Rolling Over!

Lilah is still 10 days away from being 6 months old and she is officially a pro at rolling over from both tummy to back and now back to tummy!! She had done it before, but it wasn't anything really consistent, but as of today, I put her on the floor and there she goes, right to her tummy! She is already getting all around the living room as well, just wiggling along. When I put her on her back, she'll do sit ups to see what's going on...she's extremely strong. It really is amazing how quickly babies start to become mobile!! I wonder if this is any indication of her being an early crawler?!?!? I sure hope not...but hey, what can I do!?!?

5 Months, 1 Week and 5 Days old.

And Lilah rolled from her front to her tummy tonight when I was getting her dressed after her bath. She is SO strong, I would not be surprised if she were my earliest crawler. She also chatted and smiled all through church today, other than while she took a little snooze in my arms (while nursing, of course)

Aaron had been doing okay at church, but I've got to have one of the girls go with him. I feel bad that they can't be in children's church, but I know he would not do well being left there. He gets SO hysterical. Are my children the only ones who absolutely LOSE it when left in the nursery at church?

Some Photos

Aaron blowing "raspberries" on Lilah's tummy, she goes absolutely crazy and it makes him laugh, too cute!


My 3 stooges, getting crafty.



Abby, making decorations for their fort at Papa's house.



My boys in their super secret hidey spot.



My Bear, dressed as a lion.

"Are they all yours?"

It's funny how often I hear this. The children and I enjoy counting how many comments our family gets when we go out to the store. Today we didn't even make it out of the car before the person next to us made a comment. He was saying, "Wow, look at all of these children!" and I hadn't even gotten Lilah out yet! :) He smiled and said, "1, 2, 3, 4...5! I'm the middle of 5 boys!" We chatted for a few moments then went toward the store. We had barely said good-bye to that person when another man looks at us and says, "Are they all yours?", I said, "Yes!" and he said, "You're amazing! I have an 8 day old and we're having a hard time." I assured him that newborns are VERY difficult and that the first baby in particular is a challenge. I wish I had more time to talk to him...I really feel for first time parents because I remember very distinctly how hard it was, how I felt like there was no way I could handle it all, let alone think of ever having more than one! Later we went to Whole Foods (generally not the place you expect to get POSITIVE comments on a large family) and when we were loading up the car, I turned around and an older (probably in her 60's) woman was standing there and she said, "I just wanted to tell you that you have such a beautiful family!" She proceeded to tell me that she was the 2nd oldest of 8 children (she was Catholic), and she and her older sister are 18 months apart, very similar to Savannah and Abby. She said she loved it so much and she misses that part of her life. She was only able to have one child, but she said that she loves to see large families and that all of my children looked so wonderful and healthy.
You know, living in a culture that does not appreciate children as the miracle and blessing that they are can be difficult on a larger than average family. I've heard of some people getting some very negative comments and to be honest, some people have said some things that are less than encouraging...mostly things like, "So, you're done, right?", but in general, I've been greatly encouraged by the people I've come into contact with. We met a young man who was one of 9 the other day, then that same day we met a woman who was one of 11. I haven't heard anyone say, "Oh my goodness, it was HORRIBLE!", everyone we've talked to has been so kind and polite, although it is rather funny to see how many people check us out and don't say anything. I guess some people take the old adage, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" to heart! :) If so, that's fine...everyone is welcome to their own opinion...but after hearing some of the things people I know have been told, I'm very thankful for the experiences we've had--especially since my children are with me wherever I go. I think of it as one of God's ways of telling us that yes, we are doing the right thing by letting Him have control over this area of our lives. Knowing that having more than the average number of children has it's challenges, we choose to embrace the fact that God knows what is best for us. He knows better than we do what we need, what is right for our family and what life situations will further refine us and build character. One person said, "Wow, you must have a whole different level of patience!", to which I replied, "Patience is a process". And it is. Sanctification is a process. When we choose the more difficult path of trusting in the Lord, it is going to be more challenging, but it will also be more rewarding because of the fact that character is developed through the trials of life, if we choose to surrender to God's Spirit. Believe me, there are plenty of days that I fight and those days are miserable...for me and my family. I hope that as I walk this path the Lord is leading me down, I am more and more able to yield to His will and His Spirit, because truly, that's where the sweetness of life happens!

