Grace May {7 Years Old}

Grace at 7 years old:

-weight 52 lbs 

-height 47 inches

-size 13 shoe (sometimes size 1)

-lost 4 teeth this year (top two & bottom two)

-favorite disney princess: Jasmine

-favorite things to do: read, build legos, be with her friends at school, family game time, popcorn & movies, hold Boston, ride her bike and scooter, visit extended family

-favorite book series: Critter Club

-favorite school friend: Hannah Gordon

-favorite color: often changes, but lately has been purple

-dislikes: being rushed, eating something new, having new experiences, when people don't hear her out, doing her hair in the morning, going downstairs by herself, feels unfairly treated

Our favorite big sis turned 7! We are incredibly lucky to have her in our family. Grace is a good helper, my assistant when I need an extra set of hands, a playmate for Logan, a creator of fun and imaginative play, a kind and thoughtful friend, a silly goofball, a fast learner, and a faithful daughter of God who knows God loves her. 

Lost her 4th tooth a few weeks ago.

She is so excited to be baptized in one more year and talks about it often. Now that some of her church friends close to her age are being baptized these days, Grace is starting to look forward to it more and more. She is going to start having some special lessons with her Daddy to prepare for that day. 

Grace loves her Grandmas, Grandpas, aunts, uncles and cousins SO much. She feels connections to them deeper than many would understand. She feels their absence in her life and she often is brought to tears when she misses her extended family. Especially her grandparents. 

Grace is a goofball. At times she will let out a giggle that is the EXACT same giggle as when she was a baby. Those are the kinds that bubble up when she can't help it. They're my favorite! Her silliness  can sometimes be really fun and other times cause trouble with Logan. Sometimes we find ourselves trying to help her understand that when she is "trying to be silly", it can come across to Logan as being rude or can cause a fight. On the other hand, they can have the most wonderful time being silly and giggly together! The very best sound is to hear their belly-laughs coming from downstairs as they play Go Fish or build a fort together.

She realized she could stick the arrow to her forehead and kept it there for a few minutes...

Then we noticed the bruise it created. Whoops! It stayed there for a full week, and we found out from several people at school that she was telling everyone her dad was to blame!! Haha! So funny.

 It's rare she will allow it, but when I get to flat-iron her hair she suddenly looks like a teenager!

 Beautiful school pictures this year.

 Super-Kids!

Grace is a really great student! Her teacher loves her and told me she can always count on Grace to jump in wherever she needs her help in the classroom. I'm noticing more and more that she has a very mathematical mind. She is a whiz with her math worksheets and really enjoys thinking through number problems. She loves to build with legos, build forts with whatever she can find, and create elaborate marble sets and train track sets. It will be fun to see what she does with that mind of hers as she gets older!

On Grace's neck, below her right ear, is a small lump the size of a large pea. She was seen by an ENT specialist earlier this year and have finally schedule surgery for 3 days from now. The lump is not a cyst, but just a growth that they aren't concerned about. It does bother her at times though, so we felt best about removing it. 

A few months ago, Grace went through a rough time when it came to sleeping at night. It was truly a hard couple of months. She was really struggling with some anxieties and unhappiness in her mind, and although I don't fully understand it all, there were real worries she was feeling. Late at night, she would express that she wasn't tired enough. She was sad and scared, although she couldn't say exactly why. She wanted to sleep with someone or someone sleep in her room. She wanted to stay up all night. The only times she would sleep all the way through the night without an issue were a handful of times here and there when she was particularly exhausted from being extra physically (and mentally) active that day. Through the course of those couple of months, we discovered that she needed a combination of things in order to get through that hard time and get over some of her anxieties: a) To know she can keep her reading light on as long as she needs to at night, b) Can read on her own for as long as it takes her eyes to get tired, c) We will keep the hall light on all night outside her bedroom, d) To be 100% sure that we can hear her if she needs us, e) That she is loved and appreciated. Grace and I started a journal we write in back and forth. I remind her how much I love her and tell her about the great qualities she has. I ask random questions, etc. She writes short messages back to me and sometimes tells me what makes her worried at night. It has been a great way for Grace and I to connect and have something we do together that is all our own. All of those things together seem to have given her peace at night, comfort in her room by herself, and strengthened our connection to each other. My hope is that she will also be able to reach out to her Heavenly Father more on her own. That she will find that THAT is the biggest key to finding personal peace. I remind her often, but I pray she will find that desire and understanding as she gets older.

