Back to Normal

This week marks the first week getting things back to normal. Malachi is back to school - although he's not too happy about it - and Zach and I are starting up all our regular activities this week also.

I was quite proud that I have a meal plan done for the month, shopped Monday morning for my meals for the week, my husband are doing this fun little eating challenge (100 Days of Mini-Pledges) and I started my 12 week fitness program Monday also. Hopefully I can get past the first 2-3 weeks without pooping out this time!!!

One thing I decided before Christmas is that Zach and I were just a little too busy. We had:
Book Club - one Monday a month
Bible Study - every Tuesday
I work a 10 hr shift - every other Wednesday and Friday
Zachary's toddler class - every Thursday
MOPS - two Friday's a month

This doesn't count the two nights a week I meet up with a friend to walk, bunco nights and game nights with two different groups of friends and any other extra appointments! Too busy!

So I decided something had to go. So I chose Tuesday morning Bible study. I feel a tiny bit guilty about it since it a good, worthwhile thing to do, but it was one of the only things we did EVERY week that I could cut. 

I've also been on a weird cleaning/organizing craze this week. I've been going through boxes that I'm not sure I've looked at since we moved here. Yesterday I discovered a box of crafting stuff and fabric. Some of it I didn't think I would ever use, the fabric I put with the rest of my stash and found new homes for the other few misc things. Hooray! A box to the Goodwill and an empty space for me to organize later.

Today I plan to go through a box that's been sitting on Malachi's floor (again... since we moved here 2  years ago!) that I'm pretty sure has none of HIS stuff in it. I am even feeling the bug to do some painting.... Malachi's room is the only room left that I wanted to repaint/redecorate when we first got here and I'm feeling like doing it. My husband says I'm tempting fate and will jinx us into having to move, but oh well. 

Back to getting a jump on Spring cleaning!

Fun in the Sun

Today we were forced to stay at home ALL day. Not that this is a bad thing... sometimes I wish we did it more. Unfortunately, it seems like we have somewhere to go almost everyday around here. Is it bad that a part of me longs for the days without Women's Bible Study, MOPS, soccer and whatever other weekly activities we do during the school year? Anyway... my car was being worked on today (really more like being assessed, which seems to come with a future hefty price tag) and so we had to stay home.

Being that we had a day at home AND it was an amazingly gorgeous day here in the Pacific NW (over 80 degrees!), I cleaned my carpets and then forced Malachi to play outside. He's been begging me to play in the sprinkler for days now....

Isn't this the face of pure delight? I love the innocence.

And then there's my Zach. He napped for much of the outdoor play, but managed to get out and crawl around in the wet grass for awhile. Grass is not his favorite texture and I am slowly trying to get him used to it. I'm surprised he tolerated the wet grass at all! 

See those scarred up knees? Those are the knees of a master speed crawler. Of a boy who refuses to walk on his own. Those knees are not dirty... they always look like that; a constant rug burn. Can't feel sorry for the kid though... he could walk he if wanted!

And what was I doing during all this fun?

I was tackling this mess. This is NOT part of the yard - this is the garden area right up against the house. Looks terrible doesn't it? This is what happens when you rent and don't feel like righting the wrongs of those who have come before you because you might move. Well... I think I'm staying here for awhile and I've decided I'm just going to have to make the best of it... and that means dealing with this disaster. So... one blister and a sore shoulder later it's slightly cleared out. Hopefully there will be an "after" photo to share eventually!

Happy Sunny Days!!!

Kindergarten Bound

selfie

My oldest is growing up way to fast. I know that's totally cliche and all, but seriously, how have we gotten to this day? I just picked up paperwork for Kindergarten... for this Fall... for MY child. Yikes! 

Didn't I just bring him home from the hospital as that adorable little baby? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since people have been asking me since this past Fall why he's not in school. He's so tall that everyone assumes he should already be in Kindergarten at least. I've been proudly declaring to them all "he's only four!" but that doesn't really work anymore.

