8-Month Newsletter: Knox

Dear Knox,
Instead of boring you with lots of prose, I'm going to just cut to the chase for this month's update! Let's call this update: 8 FAVES at EIGHT! These are my favorite things about you as you turn 8 months old:

1. Dancing: You love to rock back and forth on all fours if a song comes on and you are mid-crawl. Or, if you are pulled up on something and hear music, you will bounce a bit.

2. Humming: Along those same lines of loving music, if I sing a song to you, you will start trying to hum along! I love it!  It's very recent that we've even noticed that you do this, but Daddy and I both have noticed when Quinn watches Daniel Tiger or if anyone is singing, you seem to want to join in and will hum with us. Last night, I was singing Lechi Lach with Banner in the kitchen, and you were humming with us. As I noticed you were doing that, I started swaying a little with you on my hip, and you put your head back and closed your eyes, almost as if you were embracing the music! And, I'm not positive, but I also think you're trying to match pitch! I can't wait to see if this love of music continues!

3. Eating: You've gotten so great at feeding yourself Cheerios, Mum Mums, and Puffs, munching on the little nets with bits of banana or peach or avocado in them, drinking water from your sippy or straw cups, or sucking on apple slices. You much prefer independent eating to the baby food I spoon feed you, but you take everything well for now. There were a couple of weeks that you significantly dropped ounces in your bottle, but we're getting back on track slowly! I think you just weren't as hungry for a bottle with so much loving of food!

4. Cruising: You're all over the place, buddy! A speed crawler who has become quite quick to pull-up on anything and everything, you now know how to navigate around objects - the kitchen cabinets, the coffee table, the couch, me! While every now and then, you can take a tumble backwards and bonk your head on the wood floor, you are quick to calm and generally ready to go again a few minutes later after some TLC. You've even learned how to take that brave step from the couch to the coffee table and back again. You are one courageous little guy... but as I was reminded by pulling up Quinn's 8-month post, this is the time when bumps and bruises make a strong debut. You fell standing at the side of the couch last week and made a head dive into the window sill. A big forehead bruise appeared moments later. Oh, do be careful, Baby Love. So so scary all this risk-taking! The stairs are a huge interest for you, too... and just in the past few days, we've seen you pull yourself up on the steps - just ready to climb up those boogers. We have an estimate from the baby proofer about all these areas that you are drawn to (fire place is another biggie), but we haven't scheduled yet! It should have happened right when we moved in, but - well, life.

5.You're starting to really comprehend what we're saying to you. You turn to your name, and just the other day, you crawled away from your bottle, and when I said, "Do you want more?" you turned around and came toward me to snuggle in for more of its contents.

6. A TOOTH! The teeniest, tiniest little bit of a bottom right tooth is making its first appearance just this weekend! After a week of horrible sleep and pooping up a storm so badly you have a red rashy tush, we figured this may be the case. Swollen gums told us this might be the issue, but after nights of endless hours of crying and nothing we did soothed you, we had to let you cry it out. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But, geez, those nights were/are AWFUL! It was/is during those nights - and ONLY during those nights - that I was seriously wishing there was a return policy for infants.

7. Splashing: One evening last week you discovered that the water in your tub pops up if you hit it. Daddy and I watched with such joy as you enjoyed your new ability to splash! We let the kitchen floor get sopping wet, as Daddy and I looked at each other knowing we would have NEVER let your older brothers make such a mess! But, it was so fun to watch you experiment playfully with the water.

8.Tag-Along: You LOVE your brothers and copy them on anything you can. If they are singing, you will try to hum the tune. If they are yelling and chasing, you are right behind them trying to keep up and making your own sweet yell. You LOVE for me to pick you up and hold you out in front of me to "chase" them around the house. You'll giggle up a storm when you "get" them or they "get" you. You adore their attention, and they like helping you. Banner, especially, is quite a helper with you - making sure you don't fall down, redirecting you, playing with you, and being silly just to get a smile from you. Quinn is still unsure of your permanence in our household, but he loves to give you kisses and TRY to play with you. (Soon you two will be best buds, and you don't even know the difference or seem to mind at all, but for now, he's a little too rough with you for my liking!)

