Rebekah is 4!

Our Baby Girl is 4 years old. In some ways it seems a long time coming because I'm used to her doing everything her big sisters do but when I think that she will be starting Kindergarten next year then it hits that the time is going too fast. I love when she uses "big" vocabulary in her still small baby voice. I love her sense of humour. I love that she is almost always in a dress. I even love her temper because it is still adorable at this age. I love watching her personality grow and change. Happy Birthday Bekah!

Beautiful Bekah is 3 1/2

Last month Rebekah celebrated her 1/2 Birthday. After Christmas we seem to have gone on a bit of a picture taking purge but I did take some of her trying on these outfits that used to be mine. My custom made gymnastic suit (because who doesn't dream of wearing suspender underwear overtop of their pants) and a fancy dress hand made by Mom.
About the same time she hit the half way mark everyone started commenting about how much more she is talking (though you still might have a bit of a hard time understanding what she says). She is also much more comfortable being without me and enjoys attending her Sunday School class.
Loving our littlest girl.

Rebekah Ballerina

Rebekah has been waiting a long time for her first ballet class and today was the day! It is nice to have her and Samara in the same class. Last year Angeline and Samara were in the same class together. I think it is nice for Samara to have a chance playing the roll of big sister and showing her little sister the ropes. This will be Samara's last "Tot's Ballet" since she will be 5 soon.

Some of you may be wondering about the bandaid. Rebekah fell of her chair 2 1/2 weeks ago. She landed on an upside down plastic container lid which one would assume is harmless. Somehow that harmless lid landed her in emergency. Two hours and TEN stitches later we were on our way home. There was no head injury other then the cut. Most of the scab is gone but she still has some stitches that haven't dissolved. She is doing well but it is definitely going to leave a mark.

Rebekah

Rebekah JUST turned 3 and hasn't finished celebrating yet (family party postponed since mommy got sick). She did share some "Frozen" cupcakes with her Sunday School class who sang her happy birthday.
3 weeks before her Birthday she tripped and did a header. Instant goose egg, two black eyes and 3 weeks later she is fully recovered. Not much stops her or slows her down.
She is a good mix of stubborn, funny, determined, sensitive and adorable (of course).

Bekah is 2!

Rebekah is now 26 months so her 2 year update is overdue. The main reason for the delay is I have been hoping to capture some special pictures of her to celebrate this special milestone. She doesn't really like to pose for the camera at the moment and her two year birthday pictures are out since singing her "Happy Birthday" puts her in tears. I'd like to say that they are happy tears but the truth is she really doesn't like it. She broke out crying for her first birthday as well.

Regardless of whether or not I am able to capture the perfect posed picture I have in mind, her birthday has come and gone. She is transforming more and more every day into a little girl and the only thing really holding her back as a baby is her diapers. Jonathan and I are both finding it difficult that she is growing up so fast, I think this is particularly the case since she is our last baby girl. In another month or so she will be a big sister!

We love her so much... she gives the BEST cuddles and LOVES to make us laugh. She did promise Daddy that she would stay little forever but we know there is no stopping the inevitable. So we will catch snap shots when we can and cherish the moments as we attempt to enjoy the present without longing for the past or fretting about the future.

21 Months

Rebekah is now 21 months old. Usually by this time the newest sibling has arrived. She IS going to be BIG SISTER to our new addition in November 2014. These pictures were taken during our week at Tad Lake. She loved spending time at the family cabin. She would have spent the entire time outside if she could have. "Outside" is one of her favourite words to say. She also says "downstairs" often... that is where we have our play room and where her siblings can usually be found. She is now saying small sentences... things like "I want juice." Her best friend is Samara and she LOVES following her around. They are often holding hands off on an adventure together. If Samara is climbing the rocks at the front of our house she has to do it too... same with the run bike etc. We love our Bekah... she is so much fun and adds lots of joy to our family.

18 Months

Time has not slowed down for us. Was going to post some pictures when Rebekah reached 18 months and she is now 18 1/2 months old. We have been so busy that I actually haven't taken too many pictures since Chrsitmas. Here are a few recent ones of Bekah and her buddy Gunnar taken last weekend.
Not much of an update since my last blog. She hasn't made any leaps and bounds with her words. She is continually working on new teeth and almost has a whole mouth full. She is growing up so much though. I love watching her sing and dance and play with her sisters. And I love watching her with David. He often gets her when she wakes up in the morning... so sweet! The other night when I was tucking him in he asked me if Bekah was going to wake up during the night. I said that she might wake up once and he told me that he would go get her for me. LOVE all my kids.

