"He's doing everything a normal toddler should do"

HUGE praise to God for these words just spoken by Seth's physical therapist!! She says she doubts he'll qualify for continued therapy when he's reassessed soon. He's started crawling completely normally instead of scooting; he pulls up on everything, even vertical flat surfaces; he climbs onto the coffee table or the dishwasher door; he walks well with both legs and feet and very little support; all of these are incredible blessings! Just last week she mentioned him possibly needing a brace, but already by this week he is growing out of his idiosyncratic way of crawling and walking.

He's also continuing to eat well. Thank God for His "yes" answer in response to our request that Seth would stop vomiting in the middle of the night. I think the culprit was a different cheaper soy formula. When we switched back to the more expensive one he did fine again. (The cheap one wouldn't mix well, so it makes sense that he was having trouble breaking it down in his tummy too.)

Seth is eating solids and swallowing them as long as he takes small enough bites. He likes the food so much he's tempted to shove in the whole big veggie straw, sweet potato chip, whatever, but then that makes him gag of course. Will does the same thing. :} The therapist worked with him today on learning to take small enough bites that he can handle them going down the back of his throat. He also ate his puréed food really well.

I stand back and see all of this and can hardly believe how good and gracious the Lord has been to us. I realize God's goodness and grace are His character and not dependent on how He chooses to work in our lives, but I'm so grateful He has chosen to work this way in Seth's life!

Love and gratitude,
Carrie

Marcie and the mole rats

I guess I didn't get it on my phone after all. This is a video Naomi took, I think.

A few pictures Sunday night Nov. 10

David wanted to sit with Isaac while he watched something on his computer.

Will LOVES wearing anything like hats, glasses, headbands, whatever. He tries to put them on himself. David tried to put one of the girl's headbands on yesterday and ended up contenting himself with wearing it as a collar instead. 

I tried to make Will look like that kid from The Little Rascals, but I got it wrong. Oh well.

I can't believe it's over

I just washed my last little bottle before throwing it in the bag with the others to give away. Can we really be done with this phase? It's been a little over a year since the first baby came home (David), but somehow infancy doesn't ever really seem like it's going to end. I remember being shocked at how suddenly it was over with Isaac, this dreamy newborn and infant period I had fantasized about for years (and found much more challenging than I'd ever imagined! There was a lot less dreaming and a lot more awake time than I'd have liked!).

*Sigh.* Our babies are no longer infants. I don't want them to be infants again, don't get me wrong! There's just a feeling of nostalgia tonight. I absolutely love the one-year-old to four-year-old stage, when every discovery is so exciting and almost everything they learn and do is so cute. A friend said recently, "I don't know how you don't just die of cuteness overload!"

The babies sit at the table and each does his or her own funny thing. David whipping around a long stringy piece of broccoli or making his funny "zombie" noises in the back of his throat, or climbing out of his seat and walking across the table. Will likes to blow raspberries in frustration when he's done and cram the whole piece of food in his mouth when he isn't.  Seth can either watch quietly or play with his neighbor. It's super cute how he purses his little lips shut, bottom lip jutting out, if he doesn't want us to spoon in baby food. He insisted on choosing his own sweet potato fry tonight instead of letting my brother serve him. Gracie babbles in her charming little language, and when she sees food she's interested in approaching the table, bounces with intensity, arms flapping at her side. Marcie eats with gusto and concentration initially, shrieking for it to hurry up and get to her, but if she's in a good mood she often ends up flirting with the person next to her, touching their face or grabbing their bib and laughing. She also puts her mouth into the shape of an O and makes little "ooo?? ooo?" sounds, often gesturing with her little pointer finger. She was mimicking my brother and sister-in-law's dogs tonight, barking/howling/whining like them. Last night she was the last one at the table and was making herself laugh like crazy over nothing, throwing back her head and squeezing her eyes shut with glee.

Isaac and the babies are playing together more and more. He can make them laugh and scream with joy, and he's so interested in them and eager to play with them or help hold them (if only for a little while - they are getting too big!). He also helps me clean up their toys, hooray!

A few other new, quirky things the babies are doing now:

Will rolls his hands when agitated. It looks like he's trying to do the "roll it" motion from "pat-a-cake." He also likes to clap, but then all the kids do. They get each other going. They like to clap for themselves when they get up on something or when they stand on their own, in the case of Will.

Marcie stood on her own for a little while today and took a tiny step. Will has been taking up to 10 steps at a time, but still prefers to crawl because he's so much faster that way.

David started running! It was so strange to see this little baby boy come running down the hall a couple days ago! I love his little "laughter attacks," and his huge impish smile when he runs away from us. He loves to be chased.

Gracie almost automatically waves when she sees people now. When I got her up from her nap a few days ago Isaac was sitting at the kitchen table, just having arrived from school. When she saw him, she said, "HI!!!" and threw up her tiny little arm and hand to greet him. So cute!

Tonight at Costco (we took all five, we were all so stir-crazy!) Will and Gracie were eating the dripped/smeared frozen yogurt off of each other's mouths, very, very gently. It was SO funny to see! I couldn't get a picture, alas! When they are older they'll probably be glad that I couldn't. :)

Marcie, Seth and Will all like to read stories and point at the pictures. Gracie also likes to be read to, but David prefers to take the book for a walk. It's difficult to have a good group story time, but lots of fun still! :)

So all this to say, while it's true that their infancy is over, as is the use of the little bottles, so very much is happening NOW, and even more is ahead of us. I can't let myself dwell too much on the future because it's overwhelming to think of raising five toddlers! It's enough to know that it's Will, David, Marcie, Seth and Gracie who will be my toddlers. There are no other children I'd rather enjoy or endure each phase with.

Love,
Carrie

P.S. I have a couple of cute pictures to post but my photo library is down right now. Just look at the zoo pictures again. :) Thanks for all the sweet comments over the past weeks, months, and year - I wish I had time to write you all back!!

the last four zoo pictures

Isaac

Isaac and his buds, Megan and Nathan. What fun they all had, and what a perfect afternoon for it!

Seth really seems to love this stump, doesn't he?

With all the babies on the giant spider web plaything. Left to right: Marcie, Gracie, Seth walking, David in my lap, Will

Mole rats and other creatures of the underground

Gracie and David meet in a tunnel in the Underground portion of the Zoo. She's happy to see him!

Gracie with her best friend in the whole world, Megan (the daughter of Naomi, our babysitter).

Isaac and a barely-visible David in the dome that peaks up from the underground tunnels.

Will and a barely-visible Megan

Will was super interested too!

Isaac and David in front of the gross but oddly cute mole rat babies.

David's turn to be fascinated

One of my all-time favorites of Marcie, cooing and talking to the mole rat babies in her high-pitched, ecstatically interested and curious voice. I took a short video on my phone to try to capture the moment.

Darling zoo babies (girls)

Marcie likes to make herself right at home. She climbed into this basket without hesitation. Naomi added Gracie.

Marcie was the only baby I took out of the stroller to pet the goats. I was just so tired of washing hands, and the other babies seemed content to just look. Marcie is pretty nuts about animals, especially furry ones, and LOVED it!

In fact, she loved it so much, she swung her legs up onto a goat to try to hitch a ride.
Looks like she's trying to decide WHICH goat she wants to ride on, though. ;)

Marcie wanted to wear Abby's hat. It was so cute watching her try to put it on!

Thank you, Anna, for helping her out! (And thanks to Naomi for all these great pictures!!)