7 months

Blake turned 7 months old a week ago! I am so behind! It always seems like there is so much on my to do list. Baseball season is starting and soon our Saturdays will be filled with little league games - I am excited! Here are some pictures of our littlest man of the house. His top two teeth have now come through and he is ~almost~ sitting up on his own - he still tumbles over quite a bit, lol. He is drinking his juice from a big boy sippy cup and doing surprisingly well with that. He has that pincer grasp down and can pick up soft foods - he loves to eat! He is also started to scoot on his belly and I think he may be crawling before too long. Watch out!

A Day at the Park

After battling the FLU, yes the FLU, all week long it was time to get out of the house and enjoy a windy day at the park. Clayton started in with a high fever and sore throat last Saturday and when I took him to the immediate care center they did a swab and diagnosed him with the flu. The fever continued to ripple down through each child, including Blake, and we have went through bottles of Tylenol and Motrin to keep the fevers under control. My kids RARELY have fevers and when their temperature was high they would feel pretty wiped out. Other than the fever, brief periods of having a sore throat, and a nagging cough that seems to be lingering for Grant, it hasn't been too horrible of an experience, given that it is the flu. Thankfully, their symptoms seem to be mild and short lived. It has just been prolonged as it has passed from kid to kid. So yesterday was a much needed time of play and fresh air as we ventured into town to grab some lunch and play at the park. Of course, no day at the park would be complete without buying some loaves of bread to feed to the ducks and geese, who seemed extremely eager to see us coming. So eager that it made Mommy and the kids a little nervous so we fed them from on top of the picnic table, lol. It was a perfect overcast day for pictures so I took LOTS! Enjoy! :-)

How a 2 year old dresses to go outside on a windy March day

We just can't be seen without our fabulous Power Ranger pajamas on and who could live without a trusty pair of Thomas the Train snow boots?

6 months

I can't believe that Blake has been in our lives for half of a year!

I am just now feeling like I am somewhat functioning normally again - it always takes me so long to adjust to another new baby being in the house. Thankfully, Blake is getting easier with each passing week, and he is starting to get more comfortable with the idea of letting others hold him and comfort him. He has been refusing to take Mommy's milk from a bottle the few times that we have tried over the last few months, but this week I introduced him to a different bottle with a new liquid (fruit juice) and he has started to take it! This is a sigh of welcomed relief for me so that I don't have to worry so much during those infrequent times that I am away from him.
Blake's two bottom teeth popped through a week ago and he has been our earliest teether, beating Evan by just a week! Looks like he's already being competitive and trying to keep up with his brothers, lol. ;-) Blake can sit up with assistance and has just discovered that he has feet! It sure is hard to reach your feet through all of that insulation, lol. ;-) He is one of my bigger babies, but the verdict is not in on where he falls at 6 months since he has not been weighed officially at the doctor's office yet. But he looks to be at least 18lbs on our home scales. Blake has really taken to his Daddy in recent weeks. He can't get enough of his Daddy's attention and kicks his legs with excitement when he sees him. He ADORES his brothers and we have found that when he gets to watch them play in their playroom, it occupies him quite well. Built-in babysitting! LOL

I am anxiously anticipating what's in store for the next half of this phenomenal first year of life! I really enjoy this time of watching them grow and learn so many new things and the bond that is created during this precious stage. Children are such a wonderful blessing!

1st food!

Well, it was finally time. Time for little Blake to take his first "official" bites of food! (Even though I heard between his Daddy, Grandma, and Aunt Sherrie that he's already had his first tastes of ice cream). I purchased a variety of starter foods this week in anticipation of his 6 month birthday and tonight I let him have some rice cereal with applesauce. I have to admit, it's not as exciting as it was 4 kids ago, but nonetheless it is still a big milestone that deserves to be celebrated and gushed over. The whole family watched as Blake attempted his first bites. Daddy snapped pictures while the older brothers giggled as Blake grimaced and squinted. His facial expressions looked like he was eating a lemon! Poor kid! But he seemed to enjoy it anyway and I'm sure he will follow in his brothers footsteps and help our grocery bill continue to increase at a rapid rate. ;-) Here are the pictures. :-)

5 months

Blake turned 5 months a couple of weeks ago and I am behind in sharing his chubby little face with you! He is the typical baby boy in this family with his blue eyes and peach fuzz blonde hair. He is becoming more active all the time and really taking to playing with his baby toys. We are pretty sure we feel a tooth trying to come through on the bottom, which is fairly early for one of our kids. He still seems to be battling the ear infections and I am considering looking into him having PE tubes. Grant had them at 20 months and the ear infections (and antibiotics) stopped after that so I would definitely do it again.

Moving Back In

After a major ice storm knocked our power out for 10 days we moved back into our own home this past Saturday!! We stayed with Andy's sister and her family for the majority of that time and we were so thankful for their hospitality! But it sure does feel good to be back in your own bed. I wanted to share a few pictures of the ice covered trees.

The woods next to our house









The roadway (taken from inside our van)