Sara continues to grow so quickly. She continues to be the center of her sibling's attention. Some of her new feats and highlights for this month include:
*She can now roll over from her back to her tummy as well. She would much prefer to be on her tummy.
*She pushes up really high to do "push-ups" as Joshie calls it.
*She scoots backward around the floor and can't figure out why she ends up farther away from her toys.
*She chews on anything she can get in her hands.
*She still loves to be rocked and cuddled by Mom.
*Dad walks around the house with her to get her calm or to sleep.
*She refuses to take a bottle...it actually makes her angry if you try to feed her with a bottle. She just wants to nurse.
*She really can smile and she does a lot contrary to what most of her pictures show. I was happy to get some pictures of her today smiling.
I love the time I have to cuddle with Sara. I also love how she lights up when someone talks to her or goes to pick her up. You can tell she is used to being around people because she does not like to be by herself in a room.
When I think of Thomas I often think of the words, "anxiously engaged in a good cause." He loves to learn and be involved and help those around him. I worry about him a lot because he takes so much on his plate and we often have to ask him to evaluate things and be sure he can handle it all. He is the first to volunteer for any service opportunity, always on the lookout for things that need to be done and people he can help. He currently has 2 regular jobs. He babysits every Monday afternoon for a couple hours for a neighbor down the street. Then on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday he takes care of a friend's dog. He rides his bike to their house and takes care of the dog and plays with the dog for about a half hour and then rides home. He will begin mowing a neighbor's lawn in the next couple weeks as well. As if this wasn't enough he has piano, percussion, and violin to practice each day, homework, scouting, and Duty to God studying and activities. I am amazed at all he can accomplish and always with a big smile on his face. He definitely has solid time management skills. He mentioned to me the other day that he has learned that as long as he takes time to study the Book of Mormon each day and study something for Duty to God daily that he never seems to not have time for everything else he needs to do.
The past couple weeks he has had some fun opportunities. He attended a merit badge day to earn the Pioneering Merit Badge. There was no interest from anyone else in our troop so he was able to join another troop in the council for this activity. He had the greatest time and was so excited to tell us all about what he learned. He also had the opportunity to play the National Anthem at an Akron Aeros baseball game with some members of his orchestra and then enjoy the game with Joel afterwards. His troop decided to begin working on the Hiking Merit Badge this month. When it came time for the 1st 10 mile hike; however, everyone else lost interest so Thomas and Joel enjoyed a 10 mile hike last Saturday morning. Who would have thought at the end of April they would be hiking in the snow! I know he and Joel both enjoyed the opportunity to talk and spend that time with each other.
A couple weeks ago we redeemed a photography session that Sue Ann gave us for Christmas. The cool part is we got a CD with the rights to the pictures. So, if you would like a family picture let us know which one you would like and the size so we can get it ordered for you.
Sammy has really become interested in baseball recently. He actually loves all sports and anything he can do outside. Friday morning he was completely ready for school and had eaten breakfast before 7 AM. He leaves to meet the bus at 8:25. All he wanted to do was go outside and play baseball. So, at 6:55 in the morning I was outside pitching to him so he could practice batting.
The last week or so Sara has decided that sleeping is highly overrated. I definitely don't agree with her but she still wins! She isn't sleeping very long at night and her naps are only lasting about 15 minutes. When I let her cry it out she will cry for over an hour. I decided to start her on some solids. Friday was the big day and I guess she was ready. She really took to it so well. I don't remember any of our children doing so well the first time. On Saturday when I was feeding her and she ate all the cereal. When she realized I wasn't giving her any more she started to cry...a mad cry. I made up more cereal which she downed and ended up making 2 more bowls after that. She slept better yesterday for her naps so maybe it is working! I hope it continues!
We really are quite blessed as our children are pretty healthy and seldom get sick, other than colds that are inevitable during the winter months. Well, that all changed the last couple weeks. It all started with Sammy! He started throwing up in the middle of the night and threw up most of the night and into the next day. By the following evening he was feeling better and I thought we were over it all. Fast forward a day or so and then another one started throwing up at night. As I sit here I can't even remember who the next one was nor the order of who got sick when. I just know that everyone in our family except Sara and I got sick. A couple of them had it twice during the 2 week timespan. It always would begin in the middle of the night and I would be up with one of our children most of the night. It got to the point that we would hear the slightest sound and either Joel or I would jump out of bed and go running to find out who the next victim was.
