Nathan is 18 Months Old!

Our sweet little Nater is one and a half years old! It's hard to believe! He is a joy to have in our family and we all think he is pretty funny, entertaining and cute. He had his 18 month check up at the doctor today and received another great report! He continues to be our lightest little guy and but has picked up a little bit in his growth and isn't as low on the percentile chart. Nate is right on track developmentally and meeting all his milestones physically, socially and mentally.

NEW STATS:
Heights - 32.75 inches (60%)
Weight - 22 pounds 14 ounces (25%)
Head - 48.5cm (50%)

NEW SKILLS:
uses a fork and spoon fairly well
has too many words to list and acts like a little parrot
participates in lots of pretend play and mimicking
climbs on everything (including all the way to the top of our play set)
runs very quickly
tells us when he is dirty (says I poopa)
can name and point to several body parts

FAVORITE THINGS:
eating (especially yogurt, raisins, bananas, peas, pasta, potatoes, blueberries, chocolate - m&ms)
milk (he would drink a half gallon a day if I let him)
playing outside
swinging
puddles
his brothers and daddy
momma
penny
star wars (he loves the action figures and light sabers we have and will hum the theme song as well as make waaa waaa sounds when he holds the light sabers)
bath time
naked or diaper only time
balls and anything involved with balls

DISLIKE:
diaper changes
having to wait on a meal
discipline of any kind
juice
being locked out of a room
being still

 

please daddy can I have a snack

It's hard to believe that Nathan is half way to age 2! I'm looking forward to watch him learn, change and grow in the next 6 months. He keeps us on our toes with his constant movement, ham-bone personality, fun loving nature and curious spirit. We sure do love him!

24 weeks!

Today, I am 24 weeks along in this pregnancy! It's always a wonderful feeling to pass that milestone and have your baby considered viable for life outside the womb. So far this is been my most difficult pregnancy yet. Most every day I am exhausted, have a sore back and aching lower belly by the end of the day. I am certainly feeling my age as well as the effects of a large diastasis and umbilical hernia along with some worn out pelvic muscles and ligaments after carrying 3 larger than average babies. However, I am trying my best to focus on the amazing parts of being pregnant, such as feeling your little one stretch and move! Knowing that this will likely be my last time to be pregnant makes treasuring up the special moments a little easier but also a little bitter sweet. I am already receiving interesting comments about my belly/size on a daily basis. I may have to start writing them down, because sometimes they are pretty crazy! Thankfully, everything has been healthy and normal with baby and I so far. We are feeling very blessed to be expecting another healthy baby in our family! Levi snapped a quick photo of me to document week 24 with this little girl, and I have had a couple sonograms at work so we have gotten little glimpses at her inside as well. Now to wait, grow, set up a room and pick a name!

face

bent arm

long legs

Easter!

 We had nice time celebrating Easter this year! I slacked big time on the picture taking, partially because our nice camera is currently being fixed because Levi somehow screwed one of the lenses on backwards. Any way, The boys enjoyed a pot luck lunch and egg hunt at church on Palm Sunday. Nate was so cute looking for the eggs and carefully putting them in his basket. He was very pleased with the three he managed to find. Joel and Levi had a different attitude and ran around like maniacs snatching up as many as they could. It was slightly embarrassing.

 
Joel had an egg hunt and party at his preschool, I have no pictures, but he had a lot of fun and really loves his classmates and teachers. It's so sweet! On the Saturday before Easter while Nathan was napping, the big boys, Philip and I dyed eggs and it was perhaps our most enjoyable egg dying yet. The comments and excitement from Levi and Joel were precious! After dying eggs the boys and I made cookie dough and cut out and baked some bunny, egg and chick shaped cookies. That night after they went to bed I decorated them by myself (so fun!).

On Easter Sunday the boys woke up early, as usual, and we checked out their Easter goodies! They were thrilled. Then we quickly got into our Easter duds, gobbled up some muffins and headed to early church. It was a lovely service and we enjoyed the special time of placing flowers on the cross to show how even in something as ugly as death, Christ can make something new and beautiful. The boys got to pet live bunnies in children's church (wigglers worship) which they thought was super fun! After church we headed home, changed clothes and had what we hoped would be a quick egg hunt. Unfortunately, Levi threw several huge, egg throwing, basket kicking fits, and ended up having to sit out most of the hunt. Nate and Joel had a blast though! After we recovered from the egg hunt we headed to my parents for a delicious meal, hike in the woods, smashing good time with cascarones and just general cousin and family fun. We finished off the day with a yummy dinner out with Papa, Nana D, Colton and Erika! It was a lovely Easter and I feel very blessed to be able to celebrate our risen Lord!