tidbits

Sandwiched int he middle of his prayer tonight I heard Samuel say, "...Thank you God that you made Mommy say yes when I asked to play the wii."

Caitlin gained 3 pounds last month. Lovin' her thigh rolls.

McKenna is practically counting the hours until her birthday.

Anna and I got to go shopping together--thanks Gran Gran!--for a couple of hours today. She replaced the last of the fall festival fish with 6 new fish. The one that kicked the bucket today (Sparkles turned Dollie) has been replaced. They all have names, but your age has to be in the single digits to keep up with the names.

8 weeks

So, our sweet Caitlin has arrived at the 8 week mark. She has ditched her pirate eye look. She has finally started to smile. We've seen her smile frequency increase daily at this point. She is sleeping well at night (11:30 to 8:00) when we use the "banana split". That's the name that McKenna gave to the Fisher Price Rock 'N Sleep that we borrowed from Rebekah. It's a beautiful thing, I say.
The kids attended the Fall Festival at church. It's a fun tradition that the kids are already looking forward to for next year. Anna was a gymnast, Sam was Batman, McKenna a fairy, and Caitlin was either "Baby Anna" or "Baby McKenna" (depending on who she looked most like). I was pleased to make Samuel's cape. It's just too bad that I procrastinated and waited until about 3:00 on 10/31 to start it. His mask was the easy part--snipped from the back of a Cinnamon Toast Crunch box.

One Month

Today commemorates what might be the quickest month of my life. Caitlin is up to 9lb 4oz per our visit to her pediatrician today. I think she's gained all of her weight in the last 8 days. I didn't see much of a difference until then. Since then I see her changing daily.

Today also marked the end of Samuel and McKenna's soccer season through the YMCA. They were fun to watch. Their personalities were evident on the field which was one of my favorite aspects of spectating their games. McKenna did a lot of twirling. And skipping. Samuel spent much of his time on the ground. He was always the dirtiest kid leaving the field.

6!

Well. How many posts have I composed in my head in the last 4 weeks? Just one, actually. But I've done it every day.

Miss Caitlin Raye made her grand entrance on September 6th. I don't remember the weather. I don't remember the cost of gas. I don't remember anything except the hours of labor and her arrival. It was physically painful and emotionally wonderful. A great day for all of us.

Since coming home she has found herself at home with us. She's been to cross country meets, soccer games, gymnastics practices, Bible studies, co-op classes, music classes, job interviews, overnight trips to see family, church services, and ice cream socials. We didn't miss a beat, but are enjoying her at home snuggly moments as well.

Caitlin isn't a loud baby, but she's a noisy baby. She has more grunts, squeaks, squaks, and gaks than any other baby I've ever known. She's loud when she's waking up, falling asleep, eating, and breathing.

The other kids have adapted well to Caitlin as well. Anna took about 30 minutes to go from standoffish to melted heart. She has designated herself the diaper changer. And she has changed many a diaper. She loves to get Caitlin up in the morning, unswaddle her, change her, and bring her to me. But before bringing her to me, the girls all have a bonding moment. Anna and McKenna do a "morning dance" with Caitlin. I have yet to see this. Part of me says maybe I don't want to. But down deep I think I want to see it. I love to watch Anna and McKenna interact with her. They love her so much.

And Samuel. Samuel is so gentle with her. He has said many times, "I could hold her for hours and hours". And collectively he has. He gives the sweetest kisses and sings the most caring lullabies. He so wants to have her sleeping in his room. He does, however, want the next pregnancy to result in a brother. (oh dear)

**Side funny: As I nursed Caitlin when she was about a week old Samuel walked into the room and stopped in his tracks. He looked puzzled and said to me, "I thought the thing that she sucked on was on the other side." He had no idea that I could use both sides!

**Side frustration: I struggle with getting the pictures where I want them. I suppose I should just be glad I got them posted.

McKenna, this time around

McKenna woke up this morning and was lamenting about how much she wanted donuts for breakfast. I wasn't in the mood to go get any at a moments notice so I offered to make cinnamon rolls. You know, since no one delivers donuts. She agreed that cinnamon rolls would suffice. We went downstairs and I. kid. you. not. there were donuts on the table. Apparently, on a whim while picking up some milk this morning my dad decided to pick up three iced and sprinkled donuts. And delivered them back to the dining room table. (This reminded me of the time that McKenna sadly looked into the yard on a Sunday morning and said, "I wish we had a play house..." At that moment dad was in the garage assembling the one that had been purchased the day before. It was constructed and in the yard before we got home from church.) This girl has some odd timing for her requests.

Yesterday McKenna was circling the toys that she would like from a specialty toy catalogue that came in the mail. Samuel looked over her shoulder and asked if she would like to have the laptop. "Laptop? That's not a laptop. That's a 'learning tool for the next generation.'" Seriously.

On the night that the girls got "twinkle toes"

Laura was here tonight.

Anna was showering.

Laura looked a bit confused.

"Is that Anna?"

I replied. Yes.

I realized. Not everyone is used to the white noise that our family has grown accustomed to when Anna showers.

Anna sings.

She sings loud. She sings opera. (Or at least opera-like) She sings in what sounds like Latin.

And we don't even notice.

But Laura laughed. She laughed because we didn't even notice that there was a second grader singing Latin opera from the bathroom.

Doesn't that happen everywhere?

It only took 33 years

At the expense of my dear children, and over the course of two days, I may have just won my first game of monopoly. Ever. Until today I thought I had mastered losing with efficiency. I loved playing with the kids, though. They were so excited about it. They were SO into the game. At one point near the end of the game Anna looked at me and said, "You can have all of my properties (all of which were mortgaged) and give my $2000. Take it or leave it, Sister." I have no idea where she gets her competitive nature (smirk).