My BIG, big girl!

My precious Eliana Grace turned 4 on October 21st. I truly cannot believe how fast the time has gone. When I look at her and see what a beautiful person she is growing into, I feel so proud and sad at the same time. I still think of her as the tiny little baby that I once held, making me a mommy for the first time. She is such an AMAZING little girl. Eliana has the biggest heart of any kid I've ever known. She is always concerned about others, so tender and compassionate towards everyone. She doesn't like to see Addie get punished for misbehaving, she hates to see anyone cry, and she is the first to comfort you if you're upset. I can't wait to see what God has planned for her as she grows up. She is extremely sensitive, and we sometimes have to be careful what we say around her because if she hears something that concerns her, she will worry and worry about it so much that she has bad dreams. I've even found a gray hair on her little head, which I think is from her worrying so much. Despite the fact that she carries the weight of the world on her little shoulders, she is a very happy and fun-spirited girl. She is as girly as they get, and loves to wear "fancy dresses," anything that sparkles, and loves to do her hair with way too many clips and bows, put on jewelry, sing, dance, and pretend to be a princess. She is definitely OUR little princess. We love you, Ellie, and are so thankful God gave you to us.


Eliana at 1 month old






Look at those cheeks!


My sweet girl at 18 months


Love this kid!


My princess, 4-years-old

Little Livi

SO...... I had a baby! I know! Crazy, huh? Olivia Faith entered the world on September 11, 2009 at 7:41 a.m. weighing 6 lbs. 4 oz, and measuring 18.5 inches long- our tiniest bundle yet! It's hard to believe, but she is already 3 months old now. She has been such a blessing to our family. It's so amazing how our family has grown to love her so much in such a short time. The girls are great with her. I am so impressed with how Addie has taken on her big sister role. She dotes on Livi every chances she gets, smothering her with kisses and hugs (we're still have to remind her to be gentle) and is eager to help me with diaper changes and giving her baths. Eliana is the best biggest sister ever, and is so protective of Olivia. She doesn't let anyone talk too loud when she's sleeping, and her heart breaks every time she cries. Livi is such a HAPPY baby, always smiling, and loves to "talk." I predict she is going to be quite a chatter box once she learns to really talk, which will probably happen pretty early since she has her big sisters to model it for her. Girls just love to gab! We give thanks and praise to God for our beautiful, healthy family.

Backup Blogging

I know, I KNOW. I have not posted a blog in F-O-R-E-V-E-R (said like the kid with the glasses in The Sandlot). Well, life with 3 little ones has been crazy! Thankfully, I'm at my parents' now, so I have a little more free time on my hands. So, I'm about to post a series of entries... as many as the kids will let me, anyway. Let's see if I can document all the happenings from the last couple of months... Here we go!

New Baby's Nursery

The nursery is finally, officially complete! It took forever due to a mix-up with the crib bedding, but here it is!

What's in a name?

