seven months young.

I feel like Quinn and John reached 6 months old like yesterday.

And now we are at 7 months?

What are earth is going on?

These babies are practically ready for college.

The months that once crawled by are suddenly flying.

 At 7 months old, Quinn

-army crawls like a boss.
-gets up on her hands and knees, and her hands and feet (downward dog).
-is just getting the hang of sitting up on her own.
-still drools like a maniac.
-has fuzzy blonde-red hair.
-weighs 15 lbs 9 oz.
-is super anxious and curious; has to see/touch/eat everything.
-likes mixed veggies and anything with banana in it.
-has just started to consistently sleep through the night (knock on wood).
-has the cutest quiet little grunt-laugh.
-loves fans, vents, and this random plastic card-holder from Carly's memory game.
-continues to look more and more like big sis.
-is totally edible; her neck is particularly nibble-able.

~

~

At 7 months old, John

-is learning to roll over and over, and it gets him around.
-still screams just for the fun of it.
-weighs 18 lbs even; lugging him around is getting tricky.
-loves to eat food; carrot apple is a current favorite.
-is starting to sleep on his tummy.
-still wakes up for a 3 am feeding.
-is a sweet sweet boy.
-loves tags and rattles.
-wakes up singing and cooing.
-likes to grab my hair and snuggle my face.
-jerks his whole body when he smiles.
-loves loves being outside.
-is totally edible; his ears are particularly nibble-able.

~

We have really started to enjoy these kids as of late.

They laugh and play.

They react and interact.

Along with the torture is so much dang fun.

They sure are cool.

Happy 7 months, Q and J.

We're glad you joined us.

tuesday.

• I took Carly to preschool today. She packed her backpack and was all ready: sunglasses, cell phone (an old, uncharged one), books, two dishtowels (White Towel and his best friend), and of course a little pink puppy. A girl needs her basics.

• All three kids slept at the same time today . . . for an HOUR AND A HALF. I swept and mopped the floor, cleaned the clutter out of the toy bins, cleaned up the entire living room, made Carly a chore chart, read up on the hockey lock-out (say it ain't so!), and even sat down and ate lunch. I was so spoiled. If they did that every day, my life would be significantly less chaotic, and my house significantly cleaner.

• We went to the MSU Surplus store  last week and they had all these old beautiful books. Faded words, beautiful decorated spines, dirty edges. They just don't make books like that anymore; its all mass production paperbacks. I went though the rack and pulled book after book off the shelf. Funny how one person's trash is another's treasure. They are currently lined up on our desk, and I feel a little extra happy whenever I see them. That is the nerd in me. Its the part that misses registering for classes and strapping on my backpack and riding my bike up to BYU campus. After Carly's first day of preschool, she asked me, "Did you go to school today?" I told her I went to lots of school for a long time, and now I was all done and I get to be a mommy. "Oh, that's cool," she replied. It is very cool, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. But after 4 years, Fall semester still begins and I feel a little twinge of sadness in my heart. But the sadness is long gone by the time midterms roll around.

• We got curtains in our living room. I kind of love them. I think I'm going to have Chris move them out a bit, but I think they make our little home a little more homey. Two years later and I'm still messing with things. I'm having total post-baby nesting. I just didn't have the energy during my pregnancy this time around to nest, let alone every time I started a project I started having some sort of contraction. Two babies in one uterus is the pits. Now I just feel like throwing everything away and painting things and moving pictures and furniture around . . . and hanging curtains, apparently. We recently moved out of the master, waving our white flag and surrendering it to the babies. But this means I get to decorate it for them . . . at least a little until we're ready to put all three in that room and Chris and I can stop sleeping in the basement.

• My sister in law recently got her wedding pictures back and there is one of our family of five. I'm pretty sure it is like the fourth picture of the five of us in existence: the hospital, Easter, the blessings, and the wedding. And its the first one where I think we all look half-way decent, even though Quinn is checking out the action to the side. Her bow looks cute. I've been wanting a family picture but don't want to pay for it right now, since the babies can't sit yet and Carly only makes goon faces when she sees a camera. So I'm really really happy this picture exists. We are downright adorable.

