I'm Back?!

Well, it seems I have returned yet again. I always have the best of intentions when it comes to blogging because I know how much I will enjoy reading about the boys' childhoods when they are much older. And I hope they will like reading these posts at least half as much as I already do. But somehow, life with 3 boys gets busy from time to time, and tasks that aren't at the top of my priority list fall through the cracks. And now here I am, having been absent from the blogging world for almost an entire year, trying to play catch up.

There's absolutely no way I can write about an entire year. Way too much has happened. But let me try to touch on some of the big stuff:

-Our family dog (but really, she felt more like my dog than anyone else's), Hailey, died last summer. On July 19, 2011, to be exact. I did blog after it happened, but since typing the words was too heartbreaking for me, I didn't mention it. It was horrible and traumatic and I still miss her so much. In fact, I am going to stop typing about it now before I cry again.

-Jacob is nearing 7-1/2 years old, Alex turned 5 this summer, and Will is 2-1/2. They're all adorable, smart, handsome, hilarious, and sweet. Jacob is still the little artist & musician at heart.

 

Alex loves numbers and homework.

 

And Will just loves life: he is full of energy (and often, dirt).

-The big boys played baseball in the spring and impressed us all with how well they did for their very first season. They'll play again this spring.

-Jacob played flag football last fall and this fall, wanted to sign up for tackle football. And after my sweet, gentle boy learned that he is allowed to be rough out on the field, he started tackling boys left and right. I'll admit that it has been pretty awesome to watch.

- Jacob is in 2nd grade and Alex is in Kindergarten. Both are super students and their teachers rave about them. Obviously...they're my kids. :) Will is home with me and won't start preschool until next fall.

-We adopted a dog in August. Her name is Molly (the name she was born with) Skye (the name we call her). Skye is short for Skywalker because we needed one more thing Star Wars related in this house. She's part Siberian Husky and part Australian Shepherd. One eye is blue and the other is brown...we love that. She's sweet, energetic, playful, but also very cuddly. She loves being around us. She also favors the patio chairs (and often, the table) for seating when she's relaxing outside.

 

I think that's enough catching up for now. It's a start. My goal from here on out is to have a Story for the Week or Picture of the Week. But when my last post was a year ago, I certainly can't be trusted to commit to weekly blogging. So we shall see. :)

A 4-year old's perspective on Christmas spending

This afternoon, one of Alex's activities was to look through the Toys 'r Us and Walmart catalogs. Christmas will be here before we know it, and we've already begun writing the first drafts of our wish lists.
Pen in hand and a look of concentration on his face, he began circling any toy that caught his interest. After he was satisfied with a thorough job well done, he brought the catalog to me.

Alex: "Want to see what I circled?"
Me: "I absolutely want to see."

So we sat together, and I slowly turned the pages, finding that almost everything he circled was Lego related. His obsession with Legos began a little over a year ago and hasn't wavered. So I wasn't surprised to find that he circled everything Lego Star Wars, Lego City, and Lego Pirates...and occasionally I'd find an odd selection circled, like pro wrestler action figures (I don't have an explanation for this) or Scooby-Doo figurines (that we already own, to which Alex replied, "But I want them again."). The sweetest moment came when I overheard him whisper in Jacob's ear, "Jacob...I circled the Star Wars podracer set you want because I love you." (And their Mommy loves that when they circle Christmas gift ideas in the catalogs, they think of what their family members want, and not just themselves.)

The Lego Star Wars sets (his favorite toys in the world) are ridiculously expensive. The ones circled ranged from $40-over $100.

Alex: "I circled a lot, right? I circled 17 things."

Me: "You did circle a lot. A lot of really neat stuff."

Alex: "Can I have it all? Can I get it all for Christmas?"

Me: "Well, you circle things you'd like to have for Christmas. It doesn't mean that you'll get everything. A lot of this stuff is really expensive."

Alex's eyes were wide and he had the most earnest expression on his face as he explained, "It's OK that it's expensive because you don't have to use your money. Really, Mom. Santa buys it. And he has a lot of money. Like $8!"

I looked at him, trying not to crack a smile at that logic or that sweet & serious expression on his face.
Alex: nodding emphatically, and mistaking my silence for disbelief, he added, "It's true."



Now that I've been reassured finances are not an issue this Christmas, I'm off to do some circling in the catalogs for my own wish list.

Thank you, Jacob.

Hello? Anyone there? Is this still my blog? Is it OK if I come back?

