Little Miss

Little Miss Seven Months

August 14, 2015 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

Will someone please tell me where the last month has disappeared to? This little girl is already seven months old! These pictures have been taken over the course of the entire month—warning, there are a lot of them. My sister-in-law from America has been here with us for a month, and we took a trip, so I have an incredible number of photos to share here. She left yesterday, so maybe now I’ll have time to post again. To start out, here is our little charmer. This first picture shows her reaction to a strip of green pepper a month ago: She hated it! After a couple of tries, she wouldn’t even touch it anymore.

Checking out a sleeping bag.

Peekaboo!

I finally found the doll that one of my sisters-in-law made many years ago when Esther was a baby! She made matching dresses for the doll and Esther. This baby has been wearing the dress, but I couldn’t find the doll until I cleaned the boys’ room a few weeks ago.

My two daughters.

On the road: she has discovered the joys of carrot sticks…

…and shells. This was at Farewell Spit.

Enjoying the sun and grass at Cape Farewell.

Vehicle problems meant that most of us spent several hours one day at a beach. One way we entertained ourselves was by taking photos!

Little thief! She stole her big sister’s apple!

With Mommy at Split Apple Rock.

Back home again—she’s now crawling, which means that she can clean out the cupboards! Watch out, world. How do you like that innocent expression?

She’s also pulling up to anything she can get her hands on—usually so she can taste it!

Mommy’s plate and spoon are good, too.

Yesterday morning, the children put the tray on her Bumbo so she could eat a banana. She sure made a mess, but loved the new flavor.

Little Miss Six Months

July 14, 2015 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

Look who turns six months old today! Her biggest brother let her and Mr. Imagination try on his new earmuffs.

Mr. Imagination and Little Miss love each other dearly. She thinks he is absolutely hilarious (when he isn’t hurting her), and he loves her (but has trouble expressing that love properly at times).

She’s working on crawling. We placed guesses today, writing on the calendar what day each of us thinks she’ll start crawling.

One morning she got up early. When I had to attend to some personal business in another room, I left her sitting a little way from the couch with some toys, as in the second picture below this. When I came back, this is what I found—a baby under the couch!

I often sit her down by the kitchen door while we’re doing school at the table beside this door, and she enjoys looking out the window. This day, I let her have the clothespins, and she enjoyed pulling them out.

It was so much fun investigating Mr. Inventor’s eyes, nose, and mouth!

One morning, Mr. Intellectual made himself some scones (American biscuits) for breakfast. She figured out how to grab one when no one was watching, and got it into her mouth and a bite taken out of it before anyone noticed!

I was chopping peppers, and gave her a slice. She made a terrible face when she tasted it, as I expected. Usually, she’ll like something after a few tastes, but when she tried the pepper again she made a face again. After a few tries, she made the face when she even looked at the pepper, and pretty soon she wouldn’t even touch it!

Videos of Baby

July 5, 2015 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

We are loving this little girl so much! She is pure fun (except when she refuses to sleep….). For the past couple of weeks, it has seemed like she is saying, “Mama.” I’m still not totally convinced she knows what she’s saying, but the children are sure! She does frequently say it when I leave the room and she wants me. Here’s a short video of her saying it, and another of her playing. And–a little funny related to the stuffed monkey, Freddie, in the first video. This morning Mr. Imagination discovered a little hole under Freddie’s arm. He told me, “If I put my hand over his hole, that feels him better.” He wanted to take Freddie to church, but when I suggested the monkey needed to stay home and take a nap, he happily put him to bed.

Happy Baby

May 16, 2015 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

After she recovered from the trauma of a bath tonight, Baby was very happy. I was finally able to get a video of her talking–usually she quits and is silent when I get the camera! So, if you’re interested, here is 30 seconds of cuteness. (The background noise is the dramatized Pilgrim’s Progress the older children were listening to.)

Three Months Old!

April 16, 2015 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

I can’t believe my little girl is three months old already. How time flies! She’s really developing her own personality already. She has quite a repertoire of different tones of voice to get her point across—whether she’s sad, or feeling neglected, or hungry. Right now, she’s tired of sitting on her daddy’s knees and begging me, from across the room, to rescue her and give her some attention! She loves to cuddle, but she also likes to sit up straight so she can see around, and be held so she can stand up. She’d love to be able to get around by herself, but isn’t rolling yet. And, she keeps getting fatter and fatter!

