It has been awhile . . .

Apparently there are a few people out there who read our blog to keep up with the current happenings of our growing abode.  I was pretty certain this was mostly a journal for me and a place for the grandparents to read about the boys.  Much to my surprise my husband said people were asking about why I hadn't written in awhile.  The bottom line is, I hate posting pictures.  To be honest I have about 20 saved posts that never made it on here because it takes too long to get the images up.  Well, this go around I have decided that posting pictures is not going to serve as a prerequisite for getting my thoughts and our family memories on here.  So here goes it. . . a new vision. . . fewer pictures. . . more words.  I guess it really is for my boys to read when they are older and raising their own little munchkins anyway :) 

So we are now a family of five: 4, 2 and brand new.  Each of them is 27 months apart.  Needless to say life is filled with joyous chaos.  One minute my boys have me laughing on the floor the next minute I am taking deep breaths while counting in order to avoid a colossal meltdown.  I am sure you can all relate right . . . if not just humor me and say yes. 
Our four year old:
Oh my Owen, he is growing up so quickly.  It seems like overnight he went from being my toddler to a little boy.  He is starting to read, counting to 100, dabbling in addition and subtraction (with lots of help from us). . . in so many ways he is ready for kindergarten. . . to bad I am not.  I don't know if I am ready to be apart from him for 6-7 hours a day.  Right now there is no one else who has more time with him.  No one knows him more intimately than I do.  I am his mamma and he needs me, right.  School feels like the beginning of that all changing.  Pretty soon, friends, teachers, girls (yikes!) will all have increasing influence over him.  It is the start of seeing our parenting in action . . . how it impacts his actions, thoughts, and choices.  No pressure right!  Anyway, I digress. . . he is one sweet, affectionate, rowdy, physical little boy.  He still loves to cuddle up on my lap and give me monster bear hugs.  The other day he told me he never wants to grow up so that he is always small enough for me to hold him.  MELT MY HEART!  He always knows how to get me. And then in the very next moment he hauls off and tackles his brother to the ground.  I can't even count how many times a day I say use your words not your hands!  When he does use his words, he is asking so many thoughtful questions now about life, marriage, growing up, working, friends. . . it is amazing watching him discover the grander world around him.  I never anticipated my four year old inquiring about who he would marry, what kind of job he would have, and where they would live.  It makes me chuckle when he get so interested in his "grown-up" life.  However most of the time, he still loves his legos, puzzles, superheroes, and minions.  He is always one step away from a make-believe world, and I love seeing how he creates story lines and ropes his younger brother into his adventures.  He is the kind of kid that can turn anything into a toy - the couch is a firetruck, space ship, tent. . . a pillow is a shield, hot lava, firepit. . . the list goes on.  This boy also loves his people.  He is constently talking about his friends Avery and "the other" Owen, he treats Norah like a sister, and his grandmas are pretty much the most important people in his world.  He constantly talks about San Diego, Aunt Bekah, and the beach.  But his absolute favorite place on Earth is Packwood.  He could live there all year, playing outdoors, swimming in the pool, and eating smores for dinner.  What kid wouldn't love that right!  It is amazing to me that in just a few months he turns five!  In 13 more years he will be off to college.  At least he wants his dad and I to move with him when he goes. . . at least he told us that the other day, we will see if it sticks. :)

