4 Months

4 Months Old!  How can she still feel so new?  But alas, she is not.  Because new babies aren't rolling over (back to front, yes the hard way.  She has yet to repeat her front to back feat, but is a pro at back to front.  She does it a lot, then gets mad that she is on her tummy.  You roll her back, she does it again.  She has not learned cause and effect yet.).  New babies are also not trying to sit up and constantly craining their necks for a better view.  They also aren't rocking the exersaucer.

New she is not, but she is still small.  11lbs 3oz completely naked, which is the 3rd percentile.  Perhaps I should have let them weigh her with her diaper on!  But she is 25 inches long, which is the 77th percentile!  (If you're interested in comparing my kids, you can click here.  Sam was bigger at 4 months.  This does not bode well for Annabelle's weight gain over the next year.)  She isn't laughing yet, which was one of the 4 month milestones on the doctor's poster, but she is doing one or two of the 5 month milestones so I guess it all evens out.  She was given a clean bill of health, three vaccines (her brother happily ate her sucker for her) and instructions to return in two months.

Our little lady continues to be quite social.  She is happiest when she can interact with people, but will settle for watching the action if everyone is busy.  So strong, is her desire to be included, she had earned herself a place at the dinner table.  She just couldn't see our smiling faces from the floor.


Her days go something like this: Wake between 6:45 and 7:30, eat, play, fall asleep either in the car or in her bed if we aren't headed out.  Repeat that until about 8:30pm, when she falls asleep for the night.  We still wake her right before we go to bed for a dream feed, which we've been encouraged to drop.  Perhaps one day she will get a nap schedule, but we are just on the go too much for that right now.  She spends her awake time split between a blanket on the floor, the bouncy seat, someone's arms and now the exersaucer.  For her, life is good.

Likes:
-Watching her brother
-Interacting with people
-Grabbing things
-Having her hand held while she eats

Dislikes:
-Being alone
-Shots (she throws up and is very cranky for at least a day afterward)

Visitors

As I mentioned, we had a house full for Annabelle's baptism!  Everyone flew in Friday afternoon/evening after a long week at VBS (more on that to come), so I was less prepared than I would have like to have been for the masses.  In fact, some of them arrived in time to join us at the Friday Night VBS Party where Molly and Sam played their first game together.

All four grandparents stayed at a B&B a few blocks from our house.  There just is not enough room in our 1400 sq ft house for 10 people!  Kristen and Molly took over Sam's room, and Sam scored the air mattress on the floor in our room (and to him that was a total score).  Because Molly was using the Pack n Play, which is usually in the family room, and Sam was sleeping in our room, which you have to walk through to get to Annabelle's "room," the poor baby took several naps on a blanket on the floor or in her bouncy seat.  We are so fortunate that she flows so smoothly.  With so many occupants in so few bedrooms, there was much tip-toeing around for PJs and phone chargers after bed time.

The time change was a bit difficult for Miss Molly, it always is on the littles.  Sam worked really hard at being quiet until she woke up in the morning, but she was still short at least an hour of sleep per day by the time she left.  Fortunately, we got Molly and Sam to nap at the same time every day!

In fact, the two did a lot together for the week they were here.  They played and jumped and experimented with play-doh.  It was the first time that Sam got to take a bath with another kid, and he was a fan.  They hugged and fought over toys.

Molly fell in love with Chris, I mean "Tiss."  I kid you not, she even blushed when you asked her if she loved him.  She could have 3 adults talking to her, but unless Tiss was engaged she just wasn't satisfied.  I think someone misses her daddy.  I'm not jealous though, because she thinks that MY piggy (read: pony tail) is the prettiest of them all.

Papa Sivard went back home on Monday, but he was able to join us for a visit to the horses first.  Molly had never seen one before, but quickly grew to love them.  Sam, on the other hand, was a bit timid this go round.  Perhaps he is just old enough and wise enough to realize that these things are big enough to be dangerous!

