Happy EIGHT Months, Christopher!!

Christopher Henry, our sweet little pumpkin. You bring us so much joy with each passing day! Such a go with the flow guy, but you also make sure that you are NOT forgotten...you will yell your heart out to get our attention if you feel we're not giving enough.
A sweet, sweet cuddle bug...always snuggling and wanting to be held every chance you get, by any one of us!!..or anyone for that matter. You absolutely love being worn and eat up that closeness...staring into our eyes, melting into us like you're putty, and feeling our face with your tiny hands.
A show-stealing ham!!! You have just perfected the most amazing cheesy smile I have ever seen. Those two little teeth, a scrunched up nose, it's pretty great. I have a feeling you are going to have this very larger than life personality because you constantly have us roaring with laughter...and you know it, so you continue to whatever it was even more. Your new "tricks" include clapping when we say "YAY!" (I swear you say "YAY" too, but that would be crazy.haha), holding on to an object and standing unassisted, crawling in your own kind of way,  alllllmost pushing yourself from laying on your belly back up to a seated position, and plenty of babbling "dada", "mama", "gaga".
It's really hard to tell what your favorite food is because we haven't found anything you don't like yet. Even when I think things may have a little too much spice or tang, you still love it. You make these amazing noises while you eat....we'll work on manners later because right now they make us crack up laughing in the middle of dinner.
You had your first real sickness this past month. It was pretty sad and you were up a lot at night....so much that I even climbed into your crib with you a couple times. You're feeling much better now though!!

 

And because THIS is what a ham you are!!!!

 

Happy EIGHT Months, Christopher!!

Happy SEVEN months, Christopher

Only a month late....that's all. We did take your picture on time, however, it is very hard to sit down and document it. Not because I don't have time for you, Christopher....but because not sitting down at the computer is the only way I DO have time for you!! Every little bit of my free time is now occupied.haha. I had to get this picture on here right away though because we're getting ready to take your EIGHT month picture!! Which is going to be FUN.
Sorry...Mommy is always rushing and tired, and gets off the subject quickly.
So, anyway, HAPPY SEVEN months, a month ago, Christopher!! I take daily pictures of you, so trust me, your life is being very documented! I am saving all of these milestones, adventures, and cute tricks for the EIGHT month blog though, so here is the picture.

You turned SEVEN months in Cape May, NJ. There was a lot of fun to be had during the few days we were there....and you were adorable, as always! The awesome SEVEN out of flip flops was Pap's idea.

School days

SCHOOL DAYS!!! YAY! Who was excited for school to start??! Who had been waiting for these days all summer?! Happy days!! WOOO HOOO!!!
NO. Leave now. I'm serious. Just leave.
School days. These days are obviously celebrated by those that either have kids that can be responsible for waking themselves up in the am, or those that can get their kids ready, drop them off, and drink mimosas for the remainder of the day. I'm not jealous at all, I promise....I just don't like you. Kidding. Kind of.

Let's start with the teenager that cannot wake himself up to save his life. SO annoying. It's super annoying that I have to give a life lesson before 7am, y'all. That's right, before 7am, I am giving a flippin life lesson on how a job is not going to care that he didn't hear his alarm. And after that, there is still no sense of urgency....he still does everything he would as if he was on time. I mean, I don't think I was ever late....however, my bus also didn't come at 7am....but that's not an excuse at all. I guess I should be up, making sure he's awake....but, 16 is kind of old enough, and I was just up nursing a baby not long before that.

Let's move on to Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Those school days. Who was happy to send their kid to preschool?! No. I already told you to leave. IF you are still here and were happy to send your kid to preschool, you probably didn't have any other children to worry about. THAT is when sh!t gets stressful. Let's run through a typical Wednesday because a Monday just wouldn't be fair.
Wednesday morning. Wake up to Madeline staring in my face before my 6:30 alarm...I don't even question why she's up so early anymore, she just is.  Slowly roll out of bed, and before my feet touch the floor, Joseph is UP...he is my very spirited child...he is not just up, he is screaming....SCREAMING for me. So, after running in to get him, I coax every one downstairs for breakfast. This includes a huge dispute over who gets which bowl, what they can agree on eating....I don't even say they have to eat the same thing, but apparently to keep the peace, they must eat the same thing. After a long, tiresome start to the day, I start getting children dressed. Usually during the most chaotic of that is when Christopher wakes up. DRESSING ALL CHILDREN AND YOURSELF IS SUPER STRESSFUL. You know, that point in the morning where Joseph is fitting out over wanting to wear boots that give him  blisters instead of comfortable shoes. Once something in our morning disrupts Joseph, it's all over from there. Madeline also likes to feed into whatever chaos is going on with Joseph, and that's always super fun.
Let's fast forward to when we get to school. All these well behaved 4 yr olds being dropped off, then there's my spirited little two year old, screaming.....SCREAMING that he has to leave his sister. Lord, help me. I mean, they seem like they can't stand each other while together, but cannot stand to be apart?? I don't understand.[only child of 10 years]. Anyway, WE are like the side show at preschool drop off in the morning. Pick up? Same. Who decided preschool for one was a swell idea? Really.
I keep telling myself it will get better. Repetition and all that.....fingers are crossed.