So we've been having a really hard time deciding on a name for our next little princess. Since this is our third girl, we've already gone through girl names a couple times, and the list of names that Miller and I both like seems to get narrowed down pretty quickly. That coupled with the fact that this is Miller's 8th year teaching, and the last couple of years he has had two classes a day, and he absolutely refuses to name our daughter after one of his previous students. That leaves us with even fewer choices. Originally, before I even knew if we were having a boy or a girl, I had decided that if we had a girl we would name her Hannah. I remember sitting in church when Addie was only 8 weeks old, and the pastor was preaching about the story of Hannah, and I told myself that if I ever had another girl, that would be her name. Well that pretty much stuck with me for the last two years, and then we found out for sure that we were having a girl. So then I was looking at a baby names website trying to find a good middle name to go with it, and I came across Lila. I liked it so much, that we decided to change the baby's first name to Lila. We also decided to go with the middle name Noelle, which means Christmas baby. Technically, this baby won't be born on Christmas, but we are pretty certain that she was conceived on Christmas. I apologize if that's TMI, but I personally think it's pretty awesome that God decided to create a new life on the night that our Savior was born. So there we were, with Lila Noelle. I still think it sounds really pretty, but unfortunately the name Lila doesn't really have any profound significance. We've always tried to find names for our kids with strong meaning. Like Eliana means "God has answered my prayer." And Adaleigh is a combination of "beautiful addition" and "consecrated to God." Lila just means "lilac tree"- not bad, but not that great.
So a few weeks ago I was reading to Addie and Ellie at bedtime from their Bible (the Jesus Storybook Bible which is and awesome Bible for little ones that I recommend. It whispers Jesus' name in every story- New Testament and Old.) I was reading to them about the story of Noah, and how after God flooded the earth, Noah sent a dove out of the ark to see if the water had receded. The dove returned with an olive branch, (which symbolizes peace), and meant that dry land was found. Anyway, upon reading that, I immediately thought of the name Olivia. So we have now decided that the baby's name is Olivia, and I am 99% sure we are sticking with it, because the girls have already started referring to her as Olivia. I even bought letters to paint and put up in her nursery. (By the way, the nursery will be done this weekend, so I should have pics up soon!). Now we just have to decided on a name that goes well with Olivia ___ Nguyen. Oh, and for those of you who don't know, our last name is pronounced "win." So we're thinking either Olivia Noelle or Olivia Faith, but we might end up with something else.

Baby Boomers

Well, I'm coming up near the end of this pregnancy, and for the most part, it's been a really great pregnancy. Except for that overnight stay in the hospital, I've been feeling great, and so far Baby looks really healthy. I've also really enjoyed this pregnancy because I've had the pleasure of sharing the joy of carrying a baby with several of my friends. It seems that everyone's bun is done besides mine, but I just wanted to take a minute to congratulate the new arrivals...

1. Congratulations to my friend, Shannon, who gave birth to her first baby, Dawson Jay on April 11, 2009. He turns 4 months old today already! He's adorable!!

2. Congratulations to Sheila, who had her little one, Elvis Anthony on June 7th, 2009. 8 lbs. 2 oz, 21 inches. He's now 2 months old. Such a handsome little boy!

3. Next came Kim's little boy, Ty Scott on July 7th (I think). 9 lbs. 3 oz., 21 inches long. He's little brother to her 2 beautiful girls, Dalyn and Ellie. So sweet.


4. Janice had her tiny little bundle' Jacob Westin on July 9, 2009. 6 lbs. 5 oz, 19.5 inches long. His big sister, Abby looks proud. So precious!

5. Most recently,Adrea's little man, Daniel Joseph arrived July 19, 2009. 7 lbs, 7 oz, 21 and 7/8 inches long. This is their first little blessing. He's as cute as can be!

I'm so happy for all my friends and their healthy, little boys! (Notice everyone's having boys. Of course I'm thrilled to be having another girl.) Also please join me in praying for my friend, Mary, who had a miscarriage a few months ago. She is blessed with 2 beautiful kids, Chasity who's 5, and Ryan who's 18 months. Please also remember in your prayers, my friend, Jennifer, who had her 2nd miscarriage. She and her husband are still trying for their first baby.

Baby belly, or basketball?

Here I am, as huge as can be at 32 weeks. It's hard to believe I'm only going to get bigger.

Tender Moments

I have a really sweet story about Eliana to share. My nieces have been staying with us for the last month or so, and they are sleeping in Eliana's room, so Eliana has been sleeping with us. Well, she has had a few bad dreams in the last couple weeks, but thankfully she has finally figured out that dreams aren't real (that's a hard concept to grasp). Anyway, the other night I noticed she was tossing and turning a lot, whispering to herself, and just not going to sleep. I told her to lay still and go to sleep.

"I don't want to go to sleep, because I don't want to have any dreams," was her reply.

"Oh," I said, "Why don't you pray and ask God to give you only nice dreams?" I asked. "Can you ask Him for me?" she said.

"Okay. Dear God, please watch over Eliana tonight and give her nice dreams. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Eliana waited a minute or two, "...What did God say?" (So cute!)