Knox Morgan, I love you with all my heart. I wish you would sleep better, Little Dude, but otherwise, you are one easy-going baby. Lately, you have grown so attached to us. Daddy is definitely your person of choice lately - you are very enthralled with him. When he gets home from work and you hear his voice, you will no longer pay attention to your dinner I'm feeding you - you must see him right away and have him pick you up! This is just one example of how you long for his attention and affection. But, you're still a mama's boy, and I love that you love me and know that I love you. You're giving kisses and waving; you're interested in your friends at play dates (with Wyatt, with Elan, with Skylar), you're drawn to a screen; you hate the changing table (but a paci helps a lot), you love your days with BeeBee and with Grandma, you are babbling quite a bit ("mamamama" is my favorite of course!), and you hate getting dressed. I love learning about you and seeing each day bring a new trick or talent. These next few months will bring great change, I already know. Walking is the next big step  ... no pun intended. :) Take your time, Baby Love. Your brothers will wait for you, and I will, too.

I love you so very much!
Happy 8 Months!
Love,
Mommy

Leaving Darion

We've lived at our new house for about 2 and a half months already! I've been meaning to publish this final post about our last few days and nights on Darion Lane, but time and life -- it just keeps going too quickly for me to settle for a minute to breathe and reflect. And, perhaps there is a part of me that keeps putting off the reality of saying goodbye to a home I loved so much. It's true I wanted to move for years! But, the timing was never right, or we were waiting for the market to be what we wanted, or the idea of having to "show" our house was exhausting. And, then suddenly, time fell into place and circumstances became perfect. We had certainly outgrown our cozy home, and with three boys who continue to acquire more things, take up more space, and want some elbow room, we knew it was time. The hail storm in March was a blessing in disguise; we were able to get a new roof, new gutters, paint some, etc, and it would (mostly) all be done in perfect time to list the house and get Banner situated before he started Kindergarten. It was "now or never," so to speak!

In addition, the more memories I made on Darion, the more connected I became, and the less likely I would be to ever move. I love that all three of my boys were brought home from the hospital there and spent those endless days and nights of newbornhood in that quaint set-up. I love that I rocked all of those babies in the same nursery. I love the memories we all created, and that I have countless images in my head of my little ones so small in every room and space of that house. But, I'm also glad I still have a baby in my new house, that my boys are still in the thick of their youth with myriad of memories still to be made in a new home.

And, I LOVE our new house. I do. At first, I was tentative and reluctant to like it - especially when, upon closing and showing the boys their new home, we had an A/C leak that marked up the downstairs kitchen ceiling WHILE we were there - only hours after signing the papers! What a horrible welcome it was; but I've come to see it as the house's way of saying, "Whatcha gonna do about THIS?!" as a test of how committed we are to taking care of this new part of our family. Our home. Yet, it isn't home just yet. There are days when I long for my home only four minutes away. There are days I feel like I'm just visiting someone else's house, and I'm ready to go back to my own place. But, with time and updates and energy spent on fixing up this awesome house, I think we are settling in quite nicely, and one day, hopefully soon, it will feel like home.

So, as I go ahead and make this a formal goodbye, I want to reflect on our goodbye to our home:

Banner and Quinn had been counting down the days - for better or worse - til the move. We were packing endlessly, and eventually when it came down to the wire, random items were being tossed in unorganized boxes just to get the job done already! Our garage was full of boxes and furniture ready for movers. Our clothes were ready to be lifted off the closet rods and schlepped over to the new house with the help of several amazing friends.

Closing day, a Friday, went very well. Banner and Quinn were in camp, and Knox was with my mom, so Sam and I were able to go to closing all by ourselves. The bittersweetness of the whole meeting was the joy and pride I felt in selling my own home, the house I had bought all on my own while simultaneously fearing we were making a huge mistake. What if the new house was a dud? What if our happiest days are behind us in the only home we've ever known as a family?

Those feelings quickly went away as we got back home and tried to get ready to move (we had the weekend to complete the move and had to fully be out by Monday). We picked Banner up from camp and went to our new house to show the kids around. It was awesome. They loved it - the stairs were a favorite! They liked the big open rooms, seeing their bedrooms for the first time, having their own bathrooms, and being able to see Banner's school on the other side of our alley. Other than the A/C leaking (which I shouldn't down play; it was a HUGE problem for me and continued to be a problem as the dripping water that made a mess on the ceiling also wreaked havoc on the brand new carpet the following morning! I'm not sure I've cried like that in a long time!), things were great.

