8 months

Again, we're skipping months...it's called "life".  Malachi is 8 months now...and SO MUCH has happened in the past two months!  So much...crazy. 

We'll start with the not-so-good: sleep.  Sigh...Malachi has been a good sleeper from the first day.  Really.  Awesome.  Until about month seven.  Why?  Maybe because swaddling ended...teething (he got two bottom teeth at seven months)...ear infections...mobility increased...growth spurt...who knows.  All I know is sleeping through the night no longer happens.  He's still easy to get back to sleep, but it's still not so fun getting up to either lay him back down, find his pacifier, or nurse (only once a night) several times during the night.  Hopefully, fingers crossed, sleeping through the night will happen again soon.  (update -- I wrote this blog about a week ago -- in the past week, he's slept through the night twice...a good sign!)

Now, the positives!  Malachi is rolling both ways (finally!), sitting up unassisted, as well as crawling (starting two days before 8 months).  All of a sudden, things just happened!  He enjoys standing (with assistance), so I imagine walking will happen sooner rather than later.  Now, he is getting into everything.  Keeping me on my toes lots more now!

Malachi has been SO healthy so far...up until Noah got the croup, and Malachi ended up with it the next night.  I HATE croup.  Tristan has had it several times.  This was the first time for Noah.  But a seven month old with it...scary and no fun :(  I was up all night with him in our bed.  We ended up in the doctor's office the next day.  He was given oral steroids and antibiotics for a double ear infection.  But he recovered quickly, thankfully!

Malachi is still nursing.  Honestly, he's had three bottles so far.  Three.  And two of those have been from me.  My mother has been the sole other person to feed him...once.  Sigh.  Nate and I haven't even had a date yet without him.  Soon...and very soon...I hope :)  I'm actually going to Dallas with a friend for the day at the beginning of June to see a play, so that will be the first time that he's not with me for more than a couple of hours.  It's going to be interesting! 

Tristan and Noah still ADORE "Baby Malachi".  Malachi may always be "Baby Malachi" to Noah :) 

I don't know about weight, but I do think he's healthy looking!  I'll be anxious to know at his 9 month appointment if he is still on the lower end of weight/height.  He definitely doesn't look on the smaller side to me!

Tornados 2016

I hate bad storms.  I am a wimp when it comes to storms.  Nate can tell you...if I wake up in the middle of the night and a storm is brewing outside, I'm in the living room, checking out the weather.  A couple of weeks ago, there was a tornado warning in Lindale.  I was at home with the kids, Nate was still at work.  They were saying a possible tornado on the ground on FM 16 (I live on FM 16, fyi...).  I had the closet completely cleaned out, all the stuff piled on our bed, ready for us to crowd in together if needed.  I had Nate on the phone, me almost in tears, saying "There's a tornado on 16!"  He told me, "It's near Lindale on 16, don't worry."  I yelled back, "I live on 16!"  (like he didn't know that).  Then Tristan comes to me and says, "The warning is off."  Poor kid...he's learning too much about tornados at such a young age.  So, nothing actually happened there.  Just a warning...and a scared momma. 

So, fast forward to two days ago, Friday.  Nate was actually supposed to go camping at the family farm in Hawkins with the boys and I was supposed to go (with Malachi) to a ladies retreat on Saturday.  We saw that there was a risk of storm, so the camping was off, but they still planned on going to his parents' house to eat while the babe and I stayed home and prepared for the next day.  About 5:00, we saw the warnings on the TV, and Nate asked if I wanted him to stay home after all, knowing how scared I am of storms.  We decided it was best if we all just stayed put.  We kept the news on, and the tornado warnings continued to get closer and closer to us...but then it looked like it would might pass us.  A few minutes later, it becomes really dark outside, and I see Nate grabbing the flashlights and lantern and checking out the closets...which when Nate is concerned, that means it's time to get concerned.  The wind starts picking up hard outside but the weather on the TV still says we are in the clear...so I'm not freaking out yet.  Then the lights go out, but thankfully the wind stops and it begins to slowly brighten up outside.  The storm has passed, but we are clueless on any of the damage in Lindale (which is 10 minutes from us)...thinking that nothing really got too close to us.  Our lights, thankfully, come back on about 8:00 (then off again from 11:00-1:30), so we were able to check out the weather on the news to find out a little more of what happened, but there weren't too many details at that point.  All we knew was that the Dollar Tree and Hibbett Store in town was destroyed. 