• It was a cool rainy day and I love it. The kids and I sat on the front porch and watched the rain. You just can't beat a change in season. Its a chance to start new, calm down, and look forward. I have to admit I was a little terrified of this fall, with Chris going back to school full time and leaving me alone with the three little people. But so far it has been nice. We are settling into a schedule. I've had more good days than bad. And I don't even remember the last time they made me cry. Though I do remember the last time they made me eat 4 cupcakes in one day: today. Good thing I have a 4.5 mile run tomorrow.

a series of significant events.

Life is good in the C House.

Fall is on its way in. 

We are home until Christmas.

We are finding a groove (some times we are more successful than others).

We're getting a little more sleep and shedding a few less tears.

[Alma Mater's son and daughters . . . the cutest Cougar fans you've ever seen.]

This last week, however, has been full of action.

We've been facing a series of significant events.

On Saturday we went to a friend's house to enjoy the BYU game. We got home and headed inside. Chris and I each took one of Carly's hands and started swinging her. We swung her higher and higher, like we have a million times. We put her down and she grabbed her hand and told us it hurt. We brought her in and as time passed she started crying and protecting it. She would scream and pull it away when we tried to examine it, especially when we twisted it. We put ice on it, but the crying continued. I am the last person to take my kid to the doctor, especially the ER at 8:00 at night. But she is the kind of girl who typically shakes pain off. And she was still screaming about it. So I took the twins up to the bath . . . and Chris took Carly to the local hospital's pediatric ER. She came home FIVE HOURS later with a big "bandage" and a fancy new "arm purse."

X-rays didn't show break, but there was a suspicious bulge that the ER doc said could be a "growth plate fracture." We headed to the orthopedic 4 days later, and he seemed to believe it was "nursemaid's elbow," a common injury when parents swing kids. Nevermind that Carly used her elbow just fine and always said the pain was in her hand, not her arm. He did something to her arm and sent us on our way. I felt like he was not thorough at all, and that he heard the story and made a fast assumption. He took Carly's splint off, and since then (now 2 days later), she has been holding her hand and in pain. Yesterday she cried half the day over it. It is gradually getting better, so I suspect a sprain, but it is frustrating that the doctor wasn't a little more helpful. C'est la vie.

In between her two doctor visits, another big event happened for our girl. She had her very first day of preschool. A few mom's from our church group put together a co-op preschool. It is once a week, and the moms take turns teaching. We are going through the alphabet, doing a letter per week. The night before her first day, Carly and I went to Target and she picked out her own outfit (pink on pink, surprise). We got her a ladybug backpack, and she was the cutest little preschooler in the history of ever. Complete with massive splint.

She seemed to have fun, and now knows all about the letter A. She asked me, "Did you learn about the letter A today?" I explained how the moms would take turns being the teacher and she asked, "When is it my turn to be the teacher?" She is excited about it, and it will be good for her to have a built-in activity every Tuesday to be with friends and learn her letters better.

As for the other girl in the C house?

She had a big event of her own.

Miss Q graduated from her orthopedic manipulative therapy.

Holla!

It was originally meant to last 6 weeks, and here we are 4 months later.

Her neck is 100%, her face looks nearly symmetrical, and her head is really rounding out, though it likely won't be all the way round until she is about 2. It helps that the girl REFUSES to be on her back, and sleeps on her tummy. The pressure that once led to her lopsidedness is gone.

I'm just happy we don't have to go anymore.

And so is she.

Also going on with Q?

She had two teeth break through in the last few weeks.

And . . . the girl is up on her hands and knees and starting to rock.

She can't sit up on her own, but crawling is not far away.

She already really gets around, rolling and twirling and army crawling.

Its crazy how un-babyproofed our house is.

We need to change that, stat.

And John?

Well John eats record-setting amounts of food, including entire cereal bowls full of rice cereal.

And he smiles really really big.

And screams high-pitched happy screams just for kicks.

That's what John does, and we couldn't love him more for it.

Then there is me.

