Easton is 7 months

Easton is seven months old!  EEEEEEKKKK!!!!!  So many months just flying by!    So, what is Easton doing these days?  I think I can finally say he starting to sit up a lot better.  The picture above is one of few times where I haven't placed a pillow behind him.  He doesn't always stay on his buns.  He seems to enjoy falling over and then just playing on his back for a while.  Jim and I just call him LAZY!!!  hehehehehe  I figure at this rate we won't have to worry about him crawling any time soon.   
Easton laughs and smiles VERY easily.  He is exceedingly ticklish too.  He is a squealer too.  Sometimes he just squeals for no reason.  He loves his dogs but doesn't have much patients for other dogs.  I don't think he realizes the noisy hairy thing that lives in our house is the same as the sweet quiet one next door.  We ran into the neighbors on our walk and they had their sweet Retriever with them.  Copper didn't so much as look as Easton before Easton was screaming with terror.  "Oh Easton, you can't be in this family and be afraid of animals!"
He is in LOVE with his sisters.  Helaina adores him so much.  Breleigh  loves him too and always calls him, "Mr. Man" but doesn't have the patients for him like Helaina does.  (it's an age thing I am sure)  There are a lot of smiles and giggles in our house right now.  Easton is a good baby food eater.  We haven't branched out too far with other foods.  He tends to gag on anything new and since gagging usually leads to a full fledged vomit session I have avoided trying anything new while we are out and about!  YUCK!!!!

Easton is 6 months

Easton is 6 Months!  I am cheating on this one because it is technically getting VERY close to his 7month time but I wasn't happy with the first set of pictures that I took so I allowed myself a "re do".  He also just went to the doctor for his six month appointment so I figure I am safe, right? 

He is a growing, growing boy.  He now weighs 16 pounds and is making the doctor very happy with his weight gain.  He is eating bottles like a champ and baby food also.  He is not a fan of peas.  The first time I tried them he not only gagged on them but power puked them ALL OVER so I haven't been brave enough to try them again.  I can get him to eat all other veggies if I just alternate a fruit bite with a veggie bite.  I am counting that as a win. 

We made our first solo trip to Minnesota to visit family.  It was just me and the kids and they all did great.  Easton didn't sleep for long periods of time in the car but didn't spend too much of his time crying either.  While we were in Minnesota we were very busy!  My dad was so helpful.  He took upon himself to watch after the girls so my mom and I could go shopping on three different occasions.  The girls LOVED staying with Papa too.  It was a win win situation.   While we were visiting I got to do A LOT of fun Auntie things.  On Wednesday we picked Grayson up from school and went to Dairy Queen.   My favorite part of that experience was meeting the gym teacher.  He talked to Grayson and to me and it wasn't long before he asked me if I had gotten my hair cut?   He totally thought I was Heather!  I felt bad because he was embarrassed but it was funny!  Grayson's teacher had been told that I was picking up so he wasn't fooled.  Grayson's graduation from Kindergarten was on Friday during our visit so we were all able to go back to the school and see their performance and enjoy their celebration.   It was fun to see the kids perform and Grayson knew every word and action and participated with enthusiasm.  Please don't EVER let him lose that zest and zeal he has for life!!!!  I love the smile and hugs I get when he sees me.  Especially in a situation that is different.... like picking him up from school.  That little dude can read like a whip too.  He is NOT a beginning reader either.  He READS!!!!   We were sitting in Dairy Queen and in mid thought he says  "Bring home a dozen Dilly Bars today!"  I was like, what?  He was reading the sign outside on the marquee!   He is such a good reader.
We also were able to attend my niece Paris' piano recital.  WE were hoping to go out to dinner after the performance but it didn't even start until 7:00 so we got together at Paris' house for a light dinner.  The girls were more than happy there.  Paris has a large American Girl doll collection and we had fun looking at the dolls and clothes.  Paris did a VERY nice job on her piano piece and I enjoyed that part very much.  My brother was there too and while I missed seeing the rest of his family it was nice to see him.  He loves kids so he was infatuated with Easton and indulged Helaina in her coloring.  He picked all the colors for her to use.  The opportunity to be at these events don't happen very often so I felt blessed to be a part of some of them this time. 
We were also able to attend the First Birthday Party of Maggie.  Maggie is my sister's niece.  (that would be Grant's sister's daughter)  While I am technically not related to Maggie and her parents we actually like it each other.  I was glad that I got to be there for that one too! 
All in all it was a good time.  Time went very fast and I was sorry to say good bye but swimming lessons were waiting for us here at home. 
We will all be together at my dad's family reunion in the middle of July and then the week after that our trip to the lake for some more family fun. 

On a side note.... I just filled out my portion of a physical form for both girls so they can attend school next year.  I feel so blessed that I am able to mark so many of those questions with no!  We are so lucky to have healthy children!!!!   Thanking my lucky stars for that one.

All Dressed UP

 This is one of the better ones of all three kids.  Kinda hard to get them all looking at the same time.  We weren't sure if Easton would cooperate since he had been a VERY long time without sleep but he managed to do pretty well.  It is actually Breleigh that makes pictures a challenge.  She has a serious case of "goofy face" when it comes to the camera! (oh yes- Easton is wearing a tie!) 

