Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Dear friends,

Can you believe it's December again?

Our Amy will be 5 soon. She is such a smart girl. I love to watch her grow and mature. She really likes to be a princess and play tea party or be a superhero and "save the day." Either way, she has a great amount of imagination. If the degree of mess in their playroom is any indication of how much they like to play with their toys than I must say, our kids love to play. :) Sometimes I feel embarrassed when people come in the morning and see the chaos we have and feel the need to explain that it was actually totally cleaned up the night before, and all this happened this morning... :) But I rather have a messy room than bored kids. :)

Haley just turned 16 months old and boy she learns so much each month. She understands a lot by now. She also started to sign, so now it's easier for me to know if she wants food or she is just thirsty, whether she is ready to go to sleep or she wants to play some more. I loved using signs with Amy and am so happy Haley "gave in" and started signing, too.

Haley's favorite thing to do is to read. She brings me a book, sits on my lap, and we read. Over and over and over again. She used to have a favorite book called The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton, but now she just brings me any book she can find (and we have tons of books). We read for several hours a day. I love it! 

Chris is still pretty busy with work, which is great! He will finish his first semester at Summit University tomorrow! As expected, he is doing an amazing job. :) We are so thankful for our children and all the joy they bring to us! We are blessed to have them.

Oh, guess what? I learned to solve the Rubik's cube (3x3) and the 4x4 version as well! I am super excited! The 4x4 version has lots of parity issues I had to learn and I am so hyped to be able to do it! 

We are so excited for my sister's baby, due in May, and other very dear friends who are expecting. One of my closest friends is getting married next year as well!

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! We are thankful to God for all He has done! To Him be the glory and praise!

Enjoying Fall

Hi there,

Amy drew this the other day

We are so happy to have such beautiful weather! While it can be windy some days, it is truly beautiful for November! We go to the park or just for a walk almost every day. I will truly miss walking once winter comes.

Amy is a curious little princes. She loves to learn and has great questions. Recently she is interested in Spanish, so she watches some shows on PBS kids that has Spanish in it. She also started to talk in Hungarian more, which warms my heart. 

She loves to color, build, play pretend. She has a great imagination and uses it to make up new games.

Haley is 17 lbs and 30 inches at 14 months. To compare, Amy was 21 lbs and 33 inches at this point. :) And Amy was born with over 2 lbs less and an inch and a half shorter. So Haley is not in a hurry to grow. :) I suspect Amy will be like her daddy (in more ways than just her appearance) and Haley will be like me. We will see. :) Haley is a very good baby. She has 4 molars coming in, so she is not always happy, but in general she is content. She isn't talking much yet, but she understands a lot of things and is fairly obedient, especially for her age. She has the cutest grin. She is so proud of herself when she obeys. :)

Chris has been working on several projects lately. He is still busy with school, and work. We are very thankful for all the opportunities he has. Football season ended yesterday, so he may have more free Saturdays from now on.

The girls are in love with their daddy. I think their favorite game is when daddy is a horsie. I am not sure that's Chris' favorite as well, but that's neither here or there. :D

I am grateful for our church family. We get so much support from the families and individuals there. It's nice to belong somewhere. I am especially thankful for the Bible study we have at our home. I love studying the Bible with other women and learning more about our Creator from the Bible and each other. It's such a privilege.

Best news last, my sister is pregnant! :) We are so excited for her and her family! I will be an aunt again! (I have 2 nieces and a nephew already.) It's so nice to see my lovely family growing!

Have a wonderful day! 

Haley Is Walking

Hi there,

On our way to the playground (Amy running in the background)

Our 13 months old darling had enough of me nagging her to walk and decided it was time to give in. :) She started to walk 3 weeks ago. First she took 5-12 steps and then looked for something to hold onto, but now she can walk a block without any help. We are very proud of her! So now we walk to the park as opposed to taking the stroller. It takes us 10-15 minutes (it's "normally" a two minute walk), but we enjoy it. 

