Being Five...

On the night before his birthday Max stated, "When I wake up tomorrow morning, I will already be 5! I hope my birthday present is on the table when I go down for breakfast!" Ask and ye shall receive.

Max received the gift of travel for his fifth birthday - a trip to see dinosaur fossils! And some travel accessories like a new bag, dinosaur books, a 3D dinosaur puzzle, and a travel desk.

We started our birthday celebration with a cake pop at Starbucks.

Max chose the Pickwick Pharmacy for lunch.
It is a local old-fashioned soda fountain and a Greenville tradition!

The homemade milkshakes might have influenced his decision...

Do milkshakes fit in sippy cups?

Mimi, Babba, and the Birthday Boy

The birthday ended with more food - a pizza picnic in the den watching tv for movie night. Clearly, the usual household rules do not apply on birthdays. Being five is pretty awesome!

Picture from Max's school birthday party

Twenty Questions for the Birthday Boy:

 How old are you? Five

 Who is your best friend? Samuel and Kyle

 What is your favorite thing to do? Puzzles

  What is your favorite color? Green and blue

 What is your favorite food? Turkey and Cheese roll-ups

 What do you like to do with your family? Drawing

 What is your favorite toy? Trains

 What is your favorite show or movie? Dinosaur Train

What is your favorite book? Franklin

What is your favorite game? Hi Ho Cheerio or Candyland

What is your favorite song? Days of the Week

Where do you like to go? Panera

 What do you like to learn about? Dinosaurs

What do you want to be when you grow up? Monorail Driver

What makes you happy? Mommy

What makes you sad? Going to time-out

What do you take to bed at night? Duckie

What do you think about before you fall asleep? I don't think about anything, I just go straight to sleep.

What did you do on your birthday? Pickwick!

What was the best part of your birthday? Playing with my friends

Happy Birthday, Max!

Five Years

Dear Max,

Five seems impossibly old and yet it cannot possibly encompass the amount of time we have spent together. We are very proud of the person you are and the person you are still becoming!

You are kind and caring: I have observed you seeking out children who are upset or shy and encouraging them to play. After a discussion at church about missions and collecting money for underprivileged children, you concluded the money could be used to "help kids get clean water" without anyone telling you that was how it would be used. You immediately asked how you could earn money to help those children and have willingly agreed to exchange your behavior and chore magnets for coins to go towards the fund instead of a reward for yourself.

You are full of joy: Every morning starts with you bouncing out of your room with enough energy to power a small city. You are enthusiastic about school and church and playing and pajama day and any other activity on your agenda. During our visit for your school birthday celebration, the music teacher stopped to tell us she adores you because of your positive and happy attitude. The classroom teachers report you are socially and emotionally well-adjusted (the best thing a therapist mother could hear) and brighten their days with your quick smile and cheerful nature. You get along easily with other children and charm every adult you encounter.

You seek to learn: You are full of questions about the world and delight in knowledge. "Guess what people are doing on the other side of the world right now? They're asleep!" You come home from school eager to show us what you have learned and practice your newest skill. Puzzles are a favorite challenge for your logical mind and you can complete 300 piece puzzles "easy peasy" and are attempting 500 pieces (with help from Mommy)! One day you decided to write rhyming words on post-its to create a Word Wall in the playroom. You worked diligently to sound out the words to spell them and read them.

You are growing up: Some days are still tough and you whine, "I just want to do what I want to do!" But you are learning to use coping skills and control your impulses. You have graduated to older chores like setting the table and work hard to "teach" Sarah how to behave properly. You use mature phrases and sayings like "last but not least", "awesome" and "no way!" Daddy and I often giggle about your antics after you have gone to bed. Although it sometimes surprises me when I glance at you and see such a big boy, some mannerisms have stayed remarkably similar since you were a baby.

Max, we are so thankful for the last five years with you and cannot wait to enjoy many, many more!

Much love,

Mommy and Daddy

Inside My Heart

A few weeks ago I was awakened at 1:30 am by a little boy who could not sleep. Hours passed and many trips were made between our bedrooms. Finally around 5 am, I gave up the fight and allowed you to climb into bed with Mommy and Daddy. You curled yourself into my body and we nestled together like spoons. Two minutes later your breathing became slow and even and you were asleep, safe in my arms.

I lay awake for a long time afterwards struck by how familiar it felt to lie in this manner. But it shouldn't feel familiar because we have only slept together a few times, and those would never be described as peaceful. Then it clicked. The feeling I was reminded of was of being pregnant with that same little boy, when I used to sleep on my side and nestled my big belly with my arms.

Most recollections of giving birth describe the rapture of seeing and holding an infant after nine (ten) long months of anticipation. Although I was ecstatic upon your arrival, the feeling I most associate with those first few days is emptiness. Don't misunderstand me - it was a physical feeling of emptiness. I remember lying in the hospital bed on your first night, while you were in the NICU, and I felt so empty without your heart beating inside me. I missed the movements of your arms and legs. The thumping. The hiccups. I missed you being a part of me. Obviously, this was due partly to the situation because most mothers are too busy taking care of the infant on the outside to be thinking about what is gone from the inside. But I didn't have you to take care of yet, and without you I felt deflated. I missed you.