I've had some plans for this coming year - I was hoping to get him enrolled in an out-of-district Montessori school, but we are very far down the waiting list, so I took that as God's way of telling me he's not meant to be there - at least this year. But we've been working on that awhile and it just felt like it was still so far away. This seems closer - too close. 

When I went to pick up the paperwork today they informed me that they are having a "Kindergarten Round-Up" or some such craziness where we can go see the classrooms on Wednesday.... what? I'm not ready for that! Malachi on the other hand thought it sounded really cool. And of course I want to meet the teachers and see the classrooms... really.

Anyway... I am just not ready for it. I'm nervous and maybe a tiny bit heartbroken that this big milestone means he's growing up. Good thing I have all summer to adjust! =)

Late Season Jam-Making Session

I have been a terrible blogger of late. To be honest, it's not that I don't want too, but my computer tends to be a little slow - especially if I'm trying to edit and upload pictures - and the thought of it seems like too much time and work sometimes. It's a bummer really... one of these days we'll get a new computer and then it should be easier. Until then, it might be spotty and have lots of book reviews because I have to post those and they require almost no pictures!

Yesterday I met up with the gals from my MOPS table and we made some jam! It was a really fun time. I was a little nervous because I was in charge although it wasn't at my house (my kitchen is NOT big enough for a houseful of people canning) and I think this was my first attempt at jam-making without my mom there.

I think it went well. Everyone brought one or two ingredients and I supplied the canner, jars and canning utensils. I have to admit that I think I ended up doing the majority of the work while everyone else was running after kids and chatting, but it was still fun and we managed two batches. Everyone was sent home with two half-pint jars of Caramel Apple Jam.

I got this recipe from A Latte with Ott,A's blog. It's a favorite in our house!!

MIA

I know I've been absent from blogging lately. I've thought about it a few times, but sometimes there's just too much going on in life to make time for one more thing.

I've been thinking about what we're going to do with out Elf on the Shelf this December - I'd like to have it planned out beforehand this year.

Malachi and I have been continuing on with preschool most days. He's doing so well that I'm actually considering Kindergarten for next year instead of waiting until he's six... we'll see.

And our lives have been busy. I've been feeling a little overwhelmed lately. I have decided that while I think I have the best of both worlds - staying home most of the time with my guys and working two days a week for some adult time - that I seem to plan my life as if I was just a stay-at-home-mom and then I have to fit a couple days of work in there too. 

Sometimes that catches up with me and I don't get enough sleep or I over-schedule myself and get stressed out. That's been me the past couple weeks. 

This was an excellent blog post that a friend of mine posted on FB the other day. I don't always take the time to read stuff like that, but this one I did. I felt like this lady had a direct view into our life - sometimes it's good to be reminded that not everyone else is perfect. 

The Mom Confession by rachelmariemartin.blogspot.com

What To Do About PreSchool?

Malachi is 4.5 and I debated long and hard earlier this summer about putting him in a preschool program. I feel that this is an expectation of parents now - preschool. I'm not too sure how I feel about it. I'm not anti-preschool... but.... I don't really know. I feel weird about it. And I have a stubborn streak that balks at the idea that I should put him in preschool because everyone is doing it.

I have already made the decision to wait until he's six (which will take us to the 2015-2016 school year), so I figure I have next year to put him in preschool if I want to, but I'd like to work with him at home some this year.

The last couple years I've tried to do some of the units from OopseyDaisyBlog.com's Mommy School. This has proven to be very time consuming for me to prep. I really enjoyed the ideas, but some stuff was too hard or too much prep and it took me a long time to go through the pages and pages of ideas to pick the few we wanted to attempt. 

I am a pretty organized person, but I think I'm one of those people who kinda needs everything spelled out for me. A lesson plan - but I don't necessarily want to make it all up myself. I want something I can grab and prepare for the stuff already on it, not pick all my own stuff from 100 random things.