She also started to consciously give hugs, and they are the best! She pushes her cheek to mine and hugs my neck tight with both arms. So precious!

morning hug

I came across this video the other day, and wanted to post it. Most of my friends speak at least two languages, and I hope this video will motivate them to teach those languages to their children. Here is the link: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-speaking-multiple-languages-benefits-the-brain-mia-nacamulli. It can be a hassle to teach your children a language that they only hear from you, but I firmly believe it is worth it for many reasons. Amy is very interested in Spanish, so she is trying to learn it from different shows. I sure wish I was able to help her. But most likely she is going to teach me and not vice versa. :)

Amy is growing up too fast. She is so eager to learn and has an amazing memory. I love her questions (even though I have a hard time answering them and many times I refer her to her daddy :) ). Amy and Haley are real goofballs and make my days truly fun. I love being their mommy and see them grow. They love each other so much, I hope this only deepens.

Chris has been super busy, working on many different projects, and he just finished his first session at Summit University (he had two courses). He got an A in both classes! He manages his time very well and people he works for recommend him to others regularly. We are truly thankful to God for providing these job opportunities. He continues to bless us beyond our imagination!

We had several family members and friends get married this past month and others have babies, so congratulation to all of you! :) We are so excited to see our loved ones being filled with joy!

Have a wonderful day!

Someone Lost Two Teeth

Hi there, 

Let me start with the biggest news of last month: Amy has two less teeth. Unfortunately they didn't come out the "natural way." A little over two weeks ago the kids and I were walking in the mall and Amy slipped (she was wearing flipflops and the floor was slippery). Since she was only walking, I didn't think it was anything big, but I saw as she fell and my first question was, "Are your teeth okay?" I don't know how she managed to do that, but poor baby fell straight on her top teeth (well, lip, I guess). First she said her teeth didn't hurt only her legs, but within a few seconds I could see the blood and within half a minute everything on her (and the floor) was bloody. It looked pretty bad. The manager of the store we were happen to be in at the moment took us to her office and asked if she should call the ambulance. I guess she didn't think it looked good, either. We waited for Amy to calm down a little and then we left. (Thankfully we ran into one of Chris' uncles just a few minutes before the accident so he was able to help with Haley while I tried to help Amy.)

Amy hurt her top front teeth twice before, and both times she refused to close her mouth, so the blood just dried on her teeth and gum and it looked yucky. It wasn't any different this time either. Except now she did it for 4 days straight. So the blood was dried on it for that long (since she didn't close her mouth the saliva wasn't able to get to it to clean it a little at least). Long and ugly story short, she threw up over 30 times in 2 days after she fell and the dentist had to pull her top front two teeth out. She doesn't like not to have those teeth, but she is getting used to it and I think she is almost fine by now. She is convinced the permanent teeth will cut through anytime. Only 4 more years, dear Amy.

Haley has been such a great baby even though she got little attention when Amy was so sick. She didn't seem to mind playing by herself. She loves to share (her toys, food, or anything for that matter) and tried to make Amy smile while she was feeling sad.

Amy and Haley likes to play together, I think they are best at hide-and-seek. Amy is an excellent hider, but Haley seems to find her nonetheless every time. So they truly enjoy playing that game. They also play crawl tag (so it's fun for Amy, too). It was Amy's idea, by the way, I am not that creative.

Haley took her first steps shortly after her birthday, but wouldn't take more than 2-3. She can walk really well holding one of my hands (or even just my clothes), but when she lets go she feels unsafe, I guess. Amy was walking at 10 months, so I was hoping Haley will, too, but she is not rushing it. : )

Chris has been busy working at IU (Indiana University in Bloomington) this past month. The company he works for does the pyrotechnics (among other things) at ALL IU events, and lately there's been a lot of those. The last one was a football game this past Saturday and he arrived home at 2:30 am after which he taught Sunday School next morning. He is also doing school and is halfway through his first semester. I'm not sure how he juggles family, work, and school so well, but he is doing amazing. The kids love him and I am in love with him. : )

And lastly a confession. I am one of those moms who never understood how other moms can have stories about their kids drawing on the walls, ruining this or that, etc. I always thought, "where were you when all this happened?" Well, today my 4-year-old daughter colored our living room wall with extremely bright crayons. And where was I? I was nursing Haley in the other room just before I put her down for a nap. So yes, I apologize to all the moms I questioned when they told me their "crazy" story.

Amy and I were always together until she was 15 months old. I didn't even go take a shower without putting her in a highchair and moving the highchair in the bathroom. I thought everyone did that. So how can they do crazy stuff if you are always there???

