kids at various ages.

post by casey.

ike: 10 + 11 months and rockyp: 32, 33 + 34 months.

i think the last time I blogged about these boys, I put the wrong update? HERE I said I was posting Rocky at 32MO but really I didn't and SO here we are. 

HEY GUYYYYSSSSSSSS!!! Funny story...here it comes...wait for it...Remember that time I said I was gonna have all this time to blog?!. The end.;)

anyone else feel like summer flew?!?!? Didn't even break open that Target Dollar Section Lemonade Stand sign. Oops. 

PS. I've thrown all SUMMER BUCKET LISTS out the window in this house. I give anyone that makes one and then doesn't end the summer in a complete fucking panic, a virtual high-five. I've got goals and hopes and dreams for our summers but that damn list has brought more rush and force and slight annoyance than I'm willing to allow in my life!;). Buuuuuuuyyyyyeeeee.

so here we are, 1/2 way through October and...I feel great! We've hit a great stride! Those few weeks leading up to the start of the school year have me super rage-ey and hitting WAY below the belt in all those fights I'm allowing my 6YR old to manipulatively drag me into. But we're better now;).

we've been busy selling all.the.things and Jacob has come home and commented on how amazing it feels to walk in to the living room and find things missing;). The weight of all our 'things' was weighing us down far more than we realized! And honestly, I think we have FAR less than the average household but still...so so much. Minimizing has freed up space in the house AND in our heads and we're hanging onto that amazing feeling and continuing to downsize, downsize, downsize!!!

and less stuff means a lot less messes! The kids have only a few toys (still too many, in my opinion). Cleaning has been a breeze and so when I finish this blog post, the mess the kids make for me in the living room will be WAY less insane than it would have been a few weeks ago;).

okay, here are my old babies!:)

my precious baby boy is a week from his FIRST Birthday!!! I'm not even sad about it anymore. It's taken 4 kids to stop being so upset about the passing of the years. I mean...don't get me wrong, I'm still crying about it all.the.time. But today, right this minute...I'm okay.ish.

ike is pulling himself up next to things and looks to be following his older siblings in taking his time on the walking thing and I'm so down with that:). 

He's sleeping through the night. He's napping once a day. He's waving Bye. He's laughing and sometimes crying. And occasionally there's some head butting of the living room floor - soooo, it's clear he's mine;).

we stopped nursing a few weeks ago and that was both sad and natural. Like my last few babes, my body just slowed in producing and so we just gradually weaned and at times I wish we could just keep going and going and we could have had I tried to push it but 11+ months feels pretty great too. So there you have it:).

and then there's this...busy bee. Yeah...we'll stick to Busy Bee;). 

rockyp is trouble;). BUT I still find him SO freaking cute!!!! So after I get after him for coloring the tops of his feet in permanent marker while I make my bed, he comes and apologizes so cutely and of course I'm a sucker and believe him when he agrees to never do that again;).

it doesn't really seem like Rocky's been up to much?! He's less focused on learning to potty train and talking clearly and more concerned about taking a marker to my wall, shitting on my floor, spilling my coffee, dropping my computer, walking out in the rain with his socks on (and usually nothing else;), dropping a carton of eggs out of the fridge, tipping over my lamps, opening doors and not shutting them (and then me discovering this 30MIN later when I feel the cool breeze!!), calling 911, drinking straight out of my creamer, putting all my spoons under his pillow, knocking photos off the wall, ripping up Homer's homework, climbing ON the van, spraying me with the hose...while I'm reading a book...SHALL I GO ON!??!?!;).

jesus started creating Rockyp the minute he heard me, at 10years old, start saying to my parents: "I'm bored!". I see what you did there, Jesus;).

he gives me the biggest headache but honestly, I think he's created the softest part in my heart. I love this kid so damn much:).

me giving Rocky some 'direction' during our photo shoot - and in case you ever thought these were easy breezy;).

