Jonah [3 years]

You are THREE years old...and full of personality.

You have spunk and sass. You are are 80% daring and free of all fear, 20% incredibly shy and bashful when it involves people you don't know or even people you DO know, but you are just not wanting to be around (there is rarely a middle ground). You have a VERY intense determination to both DO things and REFUSE things. You are hilarious, both with the things you may say and the way your face "says" things. You have the sweetest side, where you randomly give hugs and kisses to mama and daddy and almost always show sincere compassion to Isaac. You keep us on our toes to say the least. You test our patience DAILY. And yet, our lives are forever better because you are our little boy! We love you dearly Jonah Timothy!!

 Typical statements/questions you ask:

 "Where are my brothers?" or "Where is Isaac?"

"What are we going to do today?" or when I tell you its time to get dressed, "Where are we going?"

When I come out with my work scrubs on, "You going to work today?? Ok, Mommy bye! I will be good! I wuve you!"

When its lunch time, "Can I watch a show?" (your favorites are Paw Patrol, WonderPets, Shawn the Sheep, Daniel Tiger) and you almost always have an opinion as to which show you feel like watching. And then there's the show "Timmy Time" (which is a spin off of Shawn the Sheep), but you honestly think it's "Titty Time" and you get VERY adamant about watching it, meaning you yellllll...."I wanna watch TITTY TIME!" Oooh Jonah. 

"I will take a long nap. I always take a long nap." (this is a false statement, I'm not sure who you are trying to convince of this you or me.)

If you are served something that is hot: "It is warm?" (Which is a distinct difference between hot/warm. Warm means its a-ok for you to eat/drink, but if we use the actual word hot, it is a hard no way!)

For bed you drink "leche" (and you will not call it milk) and you say "warm it up a wittle bit, just a wittle bit warm, not hot ok?"

Your 'I love you's' are so precious. Especially at bedtime, "Wuv you Mommy. Wuv you Daddy." And you follow it be asking, "You going to sweep (sleep) now too?" Its very important you know that there is no fun time happening while you have to sleep...just a mild case of FOMO (fear of missing out).

You know the entire book of Pete the Cat and his White Shoes...and you say the part following 'Did Pete cry?' sooooooo fast, "Goodness-no-he-kept-walkin-along-and-singing-his-song." And the last part of the book when it says, "Cause its alll good. Rock n' Roll baby (said super sassy)" it is so funny!

Names you are referred to: Jonah, Buddy (Christian rarely calls you anything but this), Jo-Jo, and Noah (this is not on purpose...but many people will mix you and Noah up!)

 

 We sometimes joke you don't know how to walk, you only run. You are one the go a lot, especially when we're outside. You can ride your bike CRAZY fast, its actually kind of impressive. You'll stand up on the frame of the bike and ride while standing like that. It's nuts. You will also jump from chair to chair in the house, it doesn't always happen without some pain involved, but it doesn't stop you from doing it the next time.

Your determination isn't always used in the most positive ways. You are determined NOT to be potty trained. It is certainly not an issue of knowing where and when you need to go to the bathroom. You have had that figured out for MONTHS. It is merely the sheer control that you feel you must have. I have tried all that I know, and have come to the conclusion that one day (hopefully a day in the very near future) you will decide that going in your pants is really not as fun as you think it is. You also use your strong opinions in random ways...and over the summer especially it was ONLY Daddy that could talk things through with you. Aye yi yi. You are not quiet about it either.

You are on a every 3-4 day nap schedule. It hasn't been eliminated completely, but its just not worth the struggle of getting up, laying back down, getting up. If it doesn't happen by 2:00, its just not going to...and often you will go to bed much smoother if you haven't had a nap (barring it isn't that fragile difference between tired and exhausted!). You sleep with your blue blankey (I tried to buy a secondary backup for your birthday, but it was only exciting to try for one night). 

You love to be read to, you like to color, you just started showing interest in puzzles, you like to build with Duplo legos, and you are SO funny when you play by yourself talking to the toy animals. I'm glad you enjoy to do activities, and you REALLY like to help me in the kitchen. If I am making something, you almost always will say, "Can I help?" and you get the step stool out to help dump ingredients in and do the mixing.

Your thoughts and reasoning are becoming the next level of complexity. It is fascinating to see that happen. If you overhear someone say, "ouch, or 'oh no'" or react in someway, you will stop what you are doing, and come check it out and ask "What's ouch? Can I kiss it?" or "What's oh-no? What happen'd?" And you almost greet Christian eagerly when he gets home from school with "Hi Christian! How was your day today?" You do the same for Noah when we pick him up from preschool...it is so cute. You will also remember if someone has had an injury/surgery. You will ask for days/weeks/months about the ailment, again it is said so genuinely and so so sweet. You have recently developed a liking to Cleo (Grandpa and Grandma's dog)...up until now, you actual disliked her, and would avoid interacting with her.