I said, "Well, God loves you very much and He doesn't want you to have bad dreams."

She seemed content with that answer, but she still wasn't going to sleep. So, I decided to start her off by giving her an image to think about. She's always saying how much she wants a kitten, so I said, "Why don't you think about a little, white kitten with blue eyes and a pink bow? It's lost and it's looking for it's mama. Then you find it and you say, 'Don't worry baby kitten. You can come home with me and I'll take care of you."

She liked that idea, so she asked me, "Do you want to come in the dream with me?" How adorable is that? "Yes, I can be in your dream," I said. Eliana gently picked up one of my hands and laced her fingers with mine. "Okay," she said, "You have to hold on tight so I don't get lost. Let's go into the dream." My heart melted. She fell fast asleep, still clutching my hand as tightly as she could. These are the moments that make motherhood so meaningful. Just the other day I was complaining to Miller about having to share our bed and how I couldn't get comfortable with Eliana leaning on me, plus her body heat, and my big belly in the way. This little moment made all of that well worth it. Before I had kids, I looked forward to being a mommy more than anything in the world, but the most I could imagine was holding a tiny infant and rocking him/her to sleep while I sang a lullaby. It's so amazing to watch my girls grow, discover their personalities, and receive such unbelievable blessing from them. I cherish these little moments with them, and I definitely had to blog about it because I don't ever want to forget it.

Baby Addie is a Big 2!

Well, this post is little over a week late. "Baby Addie," as she has affectionately been dubbed in our family, turned 2 last Monday, June 1st. I thought I would wait until today to blog about her because she was supposed to have her 2-year well check today. Then her pediatrician's office called and said her doctor has taken a leave of absence, so they are rescheduling her visit. The bad news is that I have no stats to post right now to show her growth, but the good news is we get to postpone her shots a little longer. That's always a good thing.

So what is Addie up to these days? Everything! She is talking a lot, running, learning to hop, potty training, and spends most of her days trying to keep up with her sister. She does a pretty good job, too, I must say. It's adorable. She really looks up to Eliana, and copies everything she says and does. I think Eliana likes it too, and so far hasn't found it annoying at all. Addie has also decided that she would like to spend her summer completely nude. Yes, no matter what we dress her in, she eventually takes it off, diaper and all. Thankfully she is pretty much completely potty trained when we are at home, so we haven't had many accidents, but I have to be able to move quickly when she says she needs to go potty, and moving quickly is pretty hard for me these days. Also thankfully, she knows that clothing is not optional when we go out in public, so even though she puts up quite a fight when we get her dressed, once we leave the house, the clothes stay on.

Addie absolutely loves the outdoors. She is a true summer baby, and had a blast while we were on vacation. She would have spent the whole time there in the water if we had let her. If it's not the water, she's perfectly content to swing, slide, or just run around in the grass. Her favorite toy by far is a ball of any size. She is definitely a bit a of a tomboy. Still, sometimes I'll find her playing dress up or having tea parties with Eliana. Addie also loves to read books. She loves being read to, but if there isn't anyone available, she will pick up a book and "read" to herself. She is remarkably good at retelling stories. Everyday I am more and more amazed at how much she has grown. She is still my strong-willed baby, and gives me plenty of opportunities to test my patience, but she always makes up for it with her affection. She is second to none when it comes to snuggling. She loves to shower me with kisses and hugs, and still loves to be held like a baby all day if I let her. Addie loves to eat and for the most part will eat anything we offer her. Her favorite foods are crackers, fruit, pizza, cheeseburgers, and fries. She also loves her movies, and her favorites are anything Veggie Tales or Dora.

Addie is still really shy and feels most comfortable when we're at home, just the family. She comforts herself by playing with my hair or with Miller's ear whenever she's upset or in an uncomfortable situation. I've loved watching her grow so far, and sometimes wonder where my little baby has gone, but I'm also really anxious to see what kind of a young lady she will grow to be. We are truly blessed by her and I pray that God uses her in a mighty way someday.

