw who you nearly share a birthday with and whose family you are named after. We've said that you were a "tough crowd" since you were tiny and that hasn't changed a bit, you're hard to win over but it's worth all of the effort.

Some of your favourite things at 4: the colour purple, your beloved bunny, running, the band Jimmy Eat World, minions, my little ponies, Lego, playing on playgrounds, raspberries, French fries, and chicken nuggets. You dislike: doing anything you don't want to do, long drives, sitting still, blueberries, fizzy drinks, ice cream, and not being the leader.

Judesy Roe, we love you so very much. And we are so proud of your every move. You have completed our family so well, nobody can imagine you not here, Liam included. Your personality and determination are going to take you far and I'm so glad to have a front row seat to see what you make of your extraordinary life. We are so thankful God chose us to be your mommy and daddy.

Love you forever, and ever,

Momma

Dear Liam: six!

2016-10-02T15:21:00.001-05:00

Dearest darling Liam David,

You are the most incredible six year old I've ever known! It's so easy to celebrate you, especially since you are genuinely thrilled by the smallest of things. Happy sixth birthday, precious boy.

You are a "big P-2" (your phrase) this year and have settled into school well. You have lovely handwriting and are doing really well with your reading. Most importantly, you love school. I'm so thankful that you are enjoying learning and having fun with your friends!

Someday, I imagine, you won't be the cuddliest and sweetest boy in the land. But, until that moment, I will enjoy your tender heart and lovely cuddles. You are hands down the most naturally sweet person I've ever met. We tell you all the time that the most important thing you can do is be kind, and I truly think you embody this attribute.

Liam, you love a laugh! You will go to great lengths to get a laugh from others and you find the humour in everything. Your laugh is big and bold and incredible, I hope that never changes! You also love love love to dance! This isn't a new love, but you're really cultivated some new moves recently.

Everyone always comments on your size. You are currently 50 inches tall and tower over most of your classmates. I'm always amazed that you're so big since you started off so teeny tiny. I pray you keep your sweet spirit and become a gentle giant like your daddy.

Sweet boy, I am so glad that I get to be your mommy. You make me proud every day and I'm humbled that I was chosen to raise and shape you. I'm excited to continue to watch you grow and change, I think this year is going to be the best yet!

Love you forever, and ever,

Momma

Jude at 3.5:

2016-06-25T14:55:00.001-05:00

Jude was 3 and a 1/2 on May 25th, but I'm just now getting around to writing for him. Whoops.

*Jude is our little comedian. He loves to make people laugh and has started using "potty humour" to try and get a laugh. We are working on redirecting this. But goodness, his timing is good.

*Jude is still a bit of a "tough crowd," he does not enjoy meeting new people and can be quite shy. The trouble is his shyness usually manifests as rudeness.

*Bunny is still Jude's favourite companion and goes with us most places.

*Jude's favourite colour is purple and he loves stars, playing with Legos, and play doh.

*This kid loves to eat. Some favourite foods are potato chips, pancakes, raspberries, yogurt, milk, and any type of candy.

*Jude is always keen to help me in the kitchen and loves to stand at the stove and watch me cook.

*Jude is extremely aware of his surroundings and knows his way around town to the point of telling me I'm lost if I take a route other than our usual one.

*We adore this crazy, wild, determined and hilarious little boy. He loves us passionately and is so proud of his little family.

Liam at 5.5:

2016-04-02T12:25:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was Liam's half birthday so I thought it was high time to share a bit and brag on my sweet big boy.

*Liam is hands down the most genuinely sweet person I've ever known. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body. I just love his guts.

*he loooooooves to be a helper. If I can phrase an unpleasantry, like cleaning, as a helping task he is generally all over it.

*at his parent/teacher conference his teacher said that Liam is a "a lovely sweet boy who loves a laugh," I think she knows my boy well.

*He is doing extremely well at school and thrives on the routine. His handwriting is lovely and he knows all of his phonics sounds and is starting to read!

*Favourite foods are jam sandwiches, triangle (tortilla) chips, McDonalds French fries, blueberries, spinach smoothies, and Jaffa cakes (a type of cookie here).

*He builds elaborate Lego structures on a daily basis and loves to play pretend.

*Dancing to music and hide and seek are some favourite home activities.

*He loves to pick out clothes on the weekend (he wears a uniform to school), and always wants to show off his "stylish."

*He is definitely picking up a bit of an Irish accent, but more so has adapted to phrases and colloquialisms. He sounds like a proper wee Irish boy, but with an American accent. We love it.

*Liam is truly a treasure and we are so glad that he's ours!

Dear Jude: 3

2015-11-25T07:53:00.001-06:00

Dear Jude Monroe,

You are three years old, darling boy! I cannot believe that my baby is so grown up. It seems like mere moments ago that you were born. I cannot imagine life without your sweet self in it, and I am so so thankful that you were chosen to be our son!

Jude, you have enough personality for 10 little boys. You are sassy and sweet, naughty and nice, your are conniving and argumentative and determined to your very core. The word "no" means nothing to you unless you are the one using it. You are brutally honest and tell everyone the truth even if they don't want to hear it. One hilarious quirk is that you are extremely in touch with your emotions. You are very sensitive and prefer crying to reason in most scenarios. You often tell us, "I'm so sad," "I am crying," or "I want to cry." The drama is strong and adorable.

Of course you are a giant of a three year old, this should come as no surprise. We don't do yearly check ups here so I'm not sure of your actual size, but there are children in Liam's class that you are larger than, and they are at least 1.5 years older than you.

Your favourite thing on earth continues to be your beloved Bunny. You sometimes call him/her (the gender varies) Bun, but you don't allow the rest of us that privilege. You also love to stay in your p.j.s and snuggle. It is a hassle to get you dressed everyday, I have to say you come by this trait honestly. You love Paw Patrol and Team Umizoomi on TV and we can always count on you to be absorbed in a phone or tablet if one is lying about.

