The Jones Zone

Time sure does fly...

2009-10-13T23:14:00.002-05:00

I believe it has been over 5 months since I last posted anything. Sorry, I'm at work now so won't be able to post any pics, but just wanted to update you all on what's been going on in our lives. Hopefully soon I will have some time to sit down and post pics. It just takes so long because I'm not very good at it.

We now have a 3 year old and a 14 month old. I work with several people that have children around the same age as me, and they are always talking about how the older child has regressed some, has been very violent with the new baby, etc. We have the opposite problem in our house. Everyday I have to stop my 1 year old from beating up my 3 year old. Not anticipating very easy teenage years.

But they are such good friends. Once Koralee finally started walking, she was pretty much running within a week. She moves around now like she is a strong toddler. She can jump getting both feet off the ground, and she is constantly running around, always has to be doing something. So much different than the little observer Nevaeh was.

I made the mistake of talking to Nevaeh about school, so now we get to talk about that almost everyday. She wants a Dora backpack. Other than that, Nevaeh's biggest excitement right now is waiting for Halloween. She has her costume picked out and ready to go, as does Koralee. I'm contemplating enrolling her in dance classes soon. Since they no longer go to daycare, I want them to have some interaction with other children.

Shun has been a stay-at-home dad since the beginning of August. He quit his job of 6 1/2 years for a "better job" that didn't work out so well. The kids no longer have to go to daycare, we no longer have a daycare expense, and Daddy is getting quality time with the children while they are young and at home. Everyday is an adventure for him.

I have been working much more since Shun's been at home, so I don't get to see my family as often as I would like. It breaks my heart when I come downstairs dressed and ready for work, and Nevaeh hangs her head down, shoulders slumped over, and states "Mommy, you have to go to work, AGAIN?!?"

The silver lining: this has been the motivation for Shun to go back to school. He will Lord-willing be attending Washburn Tech next fall for heating & air, and refrigeration. So, we have about 1 1/2 to 2 more years before that is all said and done with. So all your prayers for God's providing would be appreciated.

We have also been required to buy two new vehicles in the last 2 months. AAAAHHHHH!!! I never want to see a car dealer again. Maybe I can post some pics of our new rides as well as soon as I can post some of my children. Rod, I'm sure you will have comments to make regarding the newest vehicle.

Other than that, we are going to Liberal, KS this weekend for a wedding that Shun is a groomsman in. It will be nice for me to get a little break from work and get out of Topeka. We sure do miss seeing and talking to our family. It seems like I haven't really spoken to anybody since all this drama began.

Shun and I have been very optimistic and have stuck through this rough year together. Through better or worse, thick and thin is what we vowed to do. We just had our 6 year anniversary in August, so we blame it on it being our 6th year married. Next year is lucky #7!!! Let's pray for a smoother 2010 year with much less obstacles.

And honestly, I want to post some pics of my kids soon. They have changed so much. Nevaeh's hair is straight now and hangs down, and Koralee has a huge afro. Pretty much weigh about the same. Nevaeh has stretched out, but Koralee is just so massive she seems to keep up with Nevaeh.

Hopefully will be back soon......

9 Months Already!

2009-05-04T07:52:00.002-05:00

It's official. Our little girl has been out as long as she's been in. Our lives have changed drastically in the last few months. Days are going by faster, nights are getting shorter. But watching Koralee blossom into the precious child she is has been amazing and we wouldn't change a thing about it.

We had our 9 month appointment on Friday and she was 28 3/4" tall and 19lb. 6.6 oz. Still 90's% for height and 70's% for weight. She's about 5 lb. shy of Nevaeh already. What's funny is that this morning at work, I gave report to a day shift charge nurse who had a baby boy 4 mo. ago. I asked how big he was and she told me "Oh, about 19 lb. He's a tank." I was shocked. 4 months old and already weighs what Koralee weighs.

Sorry, but can't find the camera right now otherwise their would be pics to go with this, but hopefully I can get another post done soon. Right now, off for bed. Been up since yesterday morning.

Time For Our Monthly Update

2009-04-23T09:50:00.008-05:00

It's been over a month since my last update. I'm sorry, life is just so busy. I thought I would post some pictures that we have taken since the last post. Here is Nevaeh acting like her silly self for the camera.

Aren't sleeping babies perfect. Little angels.