Grammy and Papa Hunniford departed on Tuesday, just before we introduced Molly to the "Inside Park."  The mall play structure really is one of Sam's favorite places in the whole world.  Doesn't hurt that it usually means Chick-Fil-A for lunch, as well.  Molly, being a tamer child than my son, actually prefered dancing to the music pumping out of a nearby store to playing with the crazy kids.  She did say "oooh!" enough times while walking through the mall that her parents should be concerned for their credit cards.

That afternoon my sister and I got pedicures while my mom kept all three kids :-)

On Wednesday we hit up the splash pad, another first for our pint sized guest.  All was going great until the pouring rain came out of no where to spoil the fun.  My son is afraid of storms.  Rationalizing that we were already wet so it wasn't a big deal just wasn't going to work.  Later when negotiating against nap time he heard thunder.  He decided that he should sleep through the storm and quickly hid his head under the pillow.  Poor kid, I feel for ya!

You'll notice a lack of documentation of Annabelle through all of this.  That sweet child just goes with the flow and tags along to all of our activities.  She loved having so many people to interact with, and all of the holding she received.  She rolled over for the first time for all of her guests to see.

The last three left on Thursday.  We cleaned the house and had community group here that night.  As I write this on Friday afternoon, Sam is wrapping up his third hour of nap.  The kid is beat from two straight weeks of activity and excitement.

5 Years

A lot has changed since the day we got married, primarily the addition of two children to our lives.  Chris has much more responsibility at work and we are both more involved in church.  Our time is stretched thin, which makes time together on special days all that much more valuable.

We'll be spending this special day at the pool with our kids.  But we did get to go out this week while Gommy and Aunt TT babysat.  Chris took me back to the place where we had our first date! 

There is plenty in our lives that hasn't changed, though.  We still live in the same house in the neighborhood we still love, Chris still works in the same office, we attend the same church, host the same community group each week at our house.  And we still love each other.

Happy 5th Anniversary, Chris.  I love you!

Exhausted

It has been a crazy few weeks around here and everyone is feeling it.  I left these two alone for a few minutes after community group last night and returned to find this:

Which a few minutes later, turned to this:

I think everyone is ready for a big weekend of NOTHING!

Annabelle's Baptism

This past Sunday, June 17 (Father's Day!), Annabelle was welcomed into God's family through the sacriment of baptism.  What a joy to stand in front of the church to take vows recognizing her need for God's grace, claiming God's promises on her behalf while looking to the Lord for her salvation, and to raise her according to God's Word.  And it was extra special to make those promises with friends.  The other two families standing with us have children within months in age of our two!

Sam was a total character.  At first he didn't want to go up (he was sandwiched amongst grandparents), but was convinced because Matson was going.  Peer pressure can still work to our advantage.  Why did I bring a hymnal up with me?  To avoid some foot stomping in the front row.  He spent most of the time that Rev. Clay Holland was talking waving at his grandparents and seeing how far out of my arms he could lean without falling.

All the other siblings stood quietly and listened.

Annabelle was her usual, peaceful self and didn't mind the water. 

 We were not only joined by our church family, but some relatives came in for the celebration as well.  In addition to both sets of grandparents, who also attended Sam's baptism, we were joined by my sister Kristen and niece Molly as well (brother-in-law George is currently deployed to Japan/Australia/Some Islands/A Boat).  More on that to come, but it was a full house!

After a lovely brunch out, through which the guest of honor slept and the two "older kids" behave surprisingly well, we enjoyed some delicious cake in Annabelle's honor.  Maybe we'll get some more when she is old enough for a taste.

Annabelle wore the same gown that Sam did, which is now 60 years old.  It is starting to show its age with a small rip in the delicate fabric, but it isn't noticeable from a distance and I just love the history it holds.  She looked lovely in it.  In fact, I think we all cleaned up quite nicely for her special day.  This may be our best family picture yet!