Isaac [11 months]

Isaac, you are eleven months and going strong! 

I cannot even believe in a month you will be turning a year old!!

You have many faces and reactions. You've been clapping and giving the cheesiest smile when you get happy about something. You also have been trying to form your own version of talking, "ttta-ttta" that pretty much is the sound for all things. You seem to recognize mama and daddy's name, but haven't yet attempted to say them!

This picture was taken following your first bloody nose..you pulled down the bar stool on you! Thankfully, it didn't hurt you worse. You had just finished your baby food, and gave such a proper little pose for me to take your picture. 

The weather has been beautiful, and you enjoy being outdoors! You like to be on the move. You can crawl super fast (especially if you know we are coming to shut doors that we don't want you to get into). You are getting more comfortable by the day with walking alongside of things, or with a couple fingers. You even took a couple steps on your own just yesterday! Oh my dear boy, you really can slow down!!!!

 Christian had a music program at school, and you were just a squishy little ball of happiness. You seem to be teething for QUITE some time on these next series of teeth! Your hands are frequently in your mouth and you chew chew chew on everything! You love Mama and Daddy...but you also have a special connection for your Papa (and others too)!

I just love your laugh and big ol' smiles. You give out these smiles and get excited, followed by a squirmy session. You try to dig your toes into our bellies and climb up. I'm not sure if you think you are part monkey, but it really is hard to hold you when you do this! You are also a very gifted "growler"...like our very own baby bear cub. So all kind of animal similarities!

You love your brothers, and they love you. You are grabby, and relentless when it comes to getting ahold of their things. And..so...it...begins! They are learning that although you are still a "baby"..you are quick, and they have to be on their toes and sometimes they even give you a "buuuuuddddy!!" As demonstrated here, you will get into a sassy mood, and get ahold of Noah's glasses, snapping them back or just swatting like a grizzly bear and not letting go! But all is well, and Noah quickly forgives you with his, "no-no buddy, no-no baaaabby!" You guys..I think you will look ALOT alike!!

 Oh, my little ham, you are just the sweetest little boy. I certainly love you to pieces. You require eyes on you all the time...and if not, well you get into things!

Such as this! You took out all those stickers and proudly dispersed them. Fortunately, I have just the best assistants that inform me of when you are getting into things! So no longer do the drawers have things in them. The next day, Jonah came to get some stickers and exclaimed, "Oh no!!! Someone took all the stickers! What happened to them!??!"

Oh my baby, I just want to treasure these moments. Every bit. Just look at you sleep so sweetly. I can't say you know how to do this through the night yet, but it will come..someday. You love to snuggle on soft blankeys, not one in particular. You love to be nursed, rocked, sang to, bounced (sometimes), and although you don't require all of these to do in order to go to sleep, I don't mind doing any one of them...as all to quickly you will be no longer so little.

So eleven months...

We celebrated your 1st Thanksgiving this past month, and are preparing for Christmas soon!

I don't know exactly how much you weigh, but you are still healthy and growing! Although, its seems as though your weight is getting distributed differently, as you are on the move even more. I wouldn't say you are getting thin...but it just seems different.

You had to get antibiotics for the first time, for an ear infection...its been reddened for several weeks, but then when the fever came back and you were really just not you, it had been long enough and the doctor thought you probably needed the extra boost. I'm grateful you are now better!

You got your first pair of "real" shoes, walking ones, and you look so big and grown up in them! You have big paws, both feet and hands. I got you a 5.5 wide, you have a significant instep (and they are a little on the big side)...that's a whole 2 sizes larger than Noah's were when I got his first pair!

You like to feed yourself..the finger food type foods anyway! Cheerios, puffs, yogurt melts. You like those! You haven't been too picky about foods, not a big fan of green beans..but baby food green beans aren't exactly the best sounding anyway!

Mama Hershey's moments

So, I hope its no mystery that I love my boys. I truly and surely do. I also don't think its a mystery that somedays it takes a lot of work and requires a heap of patience.
I jot this down, not for any form of sympathy, but more for the fact that I want to remember these moments...as people will often remind me, "these days go by so fast!" (I'm here to tell you Nov 29, 2017 did not feel like a very fast day.)

