8 Months Old

Another month has come and gone.  This month brought a lot of growth and change for you.  The biggest change is that you are now mobile.  That's right.  You're crawling all over the place and trying to pull up on everything.  I put you in your room while I was getting ready a couple of weeks ago, and a few minutes later I heard your sister say, "well Fletcher, how'd you get out in the hallway." 

We definitely can't leave you alone for even a minute.  You haven't reached the point where you can crawl faster then we can run, so your siblings still think it's really cool.  They'll be in for a rude awakening soon though when you pick up speed and start really getting into their stuff. You are so curious about everything though. One of your favorite destinations is the stairs.  You haven't quite figured out how to navigate them, but you sure do try. 

Even though you just started crawling, I don't think it will be too long before you're standing and walking.  You try to pull up on everything.  Tables, toys, my legs, and even the dogs. You especially like pushing your walker toys around.  It still takes a lot of effort for you to get those legs to move, but you try so hard and don't get frustrated at all...at least you don't get frustrated until you lose your balance.

Fortunately, you haven't discovered the dog bowls yet. When that happens, I don't know how we'll keep you away from them because you LOVE to play with water. Bath time is your favorite.  As soon as you hear me turn on the faucet in the bathtub, you come crawling as quickly as you can and try to pull up on the side of the bathtub.  I am pretty sure you'd take 3 baths a day and not lose any of the excitement you have about bath time. 

It is so exciting to see how you're observing and engaging with the world around you, especially as we near the Christmas holiday.  You have gotten dragged all over the place shopping, going to events for your siblings, and attending holiday gatherings.  You take it in stride and seem to really enjoy the new sights and sounds.  You have staretd trying to wave, but I don't think you really understand why you are doing it yet.  You just like to see your fingers move.  Even if you don't always do a traditional greeting, you are always smiling at people, even complete strangers.  You especially love to scrunch up your nose and squeal like a little piglet when you're really excited.  I think it is your way of laughing, but you have to be over the top about it because as the third child, you're rarely the center of attention for long.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that you're continuing to expand your diet as well.  We really haven't found anything that you won't eat.  As long as I cut things up small enough that you can gum them into submission, you're pretty easy going when it comes to food.  I know the holidays will bring many more new flavors and foods for you to try.

It seems like I should have more to write about, because you are learning new things every day.  I know this next month you're going to continue to surprise us with all you can do, and I am so excited to see what you learn next!

O Christmas Tree

Every year, Christmas brings so much joy and excitement as we celebrate the coming of our Christ.  While I try to stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas, I always tend to get at least a little caught up in the pomp and circumstance too.  I mean, who doesn't?  I especially love the way my house looks when it is full of holiday décor.  The wreath on the door, garland on the stairs, and trees filled with ornaments adorn my home.  With the construction going on in our basement this year, we had to tone down the decorations a bit.  We didn't put the tree in the bay window in the office like we normally do, because the office is filled with Legos that normally live in the basement.  I don't have any wrapped gifts under the tree yet, because my wrapping paper is all out in the garage, and so are the gifts we've been buying because I have nowhere else to put them. 

Despite the scaling down we've done, there is one thing that we did bigger and better than ever before...the real tree in the living room.  We haven't always measured the tree.  We know it's big and guesstimate based on the size of the living room, the size of the ladder we use to decorate, etc.  Despite the lack of actual measurements, there is no doubt that this is the biggest tree we've ever gotten.  I even went back through pictures of our previous tress to make sure.  Here's what I found.

2013 was the first year we celebrated Christmas in this house (technically we bought it on December 17, 2012, but we didn't move in until after Christmas that year.  The tree that year was by the windows in the living room, and you can clearly see that it only goes to the top of the square window.

In 2014, we moved the TV from the right side of the fireplace to the left, so the 2014 tree was on the opposite side of the fireplace from the 2013 tree.  While the large wall of windows isn't comparable in the pictures, the windows above the fireplace are.  The 2014 tree looks to be about the same size as the 2013 tree, with just a couple of extra inches at the top. 

The 2015 tree looks a little taller that even 2014, even though it also looks to be slightly narrower. It seems that we just inched our way slightly taller year by year, until now. 

