Finn's first tooth

Finn is 7 1/2 months old and cut his first tooth today.  It was not there yesterday, and snuck it's way into the light today.

I'm convinced it is impossible to get a photo of it, but here is my attempt…and it's just so cute I have to share.

Finn is getting so mobile…and FAST. He can fly across a room on his hands and knees, and he is starting to stand in one place without holding onto anything. It is blowing my mind since Parks and Marlee didn't do this until much later.  I really think he will be walking before he is 9 months old.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Isn't Christmas the best? I love the magic that surrounds this time of year and the way LOVE is at the center of it.

We hosted Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at our house…for the first time ever!

We went to an awesome Christmas Eve service at Southside at 4pm and then headed back to our house to eat, exchange gifts and spend time with family. "Apple and Papa" (Mike and Debbie) and Erin, Taylor, Jack, Grandma and Mamaw all joined us to celebrate. It was so nice to all go to the service together and get to connect and reflect on the real reason for the season. "Silent Night" is one of those songs that always gets me…and it was performed beautifully by Joy Honeycutt!

Parks had been telling me he wanted a scooter for Christmas for weeks. It was hilarious that he remembered to say the same thing more than once, and I honestly have no idea where he got the idea, but he was adamant…so that's what he got!  Marlee said she wanted cupcakes.

Here's some random iPhone pics from the festivities...

I got real-deal stockings for Christmas from my parents!

Aunt Erin is the best gifter ever!
SUPER PARKS!!

Scooters from Santa

My sweet nephew Jack and Finn

A family of five.  What?!?!

Oh yeah, and Happy New Year!
(we stayed up til 10:15pm)

Finn is 7 months

This sweet little 7 month old is ready for Christmas! He is such a happy boy with smiles all day long. I just can't get enough of him. It's funny how much more time I spend soaking up the "baby moments" this time around. I enjoyed them the first time, but was basically in survival mode the first year of the twins' lives that I didn't really think much about anything else.

At 7 months, Finn is:
- Size 9mo clothes
- Size 3 diapers
- Nurses every 3 or 3.5 hours for about 10 minutes per side
- Sleeps through the night for the most part, but has been going through a phase for a few weeks where he wakes up in the middle of the night for a "snack"
- Crawls around everywhere and pulls up on anything he can get his hands on. He has also started standing for a second or two without holding onto anything.
- Follows me around the room with his eyes and cries when I leave the room…he follows me too if he can get to where I am.
- Loves Loves Loves his older siblings and laughs at pretty much everything they do.
- Is getting his "voice" and does this cute thing where he takes a deep breath and lets out a loooooong consistent yell/song that has to last 10-15 seconds. He wants to be heard!
- Just started saying "MA-MA-MA-MA!!!!!!!!!!!!"  I love this one.  :)

What a cute, sweet, lively, joyful boy he is and I love him oh so much.

Finn is 6 months old!

I can't believe my little guy is half of a year old already! Doesn't seem real.

And do babies really crawl and sit up on their own at 6 months old?! That can't be normal.  ;) haha (Kidding, I just can't accept it).

At 6 months, Finn is:
- Growing out of 6 month clothes (length wise)
- Size 3 diapers
- Sleeps through the night
- Crawling
- Started some rice cereal, veggies and fruits and does pretty good with them
- So happy and content all the time…but is kinda "over" sitting and watching…now he wants to be in the midst of the action at all times

I love you so much Finn. You bring so much joy, love and life to our little (bigger now) family. Can't imagine life without you.

Hi Mom!

Some recent kiddo "isms" for the record…

"Hi Mom!"
Marlee sooo doesn't have a poker face.  If she does something she knows she isn't allowed to do, but I don't notice…she will come to me and say "Hi Mom!" out of the blue in a really sweet voice.  It's like she is testing me to see if I respond without catching her for what she just did.  Dead giveaway.

The need to cry.
Sometimes Parks will be in a mood.  When he is whining and cries for no real reason, I will ask him if he needs to cry.  He will say yes so I say "OK, well we don't want to listen to it, so please go in the other room and do your crying in there."  He will walk (silently) to the other room and cry…and then stop and come back to us.  Awesome.
*I feel like I might have already blogged about this but can't remember and am too lazy to look back and find out.

Hippopomanus
Yes, that is spelled correctly per Marlee's annunciation.  Also, large pigs qualify as hippopomanuses.

More to come...

Fall Weekend

I had one whole weekend with my family and it was fabulous.

On Saturday morning, we went to Uncle Bob's Pumpkin Patch in Newnan.  It was OK, but $18 per adult and when compared to "Denver Downs" ($12) that we attended a few weeks ago with our friends, The Thompsons, it was a little puny.

The hay ride was nice, and we got to feed some horses and see a bunch of corn stalks.

They had a small petting zoo area, and the kids loved this part!

Anyway, the kids had a good time, and we got to hang with Erin, Taylor and Jack.  I don't know when Jack turned into a TODDLER, but babyjack is G.O.N.E.

After Uncle Bob's, we went to Mikey's fav lunch spot, Grazing Here, and had a burger and some sweeties.  Good stuff!

That evening, everyone in the fan took shifts so we all got a nap.

Sunday we relaxed, rearranged furniture in our living room (one of my favorite pastimes) and enjoyed each other.  I love my family.  :)

Finn is 5 months old!

My brand new little baby boy is 5 months old already.  Insanity.

He is the sweetest, most content little guy ever.  Of course he has his moments, but he really is such a good baby with a great temperament.

At 5 months, Finn is:
- 15 pounds, 13 ounces (37%)
- 27.25 inches (94%)
- 43 cm (66%)
- Size 6-9 months clothes
- Size 2 diapers
- Sleeps from about 9:30pm - 7:30am
- GETS UP ON HIS HANDS AND KNEES AND ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Loves his activity center and jumper that we hang in the door frame
- Laughs at Marlee constantly (she gets nose to nose with him and talks to him and he loves it)
- Sleeps on his back half the time and tummy the other half
- Hasn't had rice cereal yet, but will probably try some in the next couple of weeks

He is such a sweetheart and I love him so so much.