Becket Boy. . . where do I start with you. . . you are ALL boy.  I am constantly on your heals saying careful, gentle, no . . dangerous . . Beckett.  I am pretty sure all the gray hairs on my head occurred after you starting walking.  Oh, but, adrenaline is good for us right!  I don't really need to go on any amusement park rides, I have you in my life to make my heart pound daily.  Even when we are alert at all times, you still find ways to get into trouble. . . like the day you climbed on the table and pushed the lights around above the kitchen table, and then an hour later I found you in the co-sleeper with your four week old brother.  I am still not sure how you climbed OVER him and squeezed your chubby little self in the remaining space on the other side.  I grab you off the bookshelves at least a dozen times a day, and we are constantly reminding you to walk rather than jump off the stairs.  Every piece of furniture is tested first as a trampoline and then as a launching pad.  Needless to say we need new couches.  You love sports . . . you want to play basketball with the big boys, you can swing a bat and hit a ball, and you love kicking around soccer balls.  We have to remind you often that balls are for throwing toys are not.  Grandpa learned that the hard way yesterday when you threw a hard toy and it hit him square in the nose.  You aren't much for cuddling, but your mamma always find ways to get snuggles.  I love how you take your chubby little hands, smash my cheeks together, and pummel my face with kisses.  You don't really do anything softly.  When you give someone a hug, you wrap your legs and arms around them and squeeze tight.  You love fiercely and deeply.  You are a guys, guy.  Your grandpa's, uncles, and daddy are all pretty special people in your life.  You often replicate what they do, fixing things with your tools, driving your truck, marching behind them whenever they are doing something around the house.  It is pretty adorable.  Your favorite little lady is still Addie May.  You two have a pretty adorable relationship blooming.  Although the minute that girl learned to stand on two feet she became fair game for rough housing and you pushed her down.  Fortunately she is tough and she now dishes it back pretty well.  Wrestling is your favorite past time and I often find you and Owen rolling around like tumble weeds.  It typically ends in tears for someone, but you guys always come back for more.  Although you were late to talk you are picking up words with great speed now.  You get so excited about life and you often have one volume when playing, loud.  You are often in character as spiderman, batman, or fireman sam.  You have the best sound effects when you shoot webs and you run around the house fighting bad guys and saving people from monsters and danger.  When you play fireman sam you love to yell "stay back", "go", "rescue"  You squat down low and throw your hand out, then you start spraying things with make believe water.  You always make sure I am safe and standing back a good distance from the danger zone.  You have really joined in on all the make-believe fun your brother creates. 
Since I am low on time and know I will be posting more about Grayson and his birth soon.  That post is going to come next.  Until then, here is a picture of life with our two older ones and of course a newborn is in the mix as well.

He is 1 years old!!!

I can't believe that Beckett is ONE!!!  Typing that is forcing me to allow it to sink in a little more.  Every day he reminds me that he is quickly moving from his babyhood to toddlerhood with the continual disappearance of his adorable rolls and the increased pace of his mobility.  Although my baby is growing up, and that idea makes me a little sad, I am still sooo in love with all this stage brings.  His personality is really starting to shine through, and he is trying all sorts of new things with the confidence of all fearless toddlers.  I am sure I will try to hold these moments as long as I can, but I will also revel in the new experiences I get to have with him every day.  So here it is Beckett, the list of things that have captured our hearts and minds over the past month.