I had been up several times in the night with Isaac, he has an ear infection and Jonah has pneumonia..so that sets the tone as far as that goes. Prior to Ben leaving for work in the morning, Jonah was awake and he put a show on for him in the basement (a rare treat for me and him...so I could get a little more sleep while Isaac was still sleeping). It worked, I came down to both Jonah and Noah watching a show, there was also an atrocious smell coming from Jonah's diaper. He has been notorious for INSISTING we not change his filthy diapers, and when I say filthy I mean disgusting in every way you can imagine. I had brought Noah's clothes down as he needed to go to preschool, and be there in approximately 25 minutes. He shockingly got dressed without any qualms, and then asked to eat breakfast. Mind you, the second I came down with a new diaper and clothes for Jonah the very loud, frantic crying was cued that he NOT be changed both out of his jammies and/or get a new diaper. So I went upstairs, to let him be for a moment, and get myself somewhat appropriately dressed/ready to leave the house to take Noah to school. While I was going to the bathroom, I heard Isaac wake up, but it wasn't just that he 'woke up'. He was crying...and it was a hurt cry. It is very unusual for him to wake up crying in general, let alone a hurt cry. So I hurry in there, and yes indeed he is hurt, as he is stuck in the crib rail with his leg. His poor leg is so jammed in there, it doesn't back out easily whatsoever. I have to finagle it back and forth, and it comes free, but not without many sad tears from him (and man, I wanted to cry for him!). Meanwhile, Mr. Frantic Poopy Pants comes in Isaac's room still crying about the fact that I had started unbuttoning his pajamas, and he really wanted them buttoned back up. I am trying to console Isaac, and change his also poopy diaper. And I can also hear Noah in the background saying, "I'm hungry, I'm ready for breakfast." Isaac's dressed, and still unhappy and hungry, so I nurse him while I go on to do these other things...Jonah is still beside himself...and I really need to get Noah some food. I ask what he wants....we are all out of the cereal he normally likes..so he asks for toast....oh, yep, just used the last of the bread on Christian's sandwich for school. He asks for a banana, um...yep, all out of those too! So I ask if he wants a granola bar and a yogurt, which he replied "thhhhaat's not breakfast food" (somewhat sassy, but serious all in one). I decided Jonah's crying was really needing to be addressed whether he liked having a clean diaper or not, so I opened a granola bar and placed it in front of Noah and finished feeding Isaac. Quickly went put my contacts in while saying an outloud sing-song prayer (because I've heard that helps get to Jesus faster...not really, it just helps me not feel like I'm shouting), above Jonah's noise "JESUS, I'M ALL OUT OF PATIENCE, I NEED YOU TO GIVE ME MORE!" (Which maybe it sounds like I'm above it all at this point...but the thought, I gave you these children, you are a mama...you have them! came to my head....and honestly, I won't say my mood just eased, but it was the reminder in that very moment that I needed.) So I went onto tackle the 3 year old grizzly bear/bull.. got his diaper off, and as he continued to lay there with no pants/diaper on crying and kicking about his terrible situation...Noah is asking for more food, so I open up a yogurt (that I KNOW he has liked in the past), and place it in front of him..and he refuses to eat it. It is now the normal time in which we are loaded in the car and leaving for preschool. Isaac is still wanting to be held, and Noah says in all seriousness, "I'll just take some shrimp, do you have some of that shrimp that you make?" "WHAT? Shrimp for breakfast, that is breakfast food??" "Yeah, I like it, I'll just eat that." Well, I didn't have any shrimp on hand, let alone prepared for breakfast, so he said, "ffiiiiiinnnnee, I guess I'll eat some Cheerios." Poor guy, settled for Cheerios. I give it to him, and then look at the STILL crying Jonah and tell him, we are actually going to leave to take Noah to preschool..and he is not allowed to come without clothes on. He then goes into the mode where he thinks I'm going to leave him, which I never would...and then instantly agrees to get dressed. I get him dressed, the crying has stopped, and he gets up and says, "Sorry for yelling at you Mommy." We FINAAAALLY get everyone in the car, and Jonah insists on taking his crayons and paper he had gotten out, so I go back in the house for that. Pull out of the garage, and of course the gas light is on. It is 9:28, we usually arrive about 5 minutes ago, not leave our house then. When we pull up to the preschool, I had told Noah to get his hat on, and then when we stop I'd help him with his coat. So I get out, open the door, and look back to get Noah out and his eyes are shut..there is not a hat on his head and he is faking 'sleep'. I said, "Noah, what are you doing? Come on, we are late. Get out of the van." He doesn't move, he just gives a little smile...and then says, "I know. I don't want to go to preschool, I'm pretending to sleep." I had to laugh. I mean, really....it was just funny. Before he gets out of the van, I unload the 2 pounds of burgers that are in his nose, and the 1/2 pound of eye crust that is matted to his extremely long eye lashes. And at 9:38 we walk into preschool....and our morning is underway.
I have deemed myself worthy of stopping for the 'too-expensive-but-oh-so-delicious' coffee at the coffee shop, a medium sized one no less! I filled up the tank with gas, and then return home for the day to move forward.
It was not all up hill from there, it actually hit a whole new level of low again around 5 pm, and again at midnight...but you know, I was reminded several more times that even on these rough days, I have these little people that I GET to be a mama to. And even when I "literally feel grey hairs popping through my head" (as Ben said), it is a privilege to have four healthy little boys that make us work and lose a bit of sanity for. Because the alternative, well I just couldn't bear that thought. And there are PLENTY of situations out there far worse, I can't even handle reading about their reality, let alone living it.
So give me my crazy, give me the noise, give me the poop, the burgers, the absurd breakfast requests, the fits,....but give me Jesus, and please give me the expensive coffee too.