I started researching some homeschool preschool programs and here's what I found:

1. There are SOOOOO many options. It is incredibly overwhelming. Everyone has a different opinion about which program is better, more researched, has more learning potiential, etc. It's kinda horrible actually. Trying to sift through this information has had me almost giving the idea up several times.

2. The super expensive programs (as in - it's over $100 bucks):
Sonlight ($285)
Horizon's ($179)
Oak Meadow ($130)
Timberdoodle ($229 Basic)
I am not against spending some money - but I'm also not convinced I'm willing to spend $100-$200 on a preschool program that I'm not sure how good I'll stick to it. Maybe that's the key - if you spend that much money, you'll for sure use it....

3. The affordable programs (under $100):
Before Five In A Row ($35 plus the cost of books if you choose to buy them) - we already have this program and the majority of books that go with it. Many people seem to LOVE it, but Malachi isn't very excited about the activities I've tried with it. I love the books (and so does he), but it is a lot of intentional reading which we do anyway. I still might try to use this more, but I don't think it's a great fit for my oldest - Zach might be more into this?
Letter of the Week ($15 download version/$20 CD version) - this program is created by a homeschooling mom. Many reviews I read sung the praises of this curriculum, but there were a few dissenters who claimed it's not teaching letters correctly.... hm.... I have a feeling it has more to do with your child and style of teaching more than anything.

4. FREE!
1+1+1=1  - This looks like a pretty comprehensive program considering its free. 
Ambleside or Charlotte Mason - This really starts at more of a Kindergarten level, I think.
Mommy School
HubbordsCupboard

At this point, I think I'm leaning towards the Letter of the Week curriculum. In spite of the "trained professionals" who discounted the program, it sounds fun and fairly easy. I'm all about easy and making learning fun at this point, so I think it sounds great. I also have a copy of Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons that MY homeschooling mom used with me during my education. I begged her not to sell it at a curriculum sale one year, so I obviously loved it. 

Hopefully I'll make a decision soon.... the new school year is basically here!

A Very Hungry Caterpillar Birthday

Months ago, I started planning a Very Hungry Caterpillar birthday party for Zach's 1st birthday. Little did I know how prophetic that choice was going to be. He really is like the Hungry Caterpillar in the way he eats. =)

My mom helped me out a ton with this party. It was meant to be fairly simple considering it's for a one-year-old, but it seems that even simple can be a lot of work. 

His shirt was just a white polo from Target with some felt circles sewn to it. I cut out the circles at work the night before (using my K-Cup as a guide!) and my mom sewed it together today before the party.

My mom made me this adorable tissue-paper garlands. I originally saw it done on another blog, but my moms followed the links to this DIY Tissue Garland. Seriously SO easy (or so it looked when she did it) and it added SO much to our decor. 

I had quite a few of these strung around the house: from the mantle, this one over the couch (on my currently bare wall), over the living room curtains and over the doorway in the dining room. Very colorful. I asked her to do the tissue circles double-layered. The blog I'd seen it on before only used a single layer of tissue and it was very transparent and I wanted a little more solid look.

I also put together a hanging caterpiller out of those tissue paper poms. There are a million tutorials out there, so I won't post one here. I just got red, light and dark green tissue and hung them from the ceiling with some fishing line. I had seen something like this made with hanging paper lanterns, but those things can be kinda expensive... so this was my alternative.

I was very excited about my food table. I researched lots of different parties and everyone had a cute idea. I finally decided on doing some simple foods and making cute little signs with wording from the book on them.

I got the graphics for the from Polka Dots and Puppies blog. (The link to her free printable is listed in the comments - FYI.) I made a little card for each thing for example: "On Saturday he ate through one PICKLE" or "In the light of the moon a little EGG lay on a LEAF". During the week, the caterpillar eats through a bunch of fruits and instead of having them each separate, I mixed them all up into a yummy fruit salad.