Soooo...

...guess what?!?! No, I'm not pregnant. Not yet at least. Yes, we are hoping for more blessings. No, we are not crazy. But that is neither here nor there...what I was talking about was the fact that I got a NEW computer!! :) My poor laptop. Actually, it wasn't even MY laptop, it was Jeremy's, and he let me use it. That was a very big mistake. It became the "family" computer as the other computer is in the basement (and for some strange reason is not currently working--hmm, odd) and the laptop was conveniently on the dining room table. Well, yes, it was convenient...for everyone, including Aaron. Convenient to color on with dry erase markers (how DOES he reach those things?), convenient to bash on the keys and see which ones come popping off...oh yeah, and a convenient receptacle if you happen to spit up! Eeeeewww, yes, it was nasty. I honestly had thought that someone left a cheese puff under the laptop, but strangely, we hadn't had cheese puffs in the house for quite a while. I was in denial, what can I say? Any hoo. It was time for a new computer. My time is very limited and thus, I don't like to spend my "spare" time sitting at the table on the computer. But the fact that the battery on the laptop was non-existent made it impossible to do anything BUT sit at the table if I wanted to do anything on the computer. Mind you, I really don't spend a TON of time on the computer, but I do a lot of my shopping online, as well as researching new recipes and a bit of time keeping in touch on Facebook...so for me it's nice to be able to sit down and do what I need to do online while nursing. Although I try not to do that TOO much as I really like to just look at Lilah while she nurses, it's so sweet.
It's just so much fun to have a computer that is all my own. I just downloaded the first batch of photos onto my computer using my OWN organization system. When I download files, I know exactly where they are. The best part though, is that the computer is little and easily put away, up out of the reach of the little "Tiny Tot of Terror"! Oh, and it was on sale for only $250! What a deal! So I'm so happy that I am sitting on the sofa posting this rather than sitting in a terribly uncomfortable chair at the dining room table...oh, AND my dining room table is no longer cluttered with various and sundry computer stuff! Praise God!

Tiny Tot of Terror Face:

New Stuff

Life is keeping me busy, busy, busy. This is definitely a good thing, but it usually leaves very little time for anything other than the necessary tasks. I manage to get it all done, within reason--I mean, who REALLY needs their clothes folded always? At least they're clean--and dry! I've been trying to cook more from scratch so we only have to buy the staples. The prices of groceries are getting out of control and we're really trying to tighten our proverbial belts in order to save some money in case we ever need it--you know, like if one of our children breaks another window or something?!?! Just sayin'. With children, things happen...and it's nice to have a bit of a buffer. So between cooking and cleaning, diaper changes and homeschooling, life is very full. It's a good full for sure, especially at the end of the day when I'm tired and I look into the lovely eyes of my darling children and they tell me they love me. It's all worth it. Another thing that's all worth it...let me just say, having 2 babies one year apart is VERY difficult. Especially with one very strong-willed one. It is crazy chaotic and at times overwhelming. But when I am nursing the wee one and her sweet brother comes up onto my lap and she stops nursing to giggle at him, oh my goodness, it just melts my heart. The more she laughs (she's a SUPER giggly guppy anyway), the more he tries to make her laugh. It is SO absolutely adorable. They can go on for a good 10-15 minutes just cracking up at each other. Of course I don't have it on video because as soon as we get the camera out, Aaron is more focused on seeing himself in the camera than anything else, but take my word for it, it's SO cute!

