Family Photo

Well, we rarely get our pictures taken professionally just because Kurt is so good at taking pictures. So the church elders and families got together to do a few photos for the church and we decided to bring our camera along in case we got any good photos since we were all dressed up. Of all the photos, only one turned out, but that's all you need, so we were thankful for that.

With young kids you always have to laugh at the ones that don't turn out, so thought I'd post one of the bloopers. Here, Abby is making funny sounds which eventually led to a stinky diaper. Everyone got a kick out of that.
Here's the one that we thought turned out good.

Abigail Photos and Outdoor fun

A photo of Abby getting a bath. This one happened to be on her 1 month bday.

I love this photo, because it was so random. Nathan was going through Kurt's legs and Kurt just bent over and took a picture. It turned out so cute.

We have a nice backyard to play in and here are the boys playing in the rocks....go figure.

Silas balancing on our little garden ledge.

This is a classic.
Nathan loves his balls!
More rock throwing activities. I've learned sometimes I just have to turn my back and enjoy the fact that these boys love to be outside regardless of what they are doing. The other day we were outside for at least a half an hour before I realized Nathan only had one shoe on and the other foot just had a sock on. Oh well, he didn't seem to mind and I just let him be, that is so much growth in me raising these boys!

A phone call...

Here's Nathan talking with Grandpa Shippy...




And not to leave two of the others out...

Abby is 1 month and Nathan is 18 months!

Well, time for another update. I'm not sure where the time is actually going, because my last post was when Abby was 2 weeks and she's already a month old! She is doing great! She's already 8 lb and 10 oz which is the 33%. She's really starting to fill out and even get some chunky cheeks! Her height is 20.5 inches which is 28%. Overall, she is a very good baby. She still sleeps quite a bit during the day, so that has made it easier on me with the boys. She's waking up about twice during the night with about 4 hours in between feedings, so not too bad. The boys are still loving her almost to the point where they fight over her in the mornings to see who gets the first kiss and neither will go to bed without saying goodnight to her. So very precious!

Nathan also had his 18 month appt, so we are keeping the dr's office very busy. He weighed in at 25 lbs which is the 39% and 32 inches tall which is 42%. He's so much bigger than Silas ever was, so he just seems so huge to us. Let's just say he's bigger now than Silas was at 2 years old, so I think he'll pass Silas quickly. He still has a very easygoing attitude and is such a sweet child. He keeps us on our toes, as he has quite the sense of humor for an 18 month old.

Overall things are going well here. Everyday brings new challenges, but we learn from them and I think every night we get a new laugh out of how we're handling things. We feel very blessed and thankful for these delightful children. I'll post pictures when I get time........time...what's that?

Updates

Ok, I like to do these milestone updates, mainly for me so that I remember, but I think it is nice to have family know how the kids are doing since they don't get to see them that often. So here we go.

We had Silas's 3 year dr's appt. the same day as Abby's 2 week appt, so needless to say, we were at the dr's office for quite awhile! Here is what Silas measures at. He is now 28 lb 4 oz which is the 14% and his height is 36 inches or the 15%. So, at least we can say he's definitely proportional! Let's just say I think he has a lot of the Shippy genes in him and I don't think he'll be the tallest of the bunch! To make matters worse, Nathan is only 2 lbs lighter than Silas and not much shorter, so no more beating up on his brother!

Other than that, Silas is doing great. I wish that the terrible 2's would end when they turn 3, but I guess not! He is such a delight overall though and I really can't complain. He is really enjoying being a big brother and although Nathan and him go at it often, if they are separated they both want to know where the other one is. Silas can often be seen kissing Abby CONSTANTLY and says, I love my baby sister. So, I'm thankful for that. His other new comment is, "I'm just interested." So if he's getting into something he shouldn't, he'll say that. He is still our little encourager and tells us often that we are doing a good job at whatever we're doing. So, thankful for that.

Abby is growing like a weed. At her 2 week appt, she has surpassed her birth weight by almost a lb! She's now 7 lb 3 oz which is 39% and 20 1/2 inches which is 85%. She's a pretty good baby from what I can tell so far. She eats every 3-4 hours and in the night it is closer to 4+ and I'm very happy for that. She "usually" goes right back to bed after eating which really helps! She puts up with her brothers pretty well and takes all of their kisses in stride.

As a whole we are adapting to having 3 young ones as best as you can. Here are some things we are learning as parents.

• Humility (ask for help!)
  
• Flexibility (we move about as fast as a heard of turtles)
  
• Bath night takes a full hour and then some
• McDonald's playgrounds have become great dates!
• Always call ahead to check hours of operation before packing 3 children into a car!
• It's never good when your 3 year old tells you that your crabby. First of all that he even knows what that means, but that he's telling you that when he's actually right!
• Also, that your 3 year old is telling people that baby Abby drinks from mommy because she doesn't have a sippy cup......hmmm, not sure I like that announced in public!
  
• To be continued.........
  

Silas is THREEEEEEEE....

It's hard to believe that three years has already passed by... Thankfully, we were able to spend the day as a family, and as you'll see, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Silas got a bike - and of course, a helmet. If you look closely, you'll notice mama even insisted that he wear elbow pads. I'm not sure how fast she thinks he's going to be going on that thing, but hey, at least he's safe right?




Here's hit first attempt (with a little help)...



Now he thinks he's a pro... As you can see, his riding has improved... (not too bad for a couple hours later)








And yes - he's still a goof ball at home.

We went to a place called 'lil Biggs - an arcade for toddlers, and you can see what fun we had.




Nothing like a HUGE bounce house for the kids... here's an action shot.


Nathan even had fun... the videos tell it all!






Cake anyone?


Here's the next morning - it's amazing what a night's sleep can do for someone's riding style! And yes, he went around...and around...and around...