This year, you can see that the tree clearly goes above the top of the rounded window in the middle.  That is at least 3 more feet than the 2013 tree.  The best part of doing a real tree this year and every year is the smell.  Our house definitely smells like Christmas! 

Busy, Busy, Busy

This past week has been super fun, really hectic, and a little crazy.  From Thanksgiving meals with delicious food and visits with family to Christmas decorating at home, it feels like the past 4 days we've been going non-stop.  With everything I want to say, bullet-points seem to work best.  So, here goes!

• At Granny's in Litchfield we ate way too much, watched Barrett ride the exercise bike and wear himself out (I think we might need to get one just for that reason) and visited with family.

• Fletcher started crawling last week, but in the past four days he's really refined his craft.  At my parents house, he got the lid off of a small popcorn tin and quickly found out that it made some really exciting noise. 

• Audrey (with some help from my brother and sister-in-law) convinced Billy to put a whole roll of bubble tape gum in his mouth. 

• The only reason Barrett slowed down all weekend was to sleep or sit on Laurenn's lap.

• We decorated for Christmas, and in the process we: disovered the handheld Dyson wasn't charged, broke a glass ornament full of little white fuzz balls, lost an ornament that fell down in the tree because the tree was so big, found that ornament after 5 solid minutes of looking, found out Fletcher likes wearing reindeer antlers, and were constantly surprised by how far Fletcher had crawled and what he was getting into.

Yes, look at that last photo again, because I think that makes it official.  Fletcher is mobile.  Our lives will never be the same.  Watch out world!

Unexpected Joys

One of the ways God has used my children to bless me is to help me appreciate the little joys and to help me be more flexible.  I like structure.  I am a perfectionist.  I like things to be organized, and I ALWAYS need to have a plan.  Children, however, have forced me to get outside of my comfort zone by going with the flow, making plans on the fly, and just accepting the unexpected.  God has helped me to appreciate and accept those learnings by making so many of those unexpected occurances joy-filled...or at least hilarious (when I look back on them). 

In the past few weeks, some of those unexpected joys have made me pause to truly appreciate the way that my children have changed my life and me.  There is a Dan Allender book called How Children Raise Parents, and that title really says it all.  I obviously would not be the parent I am without my children, but I also wouldn't be the daughter, sister, wife, friend, co-worker, boss, and nieghbor that I am without my children. 

Here are just a couple of the moments from recent weeks where my children have continued to open my mind and heart with the little surprises they bring to my life.

• Fletcher got to go to his first Blues hockey game this week.  It was fun to watch him look around and take in all of the sights and sounds.  I was amused by his reactions to the loud horn and cheers when the Blues scored a goal.  I was also happy to see how Audrey and Barrett enjoyed the game, the popcorn they convinced their daddy to buy, and playing wiht their little brother at the game.  What I did not expect was getting to hold my 4 year old in my arms for an entire period while he slept peacefully despite the excited fans cheering around him.

• A couple of weeks ago, my brother and sister-in-law came into town.  We had a ton of stuff going on that weekend, but we ended up being able to go to dinner with them and my parents on Saturday night.  My mom was so excited to see the kids, she convinced us to let her take Audrey and Barrett for the night.  As if all of that wasn't unexpected enough (and all planned on the fly while we were having dessert), I also ended up driving to Greenville after church on Sunday to pick up the kids while Billy worked on some things in the basement.  It was while I was in Greenville that God used all of those last minute plans to touch my heart.  My grandparents came over to my parents house for a bit, and my grandmother was delighted to see Fletcher.  She was always very structured and somewhat strict when I was growing up.  She clearly loved us, and I knew it, but she wasn't exactly the soft and gentle type of grandma.  That day in Greenville, I got to see her softer side as she played with Fletcher.  He smiled at her, and I could see how it touched her heart and almost brought her to tears.  Her reaction, in turn, touched me and softened my heart as well.

• Daylight savings time has become sort of a bad word in our house the past couple of weeks.  Since the fall switch, my children all wake up way too early, and no one is on a really consistent sleeping schedule.  Barrett has always been an early riser, but now he usually wakes up before me.  So, while I am getting ready, he comes in the bathroom with me and plays while I put on my makeup and do my hair.  His new "play" consists of organizing all of the drawers in my bathroom vanity, and getting mad at me when I don't put everything back just the way he put it.  While it has become sort of a routine, the first few days it was wholly unexpected.  It made me realize just how much all of my children watch and learn from me.  It is more obvious with Audrey, because she is a girl.  But it is so clear that, even though Barrett is like a mini-Billy in many ways, he is also a lot like me.  Good or bad, he has my same love of sleep, organization, and focus on doing a good job. 

