Easter Time

Rather than make everyone wait even longer for my Easter update, I'm just going to post the pictures that have been waiting and do a quick commentary.  We colored eggs with Kelly, Jon and Grandma and Papa.  I boiled FIVE dozen eggs.  Fun was had by all....or maybe not by looking at Jon's forced expressions.  But Megan loved to have him there....and Kelly too of course.  We went to a friend's church for our Easter Egg hunt this year.  It was jam packed with eggs filled to the brim with lots and lots of candy.  And it wasn't the cheap kind of candy - CHOCOLATE candy!  Megan was on the upper end of the little kid's age bracket and therefore she did very well for herself against all of the little toddlers.  Don't worry, there was enough for everyone!  We didn't get many pictures of Easter day, Joshua's first Easter but what's new at this point.  He also left a bunch of candy for Megan and some eggs for Mister.

Happy Memorial Day

I married this man. I couldn't be more proud.

9 1/2 Months!

I officially have to apologize to my parents for giving them a hard time about not having "enough" baby pictures of me, their SECOND child.  Not only do we not pull the camera out enough for Joshua, I am a blogging disaster.  I have missed not only his 8 month update, but now his 9 month.  What an embarassment!  Well, he'll get over it cause he has no idea what I'm talking about anyway.  He can get back at me for it when he's a teenager, or when he's 4 like his sister.  Anyhooo......

Joshua WAS 8 months old and now he IS 9 months old!  (and a half - but who's counting!?)

We marked his 9 month birthday by getting his pictures taken.  We got some cute ones of him, both sissy and brother and I even got in on a couple.  We'll be picking those up this week some time.  He is definitely starting to get his own personality.  He is quite the cutie pie!  He has just started waving and clapping when he sees someone doing it.  He finally cut his SIXTH tooth, one of the 4 he now has on the bottom.  I think he's working on his third on top right now.  By his 1st birthday he might have a full mouth of little chompers!

He's still quite a good baby.  He has a pretty predictable schedule, goes to sleep on his own when you lay him down and eats us out of house and home.  I can't keep up with the homemade baby food!  He LOVES the Gerber crunchies or whatever they are called that looked like Cheetos Puffs.  I am not as much of a fan however, the first flavor we got is a cinnamon/maple variety and it's not my favorite.  He constantly smells like maple.  Good thing I love him so much. 

He will also let you know when he's frustrated by letting out a pretty high pitched scream - not so pleasant.  Or when you take something away from him that he thinks he should be able to have....like the remote or a cell phone.  You know....the things that are always in our hands but can't be in his.  He just doesn't understand!  He is also getting a little sense of humor.  If he's about to get into something he's not supposed to and you say, "Misterrrrr!"  He'll look back at you and grin, take another step closer and giggle as soon as you make a move toward him.  He's a little ham.

He is sitting up on his own, will get to his knees in a crawling position but will quickly drop and army crawl everywhere and anywhere as quick as anything.  I don't think he'll ever crawl when he does it on his belly so well!  I've joked that I could make millions by inventing Swiffer Jammies.

Megan is still being a great big sister.  She definitely hears it from us constantly about being gentle etc. but she loves him so much and can't wait for the day where she can just pick him up and take him somewhere.  We have let her pick him up and bring him to us when he's close and she feels so big and helpful.  She thanks me for letting her pick him up.

I'm not sure if I've updated on the sleeping arrangement yet or not, but they have been sharing a room for probably a couple of months now.  While I was being driven insane with him waking up every hour on the hour, all he wanted was a bigger bed!  As soon as we put him in his crib in the kids' room, he slept through the night.  I think Megan likes having him in there too, unless he starts screaming in the middle of the night, which isn't often and she rarely wakes up for it anyway.  It's going well, which is great because we just have no other options!  Someday we might be able to figure out a way out of this house and into a bigger one but it's not going to be anytime soon unfortunately.

Well, that's Joshua's 8-9 month update.  We are all healthy and happy and all very much in love with him.

Our Little Photo Shoot

I wanted to take some photos of the kids and after thinking long and hard about where, Josh suggested the property of the Grand Lodge.  A few turned out really well, some turned out okay and many turned out with one kid looking and one kid not.  Megan is still the most easy to take pictures of but even she is hard to get a good smile from.  When she's thinking about it, it's very obvious!

We had to explain to her that while keeping Joshua's head facing forward was helpful, it's not very visually appealing.  But it is funny!

Freezing Cold Day at the Park

This was, I'm pretty sure, Joshua's first visit to a park.  It was unplanned and I was a little unprepared.  It was so cold outside but it WAS dry.  Joshua had to be wrapped up in my coat's lining because I didn't have a blanket for him.  He enjoyed his first ride in a swing though nevertheless.  And of course Megan had fun showing him all of the tricks she knows.

A Mother's Song

My heart is like a fountain true
That flows and flows with love to you.
As chirps the lark unto the tree
...So chirps my pretty babe to me.


There's not a rose where'er I seek,
As comely as my baby's cheek.
There's not a comb of honey-bee,
So full of sweets as babe to me.


There's not a star that shines on high,
Is brighter than my baby's eye.
There's not a boat upon the sea,
Can dance as baby does to me.


No silk was ever spun so fine
As is the hair of baby mine.
My baby smells more sweet to me
Than smells in spring the elder tree.


A little fish swims in the well,
So in my heart does baby dwell.
A little flower blows on the tree,
My baby is the flower to me.


The Queen has sceptre, crown and ball,
You are my sceptre, crown and all.
For all her robes of royal silk,
More fair your skin, as white as milk.


Ten thousand parks where deer do run,
Ten thousand roses in the sun,
Ten thousand pearls beneath the sea,
My babe more precious is to me.

Joshua is Seven Months Old Today!

Time is still flying by.  Joshua now has four teeth!  He has two on top and two on bottom.  Not a whole lot has changed since his 6 month update, just a few more pictures on his 7 month birthday!