I have no excuse. No good one, anyway. I do find it slightly amusing that my last post was about Will starting to take his 1st steps, and then suddenly I'm gone for 6 months. I'll let Will's perpetual motion, climbing, running, and extremely active personality take partial blame for my absence.

I'll also blame a busy summer, an even busier start to the school year, flag football, Speech Therapy, and my passion (obsession?) with learning photography. (More on all of that later.)

But mostly I'll blame myself, because the more time that passed, the more overwhelmed I became at the thought of trying to play catch up. I didn't even know where to begin.

But a couple of days ago, Jacob said something that I never want to forget. So what better starting point than that?

It happened during our bedtime routine, after Jeff read to the boys, and as Jacob was settling into his bed.
He asked Jeff, "What do we look like in Heaven? Ghosts or real people?"

Jeff: "I'm not sure, bud. What do you think?"

Jacob: "I think only God knows who all of the people are."

Jeff: "Well, you could be right."

Jacob: "So when I get to Heaven, I am going to walk around and ask everybody if they're Alex. And when I find him, I'm going to stay with him."

It made me cry. And I still get choked up when I think about it.

Maybe not all brothers are this way, but these boys have an incredible bond. And I hope it stays that way forever.




Thank you, Jacob, for being such a kind, sweet, and loving boy & biggest brother. And thank you for making your mom get her butt in gear and start blogging again.

It's probably denial

Since taking his first steps last month, Will has only become busier and busier (and by default, so have I). At 10 months old, it seems that he is hitting milestones left and right. He's growing up so quickly, that I half expect to wake up tomorrow to find him sipping coffee, flipping pancakes on the griddle and saying, "Hey, Ma. How would you like your eggs?"

He is taking more and more steps, but crawling is still his preferred method of travel. When you ask him to walk a long distance (across the room, for example), he stands and stares at you. He's smiling the whole time, so it's like a friendly standoff. And he'll think about walking, giving it careful consideration...


...and usually lower himself to the floor, ever so slowly


and speed crawl to you.


But when he does walk to you, it's pretty cool and very cute to watch. Intense concentration is required.




He's also waving and understanding requests for hugs.


And within the last week, he has learned to drink independently from a sippy cup,



began cutting his first two teeth (in the middle on the bottom), and today during lunch, actually pointed at what he wanted. In this case, Puffs, then Puffs again, and then his sippy cup.

"I'll take one order of small popcorn, please."


I don't know if I'm just not used to this new and more mature, grown up version of Will, or if I'm in complete denial over my baby growing up way too quickly. But for whatever reason, some of my actions don't seem to acknowledge the fact that he's no longer a pudgy little baby attached to my hip.
For instance, I forget sometimes that he can no longer stand under the kitchen table. He and I both remember when he bumps his head.
Or that his reach can extend way beyond where his little arms used to.
And in particular, I keep forgetting that "out of reach" isn't always where I think it is.

Yesterday afternoon, when I asked Jacob to put a magazine up high and away from Will, he placed it on the couch. I said, "Jacob, Will can reach that, honey. Let's put it up on the counter." Score one for Mommy.

Later on, that same afternoon, I left a bowl of Will's leftover lunch on the kitchen table. I slid it away from the edge, but apparently not enough.

Moments later, I heard an interesting, unidentified sound.

It didn't take long to determine the source. Once again, I had underestimated Will's height and the power of his reach.

He looked so darn pleased with himself, I didn't have the heart to take the bowl from him. So I grabbed my camera instead.


What a mess. I suppose this could count as another point in favor of immediately carrying dirty dishes to the sink. Perhaps one day I'll learn.


He wasn't interested in finishing his bananas and cereal while I was feeding him, but the cuisine appears to be much more delectable when it can be eaten off the floor and licked from one's own fingers.


So delicious, in fact, that the goodness just had to be shared with Hailey.


"Mom, you know you're going to have to clean this up, right? And change my clothes? I can't believe you're letting me do this."

All true, but there have been occasions he's come away this messy after a "proper" feeding session.


Besides, you're only little for so long, right? And as my 3 little (big) boys have proven, it sure doesn't last for very long. So we need to enjoy the heck out of it while we can, no matter how messy it can be.

Pitter Patter

Yesterday Will took his first steps.

We had a feeling it would happen soon, considering that a couple of weeks ago, he took his first step. One step only. And since then, every time he took that one step, he'd purposely lower himself to the ground and speed crawl.