• Beckett's growth has started to take a turn.  Although he is still tall 31 and 3/4 inches (95%), his weight gain as slowed a little.  He weighed in at 25 lbs this month as well.  Now don't be too deceived, he is still my little chunker.  He may be losing some of his rolls (which I LOVED), but this kid is still solid.  Next to another one year old, you can tell he has some serious girth.  Anyway, his weight leaves him handsomely in the 95th percentile as well. 
• Beckett thinks he can run with the big boys.  Now that he has discovered the luxery of being on two feet he never crawls.  If anything he is trying to learn how to pick up speed.  Of course the fact that his 3 year old brother is racing around like a madman only encourages the need for faster feet.  The two of them will "race" around our staircase several times a day.  Owen typically laps Beckett several times on each trip.  But, Beckett puts forth his best effort every time arms pumping with a huge grin and the occasional giggle.  I can't deny that I have joined in on the action myself a few times!
• Now that he is on two feet all day, he has discovered that climbing is a fun sport.  Oh, how I had forgotten the heart attacks that come from this discovery.  I am constantly finding Beckett on top of things he shouldn't be. . . standing on top of his ride toy holding onto NOTHING, standing on top of the little tikes table about to walk off the edge . . .  Don't think this takes him more than a few seconds.  Usually he goes for this during the time it takes me to walk out of one room pick up a dish and return.  Fortunately, we haven't had any major falls yet, but I am considering going for foam flooring rather than the hardwoods we currently have.
• Since this kid has some height, he can now reach the counters.  Oh and he has seen his brother scoot random pieces of furniture and toys over to help himself to whatever it is he wants. (we are working on that).  In the meantime, I am constantly trying to keep my eye on Beckett.  No glass, plate, fork, food item is safe.  If it is missing, check the chubby hands or cheeks in the kitchen before looking anywhere else.
• This kid loves men, especially his grandpas and his daddy.  When he wants them, they better respond or he gets the biggest, cutest sad face I have ever seen, and then he wails, LOUDLY until they come running over to get him.  It is pretty stinking cute to see these grown burly men melt and respond to the cries of this one year old.  He has them wrapped around his fingers :)
• Outside of his grandpa's Beckett loves his brother.  It is so cute to see how is face lights up when Owen comes into the room.  He is often found playing near him and following him around the house.  He thinks the coolest place to play is in Owen's room.  And of course, he wants to play with all of Owen's cars.  He is even starting to push them around and make car noises like his big brother.  He has been taught well! :)
• Beckett finally has a few words!!!!  He says "mama", "ball", and "bye-bye".  He technically add the last two just after he turned 12 months, but hey whats a few days really matter.  Just like we were with Owen, it was sooo fun to hear him speak, and now we try to get him to talk ALL THE TIME!  I think he has figured us out and is a little more particular about when he wants to "perform" now, but he still lights up every time we cheer and get all excited for his new attempts.  Both our boys have some pretty big cheerleaders in their corners.  Luke and I are known for making complete spectacles of ourselves to get reactions out of them.  Hopefully, they realized people in the real world may not always be this crazy.
• Our Beckett boy is a bit stubborn.  When he wants something, the whole room knows it.  He has even started to show us his disapproval by throwing himself on the ground and crying loudly while he is sprawled out on the floor.  I think he has taken mimicking to a whole new level (thanks, Owen).  It is really hard not to laugh when he does this, especially since this occurs most often when we take away the most ridiculous items, a scrap of a paper, a crumb that really should be in the garbage instead of his mouth.  You would think we had taken away his most prized possession.  Ahh children, how they never cease to entertain. 
• Beckett is fearless.  I think this one scares me the most.  Owen has always had a bit of a cautious side to him.  Oh, not so Beckett.  If he sees it, he thinks he can do it.  For instance, he tries walking down the stairs without holding on, he will try to dive head first into water, off the couch, or down the stairs if that is fast than turning himself around and going backwards.  He tries to leap out of our arms when he sees something on the ground he must have.  Last week he tried to climb back down the climbing wall on the playset, why, oh beause Owen did.  He goes down the big slide more often than his brother and laughs the entire way.  I am hopeful we don't ever have an ER visit with this kid, but I am really start to doubt my luck.
• Potty training Owen has made for interesting life with Beckett as well.  This kid has a crazy fascination with the toilet.  Stop reading now if you get easily grossed out.  I cannot tell you how many times I have sprinted to get those chubby hands out of toilet water!!!!  Sick!!!  He is so fast, and Owen always leaves the lid up.  I swear he is stealthy about it.  Sneaks in their like a mouse and then I hear these little splashes and off I go running.  Any ideas out there!!!!  I have thought of a toilet lock, but Owen needs to be able to use it when he needs it.  I keep trying to tell Owen to first close the lid, and always shut the door behind him.  However, we are also simply working on making sure he has pulled up is underware and washed his hands.  At least since I spend so much time running after the messes these boys make or running to try to prevent them, I have mostly lost the baby weight without actually hitting the gym.  I guess this grossness does have some pluses. . . I guess :/

11 Months

Part of me can't believe I am writing this post already.  In just one month, my baby is going to be one years old!!!  I am in some pretty serious denial.  He tries to show me everyday how much is growing up, but I just pretend it isn't happening and that he is still my chubby not so small baby boy.  I guess when he is shoving cake in his mouth in just a few short weeks my little façade will come to an end and I will have to admit that is growing up.  On the other hand Beckett thinks he is 11 months going on 2.  He has really turned a corner in this past month and has started to really show us he is moving quickly towards being a toddler.  Oh my! 

