Hardie Family Christmas Letter~2011

Hello family and friends!
Here is just a quick update on the past year for us 3....

Kyle
~working at RBC (so thankful for a job!)
~writing columns for The Operative Word (departments' monthly newsletters)
~enjoyed being a part of EBC fishing league again this year, including a trip to Vermillion
~playing hockey recently, and hoping to do more in the coming year

Mel
~year off of teaching 1st grade to stay home with Miss T, and LOVING IT!!!
~teaching 16 piano students, 3 nights a week....God is so faithful!
~watching Miss E part time as well...so fun to watch her and T play together, and love having her in our home during the week
~been enjoying hobbies like reading, scrapbooking, sewing, and "getting crafty"

Miss T
~the love of our lives!
~walking, talking, so much fun!
~loves her "daddy time" when mommy is teaching piano
~knows who her little friends are and lights up when they come over to play
~lots of snuggles from the grandparents

The 3 of us
~enjoying watching Miss T experience so many "firsts" this year
~fun trips to the grandparents'
~camping at the North Shore with our small group (Miss T stayed with gma and gpa)
~Felicia is living with us and it is such a blessing to have her around. T loves the extra love and attention she gets from her aunty!
~EBC...still love attending, volunteering, and our small group

We have so much to be thankful for!

Praying that you enjoy Christmas with the ones you love,

and that 2012 is a year filled with joy!

1 year!!!

Kyle here, I can't believe it's been a whole year since our sweet baby was born. It seems like the first few months were such a blur. Looking back, I'm so thankful for the good and bad times, because for every one difficult moment, there were two extraordinary moments with my family. I'm so excited to see what the next year holds for us.

Mel here. Wow...there is something unique about celebrating your baby's first birthday. So many of the challenges of birth and the newborn stage are fresh in your mind, which I think makes the celebration even more rewarding. Look where we have come from! :) And now to enter the toddler stage--wahoo! We are so thankful for the last year that we have shared with our sweet little babe, and all of the ways that she has changed and blessed our lives. We are also so thankful for all of you that have invested in her life already, and supported us as her parents. God is so faithful!

Here are a few things are 1-year-old is doing....

~walking, climbing stairs, into everything!

~saying a few "words", and siging a few as well

~gives hugs (so sweet--I love this!)

~spends lots of time "reading" her books...she will go to her nursery, pull books off of the shelf, and bring them to whoever's around and sit down in their lap to hear her story :)

~Can find her nose, and show that she is "1"

~DONE with ZANTAC--wahoo!

~Loves to eat, especially by herself :)

It is so exciting to watch her learn and grow, and we're excited to explore many more new things with her in this next year.

11 months

Wow! Teigan has entered her last month as a baby....a lot of mixed emotions come with that realization. :) I have been working on her 1 year scrapbook and it is amazing to think of how much she has changed in just a few short months. We have been enjoying a lot of things this Fall, especially during the past few weeks of gorgeous weather! Here are a few updates for our almost 1 year old....
~taking steps/standing up on her own
~eating anything that she can put in her mouth
~playing with friends--she still enjoys being social, and gives HUGE smiles to people when they come through our front door...so sweet!
~signing please (with both hands if she wants food--ha!)
~her first tooth! YAY! (bottom, middle)
~first trip to the apple orchard; hayride, picking apples, picking pumpkins
~down to only 2 bottles each day (morning, and night)
~giggling/laughing, especially when she plays with Daddy....she loves being thrown up in the air by Daddy

"sooooooo big!" :)

Crafty...

Staying home with my little babe has been a blessing for so many reasons. But another benefit has been getting "reaquainted" with my crafty side. :) I've always loved making things, sewing, scrapbooking, etc.... so it has become a fun challenge to see how much money I can save by re-using things, or making something instead of buying it. I almost always find it more fun to give a gift that I have made too--an extra element of love. :) Here are a few of my favs so far:

table runner (T thought the buttons were great!)
baby hats...thinkin' I need to make T one too! :)

t-shirt scarf w/ rose (thanks Jill!)

love these for the little guys

...have to admit...I've kept a few of these for my little babe's hair

10 months

"Well, I suppose I can smile for one, but I will NOT look at the camera!"
" ...this is so lame mom..."

"...are we really still doing this picture thing?"

