Oh, By the Way

Clearly, I am a terrible archivist of my children's precious moments.  Because, we did this little old thing in December called "We Took a Cross Country Roadtrip to Disney World!"

Yep, I'm a wee bit behind.

And, by wee bit, I mean egregiously and practically inexcusably behind.

But, that's not the point.

The process actually started about a year ago.  We took the plunge, and along with John's family, booked a 7 night stay at the Happiest Place on Earth.  Let me preface this whole thing by asking if you know HOW MUCH PLANNING goes into making your young childrens' every dream come true??

A lot.

Like a whole lot.

You should really consider it your second job.

But, the good news is, I'm cripplingly type-a.  So, this process tickled every over-planning bone in my body.  (I'm already planning our next trip... which won't be for another couple of years... but it will be AWESOME!)

Here is a sample of my neurosis.  Maps! Crowd Calendars!  Notes (color-coded)!  Heavenly!

So, after months of planning, we loaded up our car (like hillbillies) with what we would need for every possible contingency and headed off to see the World.

The teacher in me was super excited about this trip because this year in Classical Conversations, we've been learning about the United States including the locations of the states and capitals.  I was envisioning such excitement as I would be able to point out some of the states that we've been learning about in school.  We were, after all, driving across 10% of the United States and through three state capitals.  That excitement pretty much wore off around the third time I participated in this conversation.

Darling child 1:  Where are we stopping tonight?
Patient mom:  Mississippi
Darling child 1:  Jackson, Mississippi?
Patient mom:  No, Gulfport, Mississippi
Darling child 1:  Are we in Mississippi?
Patient mom:  Yes.
Darling child 1:  Jackson, Mississippi?
Patient mom:  No, we're not going to Jackson.
Darling child 2:  When are we getting to Misses Ippy's house?
Patient mom: No, baby, not Misses Ippy's house.  We're going to a hotel in Mississippi.
Darling child 2:  Jackson, Mississippi?
Patient mom:  ::blink::blink::  Your turn, John.

But, after two full days in the car, we completed the 1200 miles to our home for the next week.  In case you are wondering, we stayed at the Coronado Spring Resort.  It is a moderate resort on the Disney property, and it was fine.  Though, in my opinion, it really wasn't much better than the All Stars resort John and I stayed in 7 years prior.  My children did love the pool, though.  And, it had queen sized beds as well as sliding doors to divide the dressing area from the beds.  So, there you go.  My opinion, worth what you paid for it!

But, y'all!  That first day was absolutely magical!  My amazing sister-in-law Amy did all our dining and event reservations.  She was able to get appointments for all of the little girls at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique that morning.  After a quick look around and a ride on the carousel, the girls (Cora, Carys and cousin Audrey) were made over into little princesses by Fairy Godmothers-in-Training at the boutique.

Sissy was in h-e-a-v-e-n!  This picture always makes me smile.

After the makeovers, they have a special studio where you can have a photo shoot in your princess finery.  So.much.fun!

Three sweet princesses

I love a good sister picture!

At this point in the day, patient Mr. Jackson was thoroughly and utterly done with all the hullabaloo. We were very thankful that Dado offered to take him back to the hotel to relax away from all of the excitement since the rest of us had an audience with another VIP (very important princess) soon after.

Ladies and gentlemen, THE Ariel.

She was very gracious and hospitable, admiring our amazing pens and the fact that we had legs.  

Our next stop was quite possibly the highlight of the trip.  Amazing Amy had also managed to get us a coveted lunch reservation at Cinderella's Royal Table inside the castle.  I wish you all could have seen Carys' face as she met her favorite princess.  She utterly glowed.  I can't help but smile thinking about it now.  How many different ways can you say precious?

The one and only Cindawelly (as her number one fan calls her).

We enjoyed a lovely meal where we met several other very important princesses.

Snow White

Aurora

Ariel (with legs, who knew?)

Jasmine

Fabulous!  The meal was capped off by a special wishing ceremony where the kids received wands and wishing stars of their very own.  Y'all, I'll say it again, fabulous!  The girls adored this experience.  I cannot tell you how thankful I am that we were able to do this.

Sweet Sissy could hardly contain herself as we were leaving the Magic Kingdom for the day.  Oh, that cute little patootie!

The rest of the day was a bit of a wash.  We went back to the hotel to rest and then headed to Hollywood Studios for the evening.  Our plan was to watch Fantasmic.  That is my one regret of the day.  Neither of the girls liked it.  Cora was actually pretty frightened by it.  We had many discussions about how this was just a show and not reality.  But, I rather wish we'd just gone and enjoyed the Osborne Spectacle of Lights and skipped Fantasmic altogether.  Live and learn.  But, regardless, day one was in the books, and we were ready for Animal Kingdom the next morning. Stay tuned!

Two

This little boy!

100% cute and 100% trouble.

How is it possible that you've turned 2?

What's new with you, little man?

To say you keep us on our toes would be an understatement.  You are all boy and always on the go.  You love to run, and you're quite fast.  You love to get going at top speed and then look down at your feet in wonder.  It's almost like you're thinking how awesome it is to move that fast.  You love to climb.  We've found you on top of your dresser, sitting on the window sill in your room, at the top of the girls' loft bed and on the kitchen counter.  You have no fear which is probably why we've been to urgent care three times this past year - the most recent time being on your birthday. Here you are waiting to get your head glued back together once again.