Saturday morning, after talking with my mom, we find out, through Dad's cousin who lives on 16 as well, that FM 16 was actually hit pretty hard by an actual tornado.  Nate took the boys to town to run to the store, and when he returned, he said that starting about 2 miles from our house, there is damage everywhere.  Trees down, power lines down, several houses destroyed.  One large tree fell across the road at about that 2 mile mark from our house (it had been cleared by that point).  Later that day, we went to Hawkins to Nate's parents house, and about two miles north of them, same thing.  Trees down, houses damaged...you could see the tornado path.  We found out later that the same thing at Lake Hawkins and Holly Lake Ranch.  Lots of damage because a tornado dropped in those areas as well. 

This morning, we headed out to church, although we had to drive slowly for all the work crews out trying to fix some of the power lines.  On the way home, we were stopped and was told that a gas line had been hit and they were worried about an eruption from that, so they were advising everyone to turn back around.  We ended up taking another route home, 2710, which, to our surprise, was hit just as hard. 

Saturday morning, when we got up, we went outside to survey any damage, and we had one semi-large limb to fall, barely missing our fence.  That was it.  One limb.  An easy fix, while 5 minutes away, friends and fellow church members were faced with uprooted trees, trampolines wrapped around trees, fences down, trees blocking their driveways, holes in roofs, barns destroyed, lack of power, etc...  We found out today that they are estimating that it might take up to a month to get the power lines all working again on our road. 

The news has stated that 10 tornados touched down last night in our county.  The two in Lindale were both F-2. 

Several things have happened in the past couple of weeks that makes me realize how blessed I am regarding our house, our health, our finances, our children, etc... It's just a pity that sometimes it takes events like this to remind ourselves of our blessings.

6 months

Who needs a 5 month update?!  I just never got to it.  Oh well...nothing much happens at 5 months anyways ;)  Malachi is now 6 months old!  Here is some info (sorry if it is too much...mainly for my own memory...since the baby book never gets written in):

- Weight -- 16.3 lbs (22%)
- Length -- 26.25 inches (29%) -- still on the smaller side of the scale, but trust me, he's healthy-looking!  He's got some nice little rolls going on...those cute chubby arms and legs! 
- Sleeping through the night most nights, around 7:00-6:00.  Sometimes he'll wake up around 5:00, eat, then go back to sleep until 7:00.  Sometimes I prefer it that way...but then, if he wakes up around 6:00, get gets a quicker morning nap!  We don't have a set daily schedule, if you can't tell.  Even at night, sometimes I put him down at 6:30...sometimes he gets put down at 8:00 if we are at church or with family/friends.  He's a flexible baby -- he's had to be!  I was super-strict with naps/bedtime with Tristan and Noah...but I just can't be this time around.  We are on the go too much.  But luckily, Malachi just goes with the flow :)  Still swaddling, although I do keep one arm out now.
- He can sit up for a few seconds, but not too steady yet.  He is rolling some, when he wants to, from stomach to back, but not yet from back to stomach.  He would rather just roll to his side and stay there.  He may crawl before he rolls completely!  He's just not a fan of tummy time...or being on the floor by himself at all. 
- He is a people-person/baby.  He likes people.  He loves for them to talk to him...even if they just LOOK at him.  He reminds me of Tristan that way -- wants contact with someone all the time.  However, he reminds me of Noah in the way of taking his time rolling and moving. 
- He is a GREAT car rider.  Tristan was HORRIBLE.  Even a 5 minute trip was torturous. 
- We started baby food this past week.  Noah wouldn't open his mouth until 7 months, so I was expecting the same, but Malachi seems to enjoy eating a little more.  Not a pro yet, but we get the food in. 
- Still only nursing.  I haven't been very smart this time around.  I should have learned with Noah.  We tried a bottle with Noah at 5 months, and it was a BATTLE getting him to take a bottle.  I tried with Malachi last week with no luck.  However, I haven't had anyone else try.  I did give him one bottle at about 3 months because I was sick and not producing well, and he took it wonderfully...so I took it for granted that he would take a bottle whenever.  Oh, well...Nate and I'll have a date eventually without a third wheel ;)
- He LOVES Tristan.  Noah...not as much. 
- He LOVES bathtime.  Even just hearing the water, he gets SO excited.  Nate turned on the faucet the other day in the kitchen, and Malachi started kicking around like crazy.  He's going to love this summer at the pools! 
- Other than crying and laughing, he's a quieter baby.  Not much babbling yet.  Just squealing! 

I'll have to say, I think he's an adorable baby :)  I get comments about his rosy cheeks all the time.  He's a keeper! 

Four Months Old!

Four months old.  A third of the way to one year old.  Crazy.  But just as my other two boys did...they grow so fast! 

I "bragged" a little too soon with Malachi sleeping through the night.  He decided to stop.  For various reasons.  My swaddling wasn't working...he kept unswaddling himself.  He (may have) went through a growth spurt, so he was hungry.  I wasn't swaddling him enough, so he was getting cold (I think).  But I've realized that if we swaddle with two blankets and make sure the ceiling fan is off, then he sleeps much better.  The past three nights have been glorious!  7-6:30.  Hoping it continues!

