Praise For The Lord

Joey had me laughing so hard this evening. I had to write down what he said so that I could try to relay it to you. He and Nick were at the top of the stairs, I was rocking Ethan. I hear Joey talking in what can only be described as a 'preacher' voice. So I listened real carefully to catch every word. It went something like this:
"Raise your hand and praise for the Lord of your God! He made us everyday, and He can fix our bodies when we die, because He died and was a baby before." I love it! Too funny.
Then he came downstairs and gave Ethan a kiss on the top of his head and said, "Ethan, I am going to keep you for the Lord." How precious is that?

We brought out the bouncer for Ethan and put the swing away. He has finally grown too big for the swing. He took to the bouncer like a duck to water. He loves it. The first time I put him in it, he was bouncing and laughing as if he had been doing it all his life. (Which is a significant amount of time!)
So, this first picture is of him checking it out, seeing how he was going to like it.
And in less than a minute, he was bouncing and laughing and having the time of his life. Joey and Nick were loving watching him, too.
I suppose my time is up. It is after one in the morning and I could get woken up in the next five hours, so I better get as much sleep as I can in the meantime.
Have a fantabulous weekend.

Peas, Peas, Peas

Ethan was so funny; he did not seem to care for the peas I put in his cereal yesterday. Poor Ethan, Mommy wouldn't give up. Yes, I made him eat as much as he could handle for the first try. Sometimes it is hard to remember that babies don't start out with a well-rounded palette. They have to learn each new taste. So here are a series of pictures that show that things did not get better as they went along. (Mom, I will warn you now; the last picture might be hard to handle. But if you just read the captions you will find some humor in it and know that it really does complete the sequence. Also, please know that Ethan is showing no sign of emotional scarring and has since been laughing and smiling all day.)

First, a pondering; 'what could this be that Mom put in my mouth?'

Next came a bit of concern; 'I'm not sure I'm going to like this.'
Then comes the grimace; ' I know I'm not going to like this!'

Then the gag; 'I don't think I can keep this down.'

And then Daddy came downstairs to ask if he thought they were yummy peas. "NO! Why, oh why, is Mommy torturing me so?'

At this point, I knew it was helpless. He couldn't stand anymore. I had to rescue him (and my own mamma's heart that couldn't take those tears.) I want to point out the bottom lip. My two older boys know how to pout, another trait they inherited from their Daddy, I am sure. But Ethan! His lip can stick out further than either of the other boys' and is the precursor to the wail. When that lip comes out, I know that my mamma's heart is going to be twanged with an echoing hurt.

Hoping not to have a repeat performance, but knowing that he needed to expose himself further to the deliciousness of the pea, I gave him peas in his cereal again tonight. After the first couple bites, he managed to stop grimacing and even finished the entire amount, which he didn't do yesterday. All in all, I think he did very well. I am please at this new sucess.

Five Months Old

I only have a moment; it is time to get dinner ready and I have left Nick downstairs with all three kids and dinner responsibility. So I must do this quickly so I can go help.
Today is January 18, 2009......Ethan is five months old today. I tell you, this kid is growing up too fast. I was talking with my brother Mark a bit ago, and we agreed that the easier the baby is, the quicker the time flies. (Especially in the sleeping through the night area.) I must say that Ethan is probably our easier baby so far.
So, on to the comparison pictures.

This is our Chubba-Bubba at five months old. He was always a happy baby, but I think that by this age I had already taken so many pictures of him, that when he saw the camera come out, he was more exasperated than anything!

Our precious Nick, finally growing out of his colick and smiling a bunch more. He is amazingly sweet now, that it is hard to know that I remember a time when I didn't think he was so sweet. I think you have to see him, to be around him for just a little while to really know what I mean about him being so sweet. It is not something easily put into words.

And here is my Ethan angel. Nobody at church, could believe that he was already five months old, at the same time wondering if he really wasn't a bit older with how big he is. This picture cracks me up: it shows his chubby cheeks, his wide mouth (must have got the big mouth from his Daddy; we all know that my mouth is always meek and mild!), and his joy of life. Of course, he had just gotten out of the bathtub, dressed for church, and just before I captured the picture, he spit up all over his clothes. Thankfully, this sweatshirt was relatively easy to wipe off without smearing and he was able to stay in these clothes for church.