Poor Gideon had it the worst, by far, and his age is so hard because he is still in his crib. Sometimes he wouldn't even wake up. One night that he was sick we changed his crib bedding completely twice. The third time we made him a bed on the bathroom floor. Through that night and the next morning I did 5 loads of laundry and there were 7 pairs of his PJ's from the eventful night. Then later the next afternoon I was rocking Sara and Scout was at my feet, as usual. Gideon walked over to me and said, "it hurts" pointing to his tummy. Then he proceeded to empty his stomach all over me, Sara, Scout, himself, the rocking chair, and the floor. How grateful I am that Thomas was home. He came over and took Sara from me and got her cleaned up and in bed. Then he bathed Scout. Spring walked in from school and saw the ordeal and took Gideon and bathed him. Thomas ran over to borrow Sue Ann's carpet cleaner for me while I cleaned up the rocking chair and the floor. I don't want to think of what I would have done if it was during the day when the older ones were all at school. I am amazed they could help. If that had been me at their age I would have either run out of the house until it was cleaned up or I would have lost my cookies too!
Thomas & Sammy worked hard to build this ferris wheel together with his KNex.
So, Spring Break was full of sick kids. We had "throw up" bowls in every bedroom and most rooms of the house most of the week. It will be a memorable week for our family. I don't think I have been as tired as I was after these 2 weeks. The first night that we didn't have anyone up sick it felt amazing to actually sleep and only have to get up when Sara needed to be fed.
Sara is a big 4 month old now. She is growing so quickly. Just a couple days ago we were changing her and noticing her chubby legs. She is so much fun as she is really beginning to interact with us and smiles whenever we talk to her or play with her. Gideon loves to kiss her on the cheeks and Joshie still loves to hold her hands and sing to her. She really does not like to be left alone at all. Her preferred location, if she is not asleep, is in somebody's arms. This proves to be difficult when all the older kids are at school. We have all done a great job at spoiling her. I look forward to the times when I get to rock her to sleep, especially in the evenings when it is quieter at home or when Joel is with the other kids and I get a few special moments with just Sara. I know these times fade so quickly and I try to savor them whenever I can. Sara has an adorable giggle and sometimes we can get her to laugh a lot. It is a sure way to make me smile when she does!
Mary is now a whopping 6 years old! She has been anxiously awaiting this day to come. At first she was very disappointed to know that she did not have school on her birthday. When she realized she could take in treats to her class the following day she decided it wasn't so bad to have the day off school. We went out in the morning for her to choose her balloons and a balloon for each sibling. She just lit up all day long whenever someone would tell her "happy birthday" or mention it being her birthday.
For dinner she chose to have waffles with strawberries and whip cream; however, I realized during dinner that the waffles were just a trick to get me to buy fresh strawberries for her. She put a waffle on her plate and then loaded the rest of her plate with strawberries. After a few helpings of strawberries and 2 bites of her waffle she was done with dinner!
She enjoyed opening her presents. She was given a matching towel, bath sponge, and body wash/lotion from Grandma and Grandpa Biggs which she used this evening to take a bath before bed. She received a jewelry music box with a ballerina in it from Sue Ann. From the family and Grandma & Grandpa Powell she received a "Baby Wanna Walk With Me" doll. When she opened it she said, "This is what I have been wanting FOREVER!" All day she told me this has been the best day ever!
Mary is a sweet girl and brings such joy to our family. I love the time we have together when it is just the two of us after her quiet time and before the younger ones wake up from their naps. We will cook, or bake, or read, or just talk. She loves to talk! In honor of her 6th birthday, here are 6 things I want to remember about Mary at this stage in her life:
1. She loves to play with and help the special needs kids in her class at school. Each day when I pick her up from school she tells me all about the things she did with them that day.
2. She is beginning to read very well and always wants to try to read everything around her. She loves to tuck Joshie and Gideon in for their naps and read them stories.
3. Her favorite song is "Stand" - the new youth song for the 2013 theme. She knows the whole thing and always wants me to skip to this song in the car.
4. She is a very early riser. If she hears any movement in the morning she is up and going for the day.
5. She is far more concerned about helping others and getting them what they need, or what she thinks they need, than doing things for herself.
6. Mary has a sparkling smile that just lights up the room. She gets excited with the simple things in life and that joy is so contagious.
"You have nothing in this world more precious than your children. When you grow old, when your hair turns white and your body grows weary, when you are prone to sit in a rocker and meditate on the things of your life, nothing will be so important as the question of how your children have turned out. It will not be the money you have made. It will not be the cars you have owned. It will not be the large house in which you live. The searing question that will cross your mind again and again will be, How well have my children done?"
~President Gordon B. Hinckley
Eternal Sweethearts
"Having [children] together-building a family together-seemed a natural progression to the union we began on our wedding day. [These little people are] , among many other things, a representation of our love and commitment to one another." -Trish Perry