My girls truly love each other. Koralee has started saying NeNe. I couldn't believe it. She is also saying uh oh, un-duh (not quite sure what it means, but it is said all the time) and then on Monday, Nevaeh and I were singing "Ring Around the Rosie" over and over and over, and pretty soon from the kitchen I heard Koralee singing, in tune and on beat might I add, "Aah-duh, Aah-duh, duh, Duh, DUH!" for "Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!" Now she sings it all the time. It's just hard for me to comprehend because Nevaeh just really started talking over this last year. How is my baby talking already?!?

Nevaeh was having a little difficulty eating her green beans and tuna casserole this night. The hair-do just tops this picture off.

We have been able to enjoy several days at the park because of beautiful days. We spend a majority of the time swinging because that's Nevaeh's favorite thing, but we do pry her away to the slides for a moment.

Shun loves this picture of Nevaeh running at the park.

This is normally how I find Koralee these days. She is consistently crawling to places so she can stand. I was amazed to find her walking along the couch. Why is this happening so fast?

Easter time was spent at Grandma and Grandpa Farwell's house. Apparently, Blake and Nevaeh needed a pre-Easter egg hunt hug.

Nevaeh had a blast finding the eggs. To this day, I am still hiding them for her. They are about to be trashed. After Easter, I was able to buy egg dying kits for 14 cents, and more Easter buckets for 15 cents each. I think we will make some more tomorrow just for fun.

This was Nevaeh's first time dying eggs, and I honestly can't remember the last time I did, so we all had much fun!

Weren't our eggs beautiful? We did the whole nine yards with white crayons, tape, rubber bands, and hole punch stickers. An awesome array of colors and styles came from Malia, Blake, and Nevaeh, and a couple from the parents.

Bath time is a favorite at our house. If they could take several a day, they would. Koralee has a thing for splashing herself in the face. She loves it.

And last, but not least, this was our Dracula #1. We thought it was odd, as well as the doctor, that Nevaeh grew her fangs before her upper middle incisors. But it was cute.

Well, now we have Dracula #2. Must run in the family. And the middle two incisors have no sign of coming in anytime soon. She has had the bottom middle two for quite some time now also, and a third one is popping in right now on the right.

Very excited to see everyone at Cousin Josie's 1st b-day party on Saturday! And Nevaeh wants to see Grandma and Grandpa all day, everyday, so be prepared for some hugs and kisses!

Getting So Big

2009-03-21T01:46:00.006-05:00

It's been almost 2 months since my last post, and my how much has changed with my children. Koralee is almost crawling. She can do circles around the house scooting backwards, but still hasn't perfected moving forward. Babysitter told me today that she saw her crawl, though, so I'm sure it will be soon. She is saying mama and dada everyday, which is just so cute.

Koralee really prefers to walk around the house being held up. Loves to play at Nevaeh's play kitchen. Always has to have her hands on something. I already know she is going to be a very curious little girl just like her mother was (good, and bad).

Nevaeh is talking up a storm. We are starting to get "talking back" when we tell her to do things. Everytime we tell her to do something, the response is a very whiny "what???" I think she is going to start getting spanked real soon for it. Considering she really wasn't even talking at the age of 2, we always thought in the back of our heads that when she does start talking it would be in full sentences. And that's pretty much what happened. Now she is saying 4 syllable words and full sentences all the time, and we can understand most of what she is saying.

"Curus Judge" (Curious George) and "Thomas Jerry" (Tom and Jerry - I think she calls it Thomas Jerry because of Thomas the Train) have become favorites in our house. And yes, it is the Tom and Jerry video from our childhood that she loves. Nevaeh also has a little Christian CD she got from her friend Zoe at her 2nd b-day party that has been bumping in our house daily. It has the song "Wade in the Water" and Nevaeh loves to sing the part about "God's gonna trouble the water". It's so cute. "This Little Light of Mine" is also on there. I don't know if my siblings remember singing this at Sunday School when we were little, but we held our finger up like a light while singing, covered it with our hand on the 2nd verse (hide it under a bushel) and then blow on our finger (don't let satan blow it out). She does the whole thing and makes sure I am doing the actions and singing with her. It's so fun.

On a down side, my husband and I had to fork out over $3,000 to fix our sewage system this week, so we are a little hurt right now. Please pray for our finances and that we can be responsible with our money in these hard times.

Other than that, we had a blast hanging out with the fam two weekends ago and helped Rod and Annie on their new house! I can't wait until they are all moved in and we can come over and spend the day playing in Bern. We hope to see you all soon over Easter. Love you all.

