milestones 8.5, 7, 5, 6 months

L, Age 8.5

Favorite color: teal and dark blue

Favorite food: sushi, salmon, asparagus, olives

Favorite treat: suckers, cheesecake

Favorite movie: chick flicks, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Back to the Future

Favorite book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dork Diaries

Favorite activities: read, parties, coloring, lego

Favorite toys: books, tablet

Favorite animal: lion

Favorite place to go: the drive in

What I want to be when I grow up: nurse

I dream about: being a rock star

I worry about: a fire

I’m good at: reading, drawing, dance and piano

I want to be better at: gymnastics

Someday I want to: go to Hollywood and Hawaii

I’m thankful for: my house and family

I like it best when: Mom’s not angry, Z is smiling

Makes mom melt:  L has such a sweet, sensitive spirit.  She’s easily prone to emotions and feels deeply.  She tries so hard to be a good helper and has such a generous spirit.  I love listening to her play piano and am continually amazed how easily she learns and expresses music.  She’s so beautiful and so good to her sisters.  I’m really enjoying her growing up—things like attending dance events, watching chick flicks and going shopping.  She makes it so fun, she loves everything and her excitement makes everything more enjoyable for me.

A, Age 7

Favorite color: red

Favorite food: ramen, spaghetti, cup of noodles

Favorite treat: creamies, jelly beans

Favorite movie: Dragons, Karate Kid

Favorite book: Magic of the Rainbow

Favorite activities: board games, art, karate

Favorite toys: princess stuff, My Little Ponies, barbies, legos

Favorite animal: panda, zebras, tigers, lions, jaguar

Favorite place to go: Legoland, friend’s house

What I want to be when I grow up: veterinarian

I dream about: being a princess

I worry about: when I’m alone

I’m good at: art, helping others

I want to be better at: spelling, karate

Someday I want to: be a black belt

I’m thankful for: my spirit and my brain

I like it best when: I’m happy and having fun

Makes mom melt:  A is so fiery and passionate.  She’s very emphatic and energetic about everything and has trouble controlling her excitement and volume.  She’s such a good helper, especially with baby Z and begs to hold him and play with him.  She’s the ringleader of every group and so good at including everyone and is so charming and fun that she can get absolutely anyone to play with her.  She’s absolutely fearless and eager to try every new challenge.

E, Age 5

Favorite color: blue, pink and purple

Favorite food: mac and cheese, cup of noodles

Favorite treat: suckers, smarties, popsicles

Favorite movie: Cinderella, Back to the Future

Favorite book: Does Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?

Favorite activities: painting, play outside, dance

Favorite toys: legos, stuffed animals, Barbies and Little People

Favorite animal: zebra, lion, panda

Favorite place to go: the theatre

What I want to be when I grow up: mom, dance teacher

I dream about: being a superhero

I worry about: when Penny (her stuffed panda) is hurt

I’m good at: playing, riding my scooter

I want to be better at: dance, reading, riding a bike

Someday I want to: go to Hawaii

I’m thankful for: Jesus

I like it best when: I’m playing

Makes mom melt:  This kid is SO DANG CUTE.  She’s sweet and funny and such an imp.  I love that she’s still my cuddly sweetheart and thrives with some one-on-one attention.  She has an incredible imagination and I love listening to her play, even by herself.  She’s completely adorable and precocious and so stubborn.

Baby Z, 6 months

Be still my heart!  Z is the perfect puzzle piece to our family and makes me so happy.  He is so sweet and happy! He’s such a good baby and his sisters are crazy about him.  He’s ridiculously charming and such a flirt.  His smile is irresistible and I cannot get enough of the beaming sunshine that just radiates from him.

He’s sleeping through the night!  Hurray!  He was doing 6-8 hours until he started teething again and was suddenly back to only 2-3 hour stretches.  But all SIX teeth are through and he’s sleeping 8-10 hours at night.    He doesn’t sleep much during the day, typically three very short (20-40 minute) naps but is so cheerful anyway.  His teeth are so sharp and we’re working through it to keep nursing as long as we can. (some days have been easier than other)  We started him on baby food a few weeks ago and he immediately took to it.  He completely skipped the learning curve; rarely accidentally pushing it out with his tongue.  Instead he slurps it down eagerly (as long as it isn’t green).  We’ve done all the veggies and just started fruits which he loves even more.  He does much better when I thicken his food with baby oatmeal.

He’s using his hands more, starting to reach for things and I love his tight grasp.  He gives me the sweetest cuddles, nuzzling into me and he gives me eager hugs, pushing his arms around my neck and holding tight.  He loves to play with his feet and will even chew on his own toes.  His favorite toys are his superman teether and his pirate mickey and he still loves to watch the ceiling fan.  He loves to roll around on the floor and LOVES playing peek a boo with his sisters.  They can get him giggling like crazy.  And he’s noisy!  He loves to jabber to his sisters, he growls even when nursing and he snores the most adorable baby snores.  Even his cry is expressive, rather than mindless shrieking or wailing, it honestly sounds like he’s making specific demands or complaints and letting me know exactly what he thinks.  Fortunately, he is wonderfully easy going, aside from some recent separation anxiety. 

And huge.  He’s long and lean and has nearly outgrown his infant carrier seat already.  But he’s happy and healthy and perfect.