7 Years Old

I'm not sure how it's possible, but that kid turned 7 years old! Seven! He's got 3 teeth missing, and two that are wiggly. CLEARLY he's a big kid. 

This past year Nolan started and completed kindergarten (though the completion part is a technicality thanks to COVID-19). He had an AMAZING kindergarten teacher! All year long I was so thankful he got to be in her class. She adored Nolan, and he really thrived in her class. He learned to read, and he's pretty good at it. He unfortunately had me as his teacher for the final quarter of school, but we made it through. 

Nolan's big brother skills expanded when Elliana came into the world. And honestly, he's just a really, really good brother to her. He's really good at entertaining her when I need him to, and he dotes on her like she's the cutest thing in the world (she is!!). One time we were at a park, and I laid Elliana on a blanket while I started throwing the football to the boys. Elliana couldn't crawl yet, so she was just on the blanket. A little boy was kind of close to her, and Nolan said with a protective tone to his voice, "Watch out for my sister!" When the little boy was out of ear shot, I told Nolan that I really appreciated his proactive efforts to protect his baby sister. 

Nolan is still very interested in nature and animals. He loves looking at books about animals and watching documentaries. He has spent several hours during quarantine looking for lizards in our backyard. He is very much still fascinated by animals. He really is like a sponge, soaking up all the facts and knowledge he can. 

This past year, Nolan developed a love for fishing. He really, really enjoys all things fishing. He likes talking about the bait he needs to use. He likes telling the same fishing stories over and over. He likes catching worms in the backyard to use as live bait. He has no problems being patient when it comes to this one area of life. He does, however, like to demand silence. It drives him CRAZY when Isaac or his cousins are loud while he's trying to fish. This is something Adam certainly hopes they can do together as the years go by. 

Nolan is seven years old and starting first grade at our local elementary school next week. It doesn't seem possible that this kid is old enough to ride a bus. It feels like this is a big transition year for us as a family, and in so many ways, I don't feel ready. I'm sometimes thankful this pandemic hit when it did because I got to keep my kids home when they were little. Yes, there were PLENTY of times I had to resist the urge to run away, but there were also PLENTY of times that I was very aware that I was given the gift of time. I don't feel cut out to be this kid's teacher at all, so though sending him off to school makes me nervous, I do deep down hope that he's able to keep going to school this fall. Most days I doubt my ability to be a good enough mom for him, but I'm glad we had extra time before he starts what I keep calling "real school." 

Alright, Nolan. 7 years old. Let's do this!

11 Months

Just 6 days late this time. I approve of both the tardiness and the improvement from last month. 

I do feel like this little bean is no longer a tiny peanut. She seemed so petite to me for so long, but really, this girl has some squish on her. I'm sure when I go to the pediatrician next month for her 1 year old (what?) well check, they will tell me she's in the 25th percentile for weight. But whatever. She sure does feel squishy, and I love it. 

Oh my gosh, she is irresistible right now. While showing no signs of walking, she sure does love to stand up all the time. Oddly enough, I have yet to find her standing in her crib, but surely it's coming soon. She does still sleep in a sleep sack, so that might make it to tricky to stand up, but the boys sure did figure it out. I can only assume she will, too. She's also figured out clapping (that was a couple of months ago but worth nothing), saying "buh bye" when it's time to sleep, signing "all done" and "more," and giving kisses. Now, she is quite stingy with the kisses, so you feel really special when she leans in. 

Elliana got to go to the beach for the first time with my side of the family. A full week of a full house and constant people to interact with- she was a fan! She did great by the water, really enjoyed sitting where the water comes up. It was still quite chilly, so we didn't take her out in it. But we were pleased with how content she was to be in the sand. Of course, she ate it some, and turns out, she did NOT like that. 

These two. Elliana doesn't know it, but she basically can do no wrong in her Daddy's eyes right now. Adam often calls her "my princess," and he's super protective of her. Which, he should be, but I'm also all for babies figuring some things out the hard way. Adam always does Elliana's bath if he's home, and he genuinely loves the time with just her. He is an excellent dad to her, and I'm so thankful she has him. 

