For the most part, Aaron writes his own curriculum for youth group. This school year he wrote and taught a 7-part series titled "Can You Hear Me Now?" He submitted it to Download Youth Ministry and they liked it enough to sell it! His first published work. I'm so proud of him! : ) Check it out!

I don't know if all kids turning 2 are very aware of what's going on with their birthday and party, but Kaitlyn sure was! She completely understood that her birthday was approaching and that family was coming over for her party. She was excited for days and was so giddy the day of her party. I went with a Sesame Street theme this year because that is definitely one of her favorite things right now.

Kaitlyn turned 2 years old this week! Quite a few people thought she was turning 3 and let me tell you, at times she sure acts like she could be. She continues to amaze us with how well she talks, many times using 5 and 6 word sentences. I have been so blessed to be able to be at home with her and watch her grow into the beautiful little 2 year old she is. She gets so excited about life and has such a sweet heart. This girl can sure melt my heart!

Kaitlyn's Likes:
*anything with balls-She loves to watch sports on TV that use a ball. She is great at dribbling balls, kicking, and throwing them. I wouldn't be surprised if she plays basketball, softball, or volleyball in school.
*Elmo and the other Sesame Street characters-She knows atleast 10 of them by name.
*books- She's got a few memorized and likes to help us read them to her. She'll probably be a Bible quizzer someday like Daddy was with that great memory. :)
*cats-They are definitely still her favorite animal.
*milk-I'm thinking we should buy a cow!
*airplane with Daddy
*watching the fish at Walmart
*going to the library
*coloring, painting, and stickers
*balloons
*underdogs
*jumping/dancing
*snack foods-Those would be her only food intake if I let her
*family- She gets so excited when she sees family!
*the trashman
*the park/playground
*pointing out barns, tractors, semi-trucks, and school buses when we're on the road
*Jesus Loves Me-definitely her favorite song
*helping me cook

A few more facts about Kaitlyn:
*she's in the 90-95th percentile for weight and height, weighing in at 31 lbs and measuring 2' 11"
*knows all her colors
*can count to twelve but always leaves out 5
*knows 3 shapes-triangle, heart, and star
*can hit a ball with a plastic bat
*wears 3T clothes
*has sat on the potty but has yet to actually "go". We'll officially start potty training soon. I just have to psych myself up for it!
*sleeps with a teddy bear, a cat, a lamb cloth, and a blanket.
*wants to work at things until she gets it. When I ask if she wants help she says, "No. I'm tryin'."

I realized I forgot to post on here about our big news (although if you read this you probably already know it)...Baby Zehr #2 is on the way! I am currently 17 weeks along. I've discovered that being pregnant the second time around is not as easy with a toddler to take care of! The first trimester was a little rough. I felt nauseous in the late afternoons and evenings, had no energy and was very tired. Nothing sounded good to eat yet I was forced to eat because I would get light headed which would have led to passing out if I let it get that far. Now that I'm finally in my second trimester I've got my energy back and no longer feel gross. I don't feel as tired but I'm still ready for bed earlier than I used to be.

I've been to the doctor twice now. The first appointment we had a sonogram so we were able to see the baby. :) To be honest, I was relieved to see only one baby. I was worried there was two in there because I started showing a lot sooner than with Kaitlyn. They set my due date for September 20th, which was 8 days earlier than we thought. Next month's appointment we will do another sonogram to find out the sex of the baby. Can't wait for that! I'll keep you all posted. :)

Kaitlyn...
*says "Watch this," when she's doing something she thinks is impressive and wants you to see it
*says "bless you" after we sneeze
*knows her books very well. While reading her favorite book (Ernie's Big Mess) I decided to stop at the end of the sentence without saying the last word to see if Kaitlyn knew what it was. She can do it with 20+ words at any point in the story. She can do it with lots of other books too.
*has been pretty dramatic lately. She seems to be working through her emotions and learning to deal when things don't go her way.
*now asks to sleep with her lamb, teddy bear, kitty and her blanket. She pretty much has a zoo in her crib!
*played in the snow for the first time. She liked it but just walked around in it. She picked up some snow but didn't like that it stuck to her mittens so she just kept walking.

Not too much has changed in Kaitlyn in the past month but I have a few things to share...

Kaitlyn...
*talks nonstop and amazes us with the words she knows how to say
*is into repeating what you say. I've thought many times, "I'm sure glad Aaron and I don't swear!"
*learned how to take a bite off of something instead of always needing it cut up
*likes to play hide and seek ("peek") with her stuffed kitty. I hide it and Kaitlyn comes in and finds it.
*likes to "play" ping pong. She calls it "ready ball" because she will grab a paddle, stand at the end of the table and say, "Ready!" She is the cutest little ping pong player I've ever seen!
*is into doing things herself ("by self")
*says "welcome" after you tell her thank you
*sings "Jesus Loves Me" with me before naps and bedtime. She also likes to sing it in the car.
*has sat on the potty a few times. We haven't officially started potty training by any means. I just wanted her to get familiar with it. I've yet to get her to actually go while she's sitting there so if you have any tips, please let me know!

On January 13 Aaron and I have been married 6 years. I'm so blessed to be able to call that man my husband! In October we received a one night getaway from the church for Pastor Appreciation so we decided to use that for our anniversary. They also gave us money to go out for dinner. What a blessing! We dropped Kaitlyn off with Aaron's mom and headed to Ogelsby, IL to the Brightwood Inn. It was a nice place and we would recommend it to anyone. We were thankful for the opportunity to get away and celebrate our marriage together.



Before coming home we stopped at Pro Auto in Flanagan to trade in our Lumina for a minivan. That's right! I'm now officially a minivan driving mama. :) It was sad to see "Lu" go because she was a good car for us. I got a little teary as we drove away, leaving her behind. I'm such a sentimental person! I'm excited about the van though. Aaron's already used it to haul a load of junior highers up to Miracle Camp! Kaitlyn seems to be taking to it well too. :)

We had a wonderful Christmas season this year, celebrating the birth of our Savior. This year was more enjoyable with Kaitlyn than last because she's older and understood more. Let me tell you, she caught on pretty quickly how presents work! Although her favorite part was passing them out. I hope her desire to give than receive continues on her whole life. :)

We had Christmas with Aaron's family early on the 15th. We spent the afternoon there, had supper, and opened presents afterwards.Kaitlyn loved being the official present passer-outer. I hope she enjoyed it because next year Elias will want to jump in and help too!

This kiddo is inching her way to being 2 and I can't believe it! She is just so grown up and seeing her next to her 6 week old cousin makes her seem even MORE grown up. At times it seems like she's already 2 as she tries to get as close as she can to the line without crossing it. She is definitely testing the waters already!
Kaitlyn...
*can say a few 3 word sentences. She talks a lot and says more words than we can keep track of. We pretty much have conversations these days. :)
*likes to drink from a "big girl" cup (one without a lid)
*can say multiple family members' names.
*likes to love on her new baby cousin
*likes to dance
*helps me finish making our bed every day by pulling the comforter over my pillow
*'s favorite play buddy is a 3 year old boy named Amarius
*loves to go to the library ("bubby")
*loves watching Jeopardy ("buddy") with Mommy and Daddy
*has been doing great at counting. Most of the time she can get to 6 correctly.
*can regonize a few colors
Oh, how we will miss playing at the park this winter!     This is Kaitlyn's favorite art project-torn construction paper on contact paper     Kaitlyn is my little helper around the house :)     Doing her part in sending out the Christmas cards     She loves her teddy bears!