Our Hungry Caterpillar Food:

• Small dill pickles
• Mixed fruit salad (apples, pears, plums, strawberries and oranges)
• Watermelon
• Deviled eggs on lettuce leaves
• Salami and Swiss cheese tray with butterfly crackers

For drinks we had iced tea and raspberry lemonade. I got these super cute mason jar lids for another party (which I have to blog about eventually) and had these red striped straws left over from my Red Hot Bunco party.

And lastly - but most importantly - the cake. I am so blessed to have a good friend who decorates cakes and she always makes my boys their birthday cakes and does an awesome job. This year was no exception with this adorable Hungry Caterpillar cake. Isn't he cute!?

So there it is... the Very Hungry Caterpillar Birthday Party. It was fun, simple and fairly cheap. Perfect for a little boy who won't remember it. =)

Big Boy Haircut!

I finally talked myself into taking Zach into get his first "real" haircut. I've done a little trimming here and there, but this is his first all-over haircut. I think I put this one off longer than I put off Malachi's 1st. Look at those beautiful eyes under all that hair!

My baby is getting so big - I almost can't believe it! Next week is his first birthday!

Catching Up!

Oh no... I have been a bad blogger lately. I have a lot to say actually, but I just don't find the time to get in to the computer and write it down. I am thinking I need to try a little harder. I was trying to decide WHY I blog the other day... and the real reason is record things I want to be able to look back and remember later. Obviously that's not going to work out so well if I don't write it down!

Here's a little conversation my mom had with Malachi the other night when I was at work:

Malachi: My mom's going to have another baby, but she doesn't have it right now. I want a baby sister and I'd name her Gumdrop. I like that name. Grandma: What if it isn't a girl? You can't choose, you have to take what you get. Malachi: Oh, I'd like a baby brother so Zachary could have a baby. I'd share my bed and Eli and my dog with Gumdrop. I could carry Gumdrop around because he'd be a little baby, not like Zachary.

I've been making a big effort to get us out to visit some of the sites in our area. I bought one of the Discover Pass's, which is a $30 vehicle pass that you have to have to park at the state parks here. It's $10 for a day visit or $30 for the year. I figure I need to use it at least 4 times to make it worth it! So far we've done our trip to McLane Creek Nature Trail and Tolmie State Park (which is, apparently, one of those things I didn't blog about). We also visited the Nisqually Nature Wildlife Reserve on June 8th. That wasn't something we needed our pass for, but was a great walk with the kids.

I have all these great intentions of doing these fun walks.... but unfortunately, I think Zachary is going to try to thwart my efforts. He doesn't like spending large amounts of time in my carrier - which is annoying when you don't want to take a stroller.

On our trip to the Nisqually NWR it went something like this:

• Started out with Zach on my back in the Ergo carrier.
• Halfway down the trail he starts fussing and I'm walking/bouncing to keep him happy. 
• A little farther he's crying - so Daddy takes him out and carries him (which makes Zach super happy)
• At the halfway point, where we have to turn around, I say "maybe he'd like it better if he was on the front and he feels more 'carried'". So I turn it around and put him in the front. 
• This works for about 1/4 of the trip back and at this point I'm walking so funny to try to keep him happy that my leg is tired and I still have a screaming baby attached to me. People are staring at me and giving me those "poor girl" looks as they pass me.
• Finally, I take one shoulder strap off and with him half in and half out of the carrier, I hold him the rest of the way. This makes him perfectly happy because he's being carried in my arms and not in the carrier. Daddy at this point was carrying a tired Malachi on his shoulder.

I kept telling Zachary that I have big plans for all our hiking trips this summer and that he's just going to have to get used to it. It's not like he's never been in it before, but apparently he's made the decision he likes a little more freedom of movement.... but this momma doesn't have enough arm strength to carry him that far! Notice the happy face in the picture below... that is almost at the end of the hike... and he's super happy to be free!