Baby Addie


Introducing Addie to the family



My little bundle


What a happy girl


Crawling


Standing



My little beauty


2-years-old now

Cozy Nooks

I think it's cute how kids find the need to try to fit into tiny spaces. I remember having special hiding places when I was little, too.

Eliana found a clever spot to play hide-and-seek.


Rub-a-dub-dub.... Two kids in a laundry basket?


Camping out in the corner by the couch.


This Baby Moses Basket is actually supposed to be a bed for infants, but I use it to store the girls' stuffed animals in... They decided to turn it into a boat.

Happy Daddy Birthday!

Monday was Miller's birthday, and it was really nice because we got to celebrate the whole day. He's been off of work for the past week because his entire school district closed due to the swine flu. I hate to say that he benefited from others' misfortune, but this was a much needed break for him. We started off the morning with a really yummy breakfast of cream cheese stuffed french toast. (Thanks for the recipe, Meg!) The girls and I also gave him our cards and presents. Eliana even wrote "dadby" on the outside of her card all by herself. It's hard to see in the pic, though.


Then Miller and I went to go see X-Men Origins, and it was really good. We both have a weird obsession for super hero movies... I know, we're nerds, but that's why we get along so well! After the movie I made a really good Vietnamese dish of Banh Xeo for dinner. This is actually my favorite Vietnamese meal, but we had Miller's favorite the night before.


After dinner, we had the ice cream cake that I made by his special request: French Vanilla cake with coconut ice cream, whipped cream topping instead of frosting, and almonds. I decorated in the shape of a basketball since he's so excited about his Mavericks being in the playoffs, but it's also hard to see in the picture.








Then the girls decided to give him their own special beauty regimen/massage using carefully selected kitchen utensils: a turkey baster an a measuring spoon.... Now what Daddy is more pampered than this?


Happy Birthday, Honey!

Half way to the finish line!

Okay, I normally don't like to post pictures of myself. However, my friend, Sheila mentioned that she had never seen what I look like when I'm pregnant, and asked that I send her a picture. Then I realized that I really never documented my previous pregnancies with pictures or anything, so I decided to go ahead and post one. I'll spare you the horror of posting a pic of my bare belly, but here I am at 20 weeks. This was just taken today.

Looks can be deceiving... Not much to see from the front.
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There it is! Baby-bump belly!

Making Room for Baby

We decided to take down Addie's nursery and put bunk beds in Eliana's room for the girls to share. We actually have a 4th bedroom, so we could have left her in her own room, but I thought they would like sharing a room. So first we put the bunk beds together, but both girls wanted to be on the top bunk, and I knew right away that it was going to be a bad idea. So luckily, this bunk bed can be taken apart and separated into two twin beds. This works a lot better, and the girls love it. Addie isn't quite ready to sleep in there at night, but she is taking naps in there.

A Tale of a Cucumber, Lost and Found

Eliana has a favorite toy, "Larry, the cucumber" from Veggie Tales. She takes him with us most everywhere we go, and she sleeps with him every night. When ever she gets a new toy, he temporarily gets replaced for a day or two, but she always returns to Larry as her comfort toy. He's been through a lot, and you can tell from his faded eyes and scratched up nose. When he goes grocery shopping with us, I always make sure to throw him in the laundry after we get home. Anyway, one day she just couldn't find him. We looked all over the house and searched the car, but he was nowhere to be found. I was a little worried about how she would react, but there was no tantrum. She looked a little distressed, but got into bed and said that she wanted to pray for Larry. (My heart melted at this). She was so sweet about it. She asked for him every night for several nights, and every night requested that we say a special prayer for him. No tears, no screaming, just the simple faith of a little girl. Well, Eliana's prayers were answered as we found Larry neatly tucked under the sheets of the twin bed that Addie has not yet started sleeping in. Welcome back, Larry.

Bedtime Stories

We always read books to the kids before bed, but apparently Miller and the girls decided to have their own independent silent reading time one night. I just thought it was a cute sight and had to take a quick picture.

