nine

inhale. exhale. inhale. exhale. this is what I told myself all week as I anticipated this baby girl's 9 month milestone. on one hand, it seems like she's been around forever because I just can't remember life without her sweet smile and silly giggles. on the other hand, she was just a few weeks old, like yesterday, so it just can't be possible that she's already 9 months old. sigh...

 

our little 9-monther gave me a run for my money with this photo shoot (out-takes coming soon). not only was she fighting her first cold ever, she just isn't really content to sit in one place for very long these days. she takes full advantage of the new found freedom that crawling gives her.

even a bowl full of cheerios couldn't keep her in one place for long.

by some miracle (and about 500 attempts - I kid you not) I was able to get a few of this little princess "wearing" her crown.

though she may not have the princess act down as well as her sister,

she is definitely treated like royalty around here. any older child that has recently awoken or arrived home is quick to ooh and aah and unleash buckets of love on the youngest one (while simultaneously ignoring all other members of the household).  

when miss Evie wasn't busy eating (I've never seen a bigger cheerios mess in my life) or clapping (seriously the sweetest little 'clap clap' you've ever heard) she was crawling after the camera hoping to follow in her big sister's footsteps (500 is a minimum for the budding photographer).

speaking of big sisters, we tried to capture what will surely be the first of many sister-moments, but one of these girls wanted nothing to do with it. you can decide which one.

a quick change did nothing for Evie's interest in sitting still for more than five seconds so we ended our session with the thought that we'd give it another shot in a few days.

Of Mice and Men Moms

family tidbit #1

We often get asked if we have any pets. Much to our children's dismay, we always answer, "No!" And we intend to keep it that way for a very long time. However, sometimes our kids latch on to the idea of a pet and are reluctant to give it up for quite some time.

 

family tidbit #2

And some children {cough, cough...Wes...cough, cough}, are going through a stage where every conversation is an argument that ends with the child concluding that the parent is wrong.

 

family tidbit #3

We save a lot of junk - sheets of cardboard, boxes of all shapes, sizes and material, plastic containers, etc. This is all done in the name of "recycling." I have given up saying no because I'd rather dispense of it once the kids have lost interest than argue with them. I'm learning to pick my battles.

 

the scene

This morning Wesley was walking around with a toilet paper tube and, before I could get my hands on it, informed me that he was saving the tube for the mouse he was going to get as a pet:

 

act 1

Mom: Wes, we're not having a mouse in the house.

Wes: Yes, we are (see #2 above)

Mom: Wes, who is in charge of this house?

Wes: You are. But I'll be in charge of the mouse.

 

 

Fabulous Four

Two weeks ago, this tiny baby

turned 4!

And then she had a party. At which she...

 

chose her own outfit...

carefully opened her gifts...

got her very first pair of ballet slippers...

played with a balloon...

obliged her mother's shutter happy finger...



listened to her family sing happy birthday...



blew out



her candle...



donned the appropriate outfit for her new ballet slippers...



and melted her mama's heart.

This girl has stretched our creativity in the parenting realm more than we thought possible. At four, Elise is full of spirit and energy. Her personality is as big today as it was four years ago all wrapped up in that tiny little body. She has grown into a nurturing big sister, a fun and silly little sister and is an incredible blessing to our family. We love you, Big Four!

Tiny Teething Tyke in Tutu Tastes Tantalizing Treat

On the weekend Evie was invited to a party. I don't know why she was surprised by the invitation. She's clearly the most popular person in our house.



She agreed that her big sister's party would be loads of fun.



So she put on her party clothes.



And played a few party games.

But, I think she was confused about the culinary offerings. It wasn't a "T" party. (It wasn't a tea party either).

After giving up the block, she had a few nibbles of Elise's birthday carrot cake.

She definitely liked it.

Two Thirds

Last week was the 8 month mark for Miss Evelyn. She celebrated by going to a park (indoors, of course) with her siblings.

They played. She watched.



And chewed on a giraffe head.

Eighty Four

Birthday season continues...

In an unbelievable turn of events, Jack turned seven(!) this year. Yep, seven. I can't believe it either.

How could this tiny baby...



turn into this little boy...



who celebrated his seventh birthday just one short month ago?

This year, Jack confidently read all of this birthday cards,



graciously opened all of his birthday presents,



and patiently assembled NASA's next space shuttle.



He also anxiously eyed



seven glowing candles



in anticipation



of huffing



and puffing



until the last one went out!



This has been a year of tremendous growth and discovery for the oldest member of our crew. Challenged with loads of homework, daily violin practice, playful (and sometimes troublesome) siblings and a mother with perfectionist tendencies (likely his biggest challenge), Jack has demonstrated patience, perseverance, determination and forgiveness. He is growing into a young man with a heart for knowing the Lord and is asking deep, insightful questions to gain a better understanding and love for his Savior.

Happy birthday, sweet boy. We love you very much!

Lucky Number Seven

Post number two of 2013! With contents from 2012. I think we'll be living in the past for quite some time in blog world.

A month ago, little Miss Evie turned 7 months old. And I thought, "Oh, wouldn't it be cute if she was holding a '7' for her 7-month pictures?" Of course I knew she would put it in her mouth (this isn't my first rodeo).



I just didn't expect...



that it would...



stay there permanently {sigh}

She did take it out for a spit split second - long enough for me to get a picture of a backwards '7'

But it was soon returned to its rightful place in her adorable pink, albeit very wet, mouth. At least she waved for this one.

And because I can't get the camera out without Elise wanting to have her picture taken (and immediately see the results), she had her picture taken on Evie's 7-month birthday too. And because today is Elise's birthday (something current!) she gets to have her picture on Evie's post.



Disclaimer: The picture quality here leaves a little to be desired, but, as the kids are so frequently heard saying, "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit." Sometimes you do a photo shoot in the bathroom while wearing jammies because that's just when the time is convenient and you pay no attention to little things like lighting, focus, camera settings, etc...