I just can't put words to what a joy bringer this baby girl is. She is for sure the family favorite (our Tomberlin 5 family, that is). The boys still take such delight in her, and she in them. She is a gift! She still loves dogs, walks outside, watching the boys do pretty much anything, MY HAIR, her pacis, being in the midst of the activity, and being tickled and played rough with. She does not like her eczema that I've never mentioned but is so annoying, bottles (all the eye rolling), not being allowed to go where she wants to go, and honestly, that's pretty much it. She's a dream! 

Oh man, this picture gets me in the feels. Her little hand on my leg, looking up at me as we swing on the porch swing at the lake. Done. Melted. Putty. There are so many things to be said about this girl and the unbelievable gift and blessing she is to me. I can't believe I get to be her mom. I still can't believe sometimes how much she loves me and wants to be with me (I know I experienced this with my boys, but I sure did forget the love of a baby for their Mama). I often wonder if I'm enjoying her more than I did her brothers, but when I go back and read things I wrote about them at this age, I hear the love oozing and dripping with each word then, too. What feels different this time around is how much closer I'm leaning in to the moments. How undeserving I am of this gift of joy and grace, and I cherish her. At night when I'm rocking her before bed, sometimes she will fall asleep with her head on my shoulder, and there are nights I allow myself the luxury of just holding her as long as I want. The weight of her tiny frame relaxed into mine, the rhythmic breathing, the little but firm grip she has on my hair, all of it feels like a gift. Her flapping arms in the morning when I come to get her for the day. The way her face lights up just when I enter the room. Her hurried crawl to get to me. I am so deeply grateful for her life. It's almost been a full year of Elliana Joy. What a healing force she's been in my life! 

10 months SO LATE

I was doing fairly well with these until this one. I'm so late. She's going to be 11 months next Sunday. It will be hard for me to remember what was going on between 9 and 10 months, but I am going to try. My little squishy is still the yummiest, sweetest, most delightful baby. Aboslutely no bias whatsoever. 

Feeding this little one is probably the biggest stressor about her. She reacts to things that I can't always figure out and feeding her often takes so much thought and effort. There is very little convenient food that she can have, but as she gets teeth, that will hopefully change. But she does love avocado, bananas, blueberries, grapes, and beans. I'm wanting to transition her completely to table food, but her diet is limited combined with how frustrating it is to have her break out in hives for eating something that l can't pinpoint. 

This little girl still loves and favors her Mama. Adam will often say, "You know there's two of us that love you!" I don't feel the least bit bad about the favoritism. I feel like I've earned it. 

For Mother's Day, Adam gifted me a photo shoot with one of his coworkers who has a videography business on the side. The above picture is from that shoot. (Photo credit: Katelyn Pike) Things this little beauty loves: going on walks outside, baths, dogs (especially Jax), her brothers' shenanigans, honking her Daddy's nose, and being near her Mama. 

This girl- she's getting so big, and I love every bit of her. I'm so thankful she's in our family. The boys still regularly exclaim, "She's SO CUTE!" or, "I just love her so much!" or, "I want to squeeze her!" Our Elliana Joy Joy as we often call her truly is a joy to this family. Right now, I'm loving everything about this stage, and some nights I get a twinge of disappointment that the day is over and Elliana will be a little older. I have not grieved her growth at all this past year. I've been thankful for her life and her health and just her being here with us. But there's a little bit of sadness creeping in lately. Mostly because I know the thief that time is, and I can feel time moving too quickly. 

Oh, Elliana. I'll always love you, baby girl. 

9 Months and Counting

My squishy girl is 9 months. Unlike the month between 7 and 8 that seemed to last just shy of a year, this past month seems to have gone at normal speed. Also- I was late writing her 8 month post (late again), and I think that's also messing with my time comprehension. 

 I alluded to this in her last post, but she's officially crawling. She figured it out on Easter, and it was a very intentional, labored effort. About a week later, she had it down just fine. She spends a lot of time in the family room, blocked in, and she's usually pretty content exploring that area. She does like to escape when she can, and she quickly heads for the office or the toy room to see what she's missing out on. 

