Cousins

Some of my favorite memories as a child include my cousins. We took vacations together, celebrated holidays together and spent many memorable summers together. I love that our parents tried so hard to ensure a close relationship with our family. Throughout the years it has become harder and harder for all of us to get together. We all have our own families now or have moved off (becoming doctors or engineers in the Marshal Islands). We have tried to have a family reunion once a year and get everyone together; however, that is also difficult to get everyone's schedules to align.
This past weekend we were able to get together with my Aunt Karla, Uncle Gary and my cousins LaDonna, Adam, James Ryan and his beautiful wife Codi and there two adorable daughters. It was certainly an adventure with 7 kids ages 4 and under. It was so good to see them all and to watch our children play together just like we did.

A little difficult to get all 7 kids in one picture, but I think it turned out great. Take note of Paxton sporting a Mardi Gras necklace, a machine gun, baby Jesus and Elmo shoes. HAHA that kid cracks me up. Sweet little Maddy is trying to pick the flowers off of Harper's pillow. So sweet.

Molli (3), Maddox (4), Paxton (2), Kyndall (2), Maddy (6months), Harper (3months), Henley (3months)

The kids table. Oh if everyone could march to the beat of Paxton's drum!! HAHA.

It is amazing what a difference a year makes! The kiddos were all just babies here last summer and this time we added 3 more to the mix!! Amazing!

Maddox (3), Paxton (15months), Kyndall (18months), Mollie (2)

Under the Weather

We have had some long nights the last few days because Miss Priss is not feeling fantastic after her immunizations on Wednesday. Nothing crazy, she can go from fine to pretty irritable very quickly and she is congested (like the rest of our household) making it hard to breathe well with a pacifier or a bottle! She went from sleeping a good 9+ hours at night to getting up every 2 hours or so. Boo. Feel better soon sweet baby girl.

It is a good thing she is so darn cute 

Making Friends

Maddox is making some fantastic friends at school this year. It is no surprise that making friends is relatively easy for him because he is so outgoing. We continue to work on doing things that our friends like to do and not always having to be the boss, but that is all typical four year old stuff. I was not at all surprised that he hit it off with a little boy in his class who likes camouflage, shooting guns, super heros and all other things boy. I am not surprised when he comes home with dirt stains on his jeans from playing so hard outside. However, what did surprise me was when he came home and told me his favorite friend at school was a girl. He informed me that this precious little girl asked him to go to eat lunch at Blue Sky and then asked for his phone number! Ha. I asked what he liked about her and he said "I like that I can just talk and talk and talk with her" HAHHA. Now that does NOT surprise me, he is a talker and he has found someone to listen and enter act with!!!

Such a sweet little boy and his new favorite friend!! (Apparently this adorable little girl talks about Maddox ALL the time...haha, her mom sent me this picture she took of them at Maddox's favorite boy's birthday party. She needed a picture of Maddox so she could show everyone who her daughter was ALWAYS talking about. heheh.)

Growth

Harper had a well check Dr. appointment yesterday. She is looking fantastic. She is strong, sweet, and growing right on track. She smiled and "talked" with the doctor and all the nurses.
Harper's Growth Stats at 3 months old:
Weight: 10lbs 15oz (22nd percentile)
Height: 22.5" (30th percentile)
So very thankful for a healthy beautiful baby girl.

Paxton has made HUGE progress at school. They switched teachers in his class and I LOVE his new teacher. She truly has a heart for the kiddos and she loves my sweet sweet boy. He is playing, eating, and napping really well. His new teacher is so helpful in encouraging him to speak and ditch the pacifier. He even fell asleep at nap time yesterday without his paci! Paxton reminds me everyday on our way to school that "mommy comes back!" I am so thankful for the progress he is making everyday.

Maddox is loving school. He loves his teacher and his friends. He has homework every night of practicing writing the letter and number he is learning each week. He has learned 'A' 'B' 'C' and '0' '1' '2' He listens well, plays hard and loves it all!