 I am increasingly thankful for great insurance as it seems that with you, we will definitely get our money's worth!

You have now graduated out of your crib and into a big boy bed.  Much to my own personal dismay, this was a very necessary transition as you've been climbing out of your crib for many months.  Mama was even more dismayed when you combined this talent with the ability to open your bedroom door.  Ay yi yi!  Mama was not prepared.  We often find you sitting in the hallway with your blanket and a book just listening to the goings on of the evening.  

You are a people person.  I like to call you a one man parade.  You treat a shopping cart like your own personal float waving and blowing kisses to all who pass by. You love your sisters dearly, especially your biggest sister.  After your nap, you run immediately to the back door and yell outside "Cowa!" until she notices and acknowledges you.  The next item on your agenda is to go and visit our neighbor, Auntie Linda, as soon as you think no one is looking.  You will run at top speed to the side of the fence, sneak over and slip through the doggie door which I'm sure you believe was put there expressly for you.  It's an extra treat when Mr. Rick is there, too.  You love to give him a big kiss right on the lips, an action that understandably unnerves him a little.  No one could accuse you of being shy with your affection.

You love books.  You will actually sit still and listen to book after book.  Then, you'll take those books and practice "reading" them to yourself.  It is so much fun to listen to you because even though your vocabulary is limited, your inflection and intonation always draws me into your story.  

You love to eat.  I joke that my children are hobbits.  And, like hobbits, they eat breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, lunch, afternoon tea (snack), dinner and supper.  When it is dinner time, you will get so excited that you will scale your high chair in order to get to the victuals.  Much to my surprise, you love spicy food.  You will chow down on a spicy meal like your father and I do.  In fact, today at lunch, you noshed on our friend's jalapeno chips for as long as you could stand it.  Other favorite foods include yogurt, apples, clif bars, pizza and cheetos. 

Little man, you love your boots.  You have worn those little boots out.  It brings so much joy to my heart when you wear those because they are one of the few things that all three of you kids have worn.  You definitely love them the most as you will actually sleep in them.  The first night you wanted to wear them to bed, Daddy came in after you were asleep to take them off.  Surely, it can't be comfortable to sleep in them!  But, you woke up in a fit of fury at 3 am when you discovered they were off.  You sat on the floor crying and holding the one boot you were able to find until I helped you put that book back on.  

I'm biased, but you are a total cutie-pie!  

You are very expressive.  You will intently converse with someone even if you don't quite have the vocabulary to make your exact intentions known.  You know enough words to get most of your needs met.  Some of the words we hear most often are mama, Cowa, yogurt, cracker, pizza (papa), puppy, bath, no and night-night (usually heard together).  Your phrases include go bye-bye, you okay? and luhhhh (love) you.  

What can I say?  Nothing could have prepared me for having a boy.  You will certainly give me the most gray hairs during these early years, but you more than compensate for it with your sweetness and affection.  We are so very thankful for our handful of a little man!

4

Carys!  You're 4!  How is that even possible?!  What's new, sweet Carysita?

Let me just say, you are a little ball of dynamite.  You are still a bitty little thing just now growing into your size 3 clothes.  But, you have personality oozing out of every pore.  You are not one to hide your emotions.  It is plain as day in your face and body language how you are feeling.  In fact, you stole the scene when movie making at Gulag P-pa.  During the pivotal attack sequence, when you ran out of water balloons, your entire body wilted to show your utter and abject sadness.  You dropped your water gun and sulked slowly off.  It was sorrowful and hilarious all at the same time.

Your personality plus extends to your penchant for fashion.  You will regularly change outfits two or three times a day.  Often, you will make some unusual, sometimes eye-watering choices.  But, you are always thrilled with how you look.  You've been known to leave the house in an assortment of mismatched patterns, colors and even two different shoes.  And, as your mama, I've learned to take a page from Elsa and just let it go!  Although I sometimes desperately wish I could buy you a pack of stickers to place on each outfit that state "I make my own fashion choices", I really do love your independence and your spunk.

You chose your own shoes to wear to your dance recital.

So, it's no surprise to say that you are very much a girly-girl.  You love all things to do with make-up and skin care and nails.  You often request for me to paint your nails, and you love it when I put a little blush and mascara on your face.  You were in heaven at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disney World!

After about 7 months of speech therapy, you've become quite the conversationalist.  You've always chit chatted at home, but I think that you've definitely developed a lot more confidence now that you can be easily understood.  You still have a wicked Boston accent.  We have no idea where it came from, but you have the cutest way of saying certain words like door and car.  I'm going to be really sad when you outgrow this funny little quirk.  

You use your exploding vocabulary to draw us into your amazing imagination.  I regularly participate in conversations that start out like "What if we had shoes that could turn into a car that can fly?"  Then, you grin your widest grin and tell me "That'd be sooooo cool!"  

You had your first dance class this past spring.  It took you a while to warm up to the class, but after a couple of weeks, you really grew to enjoy it.  You are a bit of a perfectionist, and it was fun to see the concentration in your face as you watched your teacher.  And, in my humble opinion, you were the most precious dancer up on that stage.  