I drink a 100 calorie mini can of Dr Pepper just about every day at 2.

I recently configured a new cleaning and laundry schedule that hopefully will help control the chaos that is the C House.

And I'm training for a 10k.

At the beginning of the year I made a resolution to run a 5k. As I've been running these last few months, I've found that I can already run a 5k on a daily basis, so I decided to set a goal that was a little more challenging. The race is October 20th, and the only thing standing in my way is the fact that I have elderly knees. If my knees hold up, I think I just may be able to pull it off. Fingers crossed.

 

And Chris.

He is back in school, beginning year 3 of his PhD (have we really been here that long already?). He is taking classes, teaching two upper-level undergraduate classes, and working to finish up a pile of academic papers. The plan is to clear the slate a bit for an easier spring, since big bad Comps are in May. He still does all the grocery shopping, makes dinner 50% of the time, and comes home after long days to tackle our trio so I can go running. I love him a lot.

We're looking forward to another beautiful Michigan fall, hoping someday our babies will start sleeping though the night, and thanking our lucky stars we won't have a 3-year-old in a cast for six weeks.

Like I said, life is good.

xoxo.

Q and J at half a year.

Six months old. 

If I hadn't had suffered through every aching second of it, I wouldn't  believe it.

Time flies when you're going insane.

~

Not too long ago, Chris and I were talking about our three little pigs, using their already-evident personalities to joke about what they would do when they grow up.

When we got to Quinn, I said just one thing,

"Quinn is going to join the Peace Corps."

That's our Quinn.

On the move. 

A little bit quirky.

Beats to her own drum.

Overly motivated.

Awkwardly smart.

At half a year, Quinn . . . 

*is a mover and a shaker. She WILL NOT stay on her back. You put her down and she is over in an instant, checking out her surroundings and deciding what she will attack first. She often grabs her prey, shoves it in her mouth, and then rolls over and over, like that death roll an alligator does. She has left some pretty moist victims in her wake. And changing her diaper has made me a champion mutton buster. She just won't relax and sis still for anything. She rolls and scoots and has even started getting up on her knees a little, but she still can't sit up, and that is driving me a little crazy.

*doesn't want to miss a thing. She is very alert, and has to be facing outward while being held. You can watch the back of her little head move as she looks around and her eyes dart of one thing to the next. And if big sis is around, forget it. Quinn only has eyes for her. She stares at her, following her every crazy move. It is pretty obvious Quinn thinks Carly is the bomb.com.

*is a little bit weird. You'll have to meet her to really understand, but she just makes quirky faces and does quirky things. She is smart in that quirky way. Her exersaucer has this little flip pictures. She will grab the little stack and take one at a time and just stare at it. We say she is studying her flashcards, because that is exactly what it looks like she is doing.

*Rivals Niagara Falls in the amount of liquid she lets flow. She is a world champion drooler, requiring several  clothing changes a day and leaving puddles wherever she goes. I've started putting bibs on her, but she soaks through an entire bib in minutes. It is incredibly impressive. She needs some teeth to hold all the drool in.

*doesn't talk much. When she's in the mood, she'll get a little chatty, but she is actually a very quiet baby. Considering the noise her siblings make, I suppose that isn't too big of a shock.

*sleeps on her tummy. Its apparently part of that "won't stay on her back" thing. You put her down and she rolls over and goes to sleep. She has started sleeping through the night off and on, making it to about 7:00. She usually gets some sort of morning catnap, and a long afternoon nap. I'm trying to get them both on a schedule, but it is trick with three of them to manage.

*looks more and more like her big sister every day. Sometimes, especially when she is wearing Carly's old clothes, I will do a double take. Q is such a beauty, with these wide eyes that stare at you, delicious little lips, and soft blond hair that is growing in rather nicely. It is harder to coax a smile out of her than her brother, but when she does you'll feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

*eats food. If she is in the mood. She is like Carly in that she doesn't seem particularly interested in eating, and seems to do it purely out of requirement. She will often put her face down and suck on the high chair try, which can be incredibly frustrating. We have resorted to airplane noises to get her to pay attention. She looks at us like we're crazy, while John thinks its the coolest thing ever and squeals in delight. She does seem to like bananas quite a bit. And green beans.

