HALF a YEAR

Our itty-bitty baby is no longer itty or bitty.  

He is officially closer to a ONE-year-old than a newborn.  Ugh!

He has been eating "solids" for the past month, and he took to them like a pro.  Seeing that he comes from parents who were both born at Gerber Memorial Hospital (shout out to Fremont, Michigan), he is somewhat of a Gerber baby. 

I wish I could say that I make all of my own baby food, and that he only eats organically, but I have two other children who still need to be fed.  Therefore, this little chunk of love gets Gerber's finest (as well as his daily doses of Mama's Milk).  He seems to enjoy everything that he's tried thus far.

He has a smile that just grows and grows until you think his cheeks might pop.  Speaking of cheeks...he seems to have finally taken on the shape of our other two chunks.  We seem to have babies with cheeks that are wider than their actual head.

Weight - 18 lbs. = 50th percentile
Length - 25.75 inches = 50th percentile
Head - 17.25 inches = 50th percentile

At this point, we think that Myles is looking more and more like Clare.  

What do you think?

Clare at 6-months

Isaac at 6-months

Mr. Myles is chill.  He is always happy when being held.  He is a third born child, which means that his "schedule" is determined by the schedules of the first and second born.  He has to go with the flow, and he does an awesome job of that.  Phil and my mom are both the 3rd child in a family of 4 children.  They maintain that their birth order contributes to their spontaneous, flexible, and laid back nature.  As much as it hurts for me to toot their 3rd-born-horns, I have to agree.  Myles, Daddy, and Mema have bonded over this!

This was the first 3-kid bath.  Which sings louder...the joy and excitement of the older two or the sheer terror of the youngest?

He actually enjoyed it quite a bit.

We love being a family of five. 
Apparently, we are also fond of clothing our children in stripes.

Here's to hoping that the second half of Myles' first year 

doesn't go by quite as quickly as the first.

Family

Feeling thankful for my family!

Clare came home from school with this picture.  Most of it made sense.

1. "I am thankful for my family who I love."

Yes...that makes sense.

2. Left to right: Dad, Mom (the girls always have long eyelashes), 

Clare (with her princess crown, of course), Isaac, and Myles.

Yes...that all makes sense.

3. The black-hearted person with red eyes???

This is where it gets confusing.

Upon asking Clare about the mysterious sixth member of her family, she immediately explained that it was The Statue of Liberty.

Ah YES...that makes sense.

This little family has been hanging out in our yard for the past few weeks.  They look pretty cute until you find them pecking on your car.  They love seeing their reflection, so they just peck away until there are little dents and scratches on your vehicle.  I may or may not have chased after them with a broom.

 Back to our actual family:

The Boys

 Oh, my heart just explodes when I see "my boys."

The Girls

I love my sweet Clare.  She is tender-hearted, full-spirited, expressively theatrical, and very perceptive.  She keeps this Mama on her toes.

 The Kids

 Watching "Frozen" for the umpteenth time.

The Buds

The Partners

Phil and Clare are always in the middle of a project.  They work in the garden.  They chop wood.  They clean the pool.  They make Rainbow Loom projects.  They go "out and about."  They are in the mutual admiration society!

The Happy Couple

This moment captures how our family started.  This picture, from 9 years ago, was when Phil and I saw each other at Busch Gardens for the first time since high school.  That day marked the beginning of our love story.

Thus...the beginning of our blessed FAMILY!

Zip Line Fun

For the past year, Phil has wanted to build a zip line in our backyard.  He mentioned the idea to his friend, and within a few weeks Mike had a zip line in his backyard.  Good plan.  If you ask me, it is much easier to enjoy Mike's zip line than it would be to have one at our house.  Thank you, Mike.

Obviously, the kids loved it!

TRUE DELIGHT!

Myles had to get in on the action!

We all know that Phil couldn't miss out on the fun.

I wish I could say that using Mike's zip line every once in a while would suffice, but I think it only made my four kids wants one all the more.  :)

Gasparilla ULTRA Challenge

 Phil recently accomplished an awesome running challenge,
and I was SO PROUD of him.

 The Gasparilla Ultra Challenge consisted of 4 races over 2 days...covering 30.4 miles.

On Saturday (in 78 degrees and 100% humidity), 

he ran a 15K (9.3 miles) and a 5K (3.1 miles).

On Sunday, he ran a half-marathon (13.1 miles) and a 8K (5 miles).

We hung out with him in between races, and the kids were his biggest encouragement!

He changed clothes and socks in between races,
and he finished every race with a pace of UNDER 8:00 per mile. 

He earned 4 finisher medals and a big Ultra Challenge Finisher medal and jacket.

 Phil, who still doesn't consider himself a runner, was the only one in our family who completed the challenge.  I love the way that Clare watches Daddy and wants to emulate his every move.  I love that Phil has such a spirit of adventure and drive.  I love that my husband is strong and healthy.

Way to go, Phil!

Do You Know Your Spots?

As of this February, my entire gang started wearing hats.

Learning about my skin cancer (Squamous Cell Carcinoma) was a wake up call.  You would think that living in the SUNSHINE state would be reason enough to take caution, but we (I'm sure like many of you) figured that we were young and careful enough.

Thankfully, we caught my spot early.  

Thankfully, Carcinoma is easily treated.

Thankfully, it didn't effect my quality of life.

Sadly, those thanksgivings are not always the case.

I had surgery on Friday, and everything went well.  They were able to find clean margins after only one layer was removed.  They reassured me that the cancer was gone, but they just short of guaranteed me that I will get it again.  I was, BY FAR, the youngest person there, and they said that I already had a "good" amount of sun damage. 
Take heed, friends! 

This lovely picture shows the hole in my face after they removed the cancerous layer.  This will serve as my reminder to apply sunscreen, wear hats, and visit my dermatologist on a regular basis.

Five hours, ten stitches, a swollen face, and a throbbing headache later, we went home.

I urge you to find a dermatologist in your area.  Know your spots.  Observe any changes.  Get a body scan so that you know your baseline.  Don't get too comfortable doing what you've always done.

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.