Ryan is 6 Months

Our littlest guy is 6 months old.  Half a year has passed, and that it hard to believe.  I feel I have gotten to enjoy all those sweet baby moments though, and he is just the sweetest.

His 6 months stats were the lowest percentile for one of our babies at this age.  Except for his head!
18 lbs ( 60%) 26.6 inches (43%)  HC was 96%

 He is a great 4th child, laid back, goes with the flow, and loves to watch all the commotion going on around him.  He is a great little sleeper, but month 5 was a little tough.  Two teeth, a cold, and wanting to be unswaddled and learning how to sleep again!  But we made it through, and seem to be back on track.

Life with Ryan is super sweet!

Ready to walk Colin to school.

He used to be on the play mat.  Watch out Mama!

So happy!

New sleeping position.

Learning to sit.

First swing!

Colin is 4 and a Half

Colin is due for some bragging and his half birthday is the perfect time!

First, I will say Colin's love for his little brother is so heart warming.  He constantly wants to be with Ryan.  Whether its holding him while watching tv, laying down near him while he is on his play mat, holding his hands or feet whenever possible and he must give hugs and kisses to him before bed. Once when Ryan was getting fussy Colin said, "Oh, let me go over and give him some happiness". Que Mama's heart exploding with pride.

Learning to be a great babysitter.

Colin is extremely expressive.  He exudes his own happiness with vigor as well as his frustrations.  He tells you exactly how he is feeling.  Though this comes with some challenges when you are four, I think it is such a strong quality to have and pray he continues to express himself.

He is very creative. He has a wonderful imagination while playing with his toys.  He loves to build and does magna tiles for hours every day.  He loves to color and is super at staying in the lines. He can write his name.  Though sometimes it is in mirror effect!

Coloring for 30 mins before school!

He is in preschool 4 mornings a week.  Thinking back to a year ago and how I was nervous about how school would go, he has done brilliantly.  He is a good listener and follows directions.  He is also great at making buddies!  His best buddy in class is Giovanni.

He continues to look up to Whitney and is so excited when she gets home from school. They also sleep over in Colin's room together every weekend.  He and Lauren play well together but they also stir up some trouble. But as a whole we are super proud of the relationships between them all.

Best buds!

Back porch thoughts.

2-3 days a week he doesn't fall asleep during his nap time.  He rests for an hour then I get to have some one on one time with this special guy!

Colin is my little prince and continues to steal my heart with his big hazel eyes and smirky smile.

Ryan at 4 months

Our little, big guy is 4 months!  He weighs in at 16.6 lbs (73rd %) and 25.6 in long (66%).  He is moving into 9 month clothing.  Following in his siblings foot steps.

Ryan is rolling onto his side, loves playing on his play mat and grabbing the toys.  He loves his new world view in his exersaucer.  He likes to chew on his fingers and is a big drooler.

He is such a good baby and just goes with the flow.  He is full of smiles, chuckles and coos.  He is just pure sweetness!

Lauren is Two and a Half

Spunky, Sassy and Sweet is how I describe this little lady.  Lauren is so full of personality and she makes us laugh everyday!

She was actually happy about this arrangement!

She loves to swing and says, "Higher, Higher".  She likes to paint, is a master at the toddler wooden puzzles, loves to play dress up and still loves a good dance party!  She also loves to sing.  She will break out into Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to try and diffuse a getting in trouble moment.

She is pretty good at keeping up with her big siblings.  She sneaks in a little Lego, Barbie Dream House and Shopkins time whenever she can.  For the most part she avoids destruction.  They have enjoyed sprinkler time just about every day this summer.  The purest of childhood play and memories I will treasure forever.

She has adjusted very well to her baby brother.  She is excited to see him and wants to hold him for about 8 seconds.  She is sure I have a binky handy for him at all times.  She likes to bring him his toys and watch him on his play mat.  Otherwise, she just goes about her business....or pinch his toes in pictures!  See below!

Her favorite thing to do is play with her baby dolls.  She feeds them in the play kitchen, she puts them to sleep, she strolls them in her stroller (usually with a purse over her shoulder), and is so gentle and loving with them.  Such a little Mama!

Though this girl has her fair share of mischief, she is just as sweet as can be.  She is always willing to be a snuggle buddy and generous with her hugs and kisses.  She also is excellent with her pleases and thank yous!

This girl keeps us on our toes for sure, but it makes her that more lovable!

Whitney is 7!

My big girl is 7!  When I see this old kid walking around, I can't  believe it!  What an amazing 7 years we have had with Whitney!

How would I describe Whitney??  Kind, sensitive, smart, hard worker, faithful, thoughtful, funny, athletic, artistic, silly, and lots of fun!

Whitney has had a tremendous year at school.  Her teacher continues to rave about her school work as well as her character.  She went into the school year meeting all her grade level standards, and as the year progressed she moved up levels in math and reading.  It is so fun to watch her love for learning.

Whitney has a wonderful group of friends.  Several mom's telling me that their daughter feels Whitney is their best friend!  A true testament to what a wonderful friend she is.  I couldn't be more proud of that fact.

Colin and Lauren look up to Whitney so much and love when she comes home from school.  She is so patient with them and leads them in lots of fun play time!  She has also been awesome with Ryan since he was born.  A great baby holder!

Whitney has been playing softball this spring and has absolutely loved it.  With some extra coaching from Tim at home, she has really gotten a good swing going.  She has made it on base several times.  It has been exciting season for her!

I look forward to having Whitney home this summer.  Not only because she can help me with all the kids, but so we can spend some quality time together.

Whitney we are so proud of all your accomplishments this year.  We love you!

Lego Friends Birthday Party

Fun building lego sets with her friends.

Softball skills coming in handy!

We were excited to give her one of the Lego sets she has been wanting.  The Shopping Mall! I think she was happy about it:)

Ryan Townsend

Our baby boy surprised us a little early!  It was such a treat!  He came at 38 weeks to the day.  Ryan Townsend O'Neill joined us on April 21, 2016 at 7:19pm.  He weighed 7 lbs 3oz and 21 1/4 inches.  Ryan was born on my grandparents, Mimi and Pop's,  70th wedding anniversary.  A cool fact because we have been blessed with four kids just like them!  Same gender order too!

Ryan not only shares a middle name with me, but his sister in heaven.  This baby boy caught us by big surprise.  I am excited to see how he blesses our lives.  I know for certain, Christine had something to do with him joining our family.  I have never felt more complete.

Our family friend Kay, took our family pictures with Ryan.  She did a wonderful job capturing our precious little boy.  As well, as the warm ( a little bit crazy) welcome from his big siblings!  Here are a few (a lot) of my favorites!

Oh boy!  Lots of fun times ahead!

Colin is Four

Colin is four!  Our little guy is just the sweetest and funniest little kid!

We celebrated his 4th with a ninja turtle party!

Colin is all boy, loving ninja turtles, transformers, and building things.  He has no trouble finding fun with all his toys and having great imaginative play.  And of course he loves when Whitney joins in!

He continues to be a super thoughtful and loving brother.  He looks up to Whitney so much and is thrilled when she is home from school.  He has taken on the role as big brother wonderfully.  He likes being the little ring leader when it is just him and Lauren.  No doubt those two get into some mischief and get their fair share of wrestling in.  He also always looks out for her as well.  I cannot wait to see him with his little brother!

Asking big sis for help.

These three!

Generously letting her participate.

Colin is thriving in school.  He is incredibly social, talkative and eager to learn.  It is so fun to see him making his own little friends!

We are so proud of you Colin and the polite and kind boy that you are!  We love you!