*is complex. When there is something wrong, there is rarely a quick fix. Its like she is deeper than her surface needs, and really just needs to let it out. But those times are few and far between. Q is a happy girl. She was sick a few weeks ago and it was totally bizarre to have a fussy Quinn. When she started to feel better I was sure happy to have my girl back.

Our Q is as sweet as they come.

~

~

In another conversation, Chris said, "I feel like Carly and Quinn are so smart and have very unique personalities. And John is just a dude."

He said that in a good and loving way.

John is just a dude.

A scrumptious dude.

At half a year, John . . .

*is thick and heavy. I don't know how heavy, but the weight gap between him and his sister is growing. He is packing it on in preparation for football season, apparently.

*speaking of heavy . . . John loves food. He just has a true appreciation for it. Unlike either of our girls, John opens his mouth when the spoon his coming his away. He makes little sighs and smiles. And he can eat a whole lot of food in one sitting.

*can roll, but seems to choose not to. More and more he is rocking back and forth and arching and wiggling. It gets him around more than his old tactic of kicking his legs in the air. He is working on it. He must be sick of Quinn rolling around and grabbing at him.

*screams. He screams when he is happy. He screams when he is sad. He screams when he is hungry. He screams when he is full. He screams when he is bored. He screams when he's being played with. Screaming is something he really really excels at. It is obviously his way of experimenting with his voice, but it is loud. And it is high pitched. It is simultaneously adorable and frustrating. I'm hoping this phase is over soon, but he looks very proud of the noise he can produce.

*is a daredevil. He likes to be thrown and swung around. Once, he would not stop screaming so Chris dropped a blanket on his face for a second. He picked it up and found John with a huge smile on his face. So Chris dropped the blanket over and over again, and John thought it was crazy fun. He also likes to be tickled and "eaten" by his daddy, a nightly tradition before their baths.

*smiles. He has this massive explosive smile, and even when he is grumpy you can usually get a smile out of him. He especially smiles for the ladies, the little flirt. In Primary he just acts as sweet as can be and smiles huge at all the women who say hi to him.

[festive jammies: this is what happens when you have babies off-season from their big sister.]

*wakes up every night at 3 am pretty much on the dot. It is bizarre. He wakes up totally starving. I pop a bottle in his mouth and he's usually back down in 20 minutes or so. But what I wouldn't give to eliminate that feeding. We just don't have the luxury of letting him "cry it out", for fear of him waking up his sister.

*got his first haircut. It is crazy to look back at pictures of just how seriously bald he used to be, because John has some mighty fine hair now. It is fuzzy and delicious. But he had this especially long hair on the sides of his ears, hanging down over his ears. Chris finally convinced me to let him trim them. I think he looks SO much older. His first missionary haircut. Tear.

*is just a little simpler than his sisters. You never know what is going on with them. If John is screaming it means he is hungry, tired, or wants attention. That is really as complicated as he gets. It is a nice change of pace, even though he is hungry, tired, and wants attention a lot.

Our J is as cool as they come.

~

~

Both babies love books. They stare at the story, totally captivated, and make hilarious expressions.

Both babies love their daddy. They smile and squeal when he gets home.

Both babies love being outside. When they are fussy, I'll take them out on a blanket and they calm right down.

Both babies love Baby Einstein. They know the introduction music, and go silent and look to the tv as soon as it comes on.

I was looking at some pictures tonight of when the babies were born and their first weeks.

Remember when John had a feeding tube, and now you can't shovel the food in fast enough?

Remember when Quinn had that jaundice tan and black hair that made her look Hispanic, and now she is proudly the fairest one of them all?

Remember when they were tiny little mousy preemies on a strict feeding schedule and being supplemented with high calorie powder? Now they move and laugh and grab and play and have these amazing individual personalities that melt me.

We have come so far in half a year.

Happy 6 months, Q and J. We're glad you joined us.