Wordless Wednesday - Yes, more snow pictures

Sorry for 1) my blog being almost entirely "wordless" lately. Still so much going on that I can't really talk about here at the moment. And 2) all the snow pictures, but that seems to be the recurring theme around here these past few weeks. ^.^

Me and my Snow Turtle (no, that's not my tail *wink*)

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Wordless Wednesday - I swear, he's like a cat...

Because you walk away for just a moment, and come back to him sitting right where you were working.

Then again, he also must be part monkey for climbing all the way up there. o.O

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Pumpkin Butt

I love wool covers, but just don't have the time to keep up with the handwashing and lanolizing. Fortunately, I've recently found the fleece love. All the softness and squishiness of wool, but they can be washed with the regular laundry! Awesome.

Here's a fleece cover I made Oliver this afternoon using Katrina's Soaker pattern. I often call him pumpkin butt due to his fluffy bum, so this seemed fitting especially with Halloween around the corner.

I made it using the Large pattern, but I'm almost thinking a Medium would fit better for day use. I'll have to give it a try later this weekend. Regardless, I think he still likes it..

(Yes, he IS walking. Mastered upright mobility just a few weeks ago. Crazy, uh?)

Wordless Wednesday - Mail Order Baby

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Wordless Wednesday - On the riverbank...

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And he's off!

We're still at my mom's house (who is recovering awesomely!), so again, apologies for not blogging lately. I know I still have tons of promised posts and pictures, but just wanted to share this really quick (which will also help to better explain my absence):

And just for fun...

Wordless Wednesday - Just hanging out...

Oliver, hanging out on my back to prevent him from scooching into the pond when we went fishing a few weeks ago.

He looks so serious in this picture, but he was happy as a polliwog, watching the older Sprouts reeling in their fishies, and just enjoying the gorgeous weather.

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Wordless Wednesday - What good is a baby brother...

if you can't play dress-up with him?!

(That's a too-big sweatshirt, a too-small hat, and a doll bib that Oliver is modeling, all courtesy of big sister, Abbie.)

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Wordless Wednesday - Look what Ollie can do!

As of a couple weeks ago, Oliver can now [almost] sit up unsupported, albeit it for just a few seconds at a time. *sigh* I told him he wasn't allowed to grow up, so not sure what the little stinker thinks he's doing. How much you wanna bet that he tries scooting around next? Crazy kid.

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Happy half-birthday, Oliver!

Can you believe little Ollie is 6mo today? It seems like it wasn't that long ago that I was very, very pregnant, and only a matter of weeks ago when Weebu was born.

But, no, Oliver is indeed celebrating his half-birthday today. And I'm more in love with him than ever. He is probably my happiest baby. That's not to say that he doesn't have his fussy times, because trust me, he does (do you SEE the circles under my eyes right now?!). But the majority of the time, you just look at him, and he breaks into the biggest smile. Say his name, and he starts chuckling that oh-so-wonderful sound of a baby belly-laugh.

Ollie loves playing with his feet, watching his siblings play, and is just now starting to roll over. I don't have an "official" weight, as we are skipping his 6m check-up, but according to the bathroom scale, he's somewhere around 15 pounds.

He's also still exclusively breastfed. I've had several people ask me "Oh, since he's 6m now, I guess you'll be starting solids, uh?". And the answer is no, we will not be starting solids yet. I would like to wait at least another couple months, until after the cold and flu season, to ensure he gets as MUCH antibodies and other goodies as possible. (For more info, check out this article on Kellymom)

I tried to get a cute picture this morning, but Oliver wasn't feeling very photogenic...

Christmas 2008 - part II

What's in the stocking?

Daddy helping Princess Abbie put on the crown and fleece cape

Yes, I'm one of *those* parents who put fruit leather in their kids' stockings. But doesn't look like he's complaining!

Thomas actually didn't mean to pick up the Dora version, but as you can see, Abbie was thrilled to open her Dora Play-doh thingie.

The kids playing with their new trainset, still wearing their capes.

We weren't planning on buying this, but glad we did. Abbie and Isaiah both have already spent hours playing in it.

Christmas 2008 - part I

Best picture I could get of all three of them

Isaiah and Grandaddy (Isaiah's trying to "steal" his glasses from his pocket)

Putting the angel on the tree... oh wait, that cherub is Oliver!

Decorating the tree

Just a cute shot of Abbie

Wordless Wednesday - Ollie the Caboose

As I was making dinner last night, the kids rearranged the kitchen chairs to make a train. Ollie had the honor of being... the caboose!

P.S. Despite his serious expression in this photo, he was absolutely thrilled to be able to "play" along with the kids.

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Wordless Wednesday - Three Sleeping Sprites

The kids were snuggled on the couch, watching the last few minutes of a movie a couple nights ago. I walked out of the room and when I came back, I guess bedtime had snuck up on them.

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Lucky Number 13!

Oliver's 4m check-up was this past week and he weighs an even 13 pounds. :) It was a quick (and painless *wink*) appointment. Pediatrician told me to keep up the great work breastfeeding and no rush to start solids. (He didn't bat an eye when I exclusively breastfed Abbie and Isaiah to 7+ months. No pushing solids, no mentioning iron supplements... just a pat on the back. I *heart* him).

