I was thinking back to how different this September has been than the last one. Last year at this time we were hurriedly wrapping up the Boyd Street house before baby #3 would join our family. We were bringing two kids out to the house with us to watch a movie on the laptop while we painted and did other final finish work. I was still working for NARI and trying to get everything possible done ahead of time. So...this year we are still working to complete a project in the fall, but at least I'm not climbing up and down a step stool with a big baby belly or crouching down to switch plate covers while hoping I won't break my water on the newly installed laminate floors! I've got three healthy, beautiful kids who I get to spend more quality time with, whether that is coloring a picture, going to the park, playing dinosaurs or legos or reading some books. Samara and Kalum are thriving at their respective schools so far and Wesson is learning new things every day. Jeff continues to keep up an amazing work ethic and does so well at his job and side business, while being a great daddy to the kids when he is home. We know that the coming weeks will get more full of remodeling work in order to wrap up the Memphis project this fall, so we just try to make the family time moments count whenever we can!
Samara's Moments for the Month:
- Apparently girls start thinking about their lives way earlier than necessary... At dinner Samara asked me to name off some names because she didn't know what she would want to name her kids when has them. Before I could even say that was a little preemptive, she blurted out, "Ashland! Can someone be named Ashland?!" Jeff and I confirmed that they could be. "Mom, write that down so when I have kids I can remember it!" Ok, will do girlie. ;)
- She likes kindergarten and says it's so much better than preschool (because you get three recesses). She is making new friends, boys and girls, and still loves giving things to others. She shares her reward treats for good behavior at school with the friends she sits by on the bus.
- September meant the start up of dance for Samara. She opted to stick with dance this year, so we'll see if she decides to pursue other interests or if she decides to continue on. She actually does really well, remembering dance moves, has good positioning and coordination.
- Ended up in tears after just a couple laps of school fundraiser event. I think that running was harder than she thought, her ego got hurt when people passed by her and it was Friday after a long full week of school. All together a recipe for sobbing disaster... Got her to walk a lap with her teacher then Kalum and I walked a lap with her whole another mom watched Wesson in stroller. She was so disappointed she didn't get enough laps so her class could win. After crying and ranting over everything after school into evening, she had some alone time in her tom then dinner. Early to bed tonight I think.
- By the end of the month, she was on to another name topic. She wants her name to be "Diamond" now. She says it's not because of a book they read at school about a girl who wanted to change her name...hmm. I said we chose her name and I would probably stick with Samara. Eventually this led to her saying she could just name her kids (in this order) Diamond, Treasure and Chase (the 3rd being a boy). Oh that will be interesting!
Kalum's Moments for the Month:
- First day of preschool! Slightly hesitant walking in the door, but found his cubby, mailed his name and went off to circle time toting his dinosaur show and tell! Had a great time and rattled off all the activities he did when we got in the van on way home. "They have lots of fun things for kids to do there!" He said. He forgot to tell them dinosaurs aren't alive anymore, but he will tell them next class he said.
- Our conversation one day...
- Me: "It's nice outside today! I'm going to open some windows to let some air in."
- Kalum: "but Samara's not outside."
- Me: "(laughing) "Oh I see. "samara in". I'm going to let some cool AIR in the house"
- Kalum: "oh ok."
- He tells me he had "a really fun day at preschool" each time he gets in the car. Then he recounts all the activities, coloring or painting, legos and blocks, listening to a story, singing songs, etc. He knows the words to "God is bigger than the boogie man" theme song for the year.
- First MOPS meeting of the year means MOPPETS class for Kalum (last year this did not go well most weeks). He did well this time! Only slight hesitation when we arrived at his room, but then he had a great time - watched a short movie, playground, snack, puzzles and a rainbow craft. He loves to do projects/crafts and was so proud to show it to me at pickup!
- We got to go to the Moms Night at his preschool. I never got to go to Samara's because I had work meetings for two of them and then Wesson was born the day of her last one. A simple night with a craft, snack and watching a veggie tales, but he was so cute, asking me to sit with him on the floor for the video. Quality time.
- Following the MOPS meeting, he seems to be over the crying at Sunday school drop-off as well (thankfully)! This has been a long behavior issue over the last couple years, so we are very glad that he's matured beyond it, whether it took preschool to do so or whatever!
Wesson's Milestones for the Month:
- Started off his 11th month with a tumble down our short set of stairs. He was in the living room and followed me towards the green room downstairs. I said two words to the kids and then turned to see him roll down. Poor baby (insert guilty mom face here)! Thought he might get a bruise by his eye, but ended up okay. He wanted to cuddle briefly then back to life as usual. I don't think he learned from it because he was back to standing on the top step later that evening!
- Planned a Derby cousin photo shoot when everyone would be in town. Wesson had a rough day there! Amazingly we did get one photo of all 7 kids looking pleasantly at the camera. Then he cried and screamed and crawled away - no matter what we did!
- Early in the month - 6th tooth coming in, 7th started right after that one was in.
- Sept 10th - officially packed up all the bottles! I haven't used them in a month or so, so it was time. I'm still able to nurse him in the morning, late afternoon and bedtime (and he's usually up once at night). Going to try and give a full cup of milk at bedtime to see if he'll sleep all the way through the night. It's time.
- Milestones mid-month -can "bump bump" down the stairs on his rump all by himself (still need to stay close though, sometimes he leans just a little too far forward!), babbles all the time with different sounds - what will be his first official words besides mama and dada that he does now? He can walk along anything and will go on own between things that are close. Can take about 6 steps independently and is SO proud of himself when he does. Claps his hands whenever you say, "Yay". Won't eat bread anymore for some reason. But will eat all meat-chicken, lunchmeat, tuna, etc. His hair is getting crazy long and needs another trim badly! No bald babies in our house. :)
- If Kalum does something Wesson doesn't like (i.e. taking a toy, block his path, etc), Wesson will grab onto him and bonk his head on Kalum. Or he'll scream right back if Kalum is making a loud noise about Wesson getting too close to his latest duplo creation.
- First MOPS of the year for Wesson as well - only got upset at drop-off. he cuddled with a mom for almost an hour of mops, so no nap, but got in some cuddles, sweet boy.
- Figured out covering his own eyes to play peekaboo. Also when he wants to play he'll push your face away and lean away with a huge smile like he's hiding.
- End of the month milestones - Can walk across the room now. Typically still crawls because it's faster, but getting more and more daring. Smiled hugely after some successful walking. Says "ba" for ball (as in ba ba ba when he bounces the ball on his lips repeatedly, but always ba for ball). Points at anything he finds interesting now, you an ask milk, eat or sleep and he'll sign what he wants. First animal sound is a opening and closing his mouth for a fish.
October is next up - how can that be, fall is very officially here!
Link to view September photos (click or copy/paste this link into search, then click on first image in the album and you can view with photo labels):
https://goo.gl/photos/xFTwZpvbqHkcoUje7