Stinky Feet!

Okay, here's another funny little anecdote about something Eliana said. I have an obsession with my kids' hands and feet. I love to tickle them, kiss them, and smell them. I think what I like about smelling their feet is the fact that they have no odor. I guess it's because they spend most days shoeless, just running around our carpeted house, so they don't really get sweaty or smelly. Anyway, I love to grab their feet, smell them, and then say "Stinky!" This usually sends them into giggles, and we repeat it again and again. Well, the other day, I grabbed Eliana's foot, took a whiff, and said, "Stinky!"
She looked at me as if she were completely offended and said, "No they're not! I already brushed my teeth!"

What a silly girl.

Kid Talk

I just wanted to jot down some of the funny things the girls say before I forget them. For the most part, Eliana is a very articulate little girl, and she speaks very clearly. Still, there are a couple of things she says in her cute, little "kid-talk" kind of way, and I think it's adorable.
"Mommy, can you jungle with 3 balls?" (juggle)
"The taste bugs on my tongue are white because I drank milk." (taste buds)
"I'm cold. See? I have boosebumps." (goosebumps)

Pretty much everything Addie says is either in her own babble language or baby-talk. Here are some of the funnier ones.
"Boobies!" (strawberries)
"Hobo." (rainbow)
"Abugga." (hamburger)

I love it! I miss when we had to translate everything Eliana said, and I wish I had written down more of her baby talk. I'll probably add to this list periodically when I think of it.

Destination: Vacation

When Miller and I first got married, we had plans of traveling overseas to exotic locations for vacation, such as Thailand and Vietnam. We got married in September and decided to wait until the school year was over to take our honeymoon. By the summer, I was already 5 months pregnant, and we changed our honeymoon plans from our tour of Asia to a quick trip to Cancun. It was still fun, and we got to enjoy the beach and good food. However, being pregnant meant no snorkeling or hang gliding for me.
Now I can't even imagine packing up our kids, taking a flight that lasts more than a couple of hours, and vacationing in locations that don't have clean drinking water or air conditioning in all indoor areas. In fact, I have absolutely no desire to travel to other countries at this time. It's funny how becoming a parent changes your lifestyle so much. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret starting our family so early in the least. We have been so blessed, and God has had greater plans for our family than I could have ever imagined.
Well we've been spending the last few days at the vacation location of our choice. We left the cold, rainy weather of Dallas and have been enjoying the balmy 85 degree climate here. We have really comfortable, kid-friendly accommodations. Our lodging and all of our meals have been paid for, and they even provide childcare. I've been enjoying sleeping in, taking naps whenever I want, and hanging out with my hubby...
Have you guessed where we are? Of course, we're at my parents' house. Believe it or not, this has become one of my favorite places to go. My mom makes wonderful, home-cooked meals everyday, and my dad even does our laundry for us. I know, we're spoiled, but sometimes it's nice to be the kid again. The girls are loving the time with their grandparents, and I don't think Eliana ever wants to go home. Miller heads back tomorrow because he has to go back to work, and it will be the first time since we got married that we'll be apart overnight, but it will only be 5 days, and then the girls and I return home next week. Now I have to face my fear of flying with the girls by myself...

Here are some pictures of the girls enjoying the amazing backyard oasis that my dad created, right in the heart of the Tucson desert.

Eliana's Creations

Eliana is quite an artsy little gal, and she has created several masterpieces as of late. I thought I should take pictures of them and record how her artistic skills evolve over the years. These are some of her most recent works, at age 3:

This is "Chalky Flower." I'm not sure why she's making that weird face.)


"Mega Bloks Robot"


"Magna Doodle Flower Garden"


"Ladybugs" (Again on Magna Doodle)


Play-Doh Ladybug" Ladybugs are definitely her favorite subject.


This last one isn't really art, but I thought it was cute. She's been teaching herself to write letters, and one day she asked for a piece of paper and a pen, "...because I need to do my homework." This is what she produced. I thought it was funny that she accidentally wrote the word "bling."