We are loving all of the new things T is learning and doing. She is so curious and intested in new things. She is definitely experimenting with standing independently and wanting to take steps, but she hasn't completely "gone for the gold" yet. :) She's eating a lot more finger foods (black beans, green beans, rice, cantalope, mango, cheerios) and loves making a mess at mealtime. We have also entered the stage of having her cry when we take something away that she wants, or hearing a whimper/whine if she wants something. We are bracing ourselves for the toddler stage, but are excited for all of the fun that comes with that stage as well.

9 months

Well, this post is a few days late because it took me a while to get a decent picture of her. Sitting still for pictures is apparently WAY over rated. ;) This is just such a fun age...she is learning so much and growing so fast. One day she can't do something, the next day she can. What a miracle! A few things she is doing right now:

~turning the TV on/off

~walking behind her walker

~going "new" places (stores, library, etc....)

~playing with friends--it is so interesting to watch her play when other kiddos are around. Her personality just continues to grow :)

~She has started waving "bye-bye" and signing for milk/water...however, these 2 gestures are VERY similar, so sometimes it's hard to know which one she's doing

~first ear infection (BOO)

We're excited to experience this next month with her, and to watch her take in the world around her.

8 months

Miss T is growing and changing more each day. Her personality keeps coming out more and more too...such a little ham. :) Here are a few things she has been doing this past month:

~crawling everywhere

~pulling herself up

~trying new foods

~ECFE class--she loves seeing new people and playing with the new toys

~new sounds and noises (many resemble spitting....oh dear!)

~She has been saying "da-da" for quite a while now, but has recently said it a few times actually TOO Kyle--yay!!!

~She is also starting to do the sign for milk when she wants her bottle

She's SO busy, and SO much fun! :)

Thanksgiving

So I'm sure you're thinking that motherhood has really gotten to my head--we just celebrated the 4th of July, not Thanksgiving! Well, it may have gotten to my head :) but "Thanksgiving" describes a common theme popping up in my life right now. I've been reading and studying the discipline of gratitude with my small group girls in the book One Thousand Gifts. At first it was really hard for me to get into the book because the author is so gifted at writing poetically, and I am...well....not gifted in that way. I found myself having to read, and re-read things and becoming more frustrated than grateful. But with the help and accountability of my lovely sg ladies I've gotten into further chapters and it is truly changing how I see the daily happenings of my life.

Then, while enjoying some time up in Breezy this past weekend, out of the blue, someone mentions this great new book they've been reading about how to be thankful for all of the "little things". How doing this has helped them not to worry so much, and to really see the blessings in every sitaution. "What book?", someone asks....."One Thousand Gifts. Ha! There it is again!

This morning, I was writing down a memory verse for the "Siesta Sisters Memory Verse Challenge" that I'm doing with my mom (Beth Moore, Living Proof Ministries blog). Honestly, I've gotten a little behind in memorizing some of the longer/newer verses I chose so I was looking for an "easy one" this morning. Pathetic, I know, but that's for another time. :) I decided to post a verse that has become somewhat of an anthem for my life the past 5-6 years, Philippians 4:6-7. I started writing the verse from memory (yes, I'm sure it's against the rules to post a memory verse that you have already memorized--don't tell Beth!) "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." As I finished writing I thought I'd better double check my verse, just to be sure I quoted it correctly. Low and behold, I discovered that I had missed 2 very important words right in the middle of the verse. "...by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God..." No way! I have known this verse for years! I even knew that those 2 words were in there, but for some reason this morning I just skipped right over them. And yet they are really the heart of the whole verse. Whatever I am going through in life....big, small, happy, sad, scary, new, alone, together, exciting,....when I bring my requests about a situation to my Heavenly Father, I need to do it with THANKSGIVING. That is when the peace will come. Wow. So I guess I've gotten a few reminders that I need to keep working on this gratitude thing! :) I'm excited to see how it will continue to change my outlook, and to truly know how much I DO have to be thankful for. How 'bout you.... ;)

7 months

Sitting up for her pictures--what a big girl!

We're already more than half done with Miss T's first year....wow! She is SO MUCH FUN! I am realizing how much I love this stage, and just how fast it will go. Here are a few things she has done in the past month...
~sitting independently

~rocking (almost crawling--yikes!)

~new sounds "dada, gaga, etc..."

~trying more new foods and liking them ALL :) (peaches and pears are the most recent)

~fake coughing (hilarious)

~"hamming" for the camera....pretty sure she's not going to be a shy one ;)

~getting into everything! We have moved all of our tables and shelves downstairs--bring on the baby gates!

~chewing on crushed ice--no teeth yet, but maybe coming?!?

~into "cat napping".....I'm trying to nip this in the bud with a new nap routine/schedule...prayers appreciated--ha!

