Civil War

Logan remembered going to the Civil War reenactment last year and asked to go again this year. I stayed home with Jake, whom we didn't think would appreciate the cannons, and Eli who was feeling under the weather. Jason enjoyed having a good reason to take a break from fundraising with the young men, which has occupied many weekends lately, and spending time with his older kids; and I enjoyed napping the the younger two.

Best Napping Place

If he had his way, Jake would nap like this all day, every day.

Swings

Ali has taught both Logan and Eli how to pump this spring, and the two big kids taught Eli how to get up on the swing by himself, so much swinging has been going on, and they have been loving it. They also swing like this a lot, which I get a big kick  out of. Thankfully we have neighbors who let us use their swingset...

Paternity Leave

Jason took a week off of work after my mom went home to help with Jake and it was awesome having him here all day! He did the night feedings for me while he was home, the absolute best thing a person can do for me when I have a newborn! Jason's never really been home on weekdays when Ali and Logan are at school and enjoyed the quiet, calm place it is around here when just Eli and now Jake are around. And of course he liked to be able to spend time with Ali and Logan when they got home; this was the week he helped Logan master his bike. I loved having him home and wish his employers would keep paying him if he continued to stay home indefinitely...

"Snow" in May

Thankfully, this is the only "snow" we get around here in May. And it is still fun to play in:)

Playmat

We've had this playmat with all our kids and a bouncy seat with all of them too and it has been interesting to see who preferred what, and Jake definitely likes the playmat best, especially when the music is playing.

Happy Mothers Day

I had a great Mothers Day this year, I spending the day being so thankful for my amazing mom, my mother-in-law, and these four darling children. We posed in the kitchen so we could get the banner Logan made in the picture -- it wouldn't be a holiday around here without homemade decorations:) 

Jason gave me the best gift: a whole nights' sleep since he did the night feedings (something he does for me every weekend, which is the only way I am surviving this newborn phase). And he helped the kids pick the perfect card that said, "From all of us: You're wonderful...and that's one thing we ALL agree on!" Sometimes that is how it feels, but I sure love them all! I am one lucky woman.

Statues

Eli will frequently strike a pose and say, "Look, I'm a statue."

Bike Master

Last summer I worked really hard with Ali and Logan to get them to learn how to ride their bikes. They both got really close, but were just not confident in their abilities or strong enough in their desire to learn. It started to become a chore for them, something they didn't enjoy, so I backed off. This spring I told them I was not going to force them or even suggest they try to work on their bikes, but reminded them they were close to being able to and whenever they were ready to work on it we were ready to help them. 

The week Jason was home helping me with the baby, Logan decided he wanted to work on it. He spent a few days with Jason going up and down the street, fearless and brave when he fell. It didn't take long until he had the balance down, and a couple of days later the skills of stopping and then starting himself followed. He has been so, so proud of himself, and we have been very proud of him. Every day after school the first thing he wants to do is ride his bike and spends a long time riding up and down the street, always with a smile on his face!

First Day at Church

Jake went to church for the first time when he was about three weeks old. He looked darling in his little outfit, and did pretty well. He was awake a lot of the time, and I think found all of it a bit overwhelming. He literally slept the entire next day to make up for the stress of it all:)

Building Legos

Eli loves to play with Legos, and his favorite thing to do is "build guys" which basically means he switches heads, legs, and bodies around, and he is always so pleased with his creations.

41 Weeks

Here is Jake when he is almost two weeks old, when I would have been 41 weeks. Have I said yet what a good boy Jake is? He is so sweet and peaceful, a good sleeper (he is still a baby, of course, but more or less sleeps between feedings really well), and I'm totally in love with him. 

One Month Old

Our Little Jake is 1 month old! We have so enjoyed having this little boy be a part of our family. One of the most oft-asked questions this month was, "Where's the baby?" and the most oft-heard phrase was, "Oh, he's so cute!"

At one month, Jake is a bit more wakeful than he was the first couple of weeks of his life. Lately during the day he will sleep for about an hour or a bit more, and then be awake until his next meal. Often now he won't nap well in his bed, preferring to nap in his swing. For the most part, he is happy and content when he's awake. He likes his play-mat, especially the sun that lights up and plays music. Luckily, he still knows what to do at night: he sleeps well in his crib for 3-4 hours, cries for food, eats, and then goes right back to sleep, and then repeats the cycle. Bless him. None of our other kids did that and I find it makes a big difference!

And,yes, he is smiling in this picture! He's honestly been able to smile his whole little life. I know that babies aren't supposed to be able to smile, but he really could from about day two. But now his smiles are almost daily and his daddy and I sure work hard for them. One day I was trying to get him to smile at me and Ali said, "Mom, why are you looking like that? I've never seen you smile like that before." Oh, the silly faces we make for our babies:)

Lovely Ali

Ali looked so grown-up and lovely this particular Sunday morning I had to take a picture! And who better to pose with than her always handsome daddy?

Jake's Quilt

My mom made this adorable quilt for Jake. I love it!