Share the well

This was just too cute to not record! This morning after breakfast Peter and Ryan made a mad dash to the bathroom to brush their teeth. Peter got there first and Ryan was needlessly distraught. I called him into the kitchen to explain to him that he only needs to patiently wait for Peter to finish and then he could have his turn.
He responds to me, " 'Share the Well my friend' says that you need to 'share with your brother'. Peter needs to share with his brother". Now for those who don't know Share the Well is a song written by Caedmon's Call. It was one of those moments that I just laughed and marveled at how well Ryan picks up things he hears and applies them to his life.

Time with the cousins

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the two days we spent at the beach. We were able to spend the time with my parents and my sister's children as they were at "granny camp".

Pretzels

As a spur of the moment decision, we made homemade pretzels last Tuesday. It has been something that Peter has requested for quite sometime. I'm not sure if they were worth the labor or clean up. I think with a few changes they could be much better.

5 weeks

I had all intentions of posting on Nathan's one month anniversary but the day came and past before I was inspired! This week we had the chance to make a short but very sweet trip to Charlotte. We were there for less that 48 hours but we did and saw a lot!
Our first visit for the day was with Great Gram. This was her first time meeting Nathan and probably the first time with all 5 of her great grandchildren together. The kids sang, danced, recited scripture and tried to remain civilized while we visited. It took a little convincing for Great Gram to hold Nathan. She was immediately in love with his feet!
After Great Gram's, it was off to the light rail for the older 4 kids. This has become almost a tradition for us while we're in Charlotte. They rode the train into downtown and then meet up with Aunt Mindy, Uncle Peter, Aunt Tasha and their niece, Emma. While they were partying downtown, Nathan and I had lunch with the ladies.

Family

We were blessed to have an unexpected visit from Pete and Tasha on Sunday afternoon. Pete is on emergency leave from Iraq because of the passing of Tasha's father, Mike. Mike fought a long hard battle with Lymphoma. We are grieving with Tasha and her family. Pete and Tasha spent the afternoon with us on as they were making their way from Duke hospital to Hickory where Tasha's family lives. Pete was filled with stories and pictures of his time in Iraq. It was fascinating to learn more about what he's doing, the culture there and see the places he's traverses on a daily basis.
The children are very diligent in remembering to include Peter and Tasha in our daily blessings. There is hardly a meal that passes that they are not included in our prayers. Saturday it was Ryan who offered up the evening blessings. "Dear God, we pray for Uncle Pete and Aunt Tasha and their dogs."

On my own

Well, this has been the week for me to gradually figure out what our new normal will be like. The last of family reinforcements left Monday afternoon. I prepared myself for Tuesday by enlisting the help of our wonderful friend Ashley! She agreed to spend the morning with us as we ventured to the library for our first outing as a with all 4 kiddos. I was so glad that I didn't try this at alone. How does one juggle a stroller, 3 library bags, a paci, a purse,a diaper bag and 3 walking kiddos? NOT alone; is all I figured out!
I am thankful for great friends and family who have continued to provide us with meals and fresh veggies to help with dinner. It dawned on me today as I grabbed dinner from the freezer, thanks to prepared meals my mom did for me back in late May, I haven't really had to cook dinner in like a month. No wonder life seems to be flowing pretty well! Since we have VBS next week, I can put check off another week of dinners provided and extend this honeymoon a bit longer.

Emma and I took Nathan outside this morning for his first outdoor photo shoot. His eyes don't seem to like the brightness of outside. Emma jumped right in and offered to prop him up so I wsa able to get some shots with his eyes open.

Guess who

I think is a cutie pie....Can't you just gobble up those cheeks?

Happy 4th of July

We have friends in high places here in Roxboro. Thanks to these friends, Emma was able to catch a ride on the fire truck for the annual July 4th parade. The boys were also invited to ride on the truck but they chose to stay on the side lines and catch candy. We met up with our friends the Weigands to enjoy the parade.
Gram and Papa spent a great deal of time this weekend holding Nathan (and doing lots of work). They decided that Nathan is like a tree frog. His favorite position is against your chest with his legs and arms curled up.We have decided that Nathan's checks are really starting to be pinchable.

6 oz

Nathan has finally decided to start gaining weight! The nurse and I celebrated when he topped the scales at 8 lbs 14 oz yesterday for yet another visit. It appears that we will be out of the doctor's office for at least 2 weeks.
Hopefully, his checks will start filling out again.

He's being my laundry helper.

Swim lessons

Swim lessons started up this week. Thankfully, my mom has been here to help me transport children! Nathan and I have spent two out of four days in the pediatrician's office and the hospital's lab. Our little fellow is not wanting to gain weight and is still a bit jaundice. Thankfully, he is turning a corner and his levels are declining and I believe he's filling out more. While we've been running to and fro, the others have been at the pool. Ryan's been having "Granny lessons". After spending two days at Cub scout camp, Peter joined us at the pool.

Emma is the one who is actually having swim lessons. She has been learning and practicing her strokes and jumping off the diving board with NO floaties.

In other news....

I am realizing that the world is continuing to function even though I seem to be caught up in the midst of an infant. I have happened to be lucky enough to have been sent a copy of Jars of Clay's newest release.I LOVE this CD. I have been listening to Jars of Clay since well forever. There is something familiar and calming about the listening to them year after year.

I have also been able to get a sneak preview of a new group, Tal & Acacia that will be released July 14th. Tal and Acacia are a duet sister team. Again, I have really enjoyed this CD. You can check out a few of their songs on their website. The CD is definitely worth picking up.

Week 1

Nathan has been truly such a gift to our family. He is all snuggles and cuddles. He doesn't mind who holds him whether it's Peter, Emma, Ryan, myself, his daddy or occasionally someone else might get a chance. Needless to say he isn't at a loss for touch! Everyone seems to be adjusting well. I do know that I am totally in the honeymoon stage as I have yet to face the challenges of 3 children and 1 infant on my own. Thankfully, I won't have to do that for a little while still.
Here are just a few photos that we have snapped along the way!
One of these days Philip was actually getting a chance at holding Nathan when Ryan asked to have a turn. Philip politely denied his request. Ryan said to me, "Mommy, you need to grow another baby in your tummy so I can have that one".

At this point, most people think Nathan looks just like Ryan!