7 Months

If there was a pause button in life, this would be the point to use it! Our little baby is growing up WAY too fast and it's just not fair. This is the point when you start to think irrational thoughts like, "we could have 10 more kids." Don't worry, this one really is our last, but in all reality he is SUCH a joy that it would seem easy to have more. We know, however, that this golden period of child rearing will end all too soon. He'll be running around, getting into everything, turning into a toddler that tests his limits, fights with his siblings, and gives us a reason to stock up on Tylenol like it's candy! For now, we're just loving every minute with our last baby!

EATING: Joel is now strictly taking bottles of formula. He takes 4 bottles a day...each are about 6 ounces. He has a really hard time finishing his bottles because he gets so distracted by what else is going on around him. Joel is also doing great with baby food. He had yogurt with oatmeal in the morning, fruit at lunch, and veggies at dinner. He loves puffs and cheerios, but still can't quite figure out how to get them from his hand to his mouth. He hasn't done any other foods that require chewing because the little guy STILL doesn't have any teeth. It looks like he might take after his big brother and be later than average for teething.

SLEEPING: Joel has turned from our worst sleeper to our best sleeper in the past month. He is great about putting himself to sleep....thanks to the fact that he sucks his thumb, which can't fall out and get lost like a pacifier! We've also learned that not having the paci helps during a cold (which Joel managed to have halfway through this month thanks to his two sick siblings passing their germs along). When he was quite congested he didn't have the challenge of trying to suck on his paci and breath through his mouth at the same time. Anyhow, his sleeping schedule is fantastic and we're loving it. He goes down around 7:30 or 8 at night and sleeps until 7:30 or 8 in the morning. He takes his first nap around 9:30 and his second nap around 1:30. His naps vary from a little over an hour to 2+ hours in length.

MILESTONES: Joel is getting SO close to crawling and is quite preoccupied with this skill right now. He doesn't like to be held or put in his jumper very often. He wiggles until you put him on the floor and let him attempt to get moving. He's got the motion right in his legs, but can't quite figure out how to move his arms forward without falling down. I think that he'll be a full blown mover in the next few weeks! Other than that, there isn't much new this month. Joel is growing out of his 6 month clothes and fits well in 9 month stuff. He is getting a lot more hair and it even seems to have some curl to it. Like I said before, we're waiting for teeth, but there's nothing yet. He is drooling and chewing a ton, so maybe we'll see some pearly whites soon!

Lord help them all....

Last year at this time we sent our first kiddo off to preschool without much hesitation. He's always been a social butterfly, so we knew he'd have no problem making friends and feeling comfortable away from home. Though he was a typical 3 year old and had moments of being a stinker, he was a pretty good kid overall. I figured his teachers wouldn't have too many problems with him and there wasn't much to worry about.

Although I wish I could say the same about #2, I can't! We decided last Spring to sign Leah up for the 2.5 year old program at the same school that Caleb goes to. It's just one morning a week for two hours, so it's a great transition into "real" preschool next year. Everything that I didn't fear about sending Caleb is exactly what I fear with Leah. She's shy in new surroundings...so much so, that she stands there and picks her nose (such a lovely nervous habit, don't ya think?!?). She clams up and doesn't look at or talk to whoever the new person is that she's around. She'll most likely cry when I leave her, and that breaks any mama's heart. Furthermore, once she does warm up and get comfortable (which I really do hope will happen quickly), she slides to the other end of the spectrum and is a terror! If she's anything like she is at home, I think her teachers will need LOTS of prayer! This little girl knows how to throw a great tantrum, hits and bites like a champ, thinks sharing is optional, and finds cleaning up her toys to be worthy of a meltdown every.single.time! With that said, all I can say is good luck to her teachers! I know we sound like we must be the worst parents in the world for putting up with all of this, but we know that our little girl is a work in progress and believe me when I say that we try. For now, I'll just attempt to enjoy my two Leah-free hours every week. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this little girl and she has moments that completely redeem her "difficultness" (a word that has been created just for her), but sometimes a break is just what we need!

And for your viewing pleasure, here is a survey that I had both kids do. Leah answered her questions before Caleb, and I'm not quite sure she "got" it, but it was still entertaining. I might add that it took A LOT of time and redirecting for her to get through answering the questions. Again, good luck preschool teachers. Good. Luck.

What is your name? Leah (pronounced "Weuh")

How old are you? two and a half

What do you want to be when you grow up? a grown up

What is your favorite food? pancakes

What is your favorite drink? milk...followed by "please can I go get my drink?"

What makes you happy? bunny (her cherished sleeping friend)

What makes you sad? bunny (not sure she understood that one)

What is your favorite thing to do at home? play bowling alley (the activity I pulled her away from in order to answer these questions....not quite a favorite, but just what is fresh on her mind)

Who is your best friend? Chesney

Where is your favorite place to go? Grandma's

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? play and see the red spider (he's hanging out by our garbage can lately)

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy? play 

What is the best part about Caleb (brother)? he plays

What is the best part about Joel (brother)? playing with him

What is your favorite book? Cars 2 book

What is your favorite movie? Cars 2

Where is your favorite place to eat? in my chair

What is your favorite thing to wear? coats

Preschool....Round 2

 It's so hard to believe that summer is already over! We've been so busy breaking up daily fights because we're spending too much time together enjoying our time together, that these past few months have flown! What's even harder to believe is that my first baby is heading off to his last year of preschool! Although I think the kids DEFINITELY need a break from each other, I am sad to see Caleb leaving us for 3 mornings a week. He's going to love every minute of preschool, just as he did last year, but I'm just not so sure I'm ready to have him gone that much! I guess I better get used to it, though, because next year he'll be gone 5 mornings a week!

And for your viewing pleasure, the annual survey. It's crazy how much he has changed in a year! Survey 2011

What is your name? Caleb

How old are you? 4

What do you want to be when you grow up? a dolphin trainer

What is your favorite food? it's, um, it's, um junk

What is your favorite drink? chocolate milk (which I think he's had once in his lifetime)

What makes you happy? making silly faces

What makes you sad? spankings

What is your favorite thing to do at home? play games

Who is your best friend? David (from MOPS)

Where is your favorite place to go? Ranch Frostie

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? play outside

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy? go to Bass Pro Shop

What is the best part about Leah (sister)? that sometimes she gives stuff to me


What is the best part about Joel (brother)? he has some of my letters in his name

What is your favorite book? Cars 2

What is your favorite movie? Tangled

Where is your favorite place to eat? Ranch Frostie..."cause they have hot dogs there"

What is your favorite thing to wear? my green shirt that I took for the "photoger" (we had a professional pics done a few weeks ago)

Lake Road Block Party 2012

I've mentioned it before on our blog and have reason, yet again, to make the claim that we live on the best street ever! We recently had our first ever block party and it was a huge success. It was wonderful to hang out with neighbors that we already know and also get to know some of the other not-so-familiar faces a bit better. Despite the huge storm that blew in during the middle of the party and having a 4 year old stuck inside in front of the tv with a terrible fever, we managed to sneak in a little bit of fun outside. Leah enjoyed running free throughout the street, jumping in the giant bouncy house, and decorating her bike for the "parade". Joel was just happy to be outside taking it all in. Poor Caleb missed out on seeing the firetruck and ambulance that came by for a visit, watching a movie outside (our neighbors hooked up their projector right in front of our garage), and playing like crazy with his neighborhood buddies...but he really didn't seem to mind much because he was allowed to stay inside and watch tv all day long! All in all, we had a blast together and I'm already looking forward to doing it again next summer!