~She also took in her first 2 Twin's games, even surviving one in the rain by sleeping under my poncho :)

There is so much more, but we are just loving her more each day. She is busy, energetic, full of joy, and we are so thankful to God for each day we get to spend with His precious blessing to us.

trying to crawl to the ball...so close!

Enjoying the Twin's Game on Father's Day in the RBC Suite

Tribute to Dads

Well, motherhood is an interesting thing. Like feeling SO frustrated and SO in love with this little person all at the same time. Or the protective instinct that arises in different situations. Or the things I say and do, or FORGET to do now that she is vying for all of my attention and time. All of the laundry, hugs and kisses, boundary setting, picking up, rocking, etc... is an endless but TOTALLY GRATIFYING job. However, today I want to write about Dads....actually, a few specific Dads.

First, my hubby! He is such an incredible Dad! It blesses me to watch him love our daughter. To pray for her and with her, to take care of her and play with her in different ways that I do (which is SO good for her), to protect her, and teach her. I am so thankful for the ways that he has been an "involved Daddy" from day 1. Changing diapers, washing bottles, up for middle of the night feedings, doing her luandry, staying home with her so I can get out,...the list could go on and on. Kyle, I am so thankful that you are T's Daddy. Next, my Father-in-law, Dave. He has welcomed me into the family from the very beginning! He is so fun to watch as a Grandpa ;) He is generous with his time, gifts, and talents not just to Kyle and I, but to ANYONE! He is so willing to serve. I am thankful for the relationship he has with Kyle, and had when Kyle was growing up to mold and shape him into the husband and father that he is. I'm so blessed to Dave as father-in law.Finally, my Dad. How can I even put into words the way I feel about my Dad? He has seen me through the best and worst of times. He is such a godly influence on my life. Growing up, I knew I could go to him for anything, and still can. He is so wise, loving, and giving. He was "Dr. Dad", Mr. Fixit, Driver's Ed. helper, Youth Sponser at Youth Group, and always there to support me in sports, music, or whatever I was undertaking. I can tear up just thinking about how much I love him and am thankful for him in my life. I know that this life is so short, and things can change so fast, so I am thankful for each moment that I get to spend with my Dad.Whether you have your Dad with you or not, whether your Dad is a great dad or not-so-much, I pray that you have a "Dad" in your life that you can celebrate this weekend.

6 months

We can't believe that our little baby is already 6 months old! It truly does happen as fast as people say it does. She is rolling all over the place, talking up a storm, recognizing people (and aware when she doesn't know people), grabbing everything (as I type this she's trying to put my shoe in her mouth--gross), eating new foods, and just smiling as much as ever! We love her so much! She also had her first "accident" this week. She fell off of a chair (actually, the red one that is in the picture below) and broke her fall with her head. Nice. She has a goose-egg, and a skinned knee, but otherwise is no worse for the wear. :) Praise the Lord! It is one of those moments where you praise God for his protection each day, even in the small things.

We can't wait to see what she learns to do in this next month, and how much she grows. We are looking forward to summer and more time spent with family and friends.

We are also very excited because Mel only has 2 weeks left of school, and then she will be taking the next year off of teaching to stay home with Teigan. She is adding 11 new piano students to her evenings, which we are very thankful for. It will be an adventure, and a leap of faith as far as finances go, but we are thankful for the chance for her to stay home with Teigan for at least the next year. We have been so blessed to have family and friends watching over her while Mel has been at work these past 3 months as well....if that's you....THANK YOU!!!

Mother's Day Musings...