Your main interest, like most other preschooler girls, is princesses.  Your favorites are Cinderella and Elsa, but you chose to dress as 'Cindawelly' for your escapades at Disney World.  You can usually be found in some sort of princess costume while we are at home... and sometimes even when we are out and about.  When you are not playing princess yourself, you like to play mama to your princess dolls.  You are a sweet and caring mama to those lucky princesses.

Your newest interest, though, is building with legos.  You got two lego kits for Christmas, and were very excited to put them both together.  You proved early on to have a very analytical mind when you figured out to stack two stools together in order to climb up into the sink in the bathroom at 18 months old.  We discovered your innate abilities when you brought us a spaceship you made out of your imagination and the pieces from the mouse trap game.  Daddy and I were so surprised and proud that you came up with this on your own.

You were excited to be able to start AWANA this year.  You are in Cubbies, and you absolutely love it.  You are proud to say your verses and to earn patches.  I know you feel like such a big girl being able to start your own special activities just like your big sister.

Speaking of that big sister, you still absolutely adore her.  I've said it before, and I hope to be able to say it forever; your sister relationship blesses my heart in so many ways.  Yes, you guys have your disagreements, but you both love each other so much!  As a more mature (wink) 4 year old, you have now moved up into the loft bed with Cora.  In addition to the pride of obtaining this 'big girl' accolade, you truly love being close to Sister.  You snuggle up next to her every night.  Sister may pretend to be long-suffering in this arrangement, but it was actually she who requested you join her in the loft bed a few weeks before your birthday.  

In short, we are over the moon for our funny, spunky, smart and fashionable sweet Sissy!

15

Speaking of milestones, someone is now 1.25 years old.  And, he couldn't be happier.

What's new, Jackaroo?

You've been walking for 5 months now.  We get a lot of comments about how steady and mobile you are for your age.  You have never been one to just sit back and relax.  Now, you are not only walking, but running and climbing on everything.  You can climb up to the back of the couch pretty quickly.  In fact, I just now rescued you from the top of the coffee table.  We have to be extra careful to make sure that your sisters' bedroom door is always closed because you can and will climb up to the top of the loft bed ladder.  Boys!

You've started talking, too.  You love to jibber jabber especially to Penny.  But, you have also mastered a few words in English.  You can say dada, mama, hi, more, wow, yeah, uh-oh and a very close approximation to there he is and there it is.  You can also wave goodbye, nod your head yes and shake your head no - your favorite!  When you're not saying actual words, you like to practice saying guh-guh-guh over and over.  Your receptive language is exploding as well.  You usually understand what we're saying to you.  The other day, I asked "Do you want to go bye-bye?" and you ran to the door expectantly.  You may not have very many words that you verbalize, but you certainly are communicative.  For several months, you've been in the habit of pushing dada and me to the pantry if you want a snack or to your room if you want to show us something or to the door if you want to go outside.  I love how you are able to make your needs known.

When you were still just a few months old, one of my friends warned me about the internal noisemaker that boys seem to discover right around their first birthday.  Boy was that true!  You have discovered your noise maker, and moreover, you love it.  Often we know exactly where you are because we can hear your motor running!

You adore your dog.  You look for her every morning when you get up, and you are so excited when she makes her appearance.  Although Penny gets a little tired of your, umm, enthusiastic attention, you make it up to her by sharing your food with her whenever you get the chance.  You were thrilled when I let you hold the leash while we were getting ready for a walk one evening.  Penny, however, was nonplussed.  Regardless, you actually did quite a good job with her.  Unlike your sisters, you are not one to bend to the will and whim of your four legged friend.

What's the most fun is seeing your natural 'boy-ness' come through.  There's no doubt that you are of the male species.  This picture cracks me up.

I didn't even know you could open the hood of the Barbie jeep, but that's one of the first things you did.  You've also been known to push that thing strong-man style about the yard.  

But, most of all, I love your cuddles.  You are such  a sweet boy.  And, I love that you save most of your cuddles for me.  You will bury your head in the crook of my neck with your arms around my shoulders.  You will stay there happy and content occasionally kicking one of your little legs.  It is one of my very favorite things.  

Oh, sweet boy, how I love you so!

6

I cannot believe I'm writing this post.  I have a six year old.  I can't even really call her a preschooler any more, though technically that term expired on her birthday last year.  I am coming to grips with the fact that we have aged out of day-time lessons and classes.  As well as the fact that I should expect to hear many more questions when I'm out and about during the school year with my entire brood.  Cora, however, could not be more thrilled with her new age and maturity.  

What's new crazy girl?

You've finally lost your first tooth.

Little lady, you're a bit of an enigma to me.  You can be a bit on the dramatic side...wonder where you got that trait?!  But, losing a tooth was the simplest thing in the world.  You were so excited after your bath one night as you explained to me how your tooth was really loose all of the sudden.  I asked if you wanted me to pull it, and the answer was an emphatic no.  But, not five minutes later, I heard you scream from the bathroom "Mom, something AWESOME just happened!"  Sure enough, there was that tooth right in your hands.  Seems that you're much braver than I give you credit for!  After a quick text letting the tooth fairy know that he needed to pick up some cash on the way home from choir practice, we inaugurated the tooth fairy pillow with that precious little token of your vanishing babyhood.  I love seeing that sweet gapped grin.  