"Bekah"... 17 months

Rebekah is 17 months old today. We certainly noticed some big changes in this last month as she journeys from baby to toddler. Firstly she is no longer nursing and subsequently not "needing" mommy as much. She is expressing her  independent spirit as she explores new things she can do on her own. She likes to practise undressing herself but usually only manages to get her pants and shirt half off. This makes for an interesting fashion statement and also a tripping hazard but it is cute none the less. She is using her words more and managed her first sentence "Angie did it!" Her most common words are her siblings names "Dayday, Angie & Mara"... Mama, Dadda, all-done, water, cheese & chocolate are also used often. I can't forget "Gunnar"... Grammy and Grandpa's puppy. When we spent the night at their house the first thing she said in the morning was "Hi Gunnar." She is often singing and dancing. Here are a few recent pictures of her from Christmas. Can't believe our "Baby" is almost 1 1/2!

Our Baby is 16 months old...

Rebekah is 16 months old today! I was adding a few things to the envelope at the back of her baby book today so we all had a look through it. A picture of the kids at Christmas last year came up and Jonathan made the comment that "it seems like just yesterday." Yesterday they were all in their 2013 Christmas outfits, a good indicator that another year has gone by indeed. Here are a few pictures of her in her Christmas dress, taken yesterday.



Rebekah is doing well. Her newest cute moment (there are many) was this morning. "Ta Da!" was her excited announcement. She really loves music... dancing, singing and clapping. She is Mama's girl in more ways then one. She looks like me (except I have dark hair and eyes) and she also likes to make sure I am close by. We are hoping to transition her to her Sunday School class in the new year and maybe even get a babysitter now and again! She is lots of fun. We love her so much!

Introducing...

Our Super Man, Little Red Ridding Hood, Fairy Princess and Strawberry...

Rebekah's 1st Year

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly baby photo books are the perfect way to preserve your baby's precious moments.

I just finished and ordered Rebekah's Baby Book. I've used Shutterfly before and I have been happy with them. Because life is busy with 4 I worked on Rebekah's book online, one month at a time. I would recommend this method to all busy Moms. You can journal while it's fresh in your mind and if you dedicate one page per month it is easy to just add your favourite pictures at the end of each month. Here it is for anyone who wants to view it online. I should have the hard copy in my hot little hands in a few weeks time. "The days are long but the years are short."

September Kids Update

David lost his 3rd tooth this month (with a little help from me). His adult tooth was growing in behind it but the baby tooth was holding on tight. A few weeks after the dentist said it would be out in a matter of days I took matters into my own hands. He will probably loose his 4th tooth next month as it is wiggly as well and the adult tooth is growing in. His front adult teeth are growing in a little farther back then I would like but I am hoping they come forward on their own. Apart from that he has started Grade 2 (at home) and is doing well. He has days where he wishes he could do away with school altogether but when he has his mind set he gets his work done very quickly. He would much rather occupy his time building Lego and K'nex. Mondays and Fridays are very busy. He starts his week with swimming lessons and Bible Study Fellowship (with Grandpa Rob) and finishes off with Community Class (had decided not to do this but changed my mind again) and Friday Night Friends, Sports Camp.

Angeline is now 4 1/2. She has been waiting anxiously to reach this stage since she turned 4. Next on the list is turning 5. She is eager to learn to read but not so eager to take directions from Mommy or anyone else. (Might have "fun" homeschooling her when she starts kindergarten next September). She knows what she wants and when she wants it. She likes to tell everyone what to do. She wants to be older so much that she is always trying to do grown up things which has been getting her into a lot of trouble. All in one week she cut Samara's hair, filled the laundry machine soap dispenser, filled the tub with Johnson & Johnson (2 minutes after I lectured her about the laundry soap), added oats to our porridge that had already been cooking and shampooed Samara's hair (what's left of it) with my face wash (that's jus what I remember... the rest of it is a bit of a daze). She often means well and can be very helpful looking out for her siblings, helping with chores and she keeps us all on our toes!

Samara bounces back and forth between Angeline's sidekick or victim :) I can see how she gets stuck in the middle not being big enough for some things and being too big for others. She is potty trained which helps a ton but bed time is still a bit of a struggle. She recently saw a paediatric ear, nose, and throat specialist because of her LARGE tonsils and has been put on a waiting list to have them removed. He surgery won't likely take place until she is between the age of 3 1/2 - 4. Her talking has really picked up since June... sometimes we can't get her to stop! Her favourite shows are "Dora" and the "Lego Batman" movie. She likes to sing and is looking forward to "Moms & Tots" starting up this week.

Rebekah. I can't quite decide what my bigger challenge is right now. 1)Angeline's Experiments or 2)Weaning Rebekah. We thought we were weaning Rebekah in August but it didn't work out like we had planned. I don't mind that she is still nursing (she is only 13.5 months) but she is getting up about 4 times a night and I am tired! It's hard to come up with a game plan with her. I think our next step is to sleep train her, just not sure when or how we are going to do that. Her walking has gotten much faster over the last month and she has also discovered climbing. She got onto our white kitchen garbage can without standing on anything else. She is often up on a stool peeking on the counter and has also climbed into our cupboard, toy bin and onto our white cabinet. She LOVES music... particularly the first song on the kids VBS CD from this year. As soon as it comes on she stopes what she is doing, gets a huge smile on her face and starts dancing and clapping.

