Happy Birthday, Caleb! 7 Years

Wow!  I feel like my boy is leaving behind little boy territory and entering the big boy zone!

Caleb has had a great year!  He is now reading independently!  YES!  Age-level appropriate, of course, but he's doing it!  When I went home for my baby shower in November, I talked with a dear old friend of mine (and parent to three of my former students), and she recommended a book that helped her children learn how to read (and all three of her children are BRILLIANT).  She didn't merely recommend the book to me, and leave it at that, however.  She hunted the book down on E-Bay and ordered me a copy and had it sent to my house!  What a dear!  (Thanks, Carolyn!)

Caleb had been reading, but not great.  This book changed all that.  He is now a wonderful reader, and for that we are so thankful and relieved!

He also loves to add and subtract!  And let's not talk about how much he knows his 50 states!  He puts me to shame compared to how much I knew at the same age!

I am now able to rely on him a bit myself.  When I am stationed on the couch nursing (can't get up), I am often having him fetch something for me.  I also ask him to keep an eye on Anna if I'm running down to grab the laundry or whatever.  It is so great having his help!

I love this little guy!  We pray God's blessing on him and that he grows and thrives this next year!

Here is our big cowboy, wearing his new hat and bandanna that he got for his birthday!  (And new watch, too!) 

And here are the Paleo cupcakes I made for him!  The Dollar Tree had no more #7 candles, and since we are trying not to visit all kinds of stores during Quarantine, I had to just put out 7 candles.  The cupcakes turned out GREAT!  First time making this recipe!  Paleo means no grains and no dairy nor refined sugars!  Cupcakes were sweetened only with honey and organic coconut sugar!  Frosting was sweetened only with honey.  No confectioner's sugar!  Much healthier, and still 100% delicious! 

Best part was Silas was saying "Happy Birthday" when I started getting the candles in the cupcakes.  Brian and I looked at each other with dropped jaws!  We didn't even know he was aware!

Here's to another wonderful year with our boy!

Anna: 3 Months

How in the world we are three months in already with this little love of ours, I have no idea.  I keep telling her to stop growing so fast, and she simply will not listen!

She loves to coo.  She also loves to give those adorable, big, gummy smiles that babies are famous for.  Her mood seems to be best first thing in the morning.  I bring her over to the table to sit by us in her rocker on the floor, while we eat breakfast.  When I look down at her, she's already gazing up at me, seemingly hanging onto my every word, giving me an enormous smile.

The sleep honeymoon is over, and we're at that icky stage now.  She can't get herself to sleep, and she's too young for full bore cry-it-out.  So I do a combo of soothing and cry-it-out.  Sometimes my soothing doesn't work, and the bathroom will not clean itself, so I leave her be (but I check on her continually).  I am looking forward to the day when sleep takes on a by-the-clock pattern and she will go down for about the same time each day.  She's still a bit too young for that, and now she goes down after every two hours of wakefulness, or sooner.

Caleb adores his sister.  There's nothing he would not do for her.  Every morning, he goes to find which room she is in (either our room or the kitchen), so he can say hello.  He tells me how he's going to teach her to climb stairs at the park and all sorts of things.  She loves to look at him, and they get a lot of giggles from each other.

Silas is certainly aware of her, and he helps me drag her rocker to the table in the morning.  He spends each morning gazing at her as well.  I think in time, they will be great playmates, eventually.

Some of our current nicknames for her are as follows:

Girl- We say this with all the love and endearment our hearts can hold.  After having two boys, "Girl" is a nickname of high honor in this house

Princess- 'Nough said.

Doll Face- Because, honestly, she's my little dolly!

Anna Lynn- We love her first and middle name in full!

Pink Snowflake- That's Daddy's very own name for our girl born in February!

Needless to say, we adore our little cherub!