First day of school!

Today was Elijah's first day of school!

He was a little bit excited ...

um, more than a little. He couldn't stand still!

Watch out, Pre-K 5. This kid is ready!
Have a great year, Elijah!

The end of the summer

Just trying to get in the last few days of fun together in before school starts ...

arts and crafts with Nana

dress up

oh, the yummy food of summer - we love sweet corn!

yes, she got it all the way down her chin

(Almost) back-to-school picnic at the pool with Elijah's school

Elijah on the really big slide - way at the top ...

and at the bottom!

All ready to visit Elijah's classroom and meet his new teacher - too excited for pictures!

Finn's baptism

On Saturday, we were so blessed to have lots of family here for Finn's baptism. Nana was here all month, and Grandpa came out for the weekend. My Aunt Louise also came out from western PA, and Bobbi & Papa and Danny & Lorrie's family were able to come as well.

with Aunt Louise

with Maiah

so cute!

Yes Finn, Bobbi is laughing at you!

the five of us

with Nana & Grandpa

with Patrick's side of the family

with Bobbi & Papa

all the grandparents

with my side of the family

Mama & Daddy and our little man.

Chunky Monkey

Finn just keeps on growing! On Friday we went to see the doctor for Finn's one month check up. (He was actually 5 weeks old that day.) I knew he was looking chubbier and chubbier, and getting quite a bit heavier, but he was even bigger than I was expecting. He weighed 12 lbs, 13 oz, which means he gained 5 lbs (plus those few ounces all babies lose in the first couple days) in 5 weeks. Yowza! The doctor commented, "It looks like breastfeeding is going well," with a bit of amusement. Yes, it sure looks like it's working out OK for Finn.

Big brother is always interested in what Finn is doing and is very gentle with him.

I don't think either Finn or Nana minds him taking naps this way.

With Daddy (their matching chins = cute)

He doesn't seem to mind taking a bottle. =)

I have been blessed to be able to nurse all three kids without any major issues - the first two until they were about a year and ready to be weaned. So we've never needed to use bottles - much. But I did learn a couple of things about giving a bottle with the first two kids. First, from Elijah, I learned to pump and freeze some emergency stock, just in case. Worrying about the baby refusing to eat is the last thing you need in an emergency. Even if we never use it, I need to have a stash in the freezer for my own peace of mind. Second, from Molly, I learned to continue to give the baby a bottle periodically, so that if you need to, you can give the baby a bottle. The emergency stash is no good if the baby refuses to drink out of a bottle. And anyway, it's nice for Daddy to get to feed him once in a while.

Both kids have been great with him, and are really looking forward to the day when he starts paying attention to them. =)

Little man, we're so glad you're doing well!

Besides, chubby baby cheeks are about the cutest thing in the whole world.

One month old!

Finn is a month old today. Wow! That went fast. He is growing a lot, and his cheeks get chubbier every day. He loves tummy time, but he thinks it should be nap time. Silly boy!

Thunder Cake

Yesterday, Elijah, Molly and Nana made Thunder Cake! Elijah has been anxiously waiting to make the cake from the recipe in the book, and Nana was excited to help them, since it is one of her favorite books. The kids got to help with the whole thing, from shopping for the ingredients to putting on the strawberries. They had a great time - and made a fun memory!

All my shmuffin babies

Brothers and sister =)

Big sister loves

She just loves Finn - very energetically!

Brotherly love

Tickles

My sweet boys

Love these kiddos!

Elijah-isms

After showing great problem solving skills while building tracks for his trains, Elijah was asked if he is going to be an engineer when he grows up. His response:

"I really haven't decided that just yet."

Life goes on - the mostly big kid update

Since there's more going on around here than just a new baby, here are a few pictures from the last two weeks.

Enjoying their free Rita's - summer reading program prizes. Yay for reading!

Yum!

Oops! Mama forgot the bibs!

Finn joined the adventure - one of his first trips out.

The kids have been able to ride bikes almost every morning with Nana.

Silly girl!

Elijah's train track creations.

Buzz Lightyear!

Do his cheeks look chubbier?