Elliana has become quite the tricky baby to feed. Just as we were hitting our strides with the baby food, she started discovering she likes to feed herself. I really want to take advantage of this desire of hers and switch her to table food. But all of her allergies have really made this process challenging. Also- she still has no teeth. I make her pancakes and muffins that I keep in the freezer. Other foods she has liked in bite size portions are kidney beans, watermelon, pasta, peas, cooked carrots and zucchini, bell pepper, and toast. Which, that may sound like a lot, but on any given day, she could reject any and all of those. 

Elliana got to go to the lake for the weekend. This was our first time being around people, really. My parents were there, and she actually did so well with them. She was a little slower to warm up to my dad, but she's always been very nervous about men other than her Daddy. She loved their dog, Jax. It was a great weekend, too quick, and it gave us hope that maybe she will adjust to being around family members quicker than we thought.

At her 9 month check-up, she was 28 inches long and just about 18 pounds. Long and lean. She's around the 75 percentile for height, and she's somewhere in the 40s for weight. She's still nursing 4 times a day, and I'm so ready to be done. 3 more months. We're going to make it!

This girl- she's such a delight. Every morning I start my quiet time with listing a few things I'm grateful for, and just about every morning I want to write Elliana. I love having her in our family, and I love how much the boys adore her. It's hard to imagine these days without her precious little self. In such a bizarre world we're living in right now, and Elliana makes ours so much brighter. 

To My 5 Year Boy

Oh Isaac,

I have caught myself several times just staring at you over the last several days. It seems obvious to me that you are changing, but I keep watching with great intention to see if I can catch the changes happening. You are really leaving behind those toddler days and ways, and now you are a big five year old. You hung on to your sweetness and toddler-ness in (mostly) good ways, and I see the bigger boy you are becoming. 

Isaac, you are a joy. You are full of laughter and silliness. You adore your baby sister, and you idolize your older brother. You have a tenderness that extends to those beyond your inner circle, whom you are fiercely loyal to. I hope I never forget (totally will) when you cried at a documentary showing a baby elephant's mom dying, leaving the baby elephant to go on in life without its Mama. It was too sad for you to watch. You came to sit with me and asked, "Is this real?" I often have to remind myself that you might possibly feel more strongly than the other boy we are parenting. 

Buddy, you can be a wrecking ball of affection, literally knocking us over with your hugs and love tackles. I have to ready myself when you come running towards me, so I can withstand your impact. I love that about you. You love hard. Literally. We still have to keep such a close eye on you with Elliana because we know that your strong love for her often leads to you squeezing her while uttering, "I just love her so much!" 

Four year old you would still choose to slip your hand in mine when we walked or hiked or just crossed the street. I don't know if five year old you will still do that. You exclaim several times a day, "Mommy, I love you!" And I try to pay attention, when I can, because I'm pretty sure teenage boys don't do this. As I said, I can already see that you are changing right in front of me. You are growing, moving towards wild boyhood. I'm confident I will love the boy you morph into, but Isaac, I have loved every bit of who you are as my little guy. My kitchen companion. My sidekick. My hair holding, thumb sucking, little boy. 

I love you, Isaac Dean. I love you, I like you, I enjoy you, and I'm proud of you.

Happy Birthday, big 5 year old! 
You are a gift!

Love,
Mommy

5 Years of Isaac Dean

I cannot believe Isaac is five years old. To me, kids cross into a new world at five. They are of course still kids, but they are into childhood. The chubby cheeks are thinning or thinned. Their bodies are lean (though Isaac is as solid as they come). Their pronunciation is mostly right of every day words. Five year olds seem to have fully left behind their toddler days. 

Isaac is so quick to try new things. He is adventurous and brave, often saying yes before his brother will. Isaac learned to swim last spring/summer. Which was greatly appreciated in my final weeks of pregnancy and in the first month after Elliana was born. 

Isaac became a big brother! He's so protective of his little sister, and it's absolutely precious. These two were home together two days of the school week (up until the pandemic hit), and Isaac had genuine interest in being with her on those days. He often needs reassurance that Elliana does love him, laugh at him, etc when Nolan is playing with her. It can make me sad when I see these little insecurities surface in him, but we keep reiterating that she absolutely does love him, think he's funny, and enjoy him.

Isaac got to go to Disney again. My mother-in-law says that four is the magic age for kids to go to Disney. Even though it would mean going when Elliana was so little, we did it anyway. This kid. He did every ride he was tall enough for. He insisted he wanted to do Splash Mountain, even when his brother was chickening out. And he loved it. After the big drop at the end he said, "I wish it was faster!" Oh man! A little thrill seeker!! 