Jonathan and I are doing well. We recently discovered a dating journal we kept so that was a lot of fun to read through and we are looking forward to celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary next month. Sorry... no pictures for now but I may try to do a picture post soon now that I've got the writing complete.

Cake Smash!

Happy 1st Birthday!

Happy First Birthday to our littlest LOVE! These pics are from a celebration a few weeks ago with her Birthday Twin... more Birthday pics to come soon.

11 months

Rebekah is almost half way through her 11th month and it is hard to keep track of everything new. For starters she is eating more both in quantity and variety. Some new things she has tried recently include mushrooms, zucchini, cantaloupe, watermelon, chicken nuggets, ribs, cows milk and even greek orzo salad. She likes almost everything she tries but doesn't seem to be a big fan of raspberries (yet).
She has taken her first steps but is not walking (if that makes any sense). She will take a few steps when coaxed (sometimes) but continues to be cautious. She recently learned how to go down stairs and simultaneously discovered the process for "getting down"on her own from pretty much anything she isn't strapped into. She loves climbing on and off her mattress, Samara's toddler bed, the fireplace ledge and our kids picnic table. She amuses herself by standing on soft surfaces (couches or beds) and throwing herself down on her bum. This sends her into a giggle fit after about 3 rounds which always results in the hiccups. Another favourite game is "ball." We will say "pass to David"... "pass to Mommy" etc and she is very accurate! She loves all the big girl things she can do and the proud grin she gets is adorable. She has 3 words so far... "Mom", "Dadda" and "Nana." We will have more of an update when she has her immunization appointment in August but she weighs about 21 pounds and seems to be doing well.
Who ever decided to refer to babies as "bundles of joy" really nailed it. She is JOY wrapped up an a cute little package. She makes all of us smile. We love her so much!

*In the second picture there is a striking resemblance to my sister Mandy when she was a baby.

10 months

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It has been a month and a half since I last updated about Rebekah and what a month and a half it has been! When I updated at 8 1/2 months she had 1 tooth and now she has 4 and is working on more. While I was away for 3 nights that is when her 3 newest teeth came in... I couldn't have timed it better (or worse) depending on how you look at it.
At 10 months old Rebekah is a very busy baby. She waves when she wants to have a sleep or change her present situation (when she is done eating and wants out of her high chair she waves bye-bye). She pushes toys across the floor and walks behind them and she likes to hold hands and practice walking. She goes up stairs but not down.
She doesn't talk but she likes to shake her head "no" and we think it is really cute. She loves swinging in her baby swing on the new swing set Daddy built. She is starting to transition from Baby to Toddler and we are trying to soak up all the Baby time we can get.

Mothers Day 2013

I had a wonderful Mothers Day Weekend. Saturday we celebrated with Jonathan's side of the family and had a delicious waffle brunch. Sunday my Dad, Shelley and Taylor were here and Jonathan barbecued steaks and made caesar salad. He also ordered me my favourite cake. David made me a lovely card. I feel truly blessed to be called Mama by 4 beautiful children and to have a wonderful Husband. Rebekah started cruising yesterday which was a mothers day gift all on its own. At 9 1/2 months old she has also started shaking her head "no" when she doesn't want something and waving.





This storage bin unit is new to our playroom and we are loving it. It makes it a lot easier for the kids to clean up and to keep things sorted. We have been loving the weather this month. The kids have been in the pool and sprinkler and we have the water table out. Soon they will have a swing set to enjoy as well.

Stand Up for Rebekah - 8 1/2 months

Yesterday Rebekah stood up all by herself. This is her second attempt caught on video. She is very proud of her new accomplishment and likes to practice. I am trying to keep her downstairs as much as possible where the carpet makes for a softer landing. Lots of new things happening in her 8th month, she recently transitioned from army crawling to hands and knees "proper" baby crawling. Her first tooth also broke through on April 3rd. She had a really hard time with it so I hope the others don't cause her so much discomfort or it could be a very difficult next few months.

We have been enjoying lots of time outside. Rebekah loves the grass. She doesn't mind crawling on it and she would even like to eat it if Mommy would let her.



Had to share this cuddle between David and Angeline that I caught... also this picture of Samara with her wind mill.

Rebekah, 7 months

Another month has come and gone and Rebekah is now 7 months old. I didn't get many pictures of her this last month so today with the older three kids gone to Grammy & Grandpa's it was time for another photo shoot. I was really happy with this one. I actually had over 20 favourites but I narrowed it down to these select 4.

In the last month Rebekah has tried quite a few new foods. Bits of bread, pancakes and waffles. Bananas, potatoes, rice, peas and beans as well as Oma's barley soup. She decided she does like rice cereal after all, arrowroots and cherios too.
When she is not working on developing her taste buds she likes to focus on getting around more efficiantly. Her wiggle is now a proper army crawl and she is getting faster and stronger every day.
She LOVES to laugh and Angeline is the most likely to "get her going."
She gives kisses and blows raspberries... such a fun stage! (This partly makes up for the fact that she has not been sleeping very well).