Tiny Twig Goes Out on a Limb

Asher at 4 Months

He smiles.  He quiets when I snuggle him.  He sleeps through the night most nights (PRAISE GOD!).  He is wearing 3-6 month clothes.  He coos and squeals.  He loves his brothers...I can tell this, you know.  He seems to prefer his blankie over a pacifer to soothe himself. 

I thank God ever more each day for him.  I am more thankful today than I was the day he left the hospital for his the fact that he is well.  I can't imagine life without him.  I can't wait for him to sit up--it will make life easier--the Bumbo is cumbersome.  I think his brothers love him more than toys.  I know he fits right into our crazy and awesome life.

First Day of Preschool

These boys love each other.  Noah had his first day of preschool last week--and he LOVED it.  He was really ready to spend some time away from the house, away from the family, gaining a little independence.  I was excited for him and not even a little bit sad, but I sure next year will be different story.  Kindergarten and being gone all day every day is a whole different ball game!

Cooper, on the other hand, missed his other half.  He sobbed and sobbed the most heartwrenching cries as we pulled away from the preschool.  He kept saying that he forgot to say goodbye and that he had "lost" Noah.  :(  Now, THAT...that broke my heart.  Cooper has never known a world without Noah.  He has had a built-in best friend from day one, and those boys know how to have fun. 

The sweetest exchange took place on the way to the school on the first day.

Noah:  "Cooper are you excited for me to go to school?"

Cooper: "No!"

**Noah looks confused and hurt.**

Me: "Cooper, are you not excited because you think you'll miss Noah?"

**Cooper tears up and shakes his head in agreement.**

Noah:  "It's okay buddy, I'll probably miss you a lot, too."

Like I said, break my heart.

Asher 3 Months

Asher is 3 months old today!  Because he was early and then had a rough start he just recently started smiling and cooing.  If you have kids, you know that this makes the whole not sleeping thing totally worthwhile.  I was wondering there for awhile...  :)

At 3 months, Asher looks like he wants to take off and crawl after his big brothers.  I am, of course, dreading the moment when I have 3 mobile boys.  He smiles and smiles at Noah especially--which is fitting since Asher is Noah's spitting image.  Sometimes I feel like I've gone back 4 years and am looking at a tiny Baby Noah--forgetting that Asher is his own unique boy.

2 weeks ago, he weighed 10 1/2 lbs and was 21 inches long.  He loves to watch cieling fans and his brothers races.  He immediately relaxes when swaddled and sleeps his longest stretch at night from 8pm to 3:30am.  He isn't a huge fan of being in the carseat, the first of my boys to object to that. 

He is the most precious addition to our family.  I make sure to stop and appreciate his presence with us several times a day.  It is truly a gift, and one that I haven't forgotten. 

 

Sleeping Sitting Up

Our sweet Cooper is the proverbial "bull in a china cabinet" and a "wrecking ball".  He goes, goes, goes and knocks into most things in his way.  He has the sweetest (most opinionated) spirit, but he has very little coordination and quite a lot of speed.  This makes him absolutely hilarious and accident prone.  Dude falls down more than I thought a kid possibly could! 

Anyway, we worked hard at wearing the boys out on Monday.  The boys (big and little) went out on the traditional "Morning Ski" before breakfast when the water is like glass.  It is the best time to ski or wakeboard, so our boys are out there getting it while it's good.  So, they were out on the boat from 7:30-9:30 and then back out after a quick breakfast from 10:30-5:30.  It was a LONG day for them and I caught Cooper asleep sitting up at various points during the day. 

I cannot believe how much fun we are having this year with the boys.  They are finally old enough to have some sense on the boat.  In previous years I was a ball of nerves just hoping they wouldn't try to climb out while we were cruising.  They even tubed with their cousins today!  We had a 2, 3, 4, and 5 year old out together on the tube all by themselves!  It was adorable and probably so memorable for them, too.  They were even giving us the thumbs up and thumbs down to go faster or slower.  So grown up!

Well, off to more vacationing!  We've been waiting and planning for this since Thanksgiving time...so I am savoring each and every moment. 

 

Squished Baby on a Lake Vacation

 

We are on vacation--and this little dude was all strapped in and ready to go on his first boat ride.  He slept nearly the entire time on the boat--thank God for bimini tops and shade for the babies!  Each of my boys has worn this as a teeny-tiny baby, and it makes me happy to see it making another summer appearance. 

One of Husband and my "big dreams" (those that you hope and hope come true, but realize may not...) is to have a lakehouse someday.  We just love being out on the boat and in the water, and we love the idea of "weekending" away.  Nothing fancy, just a little cottage...a place to sleep and a place to eat.  We are even planning a trip to tour 10 Indiana lakes this summer to see where we might want to end up someday.  That will be our little weekend vacation where our minds can wander and we see how big we can dream. 

But, for now, we are loving being with family and spending all day trying to wear our boys out on the water.  Life is so good.