9 Months.

Nolan has passed another "landmark" month and is now officially 3/4th of a year old.  In just 3 short months he will hit that big 1st birthday.
Time passes so quickly.   At 9 months his personality is in full bloom and watching it unfold everyday is wonderful.   He is still our laid back boy we can easily take anywhere.  He dozes off when he needs to and is content as long as we are around and he has access to his paci.  He really is the easiest baby we have had....that is until sleep is involved.  What is really interesting about his difficulty with sleep is that he is not hard to get to sleep but he has a hard time staying asleep.  As I have mentioned more times than anyone cares....we have tried every way imaginable and it seems that only time is what has helped. This month naps have slowly gotten longer and I can count on at least one lenthy'ish nap a day from him.  At 9 months we are still struggling with sleeping thru the night but we are slowly but surely working it out.  I am confident that one day it will happen.  Because of course it will.

At 9 months he is still pretty much not all about food--though his enthusiasm when he sees food would lead one to believe otherwise.  He loves to swish solids around in his mouth but isn't really into actually swallowing them.  He does love yogurt and a few puree'd baby foods.  He also sprouted 2 teeth right after turning 8 months.

At 9 months he is crawling all around the house with a purpose and has mastered climbing both down and up the step into our "sunroom".  He has shown to me that he also climb up the stairs and does seem hesitant to go down--which is a good thing!   Though we have gates blocking stairs and for the most part he is fine with that.   He seems to know "Mama" and "Dada" and uses both words correctly.  He also seems to repeat "titty" when I say "Kitty" to him but I am not sure that he really is or if it is coincidence since it's only happened a few times.  This past week I am positive he is officially shaking his tooshie to music...which is really neato since we really aren't a house full of dancers.  This morning actually I discovered that he has a song on one of his toys that he really digs and he seems to only dance to that one...which is interesting.   He is learning that things go together and while he can't put things back together yet--like shape sorters and the like--he does seem to understand that concept and will try to put things back together.  He does put all the balls back in the ball droppers we have and likes to catch them.

At 9 months he has had his first hair cut and his Daddy and I may have wanted to shed a few tears over his new 'do.  He went from a crazy haired baby to looking like a toddler.   He and I have been going outside to watch the bus come by and then drop his brothers off and he gets very excited when he sees them coming home from school.  He gets his happy arms and legs going....waving his arms and kicking his feet all over.  He does the same thing when Robert gets home at the end of the day.
Over this past week it seems he has learned to fake cry and that is his new favorite thing.  The other day at dinner we all just looked at him doing it and giggled because every few seconds he would stop open his eyes and make sure we were looking.  It's also not funny and can get rather frustrating...but this too shall pass.   Sitting still is not his thing.   But he still will stop for some snuggle time and loves to give squeezes.  Often when I rock him to sleep he is holding tightly to my shirt or smacking me in the face with his other hand.  ;)  He is still as chatty as ever and it's my very favorite walking thru a store with him yelling and squealing.   He is a happy guy and watching him grow and learn is wonderful.  We are all just as enamored with him today as we were 9 months ago.  Happy 9 months my Nolie Bear.

He was not a fan of picture taking this month...and repeatedly tried to roll away from me.  So that made picture taking a bit difficult!  You can also see his temper in quite a few of these.   Between trying to get him to smile and not roll off the ottoman I worked up a sweat!

 He was DONE at this point....

Favorites.

I was watching Nolan play this morning with one of our very favorite toys and it got me thinking of jotting down a few of our favorite things.   After 4 kids and a decade of married time we have amassed a few things that are hands down "must haves"...at least for us.   BUT I am not going to do it today...this is yet another blog thing I am going to try to do in a few posts over the next few weeks.  So hang tight...I need some more gathering time because I was thinking a few categories would be fun.   Soon though...Soon!
I tackled cleaning out my desk this morning...or rather the drawers and the top of it.  The cabinet is for another day--though really it's a-ok.  I had planned on running down to ATL to grab our apostilles but was not feeling up to par this morning so that will have to wait until tomorrow.   However, have I mentioned that I am stoked to have this done?   We had just gotten all of this done and sent to Colombia when I found out I was pregnant with Nolan so to be here again is exciting.  Especially knowing that the wait for an approval from country will not be 9+ months like previously.  So awesomeness for sure.  Now we need to seriously crack down on saving and ways to raise money to help fund this hefty chunk of change!
The biggun's are loving school so far and seem happy to be back with their friends and enjoying their days.  So that's good :)   Soon enough we will have baseball and soccer starting up as well.
Here are a few pictures from the first day last week!

Oh almighty sleep.

