Eden 11 months

Eden, you are 11 months old today! You are really starting to show your personality now! We are so loving this! Right now...

-You are almost walking...you can take 2 or 3 steps alone and then you dive!
-Your eyes are my favorite thing about you! You definitely use them to show how you are feeling. We say that you have the "corban stare." Those lashes are just as long as ever!
-You can say "Da da" "ma ma" "ra ra" (at least it sounds like it) No real purpose to your mumblings yet though:)
-You eat everything and anything!
-You love all animals. When you see them you start kicking your feet, pointing to them and saying 'mmmmmm...ooooo...'
-You are still waking up once in the night most of the time. It kinda drives me nuts, but it's my fault for not making you sleep all night. This definitely needs to change soon though because mommy and dadddy are going away in March and the grandparents will NOT be happy with me if you are still waking up in the night...yikes!
-You are super snuggly:) I absolutely love this about you!
-I nurse you twice a day. Once in the early morning and once before bed. You aren't too attached to it...just like your brothers, it looks like you will wean yourself.
-You use a pacifier and nuzzy to sleep still. I love that you are so easy to put down. I just sing you a song and give you your paci and nuzzy and you go straight to sleep.

Eden, you are so beautiful! What a blessing you are to our family. Next month we will celebrate your 1st year of life! Love you sweet girl!

A Birthday Get-a-way!

I can't decide whether getting away for a weekend with my husband is a good thing or a bad thing. Ha! No I'm serious...kinda of. For my birthday, (and his too!) my husband whisked me off to St. Louis just the two of us! We stayed at the fabulous Union Station Hotel and went to two Cardinal games. Does he know me well or what???!!! We ate dinner, stayed up late and slept in late! My wonderful mother-in-law kept the boys and my mom and sister kept the sweet girl (who happened to be sick - it's extra awesome they still we were willing to keep her)! The trip was SO needed and I'm glad we were able to get away. The only problem: I want to go away ALL THE TIME now! I have a new found sense of freedom and can't wait til we get to go away again! This is bad. While I nkow the Grandparents love my kids, I'm pretty positive they don't want them EVERY weekend! Plus, I'm pretty sure Mark isn't going to get a 5 start hotel every weekend for us to 'get away.' Anyway, best birthday present in a long time!

Family update and Eden 8 months!

Life just seems to be getting busier and busier around here. We are jumping from one thing to the other and my days are running together. We just got back from an awesome week at the trail ride,Eden is 8 months now, Aaron and Corban have both started school, Aaron starts soccer this week and Mark and I turn another year older this month!

Aaron started school at Montessori. We decided to wait another year before sending him to Kindergarten. It has been a hard decision to make, but I think it is what is best. He is such a smart little boy. Loving Montessori! He goes 4 mornings a week from 8-11. The transition has been really smooth for him, for which I am so grateful. He has had trouble with that in the past. I have also enrolled him in homeschool (counting for Kindergarten) just in case we decide to send him straight to 1st grade next fall. Corban started going to Stepping Stones preschool last week. It has been a pretty hard reality for him, which we knew it would be. He cried most of the first day but improved a lot the second. Hopefully he won't torture this mama every Tues and Thurs like his big brothers entire first semester and cry:( I wish I could put a picture of their first day of school on here but unfortunately this mother was a failure and didn't take one. I have my excuses, but let's just leave it at that. ok? I will take a 'pretend' first day picture and that will have to do.

Eden is practically crawling now. She is also pulling up on EVERYTHING. Thus we have entered the 'I crack my head on everything so I should be wearing a helmet all the time' stage of life. I can't believe she is only 8 months and already pulling up and almost crawling. Both boys were well over 10 months before even trying to crawl. She takes 2 naps a day and is really smiley. She LOVES her mama and is a huge cuddler! I love it...except it has been a pain the rear to train her to sleep all night. Thank you Mark for giving each of my children the gift of persistence! She is nursing 3-4 times a day and eating me out of house and home with 'real food' (you can tell by the size of her thighs!). She is starting to develop her own little personality and I LOVE it! She is adorable to look at if I do say so myself. Her brothers make her laugh like no one else! This 3 kid situation isn't half bad....now that we are past the infant stage and getting more sleep:) It's amazing how your perspective can change when everyone is relatively healthy, sleeping, and able to be entertained for more than 15 minutes by themselves...ha! no really, I'm serious. Life was questionable for a while there. I am pretty sure we are not only going to make it, but thrive!