He went to the doctor yesterday.  He is 14 lbs (18%) and 24.75 inches (29%).  So, still small-ish but growing perfect according to his growth chart. 

We tried size 2 diapers, but size 1 still fits him best.  Just a little longer... 

Some 0-3 months clothes still fit him but needing more 3-6 month clothes. 

He's doing a lot of laughing and giggling now.  So stinkin' cute :)  Tristan can definitely make him laugh -- he loves being a big brother to Malachi. 

Finally started rolling over from his stomach to back this week...when he wants to, of course. 

Still a tummy-sleeper for naps.  When he gets cranky, just put him on his tummy and make sure that paci is in, and he is OUT. 

He's just overall a cutie-patootie!  (although I couldn't get him to smile for anything for the pictures!)

Nature Learning

We live on 10 acres of land, and while some days I question why we have this much land, other days I love it when the boys gets to go out and enjoy it.  Lately, with the cold rainy weather, we haven't been able to get out much, but there have been some beautiful days lately where we did get to go out and enjoy nature and God's creation.  Having boys, I've learned that boys need to go outside and explore...more than what a backyard can give them.  It's so fun and interesting to see what they come up with or what they find the most joy in doing/seeing while in nature.  Charlotte Mason (a late British educator that specialized in education and homeschooling) suggests that children need to be outside, with opportunities for learning, at least four hours a day.  We don't even get close to that...but we do the best we can.  Here is some pictures of our last exploration!

This is our "second pond" -- which is usually completely dried up during the summer.  However, it has been quite full lately.

 Finding rocks to throw in the pond and creek!

 Tristan looking at a spiderweb.

 Tristan pretending to row in a boat :)

 Malachi sleeping away...he doesn't get into the nature as much as his brothers :)

 Finding a Sycamore tree leaf!

 Playing in the mud in front of our bigger pond.  Because of all the rain, there is A LOT of mud!

Three Months...Already?!

I'm not sure how time flies so fast, but it does!  Three months already...that's 1/4 of the way to a year old!  I'm glad I'm documenting these months, because it is crazy how different each child has been so far.  When you think of opposites, you usually think it is either this way or that way (black/white, up/down)...but when it comes to children, opposites can go in so many different ways!  Noah, as a baby, was the opposite of Tristan, and now Malachi has been the opposite of both Noah and Tristan. 

Sleeping, for one, has been completely different.  This kid has been such a blessing with sleeping.  Oh, those sleepless nights with Tristan and Noah!  But, this kid...the one we call Malachi...he is a dream sleeper!  I remember with T&N, the first night at the hospital, I had them sent to the nursery for a few hours because I needed sleep so badly, and they just wanted to cry.  Not Malachi.  He just decided to sleep right along side us, and he's been that way since he came home from the hospital.  I'm not sure when he would have started sleeping through the night, because for a while, I was waking him up to feed him (mainly for my sake).  But then last week, I decided to see what would happen if I stopped waking him up...and what happened?  He's sleeping 11 hours straight!  Usually about 7:00-6:00ish. (I wrote this last night...and of course, he wakes up at 3:00 in the middle of the night!)  I pump before bed at night, and by morning, I'm READY for him to eat.  With Tristan, once he started sleeping through the night, I would wake up about 3:00 to pump.  With Noah, he didn't sleep through the night until 8 months, so I never really had to.  This time, I'm just "suffering" through it and deal with it in the morning!  When I put him to bed at night, I'll swaddle him, feed him, and even if he is wide awake, I put him straight to bed with paci, and he eventually goes to sleep on his own.  In the morning, when he wakes up, he just makes little noises for a while until I go get him. 

More about sleep, this kid knows when he needs sleep.  He's a really good baby...until he's tired.  Once he gets cranky and I know he's not hungry, I can usually just lay him down on his tummy, put a pacifier in, and he'll go straight to sleep.  If I can't get him to sleep for some reason, I'll put him in the ergo carrier, and he'll go straight to sleep there, and the ergo carrier is comfortable enough that I don't mind.  Plus, it allows me to still go outside with the boys, and he can still get his nap. 

With Tristan, I was very "scheduled" -- naps were at this time, we were always home for naps, etc...and he needed that.  Noah was a lot that way as well...I tried my best to have a good schedule for him.  Malachi has had to learn to be flexible so far.  We are always out and about, so naps are in the car, in the carrier, in the stroller, etc...and so far, it works.  I've had two parties I've attended recently that were at night, and I took him with me, and he went to sleep at his normal bedtime of 7:00 both on the floor (in the midst of games and laughter) and in his carseat, swaddled.  Noise is no problem for him...he's had to get used to it with two VERY loud brothers. 