Happy SIX Months, Christopher!

Sorry I'm late, little buddy, but you turned SIX months at Myrtle beach!! Lately it's hard to find the time to it down at the computer so...  Happy SIX Months, Christopher! We tried to write a 6 in the sand...even though it's kind of hard to see. You were such a good boy on vacation, as we toted you back and forth from the beach, to the pool, to the room, all day long.

You are so easy going. Whatever, wherever, you are there.. Except long car rides....you could definitely do without them. We can take you anywhere though, and you're just so happy and content.

Your smile is contagious and it just lights up our home. We are all completely obsessed with you and how adorable you are. I could stare at you all day, Daddy just loves to nibble you all over, Joshua loves to make you giggle, Madeline could squish you to bits, and Joseph still treats you like a gentle newborn, with gentle forehead kisses for his little "HI". Yep, that seems to be the nickname your brother, Joseph, has given you....I think he hears us saying, "HIIIIIII" in a cute, sing song way that he may have assumed that was what you should be called. No matter how hard we have tried, he still calls you HI. You enjoy all of us just as much, though....falling all over yourself whenever we say just one word. When your sister starts to pick you up and we are running to save you, you're so laid back. haha.

Food is your most recent interest. Anything we have, you want. You have tried veggies, grains, and even some meats. Pizza crust falls under grains, right? because you LOVED it. You also really love eggs, peas, and green beans.....but, there's a possibility you love all things food.

You grab everything in sight and it goes straight in your mouth to your 2 emerging bottom, front teeth. The smaller the toy, the better, so we really have to watch you with all these big kid toys laying around.

You adore cuddling....you make it a point to wake up exactly at 3am every morning. You nurse and cuddle. It's almost like you know this is just our time. We both end up falling back asleep, while you're nursing, but I always put you back in your bed before sunrise because your sibs like to wake up a tad WAY earlier than you. Oh, and when you wake up at 3am, you're never crying, just talking...and waiting for me. It makes my heart skip a beat.

Sitting up like a big boy, you also try to maneuver your way around the floor to where you want to be. It's mostly a roll, but you're also exploring your hands and knees. I love to see you wiggle all the way across the floor, only for a big sibling to remove the toy that was your destination. You don't cry about it, you just watch how they play with the toy....either plotting revenge or how you will play with it at some point.

You are loved so much.....our little BIG surprise that we cannot imagine life without.

FIVE MONTHS & VSD update

I've been taking the pictures...just having the time to sit down and write is what holds up the process here.
Christopher, you are seriously the sweetest little guy in the world. You observe your surroundings and take it all in...watching, and waiting until you are big enough to join in the chaos. I love that about you, how inquisitive you are. You're on the go when we lay you on the floor....rolling all the way across the room, far away from where you were left. You have the cutest, most hearty giggle that it is contagious. We haven't tried any food yet, you seem to be super content with just nursing. Haven't spotted any teeth, but you're chewing on every thing, and every one, so they may be coming soon! You just started using your jumperoo and are loving it...in fact, you try to jump all the time now...even in your bouncy seat. You have given up the swaddle!!...MUCH earlier than your other siblings! Your eyes light up when we talk to you, and you babble right back. You've started to protest car rides...but hopefully you will give up on that soon, especially since we have your first vacation coming up with a long road trip to get there. You grab every thing in your path, nothing is safe. Now to teach your little big brother that you can't have every thing that he can!
We absolutely adore you, Christopher. Happy FIVE MONTHS.

