Hello my name is...

In my first three weeks of life I have already been very busy. Mommy tells me that my sister didn't leave the house for like the first two months of her life. However, I've been out to eat, to church, to the movies, on a shopping trip, and stayed with my first babysitter (Aunt Lala)! Not that I've been awake much at any of these places, but I have been in attendance! :)

More Fam!

Boppy, Gigi, Whitney, and Hannah all came to see us right after Christmas for several days. The kids are thoroughly spoiled being played with and/or held all of the time from all of our sweet family!

Gingerbread House 2009

Gingerbread house building this year sounded like this: "Kirkley, don't eat that," and "Kirkley, put that on the house, not in your mouth!" She was not quite as compliant as she was last year. There was equal amounts of building and eating going on, but as always, lots of fun had by both daddy and Kirkley.

Christmas 2009

This Christmas was so much fun having two little ones! Kirkley was so excited about everything! We spent Christmas Eve decorating Santa's cookies, making a birthday cake for Jesus, and attending our first church service as a family. The service turned out to be a true candlelight service as the weather here was pretty bad and the power was out.

Christmas morning brought lots of fun treats. Kirkley had been insistent that Santa bring her a tricycle (like all big girls have). Santa did not disappoint! He didn't forget Jay either!

Big sister has adjusted really well. This is always our big moment of weakness, "Hold me too!"
Aunt Lala spent the night and had fun waking up at 5:50am to see Santa's treats!
I'm not sure how Jay will feel about all of these posed pictures one day, but we sure do like them and think he's super cute!
The in-town family came over for Christmas morning brunch and a game of Candyland Castle.

Not sure how she knows how to use this! :)

The Christmas fun continued the whole break with more family and presents and left us feeling super blessed!

Sweetest Gift!

Lots of Christmas pics to post but couldn't resist posting this one now!

Merry Christmas!

Afternoon Naps

Our first week on our own has been pretty fantastic! I'm thankful it's a 3-day week before daddy comes home to break me into being on my own with both of them! :) Afternoon naps {for ALL of us} are saving us right now. No, they don't nap like this, but they did end up like this today for a minute and I thought their matching open mouths were too funny.

Other highlights of the week.... Jay eats ALL the time -- having to supplement a few ounces of formula a day to keep up with how hungry he is -- we may have a linebacker on our hands. We are already borrowing a steam cleaner for the carpet in the nursery after several exciting diaper changes. :) Kirkley has done really well with the adjustments -- reading books or watching tv when we're all stationed on the couch and playing lots in her room.

The change has not been as dramatic as we expected. We're hoping Jay is actually just this laid back, and we're not still in a honeymoon stage!

Aunt Judi

We have had a great first week home as a family of four! But we have had lots of sweet help! Aunt Judi came in town from Texas to help us out for most of the week. We conquered lots of first outings including Jay's first lunch out. He didn't budge the whole time.

Then we went to make Christmas gifts for the grandparents. Both children did lots of prints, and we made some really cute things! Jay was sacked out until we slathered paint all over his feet -- no pics of that -- he was too hysterical, but Kirkley had a blast!

And of course Aunt Judi came with a box full of presents from her, Mike, Austin, and Dawson. Kirkley had a blast opening everyone's gifts for them! Come back soon Aunt Judi and bring everyone else!

Announcement Pic

We had an outfit all picked out and ready to do Jay's announcement pic, but we took a few pics to check the lighting and got one we loved! We totally aren't used to grabbing a sweet pic so fast -- our boy is turning out to be much more laid back than his sister.

Speaking of sister, she wanted to have her own photo shoot too after we took his and hopped up on the blanket! :)

Home!

We got to head home today even though Jay's levels still aren't great. We go back several times this week for more blood tests. We were all thrilled to be home and Jay seems to love being snuggled up in his bed (when he isn't catching rays in the window!).

Not so fast!

We were all packed up and ready to head out this morning until the pediatrician stopped by. We'd been watching Jay's jaundice level for the past day, and it kept slowly rising. After a blood test this morning, they decided to keep him another night. So here we are staring at him under the lights! He only comes out to nurse or change his diaper. Luckily, this is a minor glitch and he doesn't seem to mind the light box one bit!

Big sis came by for a short visit last night. She is just precious with him and so excited to see him. So sweet to see them together!

Visit from Big Sis

We somehow made it into the small window for when our hospital is allowing children to come visit. They lifted the ban (due to flu season) Monday, but apparently, it will be back soon. Kirkley was precious coming to visit him this morning! She came in bearing presents and looking all over the room for Baby Jay. She was quick to dish out gentle hugs and sweet kisses, along with telling everyone she was a big sister!


I found one of Kirkley's baby pics to compare. They both look like squishy babies to us, but it's been funny hearing everyone say he looks like me or Alex!

