Sick Day & 5 Month Update

Last week Natalee had a yucky viral infection with 101-102 temps. She stayed home with Aunt Kea Monday & Tuesday and got lots of lovin' and is still in recovery with a residual cough but determined not contagious any longer since the fever broke (last Monday).

Try as I might, Xavier caught her virus and has been home the last 2 days. Daddy kept him yesterday and today was mommy's turn. I think I got the better day, because his fever broke in the night and besides a slow appetite and the snotty cough he's a pretty cheery boy!

We've washed windows, sorted & started laundry, ran the dishwasher, & vacuumed, swept, and mopped the floors! All that and Xavier squeezed in a 2 1/2 hour nap in his big crib, too!




I'm reminded today how big my little prince is. ..
Xavier, when I found out I was having a boy, I was just terrified, but you've proven my doubts wrong. Yes, you can quite possibly be the stinkiest little man ever (at times), but you are also the sweetest, most gentle natured, adorable baby! You were 5 months old the day before Thanksgiving and at almost 1/2 a year you are SO strong. You'd like to sit up but your punkin' head and belly roll pull you toward your feet (that, and your attraction to your socks!) so you use the boppy for help. You are a rollie, squirmy, big boy and can spin in a circle and kick yourself forward with your feet until you get where you want to be & what you want. If I leave the room for a few minutes & you're contentedly playing on your blanket, chances are when I get back you'll be halfway under the couch! You can get up on all 4's...though mommy's not ready for that yet!

You LOVE your sissy but your mommy is best and your daddy is growing on you. You are a beefy 18 pounds and 25 inches and are quick with a smile when someone talks to you. You still only eat 4 oz every 2-3 hours & I've tried to get you interested in rice cereal or homemade baby food but you just don't really care. You sleep for 8-10 hours at night and are still in your cradle, though you spent one night in your crib when sissy slept over at Gma Numma's house.
You are quite possibly the tickliest boy ever & have a sweet giggle and a powerful belly laugh. You wear size 3 diapers & mostly 6-9 month clothes, though some things are at 12 months already. Soon as sissy's new car seat arrives, you'll be super pleased to move to a bigger one, as your feet hang over the edge of your infant seat (mommy's sad that you didn't make it through the winter in the carrier though!)

(Xavier & his birthday cousin...born just an hour apart).

You are very handsy & have gotten sissy's hair when she wrestles too close. You love to touch my face & will pull me close for a slobber bath if I let you. You'd rather be laid down than rocked to sleep lately, which makes me both proud and sad at the same time.
You're a prince, Little Man, and we love you very much! These last 5 months have been a joy & we can't wait to see what you do next!

Tongue Trick

Daddy taught Xavier a new trick while I was at AWANA tonight...



Sweetie! Good job, Dad & Xabe!

Update in Videos

'Scuse the wild hair please, as Natalee had in a ponytail today and we took it out when we put on jammies and didn't bother to tame the mane! I just had that "mommy moment" where you decide you have to record something RIGHT NOW, lest you not get another chance. Natalee sure is growing up on us. She has finally gotten down the art of kicking a ball, and such is considered "caught up" for her age group in gross motor development. We're SO proud of her and the hard work she's done. We continue to stretch her every morning and, though it hurts, I think she's realizing that it feels better afterward because if we put her down to walk before we stretch her she complains of pain. She's talking a blue streak and is learning ANYTHING we teach her! We're starting Bible verse now, while her mind is young and ready to soak them in! Hard to believe my baby, who fought to meet all her milestones, is this precious toddler ready to face the world & that she'll be two in 1 month + 1 week!



And Xavier just continues to GROW. And GROW and GROW! When I weighed him last week he topped off at 17.6 pounds! WHOA! He wore 3-6 month clothes for all of 1 month and I officially switched him to 6-9 for everything but jeans/dress pants. He's developed quite a personality and is partial to his mother (aw, shucks!). He eats every 2-3 hours still and takes (unwillingly) a bit of rice cereal before bed. He sleeps until around 3 or 4 a.m., when he wakes to snuggle, but not eat. Mr. Xabe has taken a special interest in his sister and is an all around flirt. He'll grin at anyone but has already developed a stranger anxiety when most other people outside our immediate families hold him. He likes his bath and is very ticklish. He has lots to say, in general, and apparently thinks wrestling on the floor in hilarious!



We're so happy to have our little duo and love them so much. We can't imagine life without one or the other!

The Short Version

Well, the short version of our last 2 weeks is that Mike hit a deer (or she hit him) on his motorcycle on the way to work the morning of 9-21-10. One surgery later he is healing from a broken ankle. Boo. That doesn't leave me much time for blogging but I thought I'd make an effort, if for nothing else at least for the kids' sakes.

Here's what's happening in their lives. The week of Mike's accident Natalee went in for her 2nd set of tubes. We spent a lot of time in Columbia that week. Well...Xabe & I did, b/c he's my little buddy! She did great & only cried for her daddy once. My dad went with us, while Mike's mom & grandma stayed with him & my mom and sisters were traveling! Busy, busy. Natalee's vocabulary is growing in leaps and bounds. We're working on counting, continuing work on colors, and starting wild animal sounds as she has most farm animals down pat. She's at a very fun toddler age, is aching to learn, and is soaking things up!