Diagnosis: Hypothyroidism

I have been putting this post off for several days now. Every time I think I need to sit down to write it, it just seems too overwhelming, so I don’t do it. When I put it like that it seems so dire, and it’s not really – really not at all.

I finally got my little Zachary in to have his blood draw this past Monday. I had posted last week about how his pediatrician was concerned about his slow growth and decided it was time for some tests…. Well, I got a call on Tuesday morning to confirm a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. He ordered us a prescription and a referral to an endo specialist.

Now this was not a total surprise to me. His doctor had mentioned that was his suspicion, but it still seems to have hit me pretty hard. My husband immediately expressed concern about the fact that they wanted to medicate him – which I would usually be in agreement with. I think kids these days are over-medicated, but I didn’t really want to wait 3 weeks until we got in to see the specialist to ask our questions.

I decided to do a little research online. I had told myself I would not do this – it only leads to more stress – but I figured I would just look up some reputable sites. What I found freaked me out though! Over and over again, I kept seeing phrases like, “mental retardation” and “affects cognitive development”. This is not the hypothyroidism of adults that can be treated with diet alone apparently – this is my baby’s brain development being in jeopardy. Not one article I came across had an alternative treatment.

After an explanation to my husband of everything I’d read, we decided to start the medication immediately. Which is beginning a whole new set of stresses. This medication does not come in a liquid form, so it is being custom ordered. I will be doing some additional research into our options, but this is currently what happens:

1. I call the pharmacy for a refill
2. They submit the order to their compounding pharmacy 60 miles away.
3. The compounding pharmacy sends it to the local pharmacy the next day, where I pick it up.
4. It is only good for 14 days after compounding, so I have to call again about 10 days later for another refill.
   
   

Seriously. I have to go through this twice a month – every month – for the foreseeable future. I am hoping to either find a local compounding pharmacy or possibly a form of the medication that doesn’t have to be compounded at all, but that all depends on our insurance, of course.

Honestly I am a little freaked out. It seems like pretty easy fix, but I am worried about the fact that we’ve found out so late in the year. I’m not sure if this didn’t show up in his newborn screenings or if it was just missed. I’m worried that he will have some permanent damage from this. I keep trying not to think about it too much, but every once in a while I have kind of a mini panic attack over it. Just sitting here writing about it makes me want to cry.

I am trying to trust in the fact that I know God is in control of this whole situation, but it is hard not to worry. My husband keeps telling me that Zach is totally fine and he does SEEM to be.

Today was the 4th day of his medication. It will be interesting to see what changes start to happen as it takes effect.

Zachary 9 Months

Zachary is 9 months old already!! I swear this year just keeps flying by faster and faster. Now that brother's dinosaur party is over, it's only 3 months until I'll have a 1-year-old bash for my little Zach!

This month has been fun. He is, of course, his happy little self. Always with a smile for Mommy and Daddy - and (usually) Brother. He's been talking up a storm with his favorite phrase "da da". No clear "ma ma" yet, but it's going to happen one of these days. =) Still no teeth either - someday we'll get there. 
He's tried just about all food, I think. Whatever I'm eating he gets a taste of it!
Some favorite books are "Are You A Cow" by Sandra Boynton - that one always gets a little laugh and "Pat the Bunny" Zach makes sure that he always gets to try lifting the little flap for peek-a-boo with Paul.
He is loving the nicer weather and going on walks in the stroller with mom and brother. He was clapping all on his own the other day during a walk - happy boy!

On a frustrating/nerve racking note - we had our 9 month visit to the Doctor today. First off, I LOVE our newest pediatrician. We've been assigned to several since Malachi was a baby and I'm hoping this guy never leaves. My husband says I have a crush on him. =) 

At Zachary's 4-month visit, he was in the 40th percentile for length and then at his 6-month it had dropped to the 10th percentile and as of this latest visit he's dropped again to the 3rd percentile. The doctor has been tracking it and today he said he felt it's time for a blood draw and some tests. Everything else seems to be tracking fine for weight and head size. Sooo... I have to take my little Zach in to get some blood taken this next week. I just couldn't do it today after he'd already had some immunizations. 

