Our Growing, Changing Family

It is probably time for a few brief updates. Blogging time has been sparse lately, but life has continued full-steam.

Tate is nearly six months old! We had been concerned about his weight gain because he basically stayed at 10 pounds between months two and four. At five months, though, he had made it to 12 pounds, and we seem to be consistently gaining now. We have never been concerned about his physical development; he is trying to sit up and crawl now. The biggest modification was to nurse twice as much! (Though this isn't really such a big deal because we are a really efficient team.) Within the last month we have started food, too. He loves the sweet potatoes and bananas that are his staples, and we've ventured into avocado and other mashed vegetables. With the reading and researching I've done between Livia and Tate I think I'm going to be doing things differently (again!). (Does everyone else adapt after experimenting on their first children?!) Nursing, fruits, and vegetables are our priorities.

Rhyle is nearly 4 and 1/2. Last month we took him for a hearing screening because Braden and I knew that he was not hearing adequately. Yes, his tubes from last January had come out of the ear drums, but they had filled back up with fluid. He really can NOT hear. (I'm so glad for the ASL we've been learning!) He is scheduled to go back to the surgery center in two weeks to have new tubes put in and his adenoids cauterized. My mother's heart is faint at the thought! But praise be to God, that his hearing can be improved upon so (relatively) simply.

Owen continues to plow through chapter books. He reminds me of myself, a child with my nose always in a book. It's fun to hear all the things he is reading being expressed in daily life. For example, yesterday they were all riding a train (the dining room chairs) and had to stop at Bumbo Junction (the Bumbo seat). Today he told me that he was going to get married at age 8 or 9 because he believes that "one should marry early."

Livia. Whew! Such sweetness mingled with strength can "really wear me out." (from the book O-livia (as we call it)). She would take over as the mommy if anything ever happened to me, and she would do it well. Her love for Tate sometimes endangers him, but I can always count on her to help me change diapers or clothes or assist in any way. It's not easy being the only girl.

Braden has been accepted for TWO clerkships this summer, which is quite an honor. I confess I don't really understand how all of these law externships work. It doesn't make sense to me that something so great would not pay at all! But I am so proud of him and the endless hours he has been putting into school and work. He's my man!