My 22 Month Olds!

The past couple of months have been marked with so much growth for Gavin and Wyatt; physically, mentally, socially, and I pray spiritually.

If I have to sum up the past two months for them, I'd say letters, phonics and words are their favorite 'things right now'.  Gavin knows about 90% of all his letters/ single phonics sounds and Wyatt about 50%.  One of their new favorite shows is Word World; where they take the letter sounds and learn how to build words in a very entertaining way.  They are forever pointing out words now and trying to sound them out!  About a month ago, Gavin would sound out the letters in random orders and now they both are working to sound them out from left to right.  We do this all throughout the day and sing the song, 'We built a word, we built it, we built it' as we do 'the dance'!  Gavin sings some of the alphabet song correctly these days.  Wyatt loves our letter of the day and grows in his sound awareness from this greatly!

They are trying to talk more and more.  They are not saying sentences yet, but just this past week have started to say 2-3 word phrases.  They are both parroting a lot more words the past couple of weeks!  Even when they don't use the English word, they communicate great with us.  I can usually figure out what they are saying.  But still sometimes they rattle off 'sentences' that I have zero idea.  they try again and get sad when we can't communicate.  Each week gets better and better though :)

They enjoy counting these days as well.  Everything is counted.  Gavin this past week counted '1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 10' just as clear as could be.

They also are still really enjoying learning their shapes and colors.  Wyatt's favorite color is yellow and Gavin's is blue.  When you ask them what color something is they say their favorite color first!  I then say, 'no, what color is it really' and they then giggle and tell me the color if it is red, yellow, green or blue.  By tell, I mean they say, 'Re' for red and 'yew' for yellow.

They love to sort as well.  They are excellent at what things 'go together' and match and we continue to work on 'big vs small' and color sorting.

They still love books and use each one as a 'seek and find'.  They practice saying the words these days too.  They still love their special Bibles and treat these different than their other books.

Gavin and Wyatt love music! They love to sing and dance, play the drums, xylophone and guitar.  They love music notes and we work on high vs low, etc.  Little Einsteins is still one of their favorite shows.

They still love Mickey Mouse, cars and blocks.  They also have enjoyed the Toy Story movies.

They love to string beads and use the string as a jump rope afterwards ;)

They love to use their drills to screw in the plastic screws.  They also go around fixing everything for us!

They still love to play doctor.

Outdoors is their favorite place!  They have great imaginations.  They love baseball, basketball, swings, slides, dirt/sand, cars, running, wagons, collecting treasures to put in their wagons, etc...  They love to go for walks or play at the park for hours.

The boys are still great sleepers.  They go through phases of sleeping in until 6:30 or 7 and then back to waking up at 5:30... I think it's hard with a baby in the house and in the next room!  They nap for about 1-2.5 hours each day, but when they go down is very flexible depending on what we are doing that day.

They are great eaters expect when they are sick.  Wyatt lost over 2 lbs this past week from being sick.

The boys have become excellent at really jumping with both feet off the air.

They love their baby brother!  They love to teach him, say hi, pat him, kiss him, and now make him laugh!  They are really great with him!

The boys really love the dogs, but the dogs often get annoyed or anxious with their volume!  It is fun to watch them place chase and fetch with Noodles though.  They both call the dogs, 'New-Os'.  They help me feed the dogs most mornings.

They also love to help us take out the trash (Wyatt drags the whole bag from the kitchen/laundry room to the garage!) and throw diapers away.  They help me feed the dogs each morning too and put the dishes away when they are done.

They love to wash their own hands and working on brushing their teeth at the sink like big-boys.

Wyatt is doing excellent with the potty still during the day!! I am so proud of him and he is so happy too.  Rarely does he have a dribble accident anymore, even in public.  I still use diapers at night though for him.  He wakes up dry sometimes and other times he might be only partly wet.  I'm thinking in the next month or so he might be more consistently dry.  I'm wanting to start potty training Gavin again in the next month.  Still praying about when is the right time for him.  He shows interest in wanting to sit on the potty and not want a diaper change, but doesn't actually go when on the seat or tell me when he goes in his diaper.

The boys love time with their friends!  They love to give them hugs and high fives and hold their hands from one activity/room to another as they do with each other.  They love people and are very social.  They practice 'love' and have such great hearts.

Wyatt has such a beautiful giving thoughtful heart.  He takes such great care of Gavin; always making sure Gavin has what he has and then some.  He's always running to get his water ball, snack bowl, an extra hat to wear or toy to play with.  He is always asking about 'Brother' and wants him to be right there with him.

Gavin loves to pat our backs and give hugs.  He is always patting my back at the dinner table and leaning in for a hug.  I've noticed that they have picked up on so many of my habits like this!  I see them tuck in their toys and give them kisses before bed just as Mama and Daddy do to them!

They are still my sweet snuggle bugs.  I treasure the time we snuggle on the couch or floor with them both on my lap as we read or watch a show.  They love kisses and hugs and love to be held still.  They love to be tucked in, 'tuck tuck little duck!' and love our night time prayers together.