• Beckett is still growing like a machine.  He is now 25 lbs, just five less than his 3 year old brother, and he is solidly into 18 month clothes and could probably wear 24 months when needed.  Luke jokeingly put him in Owen's 3T pjs the other day, and he was actually able to wear them!  Seriously Beckett, I think you were only small for 2 seconds after birth.
• This kid has become a serious kind of mobile.  His walking has started to take off this past month and now he is into everything.  It didn't take long before he started to realize that crawling was a thing of the past and he started to get up on his feet more.  Now he into everything just a brand new height.
• He loves to watch his brother and play near him.  As a result, Beckett loves to play with cars, balls, the kitchen set (really any cabinet), and books.  If Owen is on the move, Beckett is often waddling not to far behind.  I also love the way Owen is starting to interact more with Beckett in a playful manner.  He can really get him laughing and they occasionally like to play chase.  One of their favorite things to do is have a sword fight (closely monitored of course).  They each grab a foam sword and wave it at each other.  Beckett will even be the one to instigate this play from time to time.  Owen often calls Beckett his baby.  It is so cute every time. 
• Just before Beckett turned 11 months he waved hi and my mom even thought he tried to say it.  We haven't really been able to get him to do it again, but I am hopeful words are right around the corner.  He says mama ALL the time.  I am not sure if that is because he is a total mammas boy, I mean seriously so, or that it is just a pretty easy sound for him to make.  I am just going to say he loves his mamma :).  Other than that we still haven't gotten him to say anything beyond making tons of sounds.  However, his mimicking has started to increase and he does seem pretty fascinated by what we are saying to him especially when Owen is talking. 
• This kiddo is determined.  When he wants to do something or go somewhere, he will do whatever he can to accomplish his goal.  So much so, that he has already started to throw mini tanturms when he doesn't get his way, oh my!.  I guess he had a good example from his brother, but still he is only 11 months!  When we pick him up and he is upset he quickly straightens out his body in hopes that he will slide out of our hands.  Really Beckett, I am not going to drop you that easily.
• This boy could be outside all day long.  Whenever we head to the door or basement (where he also loves to play), he starts waving his little arms and legs like crazy.  He also starts saying oh oh oh oh, and showing us all his super excited face.  It is pretty cute and hard to not want to oblige whenever it is possible. 
• This boy has really started to climb.  We have found him in all kinds of interesting spots lately.  Needless to say we need to be pretty aware of him at all times.  He showed us his skills when he proudly climbed on top of Owen's little tikes table, and it wasn't long after that that he climbed up the kids slide downstairs and stood on top like he was king of the mountain.  Now he just needs to learn how to get down from this precarious heights preferably without injury. 

10 Months

It has been a big month for our Beckett boy.  It has been exciting to see him discover the world around him and we are quickly discovering his determination.  He has had several accomplishments along the way that of course will be noted here in the blog.

• Surpisingly Beckett weighed in at 24 lbs again this month.  Although he didn't gain any weight I am pretty certain he has grown in length.  I just didn't get a chance to measure.  However, his 12 month cloeths are starting to get short now.
• The teething has continued with three new teeth breaking through this past month.  It was a crazy finish to the month since all three teeth came through in one week.  I can tell you now, I did not get much sleep that week!
• Beckett took his first steps this month!  I knew he was close because he has been able to stand for greater lenghts of time and slowly squat down to the floor.  He has also increased his crusing speed and was starting to think about letting go to make longer distance transfers.  He took his first step between the otoman and couch.  My dad was there to see it, and of course I wasn't :)  Oh this kid!  However, I got to see him take his first 4-5 steps in a row.  I was getting him to stand up and then he just walked into my arms.  Needless to say, I got pretty excited. 
• In addition to walking, Beckett can now climb up and down stairs.  Just like Owen we did a lot of praciticing and Grandma and Grandpa Walker's house on their long flights of stairs.  After one weekend he acted like an old pro.  It is crazy how fast he can get up and down those stairs now.  We now have gates at both ends of the stairs!
• Beckett has finally started making more sounds.  He has said dadada, mamama, and bababa.  We had been watching him kind of closely since he seemed to be on the late end for this milestone.  After talking with the Dr., we think his delayed speech may be a result of his persistant ear infections.  If we can't knock out the latest infection soon we are off to the ENT to discuss options and talk about his hearing. 
• Beckett likes to be right in the middle of the action and thinks he should get to do whatever his brother is doing.  This had made life a little challenging now that he can quickly get wherever he wants to go.  It has also made for some interesting moments since we are trying to potty train Owen.  Oh my, I can't tell you how many times I have stopped that little boy just before his chubby little fingers found their way into the toliet bowl!  I just hope this means he will be easy to potty train since he is obviously fascinated with the bathroom. 