Looking Older By the Day

2009-02-10T10:44:00.022-06:00

Here's my sweet hubby with his KoKo Bean. I just love the fact that my girls are daddy's girls.

Three years ago this picture had a lot less people. We have acquired such wonderful, happy little blessings. I know most of you, if you check my siblings blogs, have seen some of these Christmas pictures.

But I just love the expressions on everyone's faces, so I just had to post them. Aren't Grandma and Grandpa Farwell glowing! I remember Blake squirming around before the picture was taken and then cracking up laughing every time we took a picture. What a clown.

I can tell these 7 kids are going to be ripping and running through G&G's house by Christmas 2009.

Koralee got some cool shades for Christmas. Of course they are Nevaeh's, too.

Nevaeh and Koralee got matching jammies identical to Brenna, Malia, and Josie's. What a great gift from G&G. Sure will be cute next gathering.

Nevaeh's favorite new snack is "poptorn". We get free popcorn at work on Friday nights, so I had been bringing some home. She can eat a whole bag herself.

Kristy (our babysitter) and Becky (my best friend) both got Nevaeh some sort of Princess gear. Tiara and all. There is also a pink skirt and top that match. She also got pretty princess jammies with slippers. She likes to dance around like a ballerina, pointing her toes and twirling, and most of the time it is to the Curious George theme song. We bought her a DVD and so now that is the only cartoon she wants to watch.

Often I will come in the room and Nevaeh has crowned Queen KoKo, again. And Koralee sits there like she knows it.

The pic of Koralee with her favorite little orange monkey chew toy is my all-time favorite. The monkey is a little crusty right now and needs washed.

The pic of both of the girls was from this morning. They were holding hands right up to the picture being taken. Koralee is so long. Nevaeh is going to be the little one in a few years.

And then of course my daughter, the future scrub nurse, as my fellow co-workers say.

I know, I know, pics to come soon...

2009-02-09T00:48:00.002-06:00

Okay, I said I would try to get pics posted last week, and it just didn't happen. I only have time to check my own blog on my lunch break at work. Isn't that sad. But I am planning on posting some pics Tuesday morning after I get the oil changed after I get off work, so be on the lookout!

Koralee had her 6 month appointment on Friday. I know. 6 months already. Can you believe it! She is 17lb 1.9 oz, and 27 3/4" long. That makes her in the 70%'s for weight, and back up to the 98% for height. It's amazing that everywhere we go, people talk about how big she is. And when Nevaeh was a baby, they all talked about how petite she was (and still is).

Neaveh is still fighting this darn fever off and on. She almost consistently has a dry, hacky cough which we just cannot seem to get rid of. It's much worse at night when she is sleeping and she has drainage going on, which then sometimes results in the awakening of Koralee. But for the most part, their sleeping is as good as we could ask for.

We are so blessed and thankful that Koralee has stayed healthy. I'm sure a big part of that is the fact that she is a breastfeeding baby, but that all ended on her 6 month birthday when I almost had certain body parts bitten and ripped off of me. So, hopefully she can remain healthy being formula-fed. I couldn't continue to go through the pain.

Nevaeh is using the potty on a daily basis now. She even gets upset when she is wet. Of course, some days are better than others, but we are definitely on the right track and hope to only have one child in diapers soon.

Koralee is still trying to crawl. I helped her today get her knees underneath her and she was trying to go so bad, but just can't figure out how to keep her knees underneath her, thus falling back onto her face. But she just keeps trying with a big ole smile. No teeth yet, but my guess is they will be coming soon.

So all in all, we are doing great! My girls need some more "cousins time" though, so family, when you want to hang out, give me a call. We would love to see you all again! Sorry we missed Manhattan this last weekend. We ended up going to St. Jo to see Shun's family. It was nice to see several of his family members again. They have so many kids running around they keep Nevaeh preoccupied at all times. She was obsessed with the Hannah Montana guitar on Saturday. Can't say I'm upset we don't own one of those. She now knows who "Tana" is, which we are also not too thrilled about. But what do you do.

Love you all and hope to see you soon!

Sorry so slow...

2009-01-26T00:51:00.004-06:00

I know it's been over a month since I last posted. Last pics were from Thanksgiving. So much has changed! We had a wonderful Christmas back home in Bern, Kansas with the entire Farwell clan. 7 Farwell grandkids is such a blessing. I pray that we can continue wonderful family gatherings for years to come.

