Happy 6th Birthday, Katy-did,

You have come such a long way in the last two years since I've written your last birthday letter.  You are still a fiercely independent spirit, with a personality unlike any of the other children.  In so many ways you remain my most unpredictable child, and your moods change like the Florida weather.  Yet, you have settled and are firmly out of that toddler - preschool age.

Speaking of which we had a relaxed year of kindergarten this past school year.  You LOVE math blocks and have gotten pretty good at adding up to twenty.  Subtraction is more of a struggle, but you have really taken to math.  You are also intensely trying to learn the calendar, how to read clocks, and figure out how money works.  Reading however, you just don't seem to be quite ready for.  You can write your name, and will frequently attempt to copy letters that you see, but you have trouble with all of their names and know very few of their sounds.  I'm beginning to wonder if you struggle with dyslexia like Britt and Ruth, but it could be that you are still young.  You sit in with us on history and sometimes ask questions that indicate that you are listening.  Since I'm primarily teaching that to Britt and Ruth, I don't expect you to pick up a great deal, but you are learning.  The biggest hit this school year for you has been science.  I found a very hands on early elementary astronomy program.  You and Rebecca have done it together for your science.  You have loved cutting and gluing definitions and other workbook pages, but mostly you have loved painting the planets for your solar system book.  You remember the most random of facts, but the goal at this age isn't much of memorization, but rather exposure to ideas and inspiring curiosity and a love for learning.  As you tell everyone how much you love school, I think we are successfully doing that. You are so excited to get your own school books this next year as a 1st grader, and ask me every so many days, how many more days until you get them.  You often tell me that you want to start with them as soon as I get home from the homeschool convention with them.

You have developed special relationships with each of your siblings.  Britt you frequently beg to sleep with, and him being the sweet older brother and some what push over where you are concerned, often allows it.  You are his devoted acolyte.  Always willing to play anything he wants whether that's Nintendo or nerf wars.  He always makes sure to include you even if it is only pretending.  He often turns the computer players on and tell you that they are you, so that you can play games with him that you really aren't yet able to manage on your own.  Ruth and you struggle at times, she is at a prickly time in growing up, and you can be prickly all on your own.  I see so many similarities between the two of you, it is natural for you too to butt heads more than the others.  Rebecca is still you best friend and play mate.  She is patient with you, even when you are willful and demanding.  She is always willing to play any game that you want.  The two of you have become great fans of playing Battleship together, and she is patient as you work at learning to read the coordinates.  The twins are devoted to you, especially Will, who likes it when you pick him up.  You spend most of your play time with the boys.  They run and chase you, hold your hand and follow you around.  They even calm down sometimes for you when they are mad and pitching a fit at everyone else.  You have gone from that somewhat skeptical child and jealous of them to a great big sister.  You still want to hog my lap sometimes, which they are immensely jealous of, but you are quick to share almost anything with them.  And so when you put your foot down about something, they are most unreasonable.

Our biggest struggle is probably trying to curb your tv time.  In that in between stage not needing super close attention like you did as a baby or toddler, but not yet in full blown school mode you have a lot of free time.  And while you are good to take time to play as well as entertain your little brothers, you also spend too much time on the tv in Momma's opinion.  You get impatient for it and demanding when you've had too much time on it.  That persistence I continue to think will serve you well in life, I just have to learn how to best manage it with you as a child.

In the last few months, you have begun asking me lots of questions about Church and God.  It actually reminds me a little bit of Britt, how at that age he would out of the blue ask a questions that related to the sermon from the Sunday before.  You asked me lots of questions in the week or two since Bro. Chris preached on baptism.  You also ask me questions like why we can't see God and how do we hear Him if He doesn't talk with a voice.  There is so much going on in your mind, and you aren't nearly as transparent as the others where, that I'm often surprised at some of the things you say and think.

You have begun showing some maturity and responsibility that I didn't see out of the others at this age.  You have had a bunny of your very own for around a month now.  You take time every day to spend with Poppy.  You brush him, hold him in your hammock and talk to him several times a day.  You almost never need to be reminded to clean out and fill up their water bowl.  And in general, are so attentive to their needs.

Katherine, you are my red headed child in temperament, even if you only have a few red highlights in your actual hair.  You are a mighty child, carefree as you spin in your dress or ride your scooter.  We adore you.  At first, it was just the joy of having a child again after a loss, you are still our rainbow, but you are also much more.  Your daddy and I love you more than words can say.

Love you,
Momma

 

Happy Birthday, Rebecca!

Momma again last year didn't get your birthday letter written that makes both year 7 and year 9 skipped.  Sometimes I feel like that is the story of your life.  You truly fall into that middle child category, the youngest of the bigs but not one of the littles.  You do carve a unique niche out in our family though, as the crazy and joyful child.