November Moments

There was plenty of building, playing, creating, and preparing this month...

with a side of sickness and getting better!

Noah and his Lego robot.

Legos are a sure hit around here!

Oh Noah...he doesn't have the best attitude regarding going to preschool (he's a homebody, that "already knows a lot"). He has good things to say after its over and I pick him up. This was during "monster" week, and he made this creation. He was very extra sassy with his super nice smile here to show me his project!

Ben's business has been going well..the business cards came in the mail this month..so its official! 

He's been doing a variety of projects; painting (both interior and exterior), a deck remodel, window/door replacements, an assortment of home repairs, etc.

He also got a trailer to use. The boys were helping get it set up and put together the saw he got as a birthday present.

 Sweet Jonah...and busy Jonah (chasing Cleo, Mom and Dad's dog).

 It's that time of year, where all the catalogs get circled...with a C, N, or when Jonah get ahold of it everything is circled. Noah especially just loves to look through the catalogs, over and over, its pretty stinking cute.

We've had nice weather. Isaac gets put in his little cage here, while we worked at bagging up the leaves with the mower. I ran the mower, and Ben would most the time meet me at the compost pile to unload my haul.

And while we were picking up leaves, these three were picking up the hedge apples. 

They collected them in a wagon, then Ben and Christian had batting practice with them. :)

Game night.. popcorn and Sorry!

 Getting in the Christmas mood..we set up our tree and lights outside. It doesn't feel like Christmas with the mild weather...but we'll make it look like Christmas anyway!

We helped put up lights at Mom and Dad's, and I honestly had to ask for a pair of short and a t shirt as it was so warm I was sweating. Craziness. Some years, we have to take a coffee break just to warm our fingers up, certainly not the case this year.

 My sleeping babies. Ben does a good job of getting them to sleep, and also does a good job of putting himself to sleep.

Noah, the corn ball wearing the mini hat ornament we made one night as a fun craft to put on the tree.

Poor Jonah has had a cough for several weeks. I thought it went away, and it did..but then it came back, and he was just not himself. He ended up with a fever, and REALLY not himself, so I took him in and he had pneumonia. Poor buddy. 

Isaac trying out his new blankie...he's so funny about soft textures. Just nuzzles on into them :)

He's getting in the Christmas spirit..complete with festive diapers!

And this little surprise was waiting for me in the bathroom...I'm guessing it was Christian. Oh, the things you might find, you just never know. Each one of them holds their own level of unpredictability...and that is part of what keeps things interesting around here!

  December, ready or not, we're coming for you!

Thanksgiving 2017

Thankful..oh so thankful.

