This month is always crazy in our household, and I love it. Josh's birthday is the 10th, Sam's is the 11th, and Dave's is the 14th--along with Valentine's day...which, because of when our children were born, we haven't really gotten to celebrate in five years. I've been thinking so much lately about how blessed I am. I truly do not know how I got so lucky to have the life and family I do, but I thank God for them every day. I have the best husband and the best children, who make my heart melt and falter every day, and who can always, always make me smile. I mean really smile--the kind that comes from inside out. Even when I'm having a bad day. Gosh, I just love my boys so very much and I am so grateful I get the privileged responsibility to be their mother.
Happy 4th to my little special smartie-pants, Sammy! Happy 2nd to my lovable, solid chub, Josh! Happy 6 weeks to my precious, angelic Luke! And Happy 30th to my beloved husband (and happy Valentine's Day, too!), who I love more and more each year! He is the biggest support in my life, the most amazing, stable, caring husband, and the best father of my children I could ever ask for!
A little on Sam:
Sam loves to look at himself as a big boy. He tells me all the time that he isn't little like Josh or Luke, and even tries to watch the shows that big kids watch (all the Nick shows, like Big Time Rush, House of Anubis, Supah Ninjas, etc--basically all the ANNOYING ones), though 99% of the time I don't allow on, simply becuase I can't stomach them. But he really truly does love the new Power Rangers, and practically dances with excitement anytime it comes on. Basically, he loves anything with ninjas lately. I watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with him tonight again and he loved it so much that as soon as it ended, with a big smile he demanded to watch it again....which I didn't allow. I love TMNT just as much as the next eleven-year-old boy, but I draw the line somewhere.
He also loves being a big brother and he and Josh have been so great at playing together and are best buds--even through the fighting and the fact that they are so opposite. He loves Luke so much and it's funny to watch the way he is with him. Sometimes I will catch him talking in a baby voice to him and saying how cute he is while even grinding his teeth--something I do when something is extremely cute to me. :)
He also has little conversations with his dog. He will talk to it and then make squeaking or high-pitched noises, which apparently are his dog talking back. The other morning when he and Dave were the only ones up, he was doing that quite loud and Dave said, "Sam, be quiet!" and Sam angrily replied, "It's not me, daddy, it's my dog!"
He still gets up extremely early, but because he is a big boy now, we have put an alarm clock in his room and taught him how to read it and told him that he can't get up out of bed before a certain time...which, generally, he has done pretty well at. And soon he will start sleeping in a big boy bed, most likely a bunk bed with Josh (oh, that will be so much fun, since I'm sure Josh won't stay put), because we need to move Josh out of the crib so that it's available for Luke.
He gets smarter and smarter every day and sometimes I am thrown at how smart he actually is and how much he has learned and picked up on. That kid definitely has a smart head on his shoulders and knows more about life than we think. I love the light he brings to my life. Ever since he was one minute old, looking into his eyes, I knew that he was an old, wise soul. I could just see it. He's always had that knowing look in his eyes and I've always known that he is so incredibly special. I love my blond angel so much.
A little on Josh:
Josh is my little brute. Though he still looks like a baby to me, he is so solid and robust...which makes for an excellent cuddler! He is my love bug. He LOVES giving hugs, and will give them to practically anyone. He always has a smile on his face and just has the happiest, funnest, most carefree disposition. Where once he was a mama's boy who I thought would never want to leave my side, he is now the most independent kid I know. He did so well after I had Luke that he he didn't even have to adjust to the change. I thought he'd get jealous, but he doesn't. He loves his brothers so much and will do and try anything--things that Sam won't even do.
Along with playing and beating up on his older brother, he LOVES wrestling with daddy. At nights, before bed, Dave wrestles with the kids, and Josh is always the first in there, plowing into Dave with all his might. He's my little athletic child.
He loves his Elmo stuffed animal and has to have it in bed with him at night, along with his water, or he won't sleep. He loves cars and dirt and anything all-boy. And since Luke has come along, he has been trying to talk so much more. He will repeat most things we ask him to, though a lot of the time it sounds wrong. He still doesn't really say anything spontaneously (just grunts a lot still), but he tries. He does say, "bye," "apple," and a few other simple words.
We met, for the first time, with the speech therapist this week and she is feeling very hopeful. She says, just as the women who evaluated him, that he is very smart and very advanced and capable in other areas, and that he has great attention. So she thinks it will be easy to help his speech advance and that before we know it, he'll be caught up. We are feeling very hopeful.
Josh is incredibly headstrong and stubborn. He is great at eating on his own and is actually a bottomless pit...except for eating meals at the table. Lately, he will only eat little bits before he wants to get down. But when he's not at the table he will try to eat and eat and eat. It's just a stage, I know, but I hope it passes soon. And if he has his mind set on something or against something, there is no changing it. He will cry and cry and cry for something that he wants until mommy breaks down from mere insanity and usually gives it to him. I'm working on changing that. He wants to do EVERYTHING himself, and though I know that's a great thing, it can be difficult at times.