So remember way back when like last week when I was all whiny and yeah yeah'ing about Nolan and the great mystical sleep.  So I am going to do that again mmmkay?
Here's the thing...Nolan is baby numero quatro and we still don't have it figured out.  We are more relaxed and whatevs about a lot of stuff and that's all fantastic and awesome but we totally  missed the boat on "we got this sleep thing" figured out.  Or maybe our little Bear is just a tough cookie about the sleep.  And truth be told it's probably just a little of both.
So enter a week or so ago...here's the scene: Me snoozing on the bed after an exceptionally exhausting night with my baby bear tossing and turning and kicking me and inches of bed space next to my tiny guy....and THUD SCREAMING baby.  Yes, yes he managed to launch himself off the bed...surprising as A) none of the other boys did this as a baby and B) I am generally not a light sleeper but somehow I managed to not hear or feel him scoot off the other side.  Right SO I requested a bed rail to be put on the bed..howevs our mattress is insanely tall and said bed rail provides inches if that of no falling space. I also got to thinking that Mr. Baby Bear usually sleeps til 7:30ish and I need to be up at 6:30 to be getting big boys off to school.  Which would mean leaving a sleeping crawling baby alone in a bed or with Robert who would also be sleeping which is virtually the same thing as alone since Robert is a very sound sleeper.  Therefore it was decided that the only logical (duh) solution would be to move the guy to his bed all night.  As it stands right now he sleeps the first part of the night in his bed and whenever he wakes up I get him and put him in bed with me.
Right so the move isn't going as I thought it would....in fact it's down right awful.  Honestly I am just ok with snuggling the night away with my Nolie Bear but that's really not what happens and safety wise it just isn't going to work.
Anyway...needless to say I am tired...and eating my words about the awfulness of letting a baby cry and cry...last night was long and eventually Nolan and I came to a compromise.  He wasn't going to go to sleep on his own but I wasn't going to put him back in my bed.  So we rocked it out and he slept it out in his bed.
We shall see how this plays out....

Back to School.

The big boys are all back to school as of 7:45 this morning.  Our summer has absolutely flown by....and we had a pretty good one.  The boys wrapped it up by being BFF's for the last week or so...and being very content and happy to build forts and play the "anything game" together in their rooms.  Anything game= playing with any and all toys they own...works for me as they rarely play with them as is!   We spent a few days at the pool and trying to cram the last bits o' fun in that we could.
Nolan is currently napping and I am listening to my "tunes" and enjoying a quiet morning.
This morning was about as smooth as it could get.  Nolan slept until after I left to take the boys to school and they were all eager to go.  Zman was a wee bit nervous this morning...he unfortunately didn't get a class full of his friends like Jakeb did and is bummed by that.  Plus he is so surprisingly shy that new teachers and new classmates leaves him as a ball of nerves.  Gavin who is apparently 14 trucked off to first grade with me nearly chasing him down the hallway.  So worried I was going to embarrass him he took off down the hall with us trailing behind.   He darted in to class leaving me with a high five.  Zachary is still much more affectionate at school and has no problems giving us hugs and kisses before we head off...he even posed in front of his class room door for me to grab a first day shot of him.   My favorite is still dropping him off at kindergarden and nearly every day he would turn after he jumped out of the car, wave, blow me a kiss, and yell "I love you Mommy!!"  But Zman is a lover and not afraid to show it.
Jakeb was stoked for 5th grade and many times lamented that he could not WAIT until the first day.  He walked off for his last day of elementary school feeling great and happy.
So back to the grind are we!
Nolan and I are off to run some errands when he gets up...one of which is hitting up the notary so that our docs are ready to be apostilled on Friday!  And then they will be good.to.go.

Enjoy your day!

Tuesday Twelve.

1.  7 more days until we are back to the "school grind".  

2.  The boys have teeth cleanings and well checks this week.  So they will be good to go for school.

3.  We are pretty much done getting everything together for our first dossier...(we will need a second for court--whenever that may be)

4.  Nolan officially has 2 little pearly whites.   And also officially seems to understand what "NO" means.  Made obvious by the tears he sheds when one gives him a firm "no" voice.

5.  Um and also...we cut his hair and he doesn't look like the same baby and we are so sad.

6.  I made myself a cleaning "schedule"--we will see how much I stick to it.  Actually...I haven't.  But I am allowing myself some learning time and ya know the boys to get back to school.

7.  OH!  And the two biggest start piano lessons soon too....so that's cool.

8.  And then there will be baseball and soccer things going on too.   We will have 2 in baseball this fall and one in soccer.  