Now for the medical report. I haven't mentioned the heart issue here previously because I wanted more information and needed to understand it a little better. AND OUR BABY IS PERFECTLY HEALTHY AND THRIVING....please, look at him.haha.
Christopher was born with 2 congenital heart defects, a small sized ASD (Atrial Septal Defect), and a moderate sized VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect), and also a heart murmur.
The murmur is nothing to be concerned with, it is basically just an abnormal sound that can be heard with a stethoscope and affects 45% of children.
The ASD is a hole in the wall that separates the top two chambers of the heart, but it is very common in infants and it turns out that it closed up between the time we left the hospital and his first cardiologist appointment at 3 weeks.
Now, the VSD is a hole in the wall separating the two lower chambers of the heart, it happens to be one of the more common congenital heart defects, thank God. This is the one that seems to want to stick around though. He can still thrive in life with this....the Cardiologist always jokes with me that I can let him cry. I reply, "I wouldn't let my baby cry even if he didn't have a heart defect!". She is an amazing Dr. and I feel that he is in the best hands possible.
Our most recent appointment was on Tuesday. This one proved to be a little more difficult than the previous ones because now Christopher is completely aware that he must be still, therefore held down, for the hour it takes to get an echocardiogram. We had a different technician (not as experienced as the previous) this time around and she insisted on swaddling (in this weird way that puts the baby's arms behind their back and they basically sit on them), well he decided a week or so prior to this that he was done being swaddled, let alone be put in this behind the back mess. So, it was up to me to occupy, yet keep him still. Me, and what they call "sweeties"(sugar water) to dip his Nuk in. Talk about a long hour. I sang, played peek-a-boo, made a swishing sound machine noise in his ear, put Elmo on (it's a pediatric cardiologist, so there's tvs in all rooms) so there would be a different sound in the room, I nursed (that's another blog, this new chick was not comfortable with that), everything I could do to keep him still. He was such a good boy though...he didn't cry, just let out grunts, squirmed around, and protested this whole holding still thing.
So, after the echo, we learned it didn't shrink or close, and there is still a moderate sized VSD in Christopher's heart. We will go back to check again in a few months to evaluate it again and pray it gets smaller or closes!!!. This is something he can live, grow, thrive with, so it is not supposed to be concerning (tell that to a mother!!!). We just have to keep a close eye on him....if he starts losing weight, becoming lethargic, breathing heavily, etc., then it would be of concern. But, right now, at 15 lbs. he is developing just fine. This sweet little boy of ours.

Here he is, checking his own heart.HAHA.

Let's play a little game....

Alright. It's been a while....I'm not busy or anything. Not at all.

Let's play a little game.
I'd like to call it "Am I talking to the labradoodle or the 2 yr old boy?"

"Don't eat tissues!!"
"Don't pee there!!"
"We don't put our 'tail' in people's faces!!"
"Don't eat things out of the pile I'm sweeping!"
"Don't drink out of a puddle on the ground outside....or inside if there happens to be one!"
"Don't bite tires off the toy cars!"
"Don't lick the window...or the floor...or people"
"Don't take things out of the trash"
"Don't shred toilet paper all over the floor!"
"Get down from the table!"
"Don't run outside alone!"
"Stop chasing Madeline"
"Don't bite, be easy"
"Out of the toilet!"


The two yr old. These are all things I've said to the two yr old. And most of them just today.
I rephrase in a more positive way, but you get the picture.
This boy keeps me on my toes.....
Oh, and we always dress in orange in public....it's easiest for me to find in a crowd. He has disappeared more times than I'd like to admit.

FOUR MONTHS

So, I've had this written, just didn't put together the post with the pictures. We'll call this the 3 and 4 month post.
Oh my goodness!! How is this little roly poly bundle of absolute joy already FOUR MONTHS old?!