You are a reading, writing, calculating machine.  We finished our first year of homeschooling and Classical Conversations.  It was an adventure to say the least, but you seem to have come out of it with a solid foundation in reading and math.  You have recently come to the realization that you like to read everything around you - birthday cards, signposts, menus at restaurants, the caller id.  Also, you love to send e mails and to text.  I remember coming into the kitchen and seeing you and Carys huddled over my phone sending a text to Daddy.  Here's a sample from a couple of months ago.  I had to translate a little (my cheats are in parentheses), but over all I'm pretty excited at her progress.  I know it's fun for her daddy to get these texts, too. 

I'm really looking forward to Cora ISD starting up again in a few weeks.  Now that we have our first year under our belt, I'm anticipating you taking leaps and bounds in your schooling.

This year, you've really started to develop your preferences especially in sports.  You and your sister received a basketball goal from Santa this year, and while you enjoy playing basketball, your real preference, most ironically, seems to be baseball.  You love to play baseball every night after dinner.  You've even become quite the critic of your dad's and my pitching.  I probably am the one who most often hears, "Whoa! That was a ball!" You've also learned to ride a bike again to the huge surprise of this mamacita.  I expected it to be a huge dramatic saga, but it turns out, you just decided to hop on a bike at a friend's house this year.  And, that was that.  You received your very own two wheeler for your birthday last month.  This year we've been concentrating on you becoming a proficient swimmer, but you also took your first dance lessons.  While you enjoyed the lessons, I could tell that your favorite part by far was singing the songs.  Still, I was so proud of you up there on stage.  

Speaking of singing, you are quite the diva.  I love to hear your sweet voice - even if it is singing the same song for the thousandth time that day.  Like everyone else in the world, it seems, you love Frozen.  You've learned each of the songs and love to sing them all.  It was a big thrill for you when Daddy let you record yourself singing several of the songs.  My favorite, by far, is when you sing "Love is an Open Door" with Daddy.  I love the innocence with which you sing that silly little song.  Melts my heart every time! (Note: to see the youtube clip, you will have to watch on a pc.)

You have grown much more tolerant of foods.  I think this is because you have discovered dessert.  You will suffer through almost anything in order to have a couple of oreos or some chocolate ice cream.  Like almost every other kid in the US, your favorite food is pizza.  You absolutely love pizza from Little Ceasar's.  If it's been a few weeks since we've had it, I often hear, "I sure do love pizza from Little Ceasar's, Mom."  Subtlety is not your strong suit.  You also love fruit, carrots, peanut butter, and sticks (otherwise known as chow mein noodles).  

You remain a very caring and enthusiastic big sister.  You are so patient and kind with Carys.  You love teaching her and helping her with her speech.  I was so proud of you the other night when Daddy and I were busy with a chore that needed to be finished.  I asked you to help Sissy with the bedtime routine and to read her a story and to say your prayers.  You were so sweet with her. I loved peeking in on you and seeing you read to her.  She was watching you with such love.  Those kinds of moments bless me so! Most of your mothering energy is concentrated on Jackson.  You were thrilled when you realized you were able to pick him up.  You love helping him and cuddling him.  And, the feeling is pretty much mutual with both siblings.  They adore you, too.  I love to hear you talk about the future.  Right now, your goal is to grow up and get married and be a mommy.  You told me that when you grow up and get married, you would like to have a house with a toaster oven.  I'm pretty sure that can be arranged, sweet girl!  I know that your sweet nature will make you a wonderful wife and mother.  

There is so much more that I could go into and share, but just know, sweet girl, that I love you so.  You are my best Cora, and I'm thankful that God chose me to be your mommy.  

1

I'm a little emotional today.

Not going to hide it.
 
These milestones are so exciting, but they are so much harder when it is the last one.  I may or may not have a tear sliding down my cheek right now.

Nevertheless, it is still exciting to celebrate these milestones with my sweet little man.  I'm biased, but I just love this bluebonnet picture of him.  It makes me want to reach into my computer and squeeze those precious cheeks!  So, what's happening Bubs?

Little big man, you are now 27 3/4 inches tall (>3rd percentile) and 18 lbs, 12 oz (>3rd percentile).  Your head circumference is 47 cm (64th percentile). You are still my cute little pumpkin head.  It is a little jarring to see you with the 'older kids' at church.   Because you are so incredibly mobile, you've already graduated to the older class.  I saw you looking for me at the gate when I was coming to pick you up.  At first, I thought you were kneeling down.  Nope!  Turns out you were standing straight and tall next to the much taller kiddos.  Maybe there's a big growth spurt in your future!

Despite your stature, you are a social butterfly.  I am truly amazed at your innate charisma.  You charmed the entire waiting room while Sissy was at speech.  This included an older gentleman sitting on his walker whom you convinced to pick you up and give you a horsey ride.

And that is not to mention the entire crew of older gentlemen who play racquetball on Wednesdays while your sisters are in dance classes.  It is a constant chorus of "Hey, Jackson!" and "How's it going, Buddy?"  You have even convinced several of them to let you borrow their racquets which you promptly bang as hard as you can against the floor while they chuckle adoringly.  It was not entirely surprising that one of them presented you with your very own racquetball yesterday.  Clearly, you know how to work a room.