Counting is one of your favourite things to do and you've recently mastered 1-10. You love to read books and you speak very well for your age. We are so proud of you, sweet boy.

Jude, you are a loyal little boy and you fiercely love your family. I can't tell you how many times you've rescued me from a bad mood with your love. What a gift. We absolutely cherish you and cannot wait to see what great and mighty things you do in this life.

Love you forever, and ever,

Momma

Dear Liam: 5

2015-10-01T10:07:00.000-05:00

Dearest Liam bird,

Happy FIFTH birthday!!! You are so excited to be five years old, I'm in a bit of shock that you can possibly be this old. We are so incredibly proud of you and are really enjoying this stage in your life, but it's always startling to see just how quickly another year has passed us by.

Liam, you have grown so much this year. Your speech has evolved and has come a long way and you've just matured in every way imaginable. You stand 48 inches tall and weigh in at 50 pounds, they don't do growth charts and percentages here, but I'm pretty sure you're in the hundredth percentile by American standards. I'm amazed that you are now ten times the weight you were when you were born, well done!

You are currently really enjoying primary school. Every day you ask if you get to go to P-1. You are very independent about going into school and have done really well at adapting to the schedules and routines. You struggle a bit with group instruction so you sometimes get a bit of extra one-on-one help which really helps you to move forward. You have several friends that you talk about at home and you always tell us about going to the library and doing exercises outside so I think those are your favorite parts of school at the moment.

The most common thing we hear from other adults (kids church workers, cashiers, teachers) is that you are so very sweet. This makes me so proud, sweet boy. More than anything else I long for you to always be sweet and kind to others, so to send you out for an hour or so and to hear that you were giving hugs and using your nice manners and being sweet to everyone is just the greatest report ever. You are still our snuggle bug, I think all those hours of holding you while you slept has made you really comfortable with being close to us and I hope you don't grow out of snuggling anytime soon. You love to get into bed with Jude in the mornings and share the iPad while Daddy and I get a few more winks, and you always want to sit with us and relax after school. You still hold our hands readily and love to have rides on Daddy's shoulders when we are out walking a long distance.

Your favorite things to do are: any type of outside play, going for hikes, eating "blue surf" ice cream from Maud's, watching hobby kids videos on youtube, eating at "the french fry shop" (McDonalds), playing "Go Fish" and "hide & seek," and running around the house with your little brother.

Your love of life is absolutely contagious. If anyone asks how you are your typical response is, "I'm great!" And you are, my dear, you truly are. I am so proud of you and thankful for you, sweet Liam. You are our firstborn, guinea pig and I'm so glad to learn this parenting game through your (and God's) grace.

Love you forever, and ever,

Momma

Dear Jude: 2.5

2015-05-25T03:47:00.001-05:00

Dearest, darling Jude Monroe,

Today you are two and a half years old, happy half birthday! I frequently have to remind myself that you aren't three yet, I just round you up in my mind. You are such a darling boy and we are so thankful for you and your impish little personality!

At two and half, you are a big boy! I don't know how much you weigh or how tall you are, but you stand as tall as several three year olds we know and you are just a solid little boy. You are also as tough as they come, I guess if you're going to be rowdy you have to be tough. Nothing gets you down for long and you can jump, climb, and run just as well as Liam.

You have an excellent attention span and love to read books and watch shows on the iPad or television. Your favorite book is "Love is a Handful of Honey," and you love to watch "Paw Patrol," "Bubble Guppies," and our beloved "Yo Gabba Gabba." You love puzzles and are really good at building the train tracks for yourself. Recently, you've really taken off with imaginary play and can entertain yourself pretty well.

Judesy, your temper is a force to be reckoned with. You have no patience for not getting what you want and you believe an appropriate response to any injustice is shrieking at the top of your lungs and throwing yourself to the ground. So that's fun. You make up for this with your charming smiles and sparkly eyes. You know what you want and you aren't willing to settle, we are choosing to embrace this character trait of yours and can hopefully cultivate it for good.

You are still the snuggliest little boy on the planet and might as well be a lap dog. If anyone is sitting, you are sitting in their laps. I really hope you don't grow out of this any time soon.

Favorites at the moment: the color purple, stars (the shape), transportation toys, popcorn, yogurt, Incy Wincy Spider, rain boots, and Bunny. Bunny is your favorite thing, and has to come everywhere with us. You take care of bunny like a baby doll, we pretend to change diapers, you feed him, rock him, and wrap him in blankets. You also frequently whisper, "I got you, bunny," while patting his back which is pretty adorable. If you're separated for any period of time you greet him with as much enthusiasm as if it had been years. Such a precious relationship.

Unfavorites at the moment: anyone having bare feet, having to share the iPad, blueberries, riding in the stroller, holding hands, being told no, and being helped with anything.

Judes, we love you so much more than words can say. We are so incredibly grateful to have the privilege of being your parents and being on the receiving end of all of the love you have to give. You are so precious to us, sweet baby Jude.

Love you forever, and ever,

Momma

Dear Liam: 4.5

2015-04-20T04:04:00.001-05:00

Dear Liam Davy,

Your half birthday was April 1st, and I had every intention of having this blog posted then but I got a bit distracted by our fun with Grami and Papo! So, happy late half birthday!

You are one of the funniest people that I know and you are sweetness personified 98% of the time. You are a little boy through and through and we could not be more proud of you! I'm serious about that, when you start reading and learning your multiplication tables I will most likely burst with pride so stay illiterate for a bit longer. Speaking of learning, you are doing really well in nursery school. Your teachers always tell us that you are kind to others and very well behaved. Although, we are working on your listening skills when it comes to "tidying up," apparently you think they are speaking to all of the children but you. You love the water table and the sand table at school and you always speak fondly of your friends.

Liam, your imagination is vast and hilarious. We love listening to you play with your toys. You love superheroes, Spider-man specifically, your rocket ship, and any type of transportation toy. You are not interested in crafts, but you love play-doh. You've recently become obsessed with watching YouTube videos on the iPad and watch some pretty interesting things ranging from videos of people opening kinder surprise eggs to Russian cartoons. You're an interesting child.

