How Does Everyone Do It?

I am amazed how well everyone else seems to keep their blogs updated...I guess I'm not very good with balancing all my kids with everything else as the rest of you appear to be. Someday I hope, let it be sooner than later!

Lyssi (Alyssa) is a completely different baby than in her first couple months of life. Her colicy behavior has gone away and she's become quite a pleasant, fun baby to have around. I have grown quite the bond with her, stronger than I remember having with my other babies at her age...I think it has to do with the very long hours I would struggle to comfort her as she continually cried in pain (due to her excessive gas). I mentioned this to my visiting teacher and she responded with something that makes very good sense, "you love those you serve." How true that is, and I never realized how true it was until I learned it through Lyssi. What an amazing lesson!!!

Alyssa is now 4 months old and is quite the chunker. I just took her in for her 4 month well check yesterday and she weighs 17lbs. 7 oz and that places her in the 97%...my goodness, I must have some hearty breast milk!!! Her height is only 23 3/4" (60%). Ryan was 16lbs 7oz and Kaylee was 15lbs 7oz at this same age...and both Ryan AND Kaylee started out a whole pound heavier than Alyssa (Ryan was 8lbs 6oz, Kaylee was 8lbs 8oz, and Lyssi was only 7lbs 6oz).

Here's a picture of my "Tubee-Lubee":


Eddie and I have quite a laugh because was recently noticed that Lyssi was born with 2 completely different ears...one is like mine, and the other resembles Eddie. It is too adorable!!!




She loves to laugh and smile...she is such a joy!!! She still wakes up about 2 times a night to eat, more like snacks, but hey, how else will she keep her figure?!?!?



A couple weeks before Christmas we noticed that Jacob has some "shark teeth". It freaked me out when I first noticed it, but at this point it sounds like he'll have to get the baby tooth pulled by his dentist. Unfortunatly, I think he'll end up needing braces in a few years ($$$).


Aside from his lovely shark teeth, Jacob is thrilled to have started cub scouts. He loves it, and is beyound enthusiastic about earning belt loops and pins. It seems like all he talks about is working on his scouting (now if only I could get as enthusiastic about scouting as he is we would be rolling right along...for me it's just another thing on my "to do" list).

Other than that, life is just plain crazy around here. Miss Kaylee (or Sprocket, as Eddie likes to call her) is nothing but trouble. She's always into mischief...I can't believe I needed a girl sooooo badly. She loves to climb, and the other day she was on top of her dresser (which sits pretty high off the ground). She was calling for me to help her down. After several minutes I went and "saved" her and told her not to climb up there again. Well, lo and behold, that same night she did it again (no surprise!). She started to call for me, at which time I told her I wasn't gonna help. Eddie had just come through the door and she repeatedly called, "Eddie, come get me. Eddie, help me. " This went on for a while, until "Eddie" gave in to his princess.

She also has a new love for "fashion". She drives me crazy as she changes her clothes several times a day, and sneaks into my make-up. She's come out of the bathroom with lipstick all over her face only for me to find that broken lipstick in the garbage (grrrrr....).



Though she is one brave girl, we have found one thing she is terrified of....Mr. "Ho HoHo" Himself. If she only knew (LOL).....



Ryan is another trouble maker. He is the stubborn one of our pack. He is very intellegent in some aspects, and in other area's he just can't give one the satisfaction of pleasing them. He can be very trying at times, and loves to be Mr. "Funny guy". He always has some sort of joke, his favorite which revolve around the 'Knock-knock' jokes...typically when one asks "who's there" his response is "pineapple". He thinks he's funny, at at times we see his humor too. He does have quite the temper though.

He got a very "fitting" gift this Christmas. He loves his new Big Wheel. I had one as a child, as did Eddie. It was the perfect thing for Ryan...anyone who knows him well would agree. He is still pretty nervous about riding a regular Tricycle (because of the slight wobble) but he will kick up some dust on his Big Wheel....He LOVES it!!!!



We love them all, and can not believe how big they are all getting. Time is just moving too quickly for us. (Hopefully it'll be sooner than 3 months before I post again :)