I'm hoping that it's something easily discernible. And I'm hoping they find SOMETHING. I'm not sure what I'll think if we do all these tests and they can't figure out what the problem is. The doctor was thinking it's possibly a thyroid issue - so we'll see.

I think it's normal for a mom to worry, but I just hate the idea that anything could be wrong with my sweet little boy!

Strike

My union is striking at work. I won't say much about that here, except to say that I fully support my co-workers and I'm sorry I didn't join you on the picket line this week.... calling me everyday is really not going to convince me to stand out in the rain for hours though.

Okay... I'm not really sorry I wasn't on the picket line, but I've been spending a solid week with my babies! Maybe it's wrong, but if I'm going to lose 1/4 of my paycheck for this period, I want to get something out of it. And what I want to get out of it is some extra time with my boys. =)

Soooo.... I feel like I've gotten a lot done this week. 
I had bunco Monday night. I had to clean my entire house and get my new art on the walls in the dining room. AND most importantly, I finally got a wireless adapter for our PC so I could move it permanently off our dining room table and into the bonus room. Hooray!!!
We didn't make it to church on Tuesday morning for my Bible study because Malachi has had a cold and I felt it was better to stay home. We've played games, had homemade food every night (as opposed to processed something or other...). I made a dish I've had pinned on Pinterest for quite awhile that was pretty good.
Yesterday and today I've been cleaning our bonus/playroom. This room was a disaster when we first moved in. I wish I'd taken a picture. You were almost unable to walk in the room for the boxes. We've been here 6 months now and it's VERY slowly gotten better. This is the room that gets all the leftovers. It still has a few things done, I need to unpack the bookshelf (all the books are on it... but in boxes), my craft corner is a disaster and I need a good storage solution for Malachi's toys. But, in light of what it looked like even a couple days ago... I think it's coming along. The first picture shows my newly organized corner with the TV. The second picture is the disastrous  crafting area. Amazingly... I got all my rice bag Christmas gifts done in that space!!!

Here's my cutie, Zachary. This week we've been doing lots of tummy time, standing practice and playing ball rolling games. He is still totally un-motivated in moving, crawling, standing, etc.... hence - the practicing.

Here he is... I am trying to tempt him with one of his brother's yellow mega bloks. As you can see he's excited about it, but not enough to move much. haha In the 4th picture, Malachi has come home with Daddy and a new headlamp and has decided to share it with Zach. Zach is pretty proud of it. =) The sad part is that it fit Zach perfectly after being on Malachi's head. Big brother with a small head and little brother with a big head. =)

8 Months!

My baby is eight months old today!!! 
Zachary is 18lbs and his new favorite food is those cereal puffs. We have nicknamed them "baby crack" in our house because he loves them so much. I think they are probably not that good for him, but I figure I make all this baby food from scratch, so a little cereal puffs isn't going to kill him. =) We are switching to Cheerios after these are gone though.

What is new with Zach this month?? Well, he's slept ALL night several nights. I'm talking went to bed between 5-7 pm and didn't wake up until 7am.
Foods he's tried up to this point are: pear, sweet potato, sweet pea, butternut squash, cauliflower, oatmeal, rice, cantaloupe, carrot, apple... No teeth yet for this guy... although I think he'd appreciate some!
He is finally sitting up on his own well enough that he doesn't have to be propped or surrounded by pillows all the time. He has NO desire to start moving around though. Malachi was crawling by this point - Zach would rather be held.
New activities he's loving: he dances to music, he is starting to really enjoy his little books, clapping games and pulling his feet and toes. He's also becoming more talkative and loves to try to eat mommy's necklace all the time.