• Barrett has also noticed that with the construction going on in the basement, there is often a trail of dust between the front door and the basement door.  So, he enjoys getting out the swiffer duster and cleaning the house for me.  It is still a form of play for him, but I think the reason he really enjoys it is because he feels like he is helping.  When I compliment his efforts, he has such a look of pride on his face.  It's just amazing how big his heart is and it makes me want to make my heart bigger too. 
• Audrey and Barrett fight like brother and sister...I wonder why!  They can play togthether nicely when they want to, but there is a lot of arguing and general meanness that transpires as well.  Audrey is particularly unkind and bossy with Barrett, and even though he often reacts with anger, it's clear that his feelings really get hurt.  The other day, Audrey made a card for her brother.  It wasn't for any reason in particular other than that she wanted to tell him that she loves him and is glad he's her brother. 

7 Months

You're seven months old now, and you've officially hit that age where it seems like every day you are learning something new.  The biggest milestone that is close on the horizon is crawling.  You can get yourself up on all fours, but you haven't figured out how to actually move your arms and legs from that position yet.  In the meantime, you roll and scoot to get where you want to go.  We can't leave you, even for just a minute, because when we come back, you'll be in a completely different spot. 

You'r newfound coordination makes you a lot more fun to play with.  You've learned to roll a ball in the past few days.  It is pretty funny to watch, because you basically flap your arms around until you hit the ball and it rolls away from you.  You also kick the ball sometimes.  Similarly, that consists of you moving your feet back and forth until you make contact with the ball and it rolls away.  You are also extremely fascinated by toys that make noise or light up.  We have a little play radio that both Audrey and Barrett liked a lot as well.  It is now you're favorite toy too.  You also liked the remote control toy that plays music and talks, but your older brother claimed that one for himself again.  Your improving accuracy with movement also makes it more challenging at times, like when you planted your hand in my tomato soup at bread co. 

You've started to make even more sounds then before.  Last weekend, you surprised us all by blurting out "da-da" when your daddy was holding you.  You've been really entertained by making the "da" sound as well as "ba."  Generally though, you still like to be loud.  When your siblings are being even a little loud, it seems as though you want to confirm your presence by trying to be the loudest one in the room. 

You've started getting little bits of real food that isn't pureed.  Initially, you didn't know what to do with it, but now you gobble up pufss, yogurt bites, and bananas.  You do well with steamed carrots and peas too.  You also love crackers.  When we saw your great-grandparents in Greenville last weekend, your meemaw got a big kick out of feeding you crackers.  You're also improving your accuracy rate; I'd say that about 70% of the food you attempt to put in your mouth actually ends up there. 

You still love to put everything in your mouth.  The biggest challenge lately is dog toys.  Jack likes to bring you his toys so you'll play fetch with him, but I don't think he realizes you can't throw.  So, instead of throwing the toys, you try to put them in your mouth.  You also like chewing on your hands, but you don't suck your thumbs at all.  You are a pacifier baby.  You can even get your pacifier back in your mouth when it falls out now.  I just wish you'd start doing that at night so that you'd go right back to sleep when you wake up. 

Speaking of sleeping, I think your siblings have conditioned you to like noisy environments.  At hom, you fight going to sleep tooth and nail when you need a nap, but if it's noisy, you fall asleep with little persuasion.  At the movies last night, you fell asleep easily.  This morning while your dad and siblings were having an obnoxiously loud dance party, you fell asleep.  Granted, in both cases, I was holding you, but still...there is no way I could have slept in either scenario. 

All in all, you're a happy baby, especially when you're outside.  Even with the increasingly cool temperatures, you don't seem to mind.  You don't even have to be playing with anything.  You like to just look around.  Granted, if there is a stick, leaf or nut within your reach, you're going to grab it and check it out. 