Thankful for family, both our immediate and extended families. Thankful for our home, jobs, health, food, clothes, clean water, WARM water, safety, beautiful weather, music, freedom, our faith in Jesus and so much more.

These four...ooooh, they know how to make a mama heart full.

We went to Inman, to Ben's aunt/uncle's house for the main Thanksgiving meal early afternoon. Mid-late afternoon we went to Mitch's house, where the rest of my family had eaten at noon. We played games, and went to his neighbors yard to see their horse/cows. It was a unusually WARM day, mid 70's at least. It was a full day, but blessed to have people we love to share days like this with.

Christian's School Program

The school program was earlier in the season this year. 

Our handsome 2nd grader, after the program (we went to Grandpa and Grandma's for dessert).

And sometimes the photos we get are just the way they are...

cue weird looks and incooperative participants.

Isaac [10 months]

Sweet Isaac, time is being so cruel to me. 

You are 10 months old, and just as active and getting to be so toddler-ish by the day!

This past month, you visited a couple pumpkin patches, celebrated 2 of your brothers birthdays, and participated in your first halloween outing. You are an easy going sort of fella still, and you are adored by all of us.

You are growing quite, wearing 18-24 month clothes, and I discovered your feet are also bigger than any of your brothers were at this age. You are quite mobile, your crawling rate can be very quick, and you pull yourself up to things with ease. You are starting to stand for brief moments by yourself, but haven't officially taken any steps on your own. 

You are always watching those brothers of yours. I have no doubt your ears/eyes work very well. You are quick to turn your head at any noise, and make the "aaaa" or "ttttt-a" sounds to mimic whatever you are hearing. Those brothers can get the quickest smiles out of you, however, you hand them out pretty easily if someone just talks to you!

You wake up around 8, happy and ready to see what the day brings. You take a morning nap around 10:30 for at least an hour. You are up and playing, and then take an afternoon nap for 1-2 hours. Usually, you go to bed around 8-8:30...and no, you do not sleep through the night yet (you could work on that!). You wake up on average 2 times, frequently 3 times during the night. 

You are into SO much. You chew on most anything and everything, stick things in your mouth that definitely don't belong (leaves!), and play with things that are not toys (cords, magazines, remotes). You are like a puppy dog. You even have paws (your hands are just as chubby as can be).

You were the cutest little pumpkin around. 

 You and Jonah spend the most time together probably..since the other 2 brothers go to school at least part of the day most days. Jonah checks in on you frequently, and gives me play by plays as to what you are getting into. "Oh no, Isaac is getting into my room." "Oh no, Isaac is under the table." "Oh no, Isaac is chewing on this book." You will flap your arms/hands quickly, as you get very excited...you will also do this on all three of your brothers heads. You also have found out that yanking Noah's glasses away from his face is a really fun trick (not so fun for Noah, but he tolerates it amazingly well). 

You were put in this box while Daddy, Christian and Noah were putting together some tools in Daddy's new trailer. Jonah wanted to join you, so the two of you had a fantastic time watching the action in here. You were telling me all about something, as you have your 'talking-face' demonstrated here. 

There it is. Your smile. It is hard to get it on camera sometimes...as soon as I get my phone/camera out to take a picture, your face changes because you're so busy looking at the device I have! You still have 7 teeth, and I feel as though it is quite the teething process to get those molars in. You've had a cough/snotty nose for awhile now, so I actually took you to the doctor today but it all checkout out okay. 

Things you love:

Music..you will make a sing-song like tune when music is playing, and often try and sway your body to the music. You especially like walking into the sanctuary at church, knowing full well that music is about to be played. 

Your family.. you seem to be quite fond of each one of us, and the feelings are mutual. 

Your bed and mama/daddy's bed...you nuzzle into your blankies and love when I put you on our bed prior to your bedtime, you get so so playful.

Your bath...Daddy primarily gives you baths now as you sit in the seat, and most often take a bath with Jonah. 

Lights...most any kind of toy with lights is sure to make you smile.

To be rocked...you will often fall asleep for me while I feed you and rock. But if you've been fed, or if Daddy is putting you to sleep you like to be rocked and bounced. You guys have your way, and you and I have ours :)

Love you to the moon, little boy!