Well, I've always said that I learn a lot from the kiddos in my class, and this year is no different. We had been working very hard on our sweet Mother's Day projects this past week. Part of this project was for each kiddo to fill out a questionaire called "How Well Do I Know My Mom". Below I included a few of the questions and answers (in the kids' spelling, of course).
What is your mom's favorite outfit? ~Wading jrase (wedding dress) ~Comfy Pants
What do you wish she would wear more? ~White jres (dress) and a krwn ~Her blue shirt because it's fancy ~Shirts (ha!!!)
What is her favorite kind of music? ~Slow mochen, when she dances with my dad (I asked her to tell more more about this and she said that her parents had just put a bunch of "slow motion" songs on the iPod and the kids caught them dancing in the kitchen the other day--how sweet!)
What is your mom's biggest pet peeve? ~When I don't pick up my messes ~When Daddy forgets to take our the garbage ~High heels :)
What is her favorite TV show? ~Jary Spinger (Jerry Springer...WOW...) ~The Kissing Show (when I asked him to tell me more he said" it's the show where they kiss a lot and then at the end I think they get married"..I'm guess The Bachelor)
What does she like to do in her free time? ~Get a misogh (massage) ~Spend time with me ~Be alon ~Be lazy and wach TV ~Work on her school stuff
What is your mom's wish? ~To have a good family ~To be free (when I asked what this meant he said "on vacation without us kids") ~To not have so much work ~To have "a thousand bucks" ~To have more money ~To be skinny ~To be prettier ~To have a bigger house with a movie theater
So many of the responses were adorable and hilarious, but as we got toward the end about "mom's wish" I started thinking about just how much these little ones are picking up on. I'm sure none of their moms walk around intentionally saying "I wish I was skinnier, prettier, had more money, had a bigger house" etc... but kids catch onto those things so quickly. As I have entered into this crazy journey of parenthood, this made me think about what messages I am already sending to my little one. Does she sense that I love her Daddy? That I love her? That we have all we need and more? Or is she sensing that I want more clothes....wish I looked differently....or even that I worry too much instead of trusting the Lord. I guess time will tell (I'm already a little nervous for her Mother's Day card from 1st grade--ha!) I am so grateful for the example my Mom has set for me, and I'm just praying that I am already setting a good example for my little one....and that she will have grace and forgiveness on the days when I fall short. :)

5 months (and 1 week)

Whoa! So I'm a bit behind on this post...sorry! We are just LOVING her more every day, and it is so fun to see all of the things she is observing, taking in, mimicking, etc... Her personality is becoming more evident with each day (even the stubbornness--hehe!). Some new things she is doing this month are:

~rolling from back to tummy BOTH ways

~squealing

~copying noises that people make

~whining....not crying or fussing, but truly whining...oh dear!

~eating more food--so far her favs are peas, green beans, and squash. When she eats she already wants to be in control of the spoon, which makes for a lot of messes, but it's so cute :)

~I think we FINALLY (dare I say) have this colic/acid reflux stuff more under control...she's eating like a champ, and her nights are MUCH better. She's even moved out of sleeping in her carseat at night to sleeping in her crib--YAY!

Here are a few favorite pics from the past month. We are so thankful to God for this blessing, and the things He continues to teach us about Himself through our journey as parents.

4 months (and 1 day)

side sleeper, and folding my hands....so sweet!

YAY! I'm 4 months old!

Playtime with Daddy

tummy time

Spring Break....nice!

Well, better late than never, right? Yes, it's true...Little Miss T is already 4 months old. That's 1/3 of a year already!!! Wow.... She is getting more fun, and more loveable with each day.

A few things she's doing at 4 months:

~She loves taking all of her naps on her SIDE in her crib

~She is SOOOO close to laughing...I can't wait to hear it

~Sitting in the Bumbo has been new the past couple of weeks, but she definitely still needs a little help

~Blankets--she has really taken a liking to her taggy blankets, and the small blankets with the animal heads on them too...she'll even fall asleep when I'm rocking her with one of them tucked under her arm. SO CUTE!

~Tummy time is going slightly better...she can last a couple of minutes, and actually hold her head up high enough to see the world :)

~She's got the beat! She has been enjoying dancing in the kitchen and singing songs when we move her legs and arms to the beat of the music

~We've learned that she prefers to have her baths during the day right now...there is significantly less fussing when getting out of the warm tub when she's more awake and happy.

~I think she's gotten "longer"...her 4 month appointment is on Tuesday, so I guess we'll know officially

~I finished packing away all of her 0-3 month clothes and had to wash all of the next biggest sizes. Fun and sad at the same time....she'll be stylin' when Spring weather comes!

I could go on and on with all of the fun things she's doing, but I guess I'd better stop here. She has also started spending time with family and friends while Mommy and Daddy are at work. It's hard to leave her in the mornings, but we are SO BLESSED to have wonderful people caring for her and loving on her while we're away.

3 months

Wow! Miss T is already 3 months old...times flies when you're havin' fun! :) Here are a few things she is doing at 3 months...

~She is talking a TON! She loves talking to Kyle the most, and she's also very talkative in the morning. Kyle is SURE she gets this from me--hehe

~Rattles and toys have started being GRABBED, although she does not enjoy when she hits herself in the face. ;)

~We have enjoyed reading lots of books together. Her favorites lately are the peek-a-boo books with their bright colors and fun words.