9 Month

It is hard to imagine that in just three months our little guy is going to be a one year old!  I don't even know how it happened.  It feels like I blinked and he grew up.  During this past month he has really lost his "baby" feel and he is becoming more independent.  He is also learning how to express his opinnion and is not shy whatsoever about letting us know what he wants.  It has certainly been fun and interesting at times watching his little personality emerge.  Here are the latest milestones for our littlest man:

• Beckett weighed in at 24 lbs and was 30 1/4 inches tall.  Both in the 98th percentile!  Needless to say he is big!  He can still wear a few 12 month items, but he really fits into 18 month clothes better. 
• Before Beckett could even crawl, he pulled himself up to stand and started cruising around on the furniture.  I think he has been watching his big brother running around on two legs for so long that he up and decided it was time for him to join in on the fun!  I thought since he wasn't crawling, that he would probably be later to walk as well.  Boy, was I wrong.  This little guy is rather bold when it comes to walking and within a few days he was transfering between furiture, the wall, and anything else that was sturdy enough to hold onto.  He has even taken a few spins around the basement behind a push toy.  I can tell he has thought about taking steps on his own, but his balance just isn't there yet.  Thank goodness!!! I am not ready for him to be THAT mobile yet. 
• Along with the aquired skill of cruising, Beckett is getting more comfortable with standing.  Several times I have caught him just standing while he holds onto a toy and chews away at it.  I think the longest I have seen him stand unassisted is about 20 seconds, but the frequency with which he is trying it out has really increased.
• This month has really been about mobility for Beckett.  At the beginning of the month, Beckett's scooting turned into a true army crawl.  He became pretty quick at it and I didn't know if he would ever decide that crawling on all fours was really worth it especially since he could pull up to stand from a seated position.  However, shortly after he started pulling up on things, he realized crawling was a pretty good vantage point for reaching his goal of being on two feet.  It did take a little encouragement from us, but in the past couple weeks he has been choosing to up on all fours rather than army style on his belly.  He still isn't super fast at crawling, but in a way that is nice for me since it gives me a few extra moments to get to him before he is into something he shouldn't be. 
• Apart from mobility, Beckett finally cut another tooth.  The upper right tooth came through not too long ago.  I felt like he had been teething forever.  His teeth are certainly coming in at a much slower pace than Owen's, and it seems like they cause him more pain.  Maybe that is just because it has been such a stretched our process. 
• This little guys LOVES to play, especially with all the big boy toys.  His two favorite spots in the play room are the kitchen center and train table.  We fianlly just cleared all the small objects from both, since Beckett seems to play at them more than Owen does.  It is so cute to see him standing there like a big boy with a huge grin and so proud of himself.
• On a really different note, we found out that Beckett is pretty farsighted in one eye.  We had gone to the eye Dr. for a clogged tear duct, but while there Owen's farsightedness came up.  The Dr. decided to take a quick look at Beckett's eyes just in case.  We are glad he didn't because Beckett's eyes are imbalanced in their farsightedness and could possibly be at risk for a lazy eye.  We are going to keep a close watch on him so that if his eyes do start crossing we can take care of it right away.
• Beckett has really started to enjoy eating with his hands.  He loves cherrios and baby puffs, however, that is all he can handle outside of pureed food right now.  I can tell he is interested in eating our food, but every time we try he ends up gagging and has even thorwn up a few times.  As a result, we are taking the food introduction pretty slow with him. 

8 Months

Our Beckett boy has taken on a whole new personality as of late.  Gone are the laid back watching big brother play while chilling on mom's lap.  Beckett wants to be on the move.  He wants to be in the action.  And, he wants to play!  It is so fun to watch his personality starting to really emerge as of late.  He has totally captured our hearts in these past 8 months and we can't wait to see what he decides to do next!

