A Start......

Well,  Zane turned three months old a week ago and each day, I have been meaning to get a post up about this baby. Well, since my life runs about 7-10 days behind in some ways, here is the beginning of my post. I will allow you to wait with bated breath, in high anticipation, over what info will follow on this boy who is growing so fast. : )

                   One Month Old                                                                   Two Months Old

 

Three Months Old

Soundbytes

Things have been a bit busy these days with school, after school activities, a baby who needs to nap at home and just general life. While I have been too lazy to walk upstairs to get the camera many of these days, here are some cute things I have heard....

Alaina, when looking at a cockatoo at the Pet Store "That bird has a bad hairdo."

Conner, when seeing Zane first thing in the morning "OH MY GOSH. He is so cute I can't look at him."

Alaina, when she sees I have finished feeding Zane and begin to burp him, "CONNER! She's burping him!" (followed by them stampeding up to Zane within one inch of his face and starting to coo at him)

Conner, after finding a bar code sticker and website printing on the bottom of his castle that he got last Christmas, "Mom! You and Daddy bought that castle for me, not Santa!" I think the light bulb just went on. Figure it is out time since he is turning 9. I think he will enjoy being the only one that knows and playing it up for Alaina and Zane. : )

Alaina, "Mom, how do I look?" after changing clothes for her Daddy date wearing a torqouise tye dye skirt, light blue shirt with sparkles, another shade blue headband with bow and plenty of lip gloss."I'm wearing all blue" she said. Yes, I see that.

From Keith after I asked him why he could not get housework done while watching the three kids if I can, "You're more genetically bred for that." Thanks hon.

Alaina, after I asked her why she has boots on in bed at night, " I just wanted to be snuggly."

From Conner, every five minutes of every day, "Can I do some media?"

From Conner last night at midnight, "Dad! I barfed." Oh yes he did.

Me to Keith after he got back in bed after seeing the throw up all over Conner's pillow, sheets, blankets and floor, "Uh, hum. Can you please get Conner in the shower?" I have to say, I have handled middle of the night throw up incidents may times on my own, but a loft bed adds a whole other dynamic.

Me, after finally getting in bed after doing laundry in the middle of the night and wiping everything down and then hearing Zane start to cry, "Are you kidding me?"

Don't let this sweet face fool you.....

   

 

From Saturday around 4pm to Sunday night he was a complete mess. I was about to throw my hands up, pass out and give up on feeding him, much less pleasing him until I read about signs of a growth spurt online:

Your baby wants to eat nonstop. If you’ve been breastfeeding every three hours, your baby will now want to belly up to the milk bar every hour or two. That’s just fine. The more often your baby breastfeeds, the more he stimulates milk production to keep up with his growing appetite. Older babies will also want to nurse more and up their intake of the jarred stuff if they’re eating solids.

Your baby will be up more often at night. Even if your baby was sleeping for a blissful five- or six-hour stretch, during a growth spurt he’ll howl for a midnight snack, then one at 2 a.m., and 4 a.m., and so on. You may find your older baby waking up earlier from his naps, too.

Your baby will be crankier than usual. At the breast he’ll be extra fussy, latching and unlatching because he wants more milk right now, and your production might not be up to speed yet. Plus, all those late nights don’t help his mood (or yours!) either.
 

Bingo!  Growth Spurt it is. Maybe because it has been a while or because their spurts were never so defined, I don't remember this with my other two. Zane pretty much fit the above description exactly. Whew. Glad that is over....or at least it seems to be since he woke up happy and seems satisfied after eating. 

Meanwhile, I have had the new challenge of trying to get a good picture of the kids. It had gotten pretty easy to get a good pic of the bigger two since they are older and I can just bark orders ask them to look at the camera and smile. Insert a now awake and alert baby and the challenge seems impossible. 

First try. Conner are you awake?

 Second try. What are you guys smoking? (It's a JOKE!)

Third Try. Alaina, are you having involuntary spasms in your neck and arm?

 

Fourth Try. Best yet, but still wondering what is blinding everyone but Zane. 

Well, I tried.

A Sweet Response

So yesterday, Conner informed us that he had won "community lunch" during homework monopoly and could choose anyone in the school to come to his class for lunch the following day. He chose his sister. Amazing and sweet, but not really surprising coming from a boy with such a tender heart. He knew it would mean so much to her. Unfortunately when he went to her room today to pick her up, the class was not there nor on the playground and since he could not find her (she ended up being in "specials", which is art/music/drama) he chose another child. So when the got in the car today at carpool I heard right away how it didn't work out and Alaina was telling me how disappointed she was. Conner responded. "That's OK Alaina, maybe we can do something special when we get home." So sweet. OK, so back to yesterday, when Conner told Alaina in the car after school that she would be the one he chose to bring to his room for lunch.....she was SO excited and told him when she got home she was going to make him a card. 

Make a card she did. 

Front cover of her "book". She had asked me to write out "Thank you Conner for inviting me. I love you" and this is how she copied it. 

Page 2, "Me and Conner playing together on a rainbow."

Page 3, I guess they REALLY like to play on rainbows together. 

 Page 4, A drawing of Alaina eating lunch in Conner's class and sitting at his table.

