Dex is almost four months old, and I feel like our family really has got the swing of things! Hooray! Okay, so it took a lot longer than I thought it would, but all is well now. God is doing a great job providing the grace for us to peacefully coexist in this small space.
I realized yesterday that I have not taken a picture since Halloween. Ohmigoodness, that’s over a quarter of my baby’s life! (And not so hot for my big guys, either!) So we’re going to make up for lost time in the next few days. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get a good shot that will suffice for a Christmas picture as well.
Let’s see, where to begin. First of all, I want to get out a couple of things that are random that I will want to remember in the future, but that aren’t terribly interesting now. Like how Gavi and Caleb fight over the bear hooded towel every day, even though there is also a duck and a frog. I have to make them take turns, because it gets UGLY! And if I can’t remember whose turn it is, I have to make an educated guess – usually based on who will throw the least hissy of fits. (Which isn’t really fair, since Caleb is generally the more mild.)
They’re also really big on “beating” each other. Not with sticks, I swear. Everything has come down to a race, from eating bananas, to putting on shoes, to picking a book. I will tell you that it’s actually a pretty good weapon to have in my arsenal. When I’m in a bit of a rush, I can play the “uh-oh, your brother’s going to beat you” card which spurs them into speedy activity.
There are locations that spur the same questions over and over. Not related to anything around them, but based on where the question was asked first. For example, two months ago on our way home from our first original MOPS meeting, we turned a specific corner and Caleb asked if any trees jump. The question had been asked before, but that’s the location that stuck – especially in Gavi’s mind. Now whenever we’ve driven past that spot, one of them asks if any trees jump. (My answer is no, because they don’t have knees.)
So! As for advancements, Dex is the most obvious. He is a big giggler, still a sweet smiler, and getting stronger everyday. He’s doing the inchworm thing where he’ll scootch his little bottom into the air and push himself forward. He’s getting some pretty good distance! Unfortunately, it makes his bed uncomfortable since he’s still sleeping in the cradle and he immediately shoves his head into the corner. I guess that will be the same no matter the size of his bed, but when he’s limited to two tiny scootches, it seems pretty tiny.
Gavi’s vocabulary continues to grow. The biggest thing now that continues to elude us in communication is his prayers. He’s got some phrase that is important to include, but none of us can understand it. Caleb will do his big brother translation, but it’s nothing to do with anything. I like it best when Gavi says, “Thank you a Jesus loves me!” My other favorite thing with him is how VERY much he adores his little brother. He hugs him every day and says, “ohhh, tweet baby!”
Caleb’s vocabulary grows as well – it’s like talking to a kid! He rarely slips into his baby talk anymore ~ thank you, Lord! ~ and his phrasings are getting more and more mature. My friend Suz was cracking up on Monday because he informed her that he was “a fan of carrots.” It cracked me up! He’s also become more aware of letters – both in seeing them, and figuring out what words start with. And with his big chalkboard he got for his birthday, he’s even started trying to write them! I’m not doing any deliberate teaching, since he’s not going to start school for a year and a half, but it’s still exciting to see him be kind of a self-starter.
One thing that has been fun for all of us has been to do “Hooked on the Bible,” an awesome present we got from our neighbor at Christmas. It’s been a little advanced, and we still lose Gavi, but it’s been a fun thing for us to do together. And puzzles and legos are our other favorites. I love this stuff! This is much more the fun stuff I imagined when I became a mom!
Jonathan is continuing to do well at work, and really enjoys his time home with us as well. The boys just immediately jump all over him when he comes home, and he’s such a great sport! I know how tired he is, but he really engages them. Even if he’s just laying on the floor letting them “doba” over his tummy – a made up word from about two years ago – he roars at them and keeps them giggling. This is my family, and I am grateful.
Thankful, you might say! Happy Thanksgiving!