9.  We hit up some new parks today...in the 90+ degree heat.  But the breeze helped it be better.

10.  Robert is going to be working on his masters soon...Yay for him!

11.  I need to cut some boy hair today....I keep saying I am going to and then...um don't.

12.  I won't lie the boys starting school next week is getting more and more appealing.

It's a monday.

I feel lately like I do a lot of just general complaining.  And not really more lately than normal...just that's what I do.  Like a casual "hey how you doin'?" is never met with "Oh great!  Everything is really great"...it's often met with an eye roll and a "well you know tired but otherwise ok"  And ok is ok...but tired is just par for the course so why even go there?   And sometimes sure complain...that's fine but all the time?   I mean really we have to go negative first...I just don't think so.
I have long past said I am just not "one of those" the people that are just happy.  Bubbly and happy go lucky and everything is just GOOD.  Sure sure they have their days when it's not but over all they don't look at the world ho hum and glum.  But the truth is while I don't have to outwardly be bubbly and cheerful I could at least try to be less gripey.  I am even annoying myself with it...and probably much as in the past I am being too hard on myself about all this mumbo jumbo.  And while I do often call just to share a funny or a happy bit of awesomeness...many times I call someone or post here to bitch about something.   When really I would like to see more hey life is fantastic sorta things going on too.   Because life IS fantastic.  Aside from all the awfulness in this fantastic country that quite honestly makes me want to move to a hide out in the woods or Denmark.  Life here in this house is good.
Sure, sure we have our hard days and our moments of hair pulling but that is not really what defines my days.  I know that instead of dwelling on the fact that the boys cut our trip to the pool short by misbehaving or that they are all in separate rooms right now because I had had enough....I can just shrug it off as par for the course and part of you know...parenthood and life.  Hello.  Yes, yes your right.
So now that I have complained about complaining...yes yes I noticed that.  And really I probably don't as much as I think...but sometimes maybe I do.  So less complaining and uh...interrupting yes that too.
We managed to tackle a few things on the ole TO DO list this weekend.  You know the one...the one that goes on forever and ever and always.   A few tree trimmings and yard mowing and a baby step closer to finishing the stairs I started way back when.  A non squeaky baby step at that.  We filled the gap in the landings and put down 4543 nails to stop the squeakiness.   So there's that....and eventually there may even be stain!  A light sleeping baby and a noisy sander are hindering progress.  Also did I mention that light sleeping baby is actually turning into a decent napper?  Hallelujah a nap is a nap at last!  We still aren't pushing out 2 hr naps but we have regularly had at least one ONE hour nap a a day and friends I will take that over the cat naps that were going down.
And also...a certain fab guy had a birthday up in here and thought he would sneak by unmentioned...so here's a mention....no really.  It was Robert's birthday over our vacay week last week...so A big happy birthday to him and his 33 years of baby face-ness.   And 33 years of being so awesome I consistently feel the need to remind him of all the ways he isn't....I am nice like that and it's a favor really.  Ok...so in all seriousness he IS that awesome.  Like for reals.  I could list all the ways that he knows he's fantastic...but let's not get carried away mmmkay.    Let's just say he's great and we are so lucky he's ours and that I can honestly say I look forward to growing old together and watching these kiddies grow and just kicking it with my guy.  Which is good...since we are married and all.  He really is my very bestest pal.  And I think that while us getting married was a good sign of love and all...when it really hit me was when I started wanting him when I am sick or hurt or sad instead of my mom.  While I want my mom and I need my mom forever and always...he is my person now (sorry mom...you still are too I promise!) all the times of "I just want my mom" are now filled with "I just want Robert"  (and my mom!).   If that makes any sense....he is my grown up comfort person and that's how it should be.   So yeah...Happy Birthday to Robert.
And that's a wrap....

8 Months.

Mr. Baby Man Nolan is 8 months old now--or rather he is 8 months and almost 2 weeks old at this point but let's not split hairs Mmmkay?   We were afterall out of town for the first week of his 8th month and the 2nd he has spent rocking the worst virus/cold/teething bout thus far.   To say he is being clingy is an understatement.  But anyway...technically we are on 8 months 1 day so technically none of this has happened yet!

SO!  At 8 months our Nolie Bear is crawling all over and pulling up at anything and everything strong enough to support him.  He has let go of said things and stood sans hands for a split second a few times but certainly isn't standing alone just yet.  He is making steps around furniture slowly but surely and is trying to master the step into the sunroom.  