Alright, Christopher, I'm really going to need to know what the deal is.... Are you really this good or are you going to play the part and trick me in a few months??! You sleep from 8pm-7am with zero complaints. When you do wake up, you are in this absolutely amazing mood that I can't help but to shake my morning mumbles and be in a wonderful mood too. You are carted around everywhere from the park, to the pool, to baseball, to restaurants, to others homes, to your bouncy chair, without a care in the world. Your motto should read, "just along for the ride", because that's exactly how you act! Although, you are definitely starting to come into your own and make yourself known!!! You babble and laugh, sometimes you even yell if you feel like you're not being noticed. You are so sturdy and just go along with your siblings.... picking you up, unintentionally not being as gentle as they should, "offering" your nuk even when you haven't expressed you need it, barging in your room when you're so peacefully sleeping..... Geez, after all of that, I kind of feel sorry for you now, buddy. But, I know this home of yours sounds crazy. Someone is always yelling, crying, running, jumping, screaming, slamming, making it sound like you're in the middle of a war zone (and, honestly, no doubt you are), but these siblings of yours love you with all of their hearts already. FOUR MONTHS in and you're the star. Joshua can't but smile at your babbles, Madeline thinks you are "THE cutest baby boy in the whole world", and Joseph knows you as "Chris", but insists on calling you "HI".haha. You are so adored, Christopher.
Let's see, new tricks include rolling over, blowing bubbles, grabbing toys, and pulling your own nuk out and sometimes getting it back in.
Love you so much , little guy.

Here's 3 and 4 months.... I didn't even have time to edit them.haha

 

 

 

Joshua & Joseph's car and transportation party

Still have to write Joseph's TWO blog. But, since I just imported the pictures from my camera to computer, I'll share their party!! I'll save the people pictures for facebook, and just share them and the décor here.
I had SO much fun preparing for it!

Josh's cars, 1-16 yrs. Our unleaded gas & antifreeze.

Joseph's broom brooms!

Awesome traffic lights made by my mom

Proud of the car cake! haha.

First time making a cookie cake.

 

SIXTEEN

I've put this off...
SIXTEEN makes me sad. It is an age of independence, as we hand our children a card, give them the keys, and for the first time ever, entrust them with their own lives....well, sixteen and a half, anyway. It is an age where I will blink my eyes and my child will be an adult...or so that's what they think happens in 2 years. An age that is to be celebrated...and will be at his party next weekend. It's a big deal.

Honestly, it's so strange to me. Here is my baby, SIXTEEN years old, still my baby that I couldn't imagine anything ever happening to. But, there I was at this age, pregnant with him. Strange and scary....as we hope every single day he will make responsible choices. We have already had our fair share of situations that he should have handled differently. Go figure, he's not the perfect model teen!! We have these high expectations for our children....don't make the same mistake I did, go far in life, reach for the stars, you are the company you keep, look presentable while expressing yourself, blah, blah, blah. But, in reality, we are all here to make mistakes, learn from them, and be the best person we can be. After traveling down this teenage road with my son, I understand that. He WILL make mistakes, he WILL fall, and WE will be there to catch him. I hope he knows that. Even if we are upset with him, there are open arms for him to fall back on.

My son has been through a lot in his sixteen years. More than I wish he had. There are times that I wish he had the same opportunity as our children now.... Two parents in a loving relationship, a stable home, never having to see his mother struggle to put food on the table, never seeing the toll an abusive man can take on a woman. But, then he wouldn't be the guy he is today. Even if it isn't obvious, the boy really is thoughtful and appreciative....he worries about my feelings often, this is no surprise given our history.

Joshua. Most think of his quiet nature first and that makes me laugh because he's anything but quiet.
He really does make me laugh. I know I post funny, annoying things about him often, but the boy really does bring a smile to my face. He's an open book....he tells me about his day, the good and bad, things other people did, things that make me cringe!, every single day he walks in the door. Sometimes he talks SO much, I wonder if he will stop...but I quickly put that thought aside and keep listening because I'm glad he talks to me. Those that think he's so quiet, should be here when he gets home from school. He's always looking to make me proud, as he tells me about a test he tried hard on or about his baseball practice. He's so concerned with others and their feelings....definitely not the way they perceive him though because he could care less about that. He obsessively works out and tries to eat healthy...I'm quite sure I passed this not so great habit onto him. Loves being great at baseball, rapping, skateboarding, playing video games, youtube channels, and snap chatting his girlfriend.
Most importantly, he is absolutely amazing with the kids. He is a babysitter, a playmate, a role model (I have to remind him of this role often), a big brother that loves them dearly. It is so nice to know that I can leave the kids with him while I run to the store, and not have to worry. Hellllooooo summertime, built in set of hands!!! He says he doesn't want kids though...I think these siblings of his have scared him in the right direction until at least 30 years old. HAHA.


This boy has my heart and makes me so proud. I really hope that he grows up to be the absolutely amazing man I know he can be because the world needs more of them!

I can't believe we'll actually be celebrating next weekend and I'll have to fully admit he's SIXTEEN.

 

 

 

Alright, there will be SO many picture I'm digging up at his birthday party!