Your favorite movie is "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" (a Wes Anderson animated film that isn't inappropriate for children, but isn't meant as a children's movie) and we love that we have successfully warped you into our artsy ways. You also love Wallace and Gromit and we still watch our fair share of Peppa Pig.

I think living here has been a really good thing for you. We are often restricted to our home or just walking around the village since we don't own a car, and I think that the family togetherness has been really good for you. You love to be at home and frequently ask to "stay at my home in my jammies" on school days, even though you love school. You love to walk to the supermarket and you especially love to pick out a treat. Your favorites are kinder surprise eggs and smarties (which are like m&ms, but tastier). You have your mother's sweet tooth and just the other week told me you were "treat hungry," I completely understand, my darling.

You really love going to church and playing with your friends there. You have a pretty good understanding of our routines on any given day and you know that Sunday is church day, but since we go in the evening you can get pretty impatient about when we are actually going to get there.

Judesy is your pesky little brother that you love to play, and fight with. You both already argue over what to watch on the tv and who gets what toy. But you are always really sweet to him. You love to kiss him on the forehead at bedtime and enjoy squeezing his guts with hugs. I love watching your friendship develop and seeing you hold hands in the car or hearing you talk to each other. Your relationship is already a blessing to me.

Daddy is your favorite person on the planet and you light up like a flame anytime he comes in the room and fall into the depths of despair if he leaves without giving you the appropriate amount, and type (Eskimo, eye hatch) of kisses. You still love to be held and carried and we are in no hurry for you to grow out of needing that affection.

Your favorite foods are raspberries, triangle chips (tortilla chips), applesauce, jelly or Nutella sandwiches, smoothies, and blue ice cream. You dislike most other foods, specifically meats and milk. In general, I think you're too busy to be bothered with eating. But you have days where all you do is eat. Typical toddler.

Liam bird, if you haven't figured it out yet you are extraordinarily loved and cherished by your parents (and many others). We are so thankful for your life and health and charming sweetness. Being your momma has been a dream come true, and I couldn't think of a more darling child on which to learn the ropes of motherhood.

Love you forever, and ever,

Momma

Things Liam Says:

2015-02-05T04:55:00.002-06:00

I've been keeping a list in my phone for a while now of hilarious things that Liam has said and done and I decided it was time to share them with you. Liam is at an incredible age, he is learning and growing at a rapid rate and we are so excited about embracing the person that he is!

Common mispronunciations: what Liam says=translation

squeeze=sleeves (as in: "pull my squeeze down, momma")

That's taste=that's tasty

apron=sweatshirt

crips=crisps

eye hatch=butterfly kiss

uncle smooch=uncle scrooge

starbucks dress=my work aprons

I choked=vomit

My nose are leaking=my nose is running

Funny conversations:

Ryan: Jude, don't be a jerky jerk. (I think he was deliberately being mean about something).
Liam: dadda, Jude's not a jerky, he's our punkin.

I was singing along to a song playing on my phone...
Liam: momma, don't sing right now, let your phone sing.

He bit down wrong on a chip and it poked his gums, he refuses to eat potato chips to this day, if you offer one he will say, "I can't eat chips, that will make me very poke."

On thanksgiving we walked down to Ryan's school for dinner with the international students. Liam was so excited to "walk in the darkness" (it was getting dark at 4:30pm at this time) and kept talking about it all day. Then he told me that "God said let there be light, and daddy turned on the phone" (we use a flashlight app often).

Hilarious story from that thanksgiving dinner: some students got up at the front of the room to talk about why we celebrate thanksgiving in America and Canada (not everyone there was from a thanksgiving celebrating country). When one person was finished everyone clapped and Liam whispered to me, "momma, I think they're clapping to me." Which was cute, then when the next person was speaking he leaned over and said, "I think I'm gonna go up there and talk," next thing I knew Liam was standing at the front of the room. I was laughing so hard I couldn't move to go get him, and wanted to see what he thought he was going to do. That student finished talking, while Liam waited patiently, then he got down on his hands and knees and crawled across the room, twice. Easily one of the funniest things he has ever done.

Proper Irish/British Child:

Of course the children here speak very properly with darling accents. Liam doesn't have an accent yet, but has picked up on some of the patterns of speech and in general, speaks very properly.

Some words he says often are: certainly, I suppose, and well done

Dear Jude: two

2014-11-25T04:46:00.001-06:00

Dear Judesy,

Happy second birthday, my love!!! I am in disbelief that my baby is two! You have been such a light to our family these past two years that while it seems ridiculous that you could be two, it also seems like you've been here all along. I know that doesn't make sense, but it will to you someday when you have your own babies.

Here, in Belfast, they don't do well child exams so we don't know your weight and height. Apparently the queen of England doesn't care that I've kept meticulous records of your percentiles this far! We do have a little measuring thing in your room and if it's accurate you are about 36 inches. Either way, you are a big two year old, everyone here thinks you are at least three. Your speech and motor skills are pretty advanced and you love to keep up with your brother, so maybe that's why you seem older.

This past month your inner artist has exploded. Coloring and playing with play-doh are your absolute favorite things to do. You are so cute about it, you clear off your little table and bring everything to the counter and then sit down and look at us and demand to either "color purple," or "play play-doh!" You are really good about cleaning up after yourself and always put everything back together just so. You love to read books. It's getting a bit extreme, you wanted me to read to you at 4:30 yesterday morning. I said no. You are also obsessed with "Bubble Guppies" and "Yo Gabba Gabba."

You are becoming more particular about what you eat, but still eat pretty well. Your favorites right now are: Popsicles, anything made from a potato, innocent juice smoothies, oranges, and chocolate. You love using a fork or spoon, and handle them very well.

Judes, you talk really well and can communicate all of your needs, wishes, and demands either verbally or in caveman speak. You've recently decided to call Liam "Dibba," which is hilarious and a bit confusing. You can say both Liam and brother very clearly, but prefer your little pet name for him.