As far as eating goes, you love anything that I'm eating.  You could have the same thing on your plate, but you want mine.  So, needless to say, you remain enthusiastic about food.  One of your more unusual favorites as of late is tomato basil lentil snaps.  I can thank the sample tray at Sprouts for this unusual snack.  Strangely enough, though, you did not enjoy the cupcakes I baked for your birthday.  You enjoyed smashing it up, but you did not like eating it.  You may be the only kid in history that doesn't really love cake.
You are (finally) sleeping through the night.  It turns out my limit for night wakings is 11 months, 4 days.  We sleep trained the next night.  You were actually quite easy to sleep train.  And, now you sleep like a champ.  You go down between 7:30 and 8 and wake up between 7:30 and 8.  You take one long midday nap.

You have become quite an affectionate little thing.  You will walk up and give our legs sweet hugs.  Sometimes, you will cuddle your head right in the crook of my neck.  You will lay there for a minute before you're ready to go play again.  It touches my heart every time.

You are growing into a special young man.  We are so thankful for our sweet little Bubsy!

Carys' Kidisms: Competitive Much? Edition

At some point in the past six years, I somehow got my children signed up to participate in research studies at the language lab of the local state university.  Cora has participated numerous times, and true to character, she enjoys being the center of attention while she is there.  Carys, on the other hand, is a bit of a wild card.  She can be outgoing and loud and silly.  Or, she can be shy and reserved combined with stubborn which makes her lips tighter than Fort Knox.  And, as true to her character, you never can predict which personality will shine through.  So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I attempted to prepare her for her first visit to the lab.  She assured me that she was going to happily participate in the process.  But, you never know...  Fortunately, the toys and the computers and the games won her over.  Today, she decided to be her fun and silly self.

Parents are not allowed in the testing area, but I was able to listen from the ante room while Sister and Bubsy played.  It was hilarious to hear some of her responses.  My favorite response today by far, was when the proctors were using pictures to attempt to get her to identify degrees of adjectives - you know, like hard, harder, hardest.  It sounded a little something like this:
Proctor:  This girl is fast; this girl is ?
Carys:  Faster!
Proctor:  Right, and this girl is ?
Carys:  The winner!!
I was giggling when I heard her say that.  She wasn't exactly wrong in her estimation.  I just love her thought process and the triumph in her voice when she said it.  She is definitely one of a kind!

Eleven

31 days...

Only 31 days until I no longer have a baby at home.

31 days until you are officially classified as a toddler.  Although, with your speed and mobility, I fear I can't classify you as a baby right now anyway. My, my, my!

So, Jackson, what's new?

You are walking everywhere now.  Very rarely do you crawl.  We have even seen you attempt to run.  Like your sisters, you love to be chased.  You will go as fast as your little legs will carry you and then squeal with joy when we catch you.  You also love to climb.  You will climb stairs when you are around them.  We have also had to peel you off of the second rung of the ladder to the loft bed.  It seems that you are all boy!

Since you are walking non-stop, you've slimmed down a bit.  You've definitely grown taller.  You're finally in your 9 month jammies, but it appears to me that you've lost a little bit of your baby pudge.  Your tummy seems slimmer; your thighs seem slimmer. I'm curious to see your measurements when we go to your one year well check.

Even though you seem to be slimming down, you love to eat and continue to be very adventurous.  Tonight you enjoyed chicken broccoli rice casserole.  You also enjoy chili, pizza, bananas, yogurt, black beans, and of course, crackers.  You prefer to eat standing next to my chair.  We prefer you to sit in your high chair, but you have decided that high chairs are not for you.  You demonstrated this by wriggling out of the straps and climbing onto the tray.  You are quite the little Houdini!

Now that you're in your own room, you seem to enjoy being in your own space.  You love to play with your toys.  After you nurse, you will just roll off my lap and head for your toys.  You love the trucks.  In fact, when you decided it was play time last night at 4 am, I finally ended up just putting a truck in your crib with you.  After you played for a bit, you went right back to sleep.  I think the truck may need to live in your crib from now on.

Oddly enough, you seem to have strawberry blonde hair. You are definitely a blondie, but often when I look at your hair, it really seems to have a red tint to it.  If you didn't look almost exactly like your P-pa as a baby, I might begin to question your parentage.  You have a lovely and infectious smile.  And, generally, you have a sweet disposition.  For the most part, you are only irritable when tired or hungry.

We love you very much, little man!  We are so thankful you are part of our family!

Ten

It's official.
I'm in denial.
Ten.
This cannot be possible!

In other impossible news, you're WALKING.  Even though I knew this was inevitable, I still watch in disbelief every time you toddle across the floor.  It seems you're a pretty determined little fellow.  You still walk as if you've been riding a horse all day, but you've already figured out how to walk about while swinging my broom around - which by the way, you procured by sticking your teeny arms as far as you could between the fridge and the wall.  This is why we must keep most doors in the house closed.

You love to eat.  You have the benefit of having had two siblings come before you.  I was telling someone the other day that with Cora, we went pretty much by the book.  One food at a time; wait three days before starting anything new; temperature sensitive spoons; the whole nine yards!  With you, however, those rules have gone out the window.  In fact, the other day, I found myself feeding you baked potato off of my own fork.  Yesterday, you tried your first lo mein with an eggroll, and you loved it.  It's so much fun to watch you try and enjoy all these new things.

Your 8th tooth finally broke through.  Bless your heart!  You've been working on that tooth for months now.  Hopefully, you are done with teething for a few months at least.  But, I won't hold my breath.  You're in a hurry to do everything except sleep through the night.  Speaking of sleeping through the night, Mama would love it if that would be your next milestone.  I know sleep training is always an option, but I am so hesitant to quit those night time feedings when you are still so small for your age.  Talk to me next month, and I may sing a different tune.  The thought of getting 8 uninterrupted hours sounds positively euphoric.