Here she is at 2 1/2 months with her oldest brother, Mr. Handy Man. She already loves books and stories. Sleeping on her favorite chair…

enjoying a rare moment of peace with Mr. Imagination…

and a chat with Daddy…

coveting Daddy’s lunch…

and sharing an apple core with Mr. Diligence.

And now, a three months’ picture:

Two Months Old!

March 22, 2015 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

I’m staying home from church today because four boys have colds and sore throats. They wanted to watch Flywheel, after we listened to a sermon, so if Little Miss Two Months Old will cooperate, I’ll let you see some of the cuteness we get to enjoy!

Sitting in the laundry basket kept her entertained for awhile one day. I wish I had a Bumbo seat for her—I’m hoping I can find one used soon. She loves being able to look around, but we don’t have any kind of seat besides her carseat, which she hates. Meanwhile, this worked once at least!

Big brother Nathan (3) loves her! We have to watch, though, because he is still trying to learn how to show that love. (No, don’t poke her. Don’t lick her. Keep your fingers out of her mouth. Leave her eyes alone. Yes, give her a kiss!)

Ready for church again! This was made for Esther by Gayle’s second sister.

Big brother apparently wanted to do what little sister was doing!

I love how she sleeps with her hands up! This dress was made for Esther by Gayle’s youngest sister. She also made a doll, with a matching dress. The only problem is, I’m not sure where it is right now (we do still have it).

Baby Update

March 8, 2015 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

Yes, we’re still here, and this baby is still growing. I was shocked this afternoon to realize that it’s been a month since I posted anything! I do sit down frequently with the computer, but I nearly always have a baby on my lap and forget to get the memory card before I sit down. I am holding baby right now; she’s sleeping very peacefully—but I was able to get someone to fetch the memory cards for me this time! Now, if I don’t suddenly remember something that urgently needs done, hopefully I’ll get a few posts up.

This little girl got to go to church in Kaikoura for the first time when she was 3 1/2 weeks old. Not only was I not up to going away yet, the van had broken down the first Sunday we had her and we didn’t get it back for a few weeks. To go to church the first time, I dressed her in a long white dress my mother-in-law made for Esther, with a matching bonnet.

Four weeks, with James:

Four weeks, and asleep on the couch by herself!

One month, and ready to go to church again! My sister surprised us with a dress to match the one she had made Esther. Esther will cringe when she sees the background of the second picture here—but take note of it. That is the before picture; the wall is to be painted today!

Five weeks, and required to lay on a blanket on the countertop. See that suspicious eye in the second picture? She doesn’t like to be laid down.

Six weeks, with Simon (I’m not sure about that motorcycle):

Six weeks:

Six weeks, off to church again. This time, she wore a dress from a sister in our church, who also gave her the hair bow. We stopped to pick blackberries on our way home, and the expression on her face as she looked out the van window while we waited for the rest of the family to finish picking told it all. This little girl does not like to be away from home! In this first picture, she is being held by Joseph.

Seven weeks:

Helping Simon do school!

With James:

She’s Here!

January 20, 2015 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

Yes, we have a girl! After six boys in a row, it’s pretty special to have another girl. She arrived last Wednesday evening after a long hard labor. We’ve been thoroughly enjoying having another baby in the house. Everyone wants to hold her as much as possible; she’s hardly been laid down by herself yet for more than a few minutes at a time. I have to make the decision, multiple times a day, as to who gets to hold her. We’re also enjoying having pink clothes in the house; Gayle commented the other day, after hanging out the laundry, how fun it is to hang little girl things! So far, she hasn’t worn very many pink things, because we didn’t have them, but yesterday and today we were given quite a few so she’ll be looking even more girly now.

We don’t have very many pictures yet; we’re enjoying her too much, I guess, to take them. Here are the best of what we do have, though, and I suspect there will be many more coming later!

She’s spending a lot of time sleeping still, although it seems like in the morning she’ll spend a few hours awake and happy. She’s sleeping well at night; last night she slept five hours straight! What a blessing she is.