As school has gotten more demanding, you don't enjoy it as much as you once did.  You still enjoy reading time, and are now delving into shorter chapter books.  The bigger books still feel intimating.  You continue to move through math with flying colors and seem to enjoy history as well.  Writing is an area that we have really delved into this year, and though you stay you dislike it, I think you have grown by leaps and bounds.  I still do all your typing thus you don't have the grammar and spelling corrections to make, but you are learning structure and composition.   You chose Astronomy for your science this year, and have helped Kate with her work in that subject as well.  The two of you have been a good team.

You are still a great sister.  Whether you are tagging along with Britt and Ruth, there isn't really anything that they can do that you can't now, or helping Kate and your younger brothers; you are an enthusiastic participant.  You still chose to spend most of your time with Britt or Kate.  With Britt you mostly play video games, or occasionally practice baseball.  With Kate you ride scooters, play with Barbies, or create art.  You are also helpful with Will and Jon, taking turns playing with them, even sometimes being in charge of bath time and diapers.  You have less patience with the crying and fussing than your older siblings, but you still work very hard to amuse them.

You are still the same girl that you were 2 years ago, but more so.  You give greater hugs, laugh more, and your joy is more infectious.  You are still the social butterfly, going out of your way to tell complete strangers hi in the grocery store, and making friends with every child who enters the library.  You are truly one of a kind, Rebecca Joy. I often wonder what big plans the Lord has in store for you, because you are so uniquely joyful and outgoing.

Last January, you joined the Church.  When you made up your mind to it, you absolutely could not wait.  You were mightily moved during communion and talked to me that night in bed, and insisted on being baptized the next morning.  It was a decision that left your Daddy and I overjoyed.  We pray that you always have that fervency and desire in serving your Lord.

We love you always, little girl!

Love,
Momma

 

Ruth,

It has been 6 month's since your birthday, and I am just now finding time to sit down and write your letter.  I'm sorry about that, but I feel like you often get a bit short changed for your birthday.  With everyone else's near the beginning of the year (except Kate) I plan birthday presents and such when I am planning their Christmas.  With you I always seem to have it sneak up on me in the middle of the back to school swing.

You are my right hand, my best help, my most dependable child.  You are so mature, that others often mistake you for being older than you are.  You love to cook and are doing more meals, and even fix meals alone at night now.  You are a whiz at getting the boys to do things that they won't for anyone else.  And while everyone takes turns, I can trust you to look after them when I need to get other things done without any worry if you are doing what needs to be done.  You've shown yourself trustworthy with your, only working on school at school time, and not getting online after bed time.

You have finally had a bit of a growth spurt this year and are starting to look more like a young woman than a little girl.  You have especially been pleased to put on a few inches this year.  It is a bit surprising to see you looking more willowy in your favorite maxi dresses these days.  Bras and other parts of growing into a young lady you have been less thrilled about.  But the truth remains that you are indeed growing up.

We added the adventure of online classes this year to your school schedule.  You are taking two year long courses.  One is writing.  Something you've long enjoyed, you are enjoying academic style writing far less than creative writing, but while still fighting with the rules of various structured pieces, you are excelling.  Each piece becomes more honed and stronger.  You also starts ASL I this year.  You have long wanted to learn sign language and decided that it should be your foreign language for high school.  So far you are learning a lot, but struggling to get assignments submitted on time.  That time management area is still a weakness, but you are working at it.

This past year (and a half now) have brought numerous changes, a move, several different jobs for Daddy, and a lot of stress for you.  You, like me, seem to internalize stress, cramming it down and letting it eat at you, until you are ready to explode.  We've talked about ways to deal with stress like talking or journaling when you don't want to talk to others about something sensitive.  You, also like me, find being creative to be a great stress relief, so I gave you an art journal that you are rapidly filling.  You have been on the verge of a blow up almost daily for a stretch of a few months.  But, we are working at finding you free time and an opportunity to be away from your siblings to destress. You are also still working at being kind and courteous when you just want to strangle people.  It is a life long work, but you are getting better at asking for space before losing your temper.

Ruth you remain a great entertainment in our lives.  You have the funniest laugh and you elaborate your "Ruth Rants" to keep us in stitches.  You are growing into a graceful, independent woman, who will carve her own niche in the world.  We love you, and pray that God will continue to bless you always.

Love,
Momma

 

Britt,

How can it be a year since I wrote your birthday letter.  It can't really be time to do this again can it?  You have really shot up in the last year, at your doctor's appointment last week you are 5 foot and 4 and 3/4 of an inch, you are literally 1 inch shorter than your mother.  You keep checking, eagerly anticipating the day that you pass me.  Yet you are still the sweet boy that will get back up out of bed and give me a kiss on each check before going to sleep if you forgot before heading to your room.

