Hur-durr

I promised I might, therefore, I must.

    Here, friends, is the best of a horrible collection of portraits:

 No, I don't weigh 200 lbs. Yes, I was wearing makeup. (I don't know what happened to the color on my face) How is Stephan still amazingly handsome?? 

     Needless to say, this will most certainly not be our Christmas card picture this year.

  Speaking of Christmas...

Here is Noah, Wyatt, Lucy and Lydia gathered 'round the tree. Lucy was saying "I like this" and "Christmas tree"! Noah didn't want to get out of Sheryl's lap. Wyatt and Lydia liked poking the glass ornaments. They're so cute! 

     I've got laundry to fold and sort and put away. peace!

Ride little Kitty!

Noah loves to "ride little pony" on daddy's knee. He likes it so much, he now rides little everything. He'll climb on top of Toby the dog or poor Charlie the cat if mommy and daddy aren't available; and if no living beings are present to bounce up and down on, he'll toss a pillow on the floor and ride little pillow.
  Another endearing new trait of Noah's is when I ask him to look at mommy and then I give him a command or ultimatum of some sort. Lately, I've been trying to teach him to say "yes, Mommy" when I tell him to do or not do something. The problem is, he's super good at saying "no" and only kinda okay at saying "yes". However, here lately, he's been responding to my request for him to say "yes, Mommy" by lowering his head to his chest in a large nod and saying "ya". I'm so proud!
 
   Oh friends! 'Tis the season of love and peace and remembrance! It's Christmas time! Kinda.
 The weekend, nay, the day after Thanksgiving, Stephan hopped into the attic and got down our three boxes of Christmas decorations, including the tree. We debated if we wanted to get a real tree this year, but decided to save money and stick with old Prickles. It only took about an hour and a half to have our house decorated.

 Noah loves the tree. He "helped" hang a few unbreakable decorations. Every morning, he says "light" and points to the tree until one of us plugs it in. At night, when we announce that it's bedtime, Noah makes sure to say "bye bye" to the tree.

    Here's the rest of our decorations. And the first fire of the season! (those are probably going to be pretty rare, as we still have a few issues with smoke wanting to sneak back into the house instead of going up the chimney).
    Yes, friends, it's that time of year when I have Christmas music playing most of the day and delicious smelling candles burning Christmasy smells throughout the house. I'm already dangerously low on spiced tea, as that is the beverage of Christmas for me and I've been drinking a mug a day. It really is the most wonderful time of the year!
    But it's not the decorations or smells or treats and drinks that truly make this season so special. I promise not to go on a preachy tangent about the true reason of the season, but I would be horrible wrong if I didn't talk of Emmanuel. Seriously, people, "God with Us"! What kind of God would literally make Himself so small for the sake of such undeserving people? Infinite, All powerful Jehovah became tiny, sleepy newborn baby so that His plan for salvation would make it possible for His lost creation to be reconciled to Him. I really don't need to type more, because that in itself is mind-blowing.
   It is with that knowledge in mind that Stephan and I celebrate Christmas. We plan on raising Noah, Witten, and any other children born unto us to love this holiday for what it is truly meant to symbolize: how the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We will give presents like God gave the greatest present to us. We will celebrate with family out of the joy of knowing that Jesus' birth meant we would be saved from eternal death through his death on the cross. Santa will be a cutesy, fictional character to entertain young minds, but nothing more.
    So friends, may you enjoy this advent season! May God bless you all richly. I am so excited!!   

You think YOUR family's awesome?

