Aiden and Jordan at 7 months.

Happy 7 Months Boys!

Food-The boys continue to enjoy their food. They have tried a variety of foods from Parsnips to Papaya. They seem to eat most anything at this stage. I had not noticed a difference in their tastes until recently. When they were offered avocado, they both ate it although Jordan seemed to genuinely enjoy it and smiled through his meal, whereas Alex made the most disgusted faces and seemed less eager to finish. They eat at lunch and again at dinner. I usually feed the boys around 4:30 so that I can focus on their eating and our dinner prep. After the boys meal, I bathe the three youngest ones and by the time we finish up, dinner is usually ready.

Four blue eyes always following my every move. The boys sit and wait for their lunch.

Activity-

The boys spend a large majority of their awake time exploring their environment. We lay out blankets and toys and they roll, squirm and move along independently. Just yesterday Alex pulled his knees up under him so he is catching up to Jordan. Alex also has a way of rolling far to one side, reaching ahead and then pulling himself forward.

It has only been recently that the boys have taken notice of each other. So far, Alex usually goes after Jordan. He grabs, pinches and chews on him while Jordan squeals in a high pitched protest.

Alex grabbing onto Jordan.

Here is a rare moment when Jordan has Alex.

Sleep- For the last month the boys sleep has been pretty terrible. Alex sleeps fairly unsettled and wakes often to be comforted. They have been waking roughly every 3 hours. I don't mind (as much) when they just wake for a quick feed however, since the boys have been sick with their first cold, their sleep took a turn for the worst. Suddenly they were not only waking frequently but nothing was helping. Two nights ago, Sean brought home some Advil and we gave it to the boys when they woke for their first waking around 8. I have been extremely exhausted lately so I went to sleep at 10 right after getting the boys back to sleep. Imagine my surprise when I woke up to use the bathroom and it was 6 and I had not heard from them yet!! I slept 8 hours straight!! The boys continued to sleep until shortly after 7. We gave them Advil again last night and they only woke up once to feed. Once we get the boys good and healthy we'll have to look at their sleep and see where they are at. For the most part, the boys don't wake each other up but lately they have been. Hopefully this is all related to their cold. Since they have been sick, they refuse their soothers. I figure I will use this chance to wean them off it. It has already been nearly a week.

{Alex}

The boys mostly wear 12 month clothing and their infant seats are starting to get a little snug. We will definitely be keeping them in it until max height/weight because that will sure throw another twist into things. When I was in Powell River, I used to go grocery shopping by pushing the double stroller with one hand and pulling the shopping cart with the other. Up here, the store is so small and the aisles so narrow that I can't manuevre. I attempted it again the other day just to realize that it is not going to work. I sometimes struggle a little because I feel like I want to get out and about but it can be so difficult to summon the energy. I have to think through every situation especially when, like today, the weather is -25. Everything is a process and sometimes things are downright near impossible. I am trying to give myself slack and remember that we are in a new town with young children and a husband that works 60-70 hours a week.

I do try and enjoy our current situation though. Sean and I were laughing the other night thinking about the fact that things are probably the easiest they will be for awhile. As soon as the babies are completely crawling we will be faced with a whole new set of challenges. It will probably remain that way until they are around 3. Just thinking about it makes me want to go and have another cup of coffee!!

{Jordan}
Jordan and Alex remain two of the sweetest, cuddliest babies and I am thankful for them each and every day. Happy 7 months boys!!

Mikayla

and Alex

enjoyed each others company today......

for a little while......

Whew. It's Monday night, Sean works late, babies didn't take an afternoon nap!! Let's just say, dinner was "fun". It's time to kick up my feet and relax, until duty calls again, which is far too often I gotta say.

I think it's time for a little update on the clan. I think I'll start with the youngest.......

Jordan is becoming quite the mobile boy. He can sit well and for longer periods of time. Although he still rolls proficiently, he is starting to get up on all fours and rock back and forth. He is also discovering that he can push back while in this position and move around this way. I don't think it will be long before he is crawling. He usually takes 2 naps a day and has an incredible appetite. When he wants attention he squeals although it very much resembles a high pitched scream.

Alex's favorite mode of transportation continues to be rolling. He is still unsteady when sitting and has not made any attempt at crawling. Alex loves to be upright in the exersaucer. Alex tends to be an unsettled sleeper. He is often awake up to 5 times before I have even gone to bed. Sometimes it is to nurse, sometimes for a soother and other times I am unsure. Alex gets attention by grunting or coughing. When you pay attention to these calls you are rewarded with a huge smile.

Mikayla. My monkey. This little one continues to keep me on my toes. I think she may be my most mischievous child yet. You have to give her credit, she has incredible tenacity. Today, every time I turned around, she was sitting on the counter eating sugar out of the sugar bowl. I gave her a time out and several minutes later she repeated the offense. It took me a while to realize it (and many time outs) but not only did she enjoy sitting on the counter eating sugar, she was also pretty pleased to be getting a time out. I think she felt like such a big girl. The sugar is now hidden, in it's second hiding spot, and hopefully it will stay safe. I believe we can now call Mikayla potty trained. She has stayed dry through running errands downtown and in church yesterday. Mikaylas favorite things to do are dress up, play in the play house, listen to music and play with her little people.

