Flyin' High

These boys.

 

They just want to jump

 

All

 

The

 

Time!

 

Well, I guess if they're not jumping they're...

 

Wrestling

 

Tackling

 

Running at full speed!

 

I won't even talk about the noise level.

 

Sometimes they slow down to...

 

Eat

 

Sleep

 

Read

 

However, they prefer to be objects that are constantly in motion!

 

They know not to jump ON the bed...

 

But, no one said anything about jumping OFF the bed!

 

 

 

iphone special

 

I'm back from Arizona and apparently I ruined "guy time." My guys had a great time without me and other than Shaun forgetting Blake's shoes when they came to pick me up at the airport, everything went smooth... At least that's what they tell me. We did a lot of skyping (maybe too much). The first day Blake cried for me when he saw my face but, by day four he was smiling and hugging daddy's leg. I wasn't sure if this progress was good or bad!?

 

 

I didn't come home as rested as I had hoped but, it was so short so I had to fit everything in. I did enjoy getting ready in the morning without interruption, slowly sipping down my favorite coffee, eating my dinners without waiting on anyone else, and holding Landon without Blake crying at me out of jealousy! Oh, and shopping with my mom without wondering who was going to baby-sit! It was hard to kiss my babies good-bye at the airport but, I'll admit, the "me time" was soooo nice!

 

 

I also got to play with Maddox a little more than usual. It's hard being an aunt when I'm so busy being a mom!  

 

These were the types of pictures I was sending home...

...And these were the types of pictures I was getting from home!

I really liked when these sweet faces showed up on my phone!

Parker at Isaac's baseball game

(from Ammah's phone)

And Blakesters at the game

(also from Ammah's phone)

 

Me, Carla, and Julie

It was an added treat that Carla and her family were in town. The three of us haven't been together in over three years! We were inseparable from birth til we all split ways for college! We used to live streets away and now we live states away. The miles between us can't separate the special bond we have though! Hard to believe that together we have seven boys and one girl!

 

There's a 1st for Everything

Tomorrow I will be flying to Arizona to meet my newest little nephew, Landon. However, it is going to be a bitter sweet trip because, for the first time ever, I am leaving my trio behind. I have yet to miss a day of their precious little lives so I'm feeling a bit anxious! I'm leaving them in the best care possible, daddy! However, I am hoping they all have their teeth when I return! There will be some serious guy time going on while I'm gone! I'm also missing two of Isaac's baseball games and I'm definitely sad about that. I'm his #1 fan! Blake is a mama's boy to the core right now but, I'm just hoping for the "out of sight, out of mind" stage to last a bit longer. Aaaaand for his week long cold to go away. I hate leaving sick babies! Oh, and Parker, he's still convinced that HE is the one driving me all the way to Mummu and Iso's house!

I guess this is the next step of life... Realizing my boys can survive a few days without me! Part of me wants to cry and the other part of me wants to go get a Starbucks and shop!

Here's to giving up control! Have fun boys. Take care of daddy and remind him that it's cold out and you need your jackets. And that Blake's sippy cup needs to be filled along with his snack cup. And don't forget to go potty before leaving the house. And your baseball hats are on the back of the garage door. And if the house starts to really stink then daddy should clean the cat box. Oh, and there is a brand new box of tissues in the car for Blake's nose so he doesn't need to bring them from the kitchen counter each time. And I just did six loads of laundry so everything is put away exactly where it belongs, which means every sock has a partner!

Ok, maybe I'm not quite ready to give up all control! What can I say, my world revolves around taking care of my boys! I love them like mad! Seriously, I think I'm a little crazy!

18mo on the 18th

This, beyond handsome, little man turned 18 months today!

 

Quick stats while my heart tries to be still from his overwhelming cuteness!

Weight: 25 1/2 lbs (45 percentile)

height: 31 1/2 in (30 percentile)

Head: 90th percentile

Some would say Blake is average but, to us, Blake is itty bitty! Isaac and Parker have always been in the 80-90 percentile!

 

Ok, I'll try and keep it together now...

 

Blake Tyler loves Mickey Mouse, balls, and motorcycles!

 

If one of his big brothers is laying on the floor he will either go and love on him, tackle him, or lift his shirt and blow raspberries! Usually it's raspberries and he'll walk away laughing while his brother is grossed out from the spit!

 

When Blake is done eating he will grab a napkin and wipe is mouth.

 

He is obsessed with mommy's hair! I'm ok with him petting, playing, and cuddling it but, I draw the line every time he tries to eat it!

 

When he goes down for a nap (or night time) he needs a motorcycle in hand so he can run in back and forth on his sheets while making his best motor sound.

 

His favorite bed time song is Take Me out to the Ball Game.

 

After Isaac and Parker brush their teeth at night they hop off the stool and wipe their mouth on their towel. After Blake brushes his teeth he steps down and wipes his mouth on his towel, then Isaac's towel, and then Parker's towel!

 

He has the deepest laugh and the highest pitch squeal!