UP 16WKS in and 16MO out

DOWN 25WKS in and 25MO out (and clearly enthused about it;)

ike: 7, 8 + 9 months and rockyp: 30, 31 + 32 months

post by casey.



it's been 3 MONTHS since I've updated you on the kiddos! And in Baby-Land...Ike-World...that's entirely too long! He's a completely different person! I'm a completely different person! J/K. Same ol' me but since having to fill out those 8 pages of doctor questionnaires on what my 9mo is up to...I've changed...and not in a good way;). I know I've said it before BUT I'LL SAY IT A-FUCKING-GAIN. Those things are out-of-control.

- nope, not pulling himself up onto the couch and trash-talking with me through the Bachelorette.

- nope, hasn't quite figured out how to pick-up a cheerio with only his thumb AND pinky finger and then shoving those into the small top of a baby-safe bottle and then handing that bottle to me and asking for it back in Spanish and then pulling himself up on the couch WITH the bottle and trash-talking with me through the Bachelorette.

*it's Bachelorette Season and I'm into it. Sorry, not sorry;).

long-story-short. We've got him in classes now because he sucks.;)

now, here are some photos of my baby boys:). From these photos, you wouldn't know that there's anything wrong with them;). But based on that paper-work, we're gonna have to 'keep an eye on them';). I kid. They're perfect! Well...Ike is perfect...#thankgawdforikee;). Rocky on the other hand...he's caught somewhere between me still finding him COMPLETELY ADORABLEEEEEEEEEE. Gah. And literally being the worst...like duct tape his shoes on, duct tape his ass in a cart, duct tape his ears open (listening problem - hello?! anyone in there? not gonna stop? nothing?! k, thanks). 

you guys, I'm not gonna lie....Summer Vacation is...harddddd-ishhhhh?! Even I'm confused as to how I feel about it. Really. Ask me today, I think I'd agree that it's the BEST! Loving this weather. Loving having the kids home. Loving our time and adventures together. Ask me 12 hours from now...I might be mentioning that Summer Vacation can GO STRAIGHT TO HELL!!!!;)

lots of caps. I apologize. I'm feeling things this morning;).

okay. PHOTOS OF THE KIDS!!!

so Ikeeeeeee, is basically perfection;). Love him. Love his soft body. Love his gummy smiles!!! No teeth yet. Still co-sleeping...which may be the longest we've had a baby in our bed but he's still doing great, so what the heck ever:). Sleeping is...?! Sometimes he has a great night...sometimes we don't sleep for days. With Summer Vacation, I've noticed that we're really not on ANY schedule. This fall, once the older 2 are in school, I hope to get him on a better napping schedule:). 

we're still nursing! Ike did have his first bites of food at about 9 months but we haven't really gone much further. Every now and again, IF we're having something easy with our meals (cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, yogurt, apple sauce), I'll give him a few bites. Or if we have those little pouches of baby food available, I'll help him with that a bit. But overall...I just love nursing him and we're in no hurry to have him fending for himself:).

ike is sitting by himself. He drags/crawls/moves all over the house! We're on constant watch for tiny bits of ANYTHING that he might find and put in his mouth. Since Theo had a 'choking incident' when she was about his age...I have some MAJOR stress about choking and so I'm always on the lookout for anything he might find.

he's just the best. Really:).

willb + ike

sitting up on his own but still a tad wobbly at times! Mom's always a hand away;).

rowdy + ike

and then there's RockyP!!! Like I said above...he's in this tiny little window of time where he does ALL the things wrong. Not listening. Getting into everything. Basically, follows behind me undoing my life. BUT his smile still melts me and even while wrecking anything he touches, somehow, I just can't be freaking mad at him! You seasoned moms out there know...this passes in the blink of an eye...so I'm trying to enjoy;).

it seems that overnight we can understand him! Even just a few weeks ago there was a lot of "huh?", "wtf???", "sure...I think?!" in response to his gibberish;). BUT now he's full of full sentences and stories and a LOT of it is making sense;).

he's a great cuddler! We've been blessed with THE.BEST.CUDDLERS! Good gracious!

