Birthday Fun!

 

For those of you who didn't get to be a part of our great birthday waterpark weekend, here's a recap...

We celebrated Haddie's 1st Birthday!

 

She was very lady like eating her cake:) Only a little pinch at a time... 

 

The happy ONE year old!

What a fast year...and yet I can't really remember life before her either:) More to come about the latest and greatest with this baby toddler girl! 

 

 

Five crazy grandkids ready to enjoy their birthday cupcakes!

(Next year Miles will be right in with all the craziness too:)

 

We had a great, relaxing weekend together... (minus Danika throwing up TWICE on Friday night! Crazy wierd bug, but short lived and she was ready to go on Saturday!)

 

You'll never guess how we started our week.... wait for it...

 

we shoveled SNOW! Shocked? I think not! I'm sure I can speak for probably anyone reading this right now when I say we are SO ready for Spring around here.

 

Don't let the smile fool you...he's not enjoying it nearly as much as it looks:) 

 

Danika has been quite the character lately...she is SO into roll playing right now and full of hilarious conversations and oodles of creativity that I can't begin to understand where she gets it from!

She was pretenting to be "Izzy" the pirate from the show Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  

 

Her good friend Allie that used to go to daycare with her from birth until just a few weeks ago is having a birthday this week. Danika wanted to make her a card and so we got to work...

I was on the computer next to her and didn't really notice what she started doing and then all of a sudden she was finished... 

 

I was a bit shocked (and impressed) when she showed me this! She always tells me "I'm an artist mom- I need to work in my studio" (a.k.a her art easel) 

Conversation about her picture:

Mom: What did you draw Danika?

D: This is me and Allie and we are holding hands beacause we are best friends:)

Melted my heart:)

 

And Ms. Hadster, the big ONE year old...

 

 

Who is Haddie Grace Dummer?!?!

She is currently not a walker...she is nearly a runner! She just goes, and goes, and goes, and then goes so more!

She is generally the happiest baby (when she's not hungry or tired that is) She has a smile on her face nearly ALL the time...

She has to have her thumb and blanky to sleep, and she's usually out in about 2 minutes with that combination:)

She tossed the bottle like a champ and is now completely on cow's milk and only uses sippy cups!

 

She LOVES: Her independence, clinging to mom and dad, playing with her sister, baby dolls, making noise with objects, making new noises with her mouth, eating ALL the time (seriously, she's hungry about 5 minutes after we finish a meal or snack!)  

 

She DISLIKES: when Danika sits on her... (Really, it happens more than you'd think!) & when you take something away from her, getting her diaper changed, getting buckled in the carseat, and waiting for food! (pretty much anything that takes away her independence:)

At her 1 year check up she was about average (between the 50-60th percentile) for both her height and weight. She is now 21 pounds...she has tripled her birth weight!

 

A look back at the Hadster...

 

Born at  4:52am on March 16th, 2012. She weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and was 20 inches long

 

 

   

  

  

 

1 week                                                                        3 Months

 

      6 months                                                      9 months

 

1 YEAR!  

 

 

 

 We are SO blessed and grateful everyday for the amazing life and children that God has blessed us with! There are definitely hard minutes and it's no doubt a 'job', but I wouldn't trade one single tantrum, messy pants, exhausted night, or the tornado that's called house these days for any of it!

 

Thanks to all of you reading this that have been a part of our lives and making us who we are, and helping to shape our children's lives as well! We love you all:)

 

Lots of love!

The Dummer's

Daren, Jamie, Ms. D and the Hadster

Walka, Walka, What?!?!

 

Ready or not....we've got another walker in the house!

In the last 3-4 days, Haddie just decided she's ready to walk! She went from crawling crazy fast everywhere, to taking just a few steps here and there this week, to all out walking by Friday! It's crazy how she just stands herself up in the middle of the floor and goes! There is a video at the end of the blog this week of our little mover in action:)

 

Danika enjoyed some special time with her Bitty Baby in matching pajamas that Grandma Lynn made... they even got to have a movie and popcorn party together:)

 

 

Now that we have a 3 year old we had to do the quilt comparison... how time flies!