 Page 5, our family portrait

 

Gee, maybe all the bickering is a coverup and my two oldest really do love each other. : )

My Girl

I have the bad habit of talking so fondly of Conner and his successes and sweet nature that I neglect this incredible blessing in my life. My girl, Alaina.

  

 That picture above pretty much sums up my girl. Yes, that is a blackberry in her hand. : ) I have to say, Conner is a tough act to follow since he tends to be naturally obedient and sweet natured, but my girl Alaina is no less wonderful and sometimes I allow the challenges that I face with her to cloud my vision of what a unique and special child she is herself. Her strong personality with serve her well in life (provided we direct it in a positive direction!) and her desire to help and be a part of the group with keep her motivated. While she may be the first to whine, complain or sass back, she is also the first to make your bed for you, get you water, cover you with a blanket or draw you a picture. She wants to please and takes pride in helping. 

What a blessing.

She is not only helpful but extremely maternal, and to me, glorifies what God intended when he created women as nurturers. While Conner loves to talk to his brother, Alaina is my hands on girl. often doing this

and this

and this.

  

She is the kind of sister that wants to be with Zane every chance she gets. She is the FIRST person to offer to help when Zane is fussing. Often when he is napping, he will wake in the middle and need his pacifier put back in. That is when I hear "I got it Mom!" There is not one time since his birth that she has not attended to him when I have asked.

It is not just Zane, but with her cousin too. She was eager to help feed her cousin Maylin and made sure to wipe her face after every single bite. : ) Alaina takes great pride in doing things "all by herself".

Alaina, the girl who was a mover and a shaker from day one, or really from in utero. I remember at the end of my pregnancy gripping the chair in pain from all her movements. She sat and crawled in the same week at 6 months old and was taking her first steps at 9 months. 9 months! Here is a look back.....

This was January 13, 2008 at eight and a half months old

First steps were on Feburary 5, 2008 at nine and a half months.

And in no time, walking down the street in shoes at ten months old, March 8, 2008.

She does most things with gusto, from unloading the dishwasher to riding her bike. Most often she tackles tasks (that she likes) whole heartedly and it is written all over her face. Like this:

 Inside, her time is spent dressing up, coloring, drawing and practicing writing letters. Yes, I have seen the very first spark of academic interest in her lately and I am so relieved  excited that she wants to learn and not just socialize.

While she can be a tough and girl throw down in a wrestling match with her brother, she is still quite the girly girl, and enjoys dressing up, stealing my high heels and doing hair. Here she had just mastered her ability to put her Nana's hair in pony tails. : ) Thank you Nana for enduring her harsh hand with the brush. Hope your scalp has healed!

I do often talk about how "tough" Alaina is. I talk about her being the "hard one". Sometimes I just look at her in disbelief at the words that come out of her mouth and the attitude that accompanies it. BUT.....the bottom line is that she is a wonderfully unique gift that brings and will continue to bring life and love into our home.

That's my girl.

Brothers

 When we found out we were having a boy, I was thrilled for more than one reason. First and foremost, I have all the girl I can handle in Alaina. I mean that in a good way, really I do. I have, and will have, lots of fun with the hair, the bows, the dresses, the dancing, the pink and the frills. I mean really, can a girl's room get more girly than this? No. : )

 That said, my experience with Conner has been so deeply extraordinary, that I was thrilled at the prospect of another boy. Let me clarify that my experience when I say "boys" is really my experience with Conner, so although limited and somewhat bias, it is all I have. Boys are easy. Give them a box of cars, they are happy. Throw on a t-shirt and shorts any day of the week for any occasion, any time of year and they are good to go. Send them outside and they will find something to do. Put them on a playground and guarantee, you will not hear from them until they return dirty and sweaty. Since I have had a boy and a girl, I have done the cute nurserys, new clothes and shoes and was able to enjoy basking in the fun of having each. Expecting the third, and especially being a boy, I knew it would be simple. Simple it was. I resurrected Conner's nursery (literally, since I had everything packed away) and even some of his baby clothes, stocked up on diapers and onsies and I was ready.

I knew that Zane's relationship with Conner and Alaina would be special, but that first moment when  I saw admiration in Zane's eyes when he looked at Conner was amazing. It happened about ten days ago when I was holding Zane in my lap burping him. Conner came up to say hey and Zane went from a solemn look to a bright smile and sort of looked at Conner out from under his lashes in a way I could only translate as loving. When Zane was first born, Conner would say "Oh my goodness, I just can't stand looking at him anymore, he is so cute!" and he would leave the room, lol! I have such hope for these brothers. Conner is such a naturally kind and loving child that I can only imagine how much he will extend himself to Zane. Most people when they hear about the ages of my children say, "Oh, I bet your daughter is loving it" or "I bet you get a lot of help from your daughter" and I even hear story upon story about how when there is a bog age gap, the older brother "doesn't really care" or "won't help out" with the younger siblings. Not here. Conner's interest in being with Zane has only grown. Here are a few of the moments I captured with them together the other day. Fair warning for a plethora of pics, but just LOOK at each of their faces!

Many people have commented, that with the age difference, my boys won't have that close of a relationship as they grow up. I say with every bit of confidence that Conner and Zane will be an exception, and I can't wait to experience it.