3 months!

Another month has passed!

Stennson at 3 months...

You are still the worlds sweetest baby! You've affectionatly earned the nickname "pefect baby" as you are so sweet, patient, flexible, calm, smiley, and predictable!

Everything about you has captured my heart! We all love you so much!

You are sleeping awesome! Going to bed around 7:30 and sleeping until 5 or 6am ... then you go right back to bed and sleep until 8:30/9am for a grand total of 13 or 14 hours at night! :) It's the best when you sleep until 6am, because then I'm up and have time before I get Shaelyn ready for school!

You take 3 naps a day. Your afternoon one is always the longest...until I have to wake you up to run and get one of your sisters from school :(

A typical day you nurse at 6am,9am,12pm, 2:45 (you eat really fast before we run to school), 5:30pm, 7:30pm!

You are quick to smile and love to talk.

You are great in your car seat and will still easily take a nap in it if needed. (very helpful with our life!)

We thought that the red marks on your forehead were from your rough delivery, but now we are pretty sure they are another birthmark!

You love your daddy! You love to smile, talk to him and sing with him!

Shaelyn still adores you and you are very quick to smile for her now.

You are not rolling over yet, which is ok with me :). But, I'm sure you'll learn soon, because you're very strong on your tummy because you always sleep on your tummy.

You are battling your first little cold. You're handling it like a champ, but it makes me sad! I keep praying you'll be protected this winter, but it's going to be tricky with the girls both in school!!

We love you Stennson!!

As I looked through my pictures of the past week or so I realized I didn't take very many smiling ones :)- I'll have to get on that, because he is such a smiley little boy!!

3 months! You are getting to be a lot of fun!

You and Shaelyn ...oh how she loves you!



Early morning conversation with your sister!
Snuggles from Monreau...
McLleyton wanted a turn too!

Sisters...

The girls moved into a new bedroom this summer (the day before Stennson was born) that was a big part of our remodeling. It's been a slow process to decorate it and organize it. I just finished making a picture for their room that's a collage of 200+ pictures of the two of them together. Yes, that's a lot of pictures of being sisters :). But, really there are SO many fun moments! I loved doing it because it was a little trip back in history. It was fun to see through pictures their little relationship that has been growing for the past 4 years. They are great friends and have a lot of fun together! It also made me grateful for my own sisters ... and that I grew up with two and now I have 5!! I pray that my girls will love and value each other as much as I love and value my sisters!!

A quick glimpse of 4 years...

SO big!

When Shaelyn saw these two pictures of Stennson she said "Wow Mom, he is learning so many new things while I'm gone at school all day! He looks SO big!" He is sure is!!

I love...

Stennson's smiles!!!!

They are pretty much instant now when you talk to him! He's even started to giggle a little! He loves laying under his gymini and is trying to grab his toys. His favorite part- looking at himself in the mirror :)

Off to Preschool...

It's Monreau's first day of preschool today! A day she's waited a long time for! She was SO excited, confident and ready!! I'm so proud of this sweet girl!!

McLleyton was so excited to bring her (even getting his own backpack ready) :).... then he cried the whole way home saying "I want to go to preschool!!!!!!"
Monreau and her teacher Mrs. Dykstra (she is every thing you think a preschool teacher should be!!)

4 kids!

Matt will often jokingly ask the kids "Where did you all come from? How did we get this many kids" :) They laugh and one of them will usually remind him "from God!" There is always a moment in each day when I look at these 4 and can't believe we've been given so much!! Life around here is busy, but great!! Shae is loving her first week of 1st grade, Monreau can't wait for preschool to start next week, McLleyton is potty trained and working on learning his letters, Stennson slept through the night for the 1st time ( 11 hours!!!) and he is "talking" so much now ... the kitchen floor needs to be mopped, I didn't quite get all the baskets of laundry put away, I find myself making "to do" lists in the middle of the night- yet rarely being able to cross anything off of them during the day :)... but someday my lists will be complete... for now it's the little moments that I love... like this picture and the way they each put their arms around each other without me asking... when McLleyton tells Stennson "you're my best friend"... when Monreau says at lunch "I miss Shaelyn, I hope she's having a great day"...life with 4 kids is amazing... I love this job!!!!

1st Grade!!!

2/2/2005...

Wow... it feels like this was yesterday :) and now she's in FIRST grade!! Amazing and a little difficult! She said as I tucked her in bed last night "I know I'm going to just love first grade mom!" with so much confidence and excitement in her voice! I was the one fighting back tears... just not so sure I want to give her up for 7 hours of every day! I know she'll do great and she loves to learn... but I sure am going to miss her like crazy!!
Shaelyn, we are so proud of you and the amazing little girl you are growing up to be!!
Saying goodbye to McLleyton (as he eats his breakfast) School starts at 8am! Yikes, that's early!
Monreau was so excited for her :)
Such a gift to go to school with COUSINS! Sophia and Shae are in the same class again this year!
Shaelyn with her teacher Mr. Steinbacher at their "Meet and Greet" a few weeks ago! I've heard SO many great things about him and was very impressed in our time with him!