5 year old interview

One of my favorite traditions once my kiddos turn four is to start their yearly interviews. Gotta love the things a 5 year old boy has to say:

(M)ama: What do you want to be when you grow up?

(L)andon: A fireman.

(M): Why's that?

(L): Because I want to spray out fires.

 

(M): What is your favorite thing God has made?

(L): Daddy. (That's the truth!)

(M): What is it you like about Daddy?

(L): He plays monsters with me.

 (M): What's your favorite color?

(L): Orange and blue.

(M): What is your favorite food?

(L): Cereal. Any kind of cereal. (And this hasn't changed at all from last year! He would eat it 3 times a day if we'd let him.)

(M): What is something that you don't like to eat?

(L): Mustard on hotdogs.

(M): What is your favorite song?

(L): The Robot Song from church.

(M): What are you looking forward to about turning 5?

(L): Going to Disney World and riding all of the cool stuff!!!

(M): What is your favorite thing to do?

(L): Ride things at Disney World (though we haven't been yet), and play on the Fun Bus at preschool.

(M): What is your favorite thing to wear?

(L): Clothes. (Well then. I guess that's a good answer. ;))

(M): Who is your favorite friend?

(L): Hayden

(M): What is your favorite thing to do with Mama?

(L): Give kisses. (Oh. My. Word. I have tears!!)

(M): What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy?

(L): Wrestle and play monsters.

(M): Do you like school?

(L): Yes.

(M): What do you like about school?

(L): It helps me learn. :)

(M): What is your favorite thing about Ella Beth?

(L): She doesn't bother me. She plays with me, and she's kind to me. (Melt.)


(M): What is your favorite thing about Porter?

(L): He's fun to play with, and I like his toys.

(M): Where is your favorite place to go?

(L): Disney World (we hope!) and preschool.

(M): What does Daddy do all day?

(L): Go to work. 

(M): What does Mama do all day?

(L): Stay home, feed Porter, play with me and Ella Beth, make my food.

(M): What is your favorite restaurant?

(L): ChickFilA

(M): What do you want to eat on your birthday?

(L): Cake! And then surprise me, Mama!

(M): I love you, buddy.

(L): I love you, too. 
--
Oh, I could just eat you up, Buddy Ro! You're stubborn and hard-headed, but Landon, you are one sweet little boy. I love your heart for others, how you see a need and you meet it the best way you know how. I hope you always know how loved you are. You are so important to our family, and I am blessed to be your mama.

Happy Birthday! 

Naked baby pics

OK, so Scott thinks I am just weird for taking naked pictures of the babies. But, come on!! They are some of the cutest pics ever.

Am I right?!?

Here's a pic I snapped of my naked Landon 4 years ago:

This picture makes me reminisce already. Here Porter is 9 months old, but he looks about 2 months. Time goes by too fast, and sometimes my heart just aches. 

But then I look at these pictures (with clothes on!), and the sweetness I see makes up for the time that rushes by.

Love all of those sweet fingers and toes and...........tushies. :)

Baseball Celebration

Of the things that I enjoyed about Landon's first baseball season, the one thing that really sticks out to me is how the focus of Landon's team was about having fun. We played a couple of teams that had very "intense" coaches. And while I appreciate the time and effort those coaches obviously put forth, at the end of the season the boys are still only 4 and 5 years old. I am so glad that Landon had fun and now looks forward to playing again in the spring! For me, I simply want my kiddos to have fun and do their best. Let them be little now - while they are little. If they become competitive on their own as they grow, then they will have my support. But for now...it's these sweet moments of my son's 4-year-old year that make my heart smile.

The celebration was low key and at the baseball field. Eleven boys who are 4 and 5 years old don't want anything more than pizza, cupcakes, and a trophy!

Landon and his cousin, Hayden, had the best time playing on the same team. They are the best of buds. :)

Receiving his trophy from Coach.

So proud! And now we have a great way to display the game ball that he won this season.

