Rachel at 11 Months

A month ago you  turned 11 months and you have shown the most progress in this month so far. We call you our little Vampire because you started growing your vampire teeth before your middle front teeth. Another nick name you have is Our little dinosaur, because you constantly growl like a dino and will try to attack on your hands and knees. You are quite funny. I am sure you are going to have a great sense of humor, since you  already have us laughing and your not even one yet. 

You are on the go and holding onto whatever you can to be mobile. You walks along every thing with help, climbs stairs and are such a busy body.

 

You are still our  big eater. You love your  oatmeal the most and sigh.."mmmm" when you eat something yummy. You  have tasted many sweets, including your favorite, which is your brothers suckers. You crack me up around food because you love it so much. You will just grab, take, eat, repeat. If anyone takes something away from you, you totally cry or scream to get it back. You have quite the personality. You sadly got your worst case of sickness this month. You have been so so healthy this whole time for the majority of life. But near the beginning of June you totally came down with a really bad fever, runny nose and yuckies throughout your whole body. I felt so sad for you. All you wanted to do was eat orange juice Popsicles and cuddle with your mommy. Thank goodness to my obsession of essential health oils, they helped you through your sickness without pounding medication through your body. You were a total champ and I just felt so sad for you while I held you and just listened to you cry. Thankfully it only lasted a few days than you were back to yourself. The self I am so madly in love with. The one who still is a mommy's girl, but a happy mommy's girl.

This month you enjoyed the California beach almost everyday with all your cousins. You loved the sand, even though you ate way to much. The water was a bit cold, but you were so tough going out with me all the way into the waves. You even went under without fussing. I know you'll be a beach girl, cause you sure made the cutest beach baby. You were all smiles and giggles when James was around you playing in the sand. Your skin tans so great. Even with sunscreen you got some pretty olive skin, just like your mommy.

You love bath time with James and just love to splash and watch water spray. Once you wanted to join James, but before we could take your clothes off, James poured a whole bucket of water over your hear. You were drenched.  All I could hear was a big splash and than you laughing. I went into the bathroom and this is what a saw.

A Happy Happy Baby Girl Drenched from Head to Toe.

June weather was really on and off. One day we would go swimming at the pool or fill up the baby pool with water and hang out in the sun, than the next day it would be raining and cold out. Thus, you have dressed in your swim suite and your winter coat. You love the water, but you demand that someone (especially your mommy be right close to you at all times). But you hate the swimming tube, I guess you like the full on contact of safety with someone holding you instead.

You helped celebrate the first Father's Day that you have been alive for. Daddy loved all the kisses and love you gave him that day. You are defiantly his pretty princess. Daddy always talks about how gorgeous you are and how special you are to him. All he ever wants to do is protect you.

It is hard to believe that you will soon be my one year old BABY!! 

You bring so much joy and fulfillment to my life. 

We are so blessed to have you as ours.

Virginia Beach Vacation

 Our big Leavitt family vacation this year was to Virginia again for the last time. 

It was the kids and I. Josh stayed home because of summer school. He is really working hard to finish school as fast as he can. And he has been a complete champ about letting us go and have fun while he stays back and studies.

 

Thank goodness for mom's help on the plane. She made it so exciting and fun for James as she had activities and gifts for James the whole trip. James loved it and it really helped so much with his attention span for flying and being confined into one seat for many hours. As it always goes, the kids fell asleep just before we landed almost every time (not during though ,sadly). 

We had a week at the resort, right off the ocean and beach. The view from our window was amazing and so refreshing. The weather was a bit cool, but we did spend 3 days at the beach. 

James' favortie parts were playing in the sand,

 

running around and chasing the birds

boogie boarding,

jumping the waves and getting wet

playing with cousins, papa and nana

and finding treasures. 

 

 As for Rachel, it was her first time at the beach. Her favorite part about the ocean was holding onto mommy as much as she could, trying out the sand to see if it taste good and touching the water and than crying because it was so cold. Rachel's experience was a lot different from James' time at the beach. James is a lover and Rachel was not to fond at all. To cold and too uncomfortable.

For myself, one of my favorite places on earth is the beach. I just LOVE how crisp and fresh the air feels and the beautiful waves that crash upon the shore. The sound is music to my ears and I am in love with how warm the sand always feels under my feet and how it just runs right through my toes. This trip  was so much fun just being with my fabulous sisters (except Linz, who couldn't join us), their kids and husbands and especially my mom and dad. Being with my family is one of my other favorite things in this world. So this week was a little piece of heaven for me.