But on Saturday, February 12th, 11 days away from turning 10 months old, he decided he was ready. After all, he couldn't let his Uncle Chris continue to hold the title for Earliest Walker at 9 months, 3 weeks. And what better time to tie the record than when our whole family was visiting Grandmom, Granddad, Nani, Aunt Tricia, Uncle Scott, and cousins, Daniel & Lainey? He must have been waiting for a big audience to show off his new skill.




Yep. This achievement deserves some applause.


At this stage of the game, he is still crawling the vast majority of the time. But soon I will hear the pitter patter of three little boys' feet. And sooner than I care to think about, Will's pitter patter will develop into the stampeding sound of his older brothers' footsteps. My littlest baby is growing up (too fast).

As with all milestones, it's exciting, amazing, sad, bittersweet, adorable and wonderful all at the same time.

From the mouths of big boys

Just a few quotes from my 2 big boys.

After a long holiday vacation, the boys and I stood at the front window, looking out and waiting for Aunt Tricia to pick Jacob up for school. Our Christmas tree lay on the curb, waiting to be picked up.
Alex asked, "When is dat garbage man gonna take our tree?"
Me: "Later this morning."

Jacob had been quiet, and then in solemn tones, remarked, "I'm going to miss Brad."
Me: "Who's Brad?"
J: "Our tree."
Me: "Oh. I didn't realize he had a name. When did you name him?"
J: "Just now."

And I thought I was the only one who gets attached to our Christmas tree every year.



Yesterday I asked Alex what color straw he would like with his drink.
Alex: "Umm, blue. No, not blue. Red! I mean, rojo.
Me: (laughing) "Rojo?"
Alex: "Yes. Dat's my Spanish."



Today, we were talking about which team sport Jacob would like to sign up for later this year. He has become very interested in football, so that one's a given. Jeff wondered about baseball, but Jacob thinks he is not very good at it because he doesn't hit the ball every time he's at bat. So Jeff explained that even the pros miss the ball sometimes.
Very politely, Jacob said, "OK, well maybe I will play baseball when I am a grown-up. And do art. And be a farmer. Because I want to milk cows. They have lots of boobies."

Only in a conversation with a 5-year old can your conversation seamlessly transition from baseball to udders.

Nine months

I started this post almost 1 week ago, but the stomach flu decided to pay a visit to our household and afflict every single member. Including my 9 month old. So we have been slightly preoccupied. I thought I would take a break from laundry and sanitizing our germy house to finish a post about my baby.

Since our face to face introduction just over 9 months ago, I feel like I've come to know William pretty well. I'd even venture to say I know him better than anyone. He's at the age where his personality is really becoming apparent. Just like his big brothers, he is happy, loving, sweet, affectionate, good-natured, playful, and of course, handsome and adorable. His pediatrician was inclined to agree with my assessment of his looks and pleasant disposition, adding that he looked "perfect". At 9 months old, he is at an average weight of 20 lbs, 6.5 oz, and in the 95th percentile for height, at 30 1/2 inches. The Dr. attributes his 50th percentile weight to his, as she phrased it, "precociousness", since he is quite the active little guy.
This 9 month old stays very, very busy. In this context, busy typically means getting into anything he can get his hands on. Even (especially?) if he shouldn't.
His expert crawling and cruising get him pretty much anywhere he wants to be. And therefore, pretty much anything he wants to get into. His favorite spots:
Hailey's food and water bowls.


He actively seeks them out, and when he notices I've accidentally left them on the floor, he looks at me, grins, and races (while panting) to the bowl. I was curious what he'd do if I let him win. OK, I didn't actually let him win in this picture...he beat me fair and square. Don't judge- it's tough to run across a hardwood floor while wearing slippery socks.



As you can imagine, he was not happy when I took the bowl away. As a peace offering, I've let him play with a mixing bowl that looks almost exactly like Hailey's. He likes it well enough and will play with it, but a clean bowl without the scent of licked up dog food just isn't the same.


Another hot spot? The trash can. When Jacob was Will's age, our trash can was inside a locked cabinet. So he was never able to enjoy the wonders of trash can digging. Alex, on the other hand, was highly intrigued by the contents of the can. And now, so is Will. I will say that it's incentive to keep the garbage from piling up too high.


The cabinets. This was a clue that it was probably time to do a little Will proofing.