And since Ollie's 6m check-up would fall in January, he said we'll just hold off on it until springtime as there's no sense in bringing a healthy baby into a germy office during peak cold season. Did I mention I *heart* him?

I can't believe how big Oliver is getting. He's starting to reach and grab for stuff, and I don't think it will be too much longer before he rolls over. He's probably my happiest baby out of the three. That's not to say that he doesn't have his fussy moments (trust me, the past few days have been very fustrating!), but his happy moments are SUPER-happy. You just look at him, and he just melts into a smile, which in turn, melts my heart.

Here's a picture of him I snapped yesterday wearing a hat our dear friend Robin knitted for him. It was a total surprise, and I'm floored by her talent. It's the most perfect hat ever. And it's sooo soft as it's made with bamboo yarn. I just love the turtles!

Wow... already?

Can you believe Ollie is 2 months already?! It seems the time is just flying by... although this past week has been a long one. Lots and lots of nursing. Lots and lots. Did I mention we've been nursing a lot. I've eliminated dairy as of 8/28, to see if that helps with his long crying jags and spitting up, expecially since Isaiah is dairy-intolerant. We'll see. Hopefully, for my sanity's sake, this is a short-lived phase.

But in any case... he is such a cutie, no?

In other news, Isaiah has another possible staph infection on his hand. He fell last weekend, and got the tiniest cut on his palm. And now, a week later, there's a nasty blister. I hope it clears up soon, as it's on his thumb-sucking hand, so it hurts when he curls his fist up. Poor guy. :( If anyone has any natural alternatives for treating wounds/infections, I would much appreciate it!

Ollie's Turtle Hat

Before leaving the hospital after Abbie was born, they gave us a tiny knit hat. It looked handmade, so maybe an auxillary group made them for the new babies? Anyways, when she grew out of it, I tucked it away in my hope chest as a keepsake.When I was pregnant with Isaiah, one of my dear friends from Canada (who just had a baby last week- congrats, Mandy!) knitted Isaiah a beautiful hat from super-soft yarn. Again, once it became too small, it was also put away.

So, of course, now I needed a special hat for Oliver. I asked my friend Stephanie if she thought she could come up with something. In no time at all, she emailed me back, saying she had finished the hat. I was suprised at how quickly she made it, having two [incredibly gorgeous] toddlers herself. But I was even more shocked at how *perfect* the little hat was! A beanie-style, just like I wanted, lined with soft cotton jersey. And the icing on the cake was a little turtle accent, hand-drawn by Stephanie.

I absolutely LOVE it! It will always be treasured, even long after he grows out of it. I highly recommend that you check out Stephanie's Etsy shop, Dragonfly Dreams. You will not be disappointed, expecially if you are looking for quality items with great customer service!

Mad Hippie Baby!

Photographing babies is challenging to say the least. And I was reminded of that fact last week, when I tried to take a picture of Oliver. He was being a little hippie baby, decked out in a tie-dyed onesie and adorable rainbow socks (hand-knitted by UnwaveringFaith). He was in a very good mood and kept giving me sly little grins while I was holding him. Figured it would be the perfect time. I laid him down... and his disposition instantly changed! I snapped a picture super-quick and scooped back up again. I guess he wasn't in the mood for modeling. Still a cutie, though, no?

Growing like a weed!

Today we headed over to the birth center (Rockbridge Midwifery) for my 4 week post-partum appointment. Emily (she's the one who caught Oliver... as well as Isaiah) and I had a lovely long talk. Definitely not something you'd find yourself doing at a busy OB office. :) She suggested a few things to help ward off PPD and cope with stress. I'll blog about them at a later date after I start taking them.

We weighed Oliver- he's up to 9 pounds! Hooray for breastmilk, huh? He's pretty much out of his newborn prefolds- they still fit, but the infant-size fits a whole lot better. Still wearing newborn onesies and sleepers, but they'll soon be packed up and mailed off to my friend who's expecting in a few weeks.

Here's a picture of him from a few days ago... "FEED ME!"

Our trip to the pediatrician's...

On Tuesday, we took the boys to the pediatrician for their newborn/2yo check-ups. Oliver, 10 days old, weighed in at 7 pounds 15 ounces. That's up 10 ounces from his birth weight! We were all surprised, as both Abbie and Isaiah lost weight the first couple weeks, and were slow gainers in the first few months. Maybe Ollie will be my little chunky monkey. He peed on me during our naked trek down the hall the the scale, but everything else was uneventful. Isaiah, 2 years old, weighed in at 26 pounds (catching up to Abbie's 29). His gluclose level was elevated when he was in the ICU last week (yeah, I still need to blog about that, uh?), but when we checked it today, it was completely normal. Yay! The doctor did hear a faint heart murmur, but he said he sounded like an innocent one. He said to bring Isaiah back when we bring Oliver in for his 2 month check-up, just so we can keep tabs on it. We had a different nurse than we usually did. She was pretty nice. She was very curious about our homebirth, and asked lots of questions. She did ask if the midwife did circumcisions. Yes, she devotes her live to bringing babies into the world as peacefully and gently as possible, then she cuts off a part of their genitals. *rolls eyes* But, overall, I thought it was neat she was so interested. Anyways, that's the update for now! I'll try posting some more pictures in a little while. Right now, it's lunch time!