Crazy Eight

Baelor, you are now at that age where you are no longer an infant, but just a BABY. We love, love, LOVE this stage! You fit perfectly in our arms. You are aware of your surroundings; you know the difference between familiar and unfamiliar places. You enjoy taking naps in your own crib, or on Mummi and Papa Will's bed. Most nights you somehow end up sleeping as snuggled up to mommy as possible. Lately, we've either been too tired or already asleep before we realize that you are still in our bed. I love to wake up and feel your perfect little body pressed up against mine. Your scrumptiousness makes my mouth water.

We love that you are able to sit up on your own for as long as you want. And we are excited that you are beginning to get on all fours in preparation for crawling. You roll over or scoot backwards on all fours to get what you want; often finding yourself stuck under the couch or chair legs! You're just a laid-back, cool kid who isn't rushing into things. We're okay with that- you are happy and content, what more could we ask for?

At eight months you are wearing size 3 diapers and about size 6 month clothes (3 month onesies). You really don't look any smaller than other babies your age thanks to your cheeks and chunky extremities. Probably the only thing that is similar with you and your sister are your small heads and similar bum-bums (although a little wider than your sister's was).

You are becoming quick at picking up objects from the ground and passing them from one hand to the other. You have a fascination with cloth...whether it's silky, fuzzy, or just plain cotton you enjoy holding onto it. And strings...you do NOT let go of mommy's hoodie strings.

You enjoy playing peek-a-boo with Grandma Guinn and we believe that you greeted her with a "hi" one morning with your usual entrance down the stairs with Grandma awaiting your arrival. Grandma Guinn is a witness to this! You haven't said any other words, but we know when you are hungry because you will mumble your "M's" for mama. When you are pleased you say your "G's". At least we know you'll be able to pronounce your last name!

You have just about grown out of your bath seat...the other day we couldn't help laughing while you were taking a bath with Reina. You looked like a dude just straddling that seat all aloof like a teenager lounging on the couch.

You enjoy your binky for sleep...we enjoy that you can be comforted by it as well. You are a back sleeper and know that you are just about asleep when you turn your head briskly to one side to signal "I am going to sleep now." You like to have some type of cloth to hold onto in the middle of your chest- usually your monkey blankey or a wash cloth.

You are becoming a great eater now! Thanks for finally being able to throw down a little of mommy's chunky homemade baby food. It taste much better don't ya think? You thoroughly enjoy Mummi's cabbage and turkey soup just as much as Reina did. You are eating 4 meals a day with still plenty of nursing.

Your hair is starting to come in and boy, you are a TOE HEAD. I don't quite understand this term cause you are much cuter than an ugly old toe.We love you little guy-guy-guy!

Lucky Number Seven

Loon Lake photo shoot...a few days shy of 7 months

Please stop him! He is growing up too fast! I had no idea how quickly the second one grows up! I can't even imagine those who have even more kids. They probably blink 10 times and their kids are getting married!

What to say about our little 7 month old guy... pictures are so much better! But to keep up with his development, I better add a few notes to his adorableness. Baelor is now an expert at blowing raspberries. He likes the little bits of spit to splash up in his face.

He has been doing this funny, little smile where he will tuck his upper lip under his gums...which makes him look like a shy old man...probably the cutest old man you've ever seen though. I haven't been able to capture this on camera yet.

Besides mommy, his favorite person is Reina. If she is in the room, his eyes are on her. They are beginning to have their own special relationship. I can hear them in the room together giggling. Reina plays peek-a-boo or some other "startling" game as Baelor laughs it up. You'd think a little baby will cry when they are startled, but nope, this little guy gets a big ol' grin instead. In fact, the other day when we went to clean the office building we maintain, Reina was entertaining Baelor for an easy 20 minutes! Great for us so that we could get more cleaning done without interruptions, but it was so pleasing to the ears to hear our children play and laugh together. Most people just hope that their children won't fight, but Reina is always trying to protect and love her little brother. It's funny to hear her imitate the things we say to Baelor such as: "Your such a good little guy." Or she'll sing "Oh, where have you been Baelor-boy, Baelor-boy."