This year has held a lot of stress, but you have striven to be a help and comfort.  At this time last year, we had just moved into our new home and were still unboxing everything.  But since then, we have lost a job, struggled through some temporary jobs, and just now started a new job.  The financial set backs have been tough.  We didn't do birthday gifts or meals out this year, and Uncle Benji has taken over care of the dogs for a little while.  You have seemed disappointed at times, and took it hard when we thought we'd have to rehome the dogs, but through all the set backs and changes to what is typical, you haven't become angry or resentful, and for your outlook I've been grateful.  You may not realize it but you set much of the mood for your siblings.  When you are having a bad day they tend to complain and grumble, but when you are having a good day, you seem to raise the spirits of those around you.

This school year has been a bit different than previous years.  I needed a bit of a recoup and rest period from the farm and the twins, and you needed to spend this year preparing for high school level work, so we signed you up for a few online courses.  In the fall you tried coding.  You still have a great love for video games and thought it would be great to be able to make one.  After working with the material, you decided that the coding part wasn't what you expected and that you didn't really enjoy that part.  So even though you didn't score highly in that class I see it as a success, because it helped you to better know what it is that you did and didn't want to pursue in life.  You have also taken a year long writing course.  Middle School Writing has required a 5 paragraph essay every two weeks.  The learning curve has been steep, both in figuring out how to structure the different styles of essays, and in learning to pace yourself over 2 weeks to complete assignments on time.  A concept that has been fluid in our homeschooling journey this far.  Just over halfway through the class I can say that you are doing really well on writing, and that I hope before long you won't need my help to manage your days and your project planning.

You have also grown in maturity this year.  Enough so that we allowed you to travel on a plane alone for a 2 week visit to Christopher. You had a ball, and we got reports of exceptional helpfulness and good behavior.  We are also allowing you to stay home and even with Ruth's help to occasionally watch the twins while we run short trips to town.  You have the daily chore right now of getting the twins up and feeding them breakfast, which you tend to be attentive too.  There are still days that they squall for you while you obliviously are involved in a Nintendo game.  But you are excellent with them.  Today, watching you hit a ball with your bat, and seeing Will screech with joy and chase after it to bring it back, I thought just how blessed I am to have you for a son.

You look forward more and more to what lies instore ahead in life, but still enjoy the current moment.  We are seeing more than glimpses these days into the kind of man that you are growing into: a man of perseverance and determination, a man who thinks deeply about the things of God, a man of kindness and consideration, a man who retains a heart tender to others, a man who can always find a joke and a smile.  We love you so much Britt, and pray that you continue to grow into a God honoring man.

Love,
Momma

 I need to brag on my brother a minute, the kid's Uncle Benji.

Our finances have gone from bad to worse since last June, when Gary was laid off. He's had a few jobs since then, but nothing permanent. We've gotten by on unemployment, food stamps, gifts from fellow Church members, and loans from our parents. To be honest when I do the budget, I'm still unsure how everything has gotten paid so far. We are incredibly blessed with a good support system.

However, things have gotten to the point that we aren't sure if we can keep the house, or if we will have to sell it. So we needed to gut even the little things left in the budget. Things like dog food. The dogs were already not getting heart worm preventative, vet care, or grooming appointments. We had long since done away with eating out as a family. We are trying to only make one trip to town a week, other than Church on Sunday. So, I finally agreed we needed to rehome the dogs, for them and for the budget. It was a hard decision for me, because I'm an animal person. I have had Scout from a pup, and worked with him a lot. I got Ember as a rescue at a year, and never wanted her to not have a home again.

Telling the kids, over supper though, was the worst part. You see Scout is Britt's dog. He was his brother, when he didn't have any brothers. He is who has had read to for years, to overcome dyslexia. He is the one who comes up with new things to train Scout to do. He is the one who begs for the dog to sleep in his bed at night. Like any 14 year old boy there are times that the dog is neglected a bit in light of video games, but Scout is his dog. Ember is Ruth's dog. She has worked hard to train her, because Ember has a harder time focusing than Scout, and because we didn't have her from the beginning. She sits and talks with her when she won't share things with the rest of us. She has plans of eventually training her to do agility. Like any 12 year old girl there are times she complains about brushing her out or taking her out, but Ember is her dog. Telling them was awful. Ruth teared up, but didn't say anything until she went to rant to Ember the next afternoon. Britt on the other hand had wracking sobs, and offered to sell every thing he had to keep the dogs.