I am so excited to see all of the new things you learn in the coming months.  You are getting so much bigger, stronger, and more inquisitive than you've ever been.  As I look at you, I am so thankful that God blessed me with three amazing children, all unique, all special, and all loved deeply by their mommy. 

Prehistoric Space Pirates

Themed family costumes for Halloween are all the rage these days.  I don't know if that's always been a thing or not...I just know my family never did it growing up.  I've tried to get Audrey and Barrett to have at least somewhat related costumes each year, but this year there was no agreement between them.  Audrey insisted on being a pirate and Barrett wanted to be Darth Vader. 
Since there was no obvious theme, we dressed up Fletcher in the same monkey costume Audrey wore as a baby. 

 Then, you throw in my fourth child (a.k.a. my husband) that insisted on being a dinosaur.  What do you call a family with costumes that include a pirate, monkey, dinosaur, and Darth Vader.  Well, the best title I can thing I can come up with is Prehistoric Space Pirates.  So, i guess that's what we went as.  The important thing is that we all had fun and the kiddos looked incredibly cute.  Even our Darth Vader who literally ran from house to house and was dripping with sweat by the end of the night (it was almost 80 degrees after all), would be considered adorable by most. 

Some may argue that the best part of Halloween is the costumes. Others (including my older kids) will say the candy. I think it's just the opportunity to have fun together as a family. 

Side by Side Comparisons

When I am playing with my friends' children, it is only natural that certain expressions or mannerisms will remind me of their parents.  Even when they're babies, it's only natural to see characteristics that remind you of their mom or dad.  What I've found interesting about the third child is that the comparisons to the parents dwindle while comparisons to older siblings increase exponentially. 

Since Fletcher was born, people initially said he looked a lot like Barrett.  In the past few months, however, most people aren't quite sure who he looks like.  So, I decided it would be fun to do some side by side comparisons so you can decide for yourself. 

 

 

If you hadn't figured it out, those are in order from the oldest member of our household to the youngest.  

There is no doubt that Fletcher got Billy's crazy hair.  Aside from that, as I look at the pictures right next to each other, it is clear that our children are truly a mixture of our physical characteristics.  It is so amazing to see the way God has constructed these 3 completely unique individuals. What's even more amazing is how I much I love them all.

By Land or By Sea

This was the conversion in the car on the way home from church this morning.

 

 

Barrett:  I want a motorcycle.

Audrey: You can't get a motorcycle.   You are a kid.

Billy: Wow, Audrey.   You didn't even give your mom a chance to say no. <I give Audrey a high five> Besides, we could get a motorcycle.

 

Audrey: But it's not safe.

Billy: So we wear helmets.

Audrey: Well, we have cars, so we don't need a motorcycle.

Billy: So are you saying that since we have a wave runner we don't have need a boat?

Audrey: Well, we have lots of boats. We have a cruiser, a Fountain,  a stand up, a pontoon...

Billy: We don't have a cat.

Audrey: We don't want a cat.  They have litter boxes, and they smell.   We don't want our house to smell. 

 

 

Billy just got shut down by a 7 year old.  Even if he meant a catamaran boat,  it is still hilarious.

Seeing Clearly

I have been to the eye doctor just once in my life.  I don't think Billy has ever been.  Neither of us wear glasses, and as far as we could tell, our kids could see just fine as well.  When we took the kids for their annual checkup, the pediatrician did a routine eye test on both Audrey and Barrett.  The test showed that Barrett's eyes did not look totally normal.  So, we went to the ophthalmologist.  After his eye exam, which was customized to make it kid friendly, the doctor determined that Barrett needs glasses.  He has an astigmatism in his left eye.  After watching him do the tests, it was clear that he couldn't see as well out of his left eye, but it boggles my mind that we never noticed.  After doing some additional research, I discovered that is relatively common for children that aren't in kindergarten yet.  They grow up not knowing anything different, so they just think it's normal. 

So, yesterday, Barrett's glasses were ready to pick up.  The ones he picked are navy blue and bright greenish yellow.  They were the ones that fit him the best, and I think they're pretty cute.  They make him look so much older too! 