Isaac started school this year. He was in a young 4s class, which put him as the oldest kid by far. The school really wanted him to do pre-k, but I just wanted his first year to be fun. His teachers ADORED him. This was what I wanted more than anything. Learning letters and numbers was going to be a bonus. Isaac went three days a week, his class was a 4 day program, but I wanted him home an extra day. His teachers sang his praises all.year.long. They loved him so much. They organized a birthday parade for him, and I'm convinced its because they wanted to be able to see him. 

Isaac still is my little sidekick in the kitchen. He loves to bake with me, and this year I started noticing he was really learning. He's cracking eggs so well. He understands that dry ingredients and wet ingredients get measured separately. He knows we usually chill our cookie dough before baking it. I love doing this with him. It 100% slows me down and can sometimes try my patience, but I love that as soon as he hears me get my mixer out, he drags a chair to the island to get started (and then I send him to wash his hands).

Isaac can still be an emotional little guy. It can be hard to discern if he's just a sensitive dude or if he has some not so hidden motives of getting Nolan in trouble. This is certainly an area we're working on. Isaac is still taking a nap everyday unless there's a reason not to. Of our three kids, he's our champion sleeper. We rarely hear from the kid once we say goodnight. He is, however, still sucking his thumb at night. 

Isaac is an easy kid to enjoy. He's still silly and cuddly and absolutely a mama's boy. He's got a tender heart, and he hangs on Nolan's every word. He's quite the little athlete, and we are so bummed his soccer season ended so abruptly because of COVID-19. 

Five years of Isaac Dean Tomberlin! I'm so glad God placed him in our family. 

Eight Months!

Man, oh man. It's hard to do this post without at least acknowledging that we are living in bizarre times. A global pandemic. There are tragic, monumental losses all over the world, and yet, in our little corner here, we've got our own little Miss Sunshine lighting up our days. Elliana is a joy- 8 months!

This little one figured out how to sit up all by herself. She'd roll and scootch her way around and then push herself up to sitting. Neither of the boys learned this skill before learning to crawl. All throughout the month I kept saying, "She could crawl any day now," but she actually didn't get the hang of it until after she turned 8 months (spoiler, I know!). 

The rhythm of our mornings is that I get Ellie up first and feed her. I then come downstairs with her and pump while she sits in a baby seat to let her milk settle. By the time I'm done, the boys are downstairs. Once I change her diaper and put her on the floor, I pretty much just walk away to get breakfast going for the boys. It was quite comical to see just where Elliana would end up in the few minutes of getting breakfast ready. It became our favorite game. Where's Elliana? (yes, I know, with a crawler we really can't turn our back on her anymore).

Though it seems like MONTHS ago, it was in this month of her life that I found out she is in fact allergic to peanuts, milk, eggs, and celery apparently (found that one out by giving it to her, not from an actual allergy test). It was quite the disappointment for me. I let a few quiet tears spill over in the car after we got her lab results. Baking is so life giving to me, and to think of all the things she can't eat because of her milk and egg allergy was just so sad. The allergist says she WILL grow out of the milk and egg allergy, we just can't know when. I'm very thankful for that! She'll get tested again next spring. It's also a little unnerving to think she could go into anaphylactic shock from eating goldfish- the most common church snack known in the US. But, you know, because of the pandemic, little lady isn't going to church nursery any time soon. 

Because of said pandemic, this little sister is getting all sorts of attention from her brothers. There has been no lack of bonding over here. Nolan and Isaac LOVE her so much (so much more than each other it seems), and they fight over who gets to make her laugh and smile at any given moment. 

Baby girl is nursing 4 times a day, eating solids 3 times, naps 2-3 times, and does splits at least 50 times a day. I currently love the schedule we are on right now, though I could do without the nursing, but I CAN finish the year strong!! 

Someone may or may not be (but definitely is) completely wrapped around this little girl's finger. I see all sorts of warning signs that this girl could be a princess, and I will have her father to thank for that!! 

Elliana Joy Tomberlin- we could not love you more! But then a new day comes, and we actually do!!