Britt even went to Mister the next day to ask for jobs to do for money. Mister gave him some jobs, but explained that we needed the money he earned to go toward the mortgage, not the dogs. He said he understood, but he was still praying for a way to keep the dogs. Britt then took the money to update their rabies shots and county license. I wanted to tell him the Lord doesn't really care about two dogs, but how could I discourage him like that. However, it appears that the Lord cares about two dogs, because He cares about a little boy, who kept praying full of faith that something would work out.

Earlier this week, my brother called out of the blue while I was driving home. He does every so often just to talk to the kids, after talking a bit he told me that he wanted to take the dogs for the kids, as long as we needed. He had rearranged some stuff with work and the house, and felt like he could take them on. He loves his nieces and nephews, and has constantly proven to have a big heart for them. He knew what the dogs meant to them. He offered to take off Friday and drive down for them, and then drive back home with them on Saturday, since he would have Monday, as President's Day and a federal holiday, to recoup. I was floored.  While no less of a blessing, it isn't surprising that our parents and our Church want to help us out. But I never would have expected my littlest brother to be able to do anything to help us out.

I cannot begin to describe how happy the kids were. Britt told me, I just kept praying for a way to keep them. He then had a long talk with Scout telling him about Uncle Benji, telling him bye, and who knows what else. Ruth squealed, and couldn't believe it. Rebecca needed clarification that it meant we wouldn't have to sell them at all. Kate was almost as happy as Britt, and promptly came home and laid on Scout the way she does and told him how great Uncle Benji was and how the trip would be a fun adventure. The twins just cheered because everyone else was in the car.

Benjamin and Daddy drove down yesterday. He's already got them a grooming appointment, since they are badly in need of one. He asked me to write up everything I could think of about them to help him out, so I put together a notebook. He took the dog training book for trouble shooting and an old baby gate to block the stairs. He wanted their vet records and anything else I had. He asked questions and loved on them.

As they got ready to leave today, I stressed to him I was hoping in 2 or 3 months we would be back on our feet, as Gary has started a new job, and will be on his own starting Monday. However, since it is solely commission, it'll take some time to get back up and running and caught up, so hopefully we can stay in our home. He told me again, to not worry about it, he was prepared to keep them as long as necessary. To not worry about them.

To everyone else they might just be dogs, but while not family in the sense that my kids are, they are part of our family. They matter a great deal to us. They are part of our household. Sure they have bad habits like counter surfing at times, and jumping the fence, but they have far more endearing qualities, like faithful loyalty and loving attention. And it means far more than words can convey that Uncle Benji cared enough about a small thing, among all of the stress we are under, to do this for the kids and me.

Happy Birthday, it is so hard to believe that I have a teenager now.  I asked your Daddy this morning how could that be, and he just said, that some of his good friends have kids that have graduated high school, that it's my fault he started late. ha!  There are times that I hold your little brothers and see you in them, and remember what it was like when you were brand new, and how I cried right before you turned 1 because you weren't a baby anymore.  (Hormones are nuts.)  Then other days I look at you and you seem so grown that I am uncertain what it was like to have a cute little 2 or 3 year old, who clung to me like glue.

You are at the age that is truly a mixture, not a child anymore, but not grown either.  I suppose you will give us a crash course as we go into parenting a teen.  (Sorry that we get to make all the mistakes on you and only start to have some semi-relaxed confidence in parenting 4 kids later; but that's the price you pay for being the first.)  We worked on your room this week.  You wanted a more grown up feel.  We negotiated and you got a single golden yellow accent wall, and a fresh coat of red paint on your bookcases, but no tv.  The bedding has all the feel of an adult, and a small portion of your nature collection and favorite graphic novels and chapter books adorn the shelves... but then there is the sleeping buddy collection of about 30 stuffed animals still on your bed, the super team, still has places of honor in your room, there are some favorite children's books still on two shelves, and a massive collection of super heroes and dinosaurs in the closet, that you aren't ready to give up, though more and more these days we find Rebecca and Kate playing with them rather than you.

You are into video games more than anything else, and so when I saw a cake that said Game On!  Level 13, I asked for one to be made for your birthday tonight.  I sometimes what to scream you cannot spend your whole life on the Nintendo!  Of course you then insist that the Switch and the Wii and the PlayStation and the iPad shouldn't all count as the same thing.  I have to remind myself, that rather than me teaching you with books, that it was all the reading in your Nintendo games, to figure out what to do next that really got you into reading.  And it is the story lines of your favorite characters that keep you into it.  And really, who cares if you enjoy it.