This last year Grace has expressed a lot of interest in doing extra-curriculars. I have been slow to jump into that phase of life because I don't feel our family is ready for all of the craziness it can cause in the day-to-day schedule. But we did have her try out a dance class in the summer and she realized quickly she did NOT enjoy that. She wants to try gymnastics/tumbling and I think it would be really fun for her! Hopefully we can try that in the upcoming year. She also started swim lessons which are 30 minutes every week, year-round. She has excelled in it so quickly and has so much more confidence in the water now than she did just 6 months ago! Grace also mentions sometimes that she wants to take guitar lessons. I had hoped to start her in piano since we have one already and I feel it's a great place to start with music... but we will see how things go in the coming year. I don't want her to be juggling multiple extra lessons per week (on top of school) at age 7... it seems too young to me still. So we are taking the extra-curriculars somewhat slowly. 

We love our Gracie girl! I don't know what I would do without her in our family. She is a great blessing to all of us, and I know her little brothers will look up to her example in many ways. 

Happy Halloween!

Halloween was so much fun this year! We were all healthy (for the most part), the kids loved their costumes, and I wasn't feeling super-duper-awful like last year. It was great! We did small halloween crafts throughout the month, the kids helped me put up lots of window clings (I bought a few extra this year since it's the kids' favorite!), and we had multiple days of trick or treating. It was a great time!

Can I just say we had the very cutest little Convict in all the world?! I mean!! Look at this boys' baby tattoos. 

Grace was Jasmine, her favorite Disney Princess. I love how unconventional her pick is. I mean there are plenty of girls who went as one of the more "princessy" princesses with ball gowns. Jasmine is sort of an underdog. Grace loves her! It was really fun to do her makeup and hair this year.

 I didn't get another shot of Logan since he wouldn't let me. But I took his photo for the preschool costume day (last post).

Here are our kiddos on the night of our ward Trunk or Treat!

 Our ward was supposed to have a parking lot trunk-or-treat, but it was rained out. So they held the chili dinner and carnival games inside, and then those of us with candy staked out classrooms so the kids could come up to our "doors" for candy. It was a big success!! The kids had a great time with all the games and dinner was actually really yummy. We were impressed.

 Rachael Warren is a YW in our ward and she adores Boston. She holds him every chance she gets!

 Another sweet YW (and our favorite babysitter!) is Kate Croshaw. She loves my kids and even instagrammed a photo of Grace and her. So sweet! I love these girls for loving my kids.

 Jeremy Chatfield (and his wife Brynn) are some of our good friends. Our very first when we moved in, actually. Jeremy has no sons and loves hanging out with Boston! I love it.

 Oakley, Teal, Logan and Audrey

"Trick or treat, Dad." Logan went to each door probably 4 times each. :) 

 Happy Halloween!!

 Halloween this year was actually on a monday, so that's the day Grace got to have her costume parade at school. Ryan even got to meet us there while he was on a lunch break so we were all there to see her parade around the campus. She was the most beautiful Jasmine! And she was sweet with Logan, giving him hugs and being excited to see him. I think it truly made his day.

 Her teacher, Mrs. Foy.

 They paraded around all the classroom doors (since it's all outdoors) and then around the blacktop and back to their rooms. It was chilly that day (for Californians), so they were brave!