 

                      3 years old                                                                6 weeks old 

 

And Ms. Haddie past her final 'monthly' milestone that we'll keep track off... 11 months! She absolutely HATES laying on her back for changing, so why on earth would I expect her to lay still for a picture?!?! 

 

 

SO Happy! Showing off her 7 teeth:) 

 

She has started to really become attached to her blanket...we only let her have it in her crib or car during a nap/bedtime, but if she spots it, she wants it and immediately starts sucking her thumb. Personally, I think it's absolutely adorable, but I hope she grows out of it before she goes to kindergarten:)

 

A little Saturday painting with dad!

 

 

 Danika's had a couple opportunities to enjoy the snow with the warmer temperatures. Here's a couple pictures from being pulled around the sled at daycare...

 

 

This was the last day of daycare for her 2 best gal pals, sisters Anna and Allie. Allie and Danika are only 5 weeks apart and have been going to Amy's house together since they were just a few months old. As most 2/3 year olds, they have a love-hate relationship and usually spend most of their time arguing over toys, but overall, Danika really loved her time with both of them...

 

 

Well last week, they moved to Minnesota:( Danika had a really out of sorts week because it is SUCH a big change for her at daycare. There are lots of little kiddos, and 1 boy who is a little older than her to play with, but no doubt she has been missing her BFF's!

Today we got lucky and they came to town one last time to clean house, so the girls came over to play for the afternoon...

 

Anxiously awaiting their arrival!

 

 

The girls had a BLAST together. They were here for 4 hours and were non-stop on the go...from jumping on the trampoline, dancing, bouncing with balls- seriously, they were red-faced and out of breath the whole time!

 

Needless to say, Danika went to bed very early tonight...she was so pooped out!

It will probably be a tough transition to daycare tomorrow, when she has to again, face reality that they will not be there:/

 

I had a little time out to myself as well this weekend, thanks to daddy daycare:) On Saturday I enjoyed a brunch and baskets class with Lynn and Lori. We created a hanging basket and the gardening team at Down to Earth will nurture and take care of it until late Spring when it's 'grown-up' and beautiful:) (That's the hope anyway!)

 

Lori working away at her masterpiece... 

 

Here's a look at my creation...looks a little blah at the moment, but hopefully it will be colorful and full come May! 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the video clip of the Hadster walking around the kitchen...

 

 

Have a Happy 1st week of March!!!! (Crazy that it's March already!)

Love,

The Dummer's

Could it be? Three!!!

 

Feels like yesterday I was sitting in my grad class with some 'stomach cramps' and just a few short hours later got one of the greatest gifts of my life:) And here we are 3 years later and my little 6 pound peanut is now such a unique little person! She is beyond any expectations I ever had about what my child would be like (good and bad!) The tantrums ... a little WAY worse! But the love...more than I ever imagined possible! She is like Daren and I in many ways, but is also very much just herself, Danika Jolee Dummer! She is creative, compassionate, and a wonderful big sister:)

 

We were able to have a few small birthday celebrations this week. The night of her birthday some of our Dummer family came over for cake and presents and on Saturday my mom, sister, & grandma came over for pizza and again, cake:) Hope she someday realizes just how lucky she is to have SO much love!

 

She got an art easel from us and has enjoyed using it. She has really been into coloring, drawing, painting, and anything creative! She tells me "I'm an artist" :) Aunt Lori should be proud!

 

The big boy cousins helping sing and blow out the candles! 

 

No, we didn't forget about Haddie this week...She got to partake in all the party fun and family love too:)

Hard to believe she passed the 11 month milestone this week! (Her monthly picture will have to wait until next week, we've been a little busy:)

 

 

Danika 'reading' to Collin 

 

More cake! 

