December Days

Between our old camera dying, getting a new computer set up, and figuring out the new camera, I have lost my blogging rhythm...if I ever even had one. We had a great Thanksgiving with family, but no pictures to post, so I'll jump into December.

Last week we took a little field trip to the N.O. Aquarium. T decided last minute to go along, and I must have given thanks 2 dozen times that he did. We met a few friends from our co-op there, but I don't know how I would have gotten the kids in and out and made the drive home by myself. We had a great time; the girls loved it and it was especially cool for AG since her co-op science class has been studying aquatic animals this fall.










In other news, RL has totally taken off with walking since the beginnning of the month. At Thanksgiving, he was taking 4-5 steps occasionally, but he was still primarily a crawler. In the last few weeks he's started wobble-walking all over the place, and when he loses his balance, he gets back up and walks more instead of just crawling. It's easy to see how proud he is of himself! Hope I can get some good video of it soon!

He surprised me one night after his bath. I was putting some things away in his room while he played on the floor, and when I turned around this is what I saw:

We've never put him on the bouncy zebra before, but he figured it out and did it himself!

He also got his first haircut while we were at Nana and Grandpa's for Thanksgiving... and I have got a lot to learn about trimming boy hair! It automatically made him look so much older and I think he looks so cute, but it's a good thing there are not any close-up shots of it.

Fall Frenzy

Wow, it seems like yesterday it was Halloween and suddenly half of November is gone! We've been busy and our camera is on its last leg, but here's the best of what I've taken lately.

The girls at the zoo on RL's birthday...LL wearing the clown suit my mom made me when I was about her age, and SJ wearing my first dance costume.


Sisterly love!


We never made it to a pumpkin patch, so on Halloween day after church I took a few of the kids in our yard with the pumpkin which became our jack-o-lantern a few hours later...






What's this?


Gotta really check it out...


5 little pumpkins


Sunday afternoon snuggle fest


Trick-or-treating around the neighborhood...notice the costume changes since the previous weekend at the zoo. The original plan AG and LL came up with was to just switch costumes on Halloween so AG could be the clown and LL could be a princess. At the last minute AG decided she wanted to be Pollyanna, so we threw this together using a passed-along dress, hat, and suitcase. Even though very few people, if any, probably knew who she was, it made me so happy!


So that's a wrap on our October...finally!

A little more about RL...

A few more "birthday" updates on our little guy:

Official weight at well-check on Oct. 29: 20 pounds, 11 ounces. I had hoped he'd be at least 20 pounds, but wasn't sure. He's loving his new view as he faces forward in his carseat!

He's cut two more teeth in the last week, top and bottom "partners", to complete the front four on top and bottom now. Several people have commented lately, "Look at those teeth!"

Last Thursday he took about 5 steps without holding onto anything! This was sort of sudden, and has only happened once or twice since then. I wouldn't say he's really even cruising much, but he's getting better at balancing and when the mood strikes, he'll get his feet moving.

Last night at bedtime he very suddenly said, "Nigh nigh" and I am so glad AG was there with me to hear it or else I might have thought I imagined it! When we brought him out of his room to see if he'd sat it again to T and the other girls, he looked a little baffled and reverted to the sweet goodnight wave he's been doing the last few weeks. He's doing a ton of pointing and very deliberate babbling, but "Ligh" is still his only consistent word.

He'll sit still for a short book or two sometimes, but he really dislikes being held back, especially to be dressed. He can make some of the loudest protest noises I've ever heard!

He likes his new swing:


He'll drink from a cup pretty well at times, but often holds it upside down.


He's a mess, but such a fun one!

SJ Sweetness

SJ has always been such a sweetie, but lately it seems that she is constantly saying or doing something that makes us laugh out loud. First, my personal favorite for obvious reasons as you'll see, is that several weeks ago she declared about her own tummy," This is Mommy's tummy...Mommy is in charge of my belly button." To say that is a role to be coveted is putting it mildly. She is quite a cuddly little girl, and if ever there has been a tummy worth vying for at our house it is hers, so I was delighted with this announcement. Since then T has managed to be worked back into the "in charge of the tummy" picture to the point where the last time the topic came up, we were given joint custody. I'm happy to share :)

When T was not feeling well a few weeks ago she heard me comment that maybe he had "a bug." Later she said, "I think he's sick...that fly got him!"

A few nights ago while we were getting settled to read a story, she got up from her seat beside T and moved down the sofa to sit by me. He made a lighthearted comment about it, and she explained, "I wanted to sit by somebody older." Well, good choice! I have no idea if she really understands that I am a little older than he is, but good thing I am not sensitive about my age...:)

She is a super-eager prayer. Before meals or at bedtime the words, "Let's pray" are not even off our lips before she is getting started. She always remembers to pray for people who are sick, and this week that has included "people with scratches, people with bruises, and people with blisters" so if you are in one of those categories, be encouraged that you are being lifted up!