We also say our prayers before meals and have our good morning prayer songs each day!  At this age, we have special prayers for bed, morning and meals to make it easier to remember them.  As they grow, we will of course begin to speak more from our hearts.  Each day though continue to teach them we talk to God all throughout the day; praising Him and thanking Him and even asking Him for help!  They love to point out Jesus in books/pictures and sing about God.  'Our God is so big, so strong and so mighty' is still their favorite!!  They loved their first Sunday School in the 2 year olds class!  They get to have puppet shows, art time, songs and such.  I could tell they thought big kid school was pretty great!

Wyatt has grown by leaps and bonds in controlling his emotions the past couple of months!  With lots of prayer, I've been able to help him and learn how to prevent overstimulation.  I will try to write more about this at another date.  But other than being sick, he has not had major melt downs in months!  I'm so proud of him!

The boys are learning their independence these days and testing what they can and can't get away with.  We are all learning how to respect each other and help each other grow!  I'm trying to be consistent but also open my mind to their needs and where they are coming from.  Parenthood is nothing like I thought it was; books and people can't prepare you because each child is different.  My three boys have shown me this for sure!  I'll write more on this subject of them growing up on another post when I have time.

I know I am missing so much, but I have run out of time before dinner.  I'll make another post 'soon' with pics and highlights from Thanksgiving and Christmas (most pictures will be posted later too, I have SO many good ones)!  I continue to thank God for our precious sons.  They are truly gifts from God!  I so enjoy watching them grow into who God made them to be!  

Mr. Luke at 5 Months

I have intended to write updates on my boys for the past couple of months, and have never gotten around to it.  These past two months have been incredibly full; we've been busy with Thanksgiving, Christmas and multiple sicknesses that last at least two weeks each.  With that said, here are some highlights I want to capture about our precious Luke (in very random order!):

Luke continues to be the most laid back and easy going baby I've ever seen.  Unless he wants his food or is putting up a fight during bed time, rarely will you hear him crying.  He loves to observe everyone and everything before showing his opinion.  He'll watch what we are doing for a good while before partaking/interacting.  Once he decides he has observed his surrounds enough or figured out what we are doing, he jumps right in!  For example, he was watching me play tickle monster with the boys right next to him the other day.  He just watched for about a minute as the three of us were giggling and tickling.  Then... he started cracking up and non-stop talking.  He looked at me odd when I started tickling him, and then thought it was the best time!

He gets so excited when we show him one of his certain favorite toys.  He acts shocked and/or startled every time we play peek-a-boo with him.

Luke loves his feet right now.

He's been rolling over from his tummy to back since he was about 2 or 3 weeks old, but over Christmas break he really started trying to roll from back to tummy.  Three days ago he mastered this and now rolls over all the time! The boys have thought it has been great fun to lay next to him and show him how to roll while saying, 'roll, roll, roll!'  Looks like he has major encouragement already!

As I mentioned, we've had at least two sicknesses since my last post; which equals 4 weeks of congestion for Luke with only about 1 healthy week in-between.  This sickness he's had to be on breathing treatments.  (Poor little guy has had 4 colds and hernia surgery in 5 months.  Guess that is what happens when you have 2 older brothers (not the surgery part...).)

We started feeding Luke rice cereal at 4 months.  He did great from the first feeding!  Between the sicknesses and the traveling, I have not been feeding him at consistent times each day, but this will soon change.  As soon as he is feeling 100%, I'm going to start introducing him to table foods.

Luke is about 26 inches (1 month ago) and a little over 14lbs; tall and lean.

Luke loves to kick his legs and thus really enjoys his kicking coster and the jumparoo!  He marches a lot while in the jumparoo.  He just started pushing off and trying to 'stand' while in your lap or the bouncer/rocker this past week or two.

He also scoots backwards and around in circles when on his tummy.  Sometimes he tries so hard to crawl forward he will literally launch himself forward as he tucks his legs under him and kicks super hard; face planting the whole time.  I try to always have something under his face for this reason; trying to avoid him getting a rug burn on his face!

We were going to start sleep training Luke to sleep through the night at 4 months, but he went through a major growth spurt right before our scheduled date.  Then it was just about time to travel to El Paso for Christmas.  So we had to wait until we got back.  Two days after we got back, we started working with him (he had become SO spoiled and waking up about 3xs at night while in EP...).  To my surprise (because he is very vocal about not wanting to sleep at night and expresses his major frustration very well in this area) it only took him 2 nights to sleep through the night!  The 3rd night he slept 8 hours, the 4th night he slept 10 and then 11 hours.  Then... he caught Wyatt and Gavin's sickness and that is were we left off.  He can't sleep well period because he's having such a hard time breathing; poor little man.  Once he feels better, I'm confident he will sleep better.

He's taking 2 major naps a day and a catnap in the evening.  His morning 9/9:30 nap can be as long as 2 or 3 hours many days!  Luke is typically on a pretty good routine, but is also very flexible.  He's fine with sleeping in his bed, the carseat or even arms.  This flexibility is great since he has 2 older brothers.