My how the girls are changing. Unlike Kenton, Nevaeh is a little more stubborn with the potty. Maybe I need to try the colored marshmallows instead of a sucker. She has gone pee-pee on the potty a grand total of 2 times (over about a 4 month period). I think it only happens because the seat is so cold when she sits down. She was pretty proud of herself yesterday when it happened though. She was doing it when I was getting home from work in the morning so I didn't get to see her do it, but she wanted me to go pee-pee then right after her. I went pee-pee for her and got an enthusiastic "Good job mommy!" after I was done. It was too cute.

Koralee, Koralee, Koralee. What an individual. She is quite the sassy little girl already. Gets extremely frustrated and screams loud if we take something away she wants to play with and put in her mouth (ex - TV remote). It's almost funny to see the look of desperation on her face when crying. She is also starting to get up on all fours, so maybe crawling soon? She has been sitting up on her own for a while now, and can now get herself from sitting to belly, just not back up. She will also stand at the coffee table for as long as you will sit there with her. Does not need held up at all, just needs assistance with balance if she lets her hands off the table. Can you believe that she is going to be 6 months soon?!? That means that the other Farwell grandbabies are going to be 1 soon. I cannot believe how fast all this is happening.

Well, as soon as I have some open hands and I'm not sleeping, I hope to get some pictures posted. I know they have changed immensely since the last pics I posted. Koralee officially has a fro and is requiring "ethnic" hair products. I was unaware of how bad Johnson's shampoo is for infants. It worked fine for Nevaeh, but apparently it really drys out baby's hair. Found out through the grapevine and through experience now. I'm hoping to get it under control so she won't have to sport an extremely frizzy, sticking-up/out hair-do. Anyway, keep checking for pics. Hopefully will get them up within the week.

Forgot to mention...

2008-12-13T00:52:00.003-06:00

So, I forgot to comment on Koralee's 4 month doctor appt last Friday on 12/5. WE ARE OUT OF THE TRIPLE DIGITS!! She was 26" long (97%) and 15 lb. 6.2 oz (90%). He said she was extremely neurologically advanced in regards to her head and neck control. She has rolled over twice now from front to back, but hasn't done it since.

And another thing, Nevaeh went pee pee in the potty!!! She prompted it and sat down and it started spraying everywhere. I was so shocked because we have literally sat on the potty about 100 times and nothing has ever happened. She looked shocked too and was trying to look between her legs at what was coming out, which didn't help the spraying everywhere. I was so proud of her. She got a sucker. Then today (Friday), she did her same old thing. No pee pee. Hopefully it won't take her long to get used to doing it.

We've had much fun lately...

2008-12-09T09:58:00.007-06:00

My best friend stops through every year as she's on her way to Wichita for Thanksgiving and Christmas. My girls just love her so much. Nevaeh is still asking for Becky to this day.

Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa Farwell's house this year was a blast for the entire family, and especially for Nevaeh and Malia. Half the time they just ran off together doing who knows what. We've been waiting so long for them to be at this stage, so it's fun to just sit back and watch them interact together. Once again, Nevaeh's vocabulary vastly expanded after her short visit with Malia. She is talking non-stop now. Even using full sentences.

Before we know it, all four of them will be running around together. We sure did miss our little man Blake. And Koralee should would have enjoyed Brenna's company. It's fun watching her have conversations with the other little baby her age at the babysitter. She talks WAY WAY more than Nevaeh ever did.

5 of the Farwell Grandkids.

Nevaeh sure loves her suckers. Halloween left us with a surplus of Dum-Dums. She has been getting one a day lately, and at this rate she has about a 2 month supply left.

Koralee loves her Grandma Farwell. I think that baby has some Meyer in her.

Who's hiding behind the Christmas tree? Or should I say "Tissmas Tee". We have been talking a lot about Baby Jesus lately. I'm going to do something special for Christmas this year. I have to work Christmas Eve, so will get off Christmas morning and get prepared for the holiday morning. Hoping to make the unwrapping of the presents into a 'find the present' game of some sort.

Bath time is much better now that we got our furnace fixed. Now that we look back, we don't think it has been truly working sine we fired it up this winter. I was trying to ignore the cold air blowing out the vents, contributing it to the temp of my hands. I know it doesn't make sense, but who wants to think about a broken furnace around Christmas time. Then it started getting colder out and we would wake up in a house that was 62 degrees with 3 space heaters going. We called and that morning they did a quick and fairly inexpensive fix. Our house feels so warm and cozy now! Not so much shivering after baths for the girls.

