'Tis the Season

The boys and I have been trying to stay busy while AJ has been gone on his latest trip. We decided to go and see the lights at the temple on Monday night for our FHE, and while they aren't even remotely close to the lights at Temple Square, the boys and I fully enjoyed seeing the lights on the temple grounds (with the added bonus being that I was walking around in sandals still, and the boys only needed sweatshirts...definitely wouldn't have happened if we had been at Temple Square!)

These three little boys are the best gifts that I have ever been given. They are such a joy and delight in my life. I love the laughter and energy that they bring into our home. It's amazing to me, in looking at all of them in that picture, how alike they all are and yet how you can still see their own individuality as well. Camden loved the nativity sets (there are two...I didn't get pictures of one of them), and he had to make sure that he petted each and every animal before we could leave. As we were driving up to the temple, Keegan asked me if AJ and I were going to get married there again. I guess he hasn't quite fully grasped the concept of eternal marriage just yet, but at least he knows that the temple is where his mom and dad were married, and that is where he will be married as well once he is older. Then he wanted to know if I had thanked everyone who was at the temple the day I got married, and wanted to know if I had made sure I gave loves and blew kisses before I left the temple after getting married (he's very into making sure I say "thank you" for everything...I guess I must be over stressing the need to have manners with the boys). He cracks me up. I really should start carrying around a tape recorder with me to capture all the things that he says, and the way that he says them.

Halfway There...

I can't believe that Hunter is already 6 months old. It does not seem possible to me. It seems like you wait forever for them to be born, and then in the blink of an eye they aren't little babies anymore. He is so different from Keegan and Camden, and it some ways that has made things easier and in some ways it has been harder. He is definitely my linebacker of the bunch...he weighs more at 6 months than Keegan did at nine months and Camden did at a year. He is my little chunky-monkey and I love it! What can I say, the kid likes to eat. When I was finally ready to start him on solids (he was ready at about 5 months, I held out until he turned 6 months) he was practically grabbing the spoon out of my hand and trying to help me get it into his mouth. Now, as soon as I sit him in his seat and he sees me mixing up his cereal his legs and arms start moving every which way and he doesn't stop until he is full. I'm still only feeding him once a day with cereal and fruits, but my pediatrician gave me the go ahead to start feeding him all varieties of food, and said I could bump it up to more than just once a day (personally I think Hunter paid him off to say that, but I can't prove it). I'm trying to make him his baby food (like I did with Camden) so we'll see if I can keep up with his demand once he starts eating solids more than once a day.

Hunter is rolling EVERYWHERE...although he has learned that rolling onto the kitchen floor isn't nearly as soft as staying on the carpet. He's sitting up on his own, most of the time, although he prefers to be on his back and belly because he can roll anywhere he wants, and he just started army crawling a few days ago. I have a feeling that Keegan and Camden will be learning very quickly that if they don't want Hunter to have a certain toy than they are going to have to pick it up and keep it out of his reach. He got his first tooth the day after Thanksgiving, and I have a feeling a second one is about to join it. Thankfully, he's been a pretty easy teether. His first one finally cut through during his afternoon nap and he didn't even make a peep.

Some of Hunter's Favorite things at 6 months:

1. His brothers - he thinks that Keegan and Camden are there solely for his entertainment and his entertainment alone. Keegan, especially (and Keegan loves having an adoring audience). His face lights up when he sees them and no matter where he is, if he hears his brothers he stops what he is doing and looks for them.

2. Hunter loves when Keegan "helps" him roll over. They do this almost every night after their bath. Hunter is usually on the floor on his back while I help Camden get dressed, and Keegan will go up to him and use his head to push against Hunter's side to "help" him roll over. They both end up laughing the whole time. I really should get video because the description does not do it justice.

3. His toes...he tries to get them in his mouth at every possible chance.

4. Scratching at things to see what noise it will make. He does this all the time...when I'm burping him, when he's sitting on someones lap, on the floor, anywhere. He especially loves the office chair and the sound it makes.

5. Being carried. Hunter does NOT like the stroller...mostly because he really doesn't get to spend that much time in it (or at least he didn't until recently). At 20 pounds, however, he's just way too heavy for me to carry everywhere, so he is learning to tolerate the stroller, and Keegan is learning to not be in it anymore (I think he likes the freedom).

6. His snuggles (blanket). No matter how asleep he might be when I lay him down for his nap, 99% of the time he will kick his feet up in the air until I put his blanket on him, then roll to the side and pull it up to his face and then stick his thumb in his mouth (yeah, he's my thumbsucker...although it's not all of the time, so I don't think we'll have a hard time breaking him of the habit). He loves having a soft blanket (or stuffed animal in a pinch) against his face when he first goes to sleep. It's so cute.

7. The sounds he can make with his tongue (he loves to click it against the roof of his mouth) and the sound of his voice. I love his little babbling as well.