4 years 7 months

This is what David has been up to this month...


my super silly little boy!

He loves taking pictures--and has gotten pretty good at it.

 

 

Sweet expressions

 

 

More silly ones

 

a favorite food (Mac and Cheese) and a favorite shirt (Lego Star Wars)~

 

a favorite nose~

 

Beautiful, blue eyes!

Somewhere in time, David suddenly started drawing recognizable objects.  Here is a family portrait (although there are only 4 of us, he was not able to identify who was missing; every time he told me it was someone different)

We are working on no thumb-sucking during the day, however, as soon as the blanket comes out, all promises tend to be forgotten.

 

Time with Bizbeth!

Bubble Bathtime!

Time with Abigail (a la David "my little darling")

 

 

a few with both sisters

 

Forts and tunnels

Zipping and zooming around the house.  An endless game (that frequently gets on Mommy's and Daddy's nerves with all the noise!)

 

Some of my favorite pictures of my son ever!  What a handsome boy!

I finally got to be in some pictures! 

Yeah for a fun month!

New stages

Each child is growing up in one (or many areas) of their lives. 

David wanted to push the little shopping cart at Krogers the other day.  After being warned twice and still zooming through the store (this resulted in knocking over a display last time we tried this), he lost his privelege and got moved to the shopping cart.  I quickly evaluated the situation.  We had a car shopping cart, but I have learned that he and Elizabeth pick at each other if they are both in the car.  I decided to put him in the spare seat next to Abigail in front.  He complained the whole time that he did not want to be there because people would think he was a baby.  This child was actually embarrassed!!!  What a funny concept for a four year old! 
(PS at the same time, they made an announcement over the loud speakers, "Attention, customers!  We are having a limited time giveaway over at the white counter near the deli department.  Hurry.  You don't want to miss this.  If you don't rush over there right now, you will miss out." etc..., said with such urgency.  David was very insistent we needed to go the the white counter right now!!!)

Elizabeth has always showed great signs of maturity.  This week she is almost begging to be potty trained.  She went to the bathroom on the potty 3 times just yesterday alone.  She is still wearing diapers and still getting them a bit wet but almost always tells me after the fact.  If it is warm enough, I am shooting for spring break in about a week.

Abigail was the biggest surprise of all!  I know she has been pulling up on things but it is always low things and not even always successfully then.  Here is what I found (except happy--the tears only flowed once I left again to go get the camera) when I went to go get her out of her crib yesterday.
(Good thing we lowered the crib a bit ago)

doing time in the crib and other pictures

Abigail is 8 months old!  Lots more growing going on...

She now tries to pull up on everything--sometimes successfully, sometimes not. 

 

 

Yeah, Lord!  One prayer has been answered; she is finally eating far better!  I am doing well (with two others to take care of) to get two solid meals in her a day as well as her 4 or 5 -6 oz. bottles.  Breakfast normally consists of yogurt.  Dinner normally some type of baby food.  She does not seem too particular. (she has eaten sweet potato and turkey, carrots, spaghetti meal with little chunks, pears, peaches, other fruit, she has even tried eggs)  She is finally opening her mouth and sucking the food in and then swallowing!  What a joy!  She loves puffs too but not so adept at feeding herself yet. 

The only part that is not so much a joy is that she has learned to spit and loves to spit after taking a bite.  Most often it is after swallowing most of it, but it does not lessen the mess too much.  We are working on breaking this habit. 

 

 

As a benefit this month, Abigail is finally holding her own bottle.  If she is reclining at all, she will hold it to the end, and if she loses it, she can grab it and put it back into her mouth.  What a great thing for the combination of car travel and hungry baby!  In the high chair is a different story...

She must have grown length-wise this month because she is most definitely out of almost all 6 month clothing because of the length and even much of the 9 month. 

I was told the other day that she was calling for me.  Yeah, right... but she is now making distinct sounds like dadada, bababa, and even the mamama.

 

Morning naptime is almost over.  While she gets really cranky and often needs a nap in the morning, she may not fall asleep and if she gets more than 30 minutes, she will not sleep in the afternoon (when I MUST have her sleep for my sanity and to keep the kids on the same schedule). 

She is far happier in her crib now though when I do put her down for naps/bed or when she wakes up.  She started soothing herself this month with...not a pacifier, not fingers, but sucking the satin binding of her blankets.  Yuk!  I have let well enough alone so far, but may try to break her of this habit too.  Wouldn't Sophie be a better choice???

She also loves to chew paper.  One day D brought home a craft from church.  It was a cow in a little cup with easter grass.  I later found the cup with half the cow munched on and missing. 

 

Most everything actually makes it into her mouth.  Perhaps it is the eternal teething--with no signs of teeth to come???

 

 

 

Sweet pictures with siblings.

 

 

 

(I realized when I went to add photos that I did not take too many photos this month.  Most of them were taken one day when she was in her crib.)