One word to describe him is "light": in weight, in skin tone, in hair color, in sleep awareness, in character, and in desire to eat. Normally babies don't come in for 7 month check-ups, but the doctor was worried because of his low weight at his 6 month appointment so we had to come in for a weight check; 15.4 lbs. I thought that they would be pleasantly surprised at his roly-poly thighs and ginormous cheeks. And now that he is eating solid foods and growing out of some previous clothes that all was good. Well, although he had gained 1 pound, he is still just a little guy apparently at still just 4% on the average weight scale. He'll probably just be a late bloomer like I was. He eats his three meals a day in the Bumbo seat that he tries to escape from during the whole feeding. Baelor currently is eating garden vegetables, squash, sweet potato, and sometimes cereal. We've attempted giving him table food such as fish, berries, rice, etc. but he hasn't mastered his gagging reflexes yet so we've been sticking to pureed food and only occasional attempts at chunks. We do not want him to become a picky eater so luckily I can mush pretty much anything into one of those baby sucky things to allow him to get used to a variety of flavors. Don't try taking it away either, he means serious business with it.
In his seventh month he is beginning to sit on his own (no pillows or props) for up to five minutes...until he tries to reach for something, then it's a bonking/crying fest.

Elizabeth and Emily: they absolutely ADORE him! And likewise.

Baelor is still a regular nurser and loves it. He will still take 2 ounces of formula while I'm working, but sometimes he shows his displeasure. Baelor inherited my light-sleeping genes and can be easily woken up from sudden noises. He shouldn't though, considering he has a loud older sister and spends lots of time at my mom's daycare center.

At Mummi's : Ella, Reina, Tova, Baelor, Mummi, Emily, Elizabeth, Abigail

He is such an easy-going, pleasant baby. We are still debating who he looks like. We see a lot of Grandpa Guinn in him, as well as my oldest sister, Tarja, when he smiles. And a little of my sister, Sanni, when he is concentrating. He's one sweet little fellow and we really only have good things to say about him!

Jammie time! We couldn't resist putting on the matching elf stocking cap. Does he look like Grandpa Guinn?

We love you so much Baelor-boy!

The Utah Guinns' Visit

During the first week of July we received a special treat, a visit from Paul's twin brother Matt, wife Julie, and their two children Madeleine and Benjamin. We had been talking to Reina weeks leading up to their visit. She was excited to see her cousin Madeleine again. What is so great is that they are nearly the same age (only a couple weeks apart). But of course TWIN brothers had TWO girls nearly the same age.
They got along so well! Probably the most memorable activity these two girlies enjoyed was DRESS-UP! Reina hardly ever touches her dress-up clothes, but boy were they the "it" item this week! I should have bought many pairs of pink high-heels as they were the hot commodity to fight over. I never had any pretty dress-up clothes as a child. For my high-heel I would slide my foot into a Fisher Price train car. I guess it was more like a roller-skate.

 

We attempted camping with the kids at a nearby campground, Battleground Lake. It was a beautiful campsite! I knew Reina would do great, and imagined Baelor would do fine. He actually did amazingly well. I was more nervous about waking the other campers when he would wake in the night to nurse. We decided Paul and Reina would sleep in the tent while Baelor and myself would sleep in the back of the minivan. Ouch! Uncomfortable for me, but everyone else slept great. It was probably the hardest on Matt and Julie since their boy Benjamin is 1 1/2 and always on the go. It was just a quick overnighter, but we enjoyed chatting around the campfire with the adults including Uncle Steve.

 

We had a fun little barbecue out back with Paul's family for the 4th. Sadly, Paul had to work for the first time on the 4th. We are hoping all of his hard work will allow him more time with family in the future. That's our intention at least. After enjoying Grandma Guinn's new backyard furniture and scrumptious food, we headed over to my sister Sanni's neighborhood fireworks show. It was big and loud and fun for all.
We also took a quick visit to Uncle Bryan and Aunt Wendy's "farm" in Brush Prarie. We don't get out that way too often, but the kids enjoyed all the space and fun toys like the pools, trampoline and playsets. I think Reina was most interested in the hose though. Kids always seemed to be entertained with simple things like boxes huh?

We love Grandma Guinn! You too, grandpa. Next time we'll tackle you grandpa!

The girls: Lauren, Madeleine, Logan and Reina

Reina with cousin Degan

Aunt Sharon and Aunt Louise (the crazy aunts who live in the pink house)

Cousin Logan and Baelor

It was good to see the Utah Guinns and hope to be able to take a visit in their territory soon. And maybe take a look-sie on BYU campus and see all the changes that have been made since we went there.