Here are the latest:

• Our big man is 22 lbs 15 oz.  Oh, how quickly he is growing!  I keep thinking he will slim out as he gets more mobile, but instead he just coninutes on with his cute chubbiness.  I don't mind one bit!  I will just continue loving his little michilian man rolls!
• Beckett is a rolling machine.  He easily rolls both directions and uses it as his main mode of transportation.  He is becoming really quick and can get across the room to a toy in no time at all. 
• He is also scooting in all kinds of circles and able to move backwards now.  I don't think it will be long before he crawls, but he just hasn't realized that being on all fours means even greater mobility.
• This little guy loves to sit and can even scoot himself around on his rear end.  He especially likes to scoot himself up to the play kitchen so that he can chew on the edge while Owen pretends to cook.
• Beckett desperately wants to stand and walk!  He loves it when we prop him up to his little play table so that he can stand like a big boy.  He can stand while holding on for quite awhile and a couple times he has even stood for a few seconds while not holding on to anything at all.  Looks like I better get ready for his next stage of mobility soon!
• Our little guy has taking a liking to clapping.  At first I thought he wast trying to sign more, but then I quickly realized that it was a clap instead.  He especially likes to clap while we feed him which makes meal times pretty interesting.  Unlike Owen, Beckett doesn't mind being covered in baby food one bit!  I think he even likes the way it feels on his hands.  So every time we feed him he tries to clap the spoon as it is on its way to his mouth.  Makes for an interesting obstacle course each time. 
• Now that Beckett is becoming more mobile, he is taking quite an interest in Owen's toys!  Gone are the days when Beckett would just watch and observe from the sidelines.  He despesratly wants to chew on everything, and he especially loves putting Owen's cars and trains in his mouth.  If there is one left on the ground somewhere, Beckett will spot it in no time and roll his chubby little self right on over there!  Owen has had to do a little bit of adjusting now that Beckett likes his toys just as much as he does.  At least for now, mommy is on Owen's side and tries to keep them away from Beckett as much as possible!

7 Months

Our Beckett boy is starting to grow up!  This past month has been characterized by a slew of milestones, and he is really starting to show his personality.  It has been so fun to watch him grow and become aware of the world around him.  Here are his latest accomplishments:

• He weighs 22 lbs 11 oz, and he feels like every bit of that when we hold him.  I can't believe how big he is!  He is all rolly-poly and looks much older than his actual 7 months.
• He is now easily sitting on his own and is practicing a slight lean/fall when he wants to get to his toys.  It is nice that he no longer has the hard crash back from time to time.
• He is rolling both directions!!!  I think he rolled for the first time from back to tummy at 6 and 1/2 months.  It took him a couple days to figure out that rolling meant mobility, and now we can stop him.  He is all over the place!  He uses it as his main mode of transportation, and is getting to be pretty quick about it.  He only gets frustrated when he works himself into a position that he can't seem to firgure out how to get back out of (a corner of the room, lodged under furniture, etc).
• He is up to three meals a day and really loves eating solids.  Every time I put him in his highchair and bring over the food he gets all happy and waves those little hands everywhere.  He really likes to grab at the spoon and chew on it by himself, but we try to make sure he has eaten enough food first.  His favorite food is Pears, and he seems to tolerate most other foods pretty well.  Peas seem to be the only thing that makes him gag, but he will even eat those if we keep giving him bites.
• He has two more top teeth to add to the count.  It seemed like they took forever to come in, and now he it appears he may be working on more!  He is still chewing on everything in sight and the drolling is incesent. 
• He is one determined little guy.  He knows what he wants and he likes to go for it.  He is reaching for everything, and usually wants the things he is not suppossed to have (mommy's phone, the computer, cords, platic bags).  Now when we take something away, he also lets us know that he is unhappy about it.  Fortunately, if we find something of equal enjoyment he is still quick to forgive and should I say become distracted. 
• Still no hard syllabal sounds from him, but I thought I heard him say ga, ga, ga the other day.  Who knows, maybe it was just hopefull ears waiting for the first sign of a mamamama :)
• He LOVES his brother.  Every time Owen comes into the room Beckett is all smiles and watches his every move.  Owen often returns the affection with more kisses than I can count, and of course a few rough and tumble hugs.  Now that Beckett is just a mere 6 lbs less than Owen he can usually hold his own, but we are still working diligently to teach Owen that Beckett is just a baby and he needs to use gentle hands.  Oh boys, before I know it they will be wrestling all over the place!
• Beckett is still a momma's boy.  He loves to nurse and when he is really upset he seems to want me and will stare at me until I take him from whoever is holding him.  Oh baby, I just can't help myself and give into his cute demands usually every time. 
• Beckett has started to mimic us.  It seems to have just begun with some of his hand movements and a few sounds here and there.  One of his favorite sounds to mimic is when we click our tounge.  He gets all excited and can't stop once we get him started.