Caileigh Bear. Energetic, bouncy and constantly on the move. Caileigh is constantly engaged in some form of dramatic play. She loves to pretend and hand out characters to everyone. Caileigh has been spending her days coloring, reading and trying to parent Mikayla. Caileigh takes great pleasure in being able to dress, feed or care for her little sister. Mikayla's fierce independence makes it tough but when she does comply, Caileigh is tickled pink. Caileigh makes friends easily and has a sweet disposition. She has adjusted to the move beautifully and considers her sunday school friends to be dear friends.

Aiden, my five year old. I never quite realized before but five year olds really do have the world figured out. It seems they know everything and tend to be the fastest, most creative, bravest and clever individuals around. Well, this is according to Aiden. I am personally a little unsure. One thing is for sure, Aiden's creativity keeps him busy from morning to night. He has been incredibly fascinated with all things crafty. Yesterday he spent 3 hours making a home for his toilet paper bunnies. The week before he spent hours decorating plates for his plate factory. I think I got a pretty good deal to buy the bunch off him for $1. The move has been a little more difficult for this sensitive natured boy. Aiden misses his old friends and routines but we are hoping with time and patience he will fully settle in.

The older three are beginning to play together more each day. It is typically the older two who begin and sustain the play and Mikayla will join off and on. Last week they held a "grand opening". Sean and I got to come downstairs and enjoy a snack. It felt a little humbling to be eating off a bare mattress. After the snack we sang grand opening songs that the kids wrote. Sean and I were instructed to sing along too. There was a musical number and then was the big moment when I got to cut the string that went across Aiden's door way. I was very honored. The whole experience felt a little de-je-vous from Aiden's grand opening last month but he informs me it will happen every month. This was all to honor his new song writing station. Apparently Aiden hopes to become a famous song writer and when the people of the world hear his songs they will fall on their knees in shock. Um, yeah.

The weather has been a little warmer over the last week. This morning it was snowing and then it actually turned to a little rain. I think the rest of the week is meant to be sunny with clear skies. These, besides the heavy snow, are my favorite days. I love the bright sun shining on the snow and the cold, crispness in the air.

We have two playdates this week! It is nice to be meeting people and settling in. Sean has an even busier week (if that is possible) but hopefully we can carve out some time and make the most of the time we are given. Here Sean is singing his solo at the grand opening ceremony last week. It was quite riveting.

Well, duty calls. Gotta run.............

Happy Birthday Teedie!

We miss you dearly. I hope this day is super special for you.

Love, all of us.

Peek-a-Boo

Adventures with Snow Shoes

"There he goes.......putting his foot in my mouth again."

Happy Birthday Great Auntie Margaret!!!

Big hugs from all of us!

These days life seems to be keeping me busier than ever. Sean has been working ridiculous hours and goes to work before the house is awake and comes home long after everyone is in bed. The boys seem to think that the older you get, the more you should wake at night. Oatmeal has become a perfectly acceptable dinner option. Between homeschooling, childcare, housekeeping the days seem too short and the nights even shorter. (at least the important parts of night, a.k.a. sleep) I'm trying to keep my head above ground and focus on the positives. This proves easier some days than others.

Saturday I loaded the kids in the car to go watch the sled dog races. I made it there, got everyone out of the car, bundled up, walked a ways down the road to realize that we would have to walk down a steep hill and I wouldn't be able to push the stroller back up. I had to put everyone back in the car and deal with some disappointed kids. As we were driving home I noticed a pull off by the lake. I pulled in and had the big kids jump out of the car and they got to watch the sled dogs racing by only 3 feet away! The babies were able to stay in the heated car and I grabbed a few quick photos. It was -19 so we didn't stick around too long.

When the weather is super cold we don't tend to make it outside. The kids love to keep busy playing "Little house on the prairie". They spend hours dressing up and creating scenarios.

Meet Ma, Pa and Laura Ingalls. The girls haven''t quite figured out that they probably didn't dress so "sparkly" back then.

The little boys are on the move rolling faster than ever. Jordan has been pulling himself onto his hands and knees......uh oh! They are starting to sit for short periods of time and they love to stand holding onto our hands. Food is becoming an important part of their day and their appetites scare me. They tried pears today and it seemed to be a favorite!

And life goes on.......

I tried to get a nice photo of the five kids. I wasn't very successful. It seemed that there was always somebody looking less than their best. As I was going through the photos I started to notice Mikayla and it was definitely good for a laugh........

This one seems to sum us up best......

2011

I'm not quite sure how it happened but here we are in 2011. The last year flew by in a blur. From Sean's management training, the discovery and birth of the twins, my Mom's heart attack, Sean's promotion to a new town and all the happenings in between, it was quite the year! I'm kind of hoping for an anti-climatic 2011. I'm guessing with 5 little monkeys this probably won't be the case.

We spent a quiet New Year's at home but it was the first time in 5 years that I managed to stay awake until midnight. Is it bad that the only reason I did stay awake until midnight was that my 4 and 5 year old did the same. We told them they could thinking there was no way they would manage but they surprised us.

Earlier in the evening as I was preparing a dinner full of appetizers the kids asked if they could have a dance party. Envisioning a wild, loud activity I told them they would have to go in the play room. Suddenly this soft, peaceful music comes from the CD player and I look to find them waltzing!! It was even complete with a kiss.