 

He pees once in his diaper, reaches down to feel, and then goes and gets a new one so he can be changed. Two explanations: He's going to be easy to potty train or he likes looking at his Mickey diapers! ;)   

 

He is daddy's outside helper. The kid hates being in doors!

 

He's a wanderer. He's got people to see and places to go. In Glamis I had to watch him close 'cause he was either trying to get on some one's dirt bike or looking for something to play with in someone elses trailer!

 

Isaac and Parker are always asking us, "Why did God make Blake so funny!?" They love him so much and will do anything for him!

 

He loves the vacuum! That on/off button could entertain him for hours! And him being entertained in return entertains us. Did I mention he has the best laugh ever!?

 

I am so in love with my pretty boy! AND I am so glad that he finally figured out how to sleep through the night! It's been rough with him. However, he's totally worth all the sleepless nights he put us through!

 

The best is probably his Napoleon Dynamite hair... But, that's what happens when you brush out his curls! 

I'm in love with his big blue eyes!

Pictures that show his true personality. He loves masks of any kind and thinks he's hillarious when he flashes his latest smile (no, he's not in pain. He's actually happy)!

 

Not the clearest picture but, on Valentines he had his first sucker ever! Oh how he was so excited. It wasn't my plan to give him one but when he found it in big brothers Valentine's sack and began to eat the paper and then screamed at me when I tried to take it away, I figured he could try it. He stayed sticky-free and even threw away the stick when he was done!

 

 

M-I-C-K-E-Y   M-O-U-S-E

 

Sweet dreams little man!

Zoo Love

Happy Valentine's Day from the smelly San Diego Zoo! I finally talked Shaun into zoo passes and since Thursdays are our only free days to go, we couldn't let Valentines get in our way. Besides, with kids, it's one of the happiest places on earth! We went once last month and the boys have been begging to go back. There is soooo much to see and do. Two trips down and we haven't even begun to see everything. Most of Isaac and Parker's questions about the animals are really deep and I love that these visits are educational and always point back to how amazing God is to have created it all! However, the monkeys kinda bring me back to reality and remind me that I have boys. "No boys, I don't know why they pee all over their hands and then wipe it all over their fur. And I'm sure they do more than just pee and play!" The girl monkeys and their "bibs" were also a hit! I guess we'll be learning about animal anatomy too!   

 

 

 

First family zoo picture

The boys love hands on animals...

...and mommy loves clean hands! Wash, wash, wash!

The hippos were about as exciting as this fake one we got to sit on.

Elephants are amazing creatures and always a hit with my boys!

Ummm... Sooo.... I didn't realize that monkeys were the trend setters these days. Faux-hawks!?!

My new favorite animal... The Okapi!

This is Blake's current pose if you ask him to smile! I don't think it can get any cheesier!

Monkeys, tigers, bears... Oh my!

And a special snake one just for Mummu cause we know how much she likes them! ;)

Saying Good-Bye to Six Years

Six years ago, this month, I found out I was pregnant with this handsome guy...

Four years ago, this month, while still nursing the first handsome guy, I found out I was pregnant with this little super hero...

 

 

 Two years ago, this month, while nursing my second little super hero, I was already three months pregnant with this little rockstar...

 

The past six years have been filled with big bellies and nursing babies! It's become my identity... All I've known! I have been needed 24/7 and outings have been limited. My style took a back seat and I became a hat wearer. I have pretty much had a kid attached to my insides or my hip for six years straight! It was a tough (yet rewarding) season of my life. Days were long and I wondered if I was ever going to sleep again (not sure that question will ever go away)...

 

This February marks the end of this journey... I am no longer nursing and I'm pretty sure I'm not pregnant either! ;) While the days were long, the years were short. Now that I can be me again, I'm not exactly sure who "me" is? Now that I don't have to dress to make it easy to nurse, I don't know the latest style! Now that I'm done having kids I'm amazed at how fast it went and how much I already miss it! When I was little I dreamed of getting married and having babies. Well... Check and... Check! I never thought to dream past the babies growing up... All my childhood dreams have been accomplished. Funny how that works! Now I can die happy... Just kidding! I'm actually really struggling with this so I'm throwing some humor in to lighten it up! ;) I can just hear the comments, "Then have more kids!" That's not the answer. I have to stop at some point, right!? I don't want NEW babies in my arms, I just want MY big boys to be little boys again. It's hard to remember back to when it was just Isaac. Not to mention just Shaun and me minus the trio!

 

The more I think about it though, the more excited I get about this next stage of life. I love watching my boys become more independent and how proud they are of themselves when they accomplish a new task! Tonight Blake thought he was hot stuff when he was able to identify all the animals I named in his Noah's Ark book. Isaac is my big helper and Parker is my polite little charmer who calls me Ma'am. Their stories make me laugh and I know that is something I would miss if they were babies again!

 

My babies are growing up and someday they will be men... Blows my mind! Whatever the next stage is, I'm learning to cherish every moment... Even the hard ones!

 

 

Someday we'll get Parker to look at the camera!