One of these days soon I'll get on a photo posting roll again. Naps haven't been our strongest suit lately, and usually around a half hour after I put Lilah to bed, she's crying again, so my quiet evenings have been pretty non-existent. And unfortunately, my evenings are usually the only time I have to get anything on the computer accomplished--in fact, the only reason I'm blogging right now is because Daddy is upstairs with a very grumpy, teething little guy and I just happened to get Lilah into bed...although I really should be folding laundry, I decided to do this instead. I haven't been taking enough photos. I'm still trying to encourage Jeremy to grab the camera more often and snap a photo here and there just so we have some documentation of this crazy time in our lives. One day we'll look back and say, "Hey, how come there are no photos?!?!"

So last night was a big deal. Although Luke is 4 and a half years old, we've allowed him to have his pacifier up to this point because I was willing to do just about anything for a good night's rest, and to me that meant that if we had to get braces for him, so be it...sleep is more important. But I digress. So last night I told Luke that it was time. Jeremy bought some balloons, we tied the pacifiers to the balloons and Luke let them go. There was a little fussing at bed time, but really not much. I was so proud of him. When I went to check on him around 20 minutes after he had gone to bed, he was sound asleep. What a big boy. Today we went to Powell's Sweet Shop and got him a special treat (and some candy for everyone else!). And we went to the library for the first time in a very long time--getting out for anything but the necessities is challenging these days with all of the required naps, schooling, cleaning, cooking, etc., etc., etc.

Lilah is now just over 15lbs, grabbing at everything and making the cutest squeaks. She absolutely refuses to take a bottle and sleeps like a newborn still. She almost always wakes at midnight, I nurse her and put her back to bed, then she usually wakes around 3am and I'll bring her into bed with me and we usually get some good sleep until just after 7am. When we went to my parents house and she had her own room, she slept FANTASTIC. I actually had to WAKE her up to nurse her. I wonder if it was sheer coincidence?!?! One day she'll have her own room and maybe we'll all get some longer stretches of sleep, but for now, I'm just trying to enjoy this time.

Aaron is teething like mad, running all over the place and picking up new words like crazy, his latest being "Shoes", "Doggie" and "Apple". He's SOOOOOOOO cute, and soooo challenging, but I love the little guy to pieces. Oh, he's CONSTANTLY giving kisses too (and biting too, you never know if he's going to kiss or bite--how fun!)

Okay, despite my procrastinating, the laundry has not done itself...I must run. Thankfully dinner is already in the crock pot!

Finding the Time

This weekend I'm going to have Jeremy take some "back to school" photos of the children. It's just not so easy to find the time to get the camera out and get some good shots. Things are running pretty smoothly here with school and household management, I really can't complain. Jeremy is still working long hours and that makes it a bit more difficult to get dinner on the table at a reasonable time--especially since during nap time we try to do the reading part of our school work (where I read to THEM), and I've been exercising in the afternoon as well. It's a very quick workout, but 20 minutes in a PACKED schedule is precious time. So if you ever wonder why I'm not blogging as much as you'd like me to, don't wonder. My life is VERY full--wonderfully full.

Lilah has been a stinker when it comes to sleep. Up until last night, she had been waking every 2 hours during the night. UGGH! Last night it was every 3 hours, although I didn't sleep very well as I was anticipating her waking at any given moment. This too shall pass, right?!?! I thought that perhaps if I could give her a bottle, just a little supplement, she'd do a little better, but she wants NOTHING to do with a bottle. On one hand I really don't like that idea, on the other hand, this is what I've been praying for...being able to breastfeed for the entire first year. Yes, it's "inconvenient" in some ways, but what a blessing to feed her God's best! She is so amazingly strong. She will not stay on her tummy anymore, she rolls right to her back...but it's very rare that she get's put down on the floor anyway due to the fact that she has a very "doting" big brother. He just LOVES to give her kisses, but sometimes gets a bit rough. She is at the age where she MUST be strapped into her swing, or she'll wiggle right out. She is taking 2 pretty good naps and one cat nap most days. Usually her morning nap is a really good one, and the afternoon may or may not be a good one. It's nice to see a routine forming though, even if it doesn't necessarily coincide with Aaron's...they usually nap for at least an hour at the same time, so I guess I really can't ask for more!