Why does my daughter find it necessary to act grown up already. I don't think I need to elaborate on this picture.

Here's the finished picture of the girls' wall. Very quick fix, and we think it looks nice. We have many left over so we are thinking about either doing the opposite wall to match, or doing some sort of design on the wall. If you have ever looks at Wall Pops ads, you can do the coolest things with just simple circles, squares, or stripes. I'm sure we can figure out something to do. But for now, the stripped wall border is no longer existent.

Gotta Love 2 Year Olds

2008-11-24T11:35:00.004-06:00

My two year old did this. She is forever picking at the corner of things, can find the smallest cracks and crevices, and just tears things up. When she ripped the border off the wall, we had just barely enough to ghetto-style patch it up. I had looked online and cound find all the accessories to match the wall border, but no more wall border. It didn't look perfect like before, but it was going to have to do.

Well, she did it again, only this time longer, and we have nothing to patch it up with. I again got on the internet and searched for this border. Found one on ebay that had been sold in July. So a friend from work told me about Wall Pops that are sold at Lowe's. You can make all sorts of crazy designs, stripes, etc with this large stickers. We got a bunch of those to replace the border for their room. I went to tear down her border, and I just couldn't do it. I teared up and just walked out of the room. Shun and I worked so hard putting that up and we love the way it looks. The paint was bought to match that border, and we just don't want to have to redo the parts that look good still. Initially I told Shun that we couldn't only do just one wall with the Wall Pops because that would look stupid, but now after crying and not being able to tear down that border, that is our plan. I hope it turns out okay. I think it will be cute, just not what we intended to have in there.

Then, she did this. I had received a shipment of nail polish in the mail and I was letting her play with them. I was watching her pretty closely, but I even thought to myself, what if somehow she cracks them together and nail polish spills out. But did I take them away for her, of course not. So then I went up to our bedroom to get ready for work. Nevaeh follows me everywhere around the house no matter what, so in a little bit, here she comes saying "Mommy! Look!" with a huge smile. There she was carrying 5 bottles of nail polish in her arms. I smiled really big and said "Wow, you are holding 5! That's awe......." And then she drops them and they crack togther on the carpet. Bright red polish on cream carpet. Shun has been wanting new carpet in our bedroom since we moved in, so when he got home from work, I told him that I think he got his wish. First of all, it looks aweful and we need new carpet. Second of all, we would never be able to sell the house because it looks like somebody was murdered. As you can see, I started trying to clean it up, but it was hopeless. I don't think there is anything in this world that could get that out of the carpet. So lucky us, we get new carpet!

We've got some catchin' up to do

2008-11-24T11:04:00.009-06:00

It's been since Halloween that I posted any pictures of my girls, so here are some recent ones. Koralee is becoming more fun everyday. We are out of that "rough stage" and she is much more smiles, sleeps well, and doesn't have to eat non-stop. Her hair is much curlier than Nevaeh's. Here's a photo of her flat top fade. Back is straight, top is curly and stands straight up. It doesn't help that she has been pulling her hair lately, that just makes it stand out even farther.

Side view of them chunky cheeks and the Farwell receding hairline. She is already wearing 6-9 mo. clothes. She is wearing sleepers that Nevaeh wore when she was walking because the feet are all dirty. Crazy.

Chunky body. She feel like she has to be sitting or standing at all times. If she's in your lap, she does not like to be cradled. She will lie there and do crunches until you sit her up so she can look around. Same way in the car seat. Hates tummy time because she is still pretty gassy, but we are working on getting those arms strengthen to match the legs.

Nevaeh is all about girly things. Loves high heels, jewelry, make up, purse, etc. She decided to make earrings and bracelets out of her link toys. I can already picture her wanting to wear big ole dangly earrings someday. She asked me for a ring the other day so I found an old adjustable toe ring that fit around her index finger. She was walking around all day holding her hand up with her finger sticking straight out.

Whazzup? You got a problem with me?

And finally, last but definitely not least, WE GOT NEVAEH IN HER BED!!!! It really wasn't that hard. We tried it for nap time and she got tearful so I sat in the rocking chair for about 10 minutes and then left. She was fine. Did that the first couple of times she slept in her bed, and since then we just lay her down and walk out just like always. It's great! And best of all, we also got Koralee across the room in the crib sleeping very well also. She started in the crib on Friday night. So far, so good. Nevaeh likes her bed, but she always has to have Baby and Bear Bear. She has had to have those two for a long time now. Since being in her bed, we've added the giant pink Bunny too. Guess they help keep her warm with our old drafty windows.