The move went very smoothly - even with high temps at the very end of July! I was a trooper in the heat I hate so much! :) The last night at the house was Saturday night. I measured the boys one last time in their nursery closet. We bathed the boys altogether in their bathtub. There were tears as I put Knox down to bed (actually at nap, too, earlier in the day). It would be the last night I put a baby to sleep in that room, in that house. I sat between Banner & Quinn's beds shortly after that, holding each of their hands in mine, wanting to soak in that moment forever. Both my big boys in the same room, in the room they learned to sleep in big boy beds, in the room they learned to be room mates in - room mates they may never have again. Sam and I weren't overly emotional that night really - - that would come later.

Sunday was moving day. It was chaotic but structured. It was fast but long! It came and went, and later that night after the kids were asleep at Grandma & Papa's house, Sam and I went back to clean up. I've never cleaned that house so well. Completely empty, it was easy to vacuum and sweep. And, I felt like I wanted every last bit of dust and dirt to be captured, like it was the last mitzvah I could do for this house, to let her shine the way I knew she could and had been wanting to since my kids were born! I remember vacuuming feeling like I couldn't clean enough. In each room, I reflected as the vacuum hummed loudly. I could recall the voices, the smiles, the laughter, the hugs, the hand prints, the tantrums, the love making, the stories told, the kisses, the tempers, the lengthy talks, the shows watched, the friends over, the mistakes, the arguments... the stories that lived in those rooms were ingrained in my head. I was sweating while I wiped down cabinets and counter tops, cleaned toilets and faucets... But I felt like I couldn't leave anything untouched.

On Monday, again, we picked Banner up from camp and went back to Darion to say our final goodbye. We prepared a letter for the new owner, arranged some colorful flowers for her and her boys, left a welcome gift for her (a mezuzah) and for her boys (an art project), and set out the keys, remotes, and manuals for the house and appliances. Then, we asked the boys to walk through the house with us to make sure we didn't leave anything. I wanted them to see that we had taken ALL of their things with us (at least so if we ever lost anything during the move, they wouldn't think we forgot it at Darion). We checked every last cabinet and closet. And then, I took a few pictures of them in their empty rooms. That's when I started to tear up a little. I walked in to my bedroom one last time, and the boys followed Sam and me. Sam and I hugged silently, and that's when Banner asked to take a picture of us in our room. And he did. Quinn wanted to know why I was crying, and he made silly faces to try to cheer me up. Sam and I were both teary, and we told the boys that we were going to miss that house, that we loved it there and that's where we became a family so it would be hard to leave.

Then, Banner and I walked Sam, Quinn, and Knox to the front door because his car was waiting out front, and we were going to lock ourselves out of the house. We stood in the entryway just hugging for a while. I could tell Sam was pretty emotional, and I knew exactly why. "Your mom?" He nodded. "She's with us. She knows where we're going," I reassured him. He nodded. We cried. And, with that, he walked away from the house.

Banner and I locked the door, and then Banner and I hugged in the den. In between the play room and the den, Banner teared up as we rocked. He said, "Mommy, I'm going to miss living here so much." I just held him and told him how I would too, but that we had a lot of new memories to make in our new house. And, just like a 5-year-old boy - he was over it pretty quickly! We were leaving the garage moments later for the last time. As I reversed into the alley, I could only feel that we were leaving something behind, like we had forgotten something. But, I knew we hadn't. It was just that we were leaving Darion.

Last bath

Look how big this first baby has gotten! In Banner's first room!

In Quinn's first room!

In Knox's first room... love the way you can see the crib slats on the wall

First picture outside our new house!

I love this one. One day we'll look back at this picture and think, "Look how little they were!!"

Favorite 3rd Year Memories: Quinn

-Your Lego party was a blast! The cake, the chalk favors, the decor that Daddy and Banner put so much effort and love into, the company and the fun in the pool.

-My Gym classes with you all year. SO much fun. I loved watching your development - from not being able to jump very well to being the best jumper; playing with Bailey (a friend we only knew from our My Gym classes) and watching you two "grow up" throughout the months you spent there; your confidence and ability growing with each class.

-Your "glad dance" when I picked you up from school in September last year - finally happy and not crying

-How you SO want to be like Banner, copying every little thing he does

-Our day at the Fair and how you said, "Daddy keep me safe?" when you saw a big roller coaster you thought we were going on (which we totally wouldn't anyway!)

-Harmonizing peek a boo at dinner as an entire family - yes, weirdos! (October)

-Your Thanksgiving program last year ("There's a turkey on my head on my head.")

-Dancing silly and doing our own little dances to the French cancan

-The way you danced from one room to the next at Legoland

-Introducing you to Knox and how curious you were about him

-Your face in the midnight moonlight as you looked out my bathroom window and said, "Mommy, I see the moon!" after a bathroom visit

-Dancing and singing to "super trouper" ("shoo bop bop, shoo bop bop!")