Psh!
They might be nice and loving and stuff, but mine is awesome!
Yesterday, my large, loud, lovable family gathered at my parent's home for Thanksgiving. Stephan and I arrived a bit early, 'cause we still had some of mom and dad's folding chairs and they needed them back. The rest of the family trickled in cluster by cluster until the Tracys arrived last. (Family tradition). As expected, there was turkey, ham, salads, green beans, casseroles, rolls, pies, and desserts of other sorts. We all partook of delicious, home-prepped food and enjoyed witty and humorous repartee around the table.
   Afterwards, even though everyone was full to bursting and ready to nap, it was suggested that we all take a family walk around mom and dad's neighborhood instead. I believe Uncle Don was the one who came up with that odd idea. Whoever's brain child it was, it turned out to be a great, fun idea! With all but four members of our family going for a leisurely stroll, it looked a great deal like a migration or exodus of sorts. Footballs were brought along for tossing during the walk. There was only one injury, (poor Hannah) and no hard feelings were retained from the experience.
  After the "invigorating" walk, it was time for one of my favorite parts of family get togethers: pictures. I may have attempted to describe our family's photo sessions before in this here blog, but I probably didn't do it justice, so here I go again. My cousin Kayla and Aunt Terry are photographers. They run a little business on the side of their usual work solely because they enjoy taking pictures. They are also super good at what they do. Therefore, when the call is out for picture time, some may run and hide, some might groan in anticipation of countless shots of various poses, but as for me and my house (except for Stephan), we jump to the front of the line!
    There was the whole family group shot, the Papa and grandkids pic, the Grandma and grandkids photo, the original sibling shot of mom and her three brothers and two sisters (minus Aunt Katie), then the one of that group and their spouses, and then everyone got to take their own, individual family photos. Stephan and I had to take ours a bit later in the day because about halfway through the session the Cowboys game started. Don't worry, we got some good ones during half time. And good news, sports fans! Aunt Terry promised to download all the pictures onto our family's private facebook group page, from which anyone of us can save whichever picture we want, so look forward to seeing a few of the best here on my blog. (I also took a few pictures, but my camera decided to stay at mom and dad's, so they wont be uploaded until later as well.)
    Yes indeed, friends, it was a successful day. In the midst of celebrating and feasting, I thanked God repeatedly for all of it. Everything I have, everything I love, enjoy, respect and revere has been a gift from God, my God. If every day of the year was Thanksgiving and I spent every hour of every day thanking God for what He has done for me, I still wouldn't be able to thank Him enough. And after a long day of close football games, emptying loaded plates, and posing for pictures, Stephan and I took our big boy home, put him down to bed, got ourselves snuggly-warm under the covers, and thanked God together for our blessings. Then I slept so hard, I can't even remember waking up for my usual night-time potty breaks. Noah did too, as he didn't make a peep until 7:05. (yay!)

I give you, my family, minus 6:

 

 
    Now, friends, on to Christmas! Time to get out the tree and decorations, fill the house with good smells and cheer, and play Christmas music to my heart's content! I love this time of year!
   Be blessed, dear readers, and in all things, give thanks to our Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.           

ayudame, por favor!

Faithful readers, mainly you crafty types out there, I would like some ideas for a project of mine, so please put on your thinking caps and help out one of your less gifted companions!
 This is a lovie blanket I made for Witten Allen Du Toit:

 As you can see, it's pretty basic. I used left over fleece from Noah's Bam Bam costume to make it and since it's so rough-looking, I hand stitched the green "W" in the bottom corner to make it look, I dunno, rustic? I would say "all done" and be content with my work, but I can't help but think that there could be more done to it to make it look cuter. So, people like Meredith Hyde and Ashley Johnson and Heather Marshall, any suggestions? And please bear in mind that I am still rather new to the sewing-for-pleasure community, so I'm not the best at it. Simple ideas would be much much much appreciated!
   And now; a picture of Noah looking so very much like his daddy:

It's so cool to wear Daddy's shoes!

 And then, a picture of what we believed to be Noah attempting a head stand?

   Out of no where, Noah just up and puts his head on the ground and stays that way for about 9 minutes. At one point, the little dare-devil even raised his arms in the air so that he was balancing on just his feet and head! I think it was because Aunt Melissa was in town, so he felt the need to impress her. Aunt Melissa also taught Noah some cool dance moves and new words! She's such a hip aunt.

    Well, friends, God has blessed us with a glorious, wet day and good health, so Noah and I are going to rejoice and be glad in it. Even though he fell and gave himself a big ole goose egg on his head just a minute ago. I hope that all of you fantastic readers have a blessed day!

Hurray for Holidays!