Malachi and Zach are such cute little friends. They really love each other and I just keep hoping it stays that way. Malachi is so good about playing with him and Zach just puts up with all his brothers over-zealous loving. =)

Love this little guy!!!

Checking In....

This week I worked quite a bit and when I was home I was trying to spend time with my boys!

I also made my second attempt at making my own homemade vanilla creamer and it was much more successful than my first! I will post the recipe - it's so easy and not full of all those yucky who-knows-what in the store bought stuff.

I also think I've mastered the crockpot yogurt - hooray!

A couple Sunday's ago I had a crazy mommy moment... I wore two different shoes to church on Sunday morning. The worst part is that I didn't even realize it until I was sitting in the pew during service and I had to go to work right after.... oh well.... =) How did I not feel the difference???

My little Zachary is getting so big! Here he is sporting his little sheep hat knit by grandma!

1st Batch Homemade Baby Food!

I can't believe its time for solid baby food already!! Okay... maybe solid is a slight stretch of the idea, but you know what I mean. I got a Magic Baby Bullet for my shower gift and I have just been itching to get it out to use it!!!

I made all my own baby food for Malachi and I'm so glad I did. This time around I already have have my cookbook (Cooking for Baby: Wholesome, Homemade, Delicious Foods for 6 to 18 Months)and now my new Baby Bullet. =)

Zachary has been lunging for my food lately. He tried to grab my to-go espresso cup the other day and was gnawing on the lid. When I attempted to get it back he had a fit! He also tried to get my pizza from me the other night at my in-laws... so I'm thinking he's definitely ready to start giving him some food.

My first concoction - brown rice cereal! So much more nutritious than that yucky stuff you buy in a box in the store (although, I DO confess that is what Malachi got for his first meal).

One recipe made up 12 of these little serving cups. He ate one, 6 went in the fridge and 5 went in the freezer. I think he is having a big of a hard time figuring out how to keep the food in his mouth, so I think we may be attempting something with a little more flavor here pretty soon.... sweet potatoes maybe?

Zouff the Elf

As promised, a run-down of our Elf on the Shelf - Zouff! Proudly named by Malachi. =) I must say that my husband is much better at picking out places for Zouff to perch himself for the day than I am, but this has definitely been a lot of fun - for Malachi and for Mommy and Daddy.

 Day 1 - Zouff made his appearance in Malachi's stocking. | Day 2 - We found Zouff hanging from the living room curtain with a pair of Malachi's underwear before church that day. | Day 3 - Zouff is hanging out with the newly hung Advent calendar. | Day 4 - He tried to make himself a bowl of oatmeal... but made quite a mess in the process. | Day 5 - Borrowing Malachi's toothbrush | Day 6 - Riding the dinosaur.

Day 7 - Somehow Zouff ended up inside a canning jar. | Day 8 - Forgot to take a picture, but he had gotten into the gift bows. | Day 9 - He showed up at  Grandma's house since Malachi spent the night. | Day 10 - Hanging out on Malachi's deer rack in his room. | Day 11 - Helping with the tree. | Day 12 - Zouff got into the cookie jar. | Day 13 - He's helping Mommy finish her Christmas projects. | Day 14 - Uh oh... he got tangled up in the decorations on Malachi's rocking chair.

More Zouff mischief to come.... =)

5 Months!

My little Zachary is 5 months old today!!

Sitting!

Brothers!

Can't believe how fast time is flying! This month we had our first flip front-to-back (although he seems unmotivated to do it too often), sitting on his own, he was dedicated to the Lord at church and had his first Halloween and Thanksgiving. He continues to be such an easy baby! He's generally happy and so easy to put down to sleep! When he's ready for bed - he's ready and willing. It's fun to watch how he's starting to play with toys more and be interested in things around him more and more. No teeth yet.. but I keep thinking we're working on some.