Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Something About Pumpkins

If you know me, you know I have a thing for pumpkins. I like pretty much every thing about them. True story. (Yes, I even like the way the guts feel...) I have been feeling a little bit "Scrooge-like" about Halloween this year. I was slower to decorate, unmotivated to get costumes together, didn't cook any pumpkin treats, and have only had a couple pumpkin spiced lattes. I know. So not me.

I did manage to get my act together and got the boys to the pumpkin patch for some pictures. It definitely brightened my spirits and got me a little more in the mood. And as usual, I took too many pictures. I can't help it....there is just something about pumpkins.


Eli is a pro these days. He knows just how to work those pumpkins. It only takes a few shots to get a good one, or two, or more!


Jude loves, and I do mean LOVES, "kumkins" (a.k.a. pumpkins) almost as much as his Mama...and he tells me so. He loves to touch each one, will hug them, and even kiss them. Such a cheesy kid. So great.


It was Jonah's first trip to see the pumpkins, and he was not so sure what all the fuss was about. He was overwhelmed and over it pretty quickly.


Each boy got to pick one out, and we all headed home happy....


....and tired. 

Monday, October 28, 2013

Month 8 in Pictures

I am 100% in denial about how quickly the year is passing by. I can hardly believe we are at the 8(+) month mark.


This month, we discovered that Jonah has not been gaining weight like he should. At 4 months, he was at the 75th percentile and has dropped to around the 5th percentile this month; gaining less than a pound in the past 4 months. I am used to super fat babies. I make big babies!


This has been a surprise, and we are still trying to figure out if it is cause for concern....or if he is just a little, peanut baby. Of course, we are concerned that he has fallen off of his growth curve. But.....he is happy and hitting all of his major milestones. He doesn't seem to be bothered or super hungry. Maybe God has blessed me with a little guy so that I am forced to cherish and am lucky to have some extra time with the itty bitty stages. He is still wearing mostly 3-6 month clothing, some 6-9 month, and a size 2 diaper. He is 16 pounds, 12 ounces.


I am currently trying to pack in some extra calories; letting him eat anything he will that makes him happy. He wishes he could eat big boy food all of the time. He will scream if you take it away from him.


An accidental find during some testing we did to check on his weight was a staph infection. He was a champ and finished his antibiotics without any problems. We are waiting to hear back from the Doc that it is all cleared up, but he never showed any symptoms...so it wasn't a big deal.


Other big and exciting news was that after a month of being on the verge, some frustration, and lots of downward-facing-dog moves, Jonah has started crawling. He is loving his mobility. He chases me down...slowly but surely, and goes after shoes, remotes, and his brothers' toys.

I have to be much quicker taking pictures as he often takes off on me. 


Toys entertain him a little more these days, but his favorite is still Mama! He is happiest in my arms, and I can rarely put him down. Forget about walking away while he plays. He will scream and cry if I do. The house is in a constant state of disarray because of it, but I love that he loves me. And I know this is a short season that I need to cherish.


As if on cue, on his official 8 month birthday, he started pulling up. He was so proud the first time...but it didn't last long and he came crashing down. Mommy broke the fall, and since then he has continued to explore and climb all over Mama....she is the best jungle gym.


Sleep has also improved this month. He pretty much sleeps through the night with the occasional wake up around 4 or 5 once or twice a week. I think tooth #3 and #4 may have had something to do with the wake-ups, but overall, he is a good teether. I think #5 is going to pop up soon.


Jonah is a precious light in our lives. Even though he prefers his Mama, he loves his Dada and his brothers too. He babbles and talks as much as he tries to get their attention. He adores his family.


This boy has my heart. I forget how big he really is....trying to teach him to sign and clap lately, but he is content, and so am I. So am I, Littlest Man. So am I. 



Sunday, October 27, 2013

Pete the Cat

These days, Jude's favorite book (or series of books....) is Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin. The books are super fun and Pete is super cool. Jude loves to have them read over and over again. His favorite is the original. He sings along and even "reads" it. (phone battery dies before he finishes the book, but he does...squeaks and all...and it is great.)



And what Pete fan wouldn't love his own pair of red shoes to sing about? 


Jude loves rockin' his red shoes....which have also been covered in mud (brown) and wet just like in the book. Duh. He is a two-year old boy. 

Though Pete is illustrated blue, Jude considers him to be a black cat. I figured this out when Jude started calling our neighbor's black cat, Pete. We decided that we should get "Pete" some shoes of his own. I'm not so sure the cat would be as excited about the idea as we are. 

If you have a little one and haven't checked out the Pete books, you should. I do not think you will be disappointed. I'm off to read about Pete's groovy buttons now.....(It's my favorite these days.)

Friday, October 25, 2013

Adventures in Crawling

This little boy has been working hard on his crawl. He was on the verge for over a month.

Up on all fours and rocking back and forth.


Getting those legs to move.


Is this how it works? Why can't I get moving?


Maybe I should try moving this hand instead.


This is tough stuff. And super frustrating! 


But eventually, after many tries and lots of frustration, he got it! 


He's been at it for 2 weeks now and is finally realizing the true benefits. Watch out, Big Brothers! Jonah is on the move, and he is coming after your toys.


Friday, October 4, 2013

Beach Visitors

Excited to finally get the chance to have PapPap and Gramma Lil come to the beach with us. They were kind enough to spend several hours in the car to come see us, but they decided it was worth it! So glad they did. Such a fun weekend.


Saturday stayed pretty long enough to keep everyone happy. Water play, sand play (even Jonah got into the sand a bit more this time), and all around fun.


Unfortunately, the rains blew in that afternoon, and it stayed rainy and overcast the rest of the weekend. It didn't stop us from enjoying each other. Lots of fun! The boys always adore the extra attention and spoiling.


Too bad, the fun weekend came to an end so quickly.


I tried to keep the boys busy on the back porch while Daddy loaded up the car. So tough to get the "perfect" picture of all three....silly faces, looking away, crying, moving....I can't even keep a good focus. Oh well. somehow these are perfect in their own way. 


Someone has learned how to be super silly these days....can you guess who? 


Love all of my sweet and silly boys.


Thank you for making the trip up, PapPap and Gramma Lil! And thanks for making memories with us.