Good Morning!

This little guy has been super sweet for his first 24 hours!
Lots of snuggling, squeaking, and preciousness!!!

He's here!

James Alexander Muncie IV arrived this morning at 10:15am

weighing in at 8 pounds, 9 ounces and 21 inches long.
Jay has been sweet and quiet all day long.
We are grateful for our newest little blessing!

Big Sister

Photo by Tracy Young Photography

I did not in 100 years think I'd ever like a belly pic, but our photographer talked me into jumping in for a few during Kirkley's sitting. I think the picture turned out sweet -- one of her last little moments with mommy before being an official big sister on Wednesday!

Christmas Lights

Kirkley has really noticed the Christmas lights and decorations this year! If you're one of the houses we stop at for like 10 minutes to look at all of your lights and characters -- thank you! We headed over to see lights tonight, and she loved it. She even got to sit with Santa!!!

I love seeing all of the nativity scenes done.
My favorite is at the Rockettes -- live camels are hard to beat!
They did a sweet light show tonight portraying the birth of our Savior!
One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village,
The child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in still another village,
Where he worked in a carpenter shop
Until he was thirty.

Then for three years
He was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never had a family or owned a house.
He didn't go to college.
He never visited a big city.
He never traveled two hundred miles
From the place where he was born.
He did none of the things
One usually associates with greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.

He was only thirty-three
When the tide of public opinion turned against him.
His friends ran away.
He was turned over to his enemies.
And went through the mockery of a trial.

He was nailed to a cross
Between two thieves.
While he was dying,
His executioners gambled for his clothing,
The only property he had on Earth.
When he was dead,
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend.

Twenty centuries have come and gone,
And today he is the central figure
Of the human race,
And the leader of mankind's progress.

All the armies that ever marched,
All the navies that ever sailed,
All the parliament that ever sat,
All the kings that ever reigned,
Put together have not affected
The life of man on Earth
As much as that
One solitary life.

-from a sermon by Dr. James Allen, 1926

Teddy Bear Tea Party

Kirkley went with her Grammy and Great Grandma to a teddy bear tea party today. She's been looking forward to it forever! It did not disappoint -- teddy bears, Christmas stories, tea sandwiches, hot cocoa, and lots of treats!

Christmas Parade 2009

We hit the annual Christmas parade tonight!
Kirkley had a great time and loved seeing the floats and all of the Christmas fun!

One of our last family of three pics! Just a few more days until Jay arrives!

We're in at less than a week until the c-section, which I guess means I should
pack my bag(s), put his bumper in his crib, and some diapers in the dresser! :)

Christmas Cookies!

My mom and grandmother have made Christmas cookies as far back as I can remember ever year! There are lots of family favorites, but I'm always messing with new recipes. Saw this in Real Simple and loved that they had 10 things to do with the same dough!

We did the cut out cookies yesterday from the Real Simple recipe, and they were great. I would for sure double the dough so you could do at least two things with it. No pics -- we were both covered in powdered sugar! But we now have 5 kinds of cookies in the freezer! :)

Jesse Tree

So a while back I said I was going to start working on a blessing box to do with Kirkley this year...didn't happen! So I'm getting a Jesse Tree together to start tonight. Go to this link for an explanation, go here for the daily devos that are all ready for you, and here to grab your ornaments to print on cardstock. Should not take long at all to get together and the devos look great for ages 2-5 maybe? We'll see! Now I just need to grab a little tree to stick them on!

And yes, these started on Nov 29 -- just crunch a few days together! :) Merry Dec 1st!

So spoiled!

We are rotten having family in town with us! From last minute babysitting to help with our yard {thank you PaPa -- it is SO much better around here} to projects from Great Grandpa -- we are totally spoiled!

Here is the latest project Kirkley's Great Grandpa completed for her. We love it, and I'm sure it will be this neat for a whole five minutes!

Cracking us up!

Kirkley keeps us so cracked up with all of the stuff she says and does! I've tried to capture a few moments lately...

We were getting dressed the other morning,
and I told her we were putting on a turtleneck.
She exclaimed, "Not a hippo neck!"

There is a great car wash I love going to -- cheap and gets the car super clean!
Kirkley does not share my love for it and cries hysterically when we go.
We finally found the key -- closing her eyes and eating a sucker!
{Yes, that was me that said I was going to not let my children have junk!}

Alex grilled out an amazing dinner tonight!
I was cutting up pieces of chicken to give her,
but she was insistent to hold it and eat it Fred Flinstone style!

And she is SO ready to be a big sister! I checked on her playing in her room a few days ago and saw that Aubie and Elmo had baby dolls sitting in front of them. When I inquired, she said they were big sisters too!