 

 

The timing couldn't have been better for a snow day! I was lucky enough to have the day off thanks to 4 inches of snow:) So Danika and I had a special birthday together...we went sledding and to the Children's Museum, which she and Haddie both really enjoyed.

 

Snow angels... 

 

 

Our big 3 year old also had her very 1st dentist visit. She's getting over her stranger anxiety for the most part, but is sometimes still a little shy, so I was nervous about how she'd act.

Well, thankfully Daren was able to meet us there and of course, Dad can make any situation comfortable and safe:)

 

Talking about all the tools with the hygenist... 

 

 

Dr. Rosenberger checking out her teeth... She said it's looking good and that Danika should keep up the good work brushing and flossing! (Hopefully she continues to be so good and willing about doing it!)

 

Three year old Danika likes: DORA (I'm convinced it's a cult or something! How do they get so addicted?), PINK! art, quesadillas, blanky (as well as 5 others she has to have at bedtime), being the boss, being a helper, singing, dancing, reading, and her favorite person- her dad (surprise, surprise!)

 

Three year old Danika dislikes: being told NO! That's about it, but it's a big one:)

 

Thanks to any of you who sent birthday wishes her way this week...

 

Here's the big girl:

Newborn, One, Two, & Three!

 

 

Love, The Dummers

Happy Helper

Here we are again on a wierd weather sunday blogging about what we've been up to:)

 

This week's blog is all about my little BIG helper Danika...

 

She enjoyed helping me make chocolate velvet cupcakes. And Haddie wanted in on the action too..

Putting the liners in the pan...

 

Filling them with batter.... 

 

Topping it all off with sprinkles...

 

 

And the real test- getting to taste them! I think she liked it:)

(I will say Daren and I were NOT fans! I tried to be 'deceptively delicious' and made a bunch of foods containing beets, these cupcakes and frosting included. Danika couldn't tell, but we could and it just didn't quite taste like a normal cupcake)

Last weekend we had extra special visitors... Lori, Mike, and Miles came to spend the night. Danika was in baby heaven and was truly intrigued and a great helper with Miles. She would just sit near him and watch and talk to him, and if he started crying she would carefully put his pacifier in his mouth

 

 

He looks like a natural:)  

 

Danika didn't just enjoy Miles, but Auntie Lori and Uncle Mike too... She set up a full on tea party, complete with cupcakes and ice cream:)

 

 

Danika also continues to want to help with her sister... This is where I could use a little LESS help sometimes:)

For instance, at 5:15 in the morning when Haddie wakes up crying & talking and Danika feels like it's her 'helpful' job to go in to Haddie's room and turn the lights on to greet her sister (who of course smiles her biggest smile right back at Danika:) 

This has been happening a little too frequently for my sleep deprived self! They're lucky they are so darn cute!

 

 

Haddie the explorer!

I thought I'd let her play with the bag of potatoes while I made supper- not the cleanest thing, but definitely not the worst in the kitchen either!  She seemed to like how it felt on her gums since she's been teething... but

 

She wasn't so sure once she actually bit into one...

I don't think she'll be running back to it anytime soon!

 

Haddie has taken quite a few steps here and there, but she seems a bit lazy to really get at walking without support, and I'm OK with that:)

Her favorite thing lately is to walk from chair to chair, using her activity table on the way... she just goes from one chair, around the play table, and to the next chair and back again:)

 

 

We have a special day to celebrate on Thursday in this house... yes, of course Valentine's Day like the rest of the world, but I lost that 'romantic' day for couples three years ago when a spunky little girl came into our lives! Ms. Danika is very excited this year and when I dare to take her to a store with me she finds about 50 things she says she wants for her birthday. She keeps asking 'Is it Valentine's Day yet?!?!'

 

"How old will I be?"

 

 

"Oh yeah, 3, that's big!"

 

"Oh my goodness, that's only 4 days away!" 

 

 

Oh don't cry Haddie, your birthday is right around the corner too!

 

:)

 

 

Have a great week, filled with LOVE!

 

Love from us,

The Dummers