America, the Land that We Love

One of my favorite holidays is Independence Day. It is precious in so many ways. It takes place in the perfect season for barbecues with family and friends and kicking back and "relaxing" during "vacation" (i.e. do we ever REALLY get a vacation with kids?). I love how everyone seems to come together for one great purpose of showing their patriotism. Every year it becomes a little more sentimental to me. Back in the day I would rank the 4th of July as one of my favorite holidays because of the fireworks. I can remember fond memories of watching the "biggest display of fireworks west of the Mississippi" at Fort Vancouver with Neil Diamond singing "God Bless the USA" (still one of my faves) and being completely amazed with each explosion bigger than the previous. Today, I love the 4th for not only the fun parts, but also because I love this country. I value life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I love freedom and that I can choose how I want to live. I believe in the idea of reaping what you sow. I believe that if you work hard you should be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor. I believe in being charitable with time, money, talents, etc., but also that the choice of when/where/who to be charitable with is up to you. I believe that most Americans are good people.

Cousin Riley

I am not going to get into politics in this blog as I have far too much to say and want to keep it on a positive side. But, this is my blog and mostly I'm the one who reads it so I will only say a little. I will say that I see our country heading very rapidly in a different direction than one I would choose. There are a gazillion reasons this is so. There are far better sources out there than myself, so there is no need for me to get detailed here. I fear we are heading to destruction. We have learned that knowledge is power. What baffles me is when people say, "I don't get into politics." WHAT!?! This is like saying, "I want others to pave my life." You don't have to be up-to-date on every tiny scenario that happens in the political world because it can consume you and make you quite angry. But knowing more than what mainstream media is feeding you is necessary if you are at all interested in the integrity of yourself, your family, and their future.
I know these posts are really just a journal for myself and my family, and for the most part feel the way I do about America. I love America and want to preserve what we have had in the past. Too much war and labor has gone into shaping and molding Her; don't let Her be destroyed in a sudden "whirlwind of ideas" that are too fast to make you realize that the decisions made for this country have only lead to the deconstructing of Her. If you haven't made the attempt to learn, please do. The current leaders are banking on listlessness, ignorance, and flat-out lying. Oh, and mainstream stations (i.e. ABC, NBC, CBS, alphabet stations) are obnoxiously biased....but you knew that, right?
I really just meant to add a few cute pictures of my kiddos with Grandma and Grandpa Guinn all decked out in red, white and blue. I love my family and I love America. God bless the USA.

Mummi hula-hooping with homemade PVC pipe...she will do this from dawn to dusk unless you ask to see her splits.

Daddy was working at the Fort Vancouver Fireworks display doing chiropractic scans. We brought him a plate of yummy barbecue we enjoyed and played for a few minutes at Esther Short park. We missed him.

Baelor's Halftime Show!

Baelor, how are you already 6 months old?

Where are those sleepless nights that test our patience as parents...you only wake to eat and fall back asleep.

Can you really be this good all the time?

I cross my fingers that this is who you really are; that the perfect bubble you've formed won't burst to show a crying, unhappy boy. You really are such a joy!

Thank you for being so patient when I need just a few more minutes to get stuff done before I can give you attention. You always seem to understand. Almost too understanding, but thank you. You are exactly what I need.
 

You give the most genuine, BIG smile that forces your whole face to go along for the ride.

 I love your rolly-polly arms that are perfectly sectioned for bite-sized chomping.

"Bite-bite-bite? No-no-no. Chomp-chomp-chomp? Yes-yes-yes." (Yo Gabba fans know what I mean).

Thank you for not telling daddy that I make out with you. :)

I love your blue eyes that match your daddy's.

I love how you roll towards me in half a second in your sleep sack when nursing in mommy's bed.

Mommy and daddy snicker when we peek in on you sleeping with your arm around your bedtime buddy- a monkey blanky. You look kind of tough...until we see a pacifier in your mouth.

You adore your sister in every silly way even with her overpowering voice...get used to it. Your voice is quiet like your mommy's.
Jump, jump, jump! That's probably your favorite acitivity. You can roll over but don't feel the need too often.