-The sweet things you have said this year: "Mommy, you win the crown for beautiful mommy," or "Banner I'm going to miss you so much. I don't want you to spend the night out."

-How you run to me at the end of your school day saying, "Mommy!!!!" with a little skip in your step.

-The hay maze at Big Orange Pumpkin Farm

7-Month Newsletter: Knox

Dear Knox,
How did this last month already come and go so quickly? Truly, this month was THE fastest. You are taking off in every possible way, and so is time! You are officially crawling. Up on all fours, getting faster and faster by the day. You're even starting to make your way UP things! Slowly pulling up and wanting to stand! SLOW DOWN!!!!! We are not baby proofed yet! You entirely skipped the "just sitting" phase. . . you know, my favorite infant stage. Thanks, Buddy. Thanks a lot! :) Just kidding - kinda. I just love that stage when you can reach what you want, see what you want, and sit independently without moving from the safe cushion that surrounds you. Now, you are "redding" up those knees and toes by constantly crawling everywhere. I love that you can get any where you want, but we have to watch you closely! And, you're putting EVERYTHING in your mouth. As your fine motor skills have improved, you are now able to rake up anything you want from the floor. Your big brothers are both the biggest problem and the biggest help in this area. While they know it's their toys you want, they are very watchful in making sure you don't eat them - or their crumbs, their clothes, their dirt, their shoes, etc. You've sucked on a few too many shoes before we can stop you, and I'm sorry for that. It's kind of disgusting, but hey, not the worst thing that could happen.

So, what else are you up to this month?

-Trying out more fruits and vegetables: broccoli, pumpkin, pineapple, mango, apricots. You're really liking everything you've tried - except green beans still, but I'm still offering them every now and then in the hopes that you'll like them. You love sucking on real food though: banana and peach are favorites. We'll probably add in watermelon and other melons this month, along with more grains. You also like MumMum. You are not a fan of Cheerios or Puffs yet. We've tried them several times, and that substance is just such a foreign feeling, you aren't quite sure and spit it out with a look of disgust.

-You had a cold this month. You're just getting over it now - after about a week of Dimetapp at night, VapoRub, Tylenol, NoseFrida, saline drops, and a raw nose. Snot and more snot and a TON of drainage. Thank goodness you are on the mend. But, I'm weary of the ear infection that could be on the horizon after such a cold.  Hoping I'm anxious for no reason.

-You're continuing to babble up a storm. LOVE this!

-You're starting to really have FUN with your play. A couple nights ago, I rolled a ball down the "ramp" of the sink bath tub, and that had you giggling. You like to be bounced - that gets a laugh, too. Peek-a-boo is always a hit, especially if a brother plays it with you!

-Stranger danger. The minute you can't see me or Grandma or Daddy - tears. You are weary of visitors and why they might be at our house or near you. You are becoming quite dependent on your routine and won't really eat for a new person. You also reach for who you want, so if someone new is holding you and you want me, you will let that be known with a slight lean and a reach.

-Still no teeth, but those bottom gums appear to be swelling a little bit. Drool and more drool, but no sign of pearly whites yet!

-You're kind of in the midst of dropping your third nap. Each day depends on how the earlier two naps have gone, or at least how late you sleep at the second nap (which is often interrupted with having to wake you to go get Banner from school). I'm ready for you to drop that nap altogether, but you can't make it from 2:00 to 7:00 or even 6:00 just yet. So, depending on when you wake up, we decide if you need a third nap or not. You usually get pretty fussy after 2-2.5 hours of awake time, so we try to use that to gauge how long you can last until bath time. I think you sleep better at night on days you haven't had a third nap, but the evenings are grueling without one if needed. By next month, I bet it will have disappeared.

-Physically, you are my smallest - yet tallest - baby. Your eyes remain a beautiful bright blue. Your hair is still light brown, with flecks of blonde depending on the light. I absolutely love holding your itty bitty hands. They are soft and tender and gentle and I love them! You have the faintest little birthmark on the outside of your upper arm near your left elbow. (It's one of those marks that only a mommy notices and everyone else would have to really look for it.) You still look like both of your brothers to me - a genuine mix of both of them as if they had you for a baby. And, you still have "peyos" (Jewish sidelocks) growing longer than the rest of your hair that you had at birth. I bet you'd appreciate if we would cut those off, but . . . .well, Daddy won't let me! So, yes, in most every picture, you will see those long "Pippy Longstocking" tufts of hair sticking out behind either ear.