You are very playful, and enjoy being chase or tickled or wrestled with. You also get such a sweet/funny face when Mommy is super silly, and you'll say, "mooooommmmy, you are sooo SILLY!" You've even said, "Mommmmmy, stop, that's embarrassing." (thanks to your oldest brother I'm sure!!)

All of this and so much more.
Jonah we love you dearly, and I hope THREE treats you amazing!

Celebrating Jonah [ 3 ]

Jonah loves the WonderPets (a cute little cartoon with a hamster, turtle and duck who "save" animals usually!) So we had a WonderPets themed 3rd birthday party for him!!

We had pizza for supper and a brownie-cake for dessert.

We had some special guests join us. My cousin, Donna and her family (including 3 more boys...Ava, sorry but you were really outnumbered this time!) were here, so they joined us for the evening/party!

The sleepiness was setting in at this point. But he hung on...and opened up presents after dessert.

He got some awesome Paw Patrol things, a helmet, and a brand new BIKE! He is something else on that bike of his, so getting used to pedals might take a little practice, but he should have the balancing part down really well!! And he loved the helmet, he didn't want to take it off.

He didn't quite make it until all the party-goers were ready to leave...he was a tired little guy, and that is not something that happens just everyday. But, he asked if he could go to bed, so he went! 

We had fun celebrating you Jo-Jo...it seems like you were just our baby not so long ago!

Isaac [9 months]

Isaac my dear, you are 9 months old and growing well!

You are weighing in at 23.8# (92%) and 29 1/4" (80%) and a healthy little guy. We met your new doctor this month, and she checked you over. You're wearing mostly 18 months+ which means ALL those hand me down 12-18 month winter cloths are just going to be simply not used on you! What are you going to do...I love all of you little man. 

You are seriously so happy. It does not take much to make you smile so big! And you show off all 7 of your teeth when you do. Then when you add in your rapid flapping hands and feet because you're so excited, its just the cutest thing.

You are very good at getting into things, very! And although I feel we have provided you with a pretty good selection of baby toys, you actually are more interested in the paper variety of little bits you can chew off of books/magazines/envelopes, etc. You are also very good at finding the crumbs any of your brothers drop for you.

SO BIG!

You enjoy baby food, and as long as it doesn't have actual chunks of food in it, you will eat it. So although you have plenty of teeth, the texture is not a go for you. You will eat Cheerios and the baby puffs, but not table food.

You joined the big boy bath crew. You have your own seat that works out so nice, and they think its great having you in on the splashing fun!

You also, legit, pooped on the toilet just a week before turning 9 months. I could tell you were going to go (its not too big of a mystery with the noises), and so I somewhat jokingly sat you on the potty. But then you went!! And you've done it SEVERAL times since. I thought it would be great motivation for your almost 3 year old brother, but instead he just said, "OH, good job BUDDY!"

You love the swing, and being outside. And being outside in these cooler temperatures with fall colors is simply wonderful.

On the go..yet oh so chill. You can do it all. You master the stairs going up like a champ, I follow you, and you haven't considered coming back down yet. And you can be the most snuggliest baby, just loads to love. 

Your brothers call you; Sweet Isaac, Sweet Baby, "Mama-Baby" (per Noah, and I have no idea why), Smiley Baby.

Noah's Narratives [4--almost 5 years old]

This past week Noah has had several conversations that have just struck me so funny...that I wanted to be sure to write them down.

Lifesaver

The other night, I took Jonah and Noah with me per their request to the grocery store...which ended up being Carters, Orshlens, Walmart, and then Dillons. They were having a good time, and we took our time (helllooo Lego aisle at Walmart). Anyway, when we got to Dillons, I put them in the cart and Noah told Jonah something about getting a lifesaver. I didn't pay much attention to what he was saying. And then after the first aisle we went down, he asked me something about getting "those lifesavers". I honestly didn't know what he was talking about. I turned to go to the produce area, and then he lite up and said, "ahhh, this is where those lifesavers are." And that's when it hit me; SEVERAL weeks ago, I had taken him with me to the grocery store, and ran into someone I knew after we had stopped at the free produce for small children display. I love this about Dillons, they let you give your child a banana, cutie, or apple, which makes shopping WAY more enjoyable for everyone...."a lifesaver" I had told the woman I was talking to. I never thought about Noah listening to what I was saying, nor would I have EVER imagined he would refer to these free produce items as only "livesavers"! So after I realized that was what he was referring to. I went to the display, and Noah gives his excited sigh, and asks Jonah, "Which lifesaver do you want? A banana or cutie?" And as he had remembered from the last time the cutie we had gotten had a bad spot, so he said, "I'll take a banana because we know that the cuties are bad." The child has a mind like a steel trap!!! YIKES!