But it was extremely hard being away from my one and only hubs for so long. We missed daddy so much and it is just never complete without him. I think he missed us more, as he told me that I can never leave for 15 days again and that it was just way to long. What can I say he loves us and needs us in his life. 

We need him too.

 

Once we were done with the beach or it got to cold for the kids, we moved to the inside pool. We spent hours here. We'd sneak the little ones into the hot tube because they were so cold and they would keep us busy making sure each child was with an adult in the water. 

 I had a total startle.

Little James is such a dare devil around water and it is sometimes scary just how comfortable he feels in it. Well, he had ran around the pool to the other side and I turned for a second and the next thing I see is him trying to get into a little tube, and the second later his head is smack down in the water. I started yelling from across the room, but the muffle was so strong that hardly anyone could hear me. As I moved as fast as I could across the water, it felt like slow motion. Stacy happened to walk in right at that moment and she reacted so fast and saved James. Oh....that was so freaking scary. I went and hugged him to death and thanked God and Stacy for saving him. He choked out the water and only gave 2 moans and than seemed OK. Well, he was back in the water right after that. He's my little swimmer and I am so glad he is OK. And amazingly not even a little scared of water.

One of the nights we got to rent some cool bikes. We rode up and down the beach. It was so much fun racing the others and almost knocking each others bikes over. We were all pretty tired after and totally got a good work out. 

On our way we stopped and visited Titan, danced and sang to a band playing and got some yummy ice-cream.

Another night we went on our traditional girls night out. One thing we do each year is have a theme for it that all of us participate in. This year mom was in charge and the theme was HANDS. 

    H- humble

         A- atonement

N- nice

       D- diligence

We each talked and discussed our subject. I talked about nice. My whole point was " BECAUSE NICE MATTERS" and "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

It was a great night. We went and got pedicures and manicures. We were there for a few hours. Went shopping for our little ones and than went for desert to Apple Bees. I am so lucky to be so close to my sisters and mother. We talked and got our up lift, cried and laughed and became even closer. It is these moments that we are all able to realize that each of us go through our own challenges and that we all support each other no matter what. 

The guys were in charge of all the kids. It was a sight to see when we got home late. As we were walking up to the resort, we hear Talmage screaming at the top of his lungs. We walk into the room and there is James dressed in Channings clothes (6 month clothing) and a big poppy diaper stinking up the place. Along with Izzy still in her wet bathing suit. It was hilarious. We were just glad all the kids where still alive.

Family is Everything!!
We stayed for another week and a half hoping for the arrival of Benson, but sad to say he never arrived while I was there. But we did have an amazing, no stress and no plans week.
Thanks to mom and dad for always placing family as a priority.This trip was truly needed and thanks for all the planning and time you put into making it all happen. We are so blessed to have you as our parents and be so loved by you two. Every family trip we go on is because mom and dad think it is so important that we continue to stay close and continue building relationships. Plus, they just adore their grandkids and the kids think their nana and papa are the coolest.
We are all so happy to be part of the Leavitt clan. Can't wait till next year!

Rachel at 10 months

Rachel you are into everything. You are constantly on the go. 

Pulling yourself up and than moving youself along the couch is one of your favorite things to do. 

You love to crawl around anything and everywhere.

You love to be right in the middle of everything and love to be involved in all that mommy, daddy and big brother are doing.

Your two bottom teeth are coming in real well.

You are a total grabber, especially for hair, skin, toys, paper and food.

Rachel you are just such a sweetheart and you melt my heart. 

Before I know it, you are going to be walking and turning one.

I Love You!!

xoxoxo Momma

You had your first adventure in an airplane, to the beach, meeting your cousins the Nehrings and being away from daddy longer than 2 weeks. The trip to Virginia and California will fill you in with all this and more....when the time comes.

(Again, excuse the fact that this post of her being 10 months is really a month behind.

I have had no time to blog, but a lot to blog about lately.) 

Mega May

The beginning of May was mega babysitting for Josh and I. We watched our 4 nieces and nephews for 2 weeks and than a few days later 5 distant cousins for 2 days. It was BUSY!!! I always said I wanted 6 kids and this really allowed me to get a little taste on how busy it would be and how demanding I am as the main MOM, or babysitter. It was crazy taking 3 kids to different schools and just getting down the whole schedule. I know the age differences would probably help, being more spread out and tending to your own children's activities, but it was pretty crazy. Along with doing laundry for 8 people, which I did have in better control than I usually do at my own house. Homework, chores, baths, bedtime and stories, etc just took a lot longer than normal and it was definitely an eye opener as to the chaos that will come sooner than later in my own life. All I got to say is that I was so glad it wasn't just me by myself and that my Babe helped tag team to get things done faster and kids to bed happily with stories, songs and everything else.