Baba

I didn't know my grandparents well growing up. God blessed me and my siblings with a church family and other special family friends who substituted quite well though. I am SO grateful for those people in my life...then and now. Having said that, when my family moved to Melber, I was able to see a different side of family that I had never known. It's the first time in my life words like cousin, aunt, grandmother, grandfather, etc became real and more than just a word I mentioned when asked about my extended family. Those words were rich with a love and history. I really didn't understand what I had been missing during my childhood until we moved to Melber.

This woman is one of my favorite people in the world. Baba and Dado taught me what grandparents were. They showed me and great example of what it looks like for grandparents to love their grandchildren. Baba turned 94 years old yesterday. She is the strongest woman I have ever met. Her health is not perfect but it is still better than any 94 year-old I have ever met. I want so bad for her to be alive for my children to really remember her like I do. I know that is not likely. I wish I would have known her a lot longer than I have. I wish I had stories of my grandmother like Mark does. I will cherish the last 14 years I have had with her. I love that she calls me her grandchild even though I technically am not. I will do my best to show my kids pictures of her with them, and tell them how much she adored them. I wanted to dedicate this blog post to this sweet lady. Here are a few things I want to remember:) I hope I get to keep adding to this list!

-She cooks a mean breakfast! Her biscuts are her trademark. I have tried for years to make them. I'm pretty sure I just don't use enough lard:(
-If you don't take what she has offered you the first time, she will keep asking until you take it. Might as well just take it when she offers no matter how full you are.
-She loves the Lord. She raised her family to follow God.
-I am pretty sure she works harder than me keeping her house clean. We always compare our cleaning schedules when we talk on the phone.
-I love it when she calls the day before our weekend visit to ask what I want her to make for me:) Strawberry pie is my favorite!
-She never measures any ingredient. Ever.
-If you ask her for a recipe, she will NOT include all the ingredients unless it is written down. It's best to just watch her make it and write down as she goes.
-I love walking in her house in the evening when she has a small lamp on readying her Bible at the kitchen table.
-She takes forever at the grocery because she stops to visit with everyone.
-She says things like 'be good to the bread' to the grocery boy who puts the groceries in her trunk.
-Nothing is ever 'fit to eat' according to her when he cooks
-Aaron and Corban always ask her to make them 'oats' for breakfast.
-Mark and I always remind her that they are 5yrs and 2yrs and big enough to feed themselves. (She always tries to feed them)
-She showed me the best example of how to love her husband.
-She NEVER forgets to call me during the week even when I do.
-She makes sure to reprimand Mark if he is critical of my cooking.
-She loves to rock my children.
-She taught me the word 'shit-fire' (can I say that on my blog?????)
-Corban told us the other day that Baba calls him "sweet darlin"
-When I was so stressed the day before my wedding she hid me in her house so no one would find me:)

The biggest thing I will always remember about Baba is her heart for service. She is a servant. It is simply who she is. I will forever be grateful to God for the opportunity to know this special woman who introduces me to others as her granddaughter. Such sweet words to me.

New Glasses

A month ago at Aaron's 5 year check up we learned that he has something called Amblyopia. This means that one of his eyes (left eye in Aaron's case) is not see correctly. His right eye is seeing clearly but his left is seeing 20/200. So off to our favorite optometrist we went. He now has a brand spanking new pair of glasses and we will begin patching his right eye (his good eye) for several hours a day in attempts to get his left eye to catch up. So here my sweet boy is in his new pair of glasses! He is doing great keeping them on!

Eden 6 months

We made it through the first 6 months! Here are a few things about you, Eden, that mommy wants to remember!