Earlier today she chose a pair of day-of-the-week panties to wear, and though it's Wednesday, she wore "Sunday" the rest of the afternoon. Tonight as she was changing into her pj's, I heard her tell T, "These say "Church"!"

Look who's on two wheels...

After just a few short lessons with T running alongside, she took off. Just one of the ways our eldest is reminding us that she's growing up...

365 Days

It's official: our son is 1! We celebrated RL's first birthday for the first time a week early while our families were here on LL's birthday. Since Nana's birthday is the 17th and RL's the 23rd, after LL's Narnia party we broke out another cake and partied all over again!

Nana and RL, the guests of honor


His first real cake...a yummy carrot cake Gran made


He gobbled it all up, probably in record time!


The almost-birthday boy with his admiring sisters


Gran, PopPop, and Uncle David with the kids on the 16th


Last Saturday, the 23rd, was RL'a actual birthday. We went to Boo at the Zoo that morning...a fun outing to mark his big day! He rode along and watched all the action of the dressed up kids around him (and maybe noticed a few of the animals, too!) with great interest.




That afternoon, he got a fun new toy and had a great time figuring it out with a little help from AG.



He got so excited with the hammer that he banged himself in the head a few times and didn't even mind.


Birthday dessert: pumpkin cheesecake. Not the least messy option, but he enjoyed it!






Our time with him so far has flown! He is so full of energy and ready to take on the world now, it seems. "Ligh" is still his only consistent word and "more" his standard mealtime sign, but his range of sounds is very impressive! He's starting to cruise and balance for a few seconds, but he seems in no hurry to walk as he can cover some territory quickly as a crawler. Favorite foods: bananas, peas, cheese toast, oatmeal, and anything with a touch of marinara. He loves the attention of his sisters (thankfully!) and still requires one of the two raggedy-eared "Ralphs" at nap and bedtimes. And, be still my heart, it appears he is a hugger! Getting a little squeeze with his little arms around my neck is precious enough to make me glad I got woken up at 5:00 a.m.! While he's happy to see me in the mornings, he's definitely glad to see T when he gets home from work. He immediately wants to go to T...understandably...he's been surrounded by girls most of the day! And, after 51 weeks of ups and downs with his sleeping, I am thrilled (and yet a little wary) to say that we're now on night 11 of his sleeping through from about 7:30 to about 5:30...major progress and relief! And another notable skill he's developed in the last week: drinking from a sippy cup. Previously, he was only interested in them as a throw toy, or maybe to occasionally chew on. Now he is really drinking, and today he even had some milk from a cup. We are all so thankful for his little guy and look forward to seeing how he grows and what he learns in the coming year.

Our LL is 5!

She made her entrance into our lives 5 years ago with surprising speed, and since then she has continued to display energy, eagerness, and enthusiasm in so many ways. We are so thankful for her, and for the way she brings such fun and joy to our home and hearts.

The last few months have seen her start music lessons, learn to read, and enjoy getting to "present" to her CC class. At home she is quick to offer her little brother a helping hand or a word or act of comfort or kindness when he needs it. She can easily outdo me when it comes to the memory work they are learning, and she is within centimeters of catching up with her big sister's height. But she still clings to her lovies with unwavering affection, though they now show close to 5 years wear, and she would be quick to tell you that the currency of choice here is often "Daddy snuggles"!

T is finishing up the Narnia series with them again, and LL requested a "Narnia party" a few months back. We did our best, though my creativity is lacking and Narnia items are hard to find since the L, W, and W movie is as old as LL is. But it was a fun day, and she was pleased. Here's a peek at LL's birthday festivities:

She opened her gifts from us that morning and was so happy to unwrap her own Bible, which she'd wished for out loud in previous weeks! She also got a couple of Narnia books on tape, and as she said tonight, "I can't stop listening to this story!"


A drill can come in handy in the most unexpected situations...


5 little princesses of Narnia...


The birthday girl and her big sister


SJ applied lipgloss non-stop!


I planned a balloon-popping game, not realizing that LL's toddlerhood wariness of loud noises would be unexpectedly revisited! She kept her distance and let her friends do all the popping...


The cake. Not exactly Cair Paravel, but it didn't fall apart :) We had "Aslan" standing nearby...though he didn't get in the photo. He was a little heavy for the top of the castle.


All the kids (and Gran holding RL) after singing Happy Birthday to LL


No turret was left standing. SJ said later, "I like turrets!"


RL enjoyed the party, too. Little did he know that right after LL's party he'd have one of his own...but more about that soon!