Thursday, May 17, 2012

Kiddo Updates

Makayla turned 4 months old today, so I figured we were due for an update on the kiddos:


Makayla is such a joy to be around. She is a pretty easy baby, and definitely the easier of the two right now. She is well-adjusted to her schedule, which makes her routine-loving-mommy a happy camper. She tends to sleep until 4-5am, so if we can consistently get her to last one more hour, I won't have to wake up for any feedings before the alarm goes off at 6am...that will be a wonderful time! She is also a great napper, which is a plus for everyone. We have her 4-month well-visit next Monday, so we'll see what the doctor has to say then.

Our little girl gives the best smiles, just like her brother. Every time you talk to her, she flashes that toothless grin. She's a heart-breaker in the making! She's also a big-time chatterbox, and a loud one I must say. I think Andrew and I have come to the conclusion that our house is going to be very loud in the near future as it seems like her and Joshua battle it out as to who can be the loudest. She is very inquisitive, and loves to play with the hanging toys on her play mat. As you've seen in past blog posts, she can roll over from front to back. She also rolls onto her side (from her back) and moves herself around in a circle, in order to reach the different toys, and even to catch a sneak peek of the tv (another trait inherited from her brother!). Another talent that she has is stuffing her entire fist down her throat and making herself gag. I'm hoping she finds the thumb soon. Oh, and last, but not least, she's already got daddy wrapped around her little finger ; )



And then there's Joshua... 

Our little man is a walking fool these days. He likes to show off and does a little backward shuffle (think Michael Jackson's moonwalk), and he just learned how fun spinning around in circles can be (yay for replacing the hard coffee table with an ottoman). He absolutely loves trucks! Anytime we are out and about, and he sees a various type of truck, he is in awe. His trusty companion, Chuck the Truck (pictured with him above), is always by his side. Chuck likes to drive on walls, Makayla, the bookshelf, and just about anything other than the floor. Besides trucks, his other obsession is the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. We can proudly say that his first two words put together were, "Hot Dog," thanks to the "Hot Diggity Dog" jingle from the show. 

Don't let that cute smile fool you. He's at that age where he is testing mommy and daddy to see how much he can get away with. You know, the age where they know they're not supposed to do something, and yet they look you square in the eye, give you a sheepish grin, and do it anyway. The Lord is definitely refining me in the area of patience right now. And, yet, not two seconds after being disciplined, he will come over and give you a kiss on the cheek. It's moments like that, that make it all worth it.  


Life certainly has its crazy moments, but I wouldn't trade any of them for the sake of ease. These kids bring so much joy to our lives, and their smiles and love are gifts that we are blessed to experience daily. God is so gracious to allow us to travel this journey as a family. 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Terrible Two's...Early

I think it's safe to say that we've already entered the "Terrible Two's"...

Monday, May 14, 2012

Video Evidence

Makayla was rolling over this morning, so I grabbed the camera. As you can see, she works hard to pull off this new trick!


New Pictures

Check the right side bar for 4 new picture albums from the last couple months.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Mother's Day!

Guest post by Andrew...
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!  It seems like each mother's day for the past three years we have had something new to celebrate.  Two years ago we were ecstatic at the prospect of being first-time parents as Amanda was about 5 month pregnant with Joshua.  Last year was a chance to celebrate Amanda's first mother's day and have Joshua dedicated at Desert Springs Church.  This year was similar as we had the opportunity to, once again, come before our church body (this time at Redemption Church) and commit to raise Makayla up in the way of the Lord.  Our prayer for her (and Joshua) is that they would come to know the Lord at a young age and desire to follow Him faithfully for the rest of their lives.  I read a scripture during the service that I pray over both of our kids.  It is a wonderful promise that God gives to all those who desire to follow after Him, and I pray that its words would ring true for our children:

"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.  When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."  -Psalm 91:14-16

I am so thankful to have a wife who is an amazing mother to our children.  It's even more cool to see how much the Lord has transformed her now that we have two kids!  She is a great example to both Joshua and Makayla (and me) of sacrificial love - continuously laying herself down for her children and our family.  So, I want to take this chance to once again wish her a happy mother's day and tell her how much I love her.

Of course, we also want tell both of our mother's how much they mean to us.  Without them, we would not be the people we are today.  They were the first to show us this same sacrificial love, and it's their example to us first that has led to us becoming good parents.  But more importantly, it was their influence in our lives that had such an impact in leading us both to Christ, and ultimately this is the thing I most hope that our children will be able to say about us in 28 years.  We love you both so, so much.

Lastly, here are some pictures from today:
Makayla's dedication (Joshua trying to grab the mic... and the spotlight)

Our beautiful little girl

Joshua reading the funnies (where's Dennis the Menace?)


Family Photo

Saturday, May 12, 2012

We've Got a Roller

Makayla rolled over for the first time today (front to back), and even cooler was the fact that Andrew got to see it! Unfortunately, once we broke out the camera, the Grundstrom stubbornness kicked in, and she didn't want to do it again. Hopefully she'll do it again soon, and I'll post some video once she does.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Dad's Favorite Shrimp

Andrew and I thought this shirt was pretty cute. It's even cuter with our little shrimp in it!