But with two kids, it's impossible to always make sure they are not doing anything "wrong." Yesterday I found Haley in the bathroom playing (splashing) the water from the toilet. Yup... So again, I apologize. And hope I learned from this. Just because you haven't experienced it yet, doesn't mean you won't. Remember that whinny, screaming 2-3 year old at the store? Remember how you thought your kid will never be like that because they will know better (because you raise them "right")? Well, remember that next time your kid doesn't behave the way they should. And I am not saying it doesn't matter how you raise them. It matters a great deal. But just because you raise them to behave well doesn't mean they always will. So don't think that the screaming kid in the store is necessarily a reflection of their parent's lack of disciplining. Anyway, I am sorry, again, for ever thinking that way!

And to finish on a good note, here are a couple of pictures of our princess:

Post for Women

Hi there,

This is a post meant to "start a conversation." I will share some of the practical things I learned since I became a wife, and I would love you to leave a comment with useful tips, too! So please do!

In no particular order:

1. If you cut baby wipes into two, four, or even six (depending on the size of the wipes), you can save a lot in a year. A package (60-70 wipes) lasts about a month. I cut them into 4 pieces (plenty enough for the size of an infant bottom), and I use as many as I need (which can be lots when I deal with a messy diaper). So you don't have to cut back on the number of wipes you use, but why use those huge wipes for that tiny area? Give it a try, you will see how much easier it is. (If you have any questions, just ask me!)

3. A great website we let Amy use is pbskids.org. There are plenty of educational games and good shows there. She learned a lot from playing these games and watching these shows. Not all of them are for all ages, but they are all very good. Some of the shows look silly, but when you actually watch them, they are really good.

4. If you are breastfeeding your first child, ask for help if it hurts. When I breastfed Amy (for the first two months) I thought I will die each time I fed her. Well, as it turns out (and is "proved" by Haley), if you are doing it the right way, it shouldn't hurt. 

Also, nursing Amy for 2 months, I thought I had no more milk because I wasn't leaking anymore (like I did before) and so I automatically thought I didn't have any. But just because you don't leak doesn't mean you don't have any more milk. I could have breastfed much longer with Amy had I known that. So again, don't be shy or scared to ask someone who breastfed before if you have ANY questions.

After both Amy's and Haley's birth my boobs got super hard. I didn't know what to do when I had that problem with Amy, but they told me how to deal with it when I had Haley. As it turns out, the baby has a hard time latching on when the boob is hard, the milk flows slow, and there is a greater chance the baby will scar your nipple. Had I known this with Amy, I would have been able to deal with it better then... 

5. Along the lines of breastfeeding... If you need to take a medicine and you are told you can't breastfeed while you do so, make sure to double check that info. (A free online source: http://e-lactancia.org/) Most medications are safe (even antibiotics) to take while nursing. When you are told you shouldn't take it while breastfeeding, ask what the risks are to the baby.

A good breastfeeding site is kellymom.com. 

6. Switch your kids toys every so many moths. Only have some toys out (enough that they can entertain themselves, but are not overwhelmed by them), and put the rest away. Then when they are bored of those toys, switch them with the ones that were put away. I am not sure how well it works with older kids, but it sure works with young ones. :)

7. Make an e-mail account to your kids when they are born and write to them (attach pics and short videos) frequently. You can give the address to them as a special gift.

8. You can make lots of crafts from toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, cereal boxes, etc. Look around your house and be creative!

I will add to these when I can think of something else.

Addition #1: Teach your kids sign language at an early age (even as early as 6 months). A good free online site is http://www.babysignlanguage.com/dictionary/a-d/. We taught both of our girls and Amy was always able to tell us what she wanted way before she could speak. She signed "eat" when she was hungry, "milk" when she wanted milk, "drink" when she was thirsty, "sleep" when she wanted to sleep, she learned to sign "please" when she asked for something and to say "thank you" when she received it.

Click on the picture to
enlarge

There are about 20 very basic signs that can help tremendously before they learn to speak. After that, it can still be useful to use sign language (for example to tell your child to say "thank you" when you are out and she forgets). We also use it when Amy is sick and feels too weak to talk. (Haley already uses a few signs, too.) I highly recommend signing to all moms.

Do you have a quick recipe you want to share? Or a good advice/tip for women? Do you have a "go to" website? Please share!

Birthdays

Hi there,

Here is a short update on us:

Haley is 1 year old! And Chris just turned 27! We are all getting old. : )

Haley is a fun little baby. She loves to be goofy and make us laugh. She is growing her 8th tooth and it can hurt her sometimes. She loves to climb on things and she knows how to get down, too. She plays hide and seek with Amy and peek-a-boo with all of us.