You despise the rain cover to your stroller and wearing socks in bed but you love shoes and will take them off just for the joy of putting them back on. You cannot stand to have your face or nose wiped but love washing your hands and brushing your teeth. You cannot play with a ball without throwing it, and you have a great arm. You don't have a quiet bone in your body, all of your volumes are loud. If you start crying you prefer to continue for a long period of time even when the reason you are crying has been eradicated. You hate having your diaper changed and love bath time. You prefer to put your lotion on by yourself and daddy must put it in your hands a certain way. You love throwing away trash and pulling out all of my cooking utensils and dragging them across the floor. Basically, you are two to the bone these days.

Judesy Roe, it's hard to put into words just how awesome you are and how much you are loved. You are such a sweet little love. You are sensitive and concerned about the people around you. You are already very creative and a great problem solver. Your daddy and I are madly in love with you. You are a charming wee lad, so much so that your trouble making nature in endearing. I'm so very proud of you and you cannot imagine just how thankful I am that you were born and you are ours to raise and nurture. Happy birthday darling, we love you very, very, very, very, much!

Love you forever, and ever,

Momma

Dear Jude: 23 months

2014-10-27T07:39:00.001-05:00

Dear Judesy,

You turned 23 months old on the 25th (which was also your JuJu's happy birthday!) and I'm already mourning the fact that you are almost really and truly two years old.

You are a large child! I have no idea of your actual size, but you stand as tall as Liam's shoulders and seem to weigh at least a million pounds. You are wearing 24 months and 2T clothes and size 4 or 5 diapers. You have finally gotten your canine teeth in, so we are just waiting on molars, ugh.

Judes, you continue to be an imp in every sense of the word. You are a bit conniving, the Irish would call you a "wee messer, or a wee chancer," which describes you exactly. If you think you can get away with something you will risk it, and often even if you can't get away with it! You love to try to get into the fireplace that's covered in soot, if the door is unlocked you are outside and trying to get in the street, you continually climb into the windowsill or the washing machine, you love to pull plugs out of outlets and throw toys around. You are a tornado and we love your spunk.

Lately, you've shown favoritism towards savory foods, in these pictures I've bribed you with crisps which you routinely ask for for breakfast. You love to eat curry chips and chicken nuggets, you still are our little Cookie Monster.

Developmentally, you continue to amaze us. We have recently discovered that you love to color, you sat and scribbled for 45 minutes the other day just as happy as could be. Your climbing, throwing, running, and kicking skills cannot be surpassed. You talk really well and have nice manners. You love to sing and will demand either, "tinkle, sunshiy, nana, or Jesus" for twinkle twinkle little star, you are my sunshine, hey Jude, or Jesus loves me at bedtime. It's hilarious.

Judesy Roe, you are a joy of a little boy. We are constantly surprised by your sweetness and compassion. You love to snuggle and love on everyone. We are so thankful to have a front row seat to your life and can't wait to see where your spunky sweet little personality takes you in this life.

Survey: Liam at 4 years old

2014-10-09T07:23:00.001-05:00

I finally remembered to ask Liam these questions! Hopefully I will remember every year. This was pretty entertaining.

What is your name? I Wiam Hawk

How old are you? My birthdays gone, I'm four years old. (He's been a little sad that everyday isn't his birthday).

Where do you live? In the new house

What is your favorite color? Blue

Who is your best friend? Omi (Noemi, from nursery school).

What is your favorite food? Chips and chocolate sandwich (Nutella and peanut butter).

What do you want to be when you grow up? Small (most likely not happening).

What do you like to play? Rocket ship

What is your favorite show? Peppa pig

Dear Liam: 4

2014-10-01T04:37:00.001-05:00

Dearest Liam Davy,

Today you are FOUR years old! I could burst into tears at how quickly the past 48 months have passed and at how proud you make me everyday. This is the first birthday you've understood and been excited about, which makes it even more fun for everyone!

Before we moved to Belfast we had one last visit with your beloved Dr. Steitz and he confirmed that you are a perfect giant. You are 43.5 inches tall, and weigh 43 pounds! You're in the 100th percentile for both categories, you've come a long long way from the 19.5 inches and 5lb 5oz weight of your birth. For goodness sakes, we rejoiced when you made it into the growth charts in the 3rd percentile at three months old!

Liam, you are so smart! You have your quirks and your struggles, but your intelligence and memory skills are amazing. You forget nothing, it's remarkable. You are cruising right along with your peers in nursery school and have finally learned how to sit quietly! Hurray!

Buddy, you love life! You are happy, happy, happy almost all of the time, you regularly will walk up to us and say, "I happy!" It shows in your eyes and sweet smile, love. You love to run and be outdoors. You don't love holding hands or listening to directions, so we get a bit nervous walking around the city. But you love it. There's a park really close to our house that we walk to a lot of afternoons and you absolutely adore walking through "the jungle" to get to the park and then exploring the paths and trails. You are an inquisitive soul and love to explore the world you're in, this is when you are the most calm and collected, when you are exploring.

Liam, you are the most hilarious four year old I've ever known. If you hear music, you have to dance. Regardless of the context, you will drop everything and boogie. This is one of my favorite things about you. You could care less that you're blocking the entrance to the grocery store, you simply must dance. You love to laugh, and you have a big wonderful laugh that we love to hear.

Dadda is the king of your world, you absolutely adore him, but momma can calm you down when you are out of sorts. You love to tell strangers about your brother, "this is baby Jude, he's a baby," you'll say. You can take him or leave him a lot of the time at home, but you are so proud that he's your baby. You have started wanting to help sing to him at night and snuggle and read him stories, which is precious. I love watching you develop your relationship, I know first hand how difficult it can be to be the older sibling, sometimes you just don't want anyone touching your stuff!

Liam bird, I can't quite put into words how proud of you I am. You have truly changed our lives in such a wonderful way. You made me a momma! And you continue to teach me more about myself and my need for grace each day. I wouldn't change a single thing about you. I'm so very very glad that you were born.