Of course, I could have kicked myself in the foot for forgetting my camera. Ugh! But I'm thankful my iPhone is handy for moments such as these!

Busy week, but a good one

Oh. My. Word. This seriously has to be the busiest week that I can ever remember. And I have had a hard time adjusting it. Homeschooling, really just being at home in general most of our days, has really set me back from the craziness of running here and there and everywhere. My hat is off to those who do this all of the time.

We got home from vacation on Sunday morning around 1:20 a.m. Yawn!

When we woke up Scott and the kiddos ran to an event at our church while Porter caught up on some sleep.

And the laundry began. Whew! It was rough, let me tell you. Seven loads rough.

Landon had his first baseball game on Monday, with another on Wednesday.

Landon started preschool this week (very last minute decision), and it has been hard adjusting to leaving the house with an infant who still requires and enjoys his morning naps to be at preschool at 9 a.m. three mornings a week.

And then tag on our homeschool co-op started Thursday morning, so we had to leave the house even earlier.

All of this starting right at the same time has worn me slap out this week. But there have been many positives amidst the exhaustion - Landon l-o-v-e-s preschool!! It was a decision that I went back and forth on all summer. Landon has struggled with his fine motor skills for quite a while now, and I have racked my brain on how to help him. We have tried many things at home, but he has still struggled. I met with his (now) preschool teacher who taught kindergarten for 32 years and specialized in fine motor development. Sold! He has already improved in just the three days he's gone this week. Although it has added stress to our mornings, I know that it will be worth it.

Landon's first baseball season starting this week has just been a highlight of having a little boy. There is not much cuter than a team of little 4 and 5 year old boys running around on a baseball field, chasing after the same ball, and swinging a bat!!!

Landon got his first hit (without the tee) on Wednesday. It was so fun to cheer him on and to see the pride in his face as he rounded the bases!!! 

 And even better...Daddy was coaching first base and got to give him a high five right on the field!

I absolutely love this picture. The boys had fun and they were happy to give high fives to the other team.

Goooooo Cardinals!!!

Despite it being a crazy busy week for us, it was one full of good memories.

I have yet to go through all of our vacation pictures, but I did look to see if I got a good one of all three kiddos. I did!!! I love these sweet faces more than words could ever express. :)

4 months!!

How can my tiny baby boy be 4 months already?? Time is my enemy these days. From the big sister about to be SIX (yikes!) and now the baby is 4 months - this mama's heart is in serious trouble.

Porter's 4 month appointment isn't until next week, so I don't know exactly how much he weighs. But I would say he's closing in on 10 pounds. He's growing like a weed these days!

Ella Beth is still smitten over her baby brother. She loves to "take care" of him by giving him his paci or talking to him. She is most definitely ready for him to play with her, and I have to remind her often to "Be careful, sweetheart. He's just not quite old enough." Playing patty cake, trying to dance with his arms while I'm holding him, and being on his play mat are just a few of her latest attempts at getting him to play.

But generally she just loves to be near him. She has such a big heart, and she loves Porter immensely!

I have a few nicknames that I call this little fella - Stinker (probably the most), Silly Monkey, and Smiley. Porter is not short on smiles, especially for his Mama. :) But, his Daddy is starting to get some pretty big ones lately, too. I guess I'll have to learn to share. ;)

Porter's reflux is becoming more manageable. I think. We will go a few days where the pain isn't so intolerable and he only goes through 2-3 outfits, and I think just maybe we're on the upswing. But without fail, the next day will be horrible. He will go through 6 outfits in a day and spit up three 6x8 inch puddles of spit-up within 15 minutes. (And for the record, yes, we've measured them. They are huge. They are also the reason my floors are never clean.) He just likes to keep us on our toes.

You wouldn't know it to look at these pictures, but man o' man does this little fella hate to be put down. He is rotten. Rotten!! He wants to be held, toted, & cuddled at all times. It's so sweet.