Thankful for the growth all the kids are making everyday.

3 Months Old

Harper Grace, as of the 29th, you are 3 months old!!! WOW sweet girl, you are getting so big. In many ways it feels as though you have been with us much longer than 3 short months and in other ways I cannot believe that 3 months have already passed us by. It is amazing how quickly our lives can change, adapt and discover a new normal. You already have the 3 boys in your life wrapped around your tiny little finger. Maddox, Paxton (and daddy too) will do just about anything to watch you grin and get you to "talk" to them. (Don't tell anyone, but I tend to transform into a crazy goon just to make you smile, and oh my sweet sweet girl, when you smile I am certain the entire world is smiling with you! You are just too cute with that grin taking over your entire body).

What are you up to at 3 months old?

I am not sure how much you weigh...we go to the doctor on Wednesday so we will see then.

You are able to fit in some of your newborn dresses but are wearing mostly 0-3 months clothes. Newborn leggings still fit you best (you have tiny little legs).

Size 1 diaper

You eat around 4.5 ounces of alimentum formula every 3 hours during the day.

You are sleeping in your swing.

You sleep at least one 6 hour stretch in the evening (usually from about 8pm-2am), although you have gone 9 hours a couple of times (when you make the longer stretch without eating, I still get up with you a time or two or twelve to give you your paci). 

You have been super easy to get to go back to sleep after your middle of the night feed.

You loathe your car seat. You cry cry cry and scream in the car. (I will be very happy when we outgrow this particular phase)

You are still swaddled to sleep. You do not like the process of getting swaddled, but you certainly sleep well when you are all snug as a bug

You have started "talking" some and let me just tell you, you have the most adorable little voice and you make the sweetest facial expressions.

Harper Grace, you are the most adorable little girl I have ever laid my eyes on! We love you sweet 3 month old little girl!!

Rejoice

 "And whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, so that the Father may
be glorified in the Son." John 14:13

I received this picture via text message from Maddox's teacher. She saw Paxton playing and NOT crying today on the play groud!! YIPPEE. I rejoice in the knowledge that the Lord has heard my prayer!

A little of this A little of that

Maddox loves school! He loves playing with his new friends, he adores his teacher and he loves learning new things. He is learning how to write the letter A and the sounds that accompany this letter. He is learning to write the number 0 and that 0 means NONE. He is learning some Spanish and thinks it is funny to ask me my name in Spanish "Como te llamas?" He has easily made new friends and his favorite friend is a little girl. How fun. He has some awesome kids in his class and a fantastic teacher. I am so thankful to watch him grow so much in just a few short weeks.

Paxton is still adjusting to going to school and being away from momma. He is gradually learning to love his teacher and find comfort from her. He is learning to enjoy nap time (the whole process is so exhausting for him, I think he looks forward to the time when he gets to lay on his nap mat). He struggles the most when transitioning from one task to another. He cries when they leave the room to go to the gym or outside or anything like that. We talk all the time about how momma will always come back to get him and that school is a fun place. I am praying for progress in all of these areas for my littlest guy. I pray he will find comfort at school, that he will make friends and learn to be more social. I pray this year is a growing year that helps him find confidence without me around. I pray this year provides the growth that he needs to catch up developmentally to his peers. He still has about a 30% delay in his expressive language and does not talk much at all right now at school. I know he is in good hands during the day, I simply pray the Lord gives me what I need to help guide and grow him into the little boy he is intended to be and that his social anxiety will not be something he struggles with for much longer.

Harper Grace is doing fabulously. She is now 12 weeks old. She is napping really well and sleeping beautifully at night. I am still getting up with her at least once a night to feed her, but she easily goes back to sleep (in her swing) and for that I am extremely thankful. I am not sure when we will try the transition from swing sleep to bed sleep because this is working very well for us and I am beyond grateful for the rest!