At 8 months he is (or was) still toothless and happy.  He pretty much doesn't eat solids just yet...but gives it an honest effort sort of.  He gets very excited anytime he sees someone eating food but spits nearly everything out before he swallows it.   He does do ok with some puree'd foods and baby yogurts.  He loves feeding himself puffs and while most end up stuck all over his clothes or highchair a few are making their way into his belly.  So food thus far isn't his jam.  (no pun intended).  I have a sneaking suspicion he is going to be quite the picky eater like his big bros.  Joy of joys.  

At 8 months he has everyone in this house wrapped around his finger...though the boy is pretty much the happiest easiest baby ever.  He is still boycotting sleeping all night but IS starting to rock out hour long naps that leave me blissfully skipping thru the house.  Ok not really--they leave me on edge waiting for him to cry because I am not used to the napping yet!   He is a snuggler and loves to cuddle up with one of us parental figures and snuggle away.  While he is a busy guy he is also pretty content to just chill and play while we do our thing next to him--whether that be folding laundry or reading a book.  He really is very happy and easy going.  He spent his 8 month birthday getting up very early to have his 8 month pictures done (his mother may be a bit neurotic about the picture schedule) and then made his very first long'ish car ride settling to spend the afternoon at the beach.  So at 8 months he got to put his toesies in the sand and the Gulf of Mexico AND spend the night in a tent.   And our laid back boy just rolled with it.   

At 8 months of awesome he is just that.   He has started saying Mama all the time and we are thinking he knows that's me...he is more interested in watching me say words but isn't uttering his first words just yet.  When I say Uh-oh he stops what he's doing and just watches me say it.  He has learned to use the back of his hand to make sounds and can get quite loud doing that and it's mighty cute.  

His hair is wild and desperately needing to be trimmed and probably will be before he hits 9 months.  We are still 100% enamored with every little bit of this crazy haired growling boy.  I have started calling him Nolie Bear as a result of his growls and grunts.   Happy 8 months to our little bear! 

 

Tuesday twelve.

1. My poor Nolie bear is teething...he has been pretty close to miserable the past few days. Even ran a low grade temp last night. He isn't crying or overly fussy but is not his normal happy chatty self and is wanting to just sit with me and snuggle.
 2. Gavin told us last week that his stomach tells him what to do a lot. Hes a funny guy.

 3. I am super bummed that the boys start back to school in 2 weeks. Summer is too fast.

 4. Also it's crazy that my Jakey boy is starting his very last year of elementary school. I am pretty sure he just tip toed into kindy.

 5. Nolan turned 8 months last weekend. I need to get his 8 month post typed up ASAP!

 6. This past week the two biggest of the big ones had a conversation about s. e. x. Thanks to "Marley and Me" Zachary let us know that he knows it is "rolling around the bed and stuff". Jakeb told Zachary you don't have to do that when you are married...zachary then informed him that you "do because that is how babies are made". Which he then argued his case by saying "Mommy and Daddy have done it for times. Right? You guys have had s. e. x. FOUR times??". Jakeb at that point decided he was done with the conversation and the word...while we died from both laughter and uncomfortablness. We aren't ready for those real convos yet!

 7. It has taken me twice to get this far...darn computer glitches.

 8. We received our uscis appointments for fingerprinting yesterday...basically the official form we have to have from the U.S. of A stating we are allowed to adopt or foreign child.

 9. I need a housekeeper and a cook.

 10. Though I am slowly but surely getting better about cooking dinner again.

 11. We spent way more money than I intended going out of town :-/

 12. The boys and I went yesterday and got their school supplies...$71 for 3 kids...excluding lunch boxes and backpacks and included all the extra "donation items".

Well Hello there.