Happily recovering Noah is talking joyfully to his red car. My tummy is full of delicious Life cereal and a quickly growing baby. Rain is pattering gently on our roof. This week is going to be a good week.
  Why?
It's Thanksgiving!
  Thanksgiving this year is going to be especially special. Yes, there will be the usual happy aspects of this feast of gratitude like seeing all the family, watching the Thanksgiving day parade, eating delicious food, and enjoying the heavy food coma that comes afterward, but that's not what makes this year especially special. This year, I get the feeling that this Thanksgiving is going to be more of a giving thanks for the life of my Grandmother, Maureen Killian.
    For the past almost five years, Grandma Killian has been battling cancers of various sorts and overcoming odds and wowing doctors all along the way. Therefore, for the past four or five years, we have been hearing "this will probably be Grandma's last Thanksgiving/Christmas/other important event with us." God and Grandma always seemed to have other plans, though.
   Now, it seems that God's plan is, indeed, to have Grandma home with Him soon. As I write this, I am calm and composed. I know and she knows that it is not death for a believer in Christ to die, but merely a transition into glorification. I know that I will see her again. Truth be told, a small part of me is a bit jealous that she gets to enter into glory and be freed from sin and suffering forever and the rest of us have to continue the daily battle of resisting sin and striving for Godliness. Yes, I am calm and composed for now, but I think it's because I'm not thinking about how much I'll miss her.
    Therefore, this Thanksgiving, I'm giving thanks to almighty God for blessing us with our matriarch for the time that she's been with us. My family will meet on Thursday and share food, laughs, prayer, support, and hopefully partake in a few good natured games. I sure do love my family. Thank You, God, for my family.

  And now, I have floors to clean and grocery shopping to do. (*gag!*)

Calm down, Pork Chop

Friends, I have noticed a while back something that happens to those who become mothers: we turn into worry-warts. Some ladies seem to worry more than other, even pre-motherhood, but once a sweet, new life become your responsibility to care for and maintain, event he chillest of chill people tend to show a little more anxiety.
   "How does this phenomenon show itself?" You are asking
  Well, readers, I can only speak from personal experience on this one, but I will say that anytime my son has a sickness, be it a cold, a fever, the runs, whatever; my mind inadvertently and of its own accord often jumps to the worst possible scenarios for any situation.
   For example: I often still check on Noah while he's sleeping, be it nap time or night time, because my mind will suddenly tell me that he's being too quiet. Nevermind that he's sleeping and therefore quietness will be a definite.
    Another, you say? alright.
Noah, for the first time ever, has a Dr's appointment because he is sick. He has only ever been to the Dr. Office for wellness check ups since the day he was born. Now, at 18 months, he is having a bit of difficulty breathing, so I am taking him to see the Doctor. It's the rational thing that all parents would do, but in my head, I'm praying fervently that Noah doesn't have pneumonia and I'm visualizing dramatic rushes to the hospital holding the limp, wheezing, blue-lipped form of my first born baby. Yeah, it gets that dark up in my head.  See? Motherhood = worrying.

  Now I must go. It's time to see the doctor and I have to wake Noah from his nap. Sorry, Sweet Boy! 

Sorry, Sweet Boy!

I believe that as a mother, there is very little in this life more frustrating than trying your hardest not to infect your baby with a sickness that you yourself have, but then they get it anyways. Sorry, Squirt. I promise I really didn't mean to!
  For a child with the same illness I just endured, he's doing fantastic, though. Yes, last night was pretty rough, poor boy, but right now, he's really putting me to shame. Except for the nose-drippings and occasional sneezes and coughs, he's acting perfectly healthy. I certainly didn't act like that when I was down. I hope this doesn't mean that he's going to get worse.
 
  On to brighter things!

I found a memory card in our old camera that we have been letting Noah use as a cell phone. Out of curiosity, I stuck it in the 'ole computer to see if there was anything on there. My stars, there was indeed! Pictures dating all the way back to our rent house on Magnolia and Melrose! (Only two or so, but there is one video!) There were pictures from our 2nd anniversary and a Halloween party in which most of the women there were pregnant, but only half were telling people yet.  These pictures made me smile super big. They (and many more which, I'm afraid, truly are lost forever) were uploaded on our old laptop that crapped out completely about two years ago. I thought I'd never see them again. Well, friends, take a peek into the pre-baby lives of the Du Toit!

