What we have been up to...

and tonight delivering to neighbors...

11 month old baby

Max (10.5 Months)

Sigh...today Max is 11 months.  I guess that means in another month we will be celebrating a first birthday, which I can hardly believe. Oh my...

Thanks for the pics Makila...

We have a sweet and very busy baby boy.  He was so happy to see his Daddy yesterday after a week of him being gone.  He even said "Dadada" as he drove into the driveway and he saw his smiling face.  It was the first time I really think he connected Daddy to the name.  He has been saying "Mama" while knowing, or so I think, for about 2 weeks.  When he's hungry or tired he comes crawling...."Mamamama"...it's the sweetest thing.  SO I am counting "Mama" as his first word and "Dada" as his second.

Max you are the happiest little guy with the cutest little growling noise.  We love your sweet sounds and your busy hands.  You love to open cabinets now and pull things out.  You pull yourself up on everything you can.  You even stand on your own for about 3 seconds when you let go.  You LOVE your big brothers.  Love to wrestle, and climb on them.  Love to pat them on the back.  You love to nurse and nurse and you love to sleep with us after about 4 in the morning.  You will eat ANYTHING we put in front of you, and you eat more real people food these days.  You love pizza, spaghetti, chicken, yogurt, graham crackers, applesauce and oatmeal baby food, chicken and noodles, puffs, Kix, cheerios and apple pie.  :)

You are getting busier and busier as you learn to crawl faster and faster.  You play really well by yourself in the green room (aka sunroom) or near Momma in the kitchen.  You are not a fan of Momma getting ready in the morning and you waiting in the bathroom.  You LOVE your new car seat, love sitting up more and not being smashed into it.  You LOVE music, and balls especially basketballs.  You will go to just about anyone.

 

Your sweet little shark hat and jammies after dropping your brothers off at school

You can high five, wave when you want, you can kiss when you want and snuggle up often.  You love to nap in your Momma's arms or on the floor in the family room.  You like to be close and you like a little noise.  You love to be held.  And we ALL love to hold you.

"helping" with the Christmas ornaments

You are a precious gift.  I love that you were born right after Chritsmas, it makes Christmas feel even more special to me.  I loved being pregnant at Christmas time.  I loved a baby born near Jesus' birthday.  Somehow it makes me feel a bond with Mary...boy am I glad there was no big traveling for me to Bethlehem at this time last year.  I love having you to Christmas shop with and for.  I love having you snuggle with me in the nights, I love watching you love on your Daddy and I love watching you bond with your big brothers.  You are so very special.

Happy 11 month birthday baby boy...

We love you so much,

Momma

Away in a Manger

My Dad sang this to me when I was little, it was the December goodnight song always (he sang me to sleep for years and years...)  So this week, with Scott gone, I have tried to change up Max's bedtime routine a little bit...not sure why but I have.  So I have been nursing him downstairs then read a book, and we head upstairs to rock in his room and sing.  And since it is December...you got it the theme lullaby was...  So tonight as I was singing "Away in the Manger" I got to the last verse and it choked me up and really got to me...

these are the words

Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay.

Close by me forever and love me I pray.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care.

And take us to heaven to live with thee there.

wow...those are powerful words.  Especially when sung to my baby, while our other 3 boys are tucked snuggly into their beds, Jack was asleep, his Christmas tree twinkling.  I sang that verse over and over and tried to soak up that prayer for each of our boys, for my Love and for me.  I pray that for our boys with my whole heart.  I pray that they stay close to our Lord Jesus...I pray that we will all be taken to heaven to live with Him there.

Big day for Max

January

 March

September

December

It was time to go into the BIG car seat. Mommy has put it off long enough.  With my winter coat on I feel like a squeezed marshmellow in this seat.  Today was my first day in the big seat  Still backwards, watching my big brothers...but I can breathe.  sigh * Mommy is sad.  She wants me to stay little.  Guess that means now I can ride in my stroller facing forward too.  Woo hoo for me!

Love, Max

Thanks for the Wisdom Dad

When my parents were here this weekend my Dad and I had a few minutes alone on Friday night while Scott and Grandma were putting boys to bed.  He shared some wisdom with me, that has really helped me relax a little.

Let me back up a minute, when they arrived Thursday night it was a typical night.  AS the boys walked through the kitchen, Tommy jumped to see if he could slap the overhang as he walked into the foyer.  While we were talking with my Dad he was throwing a ball up in the air and catching it.  Then Drew came in and layed on the floor with one of Max's balls and started tossing it.  Not that long after Jack was juggling the little balls Max plays with.  I think I mentioned not throwing, tossing or juggling balls 8 times in about 20 minutes.  Then Friday one was complaining about dress socks for the program, one had a milk mustache they were asked to wash off their face, TWICE.  During pot roast dinner, the food was all up for competition.  One asked is the other was going to eat the lefse on his plate and if he wasn't, he was taking it off his plate and eating it himself, which he did. The other "forgot" it was good manners to ask if anyone else would like the last piece of pot roast before he inhaled it, the food was GONE in an instant.  A typical night.  Shower time is always a race, who can go first, who can get done fastest and back down stairs....EVERYTHING is a competition in this house of BOYS.

So....my Dad said to me, with tears in his eyes.  How our house takes him back to being young.  He was the youngest of 4 boys.  He said he remembers his Mom saying the same things I had said over and over when he was young.  "Quit hitting the walls, quit bouncing and throwing balls", the food competition at dinner, the races...the whole thing.  He said our house is JUST like his was when he was young.  He said it made him laugh to himself.  I asked when it would get easier, less competitive or calmer,...he smiled in his calm smile he has and said "honey, it won't, this is how a house of 4 boys is"...he then went on and on raving about our boys, their kind hearts, sweet spirits, goodness, how very proud HE is of them.  All the things a Mom wants to hear but doesn't always SEE in the midst of the chaos of raising them.