The bathrooms. Oh my gosh, this kid can't get enough of the toilet paper. Just as he does with Hailey's bowls, he checks to see if someone has inadvertently left the bathroom door open. And if so? He's there in an instant. Using the bathroom while he's with me is a multi-tasking adventure.



The refrigerator and the pantry are extremely popular hangout spots.



Another enjoyable activity for Will is playing with his big brothers. When he hears their voices in another room, he stops to listen, just as he did when he was an infant. At 9 months old, he does a pretty great job of hanging with the big kids. He hugs, kisses, chases, tickles, wrestles, and plays. Simply put, he loves his brothers and they love him.







"Can I play?"


Speaking of playing, Will enjoys crawling from toy to toy to toy around the house. He can entertain himself independently more often now. His fascination with Hailey continues, and he often invites her to join in the fun. Or he'll just pull her hair.

Sometimes playing is serious business and requires intense focus and concentration. (Check out that red hair!)

And sometimes playing is all about fun. Is a boy ever too young to play with cars? In our house, the answer is NO.


Eating has also become a frequent pastime. Will is currently eating solids about 5 times/day (and of course, he's still a VIP at the boobie bar). His very favorites are macaroni & cheese and yogurt (he would happily eat these for every meal if I let him). Second favorite foods are bananas, peaches, and pears. A couple of weeks ago, he tried Puffs and Cheerios for the first time. He wasn't quite sure what to think at first.

But after a moment of debate on the new texture, decided he liked them.


It wasn't long before he learned to feed himself.



Chewing can be a tricky task.

And occasionally, a Puff ends up not quite where he'd like it to be.

After one such episode of a misguided Puff, Will looked like he'd immediately sprouted two front teeth. Jacob and I have laughed hysterically at this picture, with Jacob saying, "He looks like a bunny!"


Somewhere along the line, Will developed a little habit of spitting. At first we thought it was funny. He thought it was funny. And that was all well and good until the spitting began happening during mealtimes. For a while there, I was getting sprayed with food constantly. Saying "no" was completely ineffective. The only thing that got him to kick the habit was ignoring the behavior. Spitting is nowhere near as fun when you don't get a reaction!

But sometimes, a certain big brother thinks it's funny to try and encourage the behavior to make an appearance again.

And since Will loves to make people laugh, he was happy to oblige.

See the spittle captured on camera?


When Jacob and Alex were babies, I taught them sign language for "more" and "all done". Will hasn't learned "more" yet, but has gotten the hang of "all done". It's not quite the exact sign, but he makes it pretty clear when he's finished.
Happy eating.

All done eating. I'm not sure the hand gesture is even necessary since the expression alone makes it pretty clear.

"I'm all done and there's nothing you can do about it. So there."


You would think eating well and staying so busy and active during the day would result in long, peaceful slumbers during naptime and nighttime. Actually, the restful sleep did not come about until recently. As in, just over a week ago recent. We had a pretty awful sleep habit to kick (Will considered my boob to be his own personal paci to soothe him back to sleep every hour every night). And naps? There were only two of them every day, usually lasting 30 minutes.

Mommy was exhausted. Something had to give, for my sake and for Will's.

So last weekend, I gritted my teeth and began the quest to sleep train Will. Traditional "cry it out" methods were not for me, so I decided to stay in his room, keep him in his crib, and soothe cribside as needed. There were many moments when it took all of my strength to keep from picking him up. But we stuck with it, and after a few (pretty horrendous) nights, it got better. Fast forward to present, after lots of crying, patience, and determination, and he is napping approximately 3 hours total during the day and sleeping hours at a time at night (two nights he even slept 9 hours straight!).

I'm pretty darn proud of both of us.

The improved sleeping is just the icing on top of an already perfect, adorable cake. There's a lot to love and be proud of when it comes to Will.

Like his smile that comes so easily and lights up his entire face.

The way he wraps his arms around us, lays his head on our shoulders, and hugs us tight.

His open mouthed kisses.

The way he playfully chases us (one of his new favorite games), mouth wide open and yelling. (You can probably guess that his brothers love to play this with him.)

The way he smiles up at me while he's nursing.

The way he laughs when we give each other high fives as he's nursing.

That he's standing for long periods of time! We think he'll take his first steps sometime in his 9th month.


The way he pops off the boob just long enough to look up at me with a gaze and smile that manages to say both, "I love you" and "My compliments to the chef". Then it's right back down to business.

His good-natured and happy disposition.

And those big, beautiful blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair.

Happy 9 Months to one of three little boys who make my life complete.