Not so pretty this year

2008-11-02T18:58:00.003-06:00

Previous years, our maples have been so beautiful in our front yard. We have the only house on the block with bright red trees in the fall.

Last year, they stayed bright red for what seemed like a really long time.

This year, not so vibrant. They just kinda started out dark red and seem to be turning orangish/brown. Too bad. Maybe next year they will be prettier.

Our First Halloween

2008-11-02T18:36:00.005-06:00

I have always worked on the previous Halloweens, so this was our first outing as a family on Halloween. Nevaeh was a 'Pumpkin Cutie Pie', Shun ended up who we think looked like Kimbo Slice, and I was a punk rocker. Koralee just 'wanted her mummy'. We went to Mall-o-ween at West Ridge Mall and then headed to a Trunk or Treat at a local church. Afterward we headed to my work and met up with some other kids dressed up. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, but it was a long night. We were all very tuckered out by the end of it.

This first pic is Nevaeh trying on mommy's Halloween wig. Don't think she can sport the mullet.

This next picture is Nevaeh getting her face painted by Daddy. She had black triangles around her eyes and a green nose. Most of it was wiped off by the time we got to the mall.

Koralee's shirt says: "I want my mummy". She got called a boy all night.

Daddy's wig and beard/mustache. Isn't he one fine lookin' man.

And finally, Mommy and Nevaeh at the mall. Koralee pretty much slept through the entire mall, which was nice.

That's all for Halloween 2008. We sure did have fun, but I hope that someday I can take my children trick or treating around the country where I grew up. It sure would be a hassle right now with the car seats, but I remember loving driving around to all the neighbor's houses and walking up to their front doors, looking out for dogs. Some people had the same candy every year. I wonder if they would still have the same candy now if I brought my kids?

Curly-Q

2008-11-02T18:33:00.002-06:00

I just love this picture. She had that one curly-Q all day hanging down on her forehead. Everyday is something new with her hair. Now when she takes baths, it is down to the middle of her back when it is straight.

$2.79???

2008-10-10T08:41:00.001-05:00

Gas is $2.79/gallon here. What's up with that? Wonder how long it will last. What's it like in your areas?

Okay....

2008-10-05T19:37:00.002-05:00

So we had Koralee's 2 month appointment on Friday. She was 24" long and weighed 13 lb. 4.5 oz. Dr. Thompson said, "Well, she's officially off the charts. 102% in height, 100% in weight". I know she's a big girl, but WOW. He said, "Whatever you are doing, it's working". Wonder how long it will take for her to outgrow Nevaeh.

Whoops...

2008-09-29T16:39:00.002-05:00

I put these pics in a different file and forgot to post them on the previous. As I'm posting this, Nevaeh keps saying "Rrrr-kah, Rrrr-kah". That's her "Erika".

What a good dad. I loved how Kenton's mouth was always open with drool coming out.

Drooling mouth pic #2.

Already geting ready to crawl!

I love my nieces and nephews so much. I wish we lived closer together because they are becoming such good friends, as cousins should.

Weekend of Family Fun!

2008-09-29T13:19:00.006-05:00

This weekend we went back home to G&G Farwell's house, along with the Sapps and the Sabetha Farwells. We sure did miss the Iowa Farwells, but they had quite the fun weekend of their own from what I read on their blog.

Grandma pulled out the swings for Nevaeh and Malia. They had so much fun playing outside with each other and Grandma.

Aunt Annie had nap mats that the girls put together as their "house". I think Nevaeh was putting the final touches on nailing it together. I think she's only seen me hammer once and it was awhile ago, but she knew exactly what it was for.

Just threw this pic in for fun. I have the best family! What a great daddy.

Aunt Annie is great with kids. Enjoying a good book.

Koralee got to meet her Great Grandpa Farwell.....

and her Great Grandma Farwell.

It was fun watching Nevaeh and Malia play together. They are 2 mischevous girls. You can tell already how much they love each other. Nevaeh's vocabulary has expanded even more since being home. Malia talks in full sentences, and it seems like each time she's around Malia, she advances a little farther. I'm starting to hear much longer phrases now! Nevaeh and I went to Walmart last night after we got back to Topeka, and we just talked to each other the entire time. It was so fun.