Well, that about covers it. Seriously. Big BIG changes in our lives right now with all your mobility so much sooner than we anticipated. Rolling, sitting, creeping, crawling, and the beginnings of pulling up all in the same few weeks.  While you are keeping up with your big brothers by meeting milestones on the early side of normal, it still impresses me given how little time you are/were able to practice these skills with our crazy schedule and always being held or in the car seat for so long. (I suppose that's why rolling over took so long, but once you met it, you literally took off!) One of my favorite nights this past month was when we went to celebrate the first day of school at IHOP (Banner's choice) and you sat like a big boy in the high chair eating bits of banana and drinking water out of your sippy cup. You are getting so mature and have truly taken your place in our family.

Knox Morgan, we couldn't love you more. I love love love you!!! I love bathing you, cuddling you, rocking you, and getting to know that sweet personality even more each day. Please be safe as we continue to wrangle you in and try our best to keep you out of harm's way. It's okay to just be an infant and not try to be the big boy with your brothers. Plenty of time for that! Let's just slow it down a notch and enjoy the rest of your infancy, huh? What do you say? :) I love you, Knoxipoo!

Happy 7th!!
Love,
Mommy

Quinn Turns THREE!: Newsletter

Dear Quinn,
What a difference a year makes, My Love! This time last year, you were sleeping in a crib, had pacifiers you were attached to, took a nap, and wore diapers. Now, none of that is the same! You have made some big strides and accomplished some big things in these last 12 months! You've become a big brother, learned to use the potty (even over night!), made new friends, learned to be a student, and swim like a little fishy! I am so very proud of you and your accomplishments, but more than that I've just adored your sweetness, affection, generosity, and pure compassion! I'm going to miss the year you were 2, because you were anything but terrible! I've never been around a two-year-old as wise, intuitive, and sweet as you. As you've neared three, you've become a little feisty, slightly aggressive with your brothers, and daring. But, underneath your desire to test our limits and our patience, you are simply the most cooperative, sensitive, joyful little boy. In fact, you went through a little stint towards the middle of your Toddlers class when Ms. Tali and Ms. Alison would tell us that you'd been going around telling everyone what we often heard at home: "I'm a bad guy!" in a gruff voice. The funny thing is, you desperately wanted to be but just couldn't ever fulfill the meanness you had hoped for. Your smile and endearing ways just never really matched that "bad guy" persona you were trying on.

My biggest fear for you is that you will be "run over" by more powerful personalities (like your big brother's). True to the "middle child" stereotype, you often get the raw end of the deal. It often just seems to be your luck that you don't get what you want all the time, and it breaks my heart to watch it happen all too often. For instance, we were at Graham and Greenley's birthday party a couple weeks ago, and you noticed too late that there were water balloons the other kids had been playing with. Once you realized it, you wanted some too, and of course then there weren't any left. Then, you wanted to go decorate a cookie like everyone else, but lo and behold, as we went to choose your cookie, big brother got the last one. Tears ensued and my heart broke again for you. There was a God that morning, and Banner decided to break his cookie in half for you to have some. But, that's the kind of thing I see over and over again, and I just feel so protective of that for you. You're often too sweet to get your way - letting others get what they want without much thought of yourself and how that impacts you. Another example is how Banner will hardly ever share with you, and he will assume that you'll never share with him - but when I tell him to just ask you, you of course oblige and share anything you have - a turn with a toy, a piece of your candy, the rest of your slurpee... you name it. You are typically so cooperative and only get upset when someone has taken advantage of you or threatens to (like Banner coming to take something from you or Levi grabbing what you have). It would never occur to you (at least not yet!) to hit or punch or grab back.

Instead, you immediately go to whining or screaming or crying - or all of the above. Sometimes you just shut down and cry for me over and over without explaining what happened or what is wrong. The easiest way to get you to calm down is to have you look in my eyes, have me tell you that you are okay, and have you use your words to explain what you want. Sometimes, it's the littlest thing - like last night you were angry and crying incessantly until we realized what was wrong - that Banner took your cup holder in the car and you wanted to put YOUR cup there. Once handled, you were all better.

Those tantrums are happening more and more as you headed towards this birthday. And, man alive, it's testing my patience. Most often, though, a hug or a cuddle or some TLC does the trick. Sometimes you just need mommy or daddy. Sometimes you just need to be acknowledged. In the thick of raising three active boys, we have to remember how you need and adore that affection you've always loved so much. And, oh my goodness, do I love that about you! It drives me nuts when I'm trying to cook dinner or bathe Knox or get Banner ready for school - but that neediness won't always be there, and I know I'll miss it when my hug can't make it all better!

