These Days. . . .

I think the easiest way for me to write these days to pick some pictures of our recent goings on and then narrate. It has been a long time since I have written. But, sadly that doesn't mean there are a ton of pictures to catch us up. Lets see what we can do.

Just before I had the baby my Little Bro. Jake went to his senior prom. He was so sweet and asked me take both his Prom pictures and his Senior pictures. We were going to do them at the old Yuma Territorial Prison, but after all the primping and prepping was done, we ran out of time and the prison closed for the day. So we headed over to a pretty church just across the river and found some pretty spots. The sun had shifted on me so the shadows had gotten away from me. But they turned out pretty well for a couple of kids and a fat pregnant lady waddling around!

Don't you think they have great colors. What a sharp couple. I can't believe that my ninja turtle loving, chubby cheeked, blue eyed little brother is growing up so fast.

After Matt realized that we weren't going to take his football challenged little brother back to the hospital he decided he would be fine with keeping the little one. There isn't a waking or sleeping moment that Damon can escape from his big brother's kisses, caresses, and his odd ear nuzzle. Matt likes to stick soft things in his ears to soothe himself; his monkey's tail, his monkey's ear, and now it appears he has taken to nuzzling his ear up to the top of Damon's head. I guess the soft baby hair is just what the doctor ordered. I am glad Damon's head is too big to fit in Matt's ear, we might have a problem then. I wish I had a picture of it. . . I will have to wait for the right moment!

When Alaina isn't demanding to see Damon's 'beautiful eyes', and Matt isn't trying to shove his little brother's head in his ear, the two older siblings play together rather nicely . . . 50% of the time. The other day I convinced them to go outside and jump on the trampoline to burn off some energy. The breeze was blowing and it wasn't hot yet. This is what I found instead.

Alaina is hardly ever found without a book in hand, or two or three. And Matt is more and more discovered sitting next to her, or jumping around her, while she attempts to read to the both of them. . . Matt and Chaino that is. Ever the faithful audience to her masterful story telling capabilities!

When we aren't outside reading books on trampolines, or swimming in the pool we are inside trying not to go crazy! The remedy for indoor lunacy?. . . TWISTER. Alaina is pretty good at it and can play forever. Matt trys, then gives up and either hops from circle to circle, or tortures his sister, sabotaging her efforts to stay upright whilst being all twisted up.

When the Twister game turns wrestling match we fold it up and put it away for another day. On rare occasion I will hop on the slippery surface to show off my "prowess", but most times I use Damon as an excuse not to get on and fall flat on my face.

And Damon. . . well he keeps on sleeping through it all. He is growing like a weed on weed food. I went to the his 1 month dr. appt. and the doctor wouldn't believe the weight at first. She kept checking it. . .then when she succumbed to the fact that the numbers were correct she asked me what I was feeding the boy. I responded that I was breastfeeding, and she replied, "What are you making? Cream?! You should bottle it and sell it!" I know she was joking, but there are children in Africa who need food, and there is actually an agency who will send it to them, and there are other online companies who sell breast milk. So I have decided my new day job will find me in the milk factory! (Can't you just see it, a human version of a dairy farm, with all the hoses and suction things)! All in a day's work!

Damon is steadily adding the fat roll under his chin, and adding rings to his legs, ankles, and wrists. All my kids are nice and fat. . . all the better to love them! These last two months seem to have passed much more rapidly than it did with the other two. I guess that along with the confidence and familiarity of a third comes a much more hasty passage of time. I try to enjoy the few moments alone with him I can get each day.

My cousin who just had a baby mentioned how she has already forgotten what it was like without her new one. I feel much the same way. Funny how that works. . . you spend sleepless nights wondering if you have enough love, enough patience, enough wisdom to give to one more, and then almost imperceptibly you settle into the newness of it all with a serenity and instinct you never perceived was there before. Oh the mercies of a loving and tender God!