 That evening it was supposed to rain quite a bit, so we didn't have high hopes for much trick-or-treating. Plus our neighborhood doesn't get many kids coming by (maybe a handful). So the kids and I left our candy bowl on the porch, walked around to 2 neighbors' homes who said they wanted us to come by for sure, and then we went to our friends' house for dinner.

 Rock and Rheann across the street. They're the sweetest!

At the Hanchett's house, we had a chili dinner with a few families and Ryan was able to meet us there after work. Then we all went out in a group (in the rain!) to trick or treat on their street. They get hundreds of kids on their street because they have big homes, lights on the street, and sidewalks. Not many places in town have those things. So it was a popular place, aside from the heavy rain. 

Boston fell right to sleep while we walked around. Unfortunately I didn't remember my own coat... but we survived.

We had a fun time, although got QUITE wet. After about 10 or 11 houses, Ryan ran back to the Hanchett's to pick up our car, then picked us up. haha. 

 We decided to try something new this year, and offered the kids money for all their candy. They were super excited!! Didn't even look back. They each got to pick a toy from ToysRUs that week and have enjoyed their purchases. :) Win-win!

Doesn't Grace look crazy old in this photo?! Scary! They're growing up so fast.

Boston Lee {6 months old}

Boston's at 6 months:

-weight 21lbs 8oz (96%)

-height 27 1/4 inches (68%)

-head circum. (can't remember the number but it was about 60%)

-nicknames: Mr. Boston, Little Man, Sweet Boy, Chubalubba, Boss
-loves to scream super high-pitched when he isn't getting enough attention

-starting to say "mama"! He started the month saying "mamamama", but now he mostly just whines a big long "mmmmooooommmm" when he is tired of the floor or his bed and wants me to pick him up.

-sitting up really well on his own (although still falls any direction, but stays upright for awhile)

-still eating solid foods well. Likes: sweet potatoes, bananas, squash, plain oatmeal, carrots. Dislikes: avocado, green beans, peas are a bit of a struggle, any chunks in his food (even small ones).

-prefers his Mama to hold him, but is getting better about letting Dad hold him/calm him down sometimes.

-is teething and/or having separation anxiety at night and some of his nap times. He has needed me anywhere from 3 to 6 times at night over the last couple of weeks. When he is at his most whiney point in the day, we resort to a dose of Motrin. I can't tell yet if it's helping.

-rolls over any direction super quick, but also is starting to spin around in circles in order to see or get to what he wants.

-is already learning to be an inch-worm... stretches his arm out, then sticks his bum in the air, then stretches again, on and on until he gets himself forward several inches. This boy is going to be crawling before we know it.

-naps generally 3 times a day: around 9-10am, 12-2pm, 4-5pm. 

-doesn't nurse at night unless he is so upset about something (gums??) that I give in to help him relax.

He is such a happy boy!!

 Those sweet, dimpled hands!

 Look at that big booty. 

 Can't forget these big Flinstone feet!

 Just chillin' in mom's room while big bro plays ipad. Boston loves watching the games while the kids get their 10 minutes each morning.

This little smile he does makes me giggle. Bottom lip sucked in and his little pity-smile. 

 I can't believe he is already sitting up in restaurant highchairs. He looks way too big!

 Boston loves hanging with Dad in the evenings.

 This is Ryan at 12 months... Boston sure looks like his dad!!

One of Boston's very favorite things everyday is bath time! 

 Boston does NOT like avocados. Crazy kid.

 Nighttimes have been difficult lately. Typically I can swaddle him, lay him down in the crib and he might wake up once needing to be rewrapped and binkie put back in. But this last month he was sick with a nasty cough and stuffy nose for over half the month. He was miserable and couldn't be laid flat, so I resorted to the swing. But he is so strong (and too big for his swing) that he gets out of his wraps and then tries to pull down the toys that hang overhead. 

Even now that he is better, he is still going through night time issues because of either gum pain or separation anxiety and I'm up several times to help calm him back to sleep.  But at least he isn't nursing at night anymore!