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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

ONE

One Year
365 Days
8,760 Hours
525,949 Minutes
And yet, it seems like yesterday that I held you in my arms for the first time. Brody Edward Lakes, my little Moosey. The missing piece to our little family. You came much earlier than we thought, nearly a month before you were supposed to, but you were so strong and healthy. The lungs that we were so worried that would be underdeveloped were clearly not, since you screamed for the first 5 minutes. :)


You looked (and still do) like a mini-version of your Daddy-big blue eyes and blond hair. Even in those first days when you would smile in your sleep, I knew you'd have his smile too-big dimples-a smile that literally lights up a room.


I'm not going to lie, your first few months, were difficult. Because you were premature, you had an acid reflux disorder, and colic. Long story short, you cried A LOT. And there wasn't much we could do to comfort you. It was tough on you and me. We finally figured out what was wrong and got you hooked up with some super pricey formula and the delicious Zantac and things improved.


At the same time, you were growing, QUICKLY. In one month you gained 3 pounds! (And that sweet Moosey, is where you got your nickname.)


Before learning to crawl, you'd roll from point a to point b. It was really very funny to watch. You would clearly have a destination in mind and you'd just roll yourself over to get there.


And then you started crawling. And there was no stopping you. In the blink of an eye you'd be in the playroom heading for the stairs.


Along the way, you developed this little personality. Happy, easy going, and calm. Unless food was involved then all bets were off. You love food. Truly love it. Before you even started babbling you would make "mmmmm" sounds when I would feed you. Your brothers were so hard to get started on solid food-not you! You enjoy eating.


You also enjoy playing. From the moment you had the skill set to pick something up, you've loved toys. Incredi-blocks, Little People, riding toys, you love them all. But your favorite is a ball-any kind will do. These days, we often find you happily tossing a Nerf football around the playroom. (I wonder if someday you will be our little linebacker??)


You love your big brothers and follow them everywhere. And they love you-they would argue for the chance to hold you or feed you. It is amazing to see your relationship with them develop over time. Now instead of being dependant on them you can interact with them and it's such a cool sight. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the four of you in playroom, hanging out together.


You have brought so much joy to our lives and despite being "veteran" parents, you have taught us so much about patience and faith.


Do I wish you would consistently sleep through the night? Absolutely! Do I secretly treasure holding you in the middle of the night, rocking you to sleep? Yup. You are our last baby, and I'm trying to hang onto your babyhood as long as I can.
So, Moose, it may have been 525, 949 minutes since you entered our lives, but I treasure every single one of them.



I love you Moosey, happy first birthday.
Love Forever,
Your Momma

Monday, September 14, 2009

Busy, Busy, Busy...

Busy times at the Lakes household. School is back in full swing, as is all of the homework associated with THREE school going boys! :)
AWANA's started back up last week, with the three big boys moving up a class to Sparks and Truth & Training.

Flag football is underway, with practices and our first scrimmage under our belt. I don't mean to brag, but I am totally going to. Bryce scored the first touchdown of the game and Jarron had 3 interceptions! I couldn't believe how good they were-especially since they've only been to two practices! Our first official games are this weekend.


It seemed to be the weekend for football, Chuck and I took Jackson to a Colerain HS football game. I always feel so old when I am in a high school setting-the kids seem sooooo young! Jackson had a blast-he was so well-behaved. He just sat there, taking it all in with a big grin on his face.
And of course, we watched our Bengals fall to the Broncos. I really thought they were going to pull off the win and said as much. I may have jinxed them.




Moosey started walking last week. Five whole steps. He's still crawling for the most part (he is incredibly fast on all fours!) but he's spending a lot more time standing and cruising. He's so busy all the time-he never sits still anymore. (And if he is sitting still, it's a safe bet that he's into something he shouldn't be.)



(Can you tell he's teething? Always with the hand in the mouth these days!)

We also went to Coney Island this weekend with the Noonans, it was extremely crowded, so crowded you could barely move. But we did manage to ride a couple of rides including (as Jackson calls it), the "Fairy Go Round."
As usual, I was the only girl in the group!

Jackson and Connor

Me and Moose on the Fairy Go Round (You can also see Jack-Jack in the background.)

So, like I said, busy times in the Lakes household. :)
Oh, and, Chuck finally got his mountain bike. He bought this one:

He parks it right underneath the light in the garage, every time the door opens the light shines on it and Chuck swears he hears the angels singing. :)

Coming up next week: My baby turns ONE! (I know!!!!)

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Ten on Tuesday: I Totally Lied and Didn't Do A 1st Day of School Post-Edition

1. Lots of things happening around here lately. I took the boys to Highfield Discovery Zone at Glenwood Gardens the last Friday before school started. We love this place. The curators were had a little lesson about Dragonflies and Fairies. The boys got to make their own dragonfly to take home. (I spent more hours that I care to admit creating this collage in PSE!)


2. The weekend before school started we had a really nice weather-cool and breezy. The boys spent some time riding their bikes, skateboarding, and playing some football. Love days like this.
Soon, little man, soon...

Jarron working on his Tony Hawk impression

3. Moosey turned 11 months old! He has 2 teeth and is pulling up on everything. No steps yet though. He is no longer interested in being fed baby food with a spoon-he only likes things he can pick up and eat himself. (Did I mention he only has 2 teeth? This presents a bit of a challenge in meal planning!) He will still take a bottle, but loves his sippy straw cup. He is growing up far too fast for his momma's liking.



4. My boys started school last week. The twins went back full time last Monday. They are in separate classes for the first time ever. And they love it!




Jarron

Bryce

Jackson

5. Jackson went to Kindergarten for the first time last week. The Kindergarten Center has a staggered start, so I took him on Monday and sat through parent orientation while he had class. Then on Thursday, he rode the bus for the first time. He was so excited and happy. I didn't cry until the bus pulled away. He just looked so little with this backpack that was nearly as big as he was. I am so so proud of him, and so glad that he loves school.

First day-first assignment!

Waiting on the bus...

Getting on the bus! (Not pictured: Momma crying as she walked home!)

6. I started a brand new business last week. After going to a candle party at Fawna's house, I decided to become a Scentsy consultant. Scentsy candles are wickless, flameless candle bars that burn in a warmer using a 25 watt lightbulb. I love them because they are super cute, smell great and are very safe to use around the kiddos. You can visit my website HERE, to book a party. ;)




7. Moose moved up to the one year olds room at church. After months of drama each time I dropped him off-he would scream and cry something awful-it was such a relief to drop him off tear-free. He seems to like his new room-he was smiley and happy when I picked him up! Woo-hoo!
Check out that tooth!

8. I got to do some scrapbooking last week-I finished our Hilton Head Island album and even got the twins' baptism layouts done. I have another scrapbook night Friday-I might just get the Gatlinburg pictures done!

9. Flag football practice starts for the boys this week. I'm really excited about this season. I love football, so I can't wait to watch their games.

10. Speaking of football, the first regular season Bengals game is less than 3 weeks away! After watching Hard Knocks-the Bengals training camp show-I am super excited for the season to start! Who-dey!