You still really love the outdoors and though you are as uncoordinated as your mother, you like to be out and about.  Whether that's hiking or adventuring in the woods, to driving the tractor and checking on plants with your Daddy.  Today, for your birthday, you got to go bowling for the first time in almost 3 years (pandemic problems you know).  The same wrist and hand muscles that are weak and leave you with sloppy hand writing, making bowling a challenge at times.  Even though you were sometimes frustrated, you never gave up, and by the end of the second game you were picking up spares.  You are one of the most determined individuals I have ever met.  It doesn't matter how terrible you are at something, if you decide you want to do it, you work and work and persevere until you succeed.  (Which is why you love video games so much, and why I'm always floored when you completely beat them in a week or two.)

I made the mistake of letting you drive the van at the farm one morning, and you have been pestering me non-stop to repeat the lesson.  I don't want to admit that you will be starting down that road in 2 very short years.  Speaking of the farm, you have gone several days with your Daddy or all of us to help out.  You are an incredibly hard worker when you are motivated.  Just this week you spent a good two hours, steady loading wheelbarrow and garbage can over and over with dirt, and pulling it into the greenhouse for me and the girls to transplant.  You have a good eye to find trash and things out of place in the field (why you can't do that in your bedroom floor is a question I can't seem to get an answer to).  And you have proven to be a steady hand driving the tractor, so Daddy is taking you before Church to help him out with a thing or two in the morning.  Then tomorrow night you plan to go with him for freeze watch.  A farmer's job is never done.

While you are all boy - outdoors, sword fights, need for speed, and video games while hopped up on my Dr. Pepper; you are also loving and kind.  You worry about others and their needs.  You are the best of brothers.  Always quick to rescue one of your sisters when they get hurt, quick to scoop up your brothers and calm them down or make them laugh when they are unhappy.  You frequently offer to fix me breakfast or lunch, when I am busy with school or nursing the boys.  Unlike most boys, you actually want your sisters included, and always have time for kids who are younger than you are.  You think about deep things and ask questions about God, about nature, about the way people act and what drives them.  I frequently find myself challenged to answer things, that I myself don't understand.  And that too is a part of you growing up.  As you grapple with the complexities of the way a machine works, and I have to tell you I don't know, but help you to more and more learn how to find the answers and teach yourself.  As you also grapple with how people treat others as less than and the atrocities that are committed against those who are different, and I have to tell you that why we might be able to pinpoint what mindsets cause a person to behave in such a way, we can never understand how another person can act that way.  Gone are the days that you asked things like what did this dinosaur eat or why we shouldn't throw our food behind the radiator or how do you become a soldier.  Now the questions are things like why do some of your friends have different experiences just because they are black or how can someone not believe in God when they see the world around them or how do you decide who you should marry.  The stakes in our conversation are bigger now, and even though I don't have all the answers, I am thankful, that you still come to me and talk about the big things.

This push and pull is difficult.  You want to drive on the paved road next to the farm, go hunting and stay home all day without me.  You want to get out and make your own money, and do things on your own.  Meanwhile I want to savor our time together.  You feel invincible, and ready to take on the world, while I know about the many dangers out there.  It's a difficult balance to give you more freedom than I'm comfortable with, but not to much; and less than you would like.  This stage of parenting is moving from the physical exhaustion to a mental marathon.  Determining what is best for you and how to slowly release control.  I know now how Grandmaw Bea has such a strong prayer life, she survived raising 4 Cunningham boys, then the twins.

Son, whether or not you understand our reasoning for the things we do.  Whether or not you agree with our decisions.  I hope you never doubt that we love you and are trying our best to do what is best for you.  We won't get it all right, and in hindsight you'll realize that some of the times you were sure we handle things wrong, you were the one who was mistaken.  I find parenting to continually be a justification of my parents, and a continual reassessment of my own stupidity in childhood.  I'm sure there will be just as many of those moments for you, when you look back.  Know that no matter what paths you strike down in life, and what ups and downs you encounter, we love you and pray that God guides you.  We pray that you will grow into a man that we have long seem glimpses of, a man who is honorable and kind, a man after the Lord's own heart, one who is strong enough to apologize when he is wrong, and dedicated enough to work hard even when no one else sees.

We both love you, very much, Britt.
Love,
Momma

My boys, it is hard to believe that we have made it all the way to a year with you.  While some of the sleepless nights drug on and on, the past years seems to have flown by!  Since I didn't have a chance to write your 11 month letter, there have been a lot of changes in the last 2 months.

Jon,

These days you seem to only want to be held when you are hungry or think you have been injured. Which is frequent as you seem to take far more tumbles than Will does. Partly because he has a habit of bowling into you when he is on the move, but mostly because you spend far more time walking, climbing, reaching, and into everything under the sun. If you are awake you are on the move! And you approach everything you do with gusto.