Another one of my absolute favorite things is the way you talk. On every level. The vocabulary you have, the intriguing ideas and thoughts you have, and of course, your "New York accent." You say "togevah" instead of "together," or "heyah" instead of "here." You say "Bayonnuh" instead of "Banner." Your little voice and sweet pronunciation, I just want to bottle it all up! "We had a fieuh dweel at school tuhday, and Aiden Gween cwied because he was scayud. I didn't see Bayonnuh; I only sawed my fwends. Daniel cwied too because he was afwaid of the fieuh dweel alahm."

Your sentences are long and fluent and insightful. At the end of Aiden G's party in February, his mom (a speech/language pathologist) commented on how she loves to listen to you speak because it's so unusual to hear a 2 year old speak with such long sentences. You have been fully conversational for well over a year, but it's really picked up with amazing diction and vocabulary. Your teachers always comment on the unique things you say, especially loving your manners and how you won't leave the lunch table without saying, "May I be excused, please?" In fact, Ms. Ilene told us this summer that you don't "eat" lunch, you "dine." Your teachers have told us what a "perfect student" you are. Ms. Heather once told me this summer, "Quinn is a model student. He's a Hebrew scholar." And last week, Ms. Randi told me she can't get over the words she hears you use. You'll say, "No, but thank you for offering," or "I don't prefer that." One day last school year, we got in the car and the music was getting too loud for me to hear you. I went to turn it down as I said, "That's too loud." You said, "It's crescendo." You went on to explain, "The music got louder; it's crescendo." I texted Aunt Kira who agreed you were right and "lol'ed" at your usage.

We conquered word pronunciation this year as best we could. "Wello" is now correctly, "yellow." "Canpakes" (which was "mancakes" before you were 2), is now correctly "pancakes."

You have a heart of gold, My Love. You never want anyone to be left out; even if that person may have been terribly rude to you a moment ago, you're concerned if it looks like I might leave him behind or shut the garage before he has entered the house. "But wait, Mommy!! Wait," you will demand as you begin to cry or whine loudly. When Banner spent the night out with Brycen and Nami, we FaceTime'd him and you told him, "But, Banner, I want you to come home. I miss you." (And I'm sure somewhere deep inside, he wanted to tell you the same thing - but didn't.) When Knox went to the doctor, you were worried he would get shots and were so relieved when you learned he didn't have to have one. When I get home from work, you give big hugs with a smile on your face and say, "Mommy, I missed you!" or "Mommy, I was missing you!" When I pick you up from camp or school, you run to me, "Mommy!!!" or "Mommy, you said I would have a good time. And, I did!"

It makes you so happy to: do art projects (no matter how big or small or complicated), to clean messes by yourself, to go to Chuck E Cheese, to eat donuts for breakfast, to go to Grandma & Papa's house, to swim, to watch Daniel Tiger or Team Umizoomi, to big tickled or chased or tossed in the air, to get a lollipop ("lullipop"), to have a "snack" of any kind, to have milk first thing in the morning, for Daddy or me to stay for Shabbat, to play a game.

You are snoring less these days, probably thanks to your Flonase medicine we started back up again. After a visit to Dr. P (ENT), we tried Nasocort, but we didn't have much luck. Once we switched to Flonase, we saw a difference for you. Dr. P thinks it may do the trick in shrinking your adenoids so we have been trying that out to avoid surgery. The snoring was pretty bad, but now it's better. You stick your tongue out or bite on the tip of it when you get nervous/embarrassed/anxious. Once your shyness subsides and you warm up to your environment, LOOK OUT! You, my friend, are one loud little guy. In fact, I'm thinking about asking Dr. B about your hearing because you are so damn loud! But, I am 99% sure it's behavioral and that you just can't control your excitement! *Added 9/16/16: We just returned from your well-check with Dr. B. Here are your stats:

-Weight: 31.6 pounds = 50th percentile
-Height: 36.25 inches = 25th percentile
-BMI: 16.9 = 75th percentile
-Developmentally: 3 years, 10 months! Wowza! Dr. B was super-impressed with your speech and vocabulary. In fact, we kept answering with "Yes"es and when he finally asked, "Can he write his own name yet?" we got to a "no" much to Dr. B's relief that we weren't just making all this up! He pointed to colors on the wall, and you knew each one. He pointed to the white part of the animated character's eye on the wall, and when you said, "White and black" (because the eye part was black), impressed, he said, "Well, okay!" You are one smart cookie, my little lovey.