We played video games!

We took these unflattering, up close pictures of ourselves!

Aubrey dressed like this all the time!

We actually dressed up for Halloween!

Kevin had anger issues.

We would take pictures of ourselves doing things like riding around town!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were so young and in love!

  Well, I hope that ya'll had fun tripping along down memory lane with me. I wish I had more to show you, but the rest are pretty much pictures Stephan and I took of ourselves. In all seriousness, it's wonderful to look back and remember the fun times we've had together, but at the same time, it's amazing to see how much we've matured as individuals and a couple. Not that we were entirely immature back then, but I can see now that with all the different stages and events that we have faced together in our marriage, Stephan and I have become more experienced, and, yes, more mature. I know for a fact that both of us are still fun-loving and joyful people, only now we have new and heavy, albeit precious and wonderful, responsibilities to shoulder.
   I thank God every day for the man He gave me to marry. I thank God that that guy loves me and thinks I'm purdy. I thank God for all the experiences we've shared thus far. And I ask God to continue to lead us as we face a future full of potential, changes, excitement, joy, hardships, griefs, and growth. God has been faithful, He will be again, His loving compassion knows no end. All I have need of, His hand will provide. He's always been faithful to me.  

An independent thinker.

Stephan and I have come to the conclusion that, for now, at least, Noah is a pretty independent boy. Give the boy a toy he enjoys and you wont even have to check up on him, he'll just be playing quietly in his room. Of course, there is the occasional crash-then-cry episodes that require immediate investigation, but those are pretty rare and usually over-dramatized by Mr. "I didn't do it". I am honestly very glad that Noah is this way. It enables me to do housework or my Bible study or even just lay on the couch and watch him from a distance. Thank You, God for a child that is not high maintenance.

  So, friends, I have been under the weather lately thanks to a sore throat. I think I would prefer a fever or a headache over a sore throat. In fact, I'm sure I would. Sore throats are miserable and make swallowing a chore. Plus, they last for days and always follow the same pattern: starts with a seemingly harmless tickle that wont go away, leads to an irritating dryness and cough that aggravates it until it's a source of misery and pain that will not yield to any nasty-tasting cough drops. Then, suddenly, it's gone and I praise my Father in heaven that this, too, has passed. I'm looking forward to that there last part.

   Time to prep dinner. Ya'll have a wonderful evening now, ya hear?

Pictores

I'm not sure if that's even a word. In any language.

   So, friends, some fun pictures from here recently.

Daddy and Noah just chillin' in the deck chairs.

Noah cruising around with his baby love

Ever since he was a tiny thing, Noah has loved to snuggle on Daddy's chest. Still loves to. Not so much with mommy...

 And finally, a string of pictures that made me laugh heartily when I took them. The back story: I heard Noah giggling maniacally in the hallway, so I went to investigate. I found him like this:

Poor Charlie. He took it very well, considering Noah's stinkin' heavy and wouldn't get off of him for a full 3 minutes. Charlie's expression in the next picture kinda says it all.

Ugh. Why won't he do this with the dog?

And finally, an end note about pictures and picture taking. As a pregnant lady, I have put on weight. I'm not gonna lie, it's a bit more than the weight I put on with Noah. Therefore, when I was preparing for our family portrait yesterday afternoon, I practiced smiling in the mirror in ways that negated the roundness of my face instead of enhancing it. Friends, it did me no good. Needless to say, I looked very large indeed in my family's picture. And pale, too. Stephan looked tall, dark, and handsome; Noah looked cute and cuddly, and I looked wildly overweight and pasty. (The lighting was HORRIBLE and they cropped it all wrong! yeah, that's what it was). If I can stand to, I'll post a copy of this icky pic-y when we get it. And no, we did not buy ANY copies of it. We just get one lovely, complimentary 8*10 picture to hang/hide in our home. I felt so upset about looking so large that I immediately made a batch of chocolate no-bake cookies to smother the agony. (God was gracious and made it so that they didn't turn out well. Hopefully, I won't eat as many. I can't make any promises.)
    So, what are my plans for post pregnancy? Healthy, ardent weight loss. So there. 

