9 Months

Elizabeth is officially 9 months old, and I can't believe it! She is growing up SO fast already. I'm starting to understand why Gran is always warning me to take in every second because it flies by! Anyway, here are the fun facts on Elizabeth Joy, and some pics from her fun-filled weekend.

She can now:
- Eat table food with no problem (bread from a restaurant, etc.)
- stand without holding on to anything
- "talk" to us with her own baby sounds
- get into trouble on purpose
- grab toys and bang them together to make "music"
- walk a few steps with help
- hug on purpose
- reach for someone
- chew with her FOUR teeth!
- play well with others (before, she didn't really care about other kids, but now she actually attempts to "play")

*Here are pics from this weekend!

Stowing away in Grandma's suitcase

First bath in her new "tub" (which is in the shape of a big rubber ducky)

Helping her "Zoomer" celebrate his birthday

Playing with Uncle Chris

"Yay, Aunt Sarah's here!"

Showing off her cute outfit that Gran sent her

Hugging Grandma...and smushing her face

Well that's all the bragging I will put you through for now. More to come!

Love to you all!

Time for an Update

SO, I was going to wait until tomorrow to update because that is when Elizabeth has her 9month birthday, but there's just too much info to share, and I'm not sure if I will even have time to post tomorrow.

Anyway, here's the scoop:

Stephen: He's getting really close to the end of this semester, and even though it's exciting, it's scary too. Keep him in your prayers because at the end of May, he has to take a huge qualifying test that basically decides if he gets to stay in the program or not.

Jen: For those of you who haven't heard, I have major back problems, and on Tuesday, I had a small procedure done to try to help things. I won't know for several days if it worked or not, which is a bummer, but while I've been recovering, Stephen's mom, Laura has been in town helping me so that I don't have to life Elizabeth all of the time. She is the BEST, and I'm so thankful for her being here. It's been fun to have her, and of course, it makes me wish we lived in Texas even more.
In other news, I am almost done applying to schools, and then I'll just play the waiting game to see what happens. Pray that the Lord's will be done in that area.

Elizabeth: I'll post more specific bragging on Elizabeth in my next post, but here are some fun pics of her from her first Easter. Enjoy!



Our Summer: I may have mentioned this in a previous post, but Stephen and I are really excited because we have two big trips coming up this summer. First, we're going to take a road trip with my parents to Texas, and then we're going to take a trip to Florida with the entire Machen/Bush clan to celebrate Elizabeth's 1st birthday. I couldn't be more excited! :)

Special Note: Thanks to all of you who prayed for and supported my family last week when my grandmother passed away. My entire family was overwhelmed by the love that was showered on us so openly.

That's all for now. Love to you all!

8 Months

Time for some good old-fashioned bragging!

Elizabeth turned 8 months today, and she is amazing as ever!

She can now:
- crawl fast enough to "chase" us around the apartment
- "dance" while standing
- stand without holding on to anything (as long as she's leaning against something)
- eat all types of veggies and fruits (and like it)
- feed herself cheerios
- drink juices
- wreak havoc everywhere she goes! haha!

She's amazing, and we're so proud of her!

Oh, and I'm excited to report that Stephen and I will be taking Elizabeth on her first road trip this summer, and we're coming to Texas! YAY!

Love to you all!

Happy St. Patty's Day

This little one makes us lucky!

Love to you all!

The Naked Truth

Well, Elizabeth will be turning 7months in two days, AND on that day, she and I will be going back to Texas to everyone. I couldn't be more excited!

In honor of our trip home, I thought I'd do some good, old-fashioned bragging about my little cutie and all that she has accomplished this past month.

Elizabeth can now:
- crawl all over the place
- sit up, and get herself into a sitting position from crawling
- pull herself into a standing position
- move sideways while standing and holding on to something
- eat solid food

Oh, and she's finally getting a bottom tooth in. And, as you can see from these pictures, she has a little mark on her back that looks like a heart. AWW!

She is awesome!

In other news, pray for Stephen and I because we still have a lot going on in our life right now. I'm still trying to find a job, Stephen is still teaching and taking class and working in the lab, and we are now trying to figure out where we are going to live next year.

It's hectic, but we know the Lord will provide.

I can't wait to see everyone!

Love to you all!

Standing Ovation

Elizabeth can pull herself into a standing position now! WOOT! :)

Just had to brag a bit! More to come!

Love to you all!

Six Months Old

Now that Elizabeth is officially 6 months old, it's time for some updates!

Elizabeth:
January was awesome for Elizabeth. She got to play at her first park with her Uncle Brian. She got to see her first snow (even though she wasn't particularly impressed with it), and she even got to play the piano for the first time.
I'm also proud to say that Elizabeth can now:
- eat solid food (one new one per week)
- sit up and play on her own
- crawl a few inches before losing strength
- say "dada" (even though she doesn't really say it to anyone in particular)
- make "raspberries" with her tongue
- roll all over the place

It's so exciting! The month of January brought SO many changes in Elizabeth, we have just been blown away. We're such proud parents! :) Here are some fun pics of our little EJ being adorable.

Eating solid food for the first time.

In the baby swing with Uncle Brian

Trying to crawl!

Playing in the snow

Playing with Daddy

Other Updates
Stephen: He is really enjoying this semester because not only does he think he's found the lab he wants to work in, but he is also teaching for the first time. It's really cool. Pray that he can stay in this lab that he likes.

Jen: First of all, I'm getting really excited that I'm less than a month from my next visit to Texas. Woot! In other news. For those of you who haven't heard, I'm on the job hunt, and it is NOT an easy task. Please pray that the Lord will bring a job that will allow me to spend time with Elizabeth and make enough money for us to make ends meet. I know the job is out there, but I just haven't found it yet!

Church: Stephen and I have joined Grace Church of Chapel Hill, and we are loving it! We can't wait to get involved in a small group and start giving back! It's a great place!

Well, that's us! We miss everyone, but we're doing great! Keep praying for us!

Love to you all!