In Josie's Words

In honor of her third birthday (yes, our girl is growing up), I thought I'd share a few Josie quotes that have brought a smile to our face.

My Mom was here for a while after Isabelle was born helping me and Kevin out. She brought Josie's birthday gift and let her open it early since she was not gonna be here for Josie's actual birthday. One of the items was a board game. My Mom was telling her about it and here is how the conversation went:

Grandma: See, the game is for kids age 3 and up. How old are you?
Josie: Up

And the day that Grandma left, I was putting Josie to bed and here is her take on why Grandma had to go home:

Josie: Grandma had to go home. No one has been feeding Popo or giving him drink or putting on his shoes or bathing him.
Mom: Poor Popo
Josie: Popo needs some love.

And this morning at breakfast:

Mom: Josie is 3 years old now and is such a good big sister. I bet there are not a lot of 3 year olds that have 2 little sisters.
Josie: (barely looking up from her food) yup
Mom: What if you had a third sister?
Josie: (now looking up from her food) How about a puppy?

And my favorite from the trip to the zoo last week. Thank you Meghan for sharing this. They were discussing princesses:

Meghan: Who is your favorite princess?
Josie: My Mommy

A Trip to the Zoo and a Ponytail

I realize we have talked a lot about Isabelle lately, but we have had some other big news items take place in the Wagner home over the past week.

Josie went to the zoo last week with the Gregory Family. It was her first trip out of town without us and she had a blast. I think she learned a new word - orangutan - because she kept saying it after she got back. She still talks about going to the zoo. It was so special for her and she felt like such a big girl getting to go away without us. Thank you Lucas, Meghan and Lizzy for making such a special memory for Josie! It helped us tremendously as it also gave Evelyn some one-on-one time time with Mommy, which she desperately needed and wanted. Meghan did a great blog post on it if you are interested in seeing more pictures from the day.

And in other big news - Evelyn wore her first pony tail last Wednesday. What a big girl she is and the pony tail only made her look even more grown up. She was so proud of her new hair do. She kept turning in circles modeling it for us.

A quick picture before they walked out the door. Don't you love the choke hold...I mean hug... that Lizzy is giving Josie.


Meghan thought we should take a picture without the choke hold pose.


A view of the first pony tail from the back.


Kevin had to hold her still from spinning so I could take a quick picture. Can't you just see the excitement on her face?

Sister Love

In addition to many visitors, Isabelle is also well loved by her sisters. Josie holds her probably 5 to 10 times a day while she asks to hold her around 20 to 30 times per day. It is so sweet. She runs in the living room, gets up on the couch, grabs a pillow and says, I want to hold Isabelle or I want to hold the baby. Evelyn loves her, but has not ventured into holding her yet. Here was our first (of what will likely be many more) photo sessions of the girls. Isabelle is 6 days old in this picture.

We started with Josie holding her. Although Isabelle did not really like this arrangement.


Once Isabelle started to cry, both girls got worried so Daddy offered to help. I love Evelyn's facial expression in these next few shots. She clearly does not know what to think about Isabelle's crying.


Evelyn is becoming more concerned especially since Dad is moving the crying baby towards her.


Evelyn did not like having the crying baby so close to her and was physically trying to avoid touching Isabelle.


But after the crying subsided and some comforting words from Dad, Evelyn is ok with it all.


So comfortable, we even got a great first picture of the three of them.

So Many Visitors

Isabelle - you have been such a popular girl lately (as well you should be) and have had lots of visitors wanting to meet you and hold you. Here are a few pictures from you at the hospital and after we got home.

Meghan and Sarah admiring you.


Danielle agreed to share the picture with Meghan and Sarah. It was so nice of them to visit you in the hospital.


Lucas even got a chance to hold you. We have no idea what Lizzy and Josie and Evelyn were up to at this time because I was in the bed, Kevin was taking pictures and clearly Lucas and Meghan were occupied. :)


Grammy and Grandpapa came to see you the day you got out of the hospital.


Grandpapa held you for a long time that afternoon while you slept.


Grandma and Popo came to see you the following Wednesday. Both sets of grandparents have been to see you on Wednesdays. I've decided we should start alternating and every Wednesday should be Grandparent Day here and you should have them visit you that often.


Aunt Jessica and Uncle Royce brought us Koppe Bridge burgers and fries the first week you were here. I think they used the burger and fries as a ruse to get to come over and see you. But hey it worked and a little known secret is that Koppe Bridge burgers and fries will almost always work with me.


Uncle Royce with Lance and Isabelle. Oddly enough, Koppe Bridge was my special post-baby meal that I make Kevin bring me in the hospital with Josie and Evelyn, but I didn't get it with Isabelle. She was born at night rather than early in the day. So, it worked out well that they brought us this special meal. I promise I won't mention Koppe Bridge during the next picture.


Lance did such a good job holding Isabelle. Jessica told me he even changed his shirt before he came over because he wanted to make sure he was clean to hold her. Is that not the sweetest thing?

Isabelle Ann Wagner

Welcome to the world Isabelle Ann. You are a beautiful, striking, can't take my eyes off you little girl and are so loved by your sisters and Mommy and Daddy. You already have us all wrapped around your finger with your little newborn noises, stretches, grunts and movements. Heck, you even had the entire family gather around Mommy tonight as she changed your poopy diaper. Your sisters thought it was so funny that you pooped.

Daddy is officially surrounded by women now and as he put it, here in a few years, he won't have to worry about talking at all when he is at home. Mommy is grateful for another lady in her life and is looking forward to watching you girls grow in your friendships as sisters and prays that she can join in too.

You are a blessing Isabelle and at 2 days old have already brought so much joy to our lives. God is good Isabelle and you are our living proof!

