FIVE Months!

I keep saying it, but I can't believe it.  Eden is five months old today!  On this day, Eden gave me the most precious of gifts: the most GIANT blow-out I have ever experienced.  This was not what I expected my my daughter.  Let me tell you, this girl seriously knows how to poop.  Today's blow-out (which was documented, but I'll save you the gross photo) was up-to-the-armpits poop in her car seat which required disassembling of the car seat for washing.  Actually, make that "stain-treating and soaking".  Yuck.  Way to go, my lady.  ;)  

That episode required a bath, so she has her fuzzy post-bath hair here.

Anyway, there are a lot cuter things she does at five months than dirty her diapers.  

Like chat with us all day long.  She loves to her herself and she is not to be outdone by her brothers!  Bennett has started covering his ears sometimes when she is talking because its so LOUD!  She has learned that to be heard in this family, you have to belt it out.  She also continues to sing herself to sleep.  Its often our cue that she is ready to sleep.

She also loves to giggle!  We have learned her tickle spots so we usually have a little giggle fest before changing into pjs.  She also laughs at her brothers when they do...well, anything.  She just thinks they are the funniest!

Eden is super strong and tries to sit up on her own, but can't quite do it.  She is constantly kicking her legs like a wild woman and flailing her arms.  She can now firmly grab onto something when she wants to and loves to play with toys.  We try to always have something for her to hold and play with.  The boys, as you can imagine, are great at giving her toys (sometimes appropriate: soft bunnies, her blankie, a rattle, a small ball; sometimes inappropriate: playmobile tiny pieces, bouncy balls, McQueen...).

Exhibit A: when I said I would take a photo of Eden with her Zebra, the boys took the liberty of crowding her with like seven other toys, as well!

Eden has also taken to her jumperoo and likes to spend some time in there.  She loves playing on the floor and loves tummy time too.  She now rolls over front to back and back to front, so she has made her way across the play room a couple times.  I am not ready for her to have any mobility yet, but I know its coming soon!

 

She is usually sleeping on her tummy these days and I think she sleeps more soundly.  She also still LOVES to be swaddled.  In fact, I need to find some swaddle wraps that come in larger sizes because she sleeps better when she is swaddled.

And because her brother really can't get enough of her...

a few pics of them all together.

This is one great life.  Look at the blessings!

Happy 5th month, Eden!  Can't wait for the rest...

Summer Days

Honestly, there have been days this summer when its been too hot to be out...

 but not if you have a pool!

This was the perfect day for the pool.  Too hot if you're not in the water, but just cool enough for some water straight from the hose.

Bennett doesn't look too thrilled.  Hmmm...must be lunch time!

Nana

Thank goodness for my mom (better known as Nana in these parts) because she has been helping out with our crazy schedule/life/kids a lot lately.

She even had some one on one time with Eden a couple days when we took the boys to swimming lessons.

Many thanks to my mom for her many trips over!

Our daughter

John and I marvel at our family of five.  We love our crazy little family and we are so grateful God gave us Eden to complete "us"!  She really is the best baby and the cutest little girl that ever lived (we're the parents, so we can say that).  ;) 

She doesn't often get to sleep long during the day...somehow she always wakes up.  Can you imagine why?

But here she just got to sleep, so I just sat and watched her...

and remembered what a miracle babies are and how they are tiny for such a short time.

College Friends

I'm not good at keeping in touch but I had so much fun seeing my college friends at Stacey's wedding in June and again in St. Paul in July.  My friend Gaby (far right) was home from Singapore where she lives with her husband and two children.  I was so glad Sarah took the initiative for us to all get together!

We have so many fun memories from CSB together and no one seems to have changed much on the outside - though we have all changed a lot in other way: moving, getting married, becoming moms, working...its fun to hear everyone's unique journey.  Its been nine years since we graduated and we're hoping to see each other more frequently in the next nine years.  :)

End of July

The end of July has been a blur - if not the whole of July.  It was a great summer month with temps so hot it felt like August the whole time!  We've enjoyed a month of fun but also chaos.  I got a job 5 hrs/week at Jacob's Well as an event coordinator and its amazing how difficult it is to fit 5 hrs into an already packed week.

While Logan had five mornings at Vacation Bible School, Benny, Eden and I had our mornings to ourselves.  It was a flash forward to fall when Logan has mornings at the Montessori.

Bennett as gotten really close to Eden and I suspect he will really grow close to her this fall when its just the two of them home with me in the mornings.  He loves her a lot...sometimes a little too much - I have to remind him not to smother her!

And, of course Benny has a personality all his own...wearing his shades and life jacket inside.  Just one of many of his interesting combos.

Eden is making leaps and bounds in development.  I forget what a fast changing age this is.  She now grabs onto whatever she wants and is eager to move and play with toys.

She is the best baby ever.  I am in awe of her.  She loves to chat and sings herself to sleep.  Its the cutest thing ever!

Love those baby blues.

And we're ending up the month with swimming lessons for the boys.  They are parent-child lessons which means John and I are both in the water with the boys.  Its crazy.  That was probably not a good idea in this crazy season, but soon they will be over and the boys can move on to independent lessons.  They love the lessons so its been good.  Eden sometimes come along and hangs out in her seat or sometimes stays with a friend.

We had our outdoor church service on the last Sunday of July and it was rainy!  Go figure!  We've been needing rain for two months and we got a ton while we all stood out in the rain for an hour and a half on Sunday.  Oh well!

To the cabin on a whim!

Our friends Dave and Shelly invited us to their awesome cabin for the day on short notice!  We were happy to drop everything and make our way there for the most perfect day of the summer!  The weather couldn't have been more perfect and the day away was just what we needed!

Eden was sleepier than usual, but she got to sleep in a little bassinet down by the lake.

Little Henry is almost exactly one year older than Eden.  I love watching to see what Eden will be like one year from now...so big!

The boys loved the water, the boat and...

Big Mabel!  They took their first ride with John!  They enjoyed it!  Logan said, "Mom! I rode Big Mabel! She was FUN!"

Our friends Grady and Henry.

Daddy and Eden

Always smiley

Baywatch 2012.  Look out ladies.  Haha.

Logan is becoming quite the swimmer.  Looking pretty serious here!

A favorite is the water mat, which is so fun for the kids!  They wore themselves out jumping from the water mat to the tube and back.

Eden and I spent lots of time playing in the shade.

And there was fishing!  The boys were in heaven!  And not afraid to touch the fish, either!

At the end of the day, we were all tired out.  Eden and Henry spent a little time playing before we had to go home.  Thanks to the Peters' family for a great day at the lake!