Everyone thinks you look like your aunts Sanni and Tarja. I have to agree. When you smile it's definitely Aunt Tarja, and when you are concentrating your Aunt Sanni. I think you might have Aunt Sanni's toes as well!

We say that you are the perfect accessory for any outfit; compact and easy to take along for any occasion.
Thank you for being able to fall asleep in your car seat, taking an occasional bottle of formula and making the addition to our family so easy.
Love ya little guy!
6 month stats: (6 mos 2 wks)
Height: 26 inches / 27th percentile
Weight: 14.5 lbs / 4th percentile
Head Circumference: 16 inches / 1st percentile
How are you so small with these rolly-polly legs and humongo cheeks?

Our Little Mermaid

I can remember one Christmas break back in late elementary school, perhaps 5th grade when I literally watched "The Little Mermaid" everyday. The funny thing is that my older siblings watched it everyday as well. Between us we could probably recite the movie word-for-word, song-for-song. Disney does such a great job at capturing you at any age with their classics. I'm not talking the Disney Channel as I think the majority of it is complete garbage.
The classic Disney movies send a good message, usually."The Little Mermaid"....not so much. Here we have a young girl, Ariel who isn't happy with who she is and what she has. She disobeys her father who is made to appear as a big, mean daddy. She gets people involved who become deceitful. After all is said and done she doesn't have to learn to accept and love herself for who she is, but rather complains and bargains with the "witch" to become something she's not. I didn't realize that I was exposing Reina to this "role model" until it was too late. Reina loves her. I am glad to say that she also loves Cinderella and Belle who are excellent role models. I personally love Belle because although she is pretty she has brown hair/eyes, doesn't wear pink and loves books! In fact, I think Reina prefers these two princesses over Ariel, but the music in "The Little Mermaid" is excellent; so excellent that Reina enjoys to recite one particular song over and over. Enjoy!

... Four Little, Five Little

This little man is a whole FIVE months! He is just a little guy. The only thing that is big on him is his cheeks.
Here he was at four months old:

Growth stats: (3 months 2 weeks)
Height: 24.5 inches / 52nd percentile
Weight: 12.2 lbs / 12th percentile
Head: 15.2-15.3 inches / 2nd percentile

By four months old:
-Grasp a toy and bring to his mouth
-Started using Bumbo chair
-Could stand in exersaucer for 10-15 minutes before getting tired
-Can do tummy time, but no rolling over. Still doesn't enjoy it.
-Beginning to have conversations
-Still nurses a couple times a night
-Still wears 3 month size clothes and 1-2 diapers

What he loves:
-Loves to smile and be happy all the time
-Listening to music, especially singing to him
-Smiles when he is put in his own crib for a nap
-Loves his pacifier almost as much as nursing, but doesn't require nursing for soothing
-Likes to have his diaper off (coos and smiles)
-Enjoys laughing at people tickling him and being completely silly at his face
-You know that Baelor likes you if he begins gnawing on his knuckles upon meeting you

Here is our little guy at five months old:

He still pretty much enjoys the same things from four to five months. The only changes that he has really made are the fact that he has finally rolled over a handful of times. We haven't captured it yet because he won't do it with us watching. As soon as I pull that camera out he is too interested in it to do anything else but stare. He is getting pretty strong legs though. I think he might be one of those babies that are late at rolling over and sitting, but will run as soon as he learns to walk. Baelor is almost too strong for the Bumbo chair now. There have been a few unsettling incidences where he has almost flopped himself out of it. This wouldn't be dangerous if I wasn't putting him on the kitchen counter to watch while I cook (shhhh!).

As parents, we've really noticed his personality grow. He is gonna be a TALKER! He likes to chatter on and on at what appears to be run-on sentences. It's completely adorable with his droolie, gummie smile.

Lately, big sister Reina has been wanting me to sing a particular "angel song" for bedtime. I lay in bed next to her and even do hand gestures that correspond with the words. If Baelor hasn't gone to bed yet he gets to squeeze between us and "watch the show" as well. It's so cute because he looks back and forth from Reina to mommy as if saying, "Hey guys, I fit right in. I totally know what's going on." Daddy is the lucky one because he gets to view his three favorites all snuggled together in one bed.

Every night Paul and I lay in bed and chat about how COMPLETELY AWESOME our kids are!