Luke loves to talk and smile these days.  His grin melts my heart... it seriously makes my heart scream with pure delight when I think about it!  It sounds like he says 'hi' whenever we see him and he gets excited (this is what we always say to him).  I thought I was crazy until the pediatrician said that it sure sounded to her like he was saying hi!  I know he couldn't possibly know what hi means, but it sure is cute!

Luke still loves to snuggle and relaxes when I hold him close and give him kisses.

He is super ticklish around the neck still!  He gives the cutest scrunched up grin and tightens up every time.  It just makes me crack up and melt at the same time.  I can't help but do it every bath!

He doesn't use his pacifier much at all; but only likes to suck a little as I hold him right before naps/bed. I do lay him down sleepy but awake; but this is just a very brief soothing process he has always enjoyed.  He never wants it during awake times though.

He is strengthening while sitting up more and more each week; but is not sitting unsupportive.

Luke sleeps unswaddled at night now because of him rolling over.  As soon as he started trying to at the beginning of this month, we stopped for safety reasons.

Luke was eating about 5 to 6 oz every 4 hours until he was sick; now it's about 3-5oz every 3-4 hours plus cereal 1-3xs a day.

Luke was born with hair, lost it, it grew back, lost that and is just now growing it again!

He loves bath time.  I still use either the pujtub or the bath bouncer in the tub (although sometimes he tries to 'stand'/push up/off in the bouncer so it's really not working all that well some days).

He loves the activity mat and universal snap on 'mobil' as well as many specific toys.

This past week the three boys have started to interact so much!  Because Luke is smiling and laughing at Gavin and Wyatt now, they think it is great fun to play with him!  They give him toys, tell him the difference between 'fa-balls, bakballs, and baseballs', play 'peekboo' and tickle.  They love to say 'hi Luke' where as before they called him Uke.  They love to lay next to him and I still have to explain how to be gentle most days!  The other week I was holding Wyatt and Luke on my lap and Wyatt said 'hi' as he knocked on his forehead... Then Gavin plays peekaboo by placing his entire hand over Luke's face... let's just say they love him and he's getting used to it.

I know there is so much more to capture, but I'll try to do a better job at 6 months and write about it then.  I thank God for our sweet surprise; our precious Luke!!

My Dream Home

I've heard a lot lately about dream homes; we've even been looking at pictures of available homes we might consider moving into in the next couple of years.  But all this random talk has gotten me thinking about what I really consider my dream home to be...

I want my dream home to be a place where people walk through the door and feel a sense of automatic Peace; a retreat from the world outside; a haven so to speak.  The Peace that only comes from Christ.  I want Love to be felt by all who live here and enter.  God's Love and that which He allows to fill us and overflow to those around us.  I want there to be so much Joy and laughter.  The Joy that is experienced in a life with Christ.  I want people to take their shoes off and get comfortable; for it to be clean but lived in.  I want it to be a place where we can share excitement, fears and trials; a place we can be who God created us to be.  I want it to be a place of encouragement and acceptance.  I want it to be known deep in our hearts that God is the center of our lives; in every aspect of it.  I want our family time to be cherished.  Each person who entered should be honored and treated as the child of God they are.  I want friends to be able to stop by and chat; knowing that we always make time for family and friends.  I see a home filled with Thankfulness.  Prayer and praise should be on our lips all throughout the day.  We will learn to choose our words carefully and protect our eyes, ears, minds and hearts.  We will seek forgiveness from God and others when we fall short.  Opinions are expressed and discussed and respected.  Truths are taught and cherished.  Rules are created and upheld and discipline enforced when not respected.  God's Word is everywhere and in our hearts and minds and on our lips.  Good food is always available and prepared.  Hugs and kisses and embraces are common all throughout the day.  Mama and Daddy will keep their relationship as the most important second to God.  Our children know they are cherished and delighted in; loved unconditionally.  They will feel loved and safe.  This will be a place their roots are created so they can take flight when God calls them to lead the life He has called them to.  We will learn to be good stewards with all God has entrusted to us.  We will enjoy God's creation and the life He has given us.

My dream home is our haven on earth; a gift from God until we gather in the home He has prepared for us in heaven.

And when life is hard and we fail or make mistakes, I want each to rest in God's peace and joy because they know that our home is filled with His Grace; and it is this Grace we extend to each other and those who enter.  This Grace is probably the most important aspect of my dream home; it's only through Christ that we can have and extend it.  Nothing has taught me more about Grace than being entrusted with three little precious boys under the age of 2.  God has lavished me with His Grace and I pray He continues to help me learn to extend it to those most dearest to me.  

My dream home is perfect; perfect because it gives us a special place to live out our humanness with each other while lavishing in God's amazing Grace!  I will continue to work at building our dream home for my family and me and all those God has brought and will bring into our lives.  For we do not labor in vain.  The wise woman builds her home; builds it on the Rock and not shifting sands.  My dream home is not just a dream; but a living, and continual, work and gift I can give to my family and God.  

Thank You Lord for building our home and for building Your home inside each of us.  Thank You for creating the family and the home to look, act and feel the way You have.  Thank You for helping us create and live in our dream home with You!