Okay, I have taken up too much time already. Nick has asked for me once, so I really must run. I have some more pictures to post of Ethan eating peas for the first time. Let's just say he didn't care for them as much.

Mid Winter Heat Wave

It is amazing, the difference in the temperature between this week and last. Last week, as I have said before, the temperature was in the negative mid twenties. This week temperatures are in the upper thirties and forties. I just looked online which reported the temperature in Anchorage as being 48 degrees!

It is like a waterfall outside. The trees have lost all their snow and the snow piles on the roofs and ground have shrunk from a couple of feet to just several inches. The problem with this, is that it freezes again overnight. So during the day, you have a water covered ice rink outside. It makes for very treacherous conditions. The other bad thing about this, is that it gives false hope. Every year, just about the time I start enjoying the warmer temperatures and the hope of Spring, the temperature drops again and we get more snow and three of four more months of winter.

But I can at least enjoy the 70 degree difference between last week and this week while it lasts. We are still stuck inside, as it is hazardous to walk outside, but at least we stay a little warmer inside.

Growing Boys

We are now, nearly, halfway through the first month of a new year. Time is always passing, whether it feels fast or slow, it is always passing. With the passing of time comes the growing of kids. I have added a few pictures showing how big the kids have grown.

I started with a comparison picture of Ethan. I know I always exclaim over how big Ethan is getting, so I decided to show you what I see. On the top, you will find a picture of Ethan's first time in the swing, at about ten days old. He looks so tiny.

Now look at him!! Four and a half months later, he is nearly bursting out of the swing! It may be hard to tell, but his shoulders are hunched because the curve of the back of the swing is too narrow, his head is nearly at the top, and his toes are hanging off the end of the swing. And would you look at those cheeks?!

Nick is such a sweetheart. I love to watch him when he lays down to sleep. If he lays down on his back, he always puts his hands behind his head. He doesn't just do that when he is laying down. As you can see, he likes to relax in the chair with his hands behind his head. He will even do that when he sits on my lap! Try doing anything with an elbow in your face!

Joey is such a big boy now. He can be the biggest help; he likes to feed Ethan for me if I am busy doing something else. He will bring dishes to the sink so I can wash them. But he can also be very bossy. He is constantly telling Nick what to do....and not in the nice way, but the yelling, almost bully-ish kind of way. I don't know how to get through to him. More often than not, he is yelling at Nick, or even me. But despite all that, I couldn't love him more. He still loves to climb on my lap for hugs; he will scratch my back because he knows I love it, he will give his little brothers loves and kisses, and he can keep me laughing with the things he says.

"I Won, You Lost"

Joey has become quite competitive lately. He makes a race of getting up the stairs first, ahead of Nick. No matter whether he gets to the top first or not, he exclaims, "I won; you lost." This has become such habit that now, when Nick climbs to the top of the stairs, he exclaims, "La!"
That, of course, is him saying that he 'lost'. It makes me a little sad that he so casually and acceptingly thinks he is a loser. I am sure that when he gets a little older, old enough to understand, he won't just accept that he is a loser. I am sure that he will prove to anybody who dares to think he is a loser, that he is far from it.

Another Milestone

I have survived another milestone. We put Ethan in the boys' room this weekend. Having Ethan leave my bedroom is not as hard on me as other milestones, but it still gives my heart a twinge. In the past, we have moved the boys to their room at three months, but since all three boys are now in one room, we waited a little longer, as Joey and Nick are not the quietest of roommates. So far it has worked out well. Ethan doesn't go down until at least Nick is asleep, and if Joey is still awake, he has remained quiet enough to allow Ethan to keep sleeping.


Ethan has reached another milestone as well; the day after Christmas, we fed him solid food for the first time. He wasn't too keen on it, and I will admit that I have been sporadic in feeding him solids since. However, over the last couple days, I have been giving him cereal at least once a day. He ate everything that was in his bowl last night.
He did very well his first time, considering it was something very new to him. He always watches, very closely, when Mommy eats. He follows the spoon like it is his greatest ambition. So we knew he was ready, but of course, it is an adjustment.