 I took pictures of Helaina before I took her to school for her Spring Program.  She needed to be there at her usual time but the program wasn't until later so Breleigh still had her jammies on.  (Yes it was 12:00pm)  But, when the girl asked for her picture to be taken I did it.  I am so glad that I did because I think it is really cute.

 Here she is all dressed up ready to go to the preschool for the Spring program.  I thought she looked pretty cute!

 The kids made plates and this was the display.  Doesn't it look nice?  Turns out that those plates are dishwasher safe so Helaina can use it all she wants!  Pretty nifty keepsake!  Some of the Messiah Preschool Alumni (AKA- parents of present preschoolers who also attended Messiah as youngsters) talked about how they still have their plate.  I love it! The potted plant was really cool too! 

 Here's Helaina all dressed up in her finest.  I neglected to mention that my mom purchased these dresses for the girls.  I thought Helaina looked so grown up.  She wanted to know if she looked 100?  I guess if she wants to look 100 then 37 doesn't seem old to her!  Heheheheheheh!

It was a very fun day.  The teachers Messiah did not disappoint.  I cannot believe that next week is Helaina's last week of preschool.  We are off to bigger and better things.  Kindergarten is right around the corner and Breleigh will be the new student at Messiah Lutheran Preschool and Easton will be one lonely dude for 2.5 hours Tues, WEd and Thur!  
As I was standing in the fellowship hall watching Helaina, with my phone in one hand taking a quick video for Jim since he had to work, balancing Breleigh on a chair so she could see and rocking Easton in his car seat with my foot I thought... "WOW, how lucky am I to be able to stay home and be able to make it to all these events without worries"  We are SO BLESSED!!!!!!!

Life's like a jump rope

"Jump Rope"

Remember how you used to say
"you couldn't wait till tomorrow for a brand new day"
No fuss when ya had to ride the bus
You could add a little blush
Just to paralyze your school crush

Now your older and the weight upon your shoulder
Makes the world a little colder
No more hidin in the old days
Be strong
Don't give up hope
It will get hard
Cause life's like a jump rope

Up down when it gets hard remember life's like a jump rope

There'll be a bump there will be a bruise
There'll be alarms and there will be a snooze
There'll be a path that you will get to choose
There'll be a win and there will be a lose

You have to hold your head up high and
Watch all the negative go by
Don't you ever be ashamed to cry
You go ahead
Cuz life's like a jump rope

I want to tell you that everything will be okay
That everything will eventually turn itself to gold
Keep pushin through it all
Don't follow, lead the way
Don't lose yourself or your hope

Remember life's like a jump rope

I heard this song for the first time while driving in my car with the kids.  We pretty much only listen to Kid's Place Live on the Sirius Radio these days and the tune to this song is very catchy.  The words.... they just spoke to me.  They spoke to my view on life and I felt like I really understood them.  It took me back 14 years to the day I was diagnosed with cancer and and then all the days in between where some have been up and some (not many) have been down.  

About a week or two ago I heard of another person, a young girl) who was just diagnosed with cancer.  She has lymphoma (similar but the not same as me) and she has a twin sister.  It is all so similar.  I don't know this girl well but I feel like I know her well enough to do something!   I immediately thought of this song.  Then my sister showed me these cool bracelets on pinterest made out of a jump rope!  So, put two and two together and you get the perfect daily reminder that life is like a jump jope.  Things will get hard, but don't lose hope cause life is like a jump rope.  

I am currently trying to make up several of these to put in my care package for this young girl so she might choose to wear one and maybe give a few away.  She is in my prayers and I hope she is now in your prayers as well.  

 

Easton is 5 Months

Another month has passed and just like the last ones it was a quick one!  I swear I was just writing about Easton being 4 months old.  He is growing so fast and changing every day.  As you can tell from the picture he doesn't have much in the way of hair.  With that being said... I did actually get his hair cut.  He had a very fine faux hawk on top that was probably at least three inches tall.  Our wonderful Anita gave it a quick trim that made it look a lot better.  He has stick up hair but it is much shorter now.  I am afraid that this little guy has his father's cowlicks! 
Easton is now choosing to sleep on his side most of the time.  He has only rolled completely over one time and NO ONE actually saw it happen.  He was on his back under the play mat and then he was on his belly.  He has his parent's coordination and just can't seem to figure out how to get his arm out of from underneath himself. 
He smiles so easy and even delivers easy little laughs.  His favorite things to smile at are still his sisters!  That makes my day. 
Once again I was trying to figure out how to make this month's picture special and relative to his current development.  I finally realized that he is NEVER without a bib these days because he is drooling like crazy!!!!  So... I went with a bib and hoped that his drool didn't make the marker run before I could get the picture! 
Easton has been sleeping in his bed for naps a little bit better and spending less time contentedly sleeping on my shoulder in the evening.  I am thrilled that he is figuring out napping but I do miss that sweet baby breath on my neck!
He is also enjoying himself when he visits preschool to pick up Helaina.  The preschoolers think he is pretty special and their kindness is usually rewarded with a huge Easton smile.  It is fun to see.  Helaina is so proud of her little brother.  Both girls tell EVERYONE his name even before they ask!  heheheheheheheheheheheh
Can't wait for the next set of adventures we will have with this little guy and our family of 5!

Happy Birthday Breleigh!

Happy sunshine cupcakes! Even the ice cream lid was happy!

Play ball

Let's try this again!