Love you forever, and ever,

Momma

Dear Jude: 22 months

2014-09-29T09:27:00.001-05:00

Dear Jude,

Happy twenty second month birthday, sweet boy! You continue to grow and change at such a rapid pace, I'm glad to be able to look back and watch your growth!

Everywhere we go people are surprised that you are not older than you are, you are a strapping little boy! You are talking really well and are really into identifying things you see! You tell me all about the dogs and cars and flowers and trees we see when we take brother to school in your raspy sweet voice. You love to read books and will back up into my lap with one and say, "I want this, read it." My current favorite phrase of yours is when you lay by the door during nap or bedtime and say, "momma, where are you?!" Between that and saying, "momma, get me" when you want to be held, you sure know how to work me.

Confession: I am not very good at teaching my children things. I am working on it, but I am not likely to put flash cards in your face anytime soon. Despite my bad parenting, you amaze me with all of your knowledge. You can count to ten and know a few shapes and colors, as well. You must be picking things up by listening to Liam, or Yo Gabba Gabba is more educational than I realized!

Judesy, I'm pretty sure you are going to eat me out of house and home. I feel like you never stop eating! You love popcorn, apples, strawberries, bread, and oranges. You eat big meals and lots of snacks.

You love music and dancing, you are a rough and tumble little boy and often initiate wrestling matches with your big brother. You are pretty dramatic and will cry and throw yourself on the ground at the drop of a hat! If you fall down, or dramatically lay yourself down slowly, you will loudly proclaim, "I'm oooooookay." You are quite opinionated, and very good at letting us know your likes and dislikes. You love to give high fives and to blow kisses.

Baby Jude, you are incredibly charming and a little stinker a lot of the times. Your love of life is contagious and encouraging, I love to see you greeting strangers, they are always surprised and enchanted. You have stolen our hearts with your grubby, chubby little hands and they are yours for the taking.

Love you forever, and ever,

Momma

Dear Jude: 21 months

2014-09-17T04:46:00.004-05:00

*once again, my blogging app failed to post this blog that I wrote almost a month ago!

Dear Judesy,

You turned 21 months old on the 25th of August! You are very grown up for your age and we often forget that you're not quite two.

Judes, you are so big! You seem older than you are because of your size, as well as your behavior. You are wearing 18-24 month clothing, some 24 month, and a size 6.5 shoe. Eating is your love language. If you are grumpy a snack goes a long way in turning your mood around. You adore sweets and routinely beg for cookies and suckers. You also love grown up food...you want to eat what we eat, but you want to eat before it is ready. So you usually have a snacky dinner at 5ish and then eat again with the adults.

Your personality is an absolute hoot! You are funny, charming, sassy, hot headed, and a born flirt (clearly you take after your parents). You love greeting strangers and have to say goodbye to everyone when we leave a restaurant. You also fall apart at the drop of a hat and can cry for no reason whatsoever. You are also the sweetest, snuggliest, busiest little toddler I've known. Basically, you keep us on our toes all day, every day.

You talk really well, you aren't always 100% clear, but we know what you want. You've recently started loving books, which makes mommy and daddy so happy, you love to read and often take a book to bed with you. You love to be outside and you really love playing with anything that Liam doesn't want you to touch. You boys love each other, and love fighting with each other. You love to climb and jump and often scare us by jumping from something high. You think it's funny to fall, you are a very tough little boy.

Sweet Judesy, we just love you to bits. I'm not sure what we would do without you and your sweet hugs and kisses. You love to love things: stuffed animals, dogs, people, and we are grateful to be on the receiving end of you love. Thank you for being such a precious, strong-willed, little love. You are deeply cherished.

Love you forever, and ever,
Momma

Dear Jude: 20 months

2014-07-25T18:13:00.001-05:00

Dear Judesy Roe,

Happy 20 month birthday! I cannot believe you're so old, and I can't believe you haven't been around forever! You are the perfect second (maybe last) child for our family and we are so enjoying this stage of your wild little life.

As you can see from these photos, you are basically a giant. I have no idea of your actual stats, but you seem to have filled out more this month. You are a solid little boy and you love to eat anytime of the day! You are a total Cookie Monster. The minute I come home from work you scream, "momma!" And then run to the pantry and scream, "cookie!" I guess we go hand in hand.

Jude, you continue to be a precious little sweetie but you can pack a punch. You definitely hold your own with your big brother and have had to learn to say "sowwy," and give hugs as an apology. You love to wake Liam up from his nap by jumping on him and giving him kisses, and you still love to sit in my lap...don't ever stop with that business.

You are talking up a storm and can clearly convey your needs and wants. You say "tink you," without prompting, which makes us so proud. You are really good at identifying, and saying, body parts and love sticking your fingers up my nose. "Twinkle twinkle" is still your favorite song to sing, but you loooove music and I've heard you signing the "na nas" from "Hey Jude" a lot recently, which is just the most precious thing ever.

Throwing toys/balls/anything is your favorite game and I'm routinely amazed at your coordination with all things gross motor. You jump and run better than most two-year-olds, and you can walk up and down stairs like a pro. I'm getting nervous you will crawl out of your crib any minute since you've started climbing out of high chairs like danger is your middle name.

Judes, you are deeply attached to your paci, which you call your "bay," and your stuffed bunny. Both are strictly reserved for sleep times and you get them out of your crib every time you go into your room during the day. Little sneak! I'm hopeful to take your paci away around your second birthday, but I'm pretty sure you neeeeed it for now, and our big move. Poor little baby.

You are an independent little love with an extremely determined demeaner. You can do a lot of advanced things because you have put your mind to it, I'm so excited to watch you take on the world as you get older, I'm sure you will accomplish great things! We just love you to bits, sweet boy. Please don't ever forget that!

Love you forever, and ever,

Momma

Foldies forever

2014-07-22T22:23:00.001-05:00

Last weekend was one of the most fun weekends I can remember having in my whole life. It involved three nights away in Breckenridge with three of my bosom friends. We laughed, we cried, we nearly keeled over from the altitude...it was perfect!

