General Updates

Life is moving quickly.  The days are full.  The weeks seem to blend together.  I don't want to lose track of the little moments that make this season special.

Myles is now 4-Months-Old.

WOW!

At his 4-month appointment, he was perfectly proportionate:

Length - 24.5 inches = 50th percentile

Weight - 14 lbs. 14 oz. = 50th percentile 

Head - 16.75 inches = 50th percentile

Myles:

- Rolls from front to back...although really dislikes tummy time.

- Enjoys watching his big brother and sister.

- Dislikes the car seat.

- Just started showing interest in a pacifier (thanks to the YMCA).

- Is easily startled (often by Isaac).

- Is easily calmed (namely by Clare).

- Giggles with Daddy more than anyone else.

- Sleeps through the night (consistently between 11 and 12 hours).

- Is wearing a few things in the 3-month size, but moving quickly to 6-month.

- Is still exclusively breastfeeding.

- Is still swaddled for naps and nighttime.

- Tries to suck his thumb...but it's usually his entire fist.

- Has a little bald spot on the back on his head.

- Drools like nobody's business (we go through several bibs each day).
- Recently found his feet, and that has been his favorite toy ever since.

- Is most often compared to Clare in the looks department.

- Is an absolute sweetheart!

Isaac:

- Is all things boy...trains, trucks, cars, animals, etc.

- Is all things girl...princesses, fairies, sparkles and dancing.

- Insists on calling things by their proper name:
Sandals are NOT shoes, nap time is NOT night time, Isaac is not "Little Guy," etc.

- Still refuses to poop on the toilet.  This could be a post all in itself.

- Says, "You cuddle me" after crawling in bed at naps and nighttime.
- When we say, "It's night-night time...you need to stay in bed,"
he immediately follows it up with, "But if I fall, I will need to tell you."
- Calls camp fires (A.K.A. bonfires) "Graham Fires."
We think this is because he eats Graham Crackers (S'Mores) by the fire.
- Loves Play Doh
- Can melt your heart with his big, blue eyes.

These two are definitely BEST FRIENDS!

Clare:

- Is totally obsessed with Smurfs and the Disney movie, "Frozen."

- Already has a dislike for homework and HATES "cutting work."

- Loves soothing Myles with made-up songs and silly voices.

- Is working on her "th" and "s" sounds.

- Thinks that she can drink Phil's soda if she refers to it as juice.

- Loves spotting Venus in the night sky.

- Has an insatiable appetite when she gets home from school.

- Some of her favorite snacks include grapes (especially when frozen), Cheez It crackers, apples with salt (a behavior that she learned from Daddy), snap peas, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, and anything SWEET (a behavior learned from Mommy).

- Enjoys riding her bike.
- Just turned 5 1/2 and celebrated at school by passing out 1/2 donuts and 1/2 cookies.

- Loves making people happy.

- She loves finding creatures outside, and she has never been afraid to get her hands dirty.

Clare and Isaac love climbing into bed with Myles when he wakes up in the morning.  I will often find the three of them yuckin' it up when I get in there.

We are pretty blessed with these three little munchkins!

Phil:

- Stays busy with his job at Busch Gardens.  Thankfully, he enjoys it!

- Has been up to his ears in projects lately.

- I came home to find him cleaning the floors like this.  LOVE!

 - He blew in all new insulation in our attic, and we are hoping to see/feel the benefits of that during the hot, Florida summers.

-We had an unexpected flood this week, and it has been several days of picking up the pieces.  Our carpet is torn up, the floors are soggy, and it has certainly ruffled my feathers.  Phil, on the other hand, has just taken care of business.  He tends to see solutions when I see problems, and I love, love, love that about him.

Not all of his time has been sucked up with dirty work.  He got a new smoker for Christmas, and that has become a new obsession.  Just imagine ribs, chicken, brisket, and bacon-wrapped pork galore.

The boys

Corrie:

- I have been plugging right along with the routines of life with three little ones.  That includes lots of laundry (I seem to have forgotten how the addition of one tiny, little human can add SO MUCH LAUNDRY), lots of driving to and from school, lots of block towers and Veggie Tales, and lots of sweet hugs and kisses.

- I am sadly unable to run at the moment because of a torn hamstring.  I've been on the injured list for two months, and it has been driving me bonkers.

- I was recently diagnosed with skin cancer...Squamous Cell Carcinoma.  I found a peculiar spot on my face, and it turned out to be more than just a nuisance.  I have surgery scheduled for February 28th, and that will hopefully take care of everything.

- I LOVE having three children.  People always ask what it is like going from 2 to 3, and I think it was easier than going from 1 to 2.  I'm sure it's a combination of having a 5-year-old who is a great helper, having a better idea of what to expect, and understanding that the chaos is normal.

We are happy, healthy, and blessed.  This is a good season.

33 For Me

My 33rd birthday, on February 11th, was FANTASTIC!

Last year, I said that 32 was going to be hard to beat (see post),

and 33 sure gave it a run for its money.  Phil (who took the day off just to celebrate his wife...Awww...I LOVE that guy!) and I started the day by going out for a kid-free meal (Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa Hillary).  We went to First Watch...a fresh and tasty little breakfast/lunch place in the area.

We then made our way over to Honeymoon Island to explore a new beach.  The beach itself wasn't new...just a new beach to us.

The kids were SO EXCITED, 

and their anticipation mounted throughout the entire drive there.

Even though it was a beautiful, 75 degree and sunny day, 

the water was a bit too cold for swimming.

The conditions were perfect, however, for shell collecting.

Ahhh...we LOVE Florida!

As I held Myles on the beach, I couldn't help but reminisce about the fact that it was ON my birthday last year that we took a positive pregnancy test.

This is the picture of a happy, blessed, and grateful 33 year-old mother/wife.

1 - 2 - 3...THROW!

This Little Guy pranced around with absolute delight the ENTIRE day.

JOY!

A day at the beach is only complete once you've built at least one sand mound castle.

A little quiet time with my littlest love.

Mutual admiration!

We topped off the day with ice cream at the beach.  

It doesn't get much better than that, right?!

Now that this tradition is two years strong, I will anxiously await 34!

Myles' Baptism

Some people celebrated Superbowl Sunday of February 2nd.

We celebrated the baptism on Myles Patrick...

Our "Merciful and Gracious" son.

Uncle Brian and Aunt Marcie are his godparents, and they made the trip down to Florida to celebrate the special day with us.

 Myles was clearly ramped up by the whole thing.

Myles and cousin Sarah are just five months apart, 

and we look forward to watching them grow up together.

Happy Boy

Clare and Isaac knew it was a pretty special day because there was an enormous cake waiting for us at home.

Mama's Little Chunk

Myles wore the same outfit that Phil (and Isaac) wore when baptized.

I baptize thee...

Apparently, I didn't disguise my reaction when Myles was startled by the water.  His arms shot up, his eyes widened, and then he let out a roar that echoed throughout the chapel.

 

It was a special day...blessed with friends and family.

Grandpa and Grandma Hillary helped make the day memorable.

"Aunt" Sarah and "Uncle" Tory are part of our local family, 

and they celebrated with us as well.

"Grandpa" John and "Grandma" Carol also joined us for the festivities.

CAKE!

Every special event in the Hillary family is made complete with CAKE!

Chillin' with Uncle Brian

Cousins

Six of the ten Hillary cousins were represented:

Isaac, Sarah, Jeb, Clare, Myles, and Grant

They had an AWESOME weekend together.

Thank you to all of you who made it such a special weekend for Myles and for our family.  We are truly blessed!