Determination

Emerson shows such strong determination already! He has been sneaking that little thumb into his mouth! So I pulled out those old newborn mittens! And even with the mittens on and the pacifier in his mouth, he STILL tried to get that thumb in there! But guess what little guy - your momma is determined too! Hmmm... maybe that's where he gets it!

Look at his beautiful blue eyes! He is such a serious little guy but so sweet! Notice he's wearing his mittens!

FaceTime

Ricky was so excited he figured out how to FaceTime Mommy all by himself! It was bedtime and he was upstairs. I was reading in my room downstairs when I got the call! He was thrilled! I have to admit it was pretty fun! It's a far cry from playing telephone with two tin cans and a string!

14 Weeks Old

I love this age! Every day Emerson is learning something new! It's so fun seeing the world for the first time! And how lucky I am this is the fourth time I get to experience the wonders! Emerson is sitting for very brief periods before falling over. He is becoming interested in toys, and he is bringing them to his mouth. However, that's not the only thing he's putting in his mouth! The little stinker is starting to suck his thumb! And he's good at it! So I am constantly taking his thumb out and putting his pacifier in! He is showing interest in books and seems to really enjoy when I read to him! He is smiley, but a more serious and focused baby. He loves to be held especially by momma! We tried to take him out of the nap nanny at night because he is getting flat head. But he was projectile vomiting, coughing, and choking, so he's back in the nap nanny! Unfortunately, we haven't noticed much of a difference with this second medication they have us on. But we're hoping maybe with time it will improve. Emerson's eyes are still blue, but the jury is still out whether they will stay that way! Everett's were blue until he was 8 months old! Either way they are beautiful! And his lashes are so long you could braid them! Those cheeks are so chubby!! He is still in 0-3 month clothing, but should be moved up because of the length. We just have to pick through the things that still fit until we get up in the attic to switch them out! He is in size 2 diapers. We think he's going to be a talker like his brothers! He imitates the sounds and inflection of your voice when you talk to him. He also studies your mouth and moves his the same way! Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

 

Weekend Hike

Yet another beautiful day for a hike! I love getting outside with my boys!

Evening Bike Ride

It's so fun watching the kiddos (Kuhns and Alfords) grow up together! It pulled at my heart strings to see them all riding their bikes! So fun!!

Emerson is 3 Months Old!

Emerson is three months old!! He is sweet and serious! We are trying to work out his reflux and gastrointestinal issues. He suffers from reflux and constipation that makes him very unhappy. Poor guy! He is a snuggle bug and loves being held! He coos, squeals, and even mimics your speech. He is a champ at tummy time and rolls over faster than you can keep up! He has also rolled from back to belly twice, but that is more random and not consistent yet. He loves to look at himself in a mirror and have a conversation with the handsome little guy staring back at him! Those baby blues can melt anyones heart!! I am savoring every moment with him. This is the last time I will be going thru these stages (until grandchildren!), so I am not in a hurry to let them pass me by! I am pretty laid back about him reaching his milestones. I realize by number four that the age they reach their milestones really has no significance or any implication of intelligence as long as they're not delayed! And frankly I want to just enjoy him being a baby for as long as I can!

Sawyer - Dog Allergy

Boy these pictures just don't do justice to the way Sawyer looked after having contact with a dog! These were also taken 1 hour after he was given Benedryl. Poor guy! Even three days later his skin is still irritated! He and Everett are both so allergic! Looks like no dogs in our future!

Ricky the Math Whiz!

Our smart little kindergartner loves school! He claims reading is his favorite subject. (He did test advanced in his reading skills!) But he is certainly a math whiz! Ricky had homework to prepare for the 100th day of school on February 1st. He had to pick one hundred items to count, put them in a bag, and write clues for his classmates to guess what's in the bag. So he figured out it was faster to count to 100 by putting the q-tips in 10 groups of 10! What a smart cookie!

Update on Sawyer's Genetic Testing

When part one of the genetic testing for Neurofibrobromatosis came back NEGATIVE we were thrilled beyond measure! But we still had a second round of testing to go thru to rule out something called Legius Syndrome which is very similar to NF1. And we just got those results back and they too were NEGATIVE!!! It is an answer to our prayers! We are so grateful we had the insurance and means to afford the very expensive testing to rule out these neurological disorders. My heart goes out to the families who can't afford these measures and have to go the "wait and see" approach. We are also thankful for everyone's prayers! We are so blessed!! Here is a picture of one of his several spots. This is the larger spot that was most concerning. They are called "cafe au lait" spots.