Do you have friends that are spread across the country/world and you can go years without seeing and still be on the same page? I am incredibly blessed to have more than a handful of these types of friendships, and I am so thankful to have people quite literally all over the world that are cheering me on in this thing we call life.

Chelsea, Amy, Hannah, and I all worked together at Shepherd's Fold Ranch as camp counselors in the summer of 2005. I was twenty years old! For Chelsea's thirtieth birthday we put this scheme together to have ourselves a little reunion and it was worth every penny!

We spent a summer together pouring into the lives of teenage girls and showing them their value. Nearly ten years later we spent a weekend together doing the same thing for each other. Ahh. My very soul is refreshed.

Girls, I am so thankful for you, and so glad we followed through and made this happen! I'm so proud of the women we have become!

Dear Jude: 19 Months

2014-07-02T10:33:00.001-05:00

Dear Jude,

You turned nineteen months old on June 25th, while we were on vacation. So, I'm just now getting around to your monthly update...whoops!

This month went by really quickly, mainly because we traveled for half of it, and I feel like you've turned into a giant over night! When we had your 18 month check up you were in the 80th% in both height (37.25 inches) and weight (27 pounds).

The big news this month is that you've almost doubled your teeth! You got three molars, bless your heart, and your fourth one is about to burst forth. It's encouraging to see you chewing more proficiently, you definitely seem to eat faster and continue to consume vast quantities of food of all kinds. Unfortunately, you've got my sweet tooth, you adore cookies and suckers and sweets of all sorts.

Judes, you are aceing all of your developmental milestones and some of the two year ones as well. You can climb, run, jump, kick and throw balls/toys/cups/food/etc. You get bored easily and prefer to be on the go and actively playing to watching television or reading books. That being said, you do like books and shows. You have recently expressed great adoration for "gabba gabba." And you love all Eric Carle books.

You continue to baffle us with your receptive and verbal language skills. You understand all, and follow most, commands, including being asked to throw trash away. You say more words than I can keep up with and learn more everyday. You love to say, "no" and "mine" to your brother. You tell us when you are "hungry" for a "snack," and ask for "milk" or "water." You still tell is when your "diaper" is "stinky" and when you are ready for "nigh nigh." You adore the dogs and call every dog either "Gu Gu" or "Zeppy." You speak in 3-5 word phrases and continue to have the sweetest little voice in all the land.

Outdoor play continues to be your favorite. You love to run and dance and you love splashing in the water table. You did not love the pool while we were on vacation but seem to enjoy all other bodies of water. You could climb stairs all day long and love jumping on any bed, or any surface really. Judes you also love to get into trouble. Your favorite "no nos" are messing with the fireplace, resetting the electrical outlet on the island, unplugging lamps, and stealing the remote control.

Baby Jude, you are an imp in the truest sense of the word. You are such a delight in spite of your orneriness and there isn't anyone who meets you that isn't enchanted by your big eyes and enthusiastic, "HI!" You've got spunk, little love, and I am thankful that your will isn't easily molded. You will give us lots of challenges, I'm sure. But I'm also sure that we will all be stronger for battling your determination. I'm excited to see where this life takes you, and I hope you will always love to curl up in my lap (or maybe just sit closely when you tower over me)!

Love you forever, and ever,

Momma

Dear Jude: 18 months

2014-05-26T16:28:00.001-05:00

Dear Judesy,

You were a year and a half old yesterday! I just can't fathom it, but at the same time I can't remember our lives without you. You are such a perfect fit into our crazy little family and you and unbelievably adored by all of us.

I don't know your weight or measurements, but you seem huge! You are wearing 18-24 month clothes now and a size 5 shoe. You still only have 8 teeth, you could definitely use some molars, kiddo. You eat pretty much all day long and will stand at the pantry or fridge crying. Your favorite foods are currently: yogurt pouches, grapes, raspberries, cookies, pirate's booty, cheese, and water.

Judesy, you are a climber! You love to test the limits of my nerves and routinely climb on top of the table. You are our little spitfire. You can open the child proofed cabinets and pull the safety plugs out of electrical sockets. You love to run and you are amazingly fast, playing outside is your all time favorite thing to do these days. You have great coordination and a pretty good throwing arm (you are currently a leftie). You love to shoot (dunk) baskets on your little basketball goal.

You talk so well, I'm still surprised by your ability to parrot us so well. You say "please" and "thank you." You greet everyone you see with an enthusiastic "HI!" You love to say "no!" to Liam and the dogs, and you tell us when you have a "stinky" diaper. We are also lucky that you say, "ready, set, go" before running or jumping off of something, a little warning goes a long way!

You are a pretty great little sleeper. You take a 2-3 hour morning nap everyday and go to bed around 7pm every night. You go down easily, you just need your paci (which you will probably have until you're 14) and your bunny and you're good to sleep. The only downfall is that you wake up first and get extreme joy out of waking your brother up. You are NOT a morning person, but you wake up with the sun (blackout curtains are no match for the Colorado sunlight) and then the hollering begins.

Baby Jude, you are a busy, blurry, messy little boy, and you bring so much joy to our family. I love watching you grow and change. My favorite thing is to watch you and Liam develop a relationship. You are a "tough crowd" so to speak, you don't smile or laugh easily. But you smile and laugh at everything your big brother does. I love that. You are the best little snuggler in all the land, and I am thrilled to often be on the receiving end of your love. Your sweet baby voice is perfection and I'm so proud of every word you say or sing. You are our darling and we wouldn't trade you for the world. Happy half birthday, little love.

Love you forever, and ever,

Momma

Dear Jude: 17 months

2014-04-25T23:41:00.001-05:00

Dear Judesy,

Love, this is the month that I thought you were older than you are. You are so big and capable and smart that I forget you aren't even a year and a half old! You are no longer my tiny baby, and I'm okay with that. Most of the time.