shh! my feet are sleeping

Daddy put Noah to bed tonight. He did pretty well. He didn't think to pick up all the toys first, though, so Noah thought it would be perfectly fine to get out of bed and play a bit. He got spankins.
   Friends, I remember very clearly sitting at our computer around two years ago and blogging about how my unborn son was trying very hard to kick my lungs through my diaphragm. I recall that memory now because intermittently throughout my day today, Witten Allen has attempted the exact same feat in the exact same location. I'm pretty sure he caught my rib cage once. I don't know for sure, but I think that Witten is going to be a lot more... umm... wilder than Noah was as a newborn. Yeah, that's a nice way to put it.
    Noah Sias Du Toit is measuring in the 92nd percentile, at least in weight. His current weight is equivalent to that of a 26 month old. In my concern, I asked our fantastic pediatrician if that meant that Noah was overweight. He assured me that Noah is perfectly fine, he's just big. He even told me to pat myself on the back, 'cause I was doing great as a mother. Then Noah got his finger pricked so they could draw his blood, and he scoffed at their puny attempts to cause him pain. Of course, right after that Noah got a flu shot that had him weeping huge tears of agony. Poor baby! (Though a part of me thinks that it's the act of laying on that paper-covered table that freaks him out, 'cause he cried the same way when they measured his length. Bad memories, I guess.)
    My schedule is a bit off. Tomorrow, I grocery shop. Also, my handsome family gets to dress in coordinated clothes and take a portrait for our church directory. (Yay!) It's going to be a chore to try to find outfits that match without being hokey and that everyone's pleased with. Hmmm....
     Now, I'm sleepy. BSF was fantastic, and I am loving studying the book of Acts. It's a fantastic read, you should check it out.
  Goodnight, moon. 

Say What?

Why does it not feel like Saturday at all?

Noah and I got to enjoy lunch with our friends Reannine and Claire. Out of necessity, Noah sat in the booth next to me in a booster seat. I was pleased when he did so well, sitting like a big boy in the booster seat. Oh, and for those of you who don't know, The Corner Bakery is incredibly delicious and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to eat food.
 
  This is a short post because my pregnancy brain is especially addled today and Noah's napping super well, so I think I, too, will go lay down. Night night, friends.

Wow

Today is day two of Noah sleeping in his big boy bed.
I have done the research.I have read the blogs and heard from friends and talked with Stephan about how this was going to go down. I was anticipating, especially after our very first attempt at nap time in his new room, a long, strenuous week or so of putting Noah back in his bed and sternly telling him to go "night-night" several times. (That's how naptime, day 1 went.).

  It is amazing to me, friends, how wrong I am. I could very well be jinxing things, and maybe Noah was just exceptionally tired, but for naptime, day 2, I put Noah in bed, gave him his blanket and pasi's (yes, I gave up on weaning him off pasi's. One huge transition at a time, I figure) and sang him his nap time songs, then left the room. He didn't fuss once. I watched him through a tiny crack in the doorway for a few minutes. He fiddled with his hand pasi, watched the fan turn, and stayed completely still. When I checked on him a few minutes later, he was snuggled up to his caterpillar pillow, fast asleep. 

           
 My celebratory dances were almost interrupted by a cat funeral when Charlie tried to check in on Noah and proceeded to make a loud "crack" noise when the sticky door hinge creaked open. Praise God, Noah stayed sound asleep. I had to close the door after that.  I'm mildly afraid that this might be a  one-time thing and that tonight or tomorrow we'll have to redo the crying/spanking approach to settling down for a nap, but for now, I'm super hopeful and very thankful that God would bless me with such a wonderful boy!
   As of right now, Hes' almost been asleep for two hours. I feared that he'd never do that again. Praise God! Praise God, praise God, praise God!