Speaking of nursing, you have developed the funniest habit during the day.  You will get your fill, and then randomly unlatch, give a little thank you grunt, and simply roll off of my lap.  It cracks me up every single time.  The girls would cuddle a little or at least wait until I put them down.  But, you, little man, you apparently have important things on your agenda.  No time to wait for Mama when you can just roll on down to the floor!

You are increasingly vocal.  Your newest and favorite sound is a very deep grunt.  You will happily chatter with anyone should they grunt back at you.  You haven't really said your first word yet, though you have babbled what sounds like "Dada" a couple of times.  Needless to say, I've been working over time trying to get you to say "Mama."  You love to listen to Daddy sing.  You will watch him and try your level best to add some harmony.  I'm looking forward to when all four of my dearest loves will be able to sing together.

Bubs, you bring so much joy to our family!  I can't wait to see what this month brings!

Cora and Carys's Kidisms: Knife in My Heart Edition

I can't think of any mom I know who wouldn't agree that her kids are the lights of her life.  But, y'all, let's just be honest; sometimes (maybe more often than not), my kids' bedtime is one of the best times of my day.  Not that I don't adore spending time with my children.  I absolutely love being a stay at home mom.  It's just that bedtime is the time of the day that I can do whatever I want without fear of having to abandon my task to wipe someone's something.  As John has not been tasked with wiping various body parts throughout the day, he is not nearly as anxious to turn out the light and close the door on the kids.  Somehow, the girls have conned him into laying down with them at night when they are trying to get to sleep.  So as a special treat, John will lay down with them for a few minutes on the nights when he doesn't have to work the next day.  The girls really look forward to those nights.  Sadly, this past week, John was not feeling well and wasn't sure if he was contagious or not.  Cora, especially, was really disappointed that Daddy couldn't lay down with her.  And, because apparently, I am easily swayed by the disappointment of my kiddos, I told them I would lie with them for a while.  Cue the excited squeals.

What they didn't know is that Mama is not fun like Daddy.  My plan was for them to lie quietly and to drift off to sleep.  Their plan was to talk and sing and play ponies on me while I lay next to them.  After telling them both a couple of times to lie down and be quiet, sweet baby Carys finally piped up with her opinion about the situation:

Carys:  "Mommy?"
Me:  "Yes, baby?"
Carys: (in her sweet little voice) "I don't think I want you here."

(Cue Mama's quivering lip and wounded heart.)

Me: (feigning heartbreak)  "You don't want me?"
Carys: (smiling) "Nope."

I couldn't help but giggle a bit.  Gotta love a 3 year old's honesty!  The nail in the coffin of my dignity came from Cora:

Cora:  (perking up as I started to get out of bed) "You're leaving?"
Me: "Yup."
Cora:  "Yaaaaayyyyyy!!"

I guess I'm going to leave the bed time ritual to Daddy!

The Verdict is In

My little pickle had her speech evaluation last Wednesday.  We took her to a local rehab place where she had the full and utter attention of not only the speech pathologist, but also two interns.  I'm sure she was loving all that undivided attention!  I didn't get to actually observe the process because I had my entire entourage in tow.  The speech path wisely reasoned that Carys would hardly be able to get a word in edgewise with her 'helpful' big sister about.  After a small moment of hesitation, Carys agreed to stay with the therapist while we waited in the waiting room.  When all was said and done, Carys tested at about 2 years, 4 months with her speech.  Fortunately, she has an articulation/speech disorder, not a language disorder - meaning she doesn't have a problem coming up with what to say; she simply needs help saying it properly.  We start speech next Friday.  I think Carys is going to enjoy having an activity of her own away from Sister.  In fact, one of the suggestions that the therapist made was that we find an activity for Carys to participate on her own.  Coincidentally, our family policy is to begin sports type activities at age 3.  I'm thinking the little pixie will enjoy a fun dance class.  Meanwhile, I'll be over here coming to grips with the fact that she won't be saying 'fwyer' (flower) and 'tootie' (cookie) for much longer.  I keep reminding myself that it won't be cute when she's 12, but there's a huge part of me that will miss the baby talk.  I have a feeling I will incessantly record her talking all week.  Letting go can be so bittersweet!

Nine

You're NINE whopping months old, little mister.  75% of the way to your first birthday...have mercy!

What's up, little buddy?

At long last, you are in your own room.  You  love it.  You go down for naps so easily in your crib.  You've gotten yourself into a nice little routine with a mid-morning nap, a late afternoon nap, and an 8 o'clock bedtime.  You are still not sleeping through the night, but you wake up predictably between 12:30 and 1:30 and then between 4:30 and 5:30.  You are up for the day between 8 and 8:30.  Like Sissy, you've found a lovey.  You selected your brightly colored minky blanket.  You love cuddling up with it when you're tired.  I often find you wrapped up in your blanket while you sleep.

Thanks to the grandparents and to the fact that you have two siblings, your room is well stocked with toys.