Five years later I am reminded that you will always be a part of me. It will always feel familiar and right to snuggle you against me. Our lives will always be intertwined, just as our bodies once were. I love the quote, "No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you. After all, you are the only one who knows what my heart sounds like from the inside."

One Day Old

Holding you for the first time in the NICU...and crying. A lot.

One Year Old

Five Years Old

I love my baby boy.

19 Months

Dear Sarah,

Everyone around you wants to freeze time at this sweet age. Even the long days are full of hugs and kisses and precious words. I have never wanted a dog, but I imagine it is the unbridled joy and delight in existence that draws people to dogs- and also to Baby Sarah. You make everyone feel special and loved.

The newest addition to your vocabulary is not my favorite word: No. It is used most often in reference to your brother taking a toy away, but you have also been known to drop it on Mommy and Daddy as well. My girl can be VERY stubborn! You love to lay down on your stomach and kick your feet in the air while looking at books, coloring, and rolling around. It is super cute except it makes you look so old! On a odder note, you have also been crawling at times to chase after things. Didn't want to do it when it was developmentally appropriate, but now it is a fun game.

The bathtub is your favorite place to practice your latest moves. Ballerina, gymnast, or cheerleader - you already have the arabesque perfected! We have determined your Halloween costume a year in advance. Our one legged wonder will have to dress up as a flamingo! It is impossible to convince you to remain seated in the tub. And given your propensity for standing on one foot, you are an accident waiting to happen. Your other favorite bathtub activity is putting the toy animals to bed and covering them with your washcloth.

Surprisingly, you continue to take 2 naps each day. While you can certainly skip the morning nap at least once per week for church or school, you haven't grasped the concept of combining the missed sleep into one long nap. We thought you were ready to drop it before the time change occurred, but we will let you hang onto it for a few more weeks until after Thanksgiving.

Miss Priss continues to reign! You cannot get enough of playing dress up and accessorizing. Now you have moved into the realm of personal care and want to paint your toenails and put lotion on yourself. You are clearly related to your brother because both of you participate in the One Sock Gang - no wonder we can never find matches!

In this season of thanksgiving, we couldn't be more thankful for our wonderful babies!

Love,
Mommy

Quack the Vote!

Decision 2012

 

DUCK:

Freedom, Liberty, and Quacks for All

 



Blogger Girl

I started blogging after Max was born as a way to keep extended family and friends updated about our family without having to email the same information repeatedly. Gradually my blog became the scrapbook for remembering some of the stories, adorable pictures, and funny sayings of the wee ones. It is a narrative I hope my children will peruse one day to laugh about their dated clothes and blush with embarassment over their antics. I hope they will also view it as my love letter to them.

 

I love reading other people's blogs because it gives me the opportunity to remain close to people even when physical proximity has divided us. It delights me to know more details about the happenings of friends in Texas or Louisville or Florence or Durham than I do about some friends that I see weekly. It allows me to still feel part of their lives.

 

A perfect example is the blog of a friend from college.  Without her blog I would only know that she currently lives in Birmingham and has two adorable children. Instead, I discoverd from reading her blog that her 3 year old son is passionate about the symphony. He watches concerts, knows the conductors, and pretends to conduct his own orchestra from atop a box. I mentioned his unusal talent to Jason, who is on the Symphony Board of Directors here. He emailed our friend and offered her son the opportunity to travel to Greenville to watch a reherasal and meet the maestro in person. Soon thereafter we got to spend time with our college friend, meet her sweet family, and witness an estraordinary boy's happiness - all thanks to blogging!



 

My blog is not full of wisdom. It does not encourage others to do great works or promote spiritual growth. I often get behind on uploading pictures or forget to document a memorable occasion. But it is our story and it is well-loved by us and the occasional viewer!

Giraffe Fever

Giraffe Fever is spreading!

The pregnancy and birth of a baby giraffe at our local zoo has been big news in both the community and our house. A "Giraffe Cam" was set up to monitor the mother, Autumn, and stream live footage twenty-four hours a day. Even before the birth, watching the Giraffe Cam on the computer was the only time Sarah would sit still for longer than a few minutes...

It also provided a great opportunity to learn more about giraffes. The most amazing part? Despite lots of conversations about pregnancy and birth, Max still hasn't asked how babies are made!

Pregnant Mama

Falling asleep on the couch has its advantages: I checked in on Autumn before heading to bed after 11 pm and discovered she was in labor. I was able to watch the birth as it happened just a mile away from our house!

A few minutes after birth

Baby Kiko 

"Autumn's Child"

Amazing that the baby is almost 6 feet tall!

Max was eager to meet Kiko and take him a "baby gift". We waited a few weeks before heading to the zoo to see the newest star! Mimi couldn't resist the chance to see her babies and the baby giraffe, too.

The whole family:

Kiko, Walter, and Autumn

After baby-gazing for a few minutes, Max was ready to move on to the playground across from the exhibit,

but the Giraffe Hunter was fascinated!

The cuteness on both sides of the fence was overwhelming!

(Photographic evidence that bows and Sarah can coexist!)

We are very excited to watch Baby Kiko grow - even taller!