You don't go to the doctor again until next month, so I don't know how tall you are. But, I do know that you weigh 25 pounds. You are still wearing mainly 12-18 month clothes but will be moving into 18-24 month soon, mainly due to the fact that that's what size all of your hand-me-down summer clothes are, poor kid.

Favorite foods this month: grapes, spaghetti, strawberries, chicken, cake pops, and anything in squeezy form. You love water and you also love standing at the pantry and crying while screaming either, "hungry," or "more." I promise you eat more than enough.

You absolutely love to be outside. You have no fear whatsoever and constantly want to walk off the side of the patio (about 1.5 foot drop). You love to run around and throw balls. We have a little basketball hoop and you are pretty good at shooting baskets!

Judes, you talk so much! You do a good job of communicating your needs to us. And you are very good at saying, "NO!" You have the most darling little raspy voice which makes all of your words even more precious. Lately you love to point and ask "was dat?" I love seeing your little mind working so hard.

You are still enjoying school and never have trouble at drop off. But if you see Liam on the playground you get sad and start asking for mommy/daddy and saying bye bye. You love being with your little family. And you adore your big brother and love to keep tabs on him. You don't say Liam, but sometimes call him "brudder" or "bubba."

You have such a fun personality, baby Jude. You are as feisty as you are sweet. You love to be touched or held and hearing you laugh is everyone's favorite thing. You are momma's boy, but you give daddy all of your kisses. And your all-time favorite toy is your stuffed bunny, he's your best friend.

We are so thrilled to be your parents and are excited to see what the future holds for you, my love. You are going to do great things.

Love you forever, and ever,

Momma

Dear Jude: 16 months

2014-03-25T18:30:00.001-05:00

Dear Jude,
You are sixteen months old today! You are so much fun! We are loving how much your personality emerges everyday. You are constantly learning, growing, and changing and we are so thankful to get to witness your awesomeness!

You are 32 inches long (90th%) and weigh 25 pounds (75th%)! You are a solid little bruiser, you are still mainly wearing 12-18 month clothes and we have moved you to a size four diaper.

You have 8 teeth, no molars yet. You are still eating everything under the sun. Potatoes and fruit are your favorites, specifically French fries and strawberries, but you will eat any variety of the two. You usually eat two dinners, one at 5:15 when you meltdown in a pile of hunger, and then you eat half of my dinner whenever I eat.

Buddy, you are always on the move. You run, climb, and bounce around so much that I'm tired just watching you, or maybe I'm tired from chasing you?! You absolutely love to be outside and will stand at the backdoor and cry "bye bye!"

Speaking of talking, you say too many words to list. You are constantly identifying things, saying hi, talking on the phone, yelling at the dogs, demanding a cookie, etc. By the way, you use the word cookie for any item that you ingest: liquid, meat, cereal, actual cookies...it's all a cookie to you. And I pretty much love that! You know twinkle twinkle little star and sing it to us often and you can count to three!

You take a morning nap about two hours after waking up and demand to go "nigh night" at exactly 6:30pm every night. You go down to sleep really easily and are almost always awake by 7am at the latest. You are not a morning person, but you wake up first which is frustrating for everyone. You seem very angry to be awake, but you absolutely will not go back to sleep. Silly little love.

Favorites: any stuffed animal, sitting in boxes from Costco, eating, pulling Liam's hair, snuggling in the afternoon with dadda, going anywhere in the car, riding in your wagon outside, chasing Liam around your room, balls, going to school, massages before bed, your birdies above your crib, singing, dancing, and flirting.

Judesy Roe, you are seriously one of the sweetest babies I've ever known. You love to share food and hugs. You are our snuggly child and we absolutely adore your hugs and cuddles. You are tragically impatient and have the tenderest of hearts which means you are often in tears. And guess what, you're cute even when you're crying! I'm so glad to be your mommy and to have to power to sometimes soothe your spirit. I can't wait to see these little baby preferences and opinions in a strong big boy. Well actually, I can wait, you can stay little as long as you want, my love.

Love you forever,
Mommy

Dear Jude: 15 months

2014-02-25T21:13:00.001-06:00

Dear baby Jude,

Happy fifteen month birthday! Buddy, you are such a joy and you have had such a big month! This is the month you became a toddler, you'll always be my baby, but you're definitely pushing quickly into little boydom.

You are a full-time walker! And by walker, I mean runner. You are constantly on the go! You love to climb as well as run, you are constantly keeping us on our toes.

Along with walking, you started going to "school" this month! I think you feel like such a big boy going off to school with daddy and Liam. You seem to really enjoy yourself and you like to play with the other babies. You still hang out with Aunt 'Risa, Uncle Mate, and your cousins one day a week.

Love, you are a jibber jabber! You love to run your mouth and say so many words. You are constantly talking, babbling, and screaming into fake microphones. You also love to dance. So, basically you are a loud, wiggly little thing...and we love that about you!

Your appetite is still quite voracious. You eat anything and everything and lots of it, please! You love eggs, cheese, yogurt, strawberries, oranges, and pasta. So far, the only thing you don't like are black beans. And I don't blame you. You love to feed yourself most finger foods and we are pretty sure you will be a lefty based on your "eating hand."

You have seven teeth, wear a size four diaper, size 12-18 month clothes, a size 3 shoe (tiny), and that's all I know for sure. We go for your 15 month check up next week, based on a recent ear infection I know you weigh about 23 pounds.

Favorites: pulling on the dogs hair/tails, eating, climbing out of the bathtub, your plastic fireman hat, stuffed animals, anything Liam is playing with, running outside, climbing on the fireplace, mommy, climbing the stairs, music, trying to get into the pantry, pulling clothes out of drawers, carrying puzzle pieces around, and waving.

Judesy, one of the most common words we use to describe you is, "determined." I have never known someone so focused on one thing. If you want to do something, you can just about overpower me to do it, kind of scary. We are hoping to harness this trait for good. You can already do anything you put your mind to, and that's a beautiful thing to see in a baby. I hope you always insist on doing things that you are passionate about. You are such a sweet boy, we love to cuddle you and you frequently crawl into our laps while playing and rest your sweet head for a few precious moments. You are absolutely adored, my dear. And please, don't ever forget it.