I have thought about this a lot this week...it has allowed me to let go of some of my high expectations.  Knowing that this is normal, that our boys...are not out of the ordinary.  it's normal for them to compete, to fight, to argue, to constantly want to throw a ball ;)...but that in the end their kind hearts are shining through.

Thanks Dad, it's just what I needed.

I love you

One little note says it all

Scott left early this morning for the week, to Chicago.  EVERY year he has the same meeting in Chicago all week long.  It is exhausting for me and it is for him.  It's one of those meetings were there are thousands of people, literally thousands, in a HUGE hotel.  You ALWAYS run into someone you haven't seen in forever, you are always going to meetings, then lunches, then fancy steak dinners. (I have met him there in years past and I cannot keep up with it. SO TIRING) You get back to your hotel room around 11:00-12:00 every night and then turn on your computer to find emails..who has time to send emails?  Every one in his business is in CHICAGO?  But guess what, they find time.

It is exhausting for me, it's always the time of year where I am trying to finish up with the Christmas shopping, wrap gifts, throw in some traditions, making the boys' Shutterfly scrapbooks for Christmas, baking cookies, rushing the boys to their practices and games.  Throw in some memorable Christmas advent stuff, writing and stamping a bazillion Christmas cards and a busy 10 month old baby and call it a crazy, tiring week.

Here was the note the boys found on the table for them this morning...

Because we all know, that when Momma isn't happy no one is happy AND when Momma is happy...it makes for a much better week for EVERY ONE. (Scott knows that well, the boys are learning it too)

It made me smile!

Miss you Love..

Christmas Season

I love when it starts to really feel like Christmas Season...this week is when that all started here.  The house was decorated before, but this week with the boys' Christmas concert at school, Grandparents day and getting our tree today and the outside lights all up.  It feels like Christmas is coming.  I even got most of the boys gifts wrapped yesterday, thanks to having my parents here to help with Max.

 Jack singing

 Drew singing

Grandparents day after the program 

 Can you believe I found matching shirts?

I love these boys...

Do you ever just feel like a hamster running on a wheel?  You just work and work and go and go and you never get anything done?  Kind of an overwhelming feeling? That was me, about Tuesday and Wednesday..and maybe even Thursday.  My good friend Lori encouraged me to read along with her in a Bible plan...it's called Rediscovering Christmas.  And I am loving that, it gives you a daily scripture to read, on my phone, that just brings your heart and mind to Christmas.  I needed that focus, so thankful for friends who remind us of what's important.  I will admit I am the first to get frustrated when the house isn't clean, decorated when I want it to be, the laundry is overflowing, Scott is traveling, my boys are all talking at once, I feel overwhelmed with the daily ins and outs of caring for a family of 6.  Then I am reminded of the blessing each and every one of those things in.  I don't want to lose site of what is important this month, what REALLY matters is the heart of Christmas.  And the baby we celebrate.  I think of our dear friends, Gailen and Steph and how very sick he is right now, and how I would bet Steph has NONE of the above list on her radar right now.  I bet she doesn't care that her house isn't clean, maybe not decorated like she used to wish, laundry probably low on her list...none of that matters to her right now.  It reminds me to take a deep breath and drink in gratitude.

lunch today with grandma 

getting our tree, Max's first Christmas

 Max helping get the ornaments out and keeping track of the tissue paper

 Drew, my other ornament helper this year.  

I love December, I love Christmas season...I have always loved it.  I have so many wonderful memories in my life that have happened in December.....

Happy 40th birthday Mike

Today is my big brother Mike's 40th BIRTHDAY.  40...wow I still feel like he and I are about 13 and 14.  And nope he is 40.  (which means I am almost 39, yes my crazy mom had us almost exactly one year apart, can you imagine having a 1 year old and a couple weeks later a newborn too?? Crazy.  Of course she always would say I wasn't a surprise to God, maybe to her, but not to God...good answer Mom)

Back to Mike...I adore my big brother.  Love him!  I have SO many wonderful memories of him throughout my entire life.  We have been very close for almost as long as I can remember.  Perhaps we weren't as close at ages 5 and 6...or 8 and 9.  But I have wonderful stories to tell about our relationship...most are quite entertaining, some involve an ER, stitches, breakfast in bed, threats to beat up boyfriends, eggs in a frame, goulash, stealing pizza money, sharing our Ford Mustang hatchback, shoulder surgery, wisdom teeth, marriage and babies...oh my so many.  Almost every memory I have from childhood includes him in one way or another.  Even the annoying noises, the punches in the arm, the slamming of the doors, the irritating sound effects, the hiding in my room to jump out and scare me, the stuffed animals thrown to the top of my canopy bed...hmm all seem funny now. (most at least)  Sorry for the constant, "you were adopted and we aren't sure if we are keeping you" comments on my part growing up too.  But it was the only comeback I had, and it worked.  :)

 

Happy birthday to my brother...I could not have asked for a better brother, and would NEVER have chosen one different.

love you
xoxo

Jack's Well check

Jack had his 8 year old well check up on Friday.  He came through with flying colors, which we do NOT ever take for granted.  It's a blessing to have a pediatrician who is also a friend, he makes check ups fun for the boys.

Jack weighed in at 74 lbs and at 4'7" Off the charts still in height.  According to Dr Jon Jack is looking at 6'6" at least.  Biggest of our bunch.  We keep telling Tommy and Drew, be nice to your little brother.  You WILL look up to him one day.  :)

But most importantly of all, Jack is healthy.  That's what matters.