All Near Walking... What are we in for?

It's been over a month since my last blog on this, shame on me, but kudos to those of you still sticking around awaiting something new and exciting!
















The kids are doing great, and I think we went a whole month without any of them sick (YEAH) (Knock on wood).



Here's how things are shaping up:








Nate: Pretty quiet and content, until he gets pushed over by Jack that is. He's quite the eater and will eat pretty much anything put in front of him. He's caught up to Jack and Gabbi in the near walking category, which is a nice surprise because it took him forever to learn to crawl. Nate also has the most teeth, I think Sophia counted 6 (some are still coming in) but of course this makes him look a bit goofy when he smiles :)









Jack: Jack has become the most needy of the three at this point. He's learned to whine when he wants something and likes to be picked up and cuddled, which isn't so bad is it. Jack is a fussy eater and if you want him to try something you need to force it into his mouth the first time, and then after he realizes it's not bad, he'll feed himself from then on. Jack is also the bully right now, and always wants what the other kids have... that used to be Gabbi's MO, but now it's Jacks. Jack is all smiles in the mornings, and loves to jump up and down in his crib. His smile is infectious and you can't help but pick him up and snuggle him.









Gabbi: She has become the petite eater. She doesn't take handfuls of food and stuff it into her mouth like the boys, but instead eats one piece at a time. Her tray, chair, and floor area are compartively clean compared to the boys. Gabbi no longer seems to be "Crabby Gabbi" or "Grabby Gabbi" but instead she had jumped ahead to "logical Gabbi". One day Nate had her favorite toy, and rather than go and just take it from him, as "Grabby Gabbi" would do, she instead took another toy, set it down next to him, and waited for Nate to set down her toy. Sure enough, Nate set down the toy that Gabbi wanted, and picked up the other toy, where Gabbi proceeded to pick up her desired possession and scurried off with it.













(Jack and Gabbi watch the dogs)






The kids all really love to watch the dogs whenever they get a chance, and you'll hear little screeches as the dogs go runing past the window the kids are looking out of.









Sophia is quite the big sister as I'll often go out to find her reading to Jack, Nate and Gabbi in the morning in their cribs, or playing with them in the family room while Kim and I are getting ready. She really is a huge help. Sophia is about to finish up Kindergarten, and has been tearing it up this year. She's reading really well, and had a speaking part in a recent performance for her class. She also had her second ballet performance, which these pictures show a bit of, she's the second from the left.

The hardest thing now is trying to change the kids diapers in a reasonable fashion. Now that they are all moving, and now that they are all getting their own need for mobile freedom, it has become quite the task. Jack and Gabbi scurry for the wipes container at any chance and will be pulling out yards of wipes before you even catch on they have it. The butt cream is a highly desired object by all three kids and they all make a beline for it whenever they see it. Getting the kids to lay still while you change a diaper is nearly impossible, as they flip, and flop and move everywhere, so it's all you can do to hold onto them to keep them in one place so feet and stuff aren't dipping into the poo. Then to cap it off, the two kids whose diaper is not getting changed, find it entertaining to try and come over to see what is going on with the diaper that is getting changed. One will grab for the wipes (much needed wipes I might add), while another is grabbing for the soiled diaper(s), and the one being changed is arching their back in a very advanced wrestling maneuver that I have yet to learn how to overcome. Kim and I often break a sweat these days while changing diapers...



Toodles for now... I'll try and be better about updating... really I will.