To binky, or not to binky? That is/was the question. And stuff....

As you can see by the picture, Lily has taken up the binky. She is only 7.5 months old in the picture, so I suppose it's never to late to start. My dilema; the boys never used one and I have never been a fan of them. I didn't really try much with Austin. I felt a little guilty that maybe I had short-changed him so I tried a smidge harder with Justin (and he was VERY fussy at night his first 3 weeks). Lily became very fussy heading into week 3, so I tried more often, and she would take it for 1-2 min. and then out it would come, and then she wouldn't want to nurse because she thought I was trying to fake her out again. So, altho I tried more often with her early on, she still wasn't a binky baby. So, a couple of weeks ago she was being unusually quiet, and when I went to check on her, I found her asleep w/Matt with a binky in her mouth. The rest, as they say, is history. She doesn't take it at night since she sleeps with me and nurses when she wants. She won't take it if she is already really upset. But it seems it holds off the meltdowns.












Oh so pretty! (Lily, not mommy!)











Winter 2010













A few pics of the kids trying to play in the deep snow we had a couple of weeks ago. It was soooo funny that I never went back inside. I just watched, laughed, and occasionally rescued.





















Austin was insistent on making a snow man this year. So, after we had some rain that reduced the amount in the backyard, it was easier to work with. Justin watched from the dining room window. After he had such a difficult time walking in it several days earlier (see above pics), he decided he had no interest in going back out.








Only in a construction household does the snowman have a safety harness and hard hat!

Where is my......

Are you familiar with the feel & learn books that go something like, "That's not my penguin (or puppy, or monster, etc.), his beak is too smooth." After several pages of that type of interaction, the last page says something like, "That's my puppy (or whatever)! His nose is sooo squashy!" You get the idea. Well, I have a story of my own. Here goes:



Where are my Eamon and Austin? That couch and that cushion are too empty.












Where are my Eamon and Austin? That bed is too cold.














Where are my Eamon and Austin? That bed is too small.














There are my Eamon and Austin! In my big, warm, FULL bed with the rest of my sleeping family :)












And see that little white space between Lily and Justin? That is where I crawled out of to write this great story.

A quick update on Lily before she goes to college....

Lily is 7 months and 1 week old, and today she pulled herself to a standing position from the floor using the couch. Now, let's go back a little. Right around the time she was at the 7 month mark she had started trying to stand/walk by crawling in the bear stance or frog squat positions. She also went from infant babble to baby babble. Mamamama is common, along with dadadada, and many other sounds that will be words sooner than I care to think. She also started a fake whine/cry/fuss......thank you Austin & Justin for those influences. Also, thanks to Austin and Justin (and probably mommy and daddy as well....sadly) she has started a loud scream to get your attention...not the sad baby kind, the loud annoying kind. She has also been picking things up and putting them in her mouth and then crawling with them. Things like socks, small toys, and baby doll clothes. She looks like a puppy.

The boys went sledding for the first time this past Sunday afternoon. Justin never wanted to go down, but each time he did he smiled from ear to ear and said when it was all over, "That was fun." Austin wanted to go down many times, but each time he went down he cried. He did say later he wanted to do it again. Next time we'll nap them first. Lily went down w/me one time, and cried from start to finish. Again, nap needed. Hopefully pictures soon. They are on my Facebook account.

Lily crawling, and a few funnies (or not so much?)

Austin to daddy in the car one night: "Daddy, which way did we turn?" Daddy, "Left." A-- "I wanted to turn right." D-- "That's the way we go to church, but tonight we're taking the highway." A-- "But I wanted to take the low-way."

Austin to me in the living room while pretending he was going somewhere: "Bye, I am going to hell." Mommy-- "We don't pretend to go to hell, it's a very bad place." (edited version) A-- "No, I mean hell at home."

She's a big girl now!

Lily will be 7 months in less than a week. Today was her first time in the highchair. I don't put the kids in the highchairs until they can sit up mostly unassisted. This week she passed that milestone (in the bath tub, no-less). So, for lunch she had lots of Italian wedding soup that I made (mostly just the orzo, smidge of chicken and spinach...not lots to you and I of course) and probably 2 cheerios (in tincey pieces). She was quite a trooper. A couple of weeks ago when she started really getting around by army crawling, she was also doing the bear stand. I thought she might start walking before crawling or sitting up unassisted (not really, but you get my drift). This week she has been crawling on all 4's more each day. She also does a lot of a partial bear stand w/one arm off the ground, as if she is getting up (which she doesn't). Time to put the gates up! She has been crawling off of cushions onto the floor for awhile, but this past week she has made progress in climbing up....using my body to help. She may start out on her back, then roll to her belly, then crawl up onto my arm, then up to my shoulder, then up to my chest or belly or side, then she stands (while hanging on of course). I also need to move the recycling paper box, which she found, and can get into, and makes a mess, AND eats it if given time.

"Daddy, can we pleeeeease...."

Conversation between Austin & Matt last night, Austin: "Daddy, can we watch Animal Planet?" 2 seconds pass....... Austin: "Daddy, can we watch Animal Planet?" 2 more seconds pass........ Austin: "Daddy! Can we pleeeeeease watch Animal Planet?" Immediately.......Matt: "Yes, we can watch Animal Planet." 5 seconds later.... Austin: "Daddy, can we watch Animal Planet?" They were in the basement & I was in the kitchen I had to laugh, out loud. Wonder where he gets his impatience from?

Today Lily went exploring, which means it's time to put the gates up. She used to stay in the room where she was put. But today I put her in the living room and then went in the boys room to work on laundry. The boys ran between the rooms. Eventually , when I checked on her, she was headed for the front door, which was new. Then she rounded the couch and was headed for the kitchen. Then she rounded the hallway corner and headed towards the bedrooms. She eventually went into the boys room and started paying. The whole time I stayed mostly out of site because I wanted to see what she'd do. She army crawled the whole thing, pretty quickly, and only stopped 2x, to check out the desk knobs & the tri-fold standing picture frame. And, I think we're beginning to hear "ma ma ma".

100,000 miles, No more blue and on the move, and Ohhhhh

The van turned over 100,00 miles sometime this week. I don't think I have ever owned a vehicle, from new, that has done that.

Lily no longer has any blue in her eyes. She is definitely going brown like her mama. And, for the past couple of weeks she has gone from rolling and twisting everywhere to actually army crawling forward, and with pretty good speed if she has a purpose. She has been up on all 4's and rocking a lot, so we will see when the crawling goes upper level.

And Justin, he is just so stinkin' cute sometimes. When we read stories at night or for nap, he will repeat the last couple of words you say. Then, I will say "yes" and he says "ohhhhh". But it's the pitch he uses, it's so cute. And today for the first time at nap time he said "change my poopie". I can only hope this is going somewhere good.