Love you forever, and ever,
Mommy

Dear Jude: 14 months

2014-01-25T19:45:00.001-06:00

Dear Jude,

You are fourteen months old today! You are an amazing bundle of never ending energy and we are so very thankful for your life, health, and spunk!

You are a solid little boy, I'm not sure of your measurements but I know that you are stout without being rolly. You are still in 12 month clothes and size 3 diapers.

Judes, eating is your very favorite thing. You still eat lots of baby food, because it's convenient, but you love finger foods as well. Favorites are: cheese, grapes, blueberries, yogurt, sweet potatoes, and Chex cereal. You are drinking whole milk and have finally made your peace with the sippy cup. Now mommy needs to make her peace with you being a big boy and get rid of the bottle altogether. You have four bottom teeth and 2.75 top teeth, I would love for you to finish up with the teething. Thanks.

Love, you can walk! Over the past few weeks, you have put multiple steps together a lot of times. You aren't afraid or unsure of walking at all, you prefer to run like a drunken sailor, so that's not terrifying at all. I would say you walk 4% of the time, creep 60% of the time, and crawl the remaining 56%. I'm excited for you, and a bit nervous at all the chasing in my near future as you gain steadiness. You are also a pro at climbing stairs and say "weee" as you nimbly scurry to the top.

Speaking of talking, you say lots of words and are a true parrot. If Liam says "mommy," you say "mommy." Newish words are "nigh nigh," and "no no," you love to imitate the transportation sounds that your big brother makes and you just babble all the day. I think you will be a very verbal little boy.

You sleep well at night and love to cuddle your stuffed bunny while you snooze. You are gradually dropping your afternoon nap, even though you still need it. You usually take a two hour morning nap and then terrorize the world until bedtime.

We joke a lot about you being a bit of a hoodlum, and you are, but you are equally, if not more, sweet as pie. You love to snuggle and you love to try to bash your skull in, regardless of your destructive tendencies, you are such a joy to us. You are growing and developing and changing at the speed of light and I am so glad to be your mommy and receive your smiles and pats on the back. You are truly wondrous, baby Jude.

Love you forever, and ever,
Mommy

Dear Jude: 13 months

2013-12-27T11:07:00.001-06:00

Dear Judesy Roe,

You were thirteen months old on Christmas Day! I can't believe you are such a little toddler these days, you are so much fun!

You got your two front teeth for Christmas! Actually, they are still just barely poking though, but hopefully that relieved some pain for you. This takes your total up to six teeth! Your teeth get a lot of use these days, it seems like you are constantly eating! You get very offended if you aren't offered food when someone is eating, even if you've just finished a large meal. Favorite foods: bananas, raspberries, meatballs, mashed potatoes, and cheese.

At your twelve month doctors visit, we discovered that you are 36 inches long (80th%) and you weigh 22 pounds (70th%). You are very solidly built and fit nicely in your 12-18 month clothing. You sleep well at night and love your morning nap most of all.

Baby Jude, I'm afraid you will be walking very soon. You have taken one or two steps on several occasions to snatch a toy or get into trouble. You can stand, and dance, on your own for a pretty substantial period of time and you cruise with the utmost of purpose. Oh mobility, such a blessing and a curse. :)

Your daddy and I are pretty sure that you are going to be our biggest troublemaker. You love to instigate dance parties and nap-time raves, and you always get your brother to participate even when he is half asleep. Basically, we are all powerless to resist your charms. You love lamp cords, electrical sockets, air vents, and house plants more than any actual toy.

Sweet Judes, you are a very vocal little boy. You are constantly babbling, growling, squealing, or grunting. You can say a lot of words, "mama" and "dad-di" most consistently. You call for your cousins, Micah and Reagan often and can even say "Judesy."

You are still a little momma's boy and love to take cuddle naps, which is my favorite thing ever. I hope you always are so affectionate. You adore your brother and your dadda as well. You are such a tough little thing, you get tackled regularly and always seem to hold your own. Liam needs to watch his back! You love love love music and stuffed animals, your bedtime bunny is your favorite.

Darling boy, you are adored and cherished and loved like nobody's business. Thank you for making all of our hearts grow larger and all of our days happier.

Love you forever, and ever,
Momma

Liam Lately

2013-12-19T12:44:00.001-06:00

It's been awhile since I have updated on our oldest ball of energy! Liam Davy is hilarious, and brilliant, as always.

We are especially enjoying this Christmas season with him. His observations never cease to entertain. He calls all lights, "Christmas" and if they are on a house then it's "Christmas on the roof!" He also associates wrapped gifts with birthdays, so every time he sees a package he tells one of us "Happy birthday!" Love it!

The other day, I yelled "Jude Monroe" to get Jude's attention and now Liam calls him "Judesy Roe," which is my favorite thing about life, so precious. The Hawk brothers are buddies and partners in crime. They wrestle and dance and yell together, their relationship brings me so much joy and they are still so small. I can't wait to see how close they grow, and to referee their sure to be epic fights.

Liam loves school, he attends 3 days a week at the preschool affiliated with Ryan's school and starting next semester he will go 2 days at a public preschool to get a bit of speech and occupational therapy. We are excited to watch him continue to learn! He is so observant and quick to learn. He also never forgets anything! His latest discovery is emotion, he likes to show us "happy" and "sad" faces and has recently developed a few fears. He is afraid of balloon animals and candles. Two hilarious, but real to him, fears.

Transportation toys are at an all-time peak of favorites these days. I've never seen so many things with wheels in all my days. Liam loves vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers as well as typical cars, trucks, and planes.

Liam still loves books, Peppa Pig is his current favorite show to watch, helping me cook, splashing in the bath, being outside, and eating cookies are some other favorites these days.

We are so thankful for our sweet, healthy, smart, and kind little boy. He is so fun to be around and so easy to enjoy!