-You are such a good baby! You hardly ever fuss. Seriously, you only cry when you are hungry, sleepy, or have a dirty diaper. Once those are taken care of you are all smiles!
-I love that you are so adjustable! We haul you everywhere and at all times of the day and you just go with the flow. You are super smiley and will let anyone hold you....right now at least.
-You are super chunky. Those thighs are holding all the milk I think. Your cheeks are just squeezable! You are in size 6 months but some of your shorts don't fit around your legs:)
-Mommy's only complaint is that you don't sleep through the night. You get up once to eat, sometimes twice. I just can't bring myself to be mean yet and make you do it because you go to sleep right after you nurse, so it's easy. I'm sure the time is coming very soon when there will be some crying to get that problem corrected.
-You are sitting up by yourself. I LOVE this!
-You LOVE your brothers. Aaron can make you laugh harder than anyone. Corban is learning the ropes though and got some good ones out of you yesterday!
-I just started some solid food this week. Rice cereal at night and some bananas and squash during the day. Banana is your favorite right now. You are starting to reach for our food when we have meals so I am sure your options will increase very quickly.
-You take 3 naps a day. An hour morning nap around 9am, a 2 hour noon nap and then another hour nap in the evening. I am so excited for you to drop your evening nap...this family is much to busy for that one:)
-You still take a pacifier, but only for sleeping. You won't take it during the day for some reason. (no complaints here!)
-You love to watch TV. This is a bit ridiculous if you ask me. I find you watching it all the time when your brothers have a show on.
-You nurse every 3 1/2 to 4 hours. I haven't offered you a bottle in a long time...oops!
-Your eyes are my favorite thing about you right now. They pierce straight through me! And those eye lashes...they are long and beautiful. They are the first thing people notice when they see you.

Our cup overflows! We are so grateful for you, Eden. There is nothing sweeter than your adorable smiling face when I come get you out of your crib every morning. Next month will be your first trail ride - which is a pretty big deal in this family! We can't wait to get you on a horse! We love you so much beautiful girl!

Aaron 5 years

So I now have a 5 year old! Mark and I are so proud of the young man Aaron is becoming. He is such a compassionate child and a great big brother. Here are a few things about him I want to remember:

-You can make your little sister laugh harder than anyone else in the family. She smiles when she hears your voice and will belly laugh when you play with her.
-You do such a great job playing with Corban and helping him learn how to do 'big boy things.'
-You are long and lean. Just like the pictures I see of your daddy when he was your age.
-You LOVE your daddy! You do everything he does, just like he does.
-You are getting more and more confident with horses. Papa is paying you right now to 'work' with a horse we have right now. 'Pony Boy' is his name and daddy helps you do ground work and ride bareback.
-You got a cowboy hat, boots, and a vest for your birthday. You play a game called 'buck you off' where you and Corban put your cowboy gear on and get 'bucked off' your beds. Mom and dad get to come watch the 'show.'
-You are very compassionate and sensitive to other people's feelings.
-You are really smart. We debated on whether or not to start Kindergarten this year because you would be the youngest in your class. We have finally decided to hold off 1 more year and do Montessori this year and start 'real school' next year.
-You love learning new things. You ask TONS of questions. I have been able to tell a major shift in your understanding of abstract things lately and answers are harder and harder to come by. You do not accept the answer 'I don't know.' or 'There is no answer to that question.'
-You just got a new 'big bike' and go on bike rides with your dad all the time on the 'big road.' You have been riding without training wheels for over a year now.
-You can read. Small sentences and still have a ways to go, but I am so proud of your self discipline at such a young age to want to learn.
-You played T-ball for the first time this spring. You LOVED it and had so much fun. Coach Jimmy did a great job helping you learn.
-This year on your birthday we went out to breakfast as a family and plan on having a camp out with a few friends. You said you want hot dogs, Cheetos, and s'mores. Yum! We also went to the Discovery Center in Murfreesboro with RaRa. Aunt Lori came and brought Eli, Isaac and Esther too!

Aaron, God has blessed us beyond measure with your life. Thank you for being such a great son and big brother! Our prayer is that you will continue to have just as much of a zeal and determination to find answers as you do now. Most of all we pray that God will make himself known to you always and your relationship with him will grow and mature as you do. We love you sweet boy!