You are a happy boy, always grinning and flirting with anyone you meet.  You too say ma-ma, da-da, and bah.  But your favorite sound to make is yeah and hey.  With all of you even way back with Britt as you babbled I would say things like "yeah is that so, tell me about it." And when I get up with you I always say "hey baby baby." So it is no surprise that you parrot it back to us. Sometimes you actually use yeah for yes. And just this week while you both have started to shake your head no, you do when you are done eating or don't want to play anymore.

You cruise and frequently let go lurching two or three steps between objects. I am continually surprised by your balance. On your birthday you stood up in the middle of the floor pulling wrapping paper off the box without falling or bracing against anything.

You are a pretty good eater.  But you eat best at breakfast, less at lunch and supper is usually a toss up.  You like picking up food or being hand fed better than spoons. I usually have to hold your hand when feeding you to keep you from trying to grab it off the spoon and making a huge mess.  You have turned down green beans and bananas the last few times and still aren't a fan of potatoes, but your favorite food these days seems to be eggs and french fries.  You have 6 teeth fully in, and are chewing on your fingers and everything else the last week or two, so you maybe working on another on your left side. We still nurse on average 4 times a day most often together with Will.  When you wake up, before your first nap, before bedtime, and then most nights once during the night.  I'm so happy that finally we made it to a year.  But at some point soon, we'll talk about weaning.

Your schedule is basically the same as Will's.  Now that we are in the new house, and trying to get back into a more normal schedule, your sleep has settled back down.  You are up between 7:30 and 9 most mornings, depending on what time we got you to sleep the night before, and when you nursed during the night.  After you nurse you have breakfast, and then play and make havoc as I try to unbox around the house for the next few hours.  You typically nurse close to noon give or take and go down for a nap for a couple of hours.  By 1:30 or 2 you are up again and ready for lunch.  You don't eat all that much at breakfast usually, but you more than make up for it at lunch and supper.  During the afternoon you especially like to be held while your siblings are watching tv or playing video games.  Then you different from your brother in that you often skip your second nap or don't go down till almost an hour after him and even then don't nap more than say half an hour.  The staggering in the schedule is tricky. By 6:30 or 7 you are ready for supper, after that is usually a bath, which you too have decided that you hate after upgrading to the big bathtub. Then you typically play in the living room floor around half an hour.  I nurse you both close to nine, sometimes as early as 8:20 when everyone is real fussy and then put you to bed.  I start glowworm when I lay you both down, and you roll over and almost never fuss after I shut the door so long as Will is with you. The occasional times we have put you done before him you squall till he is brought in too.

Your favorite toys by far are still blocks. Occasionally you will attempt to put one on top of another but mostly you delight in knocking them down.  But you too will drive toys with or without wheels around the room.  Anything that you can grasp in your hand or gnaw on is good with you though. You too seem to like music, though you prefer to be sung too and like to sing along with us at Church.  You even sing your sleepy song when you are tired like Kate always did. .

Today at the orthopedics office, you weighed in at 16 lbs exactly and 25.5 inches long.  You are still a little smaller than Will.  And yet you have an enormous personality, a real ball of energy and light in a tiny compact space.

When asked by others for ways to tell you apart from Will, I always point out the differences in the veins in your left eyes.  But there are more things that I notice.  Your hair lays down far better and neater than Will's. Even when you are tired you don't snuggle much. Flopping here and there unable to completely settle until you have been laid down in your bed.  You both favor different sounds when babbling -  for you it's anything with that ea sound like yeah and heya and of course mamamama.  If life isn't treating you right you collapse in the floor and cry, but you won't come to anyone for help. You just wallow and act pitiful until rescued.

I have started telling you no and swatting your hand when you continue.  We are only working on not pulling all the books of the school shelves and not playing with the blinds.  Little steps.  You watch me swat Will and then will try the very same thing to determine if the rule applies to you too. You also try multiple times and multiple ways. You will look at me and try a different book or a different bookshelf as if to ask, what about these? We are finding working on sitting still in Church to be a challenge with two of you.  It's not so easy when you can't tag team in and out, and when you both seem to decide that Daddy or your siblings aren't good enough about the same time. I have hardly been able to take notes this year, which kills my memory for sermon retention. The Sundays when we have been home so that I can put you in the floor or put my Bible on the table while holding one of you have worked best. Ha!

