Tuesday Twelve.

1.  Sorry for my abrupt departion from the blog recently...I didn't intend on vanishing for 2 weeks.

2.  The boys were on fall break last week and we spent the majority of the week out of town romping around the great state of TN.  It was very lovely.

3.  We spent a couple nights with my mom, a couple with Robert's parents, and a couple with my aunt.  It was very nice to visit with everyone.

4.  I am majroly struggling with doing anything other than sitting around watching Nolan play and not eat things off the floor or climb on things (and then fall) or play with the outlets...

5.  Right before we went out of town I found a snake in my bathroom on the counter.  Yes I died a thousand deaths.  Yes we found it and yes it's dead.  And no I am not kidding.

6.  I actually didn't find it ON the counter I found it on the floor at my feet were it landed after I pulled a hair cut cape off to fold it an put it away.   Needless to say I am traumitized.

7.  We are really enjoying the cooler weather.

8.  I finally got my self down to ATL to get our USCIS approval apostilled and then mailed to our agency so it can catch up with our dossier in Russia.

9.  Our dossier should be just about finished being translated but I haven't heard word about it just yet.

10.  The boys are having fun playing baseball...and we are having fun cheering them on!

11.  Jakeb is playing soccer again and it's fun watching him grow with his team.

12.  He is also playing piano again and is doing really well and is very eager to go and learn which is wonderful!

10 Months.

Nolan is officially done with single digit months.   He hit 10 months old this past Saturday.  His 10th month "birthday" was spent at the soccer field and at Ikea.  All of which he took in stride and was happy to be along for the ride.

At 10 months our Nolie Bear is still our little snuggly bear.  But also he is voicing his opinions and wants much more often and obviously.   He still prefers me over nearly everyone.  He gets very excited when his brothers get home from school and when his Daddy gets home from work.  He waves his arms and kicks his feet with excitement.  We call it happy arms!   He is slowly but surely getting better at eating solids.  He still loves his yogurt and has found a new passion for Mac n' Cheese.  Which thus far seems to be his very favorite food.  He seems to like blueberries and raisins but most other fruits are hit or miss.  Vegetables are pretty much a no thank you at this point.  On the 1st he took 2 steps all by himself and did this a couple times over a few days but has thankfully since decided he's good with crawling for a bit longer.  He however can stand by himself for a good while and even bounce his little booty around in excitement.   He loves to dance! and when music comes on he shakes that little tooshie and knows exactly what "Dance Nolan!!" means.   He finally learned to clap but just to make up for his lack of clapping he now tosses in a "YAaaayyyyaaayy" While he claps, which is all sorts of awesome. So "YAY" his officially Nolan's first word and it's so very fitting that it is.  Because hello YAY!!
He is a busy busy boy and crawls all over all day long.  He is over all contraptions to contain him and would much prefer to climb on them or stand next to them to play rather than actually be IN them.  His favorite toy is his Alligator clacker walker and right now the little house thing that we had from Zachary.  He is discovering shape sorters and ring stackers and manages to get the rings back on and the occasional shape in the sorter.  He can climb on things and thru things with ease.  His favorite activity is finding every tiny piece of anything he can and putting it in his mouth.  Robert and I don't remember the other boys putting things in their mouths quite so much...but then again there were likely less options for them!  He is starting to voice his displeasure in things and often will randomly stop and slam his hands down in his lap all while giving me a look that is meant to let me know he is unhappy.   I think he is trying to say "No" as he will put his little mouth in that "o" shape and just look at me.  The face is classic and you know he's not happy.  He has even "thrown" himself on the floor a time or 2...and by throwing I mean he lays down slowly so he doesn't hit his head and then looks at me with "the not happy face".  His personality emerging every month is so neat to watch, because often the unhappy seems more like experimenting with the emotion and actions more than it is an actual unhappy.   But unhappy he can be...he is not a fan of being told no and often will just boohoo when he is given a very firm "NO".  He is still our little rough boy and loves to smack and pull hair and just be a rough guy!
He is still the easiest baby around and the chattiest.  He is obviously making attempts at talking but I haven't heard any for sure words other than YAY just yet.  He will yell after us when we call for his brothers or the dogs.  And it often sounds like he is trying to say "Jakeb" or "Hush" or "Cat" but I am just not sure yet.  Either way he is very close to saying words.  His Uncle Michael calls him the baby tyrant (nicely!) because it sounds like he is barking orders at people...it's very funny.
We are all head over heels with this little guy.   We are excited to watch him grow and learn and just amazed he's here.  YAY for Nolan!  Happy 10 months to our awesome little Bear.

ETA:  He is also OBSESSED with the house phone, the vacuum cleaner, and the broom.

Tuesday Twelve

1.   These are the easiest posts to quickly sit and hammer out...

2.  Our dossier officially landed in the hands of Russian folks last Thursday.

3.  School is continuing to go well for everyone...

4.  Tuesday's are our crazy days.  2 piano lessons, 1 soccer practice, and 1 baseball practice.  Busy day!

5.  Gavin and Zachary are digging baseball....this is the first sport where Zachary is wishing the practices were longer.

6.  Zachary is in the shower as I am typing...Gavin and Nolan are snoozing and Jakeb is in his bed reading.

7.  I am or was...slowly working on getting Lilac Hill Photo back up and running....I stalled out....

8.  I have GOT to get Gavin's 6 year old pictures done.

9.  We are heading to TN for several days in a couple weeks.

10.  Robert has started a masters program...

11.  We have new neighbors and I am excited about this...

12.  I am not a fan of later than normal bed times on school nights...