my, how they've grown

i took a walk with ava the other evening, just the 2 of us. i was about to strap her into the stroller, but at the last minute decided to pull out my trusty old moby wrap and keep her close to me in hopes that the walk would help her get nice and sleepy for bedtime. (plus, she still has that faint baby-smell to her head and i'm not sure how long it will last, so i love to inhale it as much as i can) i was planning on walking just to the end of our street and back, but before i knew it, i had passed the point where i was going to turn around, and my feet just kept on going. i was re-tracing my steps from months and months ago, when my evening routine consisted of walking outside with ava for at least an hour, whether i wanted to or not, in hopes that she'd fall asleep for the night. i used to sing "oooh, child, things are gonna get easier" softly to myself and to ava as i walked, with tears slipping down both of our cheeks, feeling so full of despair. looking back on all of it now, things surely did get easier, but it was never all of a sudden. all i know is that i'm standing on the other side of it now and i almost can't look back quite yet because the memory of how difficult and dismal and terrifying those dark days were is still a little bit too fresh.

ava is now 8 1/2 months old. she is happy. she is delightful. she is beautiful. she is all girl. already the differences between my boys and this little girl are astonishing me; from the way she giggles sort of breathlessly and girl-like, to her drama and high pitched screeches of torment when she gets hurt. she's already saying "mama" and "dada" (so much earlier than either of the boys) and i have a feeling that she'll be out- talking sam soon. (which wouldn't be that difficult to do) she loves to mimic me, especially when i blow lightly on her face or whistle. she is crawling forward on all fours after a month of only going backwards and her poor little knees are bright red. she loves to pull herself up to stand on whatever she can grab and the look of triumph on her face when she succeeds is just the sweetest thing. she loves avocados, cheese, plain yogurt, pears and detests anything pureed, which is unfortunate since i get about 90 free jars of baby food per month from wic. she just got her 3rd tooth today. she naps twice a day, but the length of her naps is so inconsistent and i've come to the conclusion that that's just the way she rolls. she is head over heels in love with her daddy, loves sitting in the bathtub with the shower on, and is finally growing hair long enough to put cute little clips in. this delights my heart greatly :)

samuel will be 3 years old in a month and a half. grammie and grandad are making a special trek from canada just be here for his birthday. since he is a boy of few words, there are so many times that i just want to look inside his mind and figure out WHAT IN THE WORLD HE IS THINKING ABOUT!! he has got to have the best sense of humor ever, and that combined with the twinkle in his brilliantly green eyes make him irresistible. he is potty trained!!!! well, pretty much, except for when he gets so engrossed in an activity that he forgets he has to go. he is wearing the same size clothing that he was wearing a year ago, and still doesn't eat much, besides bananas and bread with peanut butter and maple syrup. oh, and oatmeal, he just loves oatmeal. he loves trains, but i think he likes cowboys better and i can't wait for him to open the birthday present my sister is sending him (cowboy boots!) sam is just my sweet & salty, ticklish & cuddly, loving & energetic little boy.

tristan is still 5, and wishes he was 7. he is into numbers, big time. tonight he was adding up some random numbers out loud, then told josh that the ages of the 3 guys in our family combined make 42. he also wants to read, like yesterday. i need to get on that. its just that i have yet to figure out how i'm going to teach him AND keep the house from looking like a family of monkeys live here, AND have dinner on the table at 5, AND take care of two other children, AND remember to brush my teeth AND get the kids out of the house to burn off some energy.....and you get the idea. this is why i haven't been blogging at all lately. something had to give. oh yes, back to tristan. he is also into games. his favorites are yahtzee, uno and the latest, monopoly junior, which i found at the thrift store for under 2 bucks. i'm beginning to have buyer's remorse however, because that is just a game that never ends! we just began giving him a weekly allowance, so he has a chore chart that he has to complete every day on his own, and we're teaching him what it means to tithe and save and spend. i haven't gotten over the fact that he is now 5 and i think i'm still mourning the loss of his babyhood a little bit.

the other big news around these parts is that my husband got a new job! he is switching from a career in electrical to a career in church ministry. crazy jump, but God has been leading us in this direction for quite some time and the door has finally opened. he starts his new job at our church on may 1st and i am so proud of and excited for him.

 God is so faithful.