It is a wonder how to people can be so alike and yet so different.  As I told your brother, we joke that we have the two of you because your big brother prayed for brothers (plural).  But even though I've told you many times, I will tell you again, I am forever thankful that God blessed us with you.  Our family may not be the typical family of four-mom, dad, a boy, and a girl- instead we have 6 children earthside and one in heaven.  We can not afford to do everything for you all and with you all that we would like, but no finances could outweigh the blessing each of you are in our lives.  There was wonder in having our first child and then our first girl, but even after having 4 babies (5 if you count brother being 90 seconds older than you) you are no less a wonder.   Just tonight I looked at your Daddy,  like George in "It's a Wonderful Life" and craving some quiet said "Why'd we have to have all these kids anyway."  But this job of raising you and your siblings has been the greatest joy even as it has been the most difficult things we have ever done.

We love you so very much!
Love,
Momma

Will,

You are a cuddler, a real sweet heart.  You love your Momma, but enjoy being held by most anyone.  I love when you snuggle into my neck and let me rub your hair or your soft little leggies.  You have an infectious smile, and are such a happy boy.  You smile big at everyone, and though you don't talk much you do say ma-ma, da-da, bah (for everything from brother to I want that toy).  You also make little grunt and growl noises a lot especially when you are tired.  But your favorite sound to make is rawr-rawr-rawr.  And you love it when we answer back.

You cruise barely holding onto the furniture these days, but when speed is required you still drop to the floor, and crawl like no one's business.  Sometimes you turn and crab crawl sidewise, which always makes me laugh.  You are an active boy.  Always looking intently at things, it's almost like you are a tiny engineer in there.  It really seems like you are studying things, analyzing them, and then cataloging away the way they work.  The two of you tag teamed together to figure out how to open the dog gate at the stairs at the old house.  Watching the two of you, Jon just more or less rocked at it and bashed at the top.  But you kept watching your siblings open it, and eventually while Jon was banging away, you crawled over and hit it just right at the same time down low, and popped it open.  Working together the two of you are fierce, but I'm certain it was you who figured out what to do to open the thing.

You are a great eater.  You are love to be fed, but you prefer to handle your own food.  Even after we put it in your mouth you tend to eat on it a bit and then pull it out to take a look before finishing it.  You still like green beans and broccoli, but your favorite food these days seems to be ham or turkey slices and pretty much any kind of fruit.  There isn't much that you aren't willing to try.  You have 6 teeth fully in, and swollen gums, where you might be working on two more. We still nurse on average 4 times a day.  When you wake up, before your first nap, before bedtime, and then most nights once during the night.  I'm so happy that finally we made it to a year.  But at some point soon, we'll talk about weaning.

Speaking of sleep.  Now that we are in the new house, and trying to get back into a more normal schedule, your sleep has settled back down.  You are up between 7:30 and 9 most mornings, depending on what time we got you to sleep the night before, and when you nursed during the night.  After you nurse you have breakfast, and then play and make havoc as I try to unbox around the house for the next few hours.  You typically nurse close to noon, give or take, and go down for a nap with Jon for a couple of hours.  By 1:30 or 2 you are up again and ready for lunch.  You don't eat all that much at breakfast usually, but you more than make up for it at lunch and supper.  During the afternoon you especially like to be held while your siblings are watching tv or playing video games.  Most days you take a short one hour nap around 4:30 or 5.  By 6:30 or 7 you are ready for supper, and are typically kinda needy the rest of the evening.  It is a difficult time, because everyone is getting cleaned up from supper and ready for bed.  Your daddy is tired from a day of work and then cooking, and I'm touched out and wore out by that time.  After a bath, which you have decided that you hate after upgrading to the big bathtub, you typically sit with Daddy watching tv, though sometimes you will play in the living room floor a little with Jon.  I then nurse you both close to nine, sometimes as early as 8:20 when everyone is real fussy and then put you to bed.  I start glowworm when I lay you both down, and you roll over and almost never fuss after I shut the door.

Your favorite toys by far are cars.  Even toys without wheels, even non toys, like sponges, you drive around the floor.  You love music, dancing whenever you hear songs on the tv, bouncing in my lap at church, and beating on the table when we do the kids music lessons.  When Kate or Rebecca take out the thumb harps, you beat a path to them to listen.

Today at the orthopedics office, you weighed in at 17 lbs exactly and 25.5 inches long.  You may be a little man, but there is a lot of boy in that tiny package.  And when you want more to eat or think we have forgotten you are there, you can make an incredibly loud shrieky noise for such a little fellow.

When asked by others for ways to tell you apart from Jon, I always point out the differences in the veins in your left eyes.  But there are more things that I notice.  Your hair grows different, not so many cowlicks as your big brother, but you definitely inherited some crazy ones from my Granddaddy.  It helps when I part it on the right like mine, but it just doesn't lay very flat. You tend to cuddle more, and enjoy being held close.  You both favor different sounds when babbling -  for you it's the m's and r's.  If life isn't treating you right you shriek when you cry, but you come right to me.