You can tell he is not quite sure of this mush going in his mouth. But he didn't really spit any out; it was more that he would just leave it in his mouth, not quite sure what to do with it. Eventually, he would have to swallow. He is getting the hang of it more now.

Nick made me laugh. I offered him a bite and he didn't even hesitate. He wanted a bite. I don't think he was expecting a spoonful of tasteless mush, though. Immediately, he grimaced, shuddered, and gagged. Oh, the face he pulled! It was priceless. By the time the camera took the picture, his face had mellowed a bit, but it was still funny. I offered him a second bite and he was VERY quick with his denial.

I just had to put this picture in because I thought it was so cute. Ethan is such a blessing. He is fairly mellow, very happy, and sleeps very well. He makes me smile.

Nick is talking more all the time. He is learning new words and making old words easier to understand. He does less grunting and pointing and makes more attempts at saying what he wants. Even if I don't understand him at first, he will keep saying to word until I have guessed the right one. I always feel real bad when I don't understand him because I don't want him to get frustrated in his attempt at talking. I want to encourage his progress. I am afraid that when it takes a few minutes to guess what he is saying, he will get frustrated and give up. I can see on his face that he knows exactly what he is trying to say, that, in his mind, he is saying it as clear as day and that he can't understand why I can't understand him. But he shows great patience with me.

Well, I have spent more than enough time up here on the computer. I need to get the boys downstairs for breakfast.

One More Night

Just one more night. Tomorrow, we get to pick Nick up from Fairbanks. It will be nice to have him home. I miss him. So do the boys. Nick can't wait to get home and give them each a squeeze, and kiss those adorable chubby cheeks of Ethan's.

I went outside a few minutes ago to check the mailbox, and I was astounded to find I did not immediately freeze straight through to the inside. It was almost balmy compared to what is has been. When I got online I found that the temperature in Anchorage is now at 2. It is amazing how warm such a little number can feel after spending a week in weather 25 degrees below zero!

I guess I don't have any brainpower left at this time of night. I have sat staring blankly at the screen for the last few minutes trying to think of what I wanted to say, and nothing came to me. I think I will try to get to bed early.

Have a blessed weekend.

A Quick Minute

That's about all the time I have to myself anymore; especially with Nick in Fairbanks. We have been hit with an extremely cold spell. We have had temperatures in the negative twenties, day and night, for the last five or six days. It seems like much longer, because once the temperature hits a certain point, you can't really feel the difference.....you are just instantly numb as soon as you open the door. I feel bad for Nick in Fairbanks; they are experiencing temps in the negative fifties and sixties! I would never have thought that could be possible.


Now, to continue with Christmas pictures. Up above, you will find Ethan playing "swords" with the empty wrapping tubes, just like his big brothers did. What is so funny about this, is that nobody noticed he had grabbed one until I turned back around on my way walking past him. I was so surprised. Nobody put it in his hands....somehow he managed to grab it all by himself. You may also notice that he is making a valiant effort to stuff it in his mouth.

Christmas morning. Joey was too excited to go to sleep the night before. We were still awake at 1:30am trying to get him to calm down. I enjoy watching my kids come down in their pajamas and seeing the wonder in their eyes. But I don't like being in my pajamas myself. I prefer to be ready for the day. So I set the alarm for 6:30am so that I could take a shower and be downstairs with coffee ready for my husband, and cinnamon rolls in the oven for breakfast. I figured the kids would be up early; especially Nick, since he went to sleep at his normal time. I was wrong. Nobody got up until after 8am. And here I was, ready over an hour before, trying to keep from waking everybody up just so I didn't have to be alone anymore!
We start the morning with stockings, which have only a few small toys and some candy, and their one gift from Santa. After that, we have breakfast and get the kids dressed before we go any further.

I have made a stocking for each of my sons, and although Ethan's stocking looks done, it is still incomplete. The stocking has four pockets on the front, one of which already has its little doll inside. I finished the Santa figure before Christmas. I still have to do the reindeer, Mrs. Claus, and the elf. But, it was done enough to be able to use, which I was quite pleased with.