Yet, we were still pretty stern when it came to obeying and respect, so we ran into a few little tiffs, but all in all we had a good time. James loved having a house full of kids to wake up to and he was a total sport with sharing his mommy. I am glad we got to do this, just because it really allowed me to get to know Scarlett, Audrey, Charles and Warren a whole lot more.
We had some fun days for good behavior too, going to the Nickle Arcade and Pirates Island. I truly believe that you love more and more with the time you give and spend with others.
Do I still hope to have 6 children someday?
Oh yes, but I am so willing to just take each one one by one and totally place it all in the Lords hands.
So come what may....... and love them.
Plus, I think that it becomes easier with your own children because they know what you expect and you have your own schedule and way of doing things as a family.
Not to say it will be easy or anything, but totally worth it!

During this time my little sis and mom come down to visit me. It was such a busy time for us, but they were such good sports. Amber took a workshop from one of mine and her favorite photographers here in Utah- Peekaboo Photography. She learned some really nifty things. But let's be honest- Amber is already as good as her in my books. We had fun with the kiddo's and Grandma spoiling the little ones. Thanks for being the highlight of these few weeks.

The day we finished our babysitting job, I went home and threw a Surprise Birthday Party for Josh with friends. Then the next morning I worked the office, then my family drove from Canada to see us all before we left to catch a plane the following day to Virginia. That night we went onto the next batch of kids, went out to dinner for Josh's birthday, slept and than sadly I left my husband behind to enjoy my side of the family's summer vacation. We left daddy behind, since he is enrolled in summer school for half the month.
We had tons of fun, but missed daddy way to much.

Highlights on our MEGA MAY Virginia Beach Family Trip coming soon to blogs near you........

Once there was a T-Rex......

 In our house, one of James' favorite songs ( with made up actions) is......

Once there was a T-Rex.....

T-Rex....

T-Rex.

 Once there was a T-Rex......

ROAR!

ROAR!

ROAR!

(Then I tickle him)

 In the sun he melted, melted, melted........

 In the sun he melted.......

Ker- er SPLAT!

(It's a big kaboom on his tummy)

 

And James just  laughs and laughs and laughs every single time.
(This boy is completely obsessed with dinosaurs.)

Rachel at 9 months

I am behind a month on my little one. Soon I will post her 10 month pics. As for now, enjoy her a month ago. I've been super busy, but have a ton to post.

You are sprouting like a beautiful flower.

 You never stop, but are always on the move, just like your big brother.

You are pulling yourself up on couches and anything you can stand up with. You cinch your way around places and love to be where everyone else is.

You are a complete mommy's girl and always want me to hold you. Yet if I leave you, you are completely fine until you see me again. When I usually grab you, you are completely content and just nestle sometimes into my chest with your finger in your mouth telling me you want to nurse or sleep.

You are eating anything you can put your hands on. 

It goes like this: see something, grab it, put it in your mouth, eat it or spit it out, repeat.

You love to eat. You love food and can eat for hours if I let you. You love finger foods, and best of all your oatmeal. You pound your food sweetie.
You even eat more than James ever did as a baby and even now as he is 2 and a half probably. He has never been a big eater though. I just love watching you interact with your big brother. He is gentle the majority of the time with you. But I can already tell that you love being his little sister as you get so excited when he comes and sits or is close to you most of the time.

Your hair is growing and it is a darker brown, your eyes are a light brown/ hazel (they have changed) and everyone tells me just how much you look like James or your daddy. I'm going to say that you have taken a little ( I mean very small) part of me (Hooray!) and that is my darker skin and darker hair ( I guess only darker than your brother and that doesn't say much).
You got to spend a lot of time with different cousins this month. You did pretty well staying at the Wrights house for two weeks, with 4 other children wanting my attention and than you were actually able to interact a lot more with Channing now that  he can sit up, even though you are kind of the little bully who steals his Binky or any thing he has in his hands, but you just don't know better yet. I defend you and tell everyone that other peoples things always look better anyways. 

Whenever we go anywhere with the you and Channing, everyone comments and asks if your twins. You two are totally the same size and he is even 2 months younger than you. He'll probably out grow you fast in size.

 

I am more in love with you every single day. I am so glad you are a little piece of me and that you are MINE! (or daddy would like me to say OURS!)

You are a beauty that just keeps getting more beautiful by the day, just as a flower continues to grow and without a blink you are bigger and bigger and then probebly one day I will look at you and you will be fully blossomed, and I will think to myself.... She's not so little anymore

Please slow down a little.

Love you forever and ever.