~She loves being diaperless and kicking her legs on the changing table. I'm pretty sure she could hang out almost all day that way! This has, of course, led to a few messes.

~Sleeping through the night--hooray!!! This is not always super consistent, but we'll take the sleep when we can get it!

~She is trying to figure out how to suck her thumb, but she still has a little ways to go. So far she just gets one, or both fists up to her mouth and licks them like a lollipop. She has only gotten just her thumb in her mouth once so far.

We are falling more in love with her every day! We're excited to see what the next month holds...

A Day in the Life...

Well as the date for returning to work nears, I've been trying to soak in as many memories as I can with my sweet baby girl. Hopefully these will get me through the 3 1/2 months of the rest of the school year! Here are a few favorites:



~eating lunch with her~she sits in her bouncy seat on the island, and I can sit next to her on the stool and we have little lunch dates :)



~naptimes~this is a favorite for obvious reasons, but I just get a kick out of her when she sleeps! Her little grunts, the way her arms flail around when she gets out of her swaddling, how peaceful she looks,...it's so sweet! Today she even fell asleep laying next to me in her boppy holding my finger--my heart was so full!!!



~playtime~she loves things that make noise, and loves to smile! I especially love watching her play with her Daddy--it is so sweet the way she smiles at him!



~reading books~whether it's "reading" her favorite crinkly book, or reading Bible stories before bedtime, it is so fun to watch her look at books and listen to the way our voices sound when we read. I can already tell she's going to love reading!!! ;)



There are so many more moments that I enjoy throughout the day (and of course moments I don't enjoy too!) and I'm going to soak up every last minute with her before I head back to school.

All Smiles

We've been enjoying doing just about anything goofy to get Teigan to smile! :) It's hard to catch it on camera because she always stares at the camera as soon as it comes out, but here are a few smiles that Kyle caught...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YxBRzp5aW0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozBlZLS0NhM

2 months

We can hardly believe that our sweet little girl is already 2 months old! WOW! It's so true that the time flies by, and she is changing so fast. Here are a few of the things she loves to do at 2 months...

~look at lights
~have Daddy read to her
~bathtime
~swings and bouncy seats (this is definitely a new development over the past month--yay!)
~smiling, especially if you make funny faces at her
~kicking her legs and putting her hands by her face
~the music in her mobile
~having her feet massaged (just like her mom--hehe!)

There is so much more, but those are just a few highlights. We are still so very thankful for her, and the blessing of family and friends to support us.

It Takes A Village...

Yes, I'm still alive! :) So it has been months since I've posted but never fear, I have some new revelations to share! Here 'goes...

So anyone reading this blog knows that we have welcomed a sweet baby girl into our family. Parenthood has rocked our worlds, and we are so thankful for all of the ways God is showing Himself ever-faithful as we embark on this journey. As the title of this post eludes to, we have seen His faithfulness so clearly through our amazing family and friends. Never before have we needed so much help, support, and prayer....and never before has God delivered like He has these past 6 weeks. We are so blessed! We've had family stay over to help, pray, friends bring groceries, come hold her so I can shower (yes!), pray, bring meals, bring clothes, pray, clean, do laundry, call or stop by for some company, pray.....you get the idea. It literally has taken the "village" of our family and friends to help us get started on this wonderful, but crazy new role as parents. Thank you is not even enough to begin covering the blessings you all have given us--we hope to be able to bless you all this much as we all continue to do life together.

Another revelation is how powerful God's Word, even His name is! So many nights in the first month especially I would find myself just saying certain verses over and over again...literally clinging to them...or just praying and saying His name over and over again. Even in the hardest hours He was there! It didn't always FEEL like it, but I can see it now. It is amazing how relevant God's Word is in the midst of trials. His Word proves true--He gave me peace and joy--He restores my soul! Thank you Lord!

Finally, I am beginning to understand more clearly and fully the love that God has for us. To give up His ONLY SON to save me from my sin? Wow! I cannot imagine giving my sweet baby up for anyone/anything....parenthood is definitely bringing a new viewpoint to the sacrifice that Jesus gave with His life. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son. So that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life." I know it's a familiar verse that we all know, but what a miracle! What a priceless gift! If you're reading this and not sure what I'm even talking about, or are curious about how you can have this peace and eternal life in Heaven, PLEASE call me or stop by. I would love to share with you! :)

Again, THANK YOU to those of you that have been "our village" the past 6 weeks. We love you all, and pray God's blessings on you in this new year.

**ps. for those still reading, I updated/added pics to our Latest Hardie Pics too :)