Brand new Isabelle joined the family on Monday, May 10, 2010 at 9:58 PM.


Isabelle meeting Daddy after getting all cleaned up and warmed.


Isabelle meeting Mommy. You were wide awake and looking around everywhere. You especially liked it when Mommy and Daddy talked. You recognized the voices and looked so happy to hear them.


Isabelle weighed 7 pounds, 13.7 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.


Sleeping peacefully the morning after you were born. All clean wearing your first bow complimentary of the lovely ladies in the nursery.


Isabelle meeting Josie. Josie gave you so many kisses, hugs, head rubs and love in the first few minutes of y'all meeting and she has not stopped giving you all of those little love pats since you came home.


Isabelle meeting Evelyn. I have no idea what Evelyn said, but it was true Evelyn language (said with lots of expression and she said it with purpose).


Our Family of Five.


Again, Josie and Evelyn have so much to tell you and teach you. Watching you three grow together will be such an amazing experience. I feel blessed and like the luckiest Mom in the world to get to experience that.


Isabelle ready to go home on Wednesday, May 12.

Mommy, Isabelle and Daddy.

Due Date

Baby number 3 is due today. And as usual with my kids, this day has come and there is no baby yet. I am ok with that. As I said earlier, I have very easy pregnancies and goodness knows these little ones are much easier to take care of inside of me than outside so I am fine if they want to stay nestled in their little oven a little longer. Of course, I am excited about finding out if we will be having a little boy or girl and what he or she might look like. And I just LOVE the joys of a newborn and being a new Momma so I am definitely looking forward to all of that...I can just wait a bit longer if this baby wants to. :)

I also want to wish a Happy Mothers Day (a day late) to all the mothers out there. What a vocation, huh? Your heart is literally worn outside of your body and lives in the children God blesses you with. Thank you to all the mothers that have influenced, guided and blessed me! May your hearts be filled with peace, joy and comfort!

Given this is the due date, I thought I'd walk down memory lane of my 3 pregnancies. And now that I've walked down there - I realize that holy cow, memory lane must be getting smaller or it is true that you get larger with each pregnancy.

Pregnant with number three - a day shy of 39 weeks


Pregnant with number two at 38 weeks.


Pregnant with number one at 39 weeks and I looked good if I do say so myself.

C is for Cookie

We went to a local church festival this past weekend and the girls really enjoyed the 'Cookie Monster' booth where the actual cookie monster (a hand puppet) stuck his head out of a window after you knocked on the door and gave you a cookie in exchange for a cookie. Evelyn really enjoyed it and I think she could have stood there all day just watching Cookie Monster pop out of the window and then disappear. Both girls were too scared to actually hand Cookie Monster their cookies so I had to, but they were eager to receive the cookies he gave back.

Can you tell what color icing was on the cookies that Cookie Monster gave us?

Miniature Horse Show

We took the girls to a miniature horse show this past weekend and actually learned a lot about miniature horses. Shetland ponies are actually quite large compared to the rest of these breeds. The girls had a good time and we even watched part of the show where the owners had to guide their horses through an obstacle course. The course, which was a cute little makeshift neighborhood setting included among other obstacles, a bridge over a pretend river that the horse had to walk across, a sidewalk surrounded by flowers that the horse had to walk through backwards and the horse had to stand inside of a hula hoop while the owner 'checked the mailbox.' Other parts of the show included the horses pulling a small cart where the owners 'drove' them through a course. It was neat and quite different from the pig shows I grew up doing.

They set up stations where the kids learned about different aspects of miniature horses. Here Josie is learning about caring for the horse.


Evelyn enjoyed playing in the horse feed. And yes, I did have her hair up, but she always pulls it out so she spent the day at the horse show sporting her own unique do.


This nice young lady let us feed and pet her horse at one of the stations. The horses, which are divided into classes, can be as little as 30 inches tall when measured from their shoulders just at the beginning of their back. The next class started at 36 inches and then I think there was one more class after that and then the tallest class included shetland ponies.


Josie or Evelyn did not want to feed the horse, but enjoyed watching Kevin and I feed it hay. Evelyn just kept making horse sounds, which for her is not the traditional "neigh", but rather the bobbing of her head as she does the ppbbhhbbhh noise with her lips.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

My parents were here a weekend ago and if you know anything about my Dad it is that he likes, no loves, ice cream. We spent Sunday afternoon at Royce and Jessica's house and Dad and Royce ran a quick errand and showed back up with a brown paper bag. The kids curiosity was immediately piqued. After many pleas of 'whats in the bag Popo?', he pulled out a box of ice cream sandwiches and Jess and I pulled out our cameras.

The group at the beginning of the ice cream feast!


Evelyn enjoying her treat!


Big bite Lane


Big cousin Lance


Josie contemplating her next bite


Evelyn dropped more down her shirt than she got in her mouth.


Maci enjoying her sandwich.


I think Evelyn went and sat by Maci with the hope that Maci might share. No such luck.

New Bosses

I am sure many of you know this by now, but back in February, I changed careers and as a result have a new boss or rather, bosses in my case. Since mid-afternoon on February 19, I have been staying at home with Josie and Evelyn and no longer go into the office or take them to daycare or pack daycare bags or wash nap mats or deal with perpetual runny noses or juggle grocery store trips and errands in the evenings or worse, on Saturday, or have to coordinate my travel with Kevin so that someone will be here to take care of the kids. Its been wonderful! A little crazy at times, but that is to be expected.

During my transition, my good friend Jill sent me the sweetest package in the mail. It included the letter below with all kinds of goodies (see the list). I absolutely loved the surprise and it absolutely made my day. Thank you Jill for always making me smile!

The letter!

What all the package included and its meaning

The cutest bosses I have ever had! :)