Funny Jonah sayings!

Yesterday Jonah said two funny things. The first one is while we were walking to a park. He was Picking his nose and said, "I love boogers! They are my favorite thing in my nose." 

Later that night, during bath time, completely unprompted, he said, "if I ever see a wishing star... I would wish to ride on all the trains of the island of sodor." Jason then asked him if he had been thinking about wishing stars. Jonah looked at him and said, "no."  Silly boy! 

Dear Jonah!

Dear Jonah, 

You just fell asleep at 11pm! You came out a few times to go potty and once to ask for extra snuggles. It has been a fun evening with your because this is your last night to be three! Tomorrow you turn four years old and I just can't believe te year you have had. 

You have loved firetrucks this year! We visited many firestations this year and you even sleep in a firetruck bed (complete with flashing lights). Recently you have developed an interest in Trains-- especially Thomas the Train characters. You are learning many new words such as "useful" "cross" and "pump my pistons" from the books and shows you've been exposed to! 

We took a brief trip to Columbus, OH where you loved to touch the sting rays. Then we had a brief overnight at te Big splash resort in French lick where you loved the water slides. This winter we went to FL where we tackled Disney World and Sea World. You were pretty happy once we got there but it took you a while to warm up to the idea of vacation. You are a home body and I remember the day we left you asked if you could just stay home. I said no and you said, "you all can go- I will just stay upstairs until you get back."  You are my little homebody. 

Over the summer you took a gymstastics class which you didn't really enjoy. Now we are trying out karate. On Wednesday nights this year you were a "super seeker" where you are learning to "seek God first." I love watching you grow and learn. 

Your favorite color is red, your favorite thing to play is trains or firetrucks, and you are a pro at the tricycle. You love playing outside and are a master at playing by yourself. You make my days easy! 

You bring such delight to my heart and a smile to my face. You are my biggest boy, Jonah! And I love, love, love being your mommy. 

You are pretty laid back about many things, but this week you showed increased passion about two things. We had a picnic at the zoo where I packed special "sunny D" drinks. When you saw them you shouted, "Hey! I thought we were going to have these on my birthday!" Also this week we were studying about leah and Rachel and you stood up on the couch and said you thought everyone must have said to Leah, "Leah! you go away!"  You were shouting it and pointing. I loved your passion but hope you never say those thing to others! :) 

God made you to be brave, a hero, a boy who saves the day, and rescues people. I tell you often that God will use you to recuse people from Hell! I pray that you will use your life to glorify Jesus. Christ, the Giver of Life, offers us purpose, stability, and a hope that nothing else compares to. Everyone you meet, myself included, will let you down, but He never will. This world is a broken place, but Christ promises that this is a temporary place and our eternal home is perfect! I pray that you will accept Christ at an early age and that each year you will grow more in your knowledge of and love for our Savior. You need Jesus... Never forget that. He has big plans for you and I can't wait to watch them unfold!

Happy 4th Birthday! 

April 3rd...

April 3rd was a day for the books at this house!

Jonah received his white belt in Karate (the very first level belt, but he was so proud he prayed at the Dinner table, "Thank you God that I got my white belt).

Selah moved from a crib to a toddler bed. She was very excited

And Asa... 

• Started walking!!!! He just took off unlike any child we've ever had. He took his first step a day or two before in the bathtub, but on this day, he was leaning on Selah's back... she tried to escape from him and he followed her... walking the entire way. He took several steps and then never stopped. He kept walking all night. It is a frankenstein walk, but a walk none the less! :) 
• Started eating with a spoon! I gave him a spoon with his dinner and showed him once how to use it... after that, he fed himself the rest of dinner with his spoon.
• He ditched his bottles. He winged himself from bottles and formula. It is sippy cups and whole milk for him now. Even before bed! 
• He protested his cookie being broken up... so we gave it to him whole and he ate it like a champ.

Basically, he decided to grow up in the course of a couple of hours!!! All of the eve of his 15 month old bday. Big boy, Asa J! 

Stair Master

Asa... who is now 14 (almost 15) months old has successfully taught himself how to open up doors (even if they have their child safety lock on) and to go down stairs. He will flip to his belly and then slide down. I don't know where he learned this as the older children either go down on their feet or on their bottoms... but Asa has mastered the art of quickly escaping down the stairs. Just today I heard him open the door, but before I could get to him he had already made it all the way down the basement stairs... giggling the entire way. There is no stopping that boy. He can't walk yet, but he can certainly keep up around the house. 

When the older children are spinning and dancing -- he will crawl himself so that he is spinning in circles on all four. Again, laughing the entire time. 

He's such a fun boy. We do call him the "grabby goblin" because he grabs everything... but that comes with age, I guess. 

"Bwankwets"

Jonah and I have this evening tradition of hiding from Jason. I will enter Jonah's room first and get him all ready for bed and then Jason will come in and say goodnight. As he does, Jonah and I hide under his covers. Or, as Jonah says, his "Bwank-wets"

It is so adorable. He has such a little raspy voice that I could listen to all. day. long.

Joney

The girls have taken up calling Jonah "Joney". It is really quite cute. I asked him if I could call him Joney too but he said I should just call him "phoney". I laughed- he was just trying to find a rhyme, but I thought there is no way I will be calling him phoney! He's such a great boy!!! 

Dear Asa...

Dear Asa,

You turned one on January 4th! That same day you spiked your very first fever. You were so pathetic... it broke my heart. Thankfully, it only lasted 48 hours and then you were back to your usual self. I cannot believe you are one. In fact, it has taken me almost a month to write you this letter because I couldn't believe that it was true. Where did the time go?

Your birth was easy and you have lived up to your entrance. You have been my "agreeable Asa"... my only complaints were your reflux and your lack of sleep, but now you're sleeping 13+ hours at night and 4 hours during the day and your reflux has vanished. Guess I have no complaints now. ;)

I am so honored to be your mama. You are one smart boy! I can tell. When we pray, you fold your hands and pray too. At devotions, you know to pat the Bible. You have learned how to spit after watching your older siblings (oh joy!) and you can say/sign:

• mama
• dada
• Tucker 
• cookie
• all done
• more 
• ba-ba
• amen 
• Asa (according to the nursery workers at church... I haven't heard this one)

You are a lighting fast crawler and can dart up the stairs or into the bathroom (to play in the toilet) in record time. You have this guilty laugh that you like to do as you are getting into things you shouldn't. I'm glad for that because it alerts me at times when I am distracted. 

If daddy corrects you, you will cry for mama. But, when I correct you, you cry for daddy. See, you are a super-smart boy. 

You are still agreeable asa, but you are beginning to want to do everything your older siblings are doing. If I tell you that you can't jump on the couch, you will fall to ground and cry. I joke that you are saying things like, "why was I even born" -- but you probably aren't... that is your overdramatic mama talking.

You love to eat anything with your six teeth. You can drink from sippy cups and you eat EVERYTHING that is put in front of you. In fact, Havana has nicknamed you an "eating machine." You're favorite toy is the cozy coupe and whatever jonah is playing with. For Christmas, you didn't want any of the 12 month-old toys we got you, but rather you wanted Jonah's Thomas the train set. You brothers are going to have fun as you get older! 

Your nicknames are:

• Asa J. 
• Asa Dude
• Asa Joash
• Asa Jaybird
• Eating Machine 
• Agreeable Asa 
• Mama's Baby (that one is just between you and me).

I adore you. I often catch my breath just watching you. I am so glad God has loaned you to me... I pray that you will grow into your name... a boy who loved the Lord all the days of his life!