rocky is still on his mattress on the floor, upstairs, with a baby-gate across his door. I did just find some metal frames to attach to the headboards I already have and so I'm excited to move some things around and set the kids up in rooms together again!
(currently they each have their own room but I think I'd like to put Theo and Homer back together and then Rocky and Ike will have their own rooms for a bit)

he pooped on the floor today. That's where we're at with potty training:).

i love this mischievous little shit so so much:).

rockyp + coy

why is your face like that.

for the love of GOD, just SMILE.

guys...they all look the fucking same.

ike: 6 months and rockyp: 29 months

post by casey.

you guys, we had just about the best weekend! And it's a Monday morning and I'm still reeling from those Good Sunday Vibes:). It helps a bit that getting Homer up and ready for school was painless and 2 out of 3 kiddos are still sleeping - Theo JUST got up at 850AM! But it was such a wonderful weekend and there were so many moments that brought those happy tears to my eyes. It seems that a growing trend in my most favorite memories, involve me sitting somewhere with a baby on the boob and Jacob in the distance...plus 3 more kiddos this time:).

okay, lets get to it. 

SO many milestones these last few weeks and in the upcoming weeks. Ike is 6.MONTHS.OLD and Homer will be turning 6.YEARS.OLD in a week. From day to day, I hardly have enough time to dwell on any of this but you bet I make time to REALLY let the reality of TIME and AGE and my BABIES and LIFE wash over me in the darkest of nights...lotssssss of quiet sobbing happening between the hours of 1147PM and 123AM;).

ike is 6 months old. He is in that little bubble of PERFECTION. Rocky on the other hand *side eye* - we'll get to him;).

ike is almost 19lbs and I think he'd actually be closer to 20lbs had we not lost some ground when he was in the hospital - if you missed that, there's a post HERE. He's still exclusively breastfed and doing well with that. I haven't added solids and I'm probably gonna keep being super lazy taking that approach until he's closer to 9 months:).

he's not sleeping through the night and I really have no clue how much he sleeps because I just don't keep track. He sleeps when he sleeps and it is what it is. He does take 2 pretty solid naps during the day though!:)

ike still has a cough. Still...or again!? It's all pretty much the same at this point. I think we're just gonna be working through respiratory issues until he's a bit older, unfortunately. But he's taking it all in stride and luckily, nothing more serious has come of it.

we still have a thumb sucker andddddd it's prettyyyyyyy adorable. I'll worry about whether he'll be sucking his fingers in his 1st Grade Photos when the time comes;).

he's scooting all over the place. Rolls nonstop. If I had to guess...I THINKKKKK we may have a walker at or BEFORE a year. Anything before 14 months would be a record for our babies;):).

ike is just the best. Smiles nonstop. Talking up a storm. Loves being outside. Loves being cuddled. He's wonderful and we love him so so SO much!

and thennnnnn there's Rocky.Freaking.P. I'm seriously laughing to myself just thinking about this goof ball! Oh man. Just when you think they'll have no personality at all;).

rockyP is a riot. He's also a terrible listener. Which is pretty typical of his age but we're working on it:). As you can see here, he was taking a new smile out for a spin for these photos - the squinty eye variety;). 

he prefers to actually do some walking on our walks, as opposed to riding in the stroller. Sometimes he has a choice, most of the time he doesn't...due to the above mentioned listening issue and oncoming traffic;/. 

he is a good sleeper. Still in his big boy bed on the floor but I think we're ready to get him up off the floor and into an actual bed!

Sometimes in the morning, he gets up and just looks out the window for a while. Watches the buses going to and from school and just keeps to himself for a while:).

rocky is talking up a storm and we're gaining some ground there too...we can understand about 72% of what he says now;). 

rocky keeps us on our toes and I wouldn't change a darn thing about him!:) He's so feisty and hardly ever eats. Until he does...and then he eats anything that ain't tied down;). He sings, he dances...he's a one-man-variety-show!!! 

don't be fooled, though...as much as he makes me laugh...he's got me losing my shit;).

BUT guess what...the windows are open now with this weather and so that means I've got to try and keep my 'temper' under control for all those ears out walking by;).

love my boys and as much crazy as they bring...they bring so much more fun than I could have ever imagined!:)