What else, Quinn? What can I tell you about you at this age? This beautiful age you are - and how I hope it stays beautiful! I'm anxious as we head into this threenage year... when little angels are known to become quite devious. I'm hoping we can maintain our relationship with each other and not push each other away during the trying times of growing independence. You so badly want to do everything yourself, but then want my help when you get frustrated. You so badly want to show me you're not a baby: "No, I wanna do it" you'll whine. But, putting your own seat belt on or wiping your own bottom or brushing your own teeth - it's just a little difficult to do. I have no doubt that in a year, you will have fully mastered these tasks. But, for now, it's a challenge. You're making big strides, but you are only 3... and you've gotta let me help you. At the same time, you gotta TRY to do some other easy tasks. This is where we both get frustrated. You know how to put your underwear on. You know how to get down the stairs on your own. You don't need me to watch you do every little step.

But, I have to say, I fully expected a regression as we moved into this new house, as Knox became mobile, as the new school year began. And, so far so good. I know that ship hasn't sailed yet, and anything is possible, but I'm so proud of how you've handled yourself. Yes, there are times you are draining and whiny and so dramatically needy. And, yes, especially after dropping your nap, your late afternoons and evenings are even harder. But, mostly, you're holding your own and growing up so quickly!

We celebrated your birthday at a special birthday party last Sunday. It was one of the best parties I've ever been to, and I had SO much fun celebrating you with some of your favorite people at one of your favorite places. The party couldn't have gone better - and couldn't have been any easier to plan and implement. One of the highlights was when Daddy and one of the teachers helped you ride a motorcycle around your friends at the end of the party. Although Banner was pretty upset he didn't get a turn (and cried because he was feeling so jealous), the motorcycle was a hit, and I kinda teared up watching how happy you were and how you got to be the center of attention! You looked like Mr. Cool riding around on that thing. You also got to swing while everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to you, and you were loving this attention you aren't used to getting all to yourself.

We continued the celebration this morning - with traditional balloons upon waking up, donuts for breakfast, birthday pictures in the recliner, Daddy joining you at school for Shabbat, Mommy coming up to school when you shared the cake you baked there with your friends, and Chuck E Cheese for dinner and games. Sugar, sugar, and more sugar all day! And the whole day, I've pretty much reflected on our first day together - 3 years ago in the hospital just cuddling away. A memory I often reflect on each night as we cuddle, those same days were greatly on my mind as we held hands in your bed and I sang you to sleep tonight - this first night as a three-year-old.

Quinn Redding, I love you love you love you! I hope you know how special you are to me - to all of us. Everyone who meets you praises you and immediately notices what a sweet, sweet boy you are. I'm so very fortunate to be your Mommy. Thank you for being you and for loving me. And thank you for letting me love you right back!

Happy, happy third birthday, My Love!

I love you with every piece of my heart!
Love,
Mommy

Last picture as a 2-year-old

Birthday balloons

Waking Banner for school

Birthday bear claw

Make a wish!

At school

Tonight, at your birthday dinner:

Happy Half-Birthday, Knox!! 6-Month Newsletter

Dear Knox,
This morning, we walked into your room and sang "Happy Half-Birthday to you!!" and it felt surreal that you are now closer to becoming my one-year-old and farther from being my newborn! How did that time go so quickly?! It's the age old parent question, right? I mean, each day feels like forever sometimes, but those days together seem like the blink of an eye. You have grown and developed so very much this month! Let me tell you about it~

-The first few weeks of the month, you were babbling like crazy! But, in the past week or so, you've been much quieter. While you still "talk" to yourself during the early hours of the new day (around 5:30 or 6:00) before drifting back to sleep, during the day, you are pensive and quiet. Daddy and I thought you must be working on something to have quieted down so much - as we believe Grandma is right when she says babies work on one thing at a time. And, lo and behold, you must have been working on figuring out how to maneuver your body so you put your mouth on hold. You are now rolling, sitting, and creeping - just in the past week. It happened very quickly, and I'm not gonna lie - I'm a little annoyed at you meeting these milestones so quickly. My life just got exponentially more challenging in the "keeping you safe" department! You "plank" all the time. You're exceptionally strong and sturdy!

