The other day I saw Eve walking around with a pen and a pad of paper. I said, "What are you doing? Making a list? What are you making a list of?" Her answer..."I'm making a list of things Dad has on his face." I was dying to know what was on the list (wondering if it was food, boogers...). Much to my disappointment she had only listed a beard and brown hair. Still, it was funny.
Yesterday it was beautiful outside, but quite windy. I was pulling my jacket as tight as I could around me wishing it wasn't so windy when I heard Ellie behind me, "Look! It's a leaf parade!" What a great perspective on the world!
Monday, January 19, 2015
Monday, January 12, 2015
Boys
Christmas break is over. I don't think it's horrible for me to say HALLELEUJAH! It was a tough break. Everyone is still testing to see if they can push the limits a little further since there's a new baby in the house...particularly when I'm nursing. Everyone was so excited about Christmas, then most everybody got a nasty cold and it rained almost all of Christmas break. All I can say is that the kids were a special kind of bad. They were out of control! Fortunately, we've gotten back to school and into a routine (sort of ), and everyone is doing much better. While we were on break, though, the older kids started staying up late reading and talking and sleeping in in the mornings. It was kind of a nice, more relaxed schedule. The night before school started back, I was reminding them that they needed to go to sleep rather than staying up late reading or doing whatever. School mornings come so early. John mentioned that he's always tired in the morning, but for some reason he isn't tired at bed time. I suggested he needed to just lay down and think of something calm so that he could calm down, relax, and go to sleep. "But Mom, there aren't really many boy things that are calm." Good point, John. I had to give him that one.
Skipping Forward
Skipping forward here so I won't forget little things here and there. Hopefully one day I'll fill in the gaps and add more pictures.
Will has been such a happy, easy going baby. He's a spitter, and cries when his belly is bothering him, but otherwise is so very happy. For the first few weeks, there were constant arguments over who could hold him next. Everybody wanted their turns! That has calmed down now. Every now and then someone wants to hold him, but there aren't any fights. All the kids still love him, but I guess the novelty has worn off. John is great about sitting on the couch with him while he reads so I can cook dinner or whatever. Eve and Ellie are little Mommies that are always trying to help him be happy. Jake is sweet to share his toys with him and always give him his chupa, but he's also a bit jealous. He wants me to hold him every now and then while I'm holding or feeding Will, and sometimes he feels the need to body slam Will while he's eating. That turns into a game that isn't much fun for me! Still, I think they'll be great when Will toughens up a bit.
Will had a bump on his bottom gum when he was born. I asked the doctor about it out of curiosity during our first visit. He said it was either some sort of a mucous pocket (or something like that...my memory from those first few days is a little fuzzy) and it would go away, or newborn teeth. I didn't think much of it. At 7 weeks, one day I was looking at Will and noticed his bottom gums were really white. I think I had noticed it before and just thought it was uneven coloration. This time, though, I just had to stick my finger in and feel. Sure enough, it was a tooth!!!! The next day I could feel another one right beside it! 2 teeth at 7 weeks, and who knows how long they had been there. I wasn't really looking for them. I was shocked! The doctor was even a little surprised. I knew it was possible (obviously the doctor did too), but it just seemed so crazy!
Will has been a pretty good sleeper. For the most part, he wakes up to eat and goes right back to sleep. He's given me a few nights sleeping all night, but for the most part he's waking up once. Not bad! I'll take it, especially since he goes right back to sleep.
Will has just started noticing his hands and moving around a lot more. He's started smiling a lot more and interacting a lot more. He also wants more attention. I suppose that's fair, and I'm happy to give it to him.
Things have been crazy around the house. A comedian with 4 kids said people always ask him what it's like having 4 kids. He said, "Imagine you're drowning...and somebody throws you a baby." That's a pretty accurate description of how things feel most of the time, but things are great. We are so very blessed and happy for our chaos.