Your favorite seems to be the push popper, though it seems to be a love-hate relationship.  You alternate between fascination and frustration as you swing that puppy around.  It's very entertaining to watch. Speaking of puppies, you adore Penny.  You will make a beeline for her when you see her come in the door. Fortunately for you, Penny is a very patient puppy.  She tolerates your grabby hands with a resigned patience.  It may be mostly because she gets amply rewarded for her good behavior around you.  Plus, she knows she can escape to Auntie Linda's when she grows tired of your chubby little hands.  Either way, you both get some joy out of the relationship.  

You took your first step on New Year's Eve.  It bears repeating, have mercy!  You don't yet love walking.  I think it is mostly due to the fact that immediately after your very first step, you took a header into the tile floor.  You were quite miffed, to say the least.  But, you have taken a step or two here and there.  You will, however, walk for miles as long as you are holding onto someone or something.

You still have 7 teeth.  It seems like you have been trying to get that last tooth for-flippin'-ever!  I'm sure you're tired of it, too.  I was so sure that it was coming in this past week, but no dice.  You love to put those seven chompers to good use, though.  You have a healthy appetite and a healthy interest in food.  Some of your new favorites are Mema's vegetable beef soup, carrots, chicken, graham crackers and yogurt. You also love chocolate cake donuts thanks to Sissy who generously decided to share hers on the way to church last week.

It must be the donuts that are helping you maintain that robust tummy and thighs.  You weigh 18 pounds, 2 ounces which puts you in the 26th percentile.  Bless your sweet little heart, you are 26 1/4 inches tall which doesn't even put you on the chart for height even though you grew an inch and a half.  So, you've lost percentile points in weight and height, but, little man, you continue to gain in head circumference.  You are up to the 95th percentile for brains after growing another 3/4 of an inch!  No wonder it's so hard to get those onesies over your sweet little head.

I wish I had a dollar for every person who told me while I was pregnant how sweet on me you would be.  I think I finally understand how John feels about our girls - and how they feel about him.  You light up when you see me, and it melts my heart every time.  Little buddy, we are so thankful God put you in our family!

Stats

Little peanut had her three year check-up last week.  My little dynamo is up to a whopping 25 pounds and 35 inches.  This puts her at about the 2nd percentile for weight and the 8th percentile for height.  I'm always pleased and relieved to see that she has continued on her own little growth curve.    She did great in just about every aspect of her check-up, even patiently enduring a hearing test which she easily passed.  My only concern remains her speech.  We did receive a referral for a speech evaluation.  It is likely a simple tongue placement issue that is preventing her from forming her hard c's and g's correctly, and we will know after next week what, if anything, is the appropriate course of action.  I feel like it's a bit of a catch-22, though.  If, in fact, this is not something she will naturally grow out of, I certainly don't want it to fossilize in her little mind.  But, I sometimes feel like her precious childhood is zooming by.  Losing her quirky pronunciation would be just one more sign that she is growing up.  sigh  How I love this little pixie!

Three!

I put the exclamation mark for you, sweet pickle, because every time I asked you how old you are today, you would give me a thumbs-up!

It never fails that on this day, I especially recall your birth story.  What a grand entrance you made!  I still chuckle when I think about trying to get back into the locked Starbucks in Rivercenter Mall, so that I could tell Daddy that we had to go to the hospital.  What a special Christmas memory that made!

So, you're three, big girl!  You are definitely not a baby any more.  You're still diminutive in stature, but you have big personality!  What's new, little pickle?

One of the biggest changes is that you are finally forward facing in your car seat.  We waited quite a long time to turn you.  Maybe I'm being over-protective, but your petite stature made me want to protect you for as long as possible.  Not once did you ever complain about being rear-facing, but you sure did enjoy being able to see the sights at the Christmas lights trail from your new vantage point.

Over this past year, your personality has really started to bloom.  You have proven yourself to be quite the entertainer and comedienne.  I think the phrase I've heard most from you this year is "Mommy, watch me!"  Followed shortly thereafter by a triumphant "I did it!"  Like the rest of your family, you also love to sing.  You have a sweet little voice, and your accent and speech impediments make it all the more endearing.  I told Daddy tonight how sad I will be when "Twinkle, Twinkle" no longer has the cute little quirks that you add to it.

In addition to revealing to us new facets of your personality, you have also begun to reveal to us your broadening interests.  Your main interest as a three year old appears to be ponies.  You love horses of all kinds.  In fact, for Halloween, you dressed as a unicorn.  The costume is big and fluffy, and more often than not, you treat it as a big stuffed toy for imaginative play.  For your birthday today, you got two giant (quite literally as big as you are) stuffed My Little Ponies.  Your sweet face was priceless when you opened them up.

You have proven to be pretty determined in feats of physical daring.  Mama's trying hard to remember to let you explore without a smothering safety net, but sometimes it can be really hard for me - especially when you've triumphantly climbed up a stack of chairs at least 4 feet tall at Sister's swim lessons.  You can frequently be found climbing on and jumping off of various pieces of furniture or riding your scooter and trike.  The other day, out of the blue, you showed me that you can do a forward roll already.  I'm excited to see how you manage the basketball and basketball goal that I hear Santa may be bringing.

Of course, you have grown intellectually as well.  You are quite the talker, though sometimes you have to repeat yourself to be understood.  I love having conversations with you because you have proven time and time again how clever you are.  Just today, I called you 'crazy pants.'  You responded promptly, "I'm not crazy pants."  I asked, "Silly pants?"  To which you replied, "No! I'm not wearing pants!"  Touche, little one.

