Easter

We spent Easter weekend at home this year.  My mom and dad came down to spend the weekend with us. On Saturday, Nate was the Easter Bunny for the Candlelighters easter egg hunt.  We all went to watch Nate play the easter bunny with the kids.  Candlelighters is an organization that provides support for kids with cancer.  Nate has participated in this event for a few years and I'm sure will continue to be the easter bunny for them for years to come.

On Sunday, we of course went to church in the morning.  Then, we came home and had a yummy brunch that I made with my mom.  After Caitlyn took her morning nap, we gave her her Easter baskets.  She got one from Mom & Dad and one from Grandma & Grandpa.  I put a few hair clips in her basket and I also made shakers from easter eggs for her to play with.  I filled the plastic eggs with rice and taped them shut. She loved them!  Grandma and Grandpa gave her a pair of shorts, socks, and a bunny.    Sunday evening we went to Grandma & Grandpa Oeming's house for dinner and Erin & Steve were there too.  It was a fun weekend with our family!

We all had fun getting dressed up, eating brunch, and giving baskets but the true meaning of Easter was never out of our focus.  I'm thankful that I have the gift of eternal life because Jesus died on the cross for my sins and rose again.

11 Months

On April 4, Caitlyn turned 11 months old!  Wow, almost a year old already!

I love the big cheesy grin!

In the last month, she has learned to "walk" around the furniture while holding on to it.  It seems like it is easier for her to shuffle side to side than to go forward.  She is also able to stand up with out holding on to any thing for a few seconds.   I think the thing she loves the most is standing up in her crib.  When she wakes up, she will go to the end of her crib that is closest to the door and just wait quietly for someone to come and get her out.  She has started to say "mama" but I'm not sure that she is associating it with me.  It may just be a sound at this point.  Caitlyn has also started to become very attached to Mommy.  She is now crying when I leave her in the nursery at church or at MOPS.  Luckily, she usually stops within a few minutes.  I stay strong and walk away because I need my adult time!  I am very thankful for the great childcare helpers that take care of her because I know she is in good hands.  The best part is when I walk into the room to pick her up she gets so excited!  She waves her arms and says "ooo, ooooo, oooh"!  

Spring Snow

We woke up to about 10 inches of snow on the first day of Spring!  (March 21, 2012)

Of course we were stuck at our house but we had some fun family time at home!  Nate stayed home from work for 2 days, MOPS was cancelled, and we were just plain stuck living on this hill!  But, look at how beautiful it was!  It's a good thing that I went to the grocery store a couple days before because we were set to be at home.  We decided to take Caitlyn outside to play in the snow but she was a little unsure of what had happened to the back deck.

I'm ready for the snow!

Mom, I'm not so sure about this! 

Yep, I don't like it!  Get me out of this stuff! 

Dad, don't put me down!

Being inside, getting warm with Daddy's hat, is much better!

Ahh, I'm inside, with my Mommy, sucking my thumb!  Life is good!  

Market Monday

Monday is our grocery shopping day.  It's the day that we don't have any weekly activities and don't usually have much going on.  So, Caitlyn and I head out to the store, after lunch, with our list in hand!  I've started to plan out our dinners for the week and only buy what I have on my list.  This is starting to really help with our budget and saving money.  It's also nice to know exactly what we are having for dinner and I'm not asking myself the "What's for dinner?" question at 4:30p.m.  I think it also helps us to eat a little healthier when I'm not throwing something together from whatever I have in the fridge.  Here is a link to the blog that has helped me to get organized, in case you would like to try some of the tips.  She has many different home organization ideas.  http://www.theprojectgirl.com  

Caitlyn, riding in the grocery cart.  I'm so happy that she is such a happy baby!  She just smiles and giggles at everyone that we pass in the store.  

I do have to strap her into her cart cover so she can't get out!  Otherwise, she would have her foot on the seat trying to get out and get those yummy gerber treats for herself!  

Pulling Up and Standing Up

Caitlyn recently started pulling herself up using the furniture and now she is always doing this!  It's become something normal in this house and not a surprise to me.  

Showing off her adorable dress that Grandma & Grandpa Martens gave her for Christmas.  I love her cheesy grin! 

Nate held her up so I could get a good picture of her dress and she ended up standing on her own!  Nate's face is priceless!  You can tell it's almost nap time since she has her thumb in her mouth.   Playing with her friends at church is tiring!  

I found her getting the t.v. remote yesterday!  Putting them up onto the end table used to be a great place but not anymore!  For some reason, she loves to play with the remote more than her toys.  

Yes!  I got it!  Look at me Momma!  

She's not a big fan of her play gate because she enjoys being where ever we are.  But, when I'm putting groceries away she has to be behind the gate so I can get the bags from the car.  I can just hear her saying "Get me out of this jail, Momma!"  

Dedicated to God

On March 4th, we had Caitlyn's Baby Dedication at our church, Grace Community Fellowship.  We have been wanting to do this with Caitlyn for many months now and finally had it done at 10 months old.  Life has thrown us many cards in the past few months which has caused us to put off this special event that should have been more of a priority to us.  If your wondering what a baby dedication is, let me first say that it is not a baptism.  A dedication is just that, dedicating Caitlyn's life to the Lord.  It is also Nate and I publicly saying that we are making the commitment to raise Caitlyn in a Christian home so that she will decide to be a follower of Christ.  We are praying that Caitlyn will someday be baptized when she is older and can make the decision herself to be baptized because baptism is making the personal choice to accept Jesus as your saviour.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.    -Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Now when the time came for their purification, according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.  - Luke 2:22

Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.  - Proverbs 22:6

Grandma Mason and Aunt Nichole

Grandma and Grandpa Oeming and Nichole

Grandma and Grandpa Martens

Dedication Ceremony

Pastor Steve praying for our family.

My beautiful baby girl that God blessed me with!  I'm a lucky mommy to have her as my daughter.  

Uncle Jeffy was ofcourse there but he was the one behind the camera so unfortunately he didn't make it into any of the pictures.  After the church service, we all come back to our house for lunch.  My mom helped to put together a special lunch to celebrate Caitlyn.  After lunch we had cupcakes and opened presents.  I was so surprised that Caitlyn made it as long as she did without getting cranky and needing a nap.  She quickly went down for her nap after lunch and was one tired little girl.  We are so proud of her!

10 Months Old

On March 4th Caitlyn turned 10 months old!   Not too much has changed since 9 months.  She is still a great eater and sleeper and really just a great baby over all!  Although, she does get a little cranky any time she is unable to move.  So that makes things like diaper changing a little challenging.  Now that she is another month older, she does have 1 new trick!  She is now able to pull herself up to her feet by herself!  She has also started to become very interested in the tupperware drawer in the kitchen and loves to pull everything out.  When I am in the kitchen, she likes to be with me so the tupperware drawer is a perfect place for her to play while I cook.  Caitlyn has also started to say "mum-mum" but I still haven't heard "mama"!  When she gets excited you will hear her say "ooo-ooo" and wave her arms.  What I love the most is when she crawls over to me and waves her arms so that I will pick her up.  I can't believe how much she has grown and developed in 10 short months!  

The first time she pulled herself up to her feet!  She's only half dressed because she really didn't want to sit still for me to get her dressed.  

Tupperware drawer!  This was once very organized.  

This family photo was taken at exactly 10 months old.