Tuesday, December 12, 2017

10 MONTHS WITH ELEA HOLBROOK

10 Months 
December 12, 2017 


Weight: 18 pounds 
Height: 35 inches 

Likes: 
  • Pointing 
  • Furniture cruising 
  • Still standing in danegrgous places (ie high chair and bath) 
  • Playing with Tae 
  • Amei 
  • Anything she can eat...you name it she will eat it 
  • Shoes 
  • Ornaments on the Christmas tree 
  • Bathtime, she gets so mad when we take her out 
  • Her walker
  • After bathtime (once she stops crying) she loves to have her hair brushed
  • Peekaboo






Dislikes: 
  • Getting out of the bath 
  • Not getting her way (we're in for it!) 



Sleep
  • Sleeps pretty well 
  • Takes a nap in the morning and afternoon, sometimes a little cat nap after dinner if she is cranky  
  • Sometimes has a little crib party in the middle of the night, we hear her cooing and and playing




Eating: 
  • Can put down, if she sees you eating she will crawl over to you and wait for you to give her some 
  • We've given her things earlier than Tae 
  • Loves bananas, oranges, apples, steak, and rice 



Favorite Moments: 
  • Every day. Corny, yes, but true. I know from my time with Tae that the time flies by so I am trying to soak in each and every second. 






Firsts: 
  • Pointing 
  • Signing (I think she is signing "more" by putting her index finger on the palm of her other finger)
  • International day 
  • Weekend with daddy (while I was in HK) 



Mommy Thoughts: 
Getting to be this girl's mama is such a blessing. Honestly I was scared to have another, I didn't know if I could love another child as much as I love Tae. Tae's first few months were so hard on me, I didn't want to do the infant stage again. I worried I wouldn't be able to, but Elea changed everything in me.  She has made me less selfish, more patient, gain faith and trust in God, and more confident in who I am. I see God daily in her little toothless smile, he determination to get what she wants, her sweet giggles, her perfect button nose, and her curiosity for the world. 

Also, watching her wrap Jess and Tae around her little fingers is adorable. Tae has become a great sharer, whether it is by his own accord or her screaming for what she wants we will never know.  Some of my favorite moments are when I watch Jess secretly with her, he is so in love with her it makes me more in love with him. 



Sunday, December 3, 2017

INTERNATIONAL DAY

One of the things I love about teaching at international schools is the diverse community. Now that we have Tae and Elea it is so fun to expose them to other cultures right here in our own backyard.  This weekend was our international festival.  We dressed the kiddos in red, white, and blue and headed to school to enjoy the festivities and food.  It was right during naptime, so we were only able to stay for about an hour.  Tae managed to chow down 3 crepes from the French station, while I dined on some amazing Malaysian cuisine.  Elea drank fresh coconut water and wasn't concerned with much else.  






The week before the festival parents came in and taught the class about parts of their culture.  My class learned about Chinese tea culture, a minority group in China, and how to do Chinese caligraphy. It was fun to learn along with the kiddos.  On a separate note, Jess and I taught Tae's class about Brazil.  Let's just say it's a good thing we teach older kids, they ate us alive.  I thought it would be fun to teach them soccer.  Nope, I didn't think about how all 12 kids would want the ball and as soon as they got the chance they would pick it up with their hands and run the other way while the other 11 kids cried because they didn't get it.  Did I mention we are so thankful for Tae's loving and patient teachers?

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

3/4 OF A YEAR WITH ELEA

9 MONTHS  
November 12, 2017 




 Height: ?? inches
Weight:?? pounds


Likes: 
  • Pulling up on all the things 
  • Standing in her high chair (hello heart attack!) 
  • Babbling 
  • Laughing at Tae's antics 
  • Amei 
  • Food, homegirl can eat!  
  • Standing up in the bathtub (again...heart attack) 
  • Shoes 



Dislikes: 
  • When Tae takes things from her 
  • Facing inward when you hold her 
  • Not getting her food (or anyone else's for that matter) 



Sleep
  • Is able to self-sooth (most of the time) 
  • Takes a longer nap in the morning 
  • Bedtime around 7 and sleeps until 6ish (although the past few weeks she's been waking up around 2 for a bottle...maybe it's the 4 top teeth coming in) 
  •  


Eating: 
  • Eats any and everything 
  • Loves eating whatever Tae is eating 
  • Can chew most food
  • Holds her own bottle 
  • Adores clementines, bananas, and grapes 
  • Likes to "drink" out of a cup 



Favorite Moments: 
  • Her little personality is forming right in front of our eyes.  I love each day watching her crawl on a mission or try to figure out something new.  
  • Our first family of 4 Halloween costumes, little Miss didn't like being a panda 
  • A day in HK with her, it felt so good to reconnect and just be us


Firsts: 
  • Doctor visit in Hong Kong 
  • Upper teeth breaking through 
  • Using the walker
  • Eating lots of food (can't even remember the kinds) 
  • Down a slide 



Mommy Thoughts: 
We have the sweetest, happiest, and most determined little girl.  She lights up a room with her gummy smile and infectious little laughing sigh.  Tae and her are getting closer and closer, she loves to play with him on his bed before night and laughs hysterically when he slides down the bath. She is growing way too fast, I feel a perpetual inner battle of wanting her to stay little and excitement for her growth and development. 

She already shows her feistiness and I hope that stays with her. My prayer for her is to be a strong woman with a servant's heart and grace filled. I find myself being much more careful in my actions, words, and tone because I am her role model. I want her to know she can accomplish anything she wants with Jesus in her heart, but to balance it with building strong relationships with other women who will lift her up. 

Elea is such a joy to everyone in our family. It is so fun to watch Jess melt when he looks at her, Tae crack up with her at something they both find funny, Elea's eyes light up when Amei arrives in the morning. Thank you Lord for blessing us with Elea and I pray we guide her to your love, peace, and grace. 




























Monday, November 27, 2017

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2017

One of my favorite traditions is ordering Christmas cards. My mom gifted all of us a book of all the Scott Christmas cards and letters and I cherish it so much. It is hilarious to see our evolution as a family and fun to read back and remember all the highlights of each year. I ordered our Christmas cards and can't wait to see them in person. 



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