I am guessing he weighs about 12 1/2 pounds right now...so I feel like he is still on the "smaller" side, but he is definitely filling out...getting those chubby cheeks!  He can still wear 0-3 months clothes, but starting to wear some 3-6 months as well. 

This kid spits up just like his oldest brother did...all the time.  As with Tristan, I have to warn people before they hold him that he might spit up on them.  Tristan was a spitter-upper until about 12 months, but I'm hoping Malachi won't go that long.  The boys think it is hilarious...of course.  Boys are strange...they also always want to see the diapers ("is it poop?!").  Boys and poop...I will never understand that. 

Again, I'm so blessed with my three boys.  Although they are so different in so many ways, I love them all so very much!  They bring chaos to the house, but they also bring so much laughter.  It is going to be interesting when Malachi really starts adding into the chaos! 

Malachi -- Two Months

Two months old already!  Time seriously does fly when you're having...fun?  Would that be the right word?  I guess time flies when you are falling in love with a new little one...and changing diapers...and waking up in the middle of the night...and getting spit up on...but falling in love most of all. 

Three kids...not only that, but three BOYS.  My oh my.  Me and the boys go our A LOT.  Mommy (and T&N) do NOT like to stay at home all the time.  We get bored.  So, when people see us out and about, they often enjoy making comments to me -- "Keep going and you will have a team!", "You sure have your hands full!", "Just can't get a girl, huh?" (just for everyone's information...we didn't go for three to have a girl, although we would have enjoyed a girl, we actually went for a third child...to have a third child ;)  I responded to one lady the other day by saying "I'm blessed with three boys because I have the opportunity to raise three gentlemen!"

Malachi as by far been my easiest baby, up to this point, at least!  Out of four babies (since we had the foster baby as well), it's about time I got an easy one :)  Noah was actually an easy baby during the day...it was just the night time that was so rough.  Tristan was just an active active baby, so he needed to be stimulated ALL the time that he was awake.  And our foster baby was just a high-needs baby all around.  Malachi mainly only gets upset when he is tired...then he is VERY upset.  Although he sleeps in the crib at night, so far he takes most of his naps in the swing.  Often times, he'll scream until I put him in there, then he is content and calmly goes to sleep.  It's great though because it doesn't matter what noise is going on around him, he sleeps through everything, and trust me, our house gets LOUD.  Night times, so far, are great!  He usually goes to sleep around 7:30, and wakes up once a night (or early morning).  He woke up twice one night this past week, which was the first time in several weeks, and it was the night that Tristan was sick all night...perfect timing.  Often times, I can put Malachi down awake, and he'll just look around for a while and drift off to sleep.  Not sure how I've been blessed with an easy sleeper, but I'm grateful for it! 

Malachi is starting to do the adorable smiling and cooing, which absolutely melts my heart!  I think he will be a more serious child...but I thought that of Noah, and goodness gracious, now he is not serious AT ALL.  I might need a more serious child though! 

At this 2 month appointment, his stats were 23.75 inches (35%) and 11.5 lbs (24%), so he is on the smaller side as of now, but he is still very healthy and definitely growing. 

The boys absolutely adore this baby boy, and so do his parents!

The first two pictures definitely show Tristan and Noah's personalities.  Tristan is very much the caring type...Noah...the goofball.

Malachi -- Month 1

I didn't update my blog much with Noah.  I think I got to month 4 with him.  Poor guy...  His baby book looks about the same.  But I plan to do better with Malachi.  I regret not keeping up with Noah better -- you do forget much more than you think you will! 

1 week old

One month old

 

We have been SO blessed so far with a wonderful baby.  Not that he doesn't cry at all...because he does...but all in all, he is a very content baby.  Unlike with the boys, who had horrible nights at first, we have had very few bad nights.  Actually, none that I was up all night with him.  One night, close to the beginning, he was up about every 1.5 hours, but after a feeding, he went right back to bed.  And one morning this week, he was up at 4:30 and didn't want to go back to sleep...but that has been it.  He typically wakes up 1-2x a night...although sometimes I have to wake him up, more for my sake since I'm nursing.  He's longest stretch so far has been from 10-4ish...and that is when he decided to stay awake.  Can't have it all!  He normally goes to bed between 7:30-8:00, and I'll wake him up at 10:00 to eat, then back to bed.  He's SO easy to put back down.  Fingers crossed, it continues.  He still loves to sleep, although he is awake a little more during the day.  And he loves to nap on his tummy, although we swaddle him at night and put him on his back, and he seems to like it just fine.  He is just now growing out of newborn clothes and into 0-3 month.  But weight-wise, I really don't know.  The boys love love love him, of course.  And so does his mommy and daddy :)