Misleading Wedgie

When he was getting ready for bed, I asked him to go to the bathroom. So he goes to the bathroom, then comes back in the bedroom and looks at me. "What?" "I think I need to go poop." "Ok, then go." He takes a couple steps, and then turns around and looks at me. "Go poop, Noah." "Well, I don't need to. It was just my underwear in my crack. It made me feel like I had to go poop, but I really don't need to." If I could somehow input the way in which he said this, so matter-of-fact, yet with a slight smile...it was hilarious.

Dangerous Sneeze

In the morning, I was getting everyone dressed in the same room. I was trying to get a diaper on Jonah. Noah starts a conversations all about diapers. "Jonah you wear a diaper because you don't go poop or pee on the potty. Isaac you are just a baby so you wear diapers. And I do not wear diapers, I wear underwear. Wellll...at night I wear pull-ups, which are a type of diapers. And I also wear pull-ups when I sneeze poop and have diarrhea. That is definitely when I need to wear pull-ups. But most of the time I just wear underwear, because I am big." (I could not refrain from laughing, it was so funny.)

The Girl

We went to see Grandpa in the hospital with his knee replacement. The nurses were very intrigued with the face that "all four boys were mine". So, as we stepped out to go to the bathroom, one of the nurses asked me if "I wanted a girl" and then went a step further to say, "Well don't you want to try for a girl.". This is definitely not the first person to say this. So I responded with something that satisfies this type of comment. "I think we're just fine with the four boys we have, they are pretty special." But as we are walking away Noah says to me, "Well, we ARE going to have a girl...but just not for a long time from now." Bahahahahaha.

Isaac [8 months]

** 8 months old little man **

Jonah and Noah now refer to you mostly as "happy baby", said in the most 'happy' sounding voice they can use, and its not just a one time saying it, its on repeat. "Hey there happy baby, you is a happy baby, how are you happy baby, oooohhh happy baby" and on and on. BUT, you love it! And you ARE very happy most of the time!!! So, HAPPY BABY it is :)

You are VERY mobile. You crawl, pull yourself up, and get yourself placed in quite the predicaments. So, if I'm not able to keep my eyes on you at ALL times, I will put you in the swing for a ride. You still like the swing, and even fall asleep in it. The boys love to make sure you have a tune playing and they'll talk to you. You love music, you will sing loud during church and you will start singing your 'sing-song' noise when I rock you to sleep while singing. Its the sweetest!

You are part of this craziness. Your brothers take turns including you in our activities. In this picture, Jonah is pushing you in the stroller while Christian and Daddy sing London Bridges Falling Down. You love to interact with them, they certainly bring out the big smiles. But, you really do have a lot of smiles to share...even for strangers. You just have to look them over real good, keep a straight face with your cheeks not even budging a glimpse of a smile...and then you'll break loose and go all in, maybe even tilting your head against me to show that your bashful too.

You have 5 teeth as of exactly 8 months old! And you can gnaw on things like crazy!!! You eat baby food very well, nothing too solid yet...the few times we've tried (sometimes Cheerios or puffs), you don't utilize those teeth to their full potential.

You are on-the-go. The crib has since been lowered ALL the way, the baby gate to the stairs is on a MUST SHUT ALWAYS status, and pretty much all doors need to be closed. You have also learned how to open and shut the drawers to the hutch cabinet, which you haven't quite caught on that it doesn't feel good. And that stack of JUST folded cloths, you promptly learned how to pull yourself up for the first time, and flung the clothes to the floor.

I'm not going to lie, Mr. Isaac, I'm not really okay with you thinking you need to be so advanced. I mean, you are JUST now 8 months old, I don't need you to be learning how to walk!!! You are my baby, and you can be a baby a little longer please :) All the teeth so fast was one thing, but this activity business is taking it to a whole new level!

Its the cutest thing when you discover yourself in the mirror. It just doesn't get old for you...you love to smile at yourself and then often you'll lean in for a big wet kiss! So funny.

You tried out corn-on-the-cob nearly a month ago. You didn't get any real kernels, but you liked chewing on it all the same. The only times you really get mad/sad are when you are hungry and not getting fed fast enough, or tired and not able to lay down. You reach for people you know, and you will crawl up to my legs if you are on the floor and want to be held. You weigh 22#, so you are solid, but you are also quite long! You are wearing mostly 18 month size cloths, and even some of those the torso isn't long enough. 

You love to swing, and your brothers love to push you. The one day, Christian and Noah were outside with you as I quick took a shower. Noah came running in as I was getting out to tell me something that Christian did. I came out and Christian said, "I put him to sleep for you!" And sure enough, you were slouched down, FAST asleep! I was glad they didn't try and get you out to lay you down!!

You met your second cousin, Isaac.

Oh sweet Isaac, there is so much to love about you. You know how to warm our hearts and make us smile! You are such a blessing and I am so glad you are in our family.