Aaron is growing in leaps and bounds. He's officially running. He's certainly not very fast, but it's also not a walk! We just got squeaky shoes for him so that when he's outside with Luke during our school time, we always know where he is! It's quite handy! He is saying more and more....his latest word is "shoe", go figure! :) He is always asking to go "night night", which actually means OUTSIDE. He can open our front door from the outside, what a smart little cookie. He's really come a long way. He's generally quite happy now (PRAISE GOD), and is sleeping wonderfully. In fact, he's usually waking around 5-7am, but in the past couple of days, the girls have given him his bottle and I haven't even known that he was awake. Talk about the blessing of older children, they are SO wonderful! He's got a TON of teeth now. He's got almost 4 on the top front and 2 molars on the top...and he's got the bottom two front and 2 molars on the bottom. Such a strange tooth pattern, but hey...whatever! They're all individuals.

The girls are doing well with school. There are days that I wish they'd stay focused a bit more and not be such lolly-gaggers, but mostly it's my fault for not being on top of things because I have things I have to get done. When I buckle down and set the timer for their work, they breeze through it. It's when I get busy doing housework and letting them work independently that things don't go so well. They've been helping Luke with HIS school work too, it's very sweet to watch. Abby is getting very excited about her birthday coming up so soon. I can't believe she'll be 8!! I still have to decide what to get her for her birthday. Her wish list changes from day to day, so I try not to get a gift until the last minute. She amazes me with her aptitude for math. I've got her in 4th grade math and she is breezing through the majority of it. She also wrote her first paper in English the other day, and although it certainly wasn't "perfect", it's so cute to see her creativity come through in her written word. She is also very diligent and neat with her handwriting. She doesn't know how to make all of her cursive letters without looking yet, but she sure works hard on doing it as neatly as she possibly can, and it is definitely neat indeed!

I've noticed a lot of maturing character-wise in Savannah lately. Yes, she still does very silly things, like hitting her sister over something silly, and fussing because her sister is being nicer to her friend than to her...but in her ability to have a bit more self-control and really set her mind on obedience and pleasing US, she is improving. I often find myself expecting a whole lot out of my children and being disappointed when they don't conform to my ideal of what they should be doing. I have to remind myself that they are still rather young and character takes time, so it's very encouraging to see things slowly taking shape.

Luke has been our designated Aaron-watcher while we're doing school work. I usually send them outside together in the back yard so I can keep an eye on them while we work and he is doing really good with making sure Aaron stays close by. It's so cute to see them playing together. Luke LOVES, LOVES, LOVES Lilah. He kisses her and talks sweet to her all the time. He's never said anything bad about her, he thinks she's the greatest thing. He's also been AWESOME with helping out around the house. He's a wonderful "garbage man". He takes all of the dirty diapers from me as SOON as I change them and throws them into the garbage for me. Then he even took the garbage out of the kitchen can and took it out to the big can on the curb! What a wonderful helper. He's quite diligent at housework when he actually gets into it. I really need to train him to do a few more things because he's getting to the age where he's really helpful. Today he helped me rake outside and got the gutters nice and clean! The children have a "Dog Fund" that they're putting all of their money into (I think it's so sweet that any money any of them earns goes into the "pot" and if they want to buy something, they ask each other), so that when we live where we can have a dog, they can use that money to buy things for the dog. :) So every time he helps with something, he's super excited that he has money to add to their jar.

Well, it's time for me to go take a shower and get ready for my evening beckoning. Lilah has been waking up shortly after I put her to bed because she wants to nurse again....cruel little taskmaster! :) But a cute one, indeed!