Auntie Annie's Apple Pie

2008-09-24T13:26:00.006-05:00

Auntie Annie gave me the recipe for the apple pie she brought to the hosital when Koralee was born. It is the best apple pie I've ever tasted in my entire life. The crumb topping is what sets it off. I suggest if you ever need a good apple pie recipe, you contact Annie for her recipe, or if she doesn't care you can get it from me. It is a very simple recipe, especially if you buy the pre-made pie crust.

Grandma Farwell came down on Monday night and stayed until Tuesday evening. She stayed up for quite a while with Koralee that night. She was wide awake absorbing her Grandma time. It allowed me almost 6 straight hours of sleep! Huge blessing. We also did a lot of cooking the next day. My first apple pie I made a few days earlier turned out charred on top. My oven is hot and I should have lowered the pie a little more in the oven. Mom and I made another one and it turned out fabulous. Just melts in your mouth. I can't stop eating it. Shun is telling me my "slivers" of pie I keep eating are going to leave him with only a sliver. I just keep saying, "I can make another one". Took a picture, but it didn't look as pretty half-eaten already. I'm sure there will be another full pie soon.

Mom also helped me put together some "Really Good Potatoes". It was from a recipe book I got from a lady at work. I made some Ceasar Pork Chops to go with them last night from the same recipe book. Both were really good. Definitely will be making that pork chop recipe again.

All in all, we had a fun time with Grandma. Nevaeh was very sad when she left. Kept asking for "pee-pah". But her face lights up when I tell her we will see both Grandma and Grandpa this weekend at their house, along with several of her cousins and aunts and uncles. We can't wait to see you all!

Looks nothing like Nevaeh

2008-09-19T14:19:00.003-05:00

I don't think Koralee's profile looks anything like Nevaeh. Love the cute little pug nose.

She's dealing with some baby acne right now, but she's still smiling. Too bad for the pimples, we are getting the girl's pictures tomorrow.

Here is one amazing girl. I am in awe at her vocabulary and creativeness more and more everyday. She catches on to things so quickly. She can draw circles, but not so good at the squares and triangles yet. Trys to write letters. She loves coloring and staying in the lines. LOVES to draw faces (or have me draw the faces for her and then she traces it).

And she continues to be an excellent big sister. Helps change diapers, retrieves the binky or bottle without being prompted, loves to hold her, loves to snap her in the swing and carseat, and so much more. She just has to be involved in Koralee's care. We have fun.

The last few days...

2008-09-17T13:22:00.002-05:00

they haven't changed too much. Koralee is still wanting to eat very frequently, up awake much of the night. She sleeps great from about 6:00 am to 12:00 pm, so we just need to get those hours shifted a little earlier. What little we have supplemented with formula, we changed to soy-based in an attempt to help her gassiness. We even added about a tablespoon of rice cereal to the formula to thicken it up. We will see if it helps or makes it worse. I think she did just a little better last night. But I finally gave in and swaddled her in the boppy in our bed and napped beside her with my hand holding a pacifier in her mouth.

Here's a pic of me trying to nap with Koralee. Nevaeh wanted to nap with us.

Yesterday was my 6 week postpartum appointment. I was very curious as to how much Koralee actually weighed, so I had them weigh her for me. Already to a whopping:

12 lb. 7.5 oz.

I looked in Nevaeh's baby book and she weighed 12 lb. 8 oz. at her 4 month appointment. I think Nevaeh will have one BIG baby sister growing up.

Just one more picture for now. Koralee doesn't enjoy baths as much as Nevaeh did. Here is a calm moment.

The Jones Family is planning on going to Grandma and Grandpa Farwell's next weekend (9/27 - Aunt Katie's birthday). It is my last weekend before returning to work. :(

We would love to see everyone! I know the Sapps talked about going up there around the same time. Will the Sabetha Farwell's be around? We are planning on going to great G&G Farwell's as well. Then probably church in the morning. Hope we can see you all.

It's weird...

2008-09-10T09:00:00.002-05:00

I never thought I would have a tall child, but Koralee is. She is so long. Her legs hang off of me when I feed her. Gotta be over 10 lbs. already.

Our Weekend

2008-09-10T08:34:00.005-05:00

We had visitors over the weekend! Unfortunately, I forgot to take any pictures. Grandma and Grandpa Farwell along with Uncle Rod, Aunt Annie, and Cousin Kenton came to visit Sunday afternoon/evening. We had a taco supper and banana splits for dessert.

Here is a picture from that day. Nevaeh is playing with the puzzle she got for Christmas from the Sapps. She is getting very good with her numbers, letters, and colors.