But it's also so hard. I have two older babies who also want and need Mama's attention. On good days, we can all sit and read books together, play Barbies or trains, or we can play games in the floor with Porter in my lap. Those are the good days. On the not-so-good days, I walk the floor over and over with two bigger kiddos asking, "Mama, can you play with me now?" It's hard.

Porter has been on a decent schedule lately...except for the last two days - which I am working on. I had forgotten that when a baby gets on a schedule you don't mess with it. And I am reminded of the isolation that can come with having an infant. But, it's a season, and I know all too well that it's a short one. So, I'm trying my best to enjoy having to be at home. He still nurses every 3 hours unless he's sleeping, and his "wake periods" are still rather short - after 1 hour (1.5 hours max) he is done! But he's been sleeping well at night, so apparently his body knows what it needs.

Why is getting a picture with everyone looking such an ordeal? Oh well!!

But I still love these pics because Ella Beth looks so proud, and sweet Landon was trying so hard. :)

Of course, their shirts make me happy. My babies coordinated. Bliss. ;)

The adjustment period is pretty well over. It is definitely not easy, but it's our new normal. The hardest part is when I miss that golden window for him to go down easily for a nap. The big sister and brother hate having to be patient, and that's when my own patience is tested. Having them come in and out of the room asking if he's asleep yet does.not.help. him fall asleep quicker! Luckily, I know Porter's cues for when he's ready to be put down.

So most days are pretty good days. Most. On those others...well, let's just say my re-start button is used often. :)

Brothers

I promise someday soon I will be able to do comparisons of Ella Beth and Porter. But, I did not have this computer or my camera when Ella Bella was little...and our scanner isn't cooperating. 

BUT...I do have pictures of Landon to compare - so I do quite often! Their skin tones are different, but not much else is. At least to me.

Here are the most similar pics I could get:
Landon 

Porter

Scott and I see so many similarities! And just the other day, I showed my mother-in-law a picture of Landon and she thought it was Porter.

It's just fun for this mama. Not to mention, it gives me a great excuse to take more pictures. As if I ever need an excuse!! ;)

3 months

Porter turned 3 months old yesterday. I can hardly believe it. That means in just 9 months he will turn a year. Sure it's 9 months away, but we all know how quickly time passes. Sigh.

Landon rarely asks to hold Porter. Not because he doesn't like him - NOT at all. But he's a little afraid that he will hurt Porter. He's a sweet big brother. However, when I told Landon I was going to take pictures of Porter in his room he asked if he could take pictures with him. Of course this mama said YES!!

Porter weighs 8 1/2 pounds.

He typically nurses every 3 hours. More time lapses if he's sleeping, and less if he explodes. Just in the last few days he has started being very fussy while he's nursing. I haven't quite figured out why, but I'm working on it.

His wake times are pretty consistent right now. He wakes around 7:30ish most days and is ready to go back down for a long nap between 9 and 9:30. He will usually sleep until after we have all had lunch, which makes lunch time a whole lot easier. ;) So he wakes around 12:30 or 1, and will stay awake until around 3 - maybe 4, but he will get fussy. Then he takes a nap in the evening, around 6:30 or 7. We make sure he's awake by 8:30 so he will sleep at night!! :)

He is still in newborn clothes mostly, but some 0-3 months are starting to fit a little - especially in length!!

Porter has such a sweet little personality. Maybe it's because I have finally figured out all of the newborn cries/signs with baby number three, but I can really "read" him. I know when he's tired, hungry, needs a new diaper, etc. So when he's happy he is all smiles, coos, and laughs. And when he gets fussy it's for a reason. Like being done with pictures and ready for a nap! ;)

He is still very well loved by his big siblings. Sometimes a little too much. ;) Although Ella Beth and Landon are still excited for him to be more active and play with them, his "newness" hasn't worn off yet. That makes me so happy!! So far, our kiddos have such a tight bond and I pray that it is never broken.