Amy is more and more obedient. We are so blessed with both of our girls. Amy started to read shorter words. She likes to read Go, Dog, Go and Hop on Pop. We are very proud of her. She is such a good helper.

Chris got some games for his birthday and we enjoy playing them. I think our favorite is Ticket to Ride.

Chris started Summit University recently and he only has 12 classes to finish before he gets his degree. We are excited that he was able to start school.

Here are "some" pictures of our 1 year old:

Our Precious Children

Hi there,

Hope you are having a great week!

Watching Haley grow up is a lot of fun! It's hard to believe she will be one year old next month. Didn't I give birth to her yesterday??? (Although this is how I feel about our 4 year old, too. :) )

Haley is very friendly, loves to make people laugh and tries to find a way to entertain others. She is in general very content. 

She has 4 teeth completely out and 3-4 more cutting through. She is almost the same weight and length she was at 6 months (yes, 5 months ago). I asked the doctor if that's okay and she said as long as she is healthy (which she is), it's no problem. She didn't start walking yet by herself, but I think she is more and more interested in it. She can stand up from sitting without any support and stand for over a minute without any support.

Amy said,
"Mommy, I drew a baby turkey."

She still nurses (she doesn't accept any other form of liquid), but she likes pasta, rice, broccoli, corn, cauliflower, beans, potato, avocado, bread, cheerios, and chicken. So far she liked everything we gave her (as long as it wasn't baby food). She feeds herself and I don't even have to cut up the food anymore, she does an excellent job chewing.

Amy did this completely by herself
(for Fathers' Day)

Amy is growing like a weed. She frequently asks us if she is 5 already since she grows so much. :) She is convinced if she needs new shoes and clothes that means she is a year older... Thankfully that's not how it works. :) 

Amy loves to think and asks great questions. Most of the time my reply is, "Sorry Babe, I don't know, ask Daddy." I'm sure there are things she knows more about already than I do.

She is a very loving little girl. We are very proud of her!

She has lots of friends at church and we are very thankful for each one of them. Whenever they spend time together she never wants to leave. :)

Édua Szanyi

Last but not least, my dear friend, Regi gave birth to her second daughter last week. She is such a cutie pie! We are thankful for this new life God has blessed them with.

We are so glad we can share in our joy with you! Let us know how we can pray for you!

Married for 5 Years

Hi there,

[Lots of pictures at the end!]

Chris and I celebrated our 5th anniversary in May. We are so thankful to be married to each other and are looking forward to many-many more blessed years together. It's nice to look back and see the many ways God has blessed us since we got married. We are so thankful for our children, our family and friends, our church, and above all, God's faithfulness.

A close friend of ours, Tricia, was able to come visit us for a few days the beginning of June. Chris and her met in Hungary when they were 4 years old. (Tricia's parents were missionaries to Hungary at that time, just like Chris' parents.) Actually it was her who taught Chris Hungarian. :) Tricia and I met in the Bible School and became good friends in our second year. We interned together for a year and kept in touch ever since. Amy knows her as Aunt Tricia :). It was somewhat painful to realize it has been 7 years since we graduated... But then as we look back and see how many things happened in those 7 years... it makes sense. :)

It was so good to be able to hug her and talk to her face to face. She is one of the coolest people I know. I can always be completely honest with her and know that she will do the same. It is a treasure to have friends like that. And I value her as such! :)

We are so glad to be able to attend our church again! We really missed the people there. Amy has so many friends there and we love to see them play together. We are so blessed to have such loving church family.

before

after

So before we left for Hungary, Amy's coloring wasn't really the best... (see picture). But when we came home from Hungary, she started to use more than one color (something that was unimaginable before) and started to color in the lines. I am not sure what happened while we were in Hungary but the change is incredible!

And Haley FINALLY stopped refusing to eat baby food. (So far she would only eat bits of real food but wouldn't even consider any kind of baby food. And trust me, I tried a LOT of different kinds...) So now we are able to feed her a jar or two everyday. I still have to nurse a lot, but it is much more bearable this way. 

She hasn't woken up at night for weeks now and can stand unsupported for several seconds. She loves observing others and is a content, happy baby in general. She sleeps extremely well during the day (takes 3-4 longer naps during the day). We are so glad we could convince her that sleeping is a great thing. :)

Friends, have a blessed week!