I have started telling you no and swatting your hand when you continue.  We are only working on not pulling all the books of the school shelves and not playing with the blinds.  Little steps.  You have seemed to catch on pretty quickly.  We are finding working on sitting still in Church to be a challenge with two of you.  It's not so easy when you can't tag team in and out, and when you two seem to feed on each other.  Just today.  You were perfectly happy till the doctor took Jon for his x-rays and to examine, and before anyone even looked at you, let alone touched you, you started crying right along with him.  The second they handed him back, you stopped.

We continue to be amazed at the little every day miracles that the two of you are, both as individual people, and the bond you have with one another.  We joke that we have the two of you because your big brother prayed for brothers (plural).  But even though I've told you many times, I will tell you again, I am forever thankful that God blessed us with you.  Our family may not be the typical family of four, with 6 children earthside and one in heaven, we may not get to do everything for you all and with you all that we would like, we have to pick and choose very carefully what we do with our finances; but each of you are a blessing.  There was wonder in having our first child and then our first girl, but even after having 4 babies, you are no less a wonder.  Being your mother gives me far more than any number of things that we could have or could have done if we'd only had two children.  Oh there are bad days, days when like George in "It's a Wonderful Life" when we look around and say "Why'd we have to have all these kids anyway."  But this job of raising you and your siblings has been the greatest joy even as it has been the most difficult things we have ever done.

We love you so very much!
Love,
Momma

 Will and Jon,

The two of you are now 10 months old.  My how the time seems to fly.  This past month has seen an explosion in what you are able to do.  You both cruise a lot, but especially you Will.  Often you seem to prefer stepping and moving along hand over hand, lurching between pieces of furniture instead of crawling.  Jon still lets go and stands sometimes, but if you can't reach the next piece of furniture, you let go sit down and crawl.  And because you work so much at it, you have gotten really fast with the crawling.

You both are eating much better.  You have breakfast, lunch and supper now along with nursing.  Jon is liking baby food and mashed up or pureed stuff better.  Will prefers actual food, and really dislikes purees.  Will you are still the better eater on average.  Jon you are doing better, but for some strange reason, almost every bite no matter what it is you take it out of your mouth and look at it before putting it back in and eating it.  It's incredibly messy, and I have no idea what purpose it serves, it's not like it is really any different than the millisecond before when you saw it on the spoon.  Both of you have 4 teeth all the way in now.  Jon you have run a bit of a fever this morning, and your upper gums are swollen, so I suppose you are working on the next two upper teeth.  You are both eating a variety of fruits, veggies, bread, and sometimes meat now.

In pure desperation a few weeks ago, after a night where I was up 6 times in 8 hours for a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes each time, I started researching sleep training.  Your siblings for the most part all figured out the sleeping thing on their own, but that wasn't happening with the two of you.  The first night was pure torture.  Will you screamed for an hour and 40 minutes before you gave up and went to sleep.  I went in about every 15 minutes or so and settled you down, but you didn't want to sleep in that bed.  Jon protested along with you for about an hour before he gave up.  Over the last two weeks, we have gone from that to you, Will going down and rolling over to snuggle into the covers with no fussing at night.  Jon still fusses between 2 and 5 minutes at night.  About till I get out of the room.  It is like you think if I fuss she might come back, and when I leave, you decide it's not worth the trouble anymore.  We have this routine now, after your baths, I nurse you both, carry you to you room and hold you while glow worm plays a song or two, and then I put you both down with it still playing between 9 and 9:30.  I have been nursing you once during the night usually between midnight and 1, but the last 3 or 4 nights, you have both slept through till around 7:30 or 8 in the morning.

Naps on the other hand are still rough.  Sometimes you will take about an hour nap, and sometimes you spend the whole hour pitching a fit.  Sometimes even when I get the two of you up, Jon continues to complain, as if to let me know that he is NOT pleased with my behavior.  Will usually takes two naps a day now, Jon always takes one, but not always both.  We keep putting you down, hoping despite the time change and the Florida Fellowship Meeting last weekend, to eventually get the naps straightened out too.  The change in your sleep has left you both more content to sit and play in the floor.  You aren't as demanding to be held now.  Though Will still enjoys cuddling some every day.

You both say da-da, both just babbling, and when looking at your Daddy.  Will looked straight at me and said ma-ma for the first time this morning, which made me so happy.  You both also say something like Bruh-Bruh that the kids are sure is Britt.  I really think you use it for several of your siblings though.  It is crazy to think we have 6 weeks left in the year, and then you will be 1.  I think you will be walking long before then.

We love you, sweet boys,
Love,
Momma