One thing is for sure. I have the two cutest nephews in the world. Blake and Kenton are both a lot of fun to be around, and they both love to laugh. I really enjoyed the time with the family.

That night wasn't so much fun. Shun and I were up til 5:30 am with Koralee. She was wide awake and having a dandy ole time hanging out with her parents. Kinda gassy, but mostly just wide awake. So last night I decided that if I had to strip her down and open all the windows to keep her awake, then thatis what I would do. She was going to stay up in the evening. Well, I think she liked the cool air on her skin because this was the result. TKO.

We eventually got her back awake and she slept much better last night. She still wants to eat every 2-3 hours on the dot, but at least she slept in between those feedings. I sure hope we get her on a better schedule before I go back to work or Shun is going to have some rough nights. :(

More One Year Pics

2008-09-10T08:22:00.000-05:00

Late Pictures

2008-09-10T08:13:00.002-05:00

Came across some pictures that Nate took for Nevaeh's one year pictures. We never got them out to people so we wanted to share some with you now. He did such a good job on them.

What a Clown

2008-09-04T17:02:00.000-05:00

Nevaeh is all about glasses. She is very intrigued by mine. She has a pair of pink Dora sunglasses, and then these which she picked out at Chuck E Cheese with the tickets Uncle Rod won for her. She knows she is cute in the sunglasses, and she knows she's a clown in these. We have so much fun with her. She almost behaves better now that the baby is here.

One Month Old

2008-09-04T16:57:00.001-05:00

Koralee is one month old today. It is hard to believe that the time has gone by so fast already. Here is a pic from today. It is cold in Kansas, and I have very few long sleeved clothes for my girls for this age period, so needless to say, she has an igloo on her shirt. Appropriate for today.

Comparing our Girls

2008-08-31T13:05:00.000-05:00

Nevaeh

Koralee

Nevaeh

Koralee

After looking at several pictures of Koralee, we found ourselves often saying, "That looks just like that picture of Nevaeh". We decided to post a few to see what you all thought.

I love my new belt!

2008-08-29T17:08:00.000-05:00

Nevaeh woke up this morning and saw this belt in her closet. She insisted on wearing it all day, even during nap time. After she woke up, with her nap hair might I add, she just looked too cute. She would put her hands on her hips and smile. Notice her "cheeeeese" for the camera. The big dog was a gift for Koralee. We now have a giant dog and a giant pink bunny.

Sleeping Beauty

2008-08-27T15:50:00.000-05:00

Monday was a rough day. I sent Nevaeh to the sitter so that I could hopefully get cleaning done. Koralee and I slept in for a couple of hours in the morning. Then, she was extremely gassy and fussy all afternoon. She wanted to eat about 4 hours straight in the evening, so we finally had to supplement with formula. Looking back, I was frustrated and I think she could sense that about me. Yesterday and today were much better. I changed my attitude and dranks LOTS of water and milk, and really spent time walking/burping her. I felt better because my attitude had changed, and therefore she had better days as well. I even got her back down for a nap and was able to sweep and hand-wash all my floors today. What a blessing. Just another thing that I need to be aware of about myself daily. My attitude and behavior is so important around my children.

Last evening, she slept and slept and didn't want to wake up. She could only take so much of me messing with her before she finally had to get up and eat, just to return to bed again. Here are a couple of pictures of her from last night. She is getting so big already!

Our Girls

2008-08-24T18:32:00.000-05:00

Our two beautiful daughters. As the days go on, we are seeing more and more differences between the two. Nevaeh is a wonderful big sister. Always wanting to help out with everything. She also has been a big help for me. She enjoys helping with the dishes, laundry, and cleaning/dusting. I wonder how long that lasts?

As you will see, the dates on our pictures is wrong as the camera was set wrong. Sorry about any confusion.

Happy After Eating

2008-08-24T18:28:00.000-05:00

Any comparison to Brenna's smiling face? Koralee often gives me huge grins after eating. She will be half asleep, open her eyes and see me, give me a big smile, and then roll her eyes back again. Over and over until she finally falls asleep.

Big Girl!

2008-08-24T18:24:00.000-05:00

At our two week appointment, Koralee was already 8 lb. 6.9 oz. She gained almost 2 pounds since she left the hospital. It seems like everyday she is getting fatter and fatter. She is starting to sleep better throughout the night. Grandma Farwell was here this past week and helped out immensely.