I remember the first Christmas we were up here; Joey was so fun to watch. He was most excited about every gift, and before completing the unwrapping would exclaim, "I love it! It's my fravorite! Thank you!" Even on those packages that were just plain cardboard boxes. I admit, I was expecting that same type of behavior from him.....but I didn't get it. I suppose I was exposed to a typical preschooler's behavior. When Joey opened a box with new clothes in it, he was very disappointed and wondered why he didn't get a game like Nick did. Both of the boys were more interested in whatever the other person got and there were quite a few scuffles about who was supposed to share with whom.

I admit I was upset by this behavior; I felt a failure as a mom, not even able to instill a sense of gratitude. I had myself a little fit in my room before I felt I had a better handle on my own emotions. But all in all, we had a good Christmas. We missed seeing our families; especially Paul and Angie and their kids who made it up from Texas. It would have been wonderful to see them.

My quick minute is up. Joey is up out of bed once more and I need to attend to him. Hope everyone is having a safe and happy week.

More Christmas Pictures

Joey's first ornament
Nick's first ornament

Ethan's first ornament

Santa's little helpers. Joey and Nick wanted to make Santa's job a little easier, so they laid out their toys around the tree. I let them keep it like this for a couple days before asking them to put them away. They were proud of the work they did.

Catching Up On Pictures

Just thought I would catch everybody up on the Christmas pictures....since I haven't put any on the blog!

This is the first year that Joey has been big enough to put ornaments on all by himself, with maybe a little help making sure it is securely on the branch before letting it go. Our tradition is that Nick gets to put the lights on and help each child put their first ornament on. While I was growing up, they made cute child-appropriate bulbs that I love. Nowadays, all they make are figures. We get each child a "baby's first Christmas" ornament, and then start them on a Collectible Series from Hallmark the following year. Joey has Classic American Cars.

Daddy is helping Nick put on his ornament from this year; Classic American Trucks. I believe this one was a Ford F-150 from some year; 50's or 60's. I'm not all that knowledgeable about what each years vehicles looked like.

Now Daddy is helping Ethan put on his Baby's First Christmas ornament. I should say; Daddy is holding Ethan while putting on the ornament.....but I like to give the babies credit for decorating the tree as well.

As I said, Joey was big enough this year to help decorate......so we had an abundance of ornaments on the bottom front section of our tree. It's not exactly how I would have done it, but was exceedingly precious nonetheless.
Here is a picture of the finished tree, loaded with the abundance the children received this year.

Happy New Year

It is hard to imagine that another year has already flown by. We have had a good year; we enjoyed visits from Nick's Mom and Chuck, Megan, and my Mom and Grandma Dooley. We were blessed to give birth to a beautiful baby boy, who is sweetness personified. We have enjoyed watching Joey and Nick grow and learn new things all the time.

We look forward to another good year. We are excited to be coming home for the first time (in nearly three years) in July. We have most of the time already planned out and I know that as soon as I arrive at the airport, I will be walking back on the plane; the time will go so fast.

We have begun singing a "theme song" for Ethan. Nick started it, but I finished the words, and now even Joey sings it all over the house. It is to the tune of "Rubber Ducky."

Chubby, Chubby, you're the one.

You make our lives lots of fun.

Chubby, Chubby we're awfully fond of you.

Boo Boo Boo Be Doo

Chubby, Chubby joy of joys.

How we love when you make noise.

Chubby, Chubby, we're awfully fond of you.

Sometimes I say "when I squeeze you, you make noise." which is what Ernie says to Rubber Ducky....and it fits with Ethan, too. But it sound nicer to "love" all the noises he makes.

We have had a most lazy day today. All five of us have remained in our pajamas all day. That was my plan all along; to have a relaxing, lazy day without any requirements or plans. We got the tree down on Sunday, but I still have to pack the rest of the decorations back in their boxes so Nick can take them out to the garage.

It has been way too cold lately. Temperatures have stayed below zero, getting down to the double digits below zero at night. Fairbanks is even worse, at -50 degrees. Nick will be flying to Fairbanks on Saturday for a whole week. He won't be back until the 9th. He hasn't been gone that long in a long time, certainly not since Ethan was born. I'm not looking forward to it. Neither is Nick.

Well, I need to go take a temperature. Hopefully all is well. I hope everyone had a great New Year.