Sippy Cups, High Chairs and Crawling Up Stairs

This video is of Wallace learning how to drink from a sippy cup. Part way through the video we took the cup away from him to refill it, and he got super excited knowing it was on it's way back to him!

On Saturday Wallace and I spent the day with my Mama and LeRoy. She hosted a candle party and we got to see a lot of family. After the party guests left we all visited and watched a movie and Wallace fell asleep. We went to the Burlington Coat Factory and found Wallace a Kiku high chair after he woke up. I had a 15% off coupon that I was happy to use!

This video is of Wallace crawling up the stairs at church! I had the foresight to get out my video camera, and I was able to catch the very first time my boy crawled up stairs!!!! He is with Pastor Bob, or as Dylan calls him Pastor Blessings.

Wallace sucks on his thumbs a lot lately. I think he is half sucking, half chewing. Today he was chewing on a piece of celery and he got a bite off of it! He gaged a little but he chewed it up and swallowed it. I tried to dig it out of is mouth but he swallowed it all down. I was a little scared I must admit but, I knew he was fine.

Tonight I made chow maine for dinner! It was very good if I do say so myself.

 Dylan and I have changed our diet. We are eating far, far less dairy and meat in an attempt to live life more healthfully. We are trying to get most of our protein from vegetables instead of animals. We watched a documentary called  "Forks Over Knives" that wildly changed our thinking. 

You can read a good critical review of the movie here. We are still in the beginning stages of a plant based diet.

As a result I have begun to cook more concisely. I

 have started preparing every meal with a plan 

instead of just winging it. I have become a much 

better cook with a wider variety of recipes.

Wallace sits in his high chair and hangs out with me in the kitchen when I cook now. He is such a fast crawler I can't leave him to play on the floor anymore alone, and he smashes into my legs when he is in his walker!!

This Video is of Wallace playing in his high chair.


I would like to leave you with a revelation, or a breakthrough I have had. The "Fear of God" can better be described as "The Awe of God". This Awe I much better understand. I have this Awe of God.  
I have been living on these words from Matthew 6:34 "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.  

Gimme A Drink Mama

This Baby has been doing the funniest things lately! He really likes drinking water out of cups and straws, and when he sees any water he grabs for it. He can crawl so fast now! He is into everything and he puts anything into his mouth.


Yesterday he discovered the dog's water dish. He raced over to it, sat down and picked it up. He took a big drink and spilled it all over himself and the floor. Since then I have spent most of my time snatching him away from the dog's dishes.

Today we were outside playing in the grass and he kept putting big handfuls of grass, leaves and sticks into his mouth. I thought I had dug everything out of his mouth before we went back into the house. About a half hour later Wallace was playing in the kitchen when he leaned over and threw up a mouthful of grass... just like a kitty!  

Wallace crawling with his sock in his hand

During dinner he was trying to pull himself up onto the cat tree when Craig came into the kitchen and we took our attention off of Wallace for about a minuet. I hear choking sounds and I jump up and run over to him. He is choking on a piece of carpet fiber that he plucked from the cat tree!  The floor was all wet where he was sitting and he was coverd in drool. He managed to swallow it I guess because I couldn't fish anything out of his mouth. I'm just waiting for him to throw it up.


Right now he is sitting in front of the TV cabinet knocking on the doors crying. Its always something with this baby!

Wallace is Crawling!!!!!

This Video is of Wallace crawling! 

This is a game we play with Wallace called Baby Hat. He laughs so hard and he kicks his legs, it is very sweet!

This video is of Wallace giving Jason Halk kisses, Erin is helping them out.

Wallace's God Family on New Years Eve

This is our Family!

Tanta Heather Halk and Erin Halk with Wallace on New Years eve.

This is another outfit that Tanta Heather brought for Wallace from Indonesia. It is such a beautiful batik pants set! It is way big on him right now but soon enough he will be running all over the place in this! 

This is Erin and Heather Halk looking lovely after a new years hike in Cold Canyon. Can you believe the weather we are having here in northern California? It is still warm during the day with no rain at all!

On New Years Eve the young McMannis went over to the Halk's house for dinner. We didn't sit down to eat until 11:45 pm. Heather made us a traditional Indonesian meal with food stuffs that she brought to the states with her from Indonesia. The food was very spicy and delicious!

We all went around the table and said what we have been most thankful for this 2011 and our new years resolutions.  Every one at the table said they are profoundly thankful for our familys, near and far.  I said that I am most thankful for how carefully and thoughtfully my body was made by  my creator God. I am astounded that my body was designed to carry a baby, give birth and then feed this tiny person. 

Dave Halk said something so beautiful that I can not remember his exact words. The sentament was something like, I am thankful for this time I have with my family and I will carry this feeling in my heart until we are all able to be together again. there was not a single dry eye around the table.

 This little bunny sculpture made me think of my own bunny Baloo. So, I decided to post a few of my favorite photos of bun. Just in case you forgot about him.

Wallace with tones of red hair at 4 months old. He is now covered with about an inch of downey blondish hair :(
Where did it all go?

This photo was taken at Chad and Amanda Hulbert's wedding in October 2011.