Long time no typey typey.   We have survived A) our first camping trip at the beach in the summer...and B) our first vacation as a family of 6 with a baby.   A baby who I should mention thought the best time to get his first tooth would be while we were out of town.   But he was a for real trooper...and quite possibly won the easiest baby ever award.
So the camping...let's just first say this was my idea and I am some sort of crazy I am sure.  HOWEVER.  It really wasn't bad at all.  Yes, yes it was hot but not that hot...the issue wasn't the heat it was the humidity because walking around feeling damp is just not fun.  Picking up a sticky baby isn't either.  Robert says I would be a great indian because I can just be outside like it's no big deal...and I am like well it is no big deal--most of the time.   I don't do outside in the dark alone...so that would be a problem in my indian-hood.  But I can also just relax outside doing nothing for a long time.  And I love exploring around outside.  And there is something about the breeze blowing thru our tent and the staring at the stars.  I will stop here to complain that loud birds in the morning are not cool and that tents and air mattresses and showers are a must.  I draw the line right there.  And I will also tell all you folks with RV's that camping isn't camping unless you are in a tent or in the open air.  Just sayin' ;-).   So St. Andrews State Park in PCB is pretty good and the showers are way better than at Unicoi State Park where we camped in October....I will also say that camping in the summer is ok...provided you have a fan and at least some breeze.  We saw several people with straight up window air conditioners sticking out of their tents.  We called that cheating but were also a little jealous.   If we do it again at the beach--which it's likely that we will.  We will not choose July and try to locate a campground that is actually directly off the beach.  Where we were we had to drive down to the beach that was about a mile or so away.
After 2 days of camping we packed it up and hit up one of our favorite beach towns, Cape San Blas for 4 nights.   We arrived stoked to be walking distance to the beach and with a pool to use directly off the beach....we trekked out to the beach super excited only to find it stinky and covered with sea weed.   Bummer.  The sea weed in fact was so thick in the water we chose to actually drive further down the island to see if it was better--it was so we again had to drive to the beach.   Which is a pain with 4 littles...but better than not going.  We had a great time and the boys were very sad to have to leave Florida and their friends.  My friend and her 3 kiddies came down and stayed with us in CSB for the 4 nights.  
We are kinda glad to be home and less glad to be doing laundry and even less happy about the fact that school starts in 2 weeks.   Our summer is gone and it feels like it just started.   Our chalk board full of activities didn't even get a dent put in it...so we are getting cracking on all things bucket listed this week.   Nothing like a good cram to get 'er done.

Tuesday Twelve.

1.  Has anyone mentioned to you lately that it's hot?  Yes?  Well I thought so.  

2.  The big boys are all watching Seabiscuit and asking a million questions while they do.

3.  I can't believe we are already in July and the boys start school in less then a month.  Honestly I am bummed--I always am.  

4.  They got their new backpacks in today they are pretty neato.    I tend to pay a bit more for back packs and we use them for years and years.

5.   Nolan is starting to cruise around furniture--I feel like I may have typed that already....

6.  We headed north to Chattanooga today to spend a few hours visiting with my college friends....they are my very bff's and I miss them lots.

7.  A funny is that of all 6 of my college pals 4 of us have kids...I obvs have the most BUT we all have boys.  7 little boys total.  

8.  My little boysies are very sweet and think little ones are too funny.  Makes my heart happy.

9.  I am trying to teach Nolie bear to clap...he thinks I funny but not enough to clap about.

10.  Oh.my.goodness.  The questions coming from the other room about the movie...goodness they are funny.

11.  It rained it's hiney off this afternoon.  Something we needed very badly.

12.  Did I happen to mention I got my hairs did this past week?  Well I did...finally...as in it was over 9 MONTHS since I last had my haircut.  That's insane...over 6 inches off and it looks so very much better.  My ultimate goal is to have it short short short...I have very thin fine hair that just looks better short.

Howdy.

I have the big boys taking a break from toys and video games and they are perched around the the table with all crafting options...minus paint and glitter.   They were told to make something...anything.   Jakeb promptly rubbed glue all around his paper and started to glue paper together.  So ok anything except just gluing paper together.   He then drew "a pregnant person with no underwear" WHAT?  Ok anything except THAT too...let's keep it appropriate yo.   Basically they need a break from discussing Pokemon and video games.
We also have chrysalids we are watching turn into butterflies from caterpillars I finally ordered for their Butterfly Garden.  The one they get for Christmas.   Now they aren't done yet but really friends it's cool.
And also I ordered these cool water marble things and they are kicking it in the water this morning looking mighty cool and completely tempting for little hands and big hands alike.  
I have started to blog a handful of times in the past week or so but while I have a wealth of ideas to discuss when I am you know driving or showering or anywhere other than with my hands on the keyboard they promptly vanish when I sit down in front of the screen.
So therefore you get a run down of the day and what we are doing.   I could mention we are all still in our jammies and my desk is a mess.   My desk is always a mess I do eventually get dressed.   I ordered a chair from Wally-world and picked it up yesterday so the kids got an awesome massive square box to hang out in until they destroy it...hopefully it will not be soon but we shall see.
That's about all I got today folks...or all I have time for Nolan is over me ignoring him and Jakeb is over trying to entertain him.   Stay cool!

An Update.

After a few delays on many parts--and feet dragging on our part--our updated home study is complete and our new USCIS forms are on their way to the proper authorities.   From reading various blogs it seems many don't do this step until the dossier is on it's way to country.   Since we are coming at this a little differently I guess this is the way we are working it out.   So I600A is in the mail and now it's time to get crackin' on all the other forms for the dossier!
Still working towards a goal of submitting around September/October'ish.