Updates on #4 @ 4.5 months

#4 has not received adequate attention on this blog and I mean to remedy that right now!

I'm sure I've told many of you this before: my experience with #4 is the newborn experience I always wanted.  It's what I grew up thinking motherhood was like.  Of course all my children are special to me and equally loved, but I was pretty stressed out and inexperienced with #1. Then with #2 and #3 I was adding babies to babies, diapers to diapers, car seats to car seats.  It was hard work, all the time.  With a five year gap between #3 and #4, I am loving having 3 older, independent children who can help!  I'm experienced enough to know when to worry and when to put down the broom and snuggle my babe. 

As if that weren't enough, #4 is a dream. She sleeps from 7 to 7 and has for months. She is mild and happy and loves the heaps of attention she gets.  How did I get so lucky?

If I've learned anything after 10 years of motherhood it's this: #4 is a blessing from God.  She isn't wonderful because I made her wonderful. She isn't a good baby because I'm a good mom.  I just really lucked out.

#4's developmental stage is so fun right now.  She is interacting with us, laughing, jabbering, blowing raspberries. She responds to her name and recognizes familiar songs.  She has tried applesauce and loves warm bowls of rice cereal. 

I could butter on her fat rolls and eat them for lunch.

I know there are tough times ahead. She'll teeth and get her first ear infection.  She's learn the art of the temper tantrum. She'll scare me with pennies and crayons in her mouth and not too far down the road we'll lament the permanent bruising on her forehead as she starts to walk. 

But she's our last babe and I'm going to try to love every day of it. 

a fond farewell to 2012

2012 was the year of the baby.  It seems like everything revolved around growing, preparing for, or adjusting to our sweet #4.  Despite not being fond of being sick or getting fat, a baby-centered year was just what our family needed; it was a happy year.

January: I was in the throes of sickness.  Even looking at our pictures from this time give me that familiar gross feeling.  I didn't want to smell, touch or eat anything. And I was exhausted.  One weekend Spouse managed to get me off the couch and take us all to Goldfield, an old mining ghost town. 

February: My boy turned 7 and hosted a bike rally birthday party. We enjoyed fresh carrots from our garden.

   

 March: I started to see light at the end of Sick Tunnel.  We enjoyed feeding the calves at Shamrock Farm and #3 began swimming lessons.

 April: Ahh! Sweet relief.  I felt great! And my hair, I was loving my thick, full maternity hair.  I ate all the Easter candy I wanted without feeling sick.  We enjoyed #2's baseball games.

May: My #3 turned 5. The kids said goodbye to their teachers.  We enjoyed Memorial Day in St. George, UT.

June: Too hot, too tired to take pictures.  #1 and #2 enjoyed not learning anything in diving lessons. I was getting bigger.  Much bigger.

July: Utah! My swollen ankles and wrists cried for joy at the cooler temperatures.  The children loved playing with cousins, boating, backpacking, playing on the beach of Bear Lake.  I enjoyed the cool leather while I lay immobile on my mom's couch

August: Back to school for #1 and #2. First day of Kindergarten for #3! The baby count down began. I laid on the couch and didn't get up until the blessed day #4 put me out of my misery and joined our family, August 29th.

September: A blur.

October: We spent our Fall Break enjoying an Utah autumn and blessing our new babe surrounded by grandparents, cousins, sisters and brothers.  Our home was taken over by pirates at Halloween.

November: #4 really started to get cute.  Maybe its because she started sleeping through the night regularly. My dear #1 turned ten and grew even more beautiful and precious.

December: This Christmas was one to remember.  Having a baby at Christmastime makes the season even more special to me.  There's nothing like a live babe in the manger, right? We dashed up to snow and bitter cold temperatures to ring in the new year with our family and fireworks over the snow. Sledding, cousins and eating icicles is pretty much the greatest thing for a seven year old boy who seems impervious to the cold.

 

Looking forward:  In 2013 I intend to become addicted to my new iPhone, learn to run again, and say yes to my kids as much as I can (to sort of make up for being a blob last year).

Happy New Year!