6 Months?!

Nathan turned 6 months old on Sunday. I really cannot believe it! I LOVE the baby phase, and it makes me sad that he is going to be done with it so soon. It almost makes me want to become a Duggar and just always have a baby in the house (except for the massive amounts of children that would result from that. Ha.) This age is one of my very favorites, and Nate is just a joy to be around.

He continues to be a very happy and content little love. All of us will do most anything just to get him to smile or laugh. He is happy to oblige and relishes in the attention. Levi seems to be the one who can get him laughing the most, which makes him a very proud big brother. Other than being entertained by his brothers some of Nate's other favorite things are doing tricks with his Dad (he's the first of the boys to master standing in Philip's palm on only one foot), roll and scoot around on the carpet, put anything he can into his mouth and be sung to. Now that he is slightly mobile, he enjoys more time on the ground. He can scoot himself forward on his chest by pulling his knees under himself and then pushing himself forward like a seal. He will also use his arms to inch himself in circles and to get to toys that are out of reach.

 
On Thursday he had his 6 month check up and he continues to be our leanest little guy. It will be so interesting to see how the boys end up once they have all finished growing. We could end up with three very differently built boys. Dr. D said that Nathan is thriving, healthy, growing on his own curve and very smart. I was already thinking all those things, but it is so nice to be encouraged by his pediatrician.

New Stats:
height: 27.5 inches (90%)
weight: 15 pounds 6 ounces (10%)
head circumference: 44.3 centimeters (70%)

New Skills:
sitting up very well and gaining better balance every day
rolling to get things he wants
started eating solids and so far he loves it!
can pick up cheerios and sometimes get one into his mouth
scoots around on his tummy
starting to hold his own bottle when Mom is at work
says Dada and really seems to actually relate the sounds to when he sees Philip
makes more consonant and vowel sounds and loves to hear himself
happily takes baths sitting up (and splash a bunch!)

Nathan is changing so quickly and learning new things all the time. It is so fun to watch him grow and watch his brothers cheer him on as well. I can't wait to see what all the next 6 months will bring until we have a ONE year old!

Field Trip!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to join Levi and the rest of his kindergarten classmates on their field trip. So many parents want to go, so the school does a drawing for the trip, and I was excited to be drawn.

We went to the park, played, had a picnic lunch and then went to the imax to watch "Born to be Wild" which was about rescued orphaned baby elephants and orangutans. 

 

It was a lot of fun to watch Levi interact with his classmates. One of his best friends was his buddy for the day and they held hands every time we walked anywhere. It was so cute and innocent. All of the kids were in awe of the giant screen and their wide eyes and mouths were adorable.

Levi was so excited for me to be there; I got lots of hugs throughout the day. I also loved how thrilled he was about getting to sit next to me during the show.  The enthusiasm of kindergartens is contagious, and makes me want to be more appreciative of the little thrills in life, like riding a big yellow bus with all of your friends. 

Hats off to Levi!

Levi performed in his school kindergarten program last night and he did a fantastic job! (Even though his line got cut last minute to save time). He LOVED the songs and had been practicing loud and proud at home. I was a little worried he would clam up when it was show time, since that has happened in the past, but he hammed it up and was so cute on stage. The program was called Hats! and was all about people with special hats. His class' song was about Uncle Sam and Levi sang so loud we could hear him from our seats way towards the back. There were a lot of had motions and he was so cute and enthusiastic. Pop, Moe, Papa and our family were all there and super proud of our little star! Levi has really matured this year in school and it showed in his performance :)

front row cutie :)

Levi LOVES to sing

soooo excited to have his grandparents there!

Family of 5! (Nate got hot and lost the jumper and socks)

Lizards

About a week ago we inherited a lizard from our dear friends, who are moving to New Zealand to be missionaries. New Zealand law does not allow any animals to be brought into the country, so they have to leave the little guy behind. Philip may have taken in this lizard without asking me first, but seeing how excited the boys are to have their new pet has made it easier to forgive :).

The boys have named him Speedy Bug Catcher. Levi and Joel have been enjoying catching bugs for him to eat. Yesterday while I was at work Philip caught two more lizards in our yard and he and the boys decided we should add them to aquarium. Soooo, we now have three lizards (as well as a snail) living in our play room. The two newest additions are named Turbo and Blaze (I guess the boys are impressed with the quickness of the critters). If we can't catch enough bugs for them we will have to buy crickets regularly from the pet store. Good thing I have some expert bug catchers living with me :)

Easter!

Easter is my favorite holiday of the year! I love the weather, beautiful flowers, decorations and outdoor activities that come with the holiday and spring time. The awesome message of hope that comes with the true meaning of Easter brings me to tears every year. It's just such a special time of year! This Easter did not disappoint. Our first event was a small group egg hunt the Sunday before Easter. The kids had a blast and were so cute finding the eggs. Trying to get them all together for a picture was hilarious. Next we went to a class party and egg hunt at Joel's school, where Nate and I helped "hide" the eggs. The kids were so excited to collect their eggs and hear all about Easter in chapel time.

tiny "helper"

Joel with his class and wonderful teacher Mrs. Nicole

 Levi brought home lots of cute spring and Easter themed crafts from school and we hung them around the house. On the Saturday before Easter we had a blast dyeing eggs and making Easter cookies. Then, on Easter Sunday we got up early, the boys went through their baskets (which we a huge hit!) and then ate a yummy breakfast of muffins and fruit salad. At church there was a inspiring message as well as a time for us to "nail" our sins to the cross. There were 2 wooden crosses at the front of the church and note cards to write on and then attach to the cross. It was a powerful reminder of how Christ takes away our sin and separation from God by what he did for us when he died on the cross. The boys were all dressed so cute for church, but I didn't manage to get a single picture of them or the family. I did get one cute picture of them that a friend took with their phone on the 2 big boys in wigglers worship holding a live bunny.

After church we drove over to my parent's house for a delicious meal, cascarone fight and egg hunt. The cousins had a blast together and it was a really nice day with our family. We even got to have Grampa there for lunch and stopped by to see Gramma on our way home. They both adore Nathan and were so cute holding him. Grampa even sang to Nate (and if you know my Grampa, that is pretty sweet!).

 

 All in all is was a wonderful holiday celebrating the hope and new life we have with our faith in Jesus! I can't until next year when we have a 18 month old to join in the egg hunts :)