The photo shoot - an update on Nate

Recently I did a photo shoot of sorts with each kid to create a fun gift for my dad for his birthday, but we now get to enjoy all of the wonderful pictures, too.  Wonderful because of the autumn leaves and the adorable subjects, not because of my mad photography skills. 

You're gonna try and make me get all pose-like, aren't you?  We'll see about that.

I am extremely grateful for the children the Lord has given us.  They are a blessing and a joy.  They are also a challenge and a refining instrument, testing our patience and reliance on Him.  I thought I would share some pictures while sharing a bit about my little blessings.

You want me to smile?  You crazy.

Nate is doing really well.  He's eating wonderfully, and is willing to try anything.  He's very happy, laughing a lot and taking his siblings in stride {for now}.  He started crawling in September, at fourteen months old, and has gotten really good at it.  This week he started reaching up for things while on his knees.  We recently had his therapy evaluation {we are down to one therapy a week and she comes to us - hallelujah!}, and decided to keep him enrolled for another six months.  It's one-on-one attention that he LOVES and he improves with each session. 

I am too forlorn to smile.  See how I clasp my hands in forlorn-ness?

His first word was "Ella," and it is still his most common word.  While he definitely says, "Mama" and "Dadda," he has several other words that are consistent and mean something to him, but we haven't yet cracked the code.  He loves to imitate words and sounds, so I think his vocabulary will take off pretty soon.

Well, maybe this smiling thing wouldn't be such a bad idea.  Maybe she'll leave me alone if I give in.

Because of his delayed crawling, he picks up on commands quickly.  He definitely understands "all done,", "no drop {food usually}," and "no touch" but for some reason with that last one, while he pulls his hand away {from, say, an outlet}, he gets really upset and starts a tantrum almost. every. time.  I realized yesterday that I haven't trained him to come to me on cue yet, so I have a new goal with him.

Clasp your hands like this and say pretty please, Mom.

Why is it that training babies and puppies is so similar?

Did you do it? 

It's fun to see how much enjoyment he gets out of himself.  He plays peek-a-boo all the time, and loves to hide behind a wall and peek out until you see him and then disappear again.  He also loves hearing about his little piggies, and often when I finish one foot, he puts out his other one.

You got me!  Aren't you a smarty pants?

He is my cuddliest child, preferring to sit on or beside me rather than exploring the couch like the other two did.  He will sit with a board book and turn the pages while I read to the other two.  He knows where his nose is, and will try to pull yours off to show it to you {we're working on the concept of gentle}.

Okay.  I'm focused.  You won't get me again.

I love this boy.  I do not have words to describe how very much I love this boy except to say that I love this boy.

Don't look at her.  Just keep looking at that tree.  Don't. give. in.

You know something weird?  Last year at this time we were in process of moving into this house with no clue that Nate was beginning to get sick.  We had no idea that in two months he would need a feeding tube and that he would continue to need it for eight long months.  I was afraid he would start crawling before Christmas 2012, not 2013!

Oh, I give up.  CHEESE!  What?  You didn't actually expect teeth, did you?

I wonder what next year will hold that will shock and amaze us?

Playing Hookie

I can't believe I am posting twice in one week.  Funny thing is, I'm crazy busy this week with company coming in town and I'm still sick!  Someone told me once that if you need something done, ask a busy person.  Hmm.  I hope you are all enjoying your week.  Anyone else crazy busy? 


So, remember when I showed you our back hallway that only lacked two things?  Well, three if you count a new floor, but we're not counting a new floor, so... two things?  It needed new lights and some hooks for the kids' jackets.

Well, with the leaves already starting to turn and colder weather coming our way, I needed to get on those hooks.  Since we usually use this door to go outside,

And since the garage door is right next to the hallway,

the long empty wall to the left in the top picture was the logical place to put some hooks for jackets and purses.  I hunted around for awhile before zeroing in on the perfect hooks.  The kids and I were in Hobby Lobby looking at the hooks in their knob/pull/hook aisle, but didn't see anything right.  As we were leaving, we walked through the men's décor section.  Did you know Hobby Lobby has a men's décor section?  Isn't that sexist in some way?  Not that I care, I just wondered.  Either way, it is my new favorite section.  The kids and I had so much fun looking through it all .  They have pretty awesome stuff, like a cabinet pull that was made to look like a door handle of a classic car.  A couple of those are definitely going in the boys' room.  And in the midst of the classic car paraphernalia, sports memorabilia and hunting decorations, there were these beauties.

Perfection made better by a 50% off sale bringing them to a mere $2 a pop.  I giggled all the way to the check out. 

When I got them home it was time to give these moose hooks some sophistication {why, yes, I did just use "sophistication" and "moose hooks" in the same sentence}.  A few coats of a high gloss white spray paint did the trick. 

As I was letting them cure, I kept thinking.  Wouldn't it be awesome, I mean totally hilariously awesome, if maybe I painted them-...

Oh. Yes.  Indeedy, it is.  I can't keep from grinning even as I write this.  How awesome is it to have a manly moose, but in HOT PINK???? 

Extremely awesome, that's how awesome.

  

I love when something utilitarian is also beautiful or funny or memorable in some way.  It's those details that make decorating fun.  I felt I could get away with doing something outrageous since the hooks are in a back hallway and not by the front door.  But, really, wouldn't a hot pink moose make your day no matter where he was?

Yeah.  I know.  Me, too.