This is definitely a whole new world for both Billy and I.  He doesn't have to wear them when he's doing sports or sleeping, but all other times, they are on.  So far, he seems to really enjoy taking them off and putting them back on. He keeps putting his fingers all over the lenses, so then he ends up needing to clean them off constantly.  I bought a couple of extra cases on Amazon so we can have one in each car and one at school in case he needs to take them off while we're out and about.  Any pointers on how to prevent breakage and advice on any other pitfalls to avoid are greatly appreciated! 

6 Months Old

Today you have officially been part of our family for half of a year.  10/10 will henceforth be known as your half-birthday.  This past month, your rate of growth and development has accelerated.  Most notabily, you went up from the 30th percentile in weight to the 50th percentile, because you now eight in at a whopping 17 pounds 6 ounces.  That means that it is now really hard to carry you around in your pumpkin seat.  You also continue to be in the 95th percentile for length, so that means you are almost too long for the pumpkin seat already too! I checked out Barrett's information from his 6 month checkup, and you've surpassed him in length now and have almost caught up to him in weight. 

 

 

 

 

I must attribute some of your recent weight gain to the introduction of solid foods...well, pureed solid foods.  You LOVE rice cereal and baby food.  The first food you had was squash, and since then you've sampled quite a fruits and vegitables.  So far, we've only found that you don't really care for peas.  Everything else you gobble up as quickly as I can get the spoon in your mouth. 

 

You sit up really well.  And when you are sitting, anything within your reach is fair game.  You've even managed to knock over your sister's orange juice when she set it too close to you at the table.  Your curiousity and inclination to grab everything and put it in your mouth is both fun and frustrating at the same time.  It is fun to see how you inspect different toys and the joy you get when you manage to get them in your mouth. It is frustrating when you start to put things in your mouth that you shouldn't, like legos and the dog's ear.  We never had to worry about the small legos with your older siblings, so keepig those out of your grasp will definitely be a new challenge for us. 

 

 

You love to be loud.  Whether it is banging a rattle on the table while we're out to eat or just making loud vocal noises, you always find a way to make your presence known.  I guess that is the third child coming out in you.  It is fun to hear all of the sounds you're making.  Your daddy insists that you are already saying momma, but I am not convinced.  I just think you can make the "m" sound and really enjoy doing it.  Your brother and sister love trying to predict what you will say first.  They are both still enamored with you, unless you're crying.  You still don't cry all that much though, so they like you the vast majority of the time.  You are never starved for attention, that's for sure. 

 

 

 

The biggest surprise I've had with you is that you still like pacifiers.  Neither of your older siblings at this point still liked pacifiers at this age, so I am not entirely sure what we did differently, but we always have to keep one around for you.  I have seen you get your thumb in your mouth a few times, but it is more for play.  When you are sleepy, you want a binky..and sometimes you want one even when you're not.

 

 

Oh, and I forgot to mention the drool.  There is lots of drool.  That's why you are wearing a bib in almost every photo I have of you.

 

 

I know the next few months are going to continue to bring us many more fun developments.  We're already starting to get a glimpse of your personality, and I can't wait to get to know you better.  I love you so much and am so thankful to call you my son.





Broken

I woke up last Thursday with a heart full of optimism.  Billy had been in Washington, DC for work since Monday, and the kids and I were managing pretty well.  Wednesday night was easy, because the kids didn't have any activities.  So, we relaxed at home and enjoyed a movie together. I also got the best night of sleep I'd had in a few days. I was in the home stretch and holding a steady pace.  I sat Fletcher in the dog bed to play so I could actually get myself ready.  He is sitting up on his own pretty well, but just to be safe, the dog bed is soft and cushioned in case he tumbles over.  When Barrett and Audrey woke up, they joined Fletcher in the dog bed and played quietly for a while. All signs seemed to indicate that it would be a good day.

 By the time I went to bed on Thursday night, however, I was so exhausted I was hardly functioning.

So what happened that brought me to my breaking point in less than 12 hours?  I am not sure exactly.  I guess it was just a bunch of little stuff. Frustrating day at work, baby sneezing on me with a mouth full of green beans, tired and fussy preschooler after a long week with no naps, not having gotten more than 4 hours of sleep 3 nights in a row earlier in the week, and Fletcher screaming the entire drive home from Audrey's dance class...the list goes on and on.  There was nothing really terrible that happened, but I could list a myriad little things that just piled up high enough that I broke.  The stress manifested itself when I yelled at Audrey for messing around instead of getting ready for bed.  Then, Billy called me right after I got Audrey and Barrett to bed when I was sitting down to feed Fletcher. The poor guy was excited that he had some time to talk to his wife after a busy day at work, and all I did was complain. 

