Whitney at 7 1/2

We are halfway to 8 which is hard to believe.  Whitney is maturing in many ways and continues to make us so proud.

The other day I asked her what was the hardest part about being the oldest.  She said, "Trying to solve the problem".   As a big sister she is so generous and caring.  She plays with Colin and Lauren like they are her peers.  She helps create the play time and gets very excited about the ideas they generate together.  When disagreements arise she is always looking to please everyone and makes suggestions.  And most of the time it works!

Whitney is a very faithful friend.  She and her best friend Elsie have been together in class three years in a row now and have the sweetest little friendship.  They both love art and are constantly making things together during their indoor recess time.  The other day she told me that when they grow up they are going to open an art shop in either Thailand or Ireland.  Her other good friend is Caelyn and they have lots of fun playing legos and barbies.  Lots of giggles!

Whitney did gymnastics this Fall and really enjoyed it.  She is still working on getting that cartwheel but made huge improvement on the vault and bars and loves the beam.  I think the class is great for building body strength and confidence.  This winter she is doing tennis and is really improving her skills.  We look forward to another busy Spring softball season.

At her teacher conference she got rave reviews.  Whitney always works extra hard.  Often finishes her tasks early and jumps right on some extra work, reading or drawing.  She is reading at a 3rd grade level and is in the top math group.  She and Elsie were the first in their class to complete addition and subtraction literacy for 2nd grade and have started multiplication.  She loves art class of course and going to the library to get new books.

Whitney you continue to amaze us with your strong character and caring nature. You make us proud everyday!

Goofy girl selfie

With Elsie at the school winter party

Managing the kid play while Mama cooks dinner.

Helping me make 9 pans of cinnamon rolls at Christmas!

Fun trip to the mall over winter break.

Coloring; a favorite pastime in this house.

Whitney and Elsie visited Caelyn after her tonsillectomy.

Lego Master

After school sister cuddles

  

Baby brother before school cuddles.

Somehow I don't have a recent picture of her and Colin.  But they have such a close relationship.  They sleep over together every weekend and holiday!

I love their closeness and love for one another.  

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:)