Natalee's new "chocolate" shirt from Gma Cindy
9-29-10

She enjoys going to the 20-30 minute lesson at the table during church service and both teachers say she's very good :) She continues to be sassy but sweet. I'm reading a book called Parenting in the Pew which is helping me help her to get the most out of church. While the book really focuses on kids around age 4 and up we are introducing some of the concepts now. She is now a firm believer that all money belongs to Jesus, as we let her collect offering all week long and talk about giving it at church to Jesus. (Although that doesn't prevent her from wanting it back out of the offering plate after she willingly puts it in!). We are also taking less "to do" and involving her more in the service. When it's time to sing, I make her stop writing and "sing." She does usually join in--loudly and nonsensically, but she makes an effort! :) She thinks the Bible is a treasured book (she's right) and enjoys taking it to Daddy and having him read it to her. She has also been sitting with us (as has Xabe) during nightly devotions and "reading" her Bible while Mike reads aloud.

Natalee during nightly devotions.
10-4-10

She pays attention to EVERYTHING people say and do. Her brother makes a gasping sound due to his tracheamalasia and tonight we noticed her copying him to a T. She's a treasure and it's our join to watch her develop her own personality.

Xabe turned 3 months old in all the chaos of 2 weeks ago. He's become so very CHARMING! He knows how to work his eyebrows and his grins to melt my heart. During our hard week of surgery & tubes I kept him with me because stress was effecting my milk supply, but nonetheless I completely lost it. Supplements and the works have not been effective in bringing it back so Xabe has transitioned to full formula. :( We were both heartbroken and since the transition he's clung to me a little tighter (or I to him?). He's resisting his daddy right now, which is hard for Mike but endearing to me as Natalee was such a Daddy's girl that I always felt a little on the outside. He will not let Mike rock him down to sleep without a huge fight, so it's been my honor to do so for the last couple of weeks. He will let Mike play & snuggle him. I also pass him off to Mike after I rock him to sleep so I can finish things up around the house.
Right after we had to give up nursing he began waking back up in the middle of the night. I'd try to bottle feed him but he wasn't really hungry...a good snuggle in my bed (Mike was on the couch...and I don't want to hear it) seemed to suit and he'd drift back off. He's worked that out of his system for the most part but the last few nights has gotten up a couple of times around 4 a.m. for a cuddle.

new coat that Gma Cindy brought back from Cabela's
9-29-10

Xavier is also a very physically strong boy! He has super legs and neck muscles and could stand in the Jumperoo if I could find the legs to it. *sigh* (I will...) He doesn't enjoy "rough housing" as much as he likes a silly voice or a good joke ;) He's an absolute dear!

As a duo, brother and sister are starting to take much more notice of one another. Xabe tracks Natalee around the room, turns to listen to her talk, and laughs at her smiles. Natalee checks on "brudder Xaber" often, running as messenger with a bottle or paci, and singing, "Brudder, it's okay Brudder" when he's upset.

9-24-10

And as a family, we're hanging in there. We're taking stock of what's important, remembering how lucky we are to have one another, and praying daily for patience for each other (or maybe that's just the prayer I pray!).

Busy Picture Weekend...

Whew! What a fast weekend. Got out the photography gear to do a newborn/family session for a friend of mine & just kept the photo ball rolling with my own kids. Here's a peak & links to the rest! Enjoy!

Introducing the gorgeous, teeny tiny Miss Presley Ann...

Click HERE for more of Presley, big brother Mason & their family session!


3 months already? My baby Xabe is growing all too fast...but dang he IS a handsome man!

Click HERE to see the rest of Xavier's pictures!

And my fair, saucy lady...

Click HERE to see the rest of Natalee's pictures!

Natalee - 21 month portraits

 Just a few for fun...because she's changing so quickly and she's cute!

Xavier Is Three Months!

 This handsome devil is ours! Enjoy...

I {heart}

this face!

One of Each

I love my girl and my boy. It's sweet having "one of each." I have a blogger/sister friend who has a boy and girl and she recently blogged about how her family feels complete. I'm glad for her, that they feel full circle, and it's made me think really hard...
I have one of each. When we found out we were having Xabe, I HATED when people would say to me, "Aw, that will give you one of each and you can be done." Boo! What if my 2nd born would have been a girl? Would I have not been allowed to "be done?" And so what that I have one of each?
All this to say...don't be quick to put us in a "one of each"/"normal 4 person family" box. Because between you and me, we're thinking of taking a little break (maybe not be pregnant in 2011 since I was in 2008, 2009 & 2010), getting these 2 out of diapers and then going again! When I think about selling my baby things I feel absolutely devastated. The totes of clothes, the bouncy seat, the highchair, etc. When I think about never nursing again, no more pacis scattered about, never a diaper in my house again, I'm brokenhearted. We've talked about adopting and about having more naturally--both are equally fine avenues for me. And this isn't to say I might not change my mind in a few years...but probably not. And so, I might sell a few things now, and buy new/used later, but I won't be unloading everything...

Just look at them...

wouldn't you want to have more?

Roly Poly Oly

So, I don't know how to spell rollie/roly/rolely. They all come up in the red on my screen. Nonetheless, here he goes....


Who said you could grow up, Little Chimp? We're so proud of you sweetie boy. Good job, Xabe! Love, Mommy & Daddy