Will has been such a happy, easy going baby. He's a spitter, and cries when his belly is bothering him, but otherwise is so very happy. For the first few weeks, there were constant arguments over who could hold him next. Everybody wanted their turns! That has calmed down now. Every now and then someone wants to hold him, but there aren't any fights. All the kids still love him, but I guess the novelty has worn off. John is great about sitting on the couch with him while he reads so I can cook dinner or whatever. Eve and Ellie are little Mommies that are always trying to help him be happy. Jake is sweet to share his toys with him and always give him his chupa, but he's also a bit jealous. He wants me to hold him every now and then while I'm holding or feeding Will, and sometimes he feels the need to body slam Will while he's eating. That turns into a game that isn't much fun for me! Still, I think they'll be great when Will toughens up a bit.
Will had a bump on his bottom gum when he was born. I asked the doctor about it out of curiosity during our first visit. He said it was either some sort of a mucous pocket (or something like that...my memory from those first few days is a little fuzzy) and it would go away, or newborn teeth. I didn't think much of it. At 7 weeks, one day I was looking at Will and noticed his bottom gums were really white. I think I had noticed it before and just thought it was uneven coloration. This time, though, I just had to stick my finger in and feel. Sure enough, it was a tooth!!!! The next day I could feel another one right beside it! 2 teeth at 7 weeks, and who knows how long they had been there. I wasn't really looking for them. I was shocked! The doctor was even a little surprised. I knew it was possible (obviously the doctor did too), but it just seemed so crazy!
Will has been a pretty good sleeper. For the most part, he wakes up to eat and goes right back to sleep. He's given me a few nights sleeping all night, but for the most part he's waking up once. Not bad! I'll take it, especially since he goes right back to sleep.
Will has just started noticing his hands and moving around a lot more. He's started smiling a lot more and interacting a lot more. He also wants more attention. I suppose that's fair, and I'm happy to give it to him.
Things have been crazy around the house. A comedian with 4 kids said people always ask him what it's like having 4 kids. He said, "Imagine you're drowning...and somebody throws you a baby." That's a pretty accurate description of how things feel most of the time, but things are great. We are so very blessed and happy for our chaos.
Friday, January 9, 2015
Meet William James
Meeting your new baby for the first time is one of the most amazing feelings you'll never be able to describe. Watching the new baby's siblings meet them for the first time is another. To me it is just as sweet a time as when they are born. Since I knew it would be a little crazy, I asked a friend if she wouldn't mind manning the camera so I could just be in the moment. What a sweet gift.
She bought a balloon that said, "It's a Boy!" on her way. At this time, Buck and I were the only ones (aside from hospital staff of course) that knew. Mid morning on the 18th, Mom, Robert, and Judy brought the kids to come meet Will. I just can't say enough how much I love watching them come into the room. We didn't really say anything. We just let them see Will and the balloon.
We were a little afraid that Eve might be upset that Will wasn't a girl. We planned to tell them about his dramatic "introduction" to get them to laugh if it was a problem. Well, as you can see in the picture above, it wasn't. They were all so very excited to see the balloon and to meet him! It's not a crazy loud jump up and down excitement, but a calm, sweet, precious excitement that I can't adequately describe.
As they all stood around the bassinet, we told them that the baby's name was William James. They all approved.
Jake was the other one we were worried about. He's a little possessive of Mom, so we didn't know how he would do. He was very excited about Will, very sweet, then fairly quickly lost interest.
Sweet Will was very patient as he was passed around, and around, and around.
Jake enjoyed holding him for 1 or 2 second intervals, then handing him back.
There's an old pro!
The kids baked cupcakes for the birthday party, brought Will a little lamb, and were all happy to receive the gifts Will had picked out for them (which John, Eve, and Ellie fully expected...not their first time around the block).
Our first family picture
I'm not sure if he's got two big sisters or 3 Mamas. This picture is one of my favorites.
Of course the grandparents were very patient, but happy when it was finally their turn. What a sweet treat to have Grandma and Grandpa Bucky meet Will in the hospital!
What 2-Year-Old Says This???
I guess when you're #4, you just hear more...and learn to say more. Of course some of the advanced vocabulary is good...some not so good. Some of it is just funny. I think I've already mentioned that Jake (way before he was 2) was saying things like "voila" because the girls like to read Fancy Nancy. For a while he was saying (all the time), "how about... no" when I'd ask him something or make a suggestion. Today he said, "Booyah!" There are lots of others, but those were particularly funny to me.
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