One of the things that touches my heart the most is your sweet love for your Sister.  I pray that this never changes because your relationship is so very precious.  I love that nine times out of ten you choose to call her Sister.  You like to do what Cora does; you like to be where Cora is.  I pray that you both always cherish this special relationship.

We sure do love our sweet, silly, sassy, smart, spunky little girl!

Eight

I blinked and you turned 8 months.  This cannot be possible!

So, what's new little man?

You remain my cuddly little snuggler.  You love to nuzzle your head right on my neck and shoulder.  I love it.  Especially at night, you love to rock and cuddle with me.  Other times during the day, you are simply too busy to be bothered.  Though you are not quite walking, you are certainly fearless in your mobility.  We have resorted in keeping all doors in the house closed as you favorite 'toys' seem to be Sissy's training potty and any of the seemingly millions of small toys/choking hazards in your sisters' room.

Speaking of mobility, you are getting very near to being able to walk.  You can nearly always be found standing, and you have on occasion stood up with no support.  Most recently, you figured out how to use certain toys as walkers.  I feel like it will not be too many more weeks before you're walking or, dare I say it, running!

Unfortunately for you, teething has been quite the ordeal.  You are up to 7 possibly 8 teeth, but boy have they been bothersome.  In fact, we had to pick you up early from Parent's Night Out last night because you were just so uncomfortable.  I hope this means you are almost finished with teething for a while.  How many more teeth does an eight month old even need?!

You love your voice.  You love to talk and to sing.  During Daddy's and Sister's choir concert last weekend, you felt that there needed to be some vocals during the orchestra's numbers.  I'm sure we will not have to remind you to project your voice.  You made sure to sing loud and proud!

At 8 months, you are finally beginning to enjoy solid foods.  You love to feed yourself and are now becoming more proficient at it.  You especially love yogurt melts and cheerios.  We are fairly certain you are not allergic to peanuts since Sissy decided to be helpful and feed you some of her peanut butter cheerios this morning.  You were quite happy about that.  (And, sweet Sissy was so proud of herself for 'helping'!)

I hate to admit this, but you love BabyTV.  I'm sure you get to watch way more of it than you probably should, but sometimes Mama needs to cook or clean or fold clothes or go to the bathroom!  There are certain sketches that make you squeal with delight.  Ironically, your sisters like to watch, too.  Win-win for Mama!

We certainly do adore our sweet, little man!

Seven

Little Big Man, you're seven months old.  You seem to be in an enormous hurry to grow up, big guy!

I was not mistaken when I surmised last month that you would be crawling soon.  About two days after I posted your six month post, you figured it out.  There's no stopping you now.  You are anywhere and everywhere.  You especially love to be in your sisters' room.  This is probably because it is the forbidden fruit.  With so many small toys and miscellaneous choking hazards, you don't get to be in there very often.

And, as if crawling around wasn't enough of a milestone, you also decided that it was time to start standing up.  Now, you pull up on everything: tables, couches, people, toys, dogs...  Penny is learning to keep her distance.  One of your favorite things to do is to crawl over to the windows by the front door and peer out at our neighborhood.  You're nosy like your mama.

Last week, I was folding clothes on the living room floor.  You crawled up to me and pulled yourself to a stand.  Suddenly, I didn't feel your little hands on my back anymore.  When I looked around, you were standing in the middle of the floor all by yourself.  The exact words from my mouth were "What are you doing?!"  Mamacita was caught quite off guard.  Although you love to stand, your balance isn't great just yet (hallelujah!).  I don't anticipate you walking soon, but you seem to enjoy proving me wrong.

You have developed a bit of a love-hate relationship with foods.  You like the idea of it, but not necessarily the actual food.  You've tried bananas, oatmeal, strawberries, apples, yogurt, and a bbq beef sandwich.  Yep, you're a real Texan now.  Miss Laura didn't know how grabby you are when she was holding you at our church fall festival.  I'm told you were quite upset with her when she wrestled her sandwich out of your tiny fist.   Despite your enthusiasm, you still have a bit of a sensitive tummy, and you don't seem to really enjoy the actual process of eating.  We thought we had struck gold when Daddy made you some fancified oatmeal.  You gobbled up the first few bites until your lip started to swell up a bit.  Turns out, you have a sensitivity to cinnamon.  If the internet can be trusted, you will likely grow out of it.  But, for now, it's back to bland cereal, fruits and veggies.  Pity, since now you have six (SIX!) teeth with which to gobble all the yummy food.  I have a feeling, though, that in your teen years, I will wish we were back to the days where your nutritional needs were so inexpensive!

Your personality continues to unfold before us.  You remain a sweet and joyous little boy.  Just today, in fact, as we were checking out at the grocery store, you began to fuss from being confined in your car seat.  But, as soon as the cashier started talking to you, you smiled and cooed.  You never miss an opportunity to flirt with the ladies. You love to talk and sing.  Perhaps it is because you are a boy - I am told they come with non-stop sound effects - that you generally make some sort of noise at all times.  Even as you crawl about, you make this sweet little happy grunting sound.  If you are not using your voice to make noise, you tend to insist on having something at hand that makes noise.  Your favorite seems to be a set of plastic keys that makes a satisfying clacking noise.

Happy seven months, Jackson!  You are our special little man and just what our family needed!