Lately

Right now I'm feeling incredibly grateful.  I feel strong able and excited about our future.  If you ask me in an hour I may tell you I feel drained, tired and am wondering if I will ever be able to manage everything I need to be managing.  This year has been one of amazing adventures, that's for sure.  I feel like the spinning top is just about to stop spinning and as much as I will be grateful to not be getting more and more dizzy by the second, I am a little concernd about the top falling over and seeing what I'm left with!  Thankfully just thinking what I am not left without fills me with courage and allows me to face whatever the next chapter of our life holds with optimize.  At least for today.

David is doing great! He can hold his head up and is trying to learn to sit.  He can drink milk sloppily from a shot glass and a sippy cup with no stopper inserted.  he eats baby cereal in the mornings and a few bites of pureed foods in the evening.  I brush his mouth and tongue with a towel or finger numerous times each day to help desensitise his mouth.  He still doesn't like the bottle and tries to suck by placing the nipple of the bottle under his tongue instead of over.  He's still trying to protect his throat, poor thing.  It's been 6 week today, since his open heart surgery and we can now give him tummy time!  He hates it, but since he hasn't been allowed to be placed on his tummy his whole life, it's no wonder! Most babies like David will sit close to age one and take even longer to crawl.  Since he's just now getting tummy time I'm thinking at least 6-8 months will go by till he can crawl!  He'll be like 15 months old by then!  I'm just happy to get to savor my sweet baby!

Luke turned three on the 18th.  He is pure sunshine!  Yesterday David was sitting in the bouncer seat and Luke would grab David's feet and bash himself in the face with them.  Then he would make great sound effects and fall to the ground.  David was squealing and laughing at him.  It was picture perfect!  Luke also has started pushing around all his treasures in a laundry basket.  The basket usually includes all his mickey mouse club house figurines and some balls! He also has taken to running around the house in his undies.  Why he choose the dead of winter to start doing this I'll never know.  His toes are always freezing and I can't keep clothes on the kid!

Jentrey will be 5 in two short weeks!  She is so much fun.  She is finally starting to do a decent job at her chores and had taken a liking to helping out. She asks to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the whole crew! The big boys empty the dishwasher on alternating days.  On the off chance that I need the dishwasher emptied twice in a day I'll ask her to do it.  She'll always slump, tring to conceal her smile and say to the boys.  "Aww man! I have to empty the dishwasher!..Me, all alone!" She jumps right to it and is soooo happy.  She also says to me often "We can do that cause we're girls!"  I love having her as my little girlie.  She is trying her best to teach herself to read so after scolding myself millions of times for not taking the time to sit daily with her and practice, I have made great plans for our homeschooling in January and have bought some great readers for her and I to start practicing with.  I can't leave off the fact that she is sooo fast when she runs!  I really think she'll be faster than her brothers by summer! Boy, that'll make them crazy!

Anthony or Gabriel, depending on my mood, will be 7 on the 7th!  He is reading great and stays up late most nights reading his big brothers books.  He always wants to know how things work and why we do things certain ways.  He is quick to obey and HATES being in trouble!  The only time he causes trouble is when things aren't fair.  Ok not only, he's also big on the NO GIRLS ALLOWED thing.  One thing I love about him is that he is always ready to talk!  Ask him one question and he will keep the conversation going FOREVER! It's amazing to hear the way his mind works!

Caleb is 8.  He has really gotten big lately.  Little kid games and jokes no longer amuse him.  He won't be consoled with a little hug or a story.  He is very kind to me and often surprises me with large cups of water when I sit down to pump.  He always offers me the last cookie or slice of pizza.  He is so gentle with David but has continued to bug me about getting to carry David around.  I keep telling him when he's bigger! He can bathe the little kids and dress them in a flash! He reads to the kids and can clean the living room as well as I can! He's great.

Things are good for us.  We look forward to flu season ending so we can actually take David out in public!  This Christmas is going to be the best Christmas ever.  Things may feel crazy at times and we may be really be hind on alot of stuff at home, but what's important is all in place and we feel truly blessed!