I remember how much love filled me to the point of physical warmth when Josh was an infant and would sleep on me and cuddle with me at night. Those were our precious moments, and I have always been able to feel the love pouring out of him and going into me. He still has the ability to do that to me today and I am so grateful for the sweet, lovable angel that he is in my life. My little cherub.
I know I always say I want a girl, and I still do some day, but gosh. I am the happiest mom alive, amidst all these wonderful boys. I just love it.
For Sam and Josh's birthday we just went to the park last Sunday to have cake and ice-cream and open a few presents, most of which were Hotwheels. Anyone who knows my boys knows that's all they really love. :)
My sister, Heather, and her family, Mike, Jonah, Jordan, and Reagan, were here that weekend, too. I loved having them here so much and time went by WAY too fast and it ended before I was ready for it to. Even though we were probably boring for them (we spent Saturday running our routine errands in Prescott), we LOVED having them here and loved the good conversations. :)
The Lees in front of our favorite cactus. I love this family!
A bunch of nerds! This was in front of a haul truck at the mine. But I guess that's pretty obvious. :)
Heather bonding with a smiley Luke.
My mom and dad are coming this next Thursday, too, and will be here for almost a week. I am very excited! We love having family come so much, especially because we are so family deprived throughout the rest of the year. I'm so glad they get to see their Davenport grandsons again and that they can meet Luke for the first time!
Then about a week after mom and dad leave, Mary, Dave's sister, will be coming for about a week (and his dad for that weekend--which is also the weekend Luke will be blessed), and his sister, Jessica, the week following! That is one thing I love about having babies: all the family that comes out for the few months afterwards! Can't wait!
I have been off of anything with cows milk in it for the last 3 weeks, trying to determine if that's a factor behind why Luke is having such a difficult time, and I think I can safely say that it has made a difference. He was starting to seem more content and sleep better at night, and so that I could really know whether or not it was the absense of dairy, I decided to have milk again last Monday night. The next morning he was still okay, but then that next night he started getting miserable and difficult again...and it lasted until yesterday afternoon (it takes at least a few days to get out of their systems). But last night he actually slept MUCH better and he was somewhat content all day today, so I think it's safe to say that dairy is definitely an offender! Though he still only eats for 5 minutes at a time and about every hour or so (that won't change until my overactive letdown regulates), he is much happier in between feedings and sleeps a little better at night. So even though I miss eating milk and chocolate like CRAZY, it is definitely worth it to have that little bit of help!
Oh, and I figured out that he doesn't handle eggs very well either. It stinks, but honestly, I'm just happy to have something narrowed down. With Sam and Josh I went off dairy and did the exact same thing, but never came to any conclusions. Hopefully Luke will outgrow this food sensitivity thing by 6 months or so, like most babies do.
I haven't been to church in so long that I barely remember what it's like (ha ha). Luke has been so difficult that I haven't brought him because I didn't want to spend the whole time in the mother's lounge. And then my sister's family was here last weekend. But I am bringing him tomorrow, finally, for the first time! Hopefully he is as happy as he was today. Crossing my fingers.
I found something that I think will help around the house, though. I finally got the material and made myself a moby wrap (an almost-18-foot strip of fabric that wraps around you and the baby) and tried it for the first time. After wrapping and tying about a million times to get it down right, I tried it for the first time this evening and Luke LOVED it. I was able to let him sleep "on" me like usual, but I was able to have free hands at the same time! I fed the boys dinner, got them ready for bed, put them to bed...all while Luke stayed asleep in it, on me! It will definitely be a lifesaver in this house because he usually keeps me tied up, since most of the time he will only sleep on me. So now I can give him what he needs while taking care of things around the house!
And I can also start exercising again! YAAAY! I can't tell you how much I look forward to being active again and feeling in shape. Now that I have the moby wrap, I can take walks and run, wearing Luke while pushing Josh and Sam in the double stroller.
One thing Luke loves now is his colorful matt with hanging toys. Sam also loved this when he was a baby, especially as he got a little older. Hopefully that means Luke got Sam's brains. He definitely got his looks. :) I love that Luke started smiling at me at about 4 weeks old--2 weeks sooner than Sam and Josh ever did! He is so precious, and still so fresh from Heaven, that every time I snuggle him and look at him, I feel a little bit of it myself! So fulfilled am I!
Life seems to be falling into a routine, finally, and though my hands are still tied and Luke keeps me 100% busy (and I'm still 100% exhausted), I'm getting used to it and it's becoming easier to handle...and actually even enjoyable. I just love being a mom.