-Another reason you may have quieted down was perhaps from the transition to a new house. We moved out of Darion just a couple weeks ago, and we've all been transitioning to our new normal at the new house. I'm both glad and sad that you won't remember your first 5 months of life in that house. You won't miss it at all, but man, was it a great place to bring my boys home. I'll forever cherish those early months with you (and your brothers) as the only place I had a newborn. The midnight feedings, the swaying in the dark nursery, the naps and bedtime routines that started there... Those last naps and bedtimes were rough for me. But, on to our next adventure in this new home!

-You LOVE attention. You just want to be held, or looked at, or played with at all times! The moment we walk away, you get pretty upset. But, as long as you are in my arms or are next to me, you are one happy little guy!

-You love being tickled. You hate when we dress you - just the process of putting your arms in mostly. You love hugs. You hate when we take a toy away. You love your feet. You hate when I won't let you eat the sink faucet during bath.

-Your hair grows the longest behind both ears. Therefore, you have these two long strands that curl upward and outward. I've called you Pippi Longstocking on more than one occasion, but Daddy refuses to let me cut these "pig tails" off!

-You're also beginning to reach for us! This is a nice and very welcome gesture! I love it! And, you look at what you want. More bottle, Mommy, a toy... it's helpful to know you are able to communicate what you want this way!

-Daddy would say you are still very suspicious of him, Banner, and Quinn. He says you are still trying to figure out if you trust them or not and "who these crazy people are?!" He thinks you know me and trust me, but aren't quite sure of them. I don't agree. I think you know each of us very well and know what to expect from everyone. Loudness, shrillness, and sudden-ness from Quinn. In-your-faceness and high-pitched baby talk full of smiles from Banner. Cuddles and hugs from Daddy. In fact, you love Daddy very much, and some days you want him more than me. You've also let him put you to bed a few times recently, and you do better for him than for me. You may very well be a daddy's boy - as you light up whenever you see him, too! I love how much you love these guys in our house!

-You're eating lots of different foods now! We've added fruits mostly - peaches, pears, bananas, apples, prunes. We've added corn as well. Up next - avocado, mango, pineapple... this is so fun! You love drooling over and sucking on bananas and peaches in the little net thingys.

-Baths are still my favorite time of day with you... and rocking you to sleep for naps and bed. You typically go down to sleep so easily. I just wish you would nap longer! Like last month, we usually get one good nap a day and two crummy ones. We've tried dropping your last nap, but if your previous naps are awful, you still really need another one later in the afternoon/evening.

-You adore your big brothers. The feeling is genuinely mutual. Quinn has begun wanting to pull on you or grab your hands or feet. I think your mobility has become slightly threatening to him, and his curiosity about you is increasing. He's also becoming a threenager, so there's that.... but he truly wants to just love on you and make you smile.

-Size 3 diapers, level 3 nipples, size 4 overnight diapers, size 6-9 and 9 month clothing.

-Bedtime is around 7:30 and you generally sleep through the night until about 6:30 or 7 (with a slight awakening an hour before then). We have to paci you once or twice or thrice, but I don't mind that if you go back to sleep right away. The biggest threat to your wakening, though, is the fact that you cannot - or WILL NOT - sleep on your back. And, coupled with the new rolling over all the time but not being truly proficient in being able to roll from back to belly, you wake up right away crying to be rolled back over. I'm hoping this will get better as you perfect the back to belly roll. You've gotten better at pacying yourself, too, but we're not there 100%.

-We visit Dr. B next week, so I'll add in those stats at a later date...

Knox Morgan, you are delightful! I know we are on the verge of a new adventure as you become mobile and into everything. It will be fun to see what personality this new chapter brings out of you! Are you a "Banner" or a "Quinn?" Are you daring or cautious? Are you into everything or more focused on one thing at a time? And, while I have some personal preferences, I will love however you are... because oh.my.goodness do I love you so much already! It's so exciting to watch the gift that you are keep unwrapping and to keep revealing your sweet personality each day.

This first half of your life has been eventful. Stressful, rocky, blessed, easy, and difficult all rolled up into one! From RSV at 3-weeks-old and breathing treatments to being more relaxed and at-ease with a third child. From never sleeping and taking hours to go to sleep to finding more ease with falling asleep. You've grown, and so have I! Thank you, Baby Love, for all you have brought to our family. A sense of calm. A new beginning.  A reminder of all that is important. A little one to celebrate and to watch continue to grow and develop! Thank you for loving us and for letting us love you!

Happy Half-Birthday, Knox Morgan!
Love,
Mommy

 (Pics coming soon. Something is wrong with my upload button!)