After weeks like that, it is often hard for me to let go and move on.  I have a hard time forgiving myself for letting all of that silly stuff stress me out so badly, and that just makes it all worse.  So, I am really trying to "give myself grace" as I have come to say.  God gives us grace every day when he forgives our sins.  But I find that I often turn a blind eye to his grace and make myself miserable.  I try to punish myself instead of forgiving myself and accepting his grace with open arms.  Why?  Frankly, I don't know.  Maybe it's my perfectionist nature or my desire to not let my loved ones down or because I care to much what other people think of me.  What I do know for sure is that I need to give myself grace, because when I don't give myself grace, it is much more difficult to give grace to those around me.  And it's in those moments that I break. 

Jesus had to die on the cross because no one else is perfect enough to serve as the ultimate sacrifice.  And because of that, he couldn't be broken.  So he broke death.  I am only human, so I will be broken, and I need Jesus to make me whole.  It is only then that I can give myself enough grace to accept the grace he has given me. 

Parade Fun

It has become a tradition since Audrey started at Westchester and Barrett at KECC to attend the Greentree Parade.  This was the third year we watched the parade. The weather was wonderful, which was such a relief after the torrential rain we'd had the previous 2 days.  This year was especially exciting too, because it was Fletcher's first time at a parade.  We learned that he is intrigued by bagpipes, does not like loud sirens (and can wail louder than them), is content to watch floats and people walk by for more than an hour, and helps his older siblings get TONS of candy. 

One of my favorite things about the Greentree parade is that it officially marks the start of fall, and if you've known me for any period of time, you are probably aware that fall is my favorite season.  Here's to the start of pumpkin patches, pumpkin spice everything, cooler weather, and scarves that compliment every outfit!

5 Months

You're 5 months old, and it's really becoming evident that you are not a newborn anymore.  You move a lot, you sleep less, and you have much better control of your body than you used to.  You've discovered your feet, and you love to see how far they'll fit into your mouth.  Your feet aren't the only thing you put in  your mouth though.  Your hands are almost always in your mouth if there is nothing else within reach.  All of your toys go into your mouth.  Blanket, clothes, your binky holder and my hair all go into your mouth.  And everything comes out covered in slobber...lots and lots of slobber.  You drool constantly.  Sometimes, when your really happy, you find it extremely amusing to blow spit bubbles.  Because of that, bibs have become your go to fashion accessory. 

You can roll onto your belly and do it almost immediately every time you are on a flat surface.  You can use your arms to push up your head and shoulders so you can look around when you're on your belly.  You even like to sleep on your belly.  You haven't mastered the skill of rolling to your back again from your belly, and you get extremely frustrated when you try unsuccessfully. 

You also like to be upright as much as possible.  That means playing in your exer-saucer and sitting up with some support from a pillow or an attentive adult.  You are getting so strong; it is fun to watch you move around to reach for toys or play when you're sitting up. I try to keep you sitting up as much as possible, because your hair has started to rub off on the back of your head where you are constantly rolling around on it.  I

This month marked a big milestone...you got to eat something other than breastmilk!  You had rice cereal for the first time, and you LOVED it!  You gobbled it up like you'd been eating it for years.  Your siblings are extremely amused by your newfound culinary interests.  Soon I am sure they'll get a chance to try their hand at feeding you.  You are doing so well eating off of a spoon.  This week we're going to expand your pallet to some veggies. 

You went to the doctor this past month and confirmed my suspicions.  You are still at the 75th percentile for your height and only the 30th for your weight.  That's right.  You are a beanpole, even at 5 months old.  You've gained a little more roundness in your face, but you very obviously lack the Michelin Man baby rolls that most young ones are sporting at your age.  You still give fantastic cuddles though.  You love to be rocked to sleep, and I relish those moments.  I love holding